Drinking and Diet

Exercise and drink the beer you like Calories in is Calories out.

Thats the way i think about it. If i cut everything out ive always enjoyed id fall off my diet in a heartbeat.

Work for it.

Just drink Vodka or Corona light

I am right with you!! I love beer!! Not just one or two a night but 6. I never realized how much I really drank until I sat down and kept track and posted it on MFP. I realized that I can really put them away. My goal for right now is limit to 4 a night. Tonight is going to be a drinking night. I can tell by the day I've had!! So I'm going to go home and workout with my DVD and drink my 6 pack!! I should be able to come close to breaking even or only have a few "empty" calories.

I'm in the same boat you are, plus I don't like wine or most hard alcohol. What is working for me so far is a Citrus Vodka, like Absolute Citron, and plain soda water with a lemon wedge (Citron and Soda). Soda water has no calories or sugar, and It's a simple refreshing drink that you don't have to consume too much of in order to be on the same page as your friends on a Friday night.

Several dietitians and nutritionalists have told me the "healthiest" option when drinking is vodka and soda water. You can flavour it with lemon, lime, berries, cucumber, watermelon, any natural fruit juice really. I've tried this with some grated ginger, it's actually really nice, and super refreshing. It doesn't bloat you like beer. Another option would be gin and tonic.

Best advice I received was drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink, it helps hydrate the body. Every now and then I will give in a have a Guiness or Kilkenny, but only one or two pints. I figure if I gonna drink beer then go for the strong stuff!

Vodka & Fresca with a splash of sugar free raspberry syrup
~or~
Guinness and a shot of Jim Beam

Craft Weiss beers occasionally on Saturdays if I worked out really hard that day or did some major physical housework or yardwork (which happens too often but at least I get beer hahaha)

I'm a good beer drinker like the OP.

I log those 20oz mugs of beer that I get. I try to log it right when I order it so I can see what that beer is "costing" me. Some times, I go over on calories and I don't worry about. Sometimes, I don't drink the whole mug. Sometimes I don't have that third beer I really want. Sometimes I even tell them to just give me a pint tonight instead of my mug.

I've made it a rule that I must drink at least one glass of water (restaurant glass, so it's pretty big) before I can order another one. Since I'm a regular at my bar, the bartenders all know me and keep my water flowing. Some nights, I make it a rule that I have to drink 2 before I can have another beer. It's helped.

I also have nights where I drink scotch instead, especially if I know we're going to be there a long time. I drink that at a much slower pace, and I make myself drink 3 waters for ever scotch.

My suggestion is find a plan and stick with it.

Vodka + water + 0 cal MIO water flavoring = A good night :drinker:

I love my craft brew as well, and there really isn't a substitution for it. That's why if I know I'm going to have a beer, I MUST exercise. Burn at least 2-3 beers worth. I cut back where I can during the day (especially with carbs), and then I enjoy every last sip. I usually have one binge drinking night during the weekends where it's multiple beers, and one casual drinking night (maybe one or two), but very rarely is it during the week, where I am very strict on my diet. Weight loss is definitely slower, but it still comes off. Enjoy those beers, as long as you cut back where you can, you can still enjoy those tasty brews!

I love my mixed drinks, I used to be a Captain Morgan and 7up but then switched to vodka and a flavored sparkling water raspberry, or peach.

Jack Daniels on the rocks. Used to love Jack and Cokes until I realized how much sugar and empty calories it was! So, just cut out that unhealthy soda and I'm left with uber-healthy whiskey. That's how it works, right?

This without the rocks...adding anything to it just makes it yukky!! IMHO

Hi There,
I too have a love for a good beer especially during ski season! I would rather not drink a beer at all then to switch to a "diet" beer. Switching to wine or mixed drinks are also not of interest to me. After all... a good beer is a good beer! I have 2 tricks. One is to make sure that I exercise enough BEFORE I drink my beer so that I am deserving (in my mind anyway)! The other is to have a glass of water between beers so that I drink less.

I drink whatever I want and work out harder during the week. LOL.

Usually go out Friday and Saturday .. is it bad? Sure.. i like beer.. but I choose vodka and cranberry or gin or wine or anything skinny girl more often now. Occasioanlly a margarita.. but I love the salt.. bad.. I'm always heavier on Monday than I was on Friday.. but by friday it's all gone and then some usually. I forgot to weight myself last week. So I don't know what happened. But I only weight myself on Fridays.. so we'll see what this week brings.