Beer and weight loss

Julesdublin
Julesdublin Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I googled the subject first and I got all kinds of advise – some of them quite conflicting, actually. So I am hoping you guys here can help me with it.
I’ve gained a fair amount of weight over the last year and I am trying to lose it – around 22 lbs (10kgs)
The thing is…. I live in Dublin, Ireland. And I love a good beer, I really do. There’s something wonderful about having a couple of pints with friends on a Friday night after a week’s work. I am doing my outmost to stop drinking but it is having a detrimental effect on my social life. A lot of the socializing here is done in pubs. Currently I am trying to avoid going to the pubs as the temptation of a good pint of Guinness is too much to bear but I know it’s not sustainable.
So, my question is…. Can I lose weight drinking beer? Has anyone here lost weight having 2 or 3 pints a couple of times a week? Is it only the calories that I should worry about or does alcohol hinder the weight loss process?
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Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I have lots weight while still drinking beer, wine, and mixed drinks - just not every night! You can still have yoru social life - just make sure the drinks fit into your day as much as possible and don't go overboard. If you know you're going to be at the pub for awhile, try having a glass of water in between pints maybe?

    Cheers!
  • michael300891
    michael300891 Posts: 275
    IT can of course be done but you are consuming a lot of additional calories.

    Try the following:

    - Consume less caloric beverages: Coors Light is one of the lowest kcal available.

    - Plan your intake as best you can and adjust carbohydrate intake accordingly. Your goals are weight loss and that wont happen without an energy deficit, but you do not want to reduce fat or protein intake. Carbohydrate is important and ethanol is no substitute but for the occasional night it wont be a problem.

    - Monitor your progress


    Doctoral Researcher in Exercise Adaptation and Metabolism:

    Follow me on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/Michael300891 )
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    If your goal is to lose weight, a calorie deficit is all that is needed to achieve that goal. You can work those pints in, drink them, enjoy them and still lose weight.

    And to the poster who is suggesting Coors Light over Guinness (especially in Dublin)…..nope. No comparison. :drinker:
  • acarmelo1
    acarmelo1 Posts: 76 Member
    I usually drink like 5 or 6 ScrewDrivers(Vodka + OJ) on Saturdays while hanging out with some friends and I am still losing weight.
    Also I try to do some extra 30mins of cardio on Saturdays in order to make up for the extra calories.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    As long as you meet your weekly calorie goal, you will lose weight. What you eat or drink does not matter. It can make a difference in how you feel though.

    I know many people on here (myself included) who eat under their calorie goal by 100 or so, then one day a week they apply those extra calories to a certain thing, in your case, going to the pub. If you also exercise, you can use those calories on beer as well. As long as it all adds up, you will lose weight.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member

    And to the poster who is suggesting Coors Light over Guinness (especially in Dublin)…..nope. No comparison. :drinker:
    Amen! If I'm going to spend cals on beer, it's going to be GOOD beer! :tongue:
  • Julesdublin
    Julesdublin Posts: 39 Member

    And to the poster who is suggesting Coors Light over Guinness (especially in Dublin)…..nope. No comparison. :drinker:
    Amen! If I'm going to spend cals on beer, it's going to be GOOD beer! :tongue:

    In all fairness I don't even remember seeing Coors Light in a pub here in Dublin... Or maybe I just don't register ;)
  • Samby_v1
    Samby_v1 Posts: 202 Member
    I had half a pint of Bud last night and I feel utterly ashamed of myself. But it was the only way I could get my beer fix.
  • GradatimFerociter
    GradatimFerociter Posts: 296 Member
    Raised on songs & stories, heroes of re-known
    The passing tales & glories that once was Dublin town
    The hallowed halls & houses, the haunting childrens' rhymes
    That once was Dublin city in the rare ould times....


    And yes, you can drink - you just have to consider the calorie implications as you would anything else.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Guinness has 210 calories a pint. If you're going out, be honest about how many you're going to drink, pre-log them and plan the rest of the day with what you have left. As much as you can, take your booze calories out of your exercise calories. So three pints - 630 calories, which for me would be running for an hour. If that's not possible, work out for half an hour and skip a packet of crisps and a biscuit instead.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member

    And to the poster who is suggesting Coors Light over Guinness (especially in Dublin)…..nope. No comparison. :drinker:
    Amen! If I'm going to spend cals on beer, it's going to be GOOD beer! :tongue:

    Cheers to this :drinker:
    In all fairness I don't even remember seeing Coors Light in a pub here in Dublin... Or maybe I just don't register ;)

    and that :drinker:

    and I am just going to leave this here :tongue:

    rsDSrCn.jpg
  • Julesdublin
    Julesdublin Posts: 39 Member
    Guinness has 210 calories a pint. If you're going out, be honest about how many you're going to drink, pre-log them and plan the rest of the day with what you have left. As much as you can, take your booze calories out of your exercise calories. So three pints - 630 calories, which for me would be running for an hour. If that's not possible, work out for half an hour and skip a packet of crisps and a biscuit instead.

    I always thought it was around 170 calories per pint... :frown:
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Guinness has 210 calories a pint. If you're going out, be honest about how many you're going to drink, pre-log them and plan the rest of the day with what you have left. As much as you can, take your booze calories out of your exercise calories. So three pints - 630 calories, which for me would be running for an hour. If that's not possible, work out for half an hour and skip a packet of crisps and a biscuit instead.

    I always thought it was around 170 calories per pint... :frown:
    I've seen 125 calories in 12oz, which would be near 170 for a pint (depending if you're drinking imperial pints or not).

    OP, you might want to try limiting beer by slowing down how much you drink per night (I have a friend from Belfast, and he can easily down 6-7 pints of Guinness a night and be fine) and try and budget for it in your calories.

    Considering it's not a "light" beer, Guinness is probably one of the best ones you can get, and personally, I don't think it's worth it to cut flavor for calories. And some days (like yesterday), I just say f it and drink all the beers.
  • Empty_Calories
    Empty_Calories Posts: 81 Member
    Guinness has 210 calories a pint. If you're going out, be honest about how many you're going to drink, pre-log them and plan the rest of the day with what you have left. As much as you can, take your booze calories out of your exercise calories. So three pints - 630 calories, which for me would be running for an hour. If that's not possible, work out for half an hour and skip a packet of crisps and a biscuit instead.

    I always thought it was around 170 calories per pint... :frown:

    167 calories per pint from what I've seen. (check their website)

    I completely sympathize with your situation, it's one I face every week. The number of calories I drink can be staggering (hence the username). However, like people have already mentioned, just do your best to pre-plan your meals for the days you're going out and leave room for those calories. Some people here like to eat ice cream as a treat, I like a nice tall beer. To each their own.
  • stephcbms
    stephcbms Posts: 142 Member
    Yeah you can just count the calories. Enjoy :drinker:
  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
    I'm a daily beer drinker. During the week it's one with lunch and one with dinner.
    More on the weekend. (12 oz x beer)

    Right now I'm maintaining, but when I was losing weight, I was keeping it down to one during the week.
    4-5 on weekends.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    As long as you meet your weekly calorie goal, you will lose weight. What you eat or drink does not matter. It can make a difference in how you feel though.


    Not true, alcohol is not a normal calorie:

    Alcohol is also metabolized differently from other substances, and it affects the way your body handles carbohydrates and fat. When alcohol is present, your body starts to process it right away instead of focusing on the things it would normally work to break down, like sugars and dietary fat. Those get converted into body fat instead.

    Read more: http://www.ehow.com/way_5651804_alcohol-weight-loss.html#ixzz2thJEXgGW


    I would seriously consider cutting the drinking down to one night per week if you are incapable of socializing with out drinking.
  • the_texreb
    the_texreb Posts: 138 Member
    I've lost plenty of weight while drinking. I just keep it to a controlled amount and make sure that I have the cals to spare that day.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Absolutely have your cake and eat it too...juts as long as you work it into your overall diet. Just don't weigh yourself the day after you drink and get depressed. Booze can cause some major water retention then next couple days.
  • Orion782
    Orion782 Posts: 391
    Probably the most definitive writeup I've seen on the subject:

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

    It is scientifically based, yet written in a way that most analytical minds can understand.

    Cliff Notes:

    How to lose fat or prevent fat gain when drinking

    Apply this method exactly as I have laid it out. If you've paid attention, you'll understand the rationale behind it. I've tested this on myself and on numerous clients. Rest assured that I'm not testing out some large-scale bizarre experiment here.

    The rules are as follows:

    * For this day, restrict your intake of dietary fat to 0.3 g/kg body weight (or as close to this figure as possible).

    * Limit carbs to 1.5 g/kg body weight. Get all carbs from veggies and the tag-along carbs in some protein sources. You'll also want to limit carbohydrate-rich alcohol sources such as drinks made with fruit juices and beer. A 33 cl/12 fl oz of beer contains about 12 g carbs, while a regular Cosmopolitan is about 13 g.

    * Good choices of alcohol include dry wines which are very low carb, clocking in at about 0.5-1 g per glass (4 fl oz/115ml). Sweet wines are much higher at 4-6 g per glass. Cognac, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka and whiskey are all basically zero carbs. Dry wines and spirits is what you should be drinking, ideally. Take them straight or mixed with diet soda. (No need to be super-neurotic about this stuff. Drinks should be enjoyed after all. Just be aware that there are better and worse choices out there).

    * Eat as much protein as you want. Yes, that's right. Ad libitum. Due to the limit on dietary fat, you need to get your protein from lean sources. Protein sources such as low fat cottage cheese, protein powder, chicken, turkey, tuna, pork and egg whites are good sources of protein this day.

    * For effective fat loss, this should be limited to one evening per week. Apply the protocol and you will lose fat on a weekly basis as long as your diet is on point for the rest of the week.

    Basically, the nutritional strategy I have outlined here is all about focusing on substrates that are least likely to cause net synthesis of fat during hypercaloric conditions. Alcohol and protein, your main macronutrients this day, are extremely poor precursors for de novo lipogenesis. Alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but by depriving yourself of dietary fat during alcohol consumption, you won't be storing anything. Nor will protein cause any measurable de novo lipogenesis. High protein intake will also compensate for the weak effect of alcohol on satiety and make you less likely to blow your diet when you're drinking.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    As long as you meet your weekly calorie goal, you will lose weight. What you eat or drink does not matter. It can make a difference in how you feel though.


    Not true, alcohol is not a normal calorie:

    Alcohol is also metabolized differently from other substances, and it affects the way your body handles carbohydrates and fat. When alcohol is present, your body starts to process it right away instead of focusing on the things it would normally work to break down, like sugars and dietary fat. Those get converted into body fat instead.

    Read more: http://www.ehow.com/way_5651804_alcohol-weight-loss.html#ixzz2thJEXgGW


    I would seriously consider cutting the drinking down to one night per week if you are incapable of socializing with out drinking.

    It looks like she is only going out once a week. While I agree that most of your information is true (sorry but food/calories in your stomach do not instantly get stored as fat as soon as you drink alcohol.), she isn't in a body building competition where this is actually going to affect her very reasonable weight loss goal. =\

    I don't think you understand that people need a social life and if they enjoy beer, telling them to "reduce or completely cut it out" instead of telling them to fit it into their calories will eventually lead to them quitting and giving up on a healthier lifestyle because they are losing their minds.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    When I was losing I had to cut back on the beer quite a bit...I like big, full bodied craft beers that are generally in the neighborhood of a couple hundred calories per 12 Oz. My intake of vodka diet tonics increased substantially though.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    I had half a pint of Bud last night and I feel utterly ashamed of myself. But it was the only way I could get my beer fix.

    You should feel ashamed of yourself! Next time, drink a GOOD beer and all will be well!

    @ OP: First, love your avatar!

    Second, yes, it can definitely be done. I cut back when I lost weight (40 lb) and have maintained now for a year and a half while still drinking. It is important to remember that this is about the long term. If you don't want to give up beer totally, then you'll eventually have to figure out how to work it into an overall healthy lifestyle. Might as well start now.

    And third... Guinness in Dublin! I'm so jelly!
  • WestCoastJo82
    WestCoastJo82 Posts: 2,304 Member
    I cut down how much I was drinking when I was losing because those were easy calories for me to cut, but I still drank some every week (7ish over the course of the week) and lost no problem. Please don't swap Guinness for Coors Light, that's just bad advice. If you're going to drink calories, they may as well be the best ones you can get (a lovely craft IPA, in my case).
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    And to the poster who is suggesting Coors Light over Guinness (especially in Dublin)…..nope. No comparison. :drinker:

    I actually think that kind of a suggestion is "fightin' words" in Dublin!

    OP: I drink regularly. I did cut down a bit while I was losing weight, but I still would have a drink (beer/wine/scotch and soda) almost every day. Now that I am on maintenance, I have generally have 2 on an average weeknight, but I make sure that it fits into my calorie goals and that I have hit my macro goals as well.
  • lh1626
    lh1626 Posts: 241 Member
    Just plan your week for it. You can always think of it this way.....take away the number of calories every day that would equal to the number of beers you want to have. You can always work out and earn calories as well. There is a way to balance it. I am a beer drinker....my specific preference is Summer Shandy when it is available. Those are amazing but have quite a few calories. They go down so well in the summer!! :drinker:

    I was able to slowly lose and still drink several days a week....I had to workout and plan my week.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    As long as you meet your weekly calorie goal, you will lose weight. What you eat or drink does not matter. It can make a difference in how you feel though.


    Not true, alcohol is not a normal calorie:

    Alcohol is also metabolized differently from other substances, and it affects the way your body handles carbohydrates and fat. When alcohol is present, your body starts to process it right away instead of focusing on the things it would normally work to break down, like sugars and dietary fat. Those get converted into body fat instead.

    Read more: http://www.ehow.com/way_5651804_alcohol-weight-loss.html#ixzz2thJEXgGW


    I would seriously consider cutting the drinking down to one night per week if you are incapable of socializing with out drinking.

    It looks like she is only going out once a week. While I agree that most of your information is true (sorry but food/calories in your stomach do not instantly get stored as fat as soon as you drink alcohol.), she isn't in a body building competition where this is actually going to affect her very reasonable weight loss goal. =\

    I don't think you understand that people need a social life and if they enjoy beer, telling them to "reduce or completely cut it out" instead of telling them to fit it into their calories will eventually lead to them quitting and giving up on a healthier lifestyle because they are losing their minds.

    The calories getting stored is not my opinion, it is a scientific fact. She stated two or three pints a couple of times a week.

    Alcohol is a different monster than food. We do not need alcohol to survive. If some one has an issue with cutting down alcohol to make their selves healthier, then they have a bigger problem than losing weight.

    All things in moderation, right? 3 pints of Guinness is not moderation whether you like it or believe it. When we start depriving our bodies of nutrition to fit alcohol into our diet, well that is just sad.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    - Consume less caloric beverages: Coors Light is one of the lowest kcal available.

    Dear God, no. No, no, no. Especially not for someone in Dublin of all places. A pint of Guiness is only 166 or so cals. A pint of coors light would be 135 cals. And the difference in taste for an extra 30 calories? Dear God, just no.

    18uzodohufsy4gif_zps4f2999b5.gif
  • cpcoursec
    cpcoursec Posts: 82 Member
    Try to do some form of exercise on the days that you know that you're going to drink. Drink plenty of water before drinking and the following day.

    Just wanted to add I did laugh.....Coors Light in Ireland....right.
  • Autk79
    Autk79 Posts: 286 Member
    Might be a lil off topic but for the ones who say keep it in your calorie def? So lets just say I go out and drink 600 calories (3 beers, 3 shots, ect.), and Im on a 1200 calorie diet. So I should go out drinking after only eating 600 calories. Im pretty sure Id be a sloppy drunk lol. Im not saying this is me, I just dont really see how its possible to keep it in your calorie count unless your only having one? I have learned I cannot lose weight and drink unless its one or two drinks a week.

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