Balancing fitness with beer drinking?

Hey guys & gals,

I've been wanting to ask about this for a while.

Long story : I was always in good shape as a kid, and most of my teen years, until I discovered beer at age 15-16 ... I managed to stay fit / thin during the next few years, despite drinking a lot of beer, until I turned 20. Seemingly overnight, I had a belly, and a 2nd chin. I stayed this way throughout my 20s until the about 26-27, when I started to pay attention, and stopped drinking altogether. The next 3 years (I am 30 now) I basically went on and off drinking beer and my weight and general fitness reflected this. I vowed to go into my 30s completely fit. I started to eat very well, (studied the subject at home) and managed to get into pretty good shape. Then, a few months ago I found this site and it re-ignited my passion for good beer. I started home brewing again and now I'm drinking beer every day, including at work (I own a welding shop). I gained 15 lbs in about 2 months, and have completely given up, and even stopped going to the gym.

I was wondering if anyone on here is into fitness, and is successfully balancing a love for beer / brewing with staying fit and lean. I DO NOT want to give up beer completely, and I really don't know if I want to limit myself to one beer every two weeks ... Do I really need to pick one?

Share your thoughts on the subject!

Thanks!

I'm working on a device that will hold a pint glass so you can have one sip at the top of every sit up. Stay tuned for details.

Its a give and take sort of deal...I normally limit myself to two homebrews an evening and if I still want more of a buzz I switch to something easier on the wasteline....in my case I drink gin and tonics with diet tonic. Its a pain in the ass when all I want to drink is beer but its worth not having to hold my breath to tie my shoes

I ride my bike and drink beer everyday... Find some kind of fitness activity that becomes a hobby rather than a way of "burning" the beer off. I am in the best shape of my life simply because I started riding my bike around town to do errands, mountain biking every week, and going on road rides with friends as well. I use to try to go to the gym, but never kept up with it cause its simply... BORING! Once you can find some kind of exercise that is as fun to you as homebrewing is... you'll be set.

Im telling you BIKES AND BEER!!! a wonderful combo...

HAhaha, I love biking, and I used to love going on long bike rides when I was buzzing ... sometimes that didn't end well, but I don't drink like I used to.

So, you drink beer every day and are not losing control of your weight, that's good to know! I do enjoy the gym, but it's hard for me to go when I'm in "beer is okay" mode. Weird ...

Thanks guys!

I do curls with a pint glass.

Agtronic, I am wondering the same things. Although still in my 20's I have seen my weight jump by about an avg. of 20 lbs in 2 years or so from regular beer drinking. I try to run and go to the gym but it is as Yeqmaster said BORING! I can't keep myself motivated for longer than a few weeks because I just don't enjoy it. I like the mountain biking idea though...now I just have to try not to spend money on brewing to get a decent mountain bike!! I like this thread though!

Exercise sucks and unfortunately it's the only way to stay fit and drink copious quantities of beer as well. I've been talking to the wife about getting a recumbent stationary bike to help us get in better shape, but I'm not convinced it will work. We both have a history of not being able to stick to a fitness program of any kind for any length of time.

I'd rather play badminton or shoot hoops, or anything exciting rather than any form of boring exercise. But I can't force myself to do it alone and there's nobody around to do it with. The bike might be the best solution yet, but I am not certain we will stick with it. Regular bikes are great, but I don't like road biking and there is no good off-road trails that I can use regularly. Just too much family stuff going on each week.

I only have 1-2 beers a night and so far my weight hasn't gotten past were it's been the past few years so hopefully my intake is not too bad.

Not sure how much bike riding you can do during the long quebecois winter.
I lived up in the Chicoutimi-Jonquiere area 20-some years ago... Mon ventre est trop grand parceque j'aime la biere et la poutine - et je suis paresseux!

I have a recumbent stationary bike at home in a room with a nice sound system and TV/DVD player. I don't get bored on the bike when I'm watching a movie.

Quit your job and become a super model. You can spend all your free time working out and the millions of dollars you will get paid for staying in shape will be your motivation. It is a no brainer!

yeqmaster said:

Im telling you BIKES AND BEER!!! a wonderful combo...

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This is the correct answer.

yeqmaster said:

Im telling you BIKES AND BEER!!! a wonderful combo...

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Elliptical and porn. Gives the sense that you are running towards a really worthwhile goal.

I quit drinking all alcohol for about 10 years (from age 33 to 43.) I went from 180 to 250. I started drinking beer again and have dropped 60 lbs since I started.

The math is pretty simple though. Burn more calories than you take in. Drink a beer, forgo a piece of pie. Drink a beer, put less potatoes on your plate with dinner.

Since your metabolism decreases with age your consumption of calories should too. If you think it is hard to maintain weight on the happy side of 35 yo just wait until you hit your 40's.

I've found now that I brew my own I will have fewer because I take my time to enjoy it instead of downing them. I have a brew or two when I want but that is about it now. I started running a couple of years ago and have found that my weight will stay pretty steady as long as I don't over do it with the beer and wings.

It is all about the calories. I drink 3-5 days a week. Some days wine some beer less frequently mixed alcohol. I run every other day to the tune of 12 to 16 miles a week I eat 1,000-1,200 calories a day not including alcohol. I was 100lbs overwieght at one time, I now pay attention to everything I put in my body and weigh myself everyday. I fluctuate about ten pounds up and down depending on season. It is all about hard work. Good Luck I use beer as my reward.

Sounds like you've already learned how to exercise and eat right. I bet you can continue to do so even while enjoying good brew. I actually enjoy running, but even so if I've had just one or two brews when I get off work, my motivation for getting out for a run takes a big hit! You might be able to come up with a couple of rules to keep you from skipping the exercise. If I were able to drink at work, I'm sure I wouldn't do much of anything productive afterwards. So, maybe start by instituting a rule that you'll only drink after you get off of work. Or maybe say that you can't have a drink until you've exercised that day. Just a couple ideas.

It aint easy, but good luck with your health and your homebrew!

Trying to fit in exercise in the morning (if you can) is a good idea as well. That way you get it out of the way early so you can focus on drinking after work. If you look at different gyms, find some with classes. The classes are way more fun than being all alone on a machine. If gyms aren't your thing, there are tons of other non gym things you can do as well.

Karate, swimming, taking a walk during lunch, even wearing a pedometer and getting x many steps per day will help.

I know it isn't for everyone, but I found that riding a bike even just a few minutes every day is taking down my weight about 3-4#'s a month. I commute 4-5 days per week, about 12-15 minutes each way. It's not a long ride, but apparently it's enough to take some of those extra pounds off. I haven't changed anything in my diet, and I still average a beer a day plus 4-6 on one of the weekend nights. Not only is it good exercise, but it's a mode of transportation and ends up saving me about $60/month just in gas. It's fun too! I even sold my second car, which saves me another $50/month in insurance not to mention the savings in registration, smog and maintenance.

I started riding in mid-September weighing in at 192-194#. Now I'm at 180#, feeling better, looking better, and still eating and drinking like I was before. Once I plateau with my weight loss, I may change my diet and/or cut down on the beer intake. I can't recommend commuting to work by bike enough. And if that isn't possible, then get a bike with some baskets and do your shopping by bike. Take a ride to your local farmer's market on the weekend and pick up fresh produce. Just try to ride 15-30 minutes each day...which is nothing compared to how much time most people spend watching TV or surfing the web daily.

Has anyone here had any success with the Wii games involving fitness stuff? It looks like it might actually be less boring than all the other things I've tried for exercise during the winter months.

I 100% agree with the 2nd to last post!!! I basically have an identical story. I started commuting on my bike and because of this ride about 30 minutes a day... which is really nothing. In the course of a year I have lost 25 lbs, feel great, and have not changed my eating habits at all (although they were already pretty good).

again... BIKE AND BREW BIKE AND BREW!!!

Hey guys, if anyone is having trouble getting (or staying) motivated, there is one book I have read that REALLY helps put everything into perspective, and really gets you off your ass. (Yes, a book can do this!) Burn the Fat, feed the muscle.

Now, my problem is not that I can't stay motivated, I think it's more in the fact that I love beer too much, and want it all the time. I have stopped drinking beer at work, 'cause that's just trouble, no matter how you look at it.

But I think carrotmalt and kittyfeet pretty much nailed it. I need to place priority on the excersize, and keep beer as a reward for after work or other times ...

I just love good beer so much, I want it all the time.

dontman said:

The math is pretty simple though. Burn more calories than you take in. Drink a beer, forgo a piece of pie. Drink a beer, put less potatoes on your plate with dinner.

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+1. I've overhauled my dieting regime to fit in homebrew. Getting older sucks because I can't just eat what I want and be good with it. I grew up in a meat and potatoes kind of family, and the starches from the potatoes just don't do so well with me. Hard to get rid of them entirely, but I really cut back. Same with pasta. And if I want to drink a few brews, then I save some room in the calorie count. It's helped out a lot.

SFBEER said:

I've found now that I brew my own I will have fewer because I take my time to enjoy it instead of downing them. I have a brew or two when I want but that is about it now.

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Same here. Since I started brewing my own, I've been more adventurous in trying other beers. Now that I've "awakened", I find that I drink a lot less. Not that I'm not interested, I just feel so much more satisfied after just a couple. I simply don't need more.

Bedlam said:

Has anyone here had any success with the Wii games involving fitness stuff? It looks like it might actually be less boring than all the other things I've tried for exercise during the winter months.

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Actually, the guy who got me into homebrew bought one shortly after they came out. He actually told us that one day, he was doing pushups and got thirsty. So he put the game on pause, went to the kitchen to get some water and spotted his homebrew. Proceeded to pour a glass, sat on the couch to drink it, and after it was gone, finished his pushups I thought that was hilarious.

dontman said:

The math is pretty simple though. Burn more calories than you take in. Drink a beer, forgo a piece of pie. Drink a beer, put less potatoes on your plate with dinner.

Since your metabolism decreases with age your consumption of calories should too. If you think it is hard to maintain weight on the happy side of 35 yo just wait until you hit your 40's.

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^^^This. You don't really even have to exercise to maintain a good weight, although it's easier and healthier if you do exercise. Every beer I drink replaces something I would have eaten. A year ago I didn't drink beer at all (OK, very rarely)...but I always had a snack or dessert late at night. Now that snack is beer. Beer is food (at least the beer we brew...BMC is not food imo).

Another thing that can help is to kick the soda to the curb. I found that I was drinking soda just out of habit and wasn't really even enjoying it anymore. I stopped buying it and don't miss it one bit.

Also, it helped me to weigh myself frequently (>once a week) and once I got below a certain weight, I vowed to NEVER go above that weight again. Then lose a little more and 'lower the bar'...rinse and repeat until you hit your target. EDIT: FWIW, I'm 45 and well past the metabolism slowing down. Lucky for me my appetite followed. I can't imagine eating at a buffet anymore, it's a waste of money with my appetite (and I'm always 'saving room' for beer anyway).

+1 on exercise. Its not the only answer though. If you start looking into our modern food supply, you'll be surprised to find how bad most of the processed foods are that we find in our grocery store. By bad, I mean to much of the wrong kind of calories (or just completely synthesized ingredients that the human body doesn't know how to process). Moderation is key to a healthy diet, but the way 1st world countries eat is killing us. Even if any of you are rolling your eyes right now, you can't deny the relatively new disease of type II diabetes, or the rising rates of heart disease. But beer can be part of a healthy diet!

If you're interested in finding out more, the movie/Documentary "Food Inc" does an alright job of explaining whats wrong with the food we eat. The book Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen is much better!

sea2summit3 said:

+1 on exercise. Its not the only answer though. If you start looking into our modern food supply, you'll be surprised to find how bad most of the processed foods are that we find in our grocery store. By bad, I mean to much of the wrong kind of calories (or just completely synthesized ingredients that the human body doesn't know how to process). Moderation is key to a healthy diet, but the way 1st world countries eat is killing us. Even if any of you are rolling your eyes right now, you can't deny the relatively new disease of type II diabetes, or the rising rates of heart disease. But beer can be part of a healthy diet!

If you're interested in finding out more, the movie/Documentary "Food Inc" does an alright job of explaining whats wrong with the food we eat. The book Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen is much better!

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I have always been health conscious, years before it was in vogue. I'm pretty small, so I can't eat very much and drink beer and easily maintain a healthy weight!

I don't eat junk food. Period. I haven't had a doughnut in at least 20 years, probably more. I also don't eat things that are more than minimally processed and will not eat a food like Rice-a-Roni. It sounds extreme, but once you read "The Omnivore's Dilemma", you won't eat packaged food again.

Beer is my only indulgence, and I love it! I also exercise even though I dislike most forms of exercise. I play hockey October-April several days a week, which helps!

My cholesterol is low, my blood pressure is low, and I take NO medications. Being fit isn't about weight control for me- it's a whole lifestyle. I know women my age who are quite fat, with bad knees, and diabetic, etc. They also tend to sit most of the time, and eat convenience foods. I do drink homebrew, but don't eat mindlessly, and never fast food.

It's all about choices. You can't drink beer, eat junk food, and not exercise, and be fit. But you can incorporate any food and any drink into a healthy lifestyle.

Tonedef131 said:

This is the correct answer.

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Bikes and beer go wonderfully together. Yes, I am being completely serious.

I drink about 3-4 full bodied beers (I really never drink light beer, just not my thing) a day on average. This was always fine for me while I was active. After stopping martial arts (money and time) and getting a desk job, I instantly put on 20 pounds and have maintained that weight for over two years.

Would I like to get back into shape and look great again? Yeah. Will it actually happen? Maybe. For now, time with the fam is more important that shedding 20# by going to work out.

I work out on a daily basis with weights but also run every morning and sometimes at the gym too. Its a hard thing for me to keep up with work, wife and kids, and hobbies. I do substitute a day of running for surfing many times a week.

But not everyone can do that (I'm required to keep my shape up for the Army and for SWMBO (cause she is SOO much hotter than me)) so I would always tell people if they can't get to the gym find a hobby that does burn calories such as biking & running. If that is still to much try a sport (surfing, snowboarding, and martial arts are mine) but even a game of tennis with your 5 year old daughter can be fun. Find something you like for what it is and not what it does to your body and you'll find you will keep it up.

But after a night of hard drinking nothing is better than running/swimming it all off. I'm sure I look like a idiot for how much I am sweating due to the booze leaving the body; but I feel alot better when I get back. And wearing a wetsuit this time of year just smells like a bar rag at the end of a small session of waves.

Oh and if you don't have time for a gym but you really want to work out I recommend P90X I do this in addition with my wife so she can remain her form to kick my arse when I'm out of line...

I am a big guy, 6'7", 220, but I used to be alot bigger at around 260. I drink alot of beer, basically because I live in the middle of nowhere by myself and I enjoy the beer I make. Thusly I have had to find a way to maintain my current healthy weight and even lose weight. Here are some pretty basic things that have worked for me.

Absolutely no fast food, fight the urge man. That stuff is just absolute slop that you feed yourself because you have been taught it taste good, nothing but triglycerides and fillers. Keep away from it.

Limit yourself to around 1500 calories a day. This takes some discipline, but you have to play the mindgame! I seriously have to talk to food and convince it that it doesn't want to be eaten. Sounds crazy but it works.

Tons of fiber. Check out the Full Plate Diet, I don't follow it strictly, but tons of fiber has very proven effects and I have really seen a difference. High fiber foods are low in fat and packed with energy and the types of complex carbohydrates that fill you up.

You just gotta kick your arse man, nothing that makes us look good comes easy, and if it does come easy for you, chances are guys like us hate you! This is just what is working for me.

Run. A lot.

Also, ignore McDojo karate fitness places; the majority of people who go to those (in my experience) have horrible cardio and are in lousy body shapes.

P90X is pretty decent; try to invest in a chin up bar and stick with it, even if you have to use a chair; power squats, squat lunges, basically anything with "squat" in the name should add power and burn calories. Hell, eat some Squash too.

Good luck.

I'm a bicycle messenger and all my mates have major drinking problems and they all look like stick figures. Maybe there is something to read into that ;-)

Throw away the car keys.

...power squats, squat lunges, basically anything with "squat" in the name should add power and burn calories.

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I just recently started doing something like this in preparation for my annual Christmas snow skiing trip. Damn...it BURNS! And you can't even walk right afterwards. It's no wonder guys gather around the bench press and bicep curl machines...it doesn't hurt as much!

I grew up in a meat and potatoes kind of family, and the starches from the potatoes just don't do so well with me. Hard to get rid of them entirely, but I really cut back. Same with pasta.

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I used to eat a TON of starches because all the fitness folks said that was the 'base' of the 'nutrition pyramid' (or whatever it's called). Then I read Eat Right For Your Type and found that a lot of starch is NOT good for me (Type O blood)...especially wheat! My mother used to put wheat germ in all kinds of stuff (she was always a health nut). I had reflux REALLY bad and my weight always fluctuated. I cut way back on potatoes and wheat and voila...no reflux and my body just naturally maintains weight. Just make sure you get your fiber or you'll have a whole 'nuther problem.

SpanishCastleAle said:

I used to eat a TON of starches because all the fitness folks said that was the 'base' of the 'nutrition pyramid' (or whatever it's called).

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I would suggest that everyone keep in mind who paid for the nutrition pyramid to be put together....the federal government. The same federal government who subsidies the farming of the cheapest and most readily available carbohydrate out there....CORN.

+a bizillion to the folks that recommended "The Omnivore's dilemma"...its a good explanation of how the government influences the food supply and why we eat what we eat. You will then understand why carbohydrates are the base of the nutrition pyramid....and its not because they are good for you!

I just turned 40 am 240 LB 6"2' and play Semi-pro football. The thing I have learned is everything in moderation. I try and keep the drinking down to just the weekend and a few months before the season stop drinking altogether. (which doesn't always work out). I find the older I get the more drinking affects my workouts, it's poison to muscle growth and total nutrition. I found a product that helps me keep my electrolytes balance in a better range when drinking, a water additive called Elite. It sucks getting old...

I'm 29 and even though I have a love for beer and refuse to drink anything light, I've managed to stay in pretty good shape. For me the key has been diet and exercise. I eat pretty healthy, oatmeal, cottage cheese, chicken... tend to avoid fried food all together, but do eat pizza, hamburgers (the good stuff) occasionally. Plus I go to the gym usually 3 days a week and hit the major exercises such as squats, dead lifts, bench press, pullups, etc. Having a dog helps too, I have to walk him twice a day. So far all of the above has enabled me to not worry about how much or what I drink during the week (knock on wood).

broadbill said:

I would suggest that everyone keep in mind who paid for the nutrition pyramid to be put together....the federal government. The same federal government who subsidies the farming of the cheapest and most readily available carbohydrate out there....CORN.

+a bizillion to the folks that recommended "The Omnivore's dilemma"...its a good explanation of how the government influences the food supply and why we eat what we eat. You will then understand why carbohydrates are the base of the nutrition pyramid....and its not because they are good for you!

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+1 on the pyramid and b.s. from government "experts" on healthy eating! I continue to be blown away how hard it is for us to collectively decide what is a healthy diet in U.S. society. Its really quite simple... Humans, (like most animals) are genetically programmed to go after sweets, fats, and salt. If you're a food manufacturer, how do you sell your product? Make it satisfy those basic nutritional instincts. Add on to it that technology has allowed us substances that satisfy those instincts, but aren't real. Hydrogenated oils, MSG, aspartame, etc. In excess, these substances harm the human body, but are in nearly everything. Then, rearrange and process whole foods such as corn, wheat, etc to the point where you have to recruit the chemical industry to put the flavor back into processes foods. Finally, these food companies rub the USDA's back so theirs gets rubbed back by passing these foods as "Generally Considered Safe". Funny how the USDA is supposed to protect consumers, eh?

Eat enough of these altered "food" and the body's coping mechanisms eventually fail. Its no wonder we have such high rates of disease. It keeps money in ConAgra's pockets and keeps the health care industry moving along full steam.

Perhaps my babbling is a bit off topic, but I've had a couple homebrews and am passionate about people waking up to how food industries have changed.

Dalarast said:

but even a game of tennis with your 5 year old daughter can be fun. Find something you like for what it is and not what it does to your body and you'll find you will keep it up.

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There's a thought. I read awhile back that kids don't know the meaning of fitness. But they do understand play. I actually find that I can maintain my weight easier in the winter time when we all go out skiing. I think I need to buy a decent bike for the summertime.

I noticed that once I started drinking more beer, I put on about 15-20 lbs but didn't do anything about it until a little while ago. I have been going to the gym for an hour, three days a week in the morning before work and I feel so much better. Going in the morning is so much easier for me because I don't have to give up any of my evening routine or feel like I cannot do something else because I need to go to the gym.

I have also done what many others have said, drinking a beer instead of eating a sweet. My husband is the worst with sweets and junk so it makes it hard, but then I remember there is beer in the fridge and go for that instead.

This is an interesting thread for me, since over the course of the year, I've dropped over 60 pounds. I started at 220 at 5'8", and now I'm pretty lean at 153. I still drank quite a bit of beer while losing the weight.

For my diet, I pretty much agree with everything Yooper had to say. I avoid processed foods for the most part, and I cut back on starches a bit. My big thing was portion control, though. I found that eating consciously and without distractions helped me eat a lot less, and throwing a healthy snack in when I was extremely hungry before a meal really helped me eat less. Before I started losing weight, I knew what 'hungry' felt like and I knew what 'stuffed' felt like. I had to re-learn what 'satisfied' felt like.

For exercise, I do Crossfit. If you check out their website, it looks really intimidating, but I've found that scaling each workout for my abilities is easy, and they are all short, intense and fun. I've had the most success by going to an actual Crossfit gym (you can find them on the affiliate blog section of the site down a bit on the left side of the screen). If you have one near you, check 'em out.

Any other Crossfitting homebrewers out there?

I work out so that I CAN abuse my body.

ruggierm1 said:

I work out so that I CAN abuse my body.

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That's interesting considering that I work out with cans to abuse my body.