Personal Challenge...this might sound crazy!!!

[Primetime]

This is not going to be what you expcet...
You would think that I would be telling you of my goals in homebrewing...
Or that I'm going to be building a new rig...
Or maybe that I want to win a few brewing awards...

Well its nothing like that...

Before I get dogged out for this decision, let me promise you that I enjoy great beer as much as everyone on this board...

Ok here it is...

Refrain from drinking beer for 1 month! what the @#$% you might be thinking.
But there are a couple factors that come into the decision...
One... I need to drop 15 lbs
Two... sometimes to much of a good thing makes you take it for granted
Three... My wife is pregnant, and she dosen't think I can do it.

So I know I'll face some criticism for making this public, but I still wanted to share.

Btw...I still plan on brewing during the month, so there will be plenty ready to try afterwards.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Is whiskey allowed?

 

[g-love]

Good luck dude. (Seriously, not sarcastically) I've tried this before to focus on working out hardcore and it didn't work for me. It just made me realize how much my social life revolves around good food and drink. I've been jokingly told I have a problem, but I'd rather be happy with a problem than unhappy without one. :-D

 

[cklages]

That is a fantastically good idea I think.

My goal in homebrewing is to derive as much enjoyment from brewing and drinking beer as I can. This means that I don't want to have to quit drinking entirely at age 50 because I've wrecked my liver, and have to take up knitting.

The extension of that, is that quite often not drinking a beer gets me closer to that goal than drinking a beer.

Good luck!

 

[Revvy]

Good job and good luck...I have feeling I'll be joining you for the next month or so, I think alcohol is initially frowned upon for folks recovering from Heart surgery.

 

[edb23]

If you don't drink homebrew for one month, all your beer will be aged longer and probably be tastier anyway

 

[Golddiggie]

Start some really big brews before you go on the month long refraining from partaking of fermented greatness.

I do have to ask, is this restraint total, or will you be 'allowed' to taste hydrometer samples? After all, that's not drinking, it's brewing... :rockin:

If you really want to show the wife something, brew something that will need to be in process for 3-4 months (or longer) and hold off drinking [anything] until it's ready...

Revvy, how do they feel about wine? I would hope that you can have some (in moderation) during your recovery... When are you scheduled up for the surgery? I'm pulling for a fast recovery for you... Use the Shwartz and you'll be fine...

 

[BrewDocND]

I'm doing a cleanse starting next week. It's just portion control, a multi-vitamin powder and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, sweeteners, processed foods, wheat, soy, eggs, or dairy for 21 days with 7 days of no meat or fish in the middle.

It's a requirement for school and apparently by day 9 you feel like a million bucks. I feel your pain and then some.

 

[count_dookie]

I have found that drinking beer in itself doesnt effect weight loss that much, more so the time when you drink beer. When I am trying to lose weight, which I currently am, I try and get the majority of my calories from carbs early in the day and later in the day eat mostly protein. So drink with lunch and in moderation, keep your overall calorie intake in check and you should be good.

Oh and if you feel like figuring out caloric intake I have had the best results using this calculator http://www.body-improvements.com/Nutrition.html#anchor_32

 

[Acoma]

I've went dry for a month several times. It's good to take a break once in awhile. The longest I've went is over a year. The first couple weeks are challenging but the trick is to just do other things instead. I.E. workout, projects, remodel, yard work, etc.

 

[ksbrain]

I'm doing a cleanse starting next week. It's just portion control, a multi-vitamin powder and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, sweeteners, processed foods, wheat, soy, eggs, or dairy for 21 days with 7 days of no meat or fish in the middle.

It's a requirement for school and apparently by day 9 you feel like a million bucks. I feel your pain and then some.

What kind of school do you go to?

So it will be nothing but rice and vegetables for you for a month...

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm doing a cleanse starting next week. It's just portion control, a multi-vitamin powder and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, sweeteners, processed foods, wheat, soy, eggs, or dairy for 21 days with 7 days of no meat or fish in the middle.

It's a requirement for school and apparently by day 9 you feel like a million bucks. I feel your pain and then some.

That's just INSANE!!! What school makes this a requirement?? Is it run by a bunch of granola crunchers or something? You might feel good by day 9, but the first week you'll feel like half dead ass that's been run over by a semi for a few hours...

I'd be going to a different school as soon as I read "no alcohol, caffeine, and 7 days with no meat or fish"... I'm a true omnivour, so no meat is a game ender for me...

I only "go dry" now when I've messed up my pipeline schedule and finish what's in bottles before other stuff is ready... I have to be careful to not drink the home brew faster than new batches are ready... Patience, and self control is the name of that game...

 

[curlyfat]

I like to go "dry" for a couple weeks now and then. It helps "re-set" your palate, and suddenly you can taste those hops again, taste that awesome roast in your stout, taste the delightful toastiness in a Fat Tire. It's amazing.

Although, I've recently discovered only having "lite" beer for a week or so does the same thing (I only recommend this if it's not by your own choice!)

I'm doing a cleanse starting next week. It's just portion control, a multi-vitamin powder and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, sweeteners, processed foods, wheat, soy, eggs, or dairy for 21 days with 7 days of no meat or fish in the middle.

It's a requirement for school and apparently by day 9 you feel like a million bucks. I feel your pain and then some.

I have to throw in another WTF on this one! You misspelled "School", it's spelled C-U-L-T.

 

[jds]

I'm doing a cleanse starting next week. It's just portion control, a multi-vitamin powder and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, sweeteners, processed foods, wheat, soy, eggs, or dairy for 21 days with 7 days of no meat or fish in the middle.

It's a requirement for school and apparently by day 9 you feel like a million bucks. I feel your pain and then some.

You can take my sweetners. You can take my meat. You can even take my beer for three weeks. Try to take my coffee away, and I'll eat your lungs with a spoon.

 

[Ezekielsays]

I'm actually starting a month off as of March 1st. I try and do a month long break every year or so. Since the new baby is due in March, that seemed like an appropriate time.

 

[Golddiggie]

You can take my sweetners. You can take my meat. You can even take my beer for three weeks. Try to take my coffee away, and I'll eat your lungs with a spoon.

LMFAO!!! :rockin:

"I'll cut his heart out with a spoon!"

 

[gdbrewer]

yard work

And no beer? Really??

 

[metaltim]

i am in the process of cutting alcohol as well, to help lose weight, although, I took baby steps. I just cut out alcohol sun night - thurs night.

fri/sat night are still allowed.

done it for about 3 weeks now.. no biggie so far. sure does make that first beer on friday taste a whole lot better though!

 

[Golddiggie]

...projects, remodel, yard work...

I believe, legally, you have to have at least one brew per day that you do any of those three... Think they started putting it on residential remodel/construction permits too.

 

[BrewDocND]

That's just INSANE!!! What school makes this a requirement?? Is it run by a bunch of granola crunchers or something? You might feel good by day 9, but the first week you'll feel like half dead ass that's been run over by a semi for a few hours...

I'd be going to a different school as soon as I read "no alcohol, caffeine, and 7 days with no meat or fish"... I'm a true omnivour, so no meat is a game ender for me...

Haha. Yea. sort of. I'm going into Naturopathic Medicine and it's not the school requiring it, it's a specific clinical rotation I chose to do in Environmental Medicine (i.e. I knew it was required). The doctor thinks that if we're ever going to ask a patient to do these crazy diets, we have to experience them ourselves. And yes, I expect to feel like crap for about a week. The meat will be the biggest issue for me also.

But no, we're not granola crunchers (just some of us are). I'm not in the least.

 

[JustDandy]

Build beer into your diet by keeping track of your calorie intake. Lost 25lbs over the past four months while consuming 3 beers a day. I accepted beer as part of my diet long before i started losing weight; it's a delicious snack; in some cases a meal in itself.

calories are calories; just supplement the necessities accordingly.

Also had a buddy do the "Pirate Diet" as he called it. Drank nothing but rum and ate a quart of ice cream a night. Lost 150lbs (from 300+lbs). The human body is pretty versatile. Can also do pretty stupid things too.

 

[BrewDocND]

Also had a buddy do the "Pirate Diet" as he called it. Drank nothing but rum and ate a quart of ice cream a night. Lost 150lbs (from 300+lbs). The human body is pretty versatile. Can also do pretty stupid things too.

That's horrifying. Weight loss is all well and good, but his intestines probably look like ground beef.

 

[Golddiggie]

Also had a buddy do the "Pirate Diet" as he called it. Drank nothing but rum and ate a quart of ice cream a night. Lost 150lbs (from 300+lbs). The human body is pretty versatile. Can also do pretty stupid things too.

Holy Mother of a diet!!

I need to brew more, so that I can drink 'one a day'...

Beer, it's also your veggies for the day...

It's also better if you make sure you don't eat within a few hours of when you're going to bed... I don't have the exact parameters in front of me, but I know your body is happier when you follow that... Personally, I've noticed it's better to not east at least 2-3 hours before you go to sleep. Almost said bed, but there are times that you go to bed but not sleep for hours (with the right company with you that is )...

 

[jmferris]

I am on a similar hiatus from drinking at the moment. Mine is due solely to weight loss. I would love to get back to my college weight of 225 lbs. (My driver's license and doctor tells me I am six foot-five, by the way).

That being said, I know that I just can't walk away completely. Instead, I am taking time to do some brew-related projects, get my blog in order, and even still brew a batch or two (hopefully starting as soon as next weekend). What is nice about this hobby to me is that the journey is just as great as the destination. And actually, some people might think it is funny, but I actually enjoy the brewing process fractionally more than the final product.

On the weight loss size, apart from cutting out beer, I think I only need a few small tweaks to my diet. First, no processed foods of any sort. Second, cut back on dairy (cheese and milk have always been my downfall). Thirdly, actually eat those mythical five servings of raw fruits and veggies a day. Of course, some level of exercise is required. Fitting it into my schedule is the hard part - but have been doing the little things, like skipping the escalators for the stairs, etc.

Only two weeks in and down about five pounds. Hasn't been too hard, either. Just working to keep myself busy and have found that all those raw foods are quite filling, so there is no urge to go off of it.

Best of luck to you, and congrats on the new +1 on the way!

 

[JustDandy]

He never did kick the rum part of the diet. Doesn't even drink beer anymore!

I keep 6 kegs on tap too (can fit 8 in the kegerator). I find keeping the variety up so I'm not stuck on a single beer every single night helps keep my interest in beer constant.
There are a lot of beer style to explore so I only keep a Stout and a Bitter as house beers and rotate through the four remaining taps with something new. I brew weekly to keep up. SWMBO is surprised I've lost weight with all that around!

 

[verbal144]

i did something similar when my wife was pregnant, but not on purpose, it was because my main drinking buddy was knocked up

 

[metaltim]

Also had a buddy do the "Pirate Diet" as he called it. Drank nothing but rum and ate a quart of ice cream a night. Lost 150lbs (from 300+lbs). The human body is pretty versatile. Can also do pretty stupid things too.

I call B.S.
A quart of ice cream (I used blue bell vanilla), is about 1500 calories. Add his rum, and he's probably at 2000 calories.

A 6' man at 300 lbs. 30 yrs old, needs about 3150 calories to maintain weight. (assuming sedentary, otherwise he wouldn't be 300+ lbs.)
Taking in 2000 calories, he'll lose about 2.3 lbs/ a week. (3500 calories = 1 lb.)
Losing 150 lbs would take 65 weeks.

No way in hell someone consumed only ice cream and rum for 1.25 years and survived, and if someone did, they would be in the worst shape/health of their life.

I agree you can lose weight by eating fattening or non healthy foods.. it's all a numbers game, and total calories is the magic number. But your little story is quite a stretch.

 

[Flomaster]

F**king easy...

Congrats.

I did P90X for 7 weeks and I didn't have a drop of alcohol or beer. my son was born and I fell off the wagon. but in those 7 weeks on P90x I went from a 39" waist around my stomach to a 34" waist. I went from 187lbs to 171 lbs.

I lost fat, I built muscle and felt great. I wish I could have gone all 13 weeks on the program I was giving it 110% just to see how drastic my body could change.


YOU CAN DO IT... YOU CAN DO IT ALL NIGHT LONG..


-=Jason=-

 

[JustDandy]

I call B.S.
A quart of ice cream (I used blue bell vanilla), is about 1500 calories. Add his rum, and he's probably at 2000 calories.

A 6' man at 300 lbs. 30 yrs old, needs about 3150 calories to maintain weight. (assuming sedentary, otherwise he wouldn't be 300+ lbs.)
Taking in 2000 calories, he'll lose about 2.3 lbs/ a week. (3500 calories = 1 lb.)
Losing 150 lbs would take 65 weeks.

No way in hell someone consumed only ice cream and rum for 1.25 years and survived, and if someone did, they would be in the worst shape/health of their life.

I agree you can lose weight by eating fattening or non healthy foods.. it's all a numbers game, and total calories is the magic number. But your little story is quite a stretch.

hey, believe what you will. There's some pretty stupid stuff out there; you did get the numbers right though! Took him a year and a half. He survived the weight loss, but I question his health (mental and physical).

 

[Golddiggie]

hey, believe what you will. There's some pretty stupid stuff out there; you did get the numbers right though! Took him a year and a half. He survived the weight loss, but I question his health (mental and physical).

Did he buy a parrot and start wearing an eye patch? How about putting match-lock fuses in his hair?

 

[JustDandy]

Did he buy a parrot and start wearing an eye patch? How about putting match-lock fuses in his hair?

Yes! haha.

We met up in Key West, Florida on vacation a year ago. He may have picked up the parrot and eye patch there and turned pirate--I haven't talked to him since.

 

[metaltim]

hey, believe what you will. There's some pretty stupid stuff out there; you did get the numbers right though! Took him a year and a half. He survived the weight loss, but I question his health (mental and physical).

well actually my numbers are flawed, cause, as you are lowering your weight, you need less and less calories to maintain that weight, so subtracting out 2000 cals gives you a smaller number, and therefore more time to lose the same amount of weight. Example, a person at about 200lbs needs about 2300 calories a day to maintain, so consuming 2000, it would take 12 days to lose 1 lb. (assuming no exercise)..

 

[cclloyd]

I'm doing a cleanse starting next week. It's just portion control, a multi-vitamin powder and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, sweeteners, processed foods, wheat, soy, eggs, or dairy for 21 days with 7 days of no meat or fish in the middle.

It's a requirement for school and apparently by day 9 you feel like a million bucks. I feel your pain and then some.

What kind of twisted school requires that? You in the military or LE training?

 

[Golddiggie]

What kind of twisted school requires that? You in the military or LE training?

He actually posted up why a little while ago... It kind of makes sense, since the professor sounds like one twisted F'er...

 

[MaxSpang]

I think this is a good idea. I might have to do something similar, maybe drinking only home brew and no store-bought beer. I am getting to the point where I should have PLENTY of homemade beer on hand at all times.

Good luck!

 

[ChillWill]

Good luck!

Find something else to occupy yourself with and it'll fly by. You may find yourself craving beer or sugary things initially as your body isn't getting it's 'fix' of sugar/carbs. Keep plenty of fruit around to battle the cravings with.

 

[Waunabeer]

The first couple weeks are challenging but the trick is to just do other things instead. I.E. workout, projects, remodel, yard work, etc.

I do all of those things now, but with a beer in my hand.

 

[Golddiggie]

I think this is a good idea. I might have to do something similar, maybe drinking only home brew and no store-bought beer. I am getting to the point where I should have PLENTY of homemade beer on hand at all times.

Good luck!

I've gotten to the point where I'll not drink a beer that's not home brew... Even if I'm out of ready to drink home brew, I won't go out and buy something...

Now, that being said, I am getting ready to get some other styles of brew to try out... For 'research' purposes...

 

[Mustangfreak]

Good luck dude! I plan on brewing smaller batches not only to be able to expirement more, but to have less beer around waiting. I already have a huge waiting list of commercial beer to drink.

 

[StMarcos]

I'd cut the ice cream and add saltwater. Only sissy pirates have freezers.