Beer and weight loss

People are going to reply with "calories in vs calories out", and they're right, although to me there are different levels of quality when it comes to calories. 2000 calories of Burger King food per day isn't the same as 2000 calories of whole grains, vegetables and steamed fish.

Are you exercising/working out? If so, then I'd definitely say you can fit a moderate amount of beer in. If not, then personally I'd say you're probably going to have to chill on the beer while you do this.

 

If you're looking to lose weight now, you can always cut back on beer intake. You also need to eat better, that's the biggest issue, and physical activity is also very helpful but the most important thing to do is to eat better.

 

Totally non-scientific, but if I restrict myself to drink 1 beer for every 3 miles I run, I can stay pretty neutral with my weight as long as I'm not over consuming on food calories.

 

beer = calories.

feel free to drink beer, just be prepared to run an extra mile for every beer you drink.

I lost 30 lbs between feb 2013 and Feb 2014. when i first started, i really didnt drink much at all for the first 3-4 weeks. then I brought it back in on weekends. now I drink 2-4 times a week, but I workout or run 5-6 days a week. weight has not fluctuated.

just know how many calories you are putting in your body (there are plenty of calculators for beer on the internet) and have a good idea of what you are burning. pretty simple

I also agree with a poster above who keyed in on diet. I basically kicked out bread (except for a bagel + cream cheese every saturday morning) most dairy, and most sweets (except for sugar in my coffee). lots of meat and veggies being consumed these days.

 

I've read that alcohol slows down metabolism so exercise is a must. Also since most of us (hopefully) drink at night watch what you eat while you're drinking cause lord knows a block of cheese and a bunch of heavy stouts right before bed equals an extra layer of stomach fat that I have to work off that much harder the next couple of days.

 

I am probably a little too skinny (haven't always been that way), and I drink a ton of beer. I do also do some combination of running, biking, skiing, or working out every day.... I also try to eat healthy, but I'm about as good about that as managing my beer intake. Keeping that metabolism up seems to work for me. If I'm going to a brewery I'll bike there instead of drive, etc.

 

I promise you - you can do it. Since Feb 2013 I have lost 30 pounds by simply walking every day and eating properly. And I still have a beer or two a night. As long as you get yourself into that regiment you can still have a beer and lose weight. It just takes a little longer. If I had avoided beer in 2013 I might have lost that 30 pounds within maybe 8 months. So it took me 14 but it was worth it.

 

You can drink a fair amount of beer if you eat real, nutrient dense food and are active. You do not have to "exercise" just be active and moving. If you eat a lot of processed, empty calories and tend to sit on your ass a lot, you may want to watch your beer consumption.

 

If you are serious about fitness, then probably cut back on beer. If you are concerned with it but cheat, cheat with beer. I happen to like healthy foods and have adopted them as my normal diet for over 10 years and work out every day at least during the week. My cheats are beer and buffalo pretzels and they are totally worth it.

 

I'm a powerlifter who has never really cared about his specific weight very much. Now that I am cutting back on the PL, I am trying to drop some pounds and have been eating better, more cardio, etc. I was dropping weight but very slowly. I typically drank 1 -3 beers at least 4 -5 days a week. I have now cut that back to 1-2 beers Friday and Saturday and the weight is coming off much faster. On the other hand, I don't think beer ever added weight since I was burning a lot of calories at the gym 5 days a week.

The bottom line is alcohol calories are wasted calories when it comes to weight reduction and will slow your progress.

If you want to lose weight faster, cut the beer back significantly.

 

I'd have to run 4000 miles a week

 

I just finished a weight loss challenge last week. I lost 35 pounds in 10 weeks (I'm 6' 4" and went from 230 to 195, which was my sophomore in high school weight...aka 15 years ago) and one of the easiest ways was cutting back on beer. I still had BIG cheat days (ex. a bachelor party, a wedding at a brewery, an all inclusive weekend in Cooperstown including a meal at Ommegang between lunch and dinner, Ithaca's Luminous release, etc.) but I exercised a lot (two hours ofbasketball or one hour on the elliptical with an additional hour long walk). I'd try to limit my calories to 2000 a day (I needed 3500 to maintain my weight), plus I'd burn an average of 1000.

I keep a calorie journal which is a HUGE help (I never had weight issues when I used to use one, so I brought it back).

Now I am figuring out how to maintain between 200-205, which is my ideal weight for letting myself enjoy food and beer but also allows me to run up and down the ball court all night without my knees hurting.

Good luck!

 

I did that paleo diet and drank beer most days (2-3) and lost around 8 pounds, but I am also pretty active and on my feet all day at work.

Edit: When I went back to regular diet I did gain some #s

 

Between April 2012 & Jan 2013 I lost 77 lbs while drinking 4-6 beers daily (353 to 276 lbs, I'm 6'3"). My weight stayed within a lb or 2 of that until Christmas last year when I gained 7 or 8 lbs. Now my weight stay within a lb or 2 of 283 and I still drink a 6 pack each night. Just eat less.

 

I've lost 110 lbs since July 2012. Went from 285-175.

Everything in moderation, and a change in your overall lifestyle is what did it for me. Plan your meals, exercise regularly, plan your beer consumption, hydrate yourself (green tea and water) and stay as active as you can. The little things add up.

Fuck all those trend diets. They don't work, and are not sustainable in any way. Everyone I know that got on them have failed, and regained their weight. Start small, and build. Rome wasn't built in a day after all.

However, I never was a 3+ beers a day type of guy so if you do drink a lot cut back. It might suck for a while (all lifestyle changes do, but it will pay off).

 

i just lost 10 lbs over the last few weeks and did it by cutting out beer during at least most weekdays but still indulged a fair amount on weekends and not all session stuff either...also walked a lot and cut out the breakfast sandwiches and crappy lunches for healthy shakes and salads...didn't think it could be done without a lot of abstaining from beer but it can you just need to put your mind to it

 

If you're trying to lose say 20 pounds reward yourself with a beer for every 2 pound drop. Look at the beer as a reward.

 

So you have to run 3 miles to have a beer without gaining weight?