BIG beer guy here

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13

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  • djsysstem
    djsysstem Posts: 115 Member
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    I love beer too and have been drinking it for years. You can try putting it down on your diary and count calories, but without cutting it out, it won't help you much with weight loss. Once I completely cut out beer from my diary (except for a few occasions when meeting up with old pals), I was able to get to my goal without much of a struggle. Want to lose weight? Write off beer. Sorry, that's reality.

    On another note, I drank 1.5 bottles of Samuel Adams Ale and got tipsy quick a few days ago. Didn't measure my calories or checked weight next morning, but it appears it didn't lead to any weight gain. What someone said about replacing the word "Beer" with "bread, ice cream, mayo, organic milk" was absolutely right. If that's your weakness, then don't try to work around it and tell yourself:" what if I could control it?" Get it out of your life because it wont help you much with weight loss.

    On last note, don't get offended at people telling you to attend AA meetings. There are no meetings for people who love bread, ice cream, and etc., right? Be strict about it and don't feel bad for yourself. I cut a whole bunch of things out of my life to lose as much as I did. As I sit here now or look at the mirror, I tell myself - "That was worth it."

    That's just my 2 cents.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I had my first Guiness Black Lager the other night...yummmm...it might become my new favorite!
  • SueD66
    SueD66 Posts: 405 Member
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    I think small steps are great. I think you will find your balance. Good for you!
  • ding30180
    ding30180 Posts: 53 Member
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    but without cutting it out, it won't help you much with weight loss. Once I completely cut out beer from my diary (except for a few

    Really? Isn't it just a question of using exercise to offset the beer calories and still hit calorie goals?
  • djsysstem
    djsysstem Posts: 115 Member
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    If it is so, then all you're going to be doing is undoing your drinking beer, rather than losing fat. You're creating more problem for your body to solve already present ones.
  • jskaggs1971
    jskaggs1971 Posts: 371 Member
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    Beer lover and homebrewer here. I feel you pain.

    DItto that. Work hard, make beer, drink beer, repeat. There's nothing that goes down quite so good after a long hot MTB ride than a good beer.

    That said, I have been drinking less beer since I started trying to improve myself, but it's certainly not gone from my diet. Everything in moderation, including moderation.
  • akjmart2002
    akjmart2002 Posts: 263 Member
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    I too love me some hearty brew. I much prefer to drink fewer oz of a better beer than guzzle some corn-mash yellow swill! I frequently round out the day with a few cans or a bomber of a solid American IPA or a hoppy pale, usually in the 6% - 9% ABV range. If you are interested in how best to calculate your calories for this kind of beer, it is mostly a function of how much alcohol it contains. Therefore, you can use a baseline beer with a known alcohol and calorie content (like Budweiser) to approximate what kind of damage your beers are doing to your meal plan.

    Use this formula:

    ((vol in oz * % ABV)/60) * 150
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    I love beer, I exercise purely to allow me to drink some days. I have come to realise that it imay be slowling my weight loss though so am going to try and cut it down drastically for a few weeks and see if anything changes.

    Oh, and by beer I mean ales, bitters, IPAs, stouts and porters. None of that lagery, fizzy muck.
  • AliciaBeth78
    AliciaBeth78 Posts: 437 Member
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    I think I just found my dream job... beer taster! Great blog! :)
  • TeutonicKnight
    TeutonicKnight Posts: 367 Member
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    I love craft beers. I think low cal beer tastes like **** and I'd rather skip the beer or wine for the day (if it'll put me over my calories) than consume something that I don't enjoy.

    IMHO, MFP is not about dieting or giving up the things you absolutely love, but rather it's about finding out how to fit things like tasty beer into your daily caloric allowance.

    Just like going on a 900 cal per day diet or just eating cabbage soup is not something someone can do for the rest of their lives, it doesn't sound giving up beer forever is an option for you. Rather, find out how you can fit it in to your daily nutritional requirements. :)

    You are awesome. Any beer with the word 'light' in it, SUCKS. I have an average of one beer a day and have lost 20lbs. you don't gain weight from beer, its the food you eat while drinking the beer that packs on the pounds.

    I usually stick to hefeweizens, porters, and dunkelweizens, which can range from 160 calories to over 300, but I work it into my caloric limit for the day. Yes, I even love the high gravity beers over 10%! Mmmmmm!

    Cheers to you Ding!! Let's be MFP friends!
  • courtd1234
    courtd1234 Posts: 1 Member
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    I love beer, but I like light beer. So it is alittle bit easier. I refuse to give up alcohol, this is my life and I want to live it. I'm glad there are people out there that have similiar obstacles.

    I would love to be friends and offer each other support if your interested send me a request.

    Good luck in your journey.
  • macjam22
    macjam22 Posts: 6 Member
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    Any other big beer lovers out there on MFP?

    Yep, like you I struggle with loving my higher calorie stronger beers. I have found that you can still lose while enjoying beer in moderation but the more days I skip without having my tasty beverages, I can tell that I feel better and work out harder. Now that being said, I struggle constantly with not drinking. (Before anyone on here gets all , you need AA, its more of an I enjoy a nice dark flavorful beer w/ my dinner, not I'm drinking until I pass out). I am a beer lover, meaning that I love the taste and flavors of beer (not the feeling of getting drunk - hence 1 or 2 with dinner). I did successfully lose weight by watching my calorie intake and on days that I had a kick butt workout, I treated myself (no different than people treating themselves w/ sweets or carbs, etc).

    But, yea it is all about moderation and knowing that alcohol (regardless of quantity) can **** on your workout and diet. But, we're human. Find a happy median and learn how to fit your guilty pleasures in with you new found attitude to exercise and eat healthy! Cheers!
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    You'll find your balance. I've cut way back at various times since joining MFP and I'm always glad I did.... homebrewing and beer tasting are just part of my life, so I have to find ways to make it all fit together. Right now I'm pretty sure I'll need to do another huge cut-back to get another round of weight loss... and in a few months I'll probably take a break from that and enjoy many more beers again for a while.
  • gobunkos
    gobunkos Posts: 36 Member
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    Yep another beer lover and have gotten use to light beers after many years where I don't care much for regular beer. I've continued to drink my beer for Super Bowl and Daytona 500 parties, bowling league nights, casino visits, and card nights while trying to lose weight since Jan 2012. I include my beer in my daily log and am happy with my progress. I'm assuming if I cut it out entirely I would have lost more weight, but what's the fun in that!!!!!!:laugh:
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
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    I, too, love beer. I've found that I don't drink nearly as much as I did in the pre-kids phase of my life, but I do enjoy a frosty barley-pop. Currently waiting in the fridge are a handful of Guinnesses (have to, it was St. Patrick's day, after all) and a nice selection from both Sierra-Nevada and Rogue, a couple from Bell's aging in my pantry (yes, you can age beer. Just not the mass-marketed **** that SAB and InBev put out).

    EDIT: I will add that it can be difficult to find the balance. One of the reasons I run is so I can take in more calories. If I happen to chose to drink my calories that day, so be it. I just try to not go overboard (calories or drunken-stupor-ness) any more.

    Add me if you'd like. It will be nice to have another beer lover on the friend list.
  • CapellaBlack
    CapellaBlack Posts: 2
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    Not a big drinker, but completely behind the concept that you can be and still lose weight. My obsession is chocolate. Indeed, on my previous "lifestyle change" program (i.e. diet) I once found that 24 of my daily 29 points had been chocolate based. Whoops! However, by ensuring the rest of my food was veg and lean protein, I stayed both alive and on target.

    The relevant part of my story? My flatmate, on the same day, had used 24 of her 29 points for wine. Her diet also continued on target. Calories are calories. Cravings are cravings. If you're OK with it (as in honestly, truly comfortable as you are) then go for it!
  • tausha_k
    tausha_k Posts: 53
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    Any other big beer lovers out there on MFP?

    OMG!!! I love beer also!! I enjoy craft brews (here in Michigan we have plenty of good ones to choose from) and home brews. Yes, my fiance brews our own beer.

    You are able to lose weight and consume beer also, Its all in moderation. Feel free to add me, A friendly beer lover :drinker:
  • jconnon
    jconnon Posts: 427 Member
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    Yup, I love beer also. I usually only drink three beverages nowadays, Water, black coffee and beer. I used to dabble with homebrewing here and there. Had a few good batches and some not so much. Maple Syrup beer sounded so good in theory too. Got a call from my wife when I was working on night " Your not going to be happy when you come home, that beer your making exploded everywhere" sigh.

    Oh and add me for friend if you like.
  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
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    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE beer... but yeah, I can't lose weight if I'm drinking too much of it. So I sub in wine sometimes, and try to cut it down so I'm only drinking on the weekends. But, sadly, as I've changed my diet, beer does tend to make me feel really full sometimes - like uncomfortable full - which makes me want to drink not quite as much volume. I guess that helps with calories, but I don't like the full feeling and I don't want to give up beer.

    Now that it's starting to be summer here, I'll even throw in a lite beer here and there... not my usual choice, but I've developed a taste for it after mountain biking or while camping :-)

    Good luck!
  • MNA76
    MNA76 Posts: 1,541
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    Any other big beer lovers out there on MFP?

    I am a huge craft beer lover. We usually keep any where from 5 - 15 different types of beer in our stash, at any given time. Most of the beers that I drink are between 9 - 12% alcohol and usually around 300 calories each. It sucks having to figure them into the calories, but you do what you have to do.

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