What Keith did about drink
Keith gave up drinking for a few years. Now he drinks once a year, twice at most. You do not have to go that far.
Think in weeks, not days
Say your weekday deficit is 400 calories a day. Five days of that is 2,000 calories. A Saturday night of six pints is roughly 1,200 calories before the takeaway on the way home, and a lazy Sunday on top can take the rest back. The week ends up close to break-even, even though you were “good” five days out of seven.
That is why the scale stalls. Nothing is broken. The weekend is simply eating the deficit. Why am I not losing weight? walks through the other checks.
The drink
A standard Irish pint of lager or stout is roughly 180 to 220 calories, and none of it fills you up. Spirits with a zero-calorie mixer come in around 60 to 70 a measure. The bigger cost is usually what comes with it: the chipper, the late-night snacking and the write-off day after. Alcohol and fat loss has the full breakdown.
- Decide how many you are having before you go out.
- Alternate with water or a zero-calorie drink.
- Eat a proper meal before you go, so you are not starving at midnight.
Eating out
You do not need to order a salad. Pick a main built around a decent portion of protein, like steak, chicken, fish or a burger, and think about what comes with it. Chips, garlic bread, creamy sauces and dessert are where the calories stack up. Have the ones you actually want, not all of them by default.
Takeaways
Plan it into the week instead of pretending it will not happen. Choose it earlier in the day, keep the rest of the day’s meals normal, and serve it onto a plate instead of eating from the bag. If you want the numbers for the food you usually order, Calories in Ireland covers a lot of Irish food.
Sunday dinner
A roast is not the problem. Meat, potatoes and veg is a good meal. The calories are in the extras: roast potatoes done in a lot of fat, big helpings of gravy, and the second plate. Boiled or mashed potatoes, a normal portion and no second helping keep it an ordinary meal. Hidden calories shows how the oil and sauces add up.
Birthdays, weddings and holidays
One day does not decide anything. Enjoy it and go back to normal meals the next day. The trouble starts when one day turns into a week because “it is ruined now”. It is not ruined. It is one entry in the weekly average.
Back to normal, not back to punishment
After a big weekend, the fix is your normal Monday, not skipping meals. Eating very little to make up for it tends to leave you starving by Thursday and set up the next weekend. If you are hungry during the week, hungry between meals? shows how to build meals that fill you up.
Want the whole method?
Read how to lose weight in Ireland, or get the free Day One pack for a calorie starting point, a shopping list and a checklist.
Questions about weekends and eating out
Can I eat out and still lose weight?
Yes. One meal out does not decide anything. What matters is the weekly total, so pick a main with a decent portion of protein, go easy on the extras and get back to normal at the next meal.
Should I save calories during the week for the weekend?
A little flexibility is fine, but do not skip meals or starve yourself on weekdays to bank calories. That usually makes the weekend harder, not easier.
Do I have to give up drink to lose weight?
No. Alcohol does not stop fat loss, it just costs a lot of calories and makes the rest of the night and the next day harder. Fewer drinks, or lower-calorie ones, make the maths easier.
What if one weekend goes completely off track?
Nothing is ruined. Go back to your normal meals on Monday. Do not try to make up for it by eating very little, because that often sets up the next bad weekend.
Drink figures are the estimates explained on the alcohol and fat loss guide. Restaurant and takeaway portions vary too much for this page to give exact numbers.