Beer - the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems

samgamgee · June 2014

Hi all! I'm a 23 year old woman who works in the beer industry, and has about two stone/28 lbs to drop. Now, beer isn't particularly calorific, in the grand boozy scheme of things, but when you regularly have a few different strong ones on the majority of evenings a week, without working out, it all adds up. Add to that a penchant for pizza and a boyfriend who loves junk food as much as you, and you're in trouble...

I'm 5" 4, and 146 lbs. At my heaviest, I was about 154 (just overweight, according to BMI, which I know isn't always a great guide). I've got a small frame (little hands and feet, tiny wrists) and a naturally round face, so the extra weight doesn't work too well for me. Between the ages of 15 and 19, I weighed 8 and a half stone, 119 or 120 lbs, which seemed to be a healthy weight for me - I've never been thin, per se, but I was on the cute-curvy side of slim. The difference in my lifestyle now is that I walk less, and drink more. I think my body probably hasn't changed the way it functions too much in the four years since I was 8.5 stone, so I think it's a reasonable goal.

I know that what I have to do is either cut down on the beer and nachos, or exercise more - beer is my hobby and my industry, so I'm always going to be involved with it and enjoy sampling a few great beers, but I suppose I just have to make sure I exercise off more than I put in.

MFP has put me on 1230 in order to lose a pound a week, at which rate I should hopefully work off two stone in six or seven months. I'm a very, very lazy girl, but I do like long countryside walks, and we have an exercise bike which I've been studiously ignoring. My boyfriend has been using MFP for a while and has lost probably half a stone or so - he's a tall chap at 6 ft, so carries his weight fairly well, but he wants to lose his belly and double chin. He wants to lose 2 stone as well, which would put him at 13 stone or so. We are really bad for encouraging each other to eat lovely naughty takeaways and make bowls of chilli cheese fries (well, I'm the worst, I'm a bit hedonistic...)

I thought I would join the forum to be part of the community, plus it'll remind me to log log log everything. Wish me luck - cheers!

43mmmgoody21 · June 2014

As long as track your calories accurately, you will lose fat. It would probably be best to do some strength training to preserve muscle though.

BTW. gotta disagree-- ice cream is the solution to all of life's problems. I eat it practically every day (it fits into my caloric daily budget and macros).