Regularly drinking beer while losing weight

seandominguez
seandominguez Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Curious to what your opinions are on this. I'm currently on 1.5 lb loss per week plan and my slated caloric intake per day is 1460 calories. However, one thing I really, really enjoy is beer - and not the light stuff either. I'm a fan of dark beers and IPAs. If I could drink 2 beers 3 or 4 days of the week while still healthily scaling back on actual food calories, I'd happily do it. A few questions:

1.) I'm sure it's not healthy per se, but if I consumed 1,100 calories a day in food and another 400-500 in beer (I exercise quite a bit) would this be sustainable or would I be, ahem, killing myself?
2.) For you workout warriors, I'm also trying to cut my 5 mile time by 3 minutes (from 40:50 to a 37:50) in the next 2 months. How do you balance your beer intake with your fitness goals?
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Replies

  • smokinjackd
    smokinjackd Posts: 341
    The heavier beers are usually lighter in Alcohol volume hence less calories. Beer has nutritional value, so include it, not to mention social, relaxation, making you more attractive to the ladies....lol....just keep within your calorie deficit. Another alternative is have an off day, enjoy the one day a week of excess, just don"t make everyday an excess day.
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    your calories dont reset themselves every 24 hours... so if you can have 4 in a day.. and lose weight, its no different than me drinking my standard 18 on saturday night on my cheat day & losing, which i do...

    fit it into your calories & enjoy yourself.

    You must learn to figure out how to do this FOR LIFE and if you arent willing to give something up forever, then learn how to fit it in. Simple as that!
  • ZambiNan
    ZambiNan Posts: 61 Member
    My personal rule-of-thumb for beer and chocolate is, if I work out that day, I can "buy" some with my exercise calories. If I don't workout, I generally try to use all my calories for more nutritious things. It's been working for me, through a 30 pound weight loss and a few months (so far!) of maintenance.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    At the end of the day, beer is food, although not very healthy. I personally believe that as long as you understand that drinking beer is a compromise and that you won't ever have a perfect body if you drink it....and you are fine with that, feel free to have a few beers a week. If you can make it work with your calories, don't worry about it. If you go a couple hundred calories over a couple times a week, all it means is that it will cost you a pound every month and a half. If you are losing 1.5 lbs per week, it means that you'll only lose 10 lbs every couple months instead of 12 lbs. Not something worth stressing about.
  • allgoodthings
    allgoodthings Posts: 82 Member
    I work out hard and I still drink my IPAs. FYI: alcohol content really varies with beers but, generally, the "heavier" IPA has more alcohol (e.g., Stone IPA, Six Point Resin, West Cost Palate Wrecker).

    That being said, I log it all.
  • jzrharv
    jzrharv Posts: 126 Member
    Hey, that's been my plan all along. Check by through my diary and you'll see Capt. Morgan and IPAs all over the place. Just not EVERY day. Some days, usually when I'm traveling, the microbrewery is my number one source of nutrition.
  • MHackrott
    MHackrott Posts: 84 Member
    If cycling to burn calories you have to go 14 miles for every 2 beers and not 14 easy miles. Beer is empty calories your body does nothing but store it generally the in the belly area. My trainer who helped me loose 25lbs told me to keep drinking beer if I was happy being fat.
  • jzrharv
    jzrharv Posts: 126 Member
    your calories dont reset themselves every 24 hours... so if you can have 4 in a day.. and lose weight, its no different than me drinking my standard 18 on saturday night on my cheat day & losing, which i do...

    18!?! Pints? I bow to the superior liver enzymes.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    The heavier beers are usually lighter in Alcohol volume hence less calories.

    Not sure what type of beers you're talking about but I'm pretty sure the OP was talking about heavy dark beers, like IPAs, that can be anywhere from 5-12% alcohol per volume. I love these type of beers also, IPAs are my favourites; the hoppier (is that a word?) the better :smile: At the moment I'm cutting them out all together but will probably re-intrduce them in moderation as I get closer to my goal. I guess the key is moderation and if you can keep under your calorie goal then you're doing really well. This for me is a lifestyle change and if I want it to be sustainable then I can't cut out things I love alltogether.

    What are your favourite beers seandominguez?
  • Dianemustang
    Dianemustang Posts: 77
    Log it, count it....work it into the intake - and you are exercising so go for it - I unfortunately am a hard liquor gal and those margaritas add up....but I do work them in - good luck
  • PinkyFran
    PinkyFran Posts: 54
    your calories dont reset themselves every 24 hours... so if you can have 4 in a day.. and lose weight, its no different than me drinking my standard 18 on saturday night on my cheat day & losing, which i do...

    fit it into your calories & enjoy yourself.

    You must learn to figure out how to do this FOR LIFE and if you arent willing to give something up forever, then learn how to fit it in. Simple as that!

    at last a sensible and sane reply to drinking!......i agree totally!!!!!
  • smokinjackd
    smokinjackd Posts: 341
    Im referring to a good stout like a Guiness, at 4.2% alcohol its less calories than a bud. All beers can be made alcohol heavy but why not choose tasty beers that also save you calories. While in Utah, I had a delicious beer called Polygamy Porter, it was only 3.2% alcohol but delicious.
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    also a big beer fan and for me, its a balance between depriving myself and making some sacrifices.

    so on a day I know I will probably have a beer or two, I will eat less or burn more calories.
    but i also know that i can't expect to drink beer every day or have 6 in a night and still stay on track with my weight loss goal.

    you shouldn't deprive yourself of things you enjoy, because you will crack. you need to find the balance that works for you and doesn't make you feel completely sacrificial.
  • smokinjackd
    smokinjackd Posts: 341
    Yes, I used delicious twice in one sentence, thats how I roll baby.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    If you are looking to improve your running times, you might want to limit your beer intake.
  • prosksb
    prosksb Posts: 7
    My trainer who helped me loose 25lbs told me to keep drinking beer if I was happy being fat.

    Your trainer sounds like a) a bully and b) not super well informed.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    your calories dont reset themselves every 24 hours... so if you can have 4 in a day.. and lose weight, its no different than me drinking my standard 18 on saturday night on my cheat day & losing, which i do...

    18!?! Pints? I bow to the superior liver enzymes.

    18 tweleve ounce bottles of bud light, and my liver tests just came back wednesday.. perfect! =) please, get off your knees... thats where a woman belongs! :wink:

    18 bottles of Bud Light? I thought this thread was supposed to be about beer. ;)
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    [/quote]18 tweleve ounce bottles of bud light, and my liver tests just came back wednesday.. perfect! =) please, get off your knees... thats where a woman belongs! :wink:
    [/quote]

    Ugh! Bud light, that's where your problem lies. I'd take quality over quantity anyday :happy:
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    your calories dont reset themselves every 24 hours... so if you can have 4 in a day.. and lose weight, its no different than me drinking my standard 18 on saturday night on my cheat day & losing, which i do...

    18!?! Pints? I bow to the superior liver enzymes.

    18 tweleve ounce bottles of bud light, and my liver tests just came back wednesday.. perfect! =) please, get off your knees... thats where a woman belongs! :wink:

    18 bottles of Bud Light? I thought this thread was supposed to be about beer. ;)

    Haha, this exactly :tongue:
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Im referring to a good stout like a Guiness, at 4.2% alcohol its less calories than a bud. All beers can be made alcohol heavy but why not choose tasty beers that also save you calories. While in Utah, I had a delicious beer called Polygamy Porter, it was only 3.2% alcohol but delicious.

    A... good stout like Guiness? Unless you're in Ireland or the UK, Guiness is "okay."

    I can only assume you don't drink much craft beer. Generally, the beers like the OP are implying are craft brewed and routinely clock much higher alcohol percentages (especially if they're imperials). And a porter at 3.2% makes me think it wasn't really a porter (not that alcohol percentage determines the porter style).
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
    when i did have a drink while losing weight, it was mostly vodka.
  • funsiiz
    funsiiz Posts: 246 Member
    I drink Corona light on weekends:drinker:
  • NaughtyForties
    NaughtyForties Posts: 69
    We all know alcohol is just calories however I still drink but less on training days, my body just does not want or need loads of beer. So I can have and enjoy a drink or two without getting silly.

    Secondly my goal is to stay under my weekly target, that way I can enjoy a beer any day of the week without freaking out. The key is staying under your target.
  • SairahRose
    SairahRose Posts: 412 Member
    This isn't helpful to you, but my dad was a cross country runner.. he'd run 20 miles (or however far it got him.. I know he ran for a good 2 hours. Have a pub lunch, including about 7 pints.. and then he'd run back.

    He scaled it back as he got older, but he's always been skinny as a rake. He said he'd earned his pints :P
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    IIFYM
  • mukamom
    mukamom Posts: 207 Member
    I have beer every night....3-5, but I do drink a light beer....I am still losing, albiet s l o w l y, but still losing. Would probably lose faster if I didn't, and I would probably hit my macros, but I like it, I love it, and I want some more of it. lol.

    Oh, and I am 53, and menopausal.


    ETA, my cal goal is 1800
  • rickybluntjr
    rickybluntjr Posts: 15 Member
    It's all about calories. As long as you're at or under your calorie goal you're ok as far as fat loss. As far as that being healthy, well that's another story. I eat whatever I feel like eating, no restrictions. I just make sure I'm at or under my calorie goal which is 1,500.
  • mearlie
    mearlie Posts: 224
    I've been "treating" myself to a beer if I stayed far enough under caloric intake that I can "afford" it. I have lost three and a half pounds in two weeks. So, it does appear to work for me. If I could afford more, I'd have two tonight but alas I have eaten most of my calories today!
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
    I think it all depends on your goals. Is good nutrition/fuel for your body part of your goal? Or is it just about losing pounds? If it's about pounds and not nutrition then work it into your total calories for the day and log it. If your goal is also about health then you'll want to cut back on the beer.
  • almaster666
    almaster666 Posts: 52 Member
    Drink 1oz of water for every 1oz of beer you drink. Helps you not get de-hydrated. Helps piss out a lot of the beer. Also negates a lot of the negatives of drinking alcohol.

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