Wine and weight loss at age 61.

[JimHow]

So I've lost 17 pounds this summer, continuing a very unhealthy tradition of gaining weight in the winter and shedding it in the summer that has been going on for the past 20 years or so. I blame age, the stress of work, and... wine. What I'm finding as I get older is that it is REALLY harder to lose weight as you get older. I have really worked hard this summer, dieting, exercising, cutting back on alcohol consumption. If I had put in this kind of effort ten years ago I'd have lost 30 pounds rather than "only" 17. I'm happy to have lost 17 but I've got another 15 to go, I really blimped out this past winter. I've been pretty much limiting drinking to one day per week, sometimes two, but I find that when I do consume alcohol even once per week I put back on a pound or two. I'm really concerned about a spike in covid this coming fall/winter, what with my heart, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc., problems. Last year I had an awful bronchitis that lasted literally two months from Thanksgiving until February. In addition to that real bad battle with bronchitis last winter I've been finding that I'm bouncing back a lot more slowly from the flu in recent years. So I'm hoping weight loss, living healthier, etc., will help me during the coming flu season and, heaven forbid, if Covid spikes this winter. So my goal is to live more holistically and balanced, but of course those have been my goals for the past 20 years. Unfortunately I find there's a correlation between my work stress levels and poor eating, less exercise, and weight gain, and unfortunately I have these five homicide cases that I had hoped to resolve in 2020 that are now going to be pushed into what promises to be a very busy 2021.

I know we've discussed this here before, and we are lucky to have so many doctors and nurses here, what is your experience with alcohol and weight gain? Is there a direct correlation, or is more complicated than that you can just drink so many glasses per week? I'm happy to have lost 17 pounds but it has been really, really hard, and I really have another 15 to go. Danny, what was your secret? And to what extent did you reduce alcohol consumption during your 43 pound weight loss?

[AKR]

Wine is roughly 20 cal/oz, which is more than sugared soda pop. Think of a bottle of wine as a 600 cal Big Mac.

There may be metabolic effects from alcohol as well, slowing down the body's basal rate too, but I think a first approximation is just to pretend that wine is a really caloric food, and if one wanted to lose/maintain weight it would have to be accounted for in daily caloric consumption.

It sounds like you are doing well with the healthy living plan. There may be some reasons due to circadian rhythms for the winter weight gain. Sunlight (or the lack thereof) may be driving it; we know that people also get their moods affected by it. At your latitude, it may be playing a role.

[RPCV]

An interesting dilemma, Jim. I am turning 60 later this month so I'm right there with you in thinking about this issue. I work out 5 days a week; 3 days of core exercise such as planks and sit-ups, stretching and some light dumbbell work; all in for about 45 minutes. I then run a 5K two days a week. That regime works for me in keeping my weight constant without gain, even during the Holidays....and I stay in good shape! However, to lose weight I was successful with intermittent fasting; eat a protein-rich breakfast (shake), nothing for lunch except some unsalted almonds for a snack with lots of water and then eat a big protein-rich dinner. I avoided (and continue to avoid) bread, sweets and processed foods and no fruit, taking most of the sugar out of my diet. I ate a lot of complex veggies like broccoli, brussels, cauliflower but always with more protein than carbs in calorie count for dinner. I did continue to drink wine and was able to lose weight, although I tried to limit my weekly consumption of wine to weekends and one cheat night. I am no Doc, but that's what worked for me.

It sucks getting old. The key for me was getting an AM routine of sweating every day. All my best,

RPCV

[Blanquito]

I'm impressed you lost 17 lbs, Jim. I find losing even 5 lbs a major chore....

I'm on Day 10 booze-free, reporting in at the same weight...

[DavidG]

I’m with you Jim. It is harder to lose weight as we age, regardless of alcohol.

You can read all sorts of opinions on alcohol's effect on metabolism and weight gain/loss aside from the raw contribution to calories. I think it makes it harder to lose weight. Some or much of that, for me at least, is that alcohol reduces inhibitions, making it harder to resist an extra serving, an extra snack, more dessert.

If you can exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet like the one RPCV mentions, you should be able to enjoy wine in moderation and still lose weight. But it might have to be less than half a bottle, and only once or twice a week.

They say yo-yoing up and down is not healthy either, so dieting and dropping all alcohol for a month or two to lose weight, then putting it back on, isn’t the greatest solution. Finding a sustainable balance of calories, exercise and alcohol to maintain a steady weight is healthier.

[stefan]

>>
alcohol reduces inhibitions, making it harder to resist an extra serving, an extra snack, more dessert.
>>

I know several other people who tell me this. For me personally it is the opposite--I tend to eat less when I drink alcohol. That can cause me problems because I more or less have to force myself to eat enough to maintain my weight (a side effect of having only half a stomach).

[Nicklasss]

Hi Jim.

I encourage you to continue, on you search for healthy weight, diet and life.

I'm younger than you, don't get too much extra weight yet, but i know with age it will be tougher. Making intense sports is also getting more difficult, and i have some (still little) health problems that will only get bigger with time. I drink too much since covid and also have to change that. Seems like our nice border is still closed until September 21st, so i'm not able to get to Maine to enjoy good wine in your company. Or see any other BWEers in the USA. When will be next time?i'll be happy to see you in greater shape than ever.

Nic

[JimHow]

AKR: That's awesome, I can have my 270 calorie DD sausage wrap in the morning, skip lunch, have a quarter pound slice of salmon with a cracker and thin slice of cheese for dessert, and STILL drink a full 750ml of northern Medoc every night, and STILL be well under my limited daily 1500 caloric intake! No probs!

RP: That's very inspirational, as you are about my age. I do most of what you do, except I walk (aerobically) rather than run. My weight has changed significantly over the past 40 years. In college I was 139 pounds. I remember coming home during break in law school and my mother commenting on how much weight I had put on... the alcoholism ravages impacted by the law had set in.... By age 30 I was running for mayor. I remember I had ballooned up to 180 by the start of the campaign (following a very tough breakup), but was down to 154 by Election Day. I kept it around 165, a good weight, through my mayoral career until I ran for Congress in 1994. That campaign took a lot out of me, I went back down to about 150, I remember one of my campaign people saying I was "too thin" by the end. That's all interesting because, when I type in 5'11, medium frame, etc., my "ideal weight" is supposed to be like 155. On my wedding day in 2000 -- the first year of BWE -- I was 173.. Looking good. Then I put on 20+ pounds over the course of the next 20 BWE-related years.... Now it's been a battle to get back into that 175ish range.

Blanquito: You and Comte are thin, but you are still young. I usually love working up sweats in the summer, shedding the poundage. This year it has been weird. I've had success, but it has lacked joy. I've worked my nuts off, with mixed results. In the past it has been, if I do this, this, and that, I will lose 10 pounds. Nowadays, it's not an automatic. I do certain things, and... limited results.... Man, it's tough getting old.

DavidG: Ha ha, a half bottle twice per week? As Dana Carvey/GW Bush would say: Na Ga Do It. Just not gonna happen. I mean, I still do my 2-3 months of fasting, but generally I drink 2-3 bottles per week. It's going to be interesting to see as I go into my big "final" year of trials in 2021, will I drink more, or less? Especially if I have to spend six weeks in East Butt Fuck Alaska? I would say it's 50/50.

Stefan, I will always remember you in 2003, when I think you weighed about 74 pounds after cancer surgery and STILL attended NYC '03. The legend, the "Father of BWE" was born before that, but it was cemented that weekend.

Nicola: Is that true? Is there a Sept 21st date? That would be perfect, you could come to the Great State of Maine during the foliage! We'll uncork some of the crazy stuff. Meantime, stay healthy, non ami!

[dstgolf]

Jim,

I've battled the bulge my entire life wife a love of travel, wine and fine dining. Well who cares about fine dining...we love food!! Without being able to dedicate time to diet and exercise for any period of time we've yoyo'd for years. Covid presented an opportunity and we took advantage. Low carb, exercise and I've dropped 46lbs!!! Danielle 28lbs. We've never felt better and wine for 2 months was not part of our program but now no issues.

Wine 5 oz 123 calories so 1/2 bottle 369 calories and those are empty calories going straight to your ass and waist. Doesn't matter it's just calories and you have to look at total daily intake. It doesn't matter what you do to lose weight it matters what works for you. I see people stressing with their workouts going crazy but its all about calories in. I'm convinced the low carb just lowers your calorie intake and you go from there but it likely increases the efficiency of burning calories. I've cycled on and off for 30 + yrs and it works but .... tough to sustain like this week at a cottage. Rib steak with 2004 Canon la Gafaliere was fantastic and started with Drappier Cote d'Or with paté and cheese. Life is good.

[JoelD]

Jim,
I am no doctor. However I have spent significant time over the last 10 years on nutrition and fitness. I have found certain things that help, however I have found it to be fairly simple for me. Along with activity, it's good(healthy but still caloric, veggies and meats and some starch), wine(1-2 glasses a night with food), and dessert(not some absurd amount). Heres the catch. Pick two. When I really do all 3, the weight just comes, almost no matter how hard I'm working out. So basically, I rarely eat much dessert. Good food, good wine, and good activity. Lowish carb, but not crazy. Sounds simple, but I feel that most people overdo it on one of those three, and/or do all three consistently.

PS, not all calories are equal, not by a long shot.

[Comte Flaneur]

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[Comte Flaneur]

Jim I think the best approach is prevention/preemptive action rather than cure. It is much easier and better to take steps before hand than say OMG I have put on X number of pounds meaning you have to try to lose X number of pounds.

A lot of people put on weight surreptitiously because their weight might fluctuate from day-to-day but in net terms they put on a couple of pounds a month, which cumulates over several months.

So it is a good idea to keep tabs on your weight regularly, ideally on a daily basis. That is what I do, plus my ‘body mass index‘, which my scales can provide. If your BMI goes up a lot before your weight it could be a sign of trouble. In the worst case of organ failure, as the organs can no longer process the alcohol being poured down your gullet.

If my weight starts going up I either eat better, drink less or exercise more. I am lucky that I can drink as much as I do - see chart, grey line which is units per day - probably because I cycle a lot. I burn on average 3000 calories a week cycling, which is the equivalent of five bottles of wine.

I think more generally what you eat contributes most to what you weigh. And there are certain markers in my opinion. By all means eat three meals a day but don’t snack on chips, peanuts, candy, cake or the like. Have one substantial meal and two light meals. Even with the substantial meal no one needs to eat a 12Oz thick cut steak. Eating is mainly a habit. We can all subsist by eating less.

But eat sensibly exercise moderately but not excessively especially as you get older and try to keep your weight constant. Slower metabolism is inevitable probably but getting large in middle or old age is by no means inevitable.

What helped me immensely was cutting out beer. I probably drink 1-2 glasses of beer a year. I don’t miss it at all. Having to give up wine, on the other hand, would be a catastrophic tragedy. In my 20s, 30s and 40s I used to drink a lot of beer and my weight was on average about 10-15 pounds higher. What also helped, albeit, to a lesser extent was ditching the English breakfast and graduating to a Swiss breakfast of oats, berries and zero fat yoghurt.

The chart in the post above is my weight, BMI and units - the gap is when we went on holiday when the units went up (off the scale) but I was cycling a fair bit too. My weight at age 57 fluctuates within a narrow range of 66 to 68 kg, which is right for my height of five foot nine inches (1.75m). My BMI is on the low side, but partly reflects what intensive cycling does to you.

[marcs]

man, my least favorite topic. I am technically pretty overweight -- I was 5'8 210 before this all started, have lost 10 pounds since then, but obviously should lose another 15-20 (I have always weighed a fair amount even when I was 'thin'). I find that activity doesn't help that much because my eating and snacking increases right on pace with what I do. But it does seem to make me healthier.

It just seems unrealistic to me that after having put time, effort, and $$$ into collecting some of the greatest wines in the world you aren't going to drink a significant amount of wine. The size of my collection kind of commits me to 1-2 bottles a week during the period of the year that I like to drink reds (when it's not too hot). And drinking wine goes with a hearty meal. As you get older you are kind of starting out behind the 8 ball with health that way...

[Nicklasss]

You're right marcs, challenging depressive thread, but less than the one on Trump.

And now, with the charts and info of comte flaneur, i'm scare to go to London, as he will make me cycling 20 km for each glass of Côte Rôtie we will share...

Nic

[s*d*r]

I used to think this was all simple mathematics. Calories in, calories out. Eat 3500 cal, gain one pound. Exercise 3500, lose one. Doesn’t matter if it’s sugar, protein or fat. Doesn’t matter what time of day or how you distribute it. Same for everybody, starting weight doesn’t matter. Low thyroid, high thyroid, ghrelin, leptin, whatever.

Now I know it’s way more complicated than that. It’s striking how much individual variation there is among us depending what we do. Even following the same arithmetic gives different results. Only at the extremes of intake or exercise are the results consistent.

As for myself, I find that my weight is extremely sensitive to exercise, specifically running. With modest weekly miles, I can maintain, when they drop, weight goes up far more than the 100-110 calories per mile would indicate. And even though my 5K time is closing in on Jean-Fred’s marathon time, it still helps. So for me summertime is the worst, too hot, too stormy.

I don’t drink very often, but when I do it’s not Dos Equis.

Congratulations to Danny, Danielle, Jim and everyone else who has found what works for them.

Stu

[Blanquito]

...The size of my collection kind of commits me to A MEASLY 1-2 bottles a week during the period of the year that I like to drink reds...

Amateur.

[Blanquito]

As for myself, I find that my weight is extremely sensitive to exercise, specifically running. With modest weekly miles, I can maintain, when they drop, weight goes up far more than the 100-110 calories per mile would indicate.

This. Running has a big effect on my weight, way more than the caloric budgets say. Part of it is I find running is a major appetite suppressant, unlike many other exercises like biking, swimming, hiking.

And even though my 5K time is closing in on Jean-Fred’s marathon time, it still helps. So for me summertime is the worst, too hot, too stormy.

I used to be able to run 7-minute miles without breaking a sweat (almost), and then I hit my 40's and now I struggle mightily to run 8-minute miles (over a 5 or 6 mile run).

don’t drink very often, but when I do it’s not Dos Equis.

Stu is, without a doubt, the most interesting man in the world.

[JoelD]

I know many of you are skeptical, and even I have been using it less but the Coravin helps me taste great wines, and controls pours too. Much less guilt. I notice when I open bottles (and have been doing more so lately), that I drink more and faster. Just a thought, tool in the arsenal.

[Racer Chris]

I used to be able to run 7-minute miles without breaking a sweat (almost), and then I hit my 40's and now I struggle mightily to run 8-minute miles (over a 5 or 6 mile run).

Nowadays I usually run a 12 minute mile - in 15 minutes. I'm capable of doing it in 12 minutes but I prefer my workouts to consist of running shorter intervals with a one minute walk in between each running interval. I can run at 6mph but I'm not currently up to a full mile nonstop at that pace.
Last spring I did several 5Ks (for the first time in years) on my treadmill, but I backed off on workout intensity for the summer. This fall I hope to resume my progress.

[Claudius2]

Jim & others
Well I think I’m older than all of you and the older I get the more I realize that the human body is fallible and badly designed. I spent half my day at the local hospital being poked and prodded....
Losing 17lbs is a great achievement.
In lockdown here I actually lost a few kilos as I was determined to avoid fat build up. However now the shutdowns are lessened I’ve been able to go back to the gym and I am somewhat obsessive when it comes to exercise and muscle condition.
The specialists seem to think I’m a bit crazy because I still lift weights but I have learned that being fit is essential when you get older. It also makes me feel mentally stronger.
The easiest way to lose weight is to cut down on carbs which means less starches and sugar. To lose weight in lockdown I had brunch at 10 to 11 am and then BBC a normal dinner. I have reduced wine to every second day and my personal experience is that the worst things for my weight are Starches and in my case I bake my own bread, brioche and various other foods that I seem to eat too much of.
In your 60s most of us do not need three normal meals a day and something has to give. So try rationalising meals and cut out Food types that have sugar and starch.
Wendy weighs less than 100 lbs and has an endless appetite. I weigh about 180 but I can at least use her as a bar bell.