...Beer?

Reedt2k1

Got your attention?

Now I'm not talking about that mass marketing tasteless "filler" I'm talking REAL beer; Deschutes, Yakima Craft, Rogue Ales, etc.

Now I'm not what you would call a beer critic, but I have visited all of the breweries within about 5 hours of my city (I really like beer), but I just cant find it in my heart to continue to drink my dark black goodness (Obsidian stout; http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/obsidian-stout ) knowing how many calories are packed within it.

I've cut myself back to drinking other alternatives with fewer calories since I started using this website and since I started working out. Spiked Tea as an example (yeah I know its a little sissy, but its damn tasty!) As we are coming into the colder months I know that I'm going to want to be sitting by a fire or hanging out with my family with a tasty beverage close at hand.

So here is what I need My Fitness Pals, I need your drinks of choice, what do you find to be acceptable calories for a drink and how often? It can be anything, but I would prefer beers, such as they are.

What gets you through the drinking season, and still lets you feel comfortable with your calorie intake?

bvalosek

I drink water

aprilaugustus

Chocolate cocoa, just spike it with some beer..... if you wish, or rum rum rum

papastu

I used to love Guinness but due to cals I have resorted to wine spritzers with soda water, if you get it in a long glass it does the job

:happy:

bigfatbino

I'm a beer fan, aficionado, critic, advocate, whatever. I LOVE beer. (Yes, REAL beer too, Chimay, Stone Brewery, Belgian Tripples etc). Sadly, I have completely cut it out nearly completely because I cannot drink just one, or two, or three. I drink the frosty brew like a Victorious Viking back from war when I have it.

So now, for my alcoholic beverage, I choose a glass of wine or two once a week, no more. That's just because I hear it is supposed to be good for you and your heart, and it helps me sleep if I'm having trouble getting there.

I still do drink beer on occasion. Usually on my birthday or New years to celebrate, and at funerals and valentine's if I'm feeling somber. Beyond that, my frosty brew and my King's Double Handled 60 oz ceramic mug remains empty.

peacestar84

When I drink it is always Guinness. 1 bottle 330ml or 11oz is only 115 cals. Can't go wrong.

elliecolorado

Beer ALWAYS gets my attention

I am a beer girl! I think my profile pic confirms this fact! And I am also a beer snob (for the most part I only drink microbrews and 'good beer'). And (maybe sadly for me) I will never give up my beer to lose weight. I also go to Beer Festivals a lot and I can out drink most men, so I can drink.

But, I do drink light beer if it is going to be drinking heavily. But the most helpful thing I have found is that if I do a long run before drinking, it doesn't seem to effect me as much. And tend to use my 'exercise calories' for beer, I will workout like crazy just to justify my drinking. But I still lose about 3 lbs a week as long as I work out to make up for my beer consumption!

Happy drinking :drinker:

Mchllmry

1.25 oz of Rum(Captain) with Diet Coke gets me through the summer. That same dose with Apple Cider in the winter, the cider is more calorie intake though so I can only have 5

Beer is a toughy. The 65 and 55 calorie r like drinking piss water to me, might as well have an O'Douls. I like-a the tasty hops like you do, so I pretty much had to cold turkey em

Jade_Butterfly

I personally like a nice glass of wine. . Barefoot Merlot, Yellowtail Shiraz, once and a while a chardonnay~

GypsyRose25

I drink shots of Fireball Whiskey. About 69 calories per ounce. Mixed with sugar free jello is pure deliciousness as well.

dleithaus

I have to exercise an additional 20 minutes to afford a Big Foot Barleywine at 375 calories, just about as much as for a whole *big* bottle of Chimay at 440+ calories, but not as bad as a Deschutes Abyss...(can't even find that one...just know it is huge)....

another MFP beer lover came up with this bit:
BEER CALORIE CHEATSHEET

fl. oz. *ABV(Alcohol By Volume) = potency / 60 = beers * 150 C = Estimated Calories.

With an average beer (indicated as beers below) at 5% in a 12 fl oz size coming out to about 150 calories on average, applying this formula to a standard brew (e.g. a Budweiser) works like this:

A 12 fl. oz. Budweiser * 5% ABV = 60 (potency)/ 60 = 1 beers * 150 Calories = 150 estimated Calories

Based very much on the idea that we know grams of alcohol are specifically increasing along with ABV, even though grams of carbs/fat/protein if any may be staying the same or becoming less per volume in order to make room for the alcohol grams, we can gather that calories are increasing along with ABV. You might not have known but calories per gram of alcohol are similar to fat grams, and here’s some nutritional science on that:

Calculating calories per gram of carbohydrates, fat or protein is easy. All you need to remember is that:

* 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories
* 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
* 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
* 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories
Address : http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/how-count-calories-per-gram.html

So with this in mind, we can derive a scale with which we can fairly accurately guess at the caloric content of beers according to the ABV rating, which is usually able to be determined via thebottle or web site.

12*5% = 60 / 60 = 1.0 * 150 = 150C (e.g. Budweiser American Ale)
12*6% = 72 / 60 = 1.2 * 150 = 180C (e.g. half a Rogue Shakespeare Stout)
12*7% = 84 / 60 = 1.4 * 150 = 210C (e.g. Sierra Nevada Torpedo)
12*8% = 96 / 60 = 1.6 * 150 = 240C (e.g. Russian River Pliny the Elder)
12*9% = 108 / 60 = 1.8 * 150 = 270C (e.g. half a Brooklyn’s Local 2)
12*10% = 120 / 60 = 2.0 * 150 = 300C (e.g. half a Brooklyn Black Ops)
12*11% = 132 / 60 = 2.2 * 150 = 330C (e.g. Rochefort Trappistes 10 Ale)
12*12% = 144 / 60 = 2.4 * 150 = 360C (e.g. Dogfish Head Santo Palo Marron)
12*13% = 156 / 60 = 2.6 * 150 = 390C
12*14% = 168 / 60 = 2.8 * 150 = 410C
12*15% = 180 / 60 = 3.0 * 150 = 440C
12*16% = 192 / 60 = 3.2 * 150 = 470C
12*17% = 210 / 60 = 3.4 * 150 = 500C (e.g. Mikkeller 黑)
12*18% = 222 / 60 = 3.6 * 150 = 530C (e.g. half a Dogfish Head World Wide Stout)
12*19% = 234/ 60 = 3.8 * 150 = 560C
12*20% = 246 / 60 = 4.0 * 150 = 590C
12*21% = 258/ 60 = 4.2 * 150 = 620C (e.g. Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA)

Of course if you are drinking from pint classes, that 12 turns into a 16, etc...

With this, we can deduct that a 12 fl oz Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (at a whopping 21% ABV) is a bit less than 2x our caloric rating for a 12 fl oz at 11% ABV (660C) or 12% ABV (720C).

See you in Denver at the GABF? (or what we call a "cheat day"!)