Cut back on Beer because the belly is too big?

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I am trying to run more, cut out High Fructose Corn Syrup (Its in EVERYTHING!), eat more whole foods, and work out more. (3x a week)

I noticed that when I went cold turkey for 3 weeks, I lost 6 pounds without changing anything in my diet or workout. Food for thought... no pun intended.

Seriously is. Of all the carbs, those in my beer will be the last to go. There are plenty everywhere else that can be carved out, particularly as corn syrup in refined food.

Best food commentary I heard recently was that if you're looking at a label trying to figure out what's in it you're already on the wrong track. As in picking fresh whole foods is far better than anything processed and packaged.
 
I am just about the hit the 30 year old mark and I can tell that my metabolism is starting the drop.

I have always gained a bit of weight in the winter as I do little to no working out but being a teacher and a coach, I am basically on my feet from 730 AM to 600 PM and sometimes later depending on the day.

As for cutting back on the beer......never. I have a bit of a beer belly but many people don't realize that you need to work out your back muscles along with your abs in order to keep your beer belly down. The more muscle you have the tighter it pulls the muscle and fat to your body.
 
Its definately hard, but i enjoy working out so its not a big deal to me...still try to stick to one a night, maybe two.

But i do run 3x a week and lift 3x a week.
 
Well you can drink less beer or move more. I'm losing weight, trying to put on muscle, and trying to enjoy beer. It's certainty difficult and it's curtailed my hobby. I drink much less than I used to but that's because every calorie counts. I'm limiting myself to 5 beers a week, and no more than 3 in one sitting. And never on a night where I have major cardio the next day. There is a noticeable effect on my performance in a bad way.

The beer belly is a myth though. Your body puts on weight where it wants. Fat stores generated form alcohol don't go to the belly where others go elsewhere. Some people just happen to have their fat go there first. Mine is very evenly distributed so I've always looked 20-30 lbs lighter than I am.
 
One word "insanity". I ate what I wanted throughout the holidays and drank just about every weekend. So far I'm down 17lbs. If course had I eaten right and not had so much beer it probably would have been double that.
 
The solution is always to either cut down on eating food or exercising more. Cutting back on beer consumption should only happen if your doctor tells you that you're going to die if you drink any more beer. And then you should go to the pub to think it over.
 
I used to consistently gain 15 pounds over the winter then drop it (sometimes even up to 25 pounds) during the summer...turned thirty and my metabolism literally came to a crashing halt. Last summer I was working out nearly 2 hours a day and didn't lose a pound.

Now that I have a kid its nearly impossible to work out. I just cut out drinking during the week for starters. This isn't sitting well with my resolution of 365 new beers a year.
 
Beer calories are just calories. May not have the nutrional value of say broccoli, but a lot better tasting.:ban: As people have mentioned, low carb and exercise. I am giving up flavored creamer. I was consuming about 300 calories a day, it has been rough, almost at 100% half and half.
 
Any one else cutting back on their beer consumption because they are gaining too much weight? I've gained 6 pounds so I have to stop drinking until I lose it again. :(

Sad thing is, I can't stop brewing the beer so I figure I would brew more porters and stouts that take a while to age since I can't drink it.

New years resolution - down the drain.....:mug:

I stopped drinking during the week at all and workout 6 days a week so I can enjoy myself on the weekends. I still don't go crazy on the weekends (although we did get into quite a few BCS's in Chicago Saturday:drunk:) I feel your pain and refuse to be a fat bastard anymore. I do find that the beer is much more enjoyable when I don't drink it everyday:mug:

Pat
 
One word "insanity". I ate what I wanted throughout the holidays and drank just about every weekend. So far I'm down 17lbs. If course had I eaten right and not had so much beer it probably would have been double that.

My words are Tony Horton because Shawn T. is a little much for me yet but I'll get there:rockin:

Pat
 
Ugh. I hate working out. Gotta do it, though.

I'm already down to about two beers a week, and I've cut out my Dr. Pepper consumption. I overeat sometimes, sometimes I don't. I've always had a slow metabolism, so losing weight, even when I was in my early 20s, has always been hard.

I've got an exercise bike, plus I live right down the road from a rather large recreation area that's owned by the US Forest Service. So I have plenty of options. I just don't like exercising.
 
Its all about calorie intake. need to figure out how many calories you need to maintain your desired weight and then make sure you dont consume more than that number, if you do, get out there and do some exercise.

+1

This is what I have been doing and it works great. It's a little bit of a pain to get used to, but after awhile, you don't even have to really think about it.

It's a little bit like my philosophy about drinking in general; achieve and maintain. :cross:

And my beer intake is factored into my weight maintenance schedule, so I don't feel like I'm missing anything at all.
 
Definitely lower your carb intake and it'll make a big difference

Most of the people who have "beer bellies" actually have "wheat bellies". (Look it up via Google or in books- it's part of the American way of life).

I cut out processed grains (except for those in my beer) and so did Bob and we're both slim, lean and fit. I don't count calories, or even take them into account. I eat "real food", all the time.

I don't eat grains- not wheat, corn, rice, spelt, quinoa, etc- anymore. And I got healthier than ever. Of course, I do keep active as well.
 
Homebrew was may way out of the "guzzle-a-gallon" brand name beers that I found myself pounding by the pitcher and bottle all of the time. I just found I wanted something more - and in turn started drinking so much less..
Funny how that works.

I'm much more interested in the reward that comes with flavor now. This was a step in the right direction to not being a big, fat bastard.
 
Well you can cut back on beer, or you can cut back on other simple sugars. Maybe you put sugar in your coffee? Or eat a lot of bread? Potatoes? Things like that can be cut out as well and you can keep drinking a beer or 2 a day. Life is all about balance, if you enjoy too many excesses you gain weight, but if you drink responsibly diet responsibly and exercise, you're in much better shape.
 
Well,so far I've lost 17lbs cutting out drinkin beer all the time. Being retired & broke a lot means I can't get as much protiens as I need. More protiens & les grains would be great. With a bad back & hips,excersise is pretty much out. So I gotta eat less,but better. Wanna start getting better foods friday on retiree pay day. This weight has got to go.
But going on 57 with lower hormones makes it double tough.
 
I am turning 42 this April and have been at odds with my weight the last couple years after having hit 245 @ 6'2". Over the last year I shed 55 pounds by just riding my bicycle year round (winter sucks) everywhere I go and watching what I eat a bit more. The other day I stepped on the scale for the first time in a while and am sitting right at 200 which I figured wass due to winter and putting less miles on the bike, in the summer I average about 1000 miles a month +/-, in the winter it is probably closer to maybe 300 or so (to and from work, shopping etc.). Drinking isn't a big isssue with me ass I may toss back at most a 6 pack a week or less, mainly in shifter drinks. This doesn't count during shift sampling of wort and fermenting beers.

The option is always there to toss back 3 or 4 a night but I have to budget my time between work, getting things at home done and spending time with my daughter which leaves little time for a higher consumption rate and still keeping my wits about me. I brew becausse it is a paycheck, I brew at home because I just plain love the process and when it is done I give away far more than I drink. Not trying to be all high and mighty by any means because my goal is to open my own brewery or brewpub at some point, I grew up in and around bars and alcohol so the culture is familiar...just don't want to become my dad either.
 
I've always had a slow metabolism, so losing weight, even when I was in my early 20s, has always been hard.

you can increase your metabolism by changing your diet. i also have a normally slow diet. i reduced my sugar intake to damn near zero, some fruits here and there and a beer every once in awhile, at the same time i increased the amount of times i ate thru out the day. normally i didnt eat in the morning, had lunch and a big dinner. now i try to eat about 6 times a day. smaller portions, lean meat and complex carbs and as much veggies as i want.
 
It's all about moderation and whether you want to buy bigger pants. I try to avoid drinking at all during the weekdays and will have a few on the weekend. I also try to get to the gym 2 - 3 times a week, which is difficult with night classes M-Th every week until May. Brewing is a great hobby so I try to give as much away as possible to keep on brewing.
 
The alledged increase in estrogen from the hops in beer does not make it any easier to shed those pounds. At least it is only showing in your gut.


Disclaimer: I do not support or deny that imbibing hops increase Estrogen, but some of the research is convincing.
 
The alledged increase in estrogen from the hops in beer does not make it any easier to shed those pounds. At least it is only showing in your gut.


Disclaimer: I do not support or deny that imbibing hops increase Estrogen, but some of the research is convincing.

That explains some posts I've read lately.
 
The alledged increase in estrogen from the hops in beer does not make it any easier to shed those pounds. At least it is only showing in your gut.


Disclaimer: I do not support or deny that imbibing hops increase Estrogen, but some of the research is convincing.

So we can get drunk and play with our own breasticles....I don't see a downside here:tank:
 
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I burn enough working to cover a good beer. Plus my diet is mostly decent and I take opportunities to exercise a bit at home. I usually only have one beer a night when I'm in a mood to enjoy them. Now a lazy weekend hanging with my girl and friends at the pub. Then it's a good thing I walk several miles a day. Because I like my beers hearty.
 
Good stuff guys. I signed up for a myfitnesspal account and got the app on my iPad. I now have two days logged. Most of my diet has been homemade sandwiches and whole veggies and fruits so it has been easy to track. I also like that you can scan the barcode of a product and add it, like orange juice. Then I can log my workouts. I have been logging on the "high: side for food, and "low" side for exercise. I should be losing about 1.5 pounds a week.

I also decided that I really need to lose about 10 pounds and not 6. You can really see the difference when you're normally 6'2" and 173. 183 when it all goes to your gut looks terrible. I feel like a fat bastard!

I also started doing parts of the insanity workout while watching TV. Nothing to crazy, just the running in place, football moves, high knees, crunches, push-ups. Enough to really get a sweat and heart rate up. I did that last night and about to do it again. It only adds up to about 140 calories after 30 or 40 minutes, but that could be because I am tracking it low.

Any way - I took your advice and started incorporating it into my lifestyle. Thanks again!
 
To combat my belly i just mainline the beer straight from the carboy..quicker buzz less calories..haha..no i do try and limit my beer consumtion to a healthy level..more for my liver then my gut..I had very high enzymes last check up so i have to sacrifice..I want to drink 12 a day but i drink 2 a day..cheers
 
I cut out processed grains (except for those in my beer) and so did Bob and we're both slim, lean and fit. I don't count calories, or even take them into account. I eat "real food", all the time. .

This is interesting to me b/c I lost about 50# by cutting out processed grains and exercising more. Gotta say, I felt amazing eating that way.

Yooper, do you mostly just eat meat, veggies, and nuts? Or am I missing a subtlety to your diet?

Thanks!
 
This is interesting to me b/c I lost about 50# by cutting out processed grains and exercising more. Gotta say, I felt amazing eating that way.

Yooper, do you mostly just eat meat, veggies, and nuts? Or am I missing a subtlety to your diet?

Thanks!

Make meat a secondary to veggies.
Don't eat fruit after a meal, give an hour or so before eating fruits.
Nuts are an excellent snack and contain a lot of protein.
Don't overdo the protein as the human body only needs something like 6 grams a day of protein to remain healthy (Do some research on this)
Shop the outside aisles of the store, everything in the aisles is crap food so keep it limited.
Once a week break your diet, then go right back to it. Having a rigid diet schedule is mentally taxing and you will always fall off the wagon if you try.
Lower intake of processed grains in things like breads and such, it is easy and has far more flavor than white bread or heavily processed wheat breads and is easy to do as well.
Exercise regularly, get your heart rate up for 30 minutes a day minimum.
Drink lots of water, cut sugars such as adding it to coffee (my downfall).

Biggest thing is to track calories and figure your intake needed to make it through a day...not the RDA average but do some math by trial and error then stick to it. As wass mentioned myfitnesspal which is available on Iphone or Droid OS is an easy way to do a lot of this.
 
When I was on the protien diet,I got16oz of protien per day split bewtween 3-4 meals. Balanced by good carbs,not bad ones. Shelled beans are bad,brussel sprouts boarderline diet-wise. I have the bok here somewhere. But more veggies than protien isn't quite right. Carbs are not my friend. I wind up needing more protiens than carbs. Carbs are like empty energy that takes a surprising amount of effort to burn. A lot more than even 2 hours can get rid of. I see stuff like this on today show as well.
 
When I was on the protien diet,I got16oz of protien per day split bewtween 3-4 meals. Balanced by good carbs,not bad ones. Shelled beans are bad,brussel sprouts boarderline diet-wise. I have the bok here somewhere. But more veggies than protien isn't quite right. Carbs are not my friend. I wind up needing more protiens than carbs. Carbs are like empty energy that takes a surprising amount of effort to burn. A lot more than even 2 hours can get rid of. I see stuff like this on today show as well.

Depends a lot on the type of carbs you are taking in, not all carbs are the same and the body converts them very differently while both are still needed by the body in some amounts.
 
That's why I made an example of "good" & "bad" carbs. The protien diet book has lists that go into a lot of detail about good & bad carbs as relates to diet. But in a nutshell,3/4's of your plate shouldn't be carbs. Balance is needed. The whole idea being that protiens are more complex molecules that use a lot of carbs to break down. That's why the diet works. You need to raise your keytone usage While keeping your insulin level exeptable. I'd have to dig the book out to get more accurate.
 
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