Achieving weight loss requires you to take in fewer calories than you consume, creating a consistent calorie deficit. If you consistently participate in unhealthy behaviors, like beer drinking and smoking, you may have difficulty achieving weight loss, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Making small and consistent changes to your exercise and dietary habits can pay off and may even help you curb your unhealthy habits.
Decrease Your Beer Consumption
Calories in alcohol are empty calories. Nutritionally, they don't contribute to your nutrient requirement. When you want to lose weight, you need to limit empty calories as much as possible in order to create a calorie deficit. Start by cutting out one drink every night, or go from drinking every night to every other night. Gradually work to the point where you limit yourself to no more than two drinks a night.
You don't have to cut out beer completely, but weight loss will come easier if you're willing to set parameters and stick to them. Remember, alcohol lowers your inhibitions, so if you have a couple beers, it can be easy to tell yourself, "Ah, I can have another," and break your commitment.
Increase Activity
The American Academy of Sports Medicine suggests adults get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. If you currently smoke and drink, exercise may feel uncomfortable and difficult. Smoking in particular reduces your lung capacity and makes breathing during exercise hard.
Don't let that stop you, though. In addition to burning calories, increasing strength and lowering disease risk, smokers who begin exercising are more likely to cut down on or quit smoking, according to the American Heart Association. Regular moderate-intensity physical activity is a known factor contributing to weight management, so commit yourself to working out at least five days a week.
Change Your Beer
If you aren't already drinking light beer, make the switch now. The difference between regular and light beer in terms of calories ranges anywhere from a 40-calorie difference to a 150-calorie difference. Most regular beers will cost you roughly 150 calories, with most light beers hovering right around 100 calories. If you regularly drink two regular beers, and you choose to switch to light, you will be cutting 100 calories off of your normal consumption.
Keep in mind, that doesn't mean you've created a 150-calorie deficit yet. Depending on where your normal calorie consumption and expenditure land, you may have simply cut down on the excess consumption without causing a deficit.
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