Would love to start a light paleo diet, but really don't want to give up alcohol

[plantnerd]

Hubby and I are both moderately overweight people, and IMO addicted to carbs!  We eat a healthy diet in general, very low in processed foods (exception would be pasta, and the occasional canned cream of whatever in the crock pot).  I have tuned our carbs way down in the past and had great results.  Not a strict adkins type diet, but more sub a rice for a veggie type plan.

We are not big dairy eaters, but my 13 month old loves his cheeses, and I feel he needs the starches for energy.

Those of you on a non-strict paleo diet, is there ever a place for alcohol?  We need to give up beer just for the amount of calories in it (and they go down wayyy too easy), but I was thinking of combining a paleo/mediterranean diet.  Lots of fish, meat, veggies, low on the starches, and wine.

What are your thoughts?  And did you experience weight loss when you switched.

[Chicky2]

I did kind of a whole foods/south beach/switch from beer to wine thing in between my last 2 kids and lost 40 lbs in 3 months.  I didn't do beer or wine at all for 2 wks, and no grains.  After so many lbs I started adding in grains again, but very small amounts. That is what I plan to do again as soon as I'm done nursing (for good, but that's a whole 'nother thread, sniff sniff).  It worked wonders for me. 

[Laedi]

Beer is the devil, honestly.  If you could switch to a dry (er) wine or a hard liquor (tequilla, vodka, gin, rum (not flavored)) that would be far better than beer. 

I do drink upon occasion but I stick to wines or hard liquor.

From a weight loss perspective, alcohol is the very first thing your body will burn.  So if you're trying to lose weight, you won't burn any fat or carbs until the alcohol has been removed.  So it can hinder progress.  That being said, there are no carbs in hard liquor and only a few in dry wines, more in sweeter, desert wines.

Beer is chocked full of empty calories and carbs.  There are better choices for both health and weight loss.

[2xshy]

ditch the beer, drink wine or something  hard that is low  carb.

im hooked (well not really but ya know..) on tequila lime and club soda. google norcal margarita.SO good.

but if you are somewhat heavy beer drinkers just switching from beer to wine alone will show you some change whether or not you diet at all.

[spughy]

Check out "Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson (or visit www.marksdailyapple.com) - his plan is pretty alcohol-tolerant (mostly wine) and dairy is ok too if you tolerate it well.

I've been doing simple "no starch, no sugar" and have lost nearly 40 lbs in the last year - including a stint where I fell off the wagon, regained 5 and had to lose it again, so really I've lost 45 lbs LOL.  Anyway, it works, but slowly, and I'm looking at it as a complete lifestyle change, not a diet.  I just don't eat starch or sugar. Period. Ever again.  I have another 15-20 lbs to lose probably, and then I'll be at a very healthy weight.

[simplykate]

I went paleo (well, GAPS) 10 months ago and have lost almost 40 lbs. I don't eat ANY sugar and don't plan to ever again. Once you stop you realize it's the devil!

I didn't feel ready to give up alcohol either, so I just switched to dry wine. After a few months on the diet my tolerance really dipped and I ended up not wanting it at all! Now I'm back to having a glass every night or two, and I do fine with it. I think when you really start nourishing your body it'll give you the signals about what's ok and not ok.

[Erinz]

Well I really enjoyed reading through this short thread   I'm trying to kick the same 10 lbs of "baby fat" I've had since my first was born and build muscle at the same time by doing CrossFit. I'm 3 months into the workouts and reallize in order to really step up this whole thing I MUST curtail my love of beer (OH how I LOVE! beer) and go Paleo, perhaps Paleo Zone.  Anyway, I'm alcohol free this week and miss it already (it's just Tuesday, right? haha). Next week I may add in a glass of wine a night. I find that glass of wine is just so nice for ME after a long day of mothering. I'll save beer for special occassions I think. Too bad I don't like hard alcohol, that NorCal margarita sounds good, I've never liked most hard alcohols because they're always served in such sweet concotions and I can't stand that. One thing I do not have is a sweet tooth. Oh, and I REALLLLLY miss cheese this week too. Not sure I can ever get over that one! Oy!

Good luck on your journey!