Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

[pharmgirl]

Ok, so I've read on many websites that drinking alcohol during induction (and during first 2 weeks of southbeach diet) is an absolute no no! But I'm throwing a surprise birthday party for my best friend this weekend and there's no way I can get through it without drinking. I'm not an alcoholic, but a very social drinker.... and that's probably the hardest thing to give up. I'm scared of what's going to happen to me. Any advice? I'm in day 4 of induction and no ketosis yet......and no weight loss yet either. I'm sticking to it very diligently and don't want to derail myself this weekend. I'm sure many of you are going to tell me not to drink, but honestly that's not going to happen. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has drank during induction and what happened. I'm not craving carbs (or ANY food for that matter) so I'm not worried about cravings... I'm pretty strong mentally and think I can get through it without going on a carb-binge during or after. HELP!!

stats: 5'1", 130lbs, 32 y/o, goal: 110-115lbs

[Slapshot]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

Any advice?

Not sure what advice you're looking for since there's "no way" you can get through it without drinking. If you want folks to say not to worry, and it will be OK, you won't get that on this board. You already know it's not a good idea, so I'm not really sure what you want us to say?

[Slidesdownmountains]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

The only advice really, apart from try and steer clear of alcohol (it's only ONE night! I always say I'm going to be driving if anyone asks and I feel awkward) is to prepare by maybe clearing out ANY non-induction foods from your house, because you will crave bread and carbs like nobody's business the next day.

Drink LOADS of water to stay hydrated (and to avoid getting too drunk) and plan to re-start induction after the weekend as it's not really realistic to say you're on induction after drinking alcohol for the evening.

[mizski]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

I'm new to this board and Atkins but not new to low carbing & ketosis. Some info that I've gathered from others who drank alcohol while on a ketogenic diet:

Will it affect ketosis? No and yes. The liver can make ketones out of alcohol, so technically, when you drink you'll continue to produce ketones and so will remain in ketosis. The problem is ... alcohol converts more easily to ketones than fatty acids, so your liver will use the alcohol first, in preference to fat. Thus, when you drink, basically your FAT burning is put on hold until all the alcohol is out of your system.

This rapid breakdown of alcohol into ketones and acetaldehyde (the intoxicating by-product) tends to put low carbers at risk for quicker intoxication especially if no other food is consumed to slow absorption.

Because you will most likely feel like crap while drinking and especially afterwards, there is a high likelihood that you would turn to eating foods not on the induction phase or at best, consume way more calories for that day.

Net result: you've blown your first four days of Induction.

p.s. I notice from your stats that you have a fairly low body weight now so unlike people with a lot of body weight, the alcohol will probably hit you HARD.

Bottom line: You will be drunk, may get sick and all around, probably not be a very fun date.

Sorry to be a buzzkill.

[JulieB]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

As said above - your body will stop burning fat until it burns all of the alcohol off. Period. Ketosticks will still show ketosis - but it is a 'false' reading. You will not be able to determine your metabolic resistance since you did not do a clean induction.

[liv]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

"The hardest thing to give up" may also be why you have been packing on pounds and need to change your diet. If you are not willing to go all the way and do the change that may be necessary for you to do to be thin in the long run, then doing Atkins may not have the effect you want it to have.
Wish you luck though.

[pharmgirl]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

Thanks for the advice. I'm not planning on drinking a lot, it's just that I'm the host of the party at my house, and it's my friends 40th...... so it would be really awkward if I didn't have ANY alcohol. I'm hoping I have the strength & willpower to overcome any carb craving that occurs the next day and then hopefully by a day or 2 later I'll be back in true induction. I plan on working out faithfully during this time too. Surprisingly I have a ton of energy today (day 4).

I was just wondering if anyone out there had actually drank (a little) and what happened as a result. I don't have a ton of weight to lose and I'm ok if this puts me a few days or a week behind. I've been on a ton of diets before and it always seems like there's an excuse to start later (ya know, after this weekend, or after some big event), then before you know it you've wasted time that you could have been trying. There's ALWAYS going to be something.....and that's no excuse to start later. Why does everyone wait until "monday" or "tomorrow". If it's important enough, start right now!

I've been a faithful low cal, low fat dieter on and off for years. Always losing 10-20lbs & then gaining back over the years. This is my first time trying the low carb thing. It's scary having things that are completely off limits. I don't like feeling deprived. At least with low cal you can pretty much eat anything.... but then again, you are always hungry!

[Greeneggs&ham]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

When I have given in to the temptation of alcohol, even if only one "low carb" beer, I have always wound up losing willpower shortly after. The loss of willpower always resulted in either (a) drinking more than I intended, (b) eating too many "legal" snack foods (like nuts), exceeding my carb limit, or (c) saying "to **** with it" and enjoying an off plan item (or 2, or 3).

I'm not saying this will definitely happen to you as well, but I didn't think I would fall before I was in the situation either. I'm just saying...

It's scary having things that are completely off limits. I don't like feeling deprived.

How about being deprived of being at your healthiest weight which (at least in recent past) has been "off limits"?

[buddysgirl50]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

so it would be really awkward if I didn't have ANY alcohol.

There are lots of people who hold parties at their own home and still don't drink..People can have a good time without drinking...put water in a fancy glass add a slice of lemon and tell everyone it is a vodka tonic or a gin fizz..whatever if you are afraid your friends won't understand your not drinking...

[not2late]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

I've been a faithful low cal, low fat dieter on and off for years. Always losing 10-20lbs & then gaining back over the years. This is my first time trying the low carb thing. It's scary having things that are completely off limits. I don't like feeling deprived. At least with low cal you can pretty much eat anything.... but then again, you are always hungry!

This might not be the advise you want, but perhaps Atkins isn't for you. See, if you feel like you are "deprived" whether it's on Atkins or Ornish or any diet, you will fail. Because you will find excuses to fail.

Good luck to you.

[pagliaccia]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

I know that when I host a party (even before I did Atkins), I wouldn't drink. That way I'm able to keep a heads-up on the party and attend to all the guests' needs. I think it's way classier to stay sober and stay faithful to a diet you yourself chose. I'd wager you are making this out to be way worse than it would actually be. No one except you will find it awkward that you don't drink. What if someone needs a ride home? Wouldn't it be great for the responsible host to handle it?

[Neverquit]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

To the OP. I assume you are doing Atkins solely to lose weight - not due to Diabetes or blood sugar problems. Given that, I feel you should make your own choice about whether or not and how much to drink. Thanks to all the posters before me you now can make a very informed decision. Having a few drinks is clearly against the rules of induction. Your two week numbers will be inaccurate and you will have a hard time determining you level of metabolic resistance based on Atkins' formula. You may also find your hunger level is up - you'll have to use willpower to hang in there.

But my goodness - it's your life! The worst that will happen is that you will be back to square one - 4 days ago. I have used alcohol while doing Atkins and still lost weight. It's even included as a rung in OWL. I have no doubt that at times my weight loss would have been better without the alcohol, but I made my own choices and was willing to live with the consequences.

You're not a "bad" person if you do drink and your not necessarily a "good" person if you don't drink. You just need to be prepared for less than optimum results for your induction and proceed accordingly. Don't let bad results make you think Atkins won't work for you. You can't know that if you haven't followed the rules. So maybe do an extra week of induction? Many many people do extended induction.

Good luck!

[Zarabelle]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

Hi there, I can understand why you want to have a few drinks with your friend on her special birthday. If you decide to go with this decision, I would suggest you enjoy it - have spirits and zero carb mixers and not beer or wine - and then start over the next day. Good luck in whatever you decide to do xx

[Pfifltriggi]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

I drank on July 4th, a few days into induction. I reset my two weeks a couple days after, so that I would have a clean induction period. I did only drink Vodka and diet soda or club soda, so that I wouldn't bump out of Ketosis. I didn't experience any crazy cravings the next day, and I didn't eat anything untoward on the 4th either...but everyone is different in their triggers.

[not2late]

Re: Planning on drinking alcohol during induction

The liver can make ketones out of alcohol, so technically, when you drink you'll continue to produce ketones and so will remain in ketosis. The problem is ... alcohol converts more easily to ketones than fatty acids, so your liver will use the alcohol first, in preference to fat. Thus, when you drink, basically your FAT burning is put on hold until all the alcohol is out of your system.

That's not really accurate. When our bodies break down alcohol it breaks it into acetaldehyde, which is then broken down to acetic acid, carbon dioxide and water. None of these are ketones.

Alot of people think that an aldehyde is a ketone, but they aren't chemically the same thing. oxidation of aldehydes and ketones So it's rather misleading to say that they are or to imply that they are.

The ketostix may register positive in the presence of alcohol, but it's a false positive reaction rather than ketone detection. The reagent on the ketone stix measures acetoacetic acid, which is chemically similar to acetic acid. So the stix may register positive.

And also, even if one would be in "ketosis" from alcohol, it wouldn't be from the breakdown of body fat, which is what we want during Atkins----it would be from the breakdown of the ingested alcohol. So that kind of ketosis wouldn't help your fat ketosis.