Best rationalization that Beer doesn't give you the belly

[Gadjobrinus]

Working out should be done for the heart not for weight. Or at least as we get older. A 15 minute walk or longer 3 to 5 times a week Is enough for Heart health. Losing weight is about how much food you put into your body. I know a lot of skinny fat people who are thin but they're not very in shape. We pass them on the trails all the time. Me my sister and my brother have all elicited massive weight loss through exercise. I have personally done it 3 or 4 times in my life. Liposuction is the same. It always comes back because it's not a lifestyle change. My problem isn't just the beer but the beer is a problem because I Like high calory beers. It's all the ship that I'm eating after I've had a few and aren't making a better decision. My buddy has been on a food plan where he eats these little bars and things 5 times A-day. He has lost a lot weight. Just like slim fast, liposuction, or exercising the 2nd you stop it will come back. Focus on the diet and make a calorical plan And your exercising will be enough to keep you Healthy.

Miss this applescrap, sorry. Thanks very much. My wife is always encouraging me to get into "Younger Next Year" and I really should read it again. Very interesting, and encouraging. Thanks again.

 

[applescrap]

You are welcome and I studied this stuff in college. That program my friend used is called optifast or something like that. I am eating think thin bars. Not moving around a lot you may need even less calories. It's calories in calories out and it's always been that way. Fad diet's are nothing more than a fad. People do report that some of them work. Do the best you can to walk couple times a week And really focus on the eating. It is pretty much clear to me now that alcohol and my genetics don't go together well for weight loss. If I have anything more than 1 or 2 A night then it will sabotage any kind of weight loss. Best of luck.

 

[Soulshine2]

OK. I used to be a svelte, Chicago and LA actor guy, heavy athlete (not long before, 20K meters daily swimming) who never touched beer until getting married. Estonians love beer (and vodka, and zubrovka, and...). I found I liked to be Estonian.

I fell. Hard. For craft beer. My wife got me an IPA kit one Christmas and we're off to the races. Like all of us, I went absolutely nuts and brewed like a crazy person.

Unfortunately, I soon found out the whole beer belly thing isn't just in men's health magazines.

Even more unfortunately, 58 and working out, except for very "take it easy" walking, is out.

So, you're habits? How do you stay in your 34 jeans, while drinking copious amounts of craft beer?

Haha, Buddy ,I can relate.
When my wife and I met , I was 195 and a 32 x 32 jeans .I liked beer but wasnt a homebrewer at that time. We've been together for going on 9 years (married for almost 6 of those) this fall and in the first 3 years her cooking got me to a size 36 waist and 220 lbs. Mind you I'm not fat,I'm active ( I work construction) but the belly is there, I'm 6 ft tall and I'll be 52 this August. If its any consolation, I read where us guys with a belly live longer and are found sexier than a skinny dude. It was on the internet so it must be true...right?

 

[McKnuckle]

If you can't regularly exert yourself physically, your only vector of control is what you consume. My suggestion would be to replace 200 calories of discretionary food with beer, and stop there. You won't be able to pound pints for sure.

There is a lot of misunderstanding and rationalizing out there regarding what's effective and healthy from an exercise perspective. It certainly explains what I see on those rare occasions when I visit a shopping mall.

I'm no fanatic, but I've maintained my weight within 5 lbs since 2010 once I committed to exercising almost daily. A few weekly short walks are definitely not enough when you're over 40 or 50 and living the American dream of dining out, takeaway, and copious beer/wine consumption.

 

[Soulshine2]

In the end we all end up in the same relative place, so enjoy life as it comes .eat the cake, drink the beer.

 

[bleme]

I broke 200 last year and would really like to get back under. I only allow myself 1 beer a day, and really enjoy that one.

Food is what is getting me, especially when we eat out. I was raised to clean my plate, and it is a really hard habit to break! I hate exercise, but enjoy manual labor. I think I just need to find more manual labor. That part-time job mentioned above sounds like a good gig. I gained all of my weight after I was promoted to a desk...

 

[schematix]

So much for moderation today. Just plowed down an 8oz brick of cheese in a quesadilla. Delicious, but a bad choice.

Might have to drink scotch tonight instead of beer to moderate calories.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Pshaw with the sub 200 lbs. I'm 35 and 5'11, and if I had competitive physique athlete body comp (like 8-10% bodyfat) I'd barely break 220. Last I was sub 220 was before I started dedicated lifting. Last I was sub 200 was as a skinny fat teenager. Granted amongst competitive lifters my strength to weight ratio is relatively poor (I don't compete, and if I did my one saving grace is that at my age I'd be in the "Master" class- ie old farts- and not competing against 20-somethings in their prime who can outlift me at lighter bodyweight), but I can still bench 330, squat 430 and deadlift 520, and I'd rather keep the bodyfat than lose those lifts. I'll hit the 1500 club eventually.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Also food is good. Eat the food. Beer is carb heavy, and while it's caloric due to ethanol, ethanol calories aren't readily taken up so it's mostly the carbs that matter. Cut carbs elsewhere to keep the beer.

Unless you obsess over keto or paleo or whatever other low carb diet, beer doesn't have to be the enemy. All about the macros.

Protein is best. Fat is high calorie but satiating and required for absorption of multiple micros (low fat diet is baaaaaaaad). Carbs are the tough one. While I think keto is bad (high fat, almost no carb), a low carb, hi protein low carb more paleo-type diet is gonna be your best bet if you can't exercise. If you want your beer, then you gotta cut the carbs elsewhere. Chicken-and-greens life sucks though.

 

[Brew_Dude41]

Wow, the last time I had 1 as the first digit of my weight was almost 20 years ago. Back then I was a "professional" mover and spent a good 6-12 hrs a day carrying furniture in and out of the truck and house all day.
Ate like a horse, drank like a fish, smoked like a chimney, and maintained a steady weight in the mid 180s. Also drank a gallon or 2 of water a day while working and carried at least 2 extra shirts to change into as they became too wet.

I blame my activity level at work for my current 257 weight and 40 inch waste. Sitting around and "managing" processes and people just doesnt burn a whole lot of calories and leads to bad habits. I don't get nearly enough water through the day, and that will lead to a slower metabolism. Walking around the building as much as I do is not enough to get my heart rate to a point of doing any good.

Hopefully I start getting a jog in every morning (20 min would be nice), drink 1-2 L of water while at work, and just make more salads to for lunch versus my pasta or other options.

Just the water and salads were working for a fer months last year, and I had dropped about 20 lb. Then we renovated the house and stress level exploded--all self restraint went to not murdering our contractor (ML's fiance). Back to the 250-60 range.

 

[McKnuckle]

Stress is actually a rarely acknowledged weight retention factor. Your body senses a threat and conserves energy by storing fat. This can afflict even the most disciplined among us.

I have had a desk job for 30 years. I exercise before work, have a filling breakfast that holds me for a few hours, then a light lunch of salad/fruit with a little chicken perhaps. I snack randomly on things like almonds and dates - just one or two of those.

I go for a couple of walks during the day, outside if possible (it’s a large manicured office campus), inside if weather isn’t cooperating

When I get home, I’ll pour a couple of half pints from my keezer.

Dinner is still an indulgence most nights - it’s my weakness. Need to limit it to seconds instead of thirds. Dessert is tiny, a single chocolate or a handful of berries. I do not have a sweet tooth. Savory foods are what get me.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Stress is actually a rarely acknowledged weight retention factor. Your body senses a threat and conserves energy by storing fat. This can afflict even the most disciplined among us.

This is an important part of the calories in calories out equation often overlooked.

Lots of things change your metbolism, and the amount of energy your body burns just existing- your base metabolic rate- is a large part of what comprises a caloric surplus or defecit.

And there it gets complicated. Stress and sleep are two factors many don't even consider. Plus if you start losing weight, your metabolism goes haywire. You get hungry all the time and you slow down the burn- your body thinks its starving and going to die, and wants to return to its previous weight. It's why so many people lose a lot of weight and almost inevitably (and often quickly) gain it all back. Especially when it's a "diet" and not a permanent lifestyle change.

 

[BruceH]

OK. I used to be a svelte, Chicago and LA actor guy, heavy athlete (not long before, 20K meters daily swimming) who never touched beer until getting married. Estonians love beer (and vodka, and zubrovka, and...). I found I liked to be Estonian.

I fell. Hard. For craft beer. My wife got me an IPA kit one Christmas and we're off to the races. Like all of us, I went absolutely nuts and brewed like a crazy person.

Unfortunately, I soon found out the whole beer belly thing isn't just in men's health magazines.

Even more unfortunately, 58 and working out, except for very "take it easy" walking, is out.

So, you're habits? How do you stay in your 34 jeans, while drinking copious amounts of craft beer?

I have been losing weight. It was kinda by accident. Really.

I decided to stick to 3 meals a day, no seconds, no snacking, no candy, no dessert except for a piece of fruit after dinner.

No dietary restrictions. Large meals so I don't go hungry between them, well balanced between vegetables, complex carbs, meat, and plenty of butter on the things that it tastes good on.

I also gave up beer and alcohol during this period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

Also played 18 holes of golf three times a week, usually carrying the bag.

I went from 242.2 to 212.4 in that 6.5 week period. That's 29.8 pounds.

Since Easter I've kept the eating habits but brought beer back into the picture. The result was I had gone from 212.2 to 215.4. So now I've decided to go sans alcohol during the month of June to see what happens. Weight is already going down again.

I'm of the opinion that there are lots of ways to lose weight. You have to find what works and what you can do long term.

 

[BruceH]

To sum up the above statement^^^^^^.

I had no idea the number of calories I was consuming until I cut out seconds, thirds, 4th meal, candy, ice cream, etc.

Once they were cut out and weight started to fall off so fast I was a little concerned. This concern led me to add up the extra calories I had been consuming. It was staggering.

The reduction of extra calories combined with the simple act of carrying my golf clubs instead of getting a cart added up.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Although my experience is different, the principal idea is the same, paying attention to what you consume.

I try to fast for at least 20-24 hours twice a week and at least 16 hours the other workdays. My goal is not weight loss but energy level etc.

In the beginning I was not accounting for beer as calories and thus breaking the fast every time you have a beer. I also was not considering that binging 5-10 beers 2-3 days a week adds up to a large amount of "empty" calories. So I weighed my options and cut back on solid meals.

This was a reset of my mind really, I was never a "snacker" but hey maybe someone comes over on a weeknight and we pound out 6 beers between us, depending on the beers that is essentially another meal's worth of calories. This has to be taken into account.

It's a compromise. I drink alcohol with regularity but the only other liquids I consume regularly are water, kombucha, and black coffee, and Polar Seltzers (which I think are 0 everything). Compared to my 19 year-old self that drank soda and all kinds of other nonsense and refined sugar crap on top of drinking and eating like crap I'll take drinking some beer and paying attention.

Of course the ultimate "but" on this forum is if I took a week or two (or a month?!) off beer as well I would probably get shredded, but who wants to look like Ahnold if you can't have any fun?

 

[str1p3s]

I use a fitbit and myfitnesspal to track my calories and activity level. I save some calories for beer if I plan on having any. Weekdays usually just one before bed (otherwise I will want more if it's earlier and I stay up) and weekends I try to get some yard work done or go on a bike ride or a long walk to make up for the 3 or 4 beers I'd like to have that day.

I lost about 40 pounds in college (I'm 35 now) and it's been a struggle ever since to keep it off. I'm a little guy (5'6") so that's a good amount and just gaining like 5 lbs back is noticeable. I've gained and lost weight several times over the years and finally settled on this plan. If you restrict yourself and lose a bunch of weight quickly, like I did initially, you don't really have a plan to keep it off and it comes back easily. If you track what you eat and plan around beers or a birthday dinner out or something like that, you have an easier time in my experience.

 

[str1p3s]

Also, mint gum is a great appetite suppressant, for me at least. So if I'm really wanting a snack or a beer I hadn't planned for, I pop in some gum and it usually holds me over until I allow myself an indulgence.

 

[bracconiere]

I use a fitbit and myfitnesspal to track my calories and activity level. I save some calories for beer if I plan on having any. Weekdays usually just one before bed (otherwise I will want more if it's earlier and I stay up) and weekends I try to get some yard work done or go on a bike ride or a long walk to make up for the 3 or 4 beers I'd like to have that day.

I lost about 40 pounds in college (I'm 35 now) and it's been a struggle ever since to keep it off. I'm a little guy (5'6") so that's a good amount and just gaining like 5 lbs back is noticeable. I've gained and lost weight several times over the years and finally settled on this plan. If you restrict yourself and lose a bunch of weight quickly, like I did initially, you don't really have a plan to keep it off and it comes back easily. If you track what you eat and plan around beers or a birthday dinner out or something like that, you have an easier time in my experience.

if you use myfitnesspal, might want to check out cron-o-meter....i followed a friend on MFP, but didn't like the fact it wouldn't show me an 'avg' calories, and had limited nutrient data...because (4000+2200+3000+1900+2400+2700+2000)/7=~2200 and just sitting on ass all day drinking, i burn ~2800

the whole reason we get fat, is so we don't have to worry about getting the exact same amount of calories everyday....which why being able to see an avg is good...takes the stress out of it...just like balancing your checkbook and saving money, but the opposite...lol

 

[El Nino]

I can't fit into size 34 jeans without a belt

I've always loved beer and really got into brewing since I started. It's just that my first love is surfing, so I spend hours on end paddling into waves in Hawaii. Also spend 5+ hours a week in the gym, always took fitness seriously. But it's a hobby for me, some people hate working out, but I've got a borderline addiction to it. Also been vegan the last 2 years so, I was already pretty lean, but that diet switch made me lose another 4% of bodyfat haha. I just hit 40 and I can easily say I'm in better shape than I was at 25, mainly because of changing how I ate. Honestly for shedding bodyfat, what you eat is more important than how much you work out. You can't out-exercise a bad diet (unless you're 19).

I could probably get in even better shape if I quit drinking... But you do gotta live sometimes. I do like kicking back a few on Fridays after the work week is over.

 

[bracconiere]

I can't fit into size 34 jeans without a belt

lol, i have a similar problem..depending on what brand anyway.....when i whip out the tape, it says 36"'s though....