don't read unless you love beer... you won't understand

245

Replies

  • w2bab
    w2bab Posts: 353 Member
    I drink lite beer (105 calories or so, not the super low cal stuff), try to drink a glass of water for every beer, and budget the calories. It doesn't seem to affect my weight loss that way, and I can still enjoy socializing. The other thing I notice is that now that I'm eating less, beer fills me up really fast. If I drink more than a couple I'm uncomfortably full.
  • kristinpascual
    kristinpascual Posts: 8
    Yeah log the calories. Eat less.....drink more :drinker:
    I tend to drink vodka and sprite zero or diet orange soda. It's fewer calories and gets the job done faster. I won't give it up to lose weight. I just try to get a little exercise in and log the calories. Veggie burgers are really low in calories and kashi cereal bars. I try to just eat filling yet low calorie foods, so I can drink lol
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    LOG 'em! (I'm guilty of not logging ... and I have the lack of weight loss to show for it!)

    And make sure you're drinking good, flavorful, craft beer. You'll drink less when you enjoy it like a fine wine or whiskey.
  • mukamom
    mukamom Posts: 207 Member
    Yep, I exercise more and plan for the calories. I won't give up beer or wine :drinker:

    At home I drink Bud Select 55 - only 55 calories and tastes almost like beer :-/


    ^^^^This...the "almost like beer" is a pretty accurate statement :smile:

    As another perk to Select 55: my husband and his friends give it a thumbs down, so now I don't have to share!!! :drinker:
  • erxkeel
    erxkeel Posts: 553 Member
    Love beer!! but the German in me will not allow me to drink the yellow fizzy *kitten*. It must be dark and thick, or dont offer it to me.
  • WildFlower7
    WildFlower7 Posts: 714 Member
    Ok, so I figured it out. I have been eating right, running and lifting, and still maintaining weight instead of losing. The culprit... one of my favorite things in the world, BEER! I probably go socialize and drink 2 times a week (sometimes 3) and have 4-5 beers each time. After doing the math I found out that was roughly 900-1500 calories a week. Now I am aiming for slow weight loss, like .5 lb to 1 lb a week. So this is definitely putting a damper on my progress.

    Anyone with the same situation, what did you do? I don't want to just quit all together because I like my social life.

    Lol, I had the same problem at one point. If you are not about quitting, cause that's what I did, I allowed myself 1day a week to drink. Then at least cut your calories, try Budweiser Select 55 cals or Miller lite 64cals.

    I also like to have a clear alcohol with Wyler's Lite (just like Crystal lite) so your only consuming cal's from the alcohol you chose.

    Good luck.
  • mstrohbusch
    mstrohbusch Posts: 4 Member
    I stick with light beers to stay within my calories.
  • monicaroozo
    monicaroozo Posts: 200
    My husband is a brewer so it is a huge social stimulant for us in our home. I'll have a beer or two but then swap over to a diet ibc (which also looks like a beer bottle - haha - this mentally helps me). You can also get tasting glasses (4-6 oz glasses) and buy a mix pack to share with others. This is another trick I use - I am able to taste 3 beers but only consume the amount of one.
  • ArchyJill
    ArchyJill Posts: 548 Member
    Trust me, I LOVE BEER too...I brew my own and am quite the little beer snob. But, when I'm trying to lose weight I either switch to liquor or cut it out completely. I've found that the import non-alcholic beers are pretty damn amazing, cause my problem when drinking isn't the booze calories, it's the calories that come from reduced willpower (thanks to the booze) and the subsequent poor food choices. Look for the import NA beers from Europe, they actually have legal standards to meet in order to able to call it "beer" and it makes all the difference in taste.
  • tina01tn
    tina01tn Posts: 12
    I have my cheat day on Saturday just for this reason. The rest of the week I do without. :(
  • PrettyLydie
    PrettyLydie Posts: 54 Member
    I LOVE BEER! I have never tried a beer I didn't like, true story. I drink light beer now, but since they make a yuengling light, it's not so bad. Like everybody else said, just log your calories. On days I plan on going a little crazy (like tomorrow...St. Patrick's Day...having a house party...) I try not to eat very much. That way, it takes less beer to get a buzz, so I drink less, and manage to stay in my calories :). Just always log it. I have a drink everyday, and am losing weight like a champ!
  • scubakisses
    scubakisses Posts: 2
    GO Guinness!!! i love to go out also and was finding i was adding weight on because of the beer... guinness is heavy and filling so you don't drink as many... i make sure i log it and try and workout a little bit more. :)
    happy beer!
  • seebeachrun
    seebeachrun Posts: 221 Member
    Cut way back. Only drink fine, flavorful beer and less of it. For a lower calorie beer that is still decent, consider Guinness.

    Pick better beer with better flavor and/or higher alcohol content and drink less overall. I can put down Michelob Ultras like they're going out of style but hand me a Boddington's and I am set for the evening.
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    Nothing wrong with a good beer every once in awhile however if you are truly looking to lose significant weight you need to look at all of your DAILY and WEEKLY eating and drinking habits.

    Personally I'm trying to lose another 6-8 lbs so I am avoiding beer among other things (sweet and salty snacks & deserts, soda, fried food, etc.). I'm focusing on eating healthy and exercising so I don't have those items above in the house. Now if a neighbor or restaurant has one of my favorite brews . . . . . well . . . just sayin’!
  • fitzie63
    fitzie63 Posts: 508 Member
    Is it the taste or the alcohol buzz? Miller has a Miller 64 choice you can buy OR the Budweiser 55. Michelob also has their own low cal beer. I've tried most of them and the taste is the same as the regular. Miller Lite (be very careful when any alcoholic product says "light or lite". Do your "homework" by going to the company web site.

    PLAN AHEAD and enjoy yourself with your friends.
  • daveainsworth
    daveainsworth Posts: 9
    I drink around 3,500 calories a week - around 1/4 of my total weekly consumption. I am still on target.

    The answer is to eat less food and do more exercise, and keep the beer.

    On a more useful note: don't keep any in the house, and walk to the shops each time you want a beer in the evening. You'll still drink, but at least you'll exercise a bit.

    And drink bottles. Takes a bit longer.
  • nellie_88
    nellie_88 Posts: 256 Member
    LOVE BEER :drinker: I have just been drinking microbrews and limit myself to 3 or so. I most of the time make sure that I have enough calories for it. I refuse to give up drinking, but I have cut back. I only drink 1-2x per week.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    I am in the same boat. Just this week I've decided to cut back on beer. I usually go socialize 2-3 times a week and would have at least 3 beers. That's a lot of calories! By the end of this week I will have been out 3 nights in a row (just how it happened). Wednesday I gave in and had 5 beers. Yesterday, I only had one and perhaps tonight I will have none. We'll see if that helps :-) But I am seriously gonna keep my consumption to 1-3 a week. This will be tough!!
  • Zichu
    Zichu Posts: 542 Member
    Luckily I can live without beer lol. I haven't had any for almost 2 months now. I will however be having some tomorrow, I deserve a treat :D

    I don't go out much to be honest, I'm just not that kind of person to go out drinking with people. I prefer to chill out and have a beer instead.
  • waffleflavoredtea
    waffleflavoredtea Posts: 235 Member
    I love beer tooo, and any type of alcohol actually. Jager with Bing energy drink is awesomme. I used to be a bartender so I can make a pretty mean mai tai too :P But I definitely think it's crucial to be totally honest with yourself by logging ALL of your drink calories. I recently found out that I can get an extra 300 calories a day JUST by nursing my espresso addiction (I drink 5-8 a day with added organic soymilk and a half tablespoon of creamer). Drink calories, including alcohol, add up FAST.

    I always go for Guinness when I want a good solid beer without a lot of calories. About twice the amount of a low cal light beer but soo worth it. On special occasions I also LOVE making Irish Car Bombs by dropping a shot of Bailey's into Guinness and chugging them with friends. mmmm :)
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    I love beer. It is the only alcohol I drink. I allow myself one day on the weekend and I drink as many as I want knowing I will go over my calories that day. Oh well, so be it. You might want to limit the # of days you drink. I used to drink beer 4-5times weekly. A killer on the diet and healthy eating. Not much weight loss either.
    Now that I limit to one day weekly and started 30 day shred I am doing well losing.
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    I drink red wine.
  • kts_11
    kts_11 Posts: 32 Member
    I struggle with this problem too! I want to go out and be social but more often than not that social activity involves alcohol which completely derails my weight loss. I try to limit myself to two beers in order to stay around 300 calories. I know for me if I order that third beer it's going to turn into a fourth and fifth beer.... no good when I'm trying to hit my target, even on days when I run. I couldn't tell if you actually log the calories you drink but this is ABSOLUTELY essential. Good luck!!
  • mwest11
    mwest11 Posts: 89 Member
    Thanks everyone... all good advice. It just took me a while to be honest with myself and record what I was consuming in alcohol. Now that I am aware that it is my roadblock hopefully I will be better about limiting myself and recording. Healthy diet... check. Exercise more... check. Operation stop being a lush... almost check.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I drink almost every day. Unless I'm sick I have at least a glass or two of wine every night with dinner and quite a bit more beer or wine on the weekends. It didn't stop me from losing, or really slow my weight loss. It just meant that I ate less. Some people like to splurge on ice cream or chocolate. I skip all that crap and consume my treats in a long stemmed glass or 12 oz bottle.
  • billtonkin
    billtonkin Posts: 109
    I don't drink beer as much as I used too. I spent 3 years in Germany and that spoiled me. I haven't drank much beer since, American beer just isn't the same.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Ok, so I figured it out. I have been eating right, running and lifting, and still maintaining weight instead of losing. The culprit... one of my favorite things in the world, BEER! I probably go socialize and drink 2 times a week (sometimes 3) and have 4-5 beers each time. After doing the math I found out that was roughly 900-1500 calories a week. Now I am aiming for slow weight loss, like .5 lb to 1 lb a week. So this is definitely putting a damper on my progress.

    Anyone with the same situation, what did you do? I don't want to just quit all together because I like my social life.

    Why would that be a problem as long as you are reporting the calories from the beer?

    If you're not reporting you beer on your log, then if I were you, I wouldn't give it up, I'd start counting it.
  • usedasbrandnew
    usedasbrandnew Posts: 300 Member
    I am so happy with everyone who said Guinness. It's always been my beer, and I thought I was being bad, drinking a dark beer a couple times a week. SO GLAD to know it's one of the better beer choices!
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    Anyone with the same situation, what did you do? I don't want to just quit all together because I like my social life.
    I arrange to meet friends at a pub that's 2-3 miles from home and walk / run there and back.
  • Erica002
    Erica002 Posts: 293 Member
    One - light beer
    two - dont drink as many
    three - exercise so you CAN get wasted hahaha
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