If the phrases "beer belly" or "beer gut" come to mind when you look in a mirror, it's time to take a hard look at your drinking habits. If you stop drinking beer, you will lose weight. However, the amount of beer you used to drink and the type of beer you consumed can go a long way toward predicting how fast the weight will come off.
Effects
The effect that beer has on your body involves more than simple caloric intake. According to the University of Rochester Health Promotion Office, some of the beer's calories are converted directly into fat, while your liver converts the rest of the alcohol into acetate, which your body uses as a source of fuel. This alternative fuel source actually keeps your body from burning fat, which is why it's so easy to gain weight when you overindulge in alcohol.
Identification
The number of calories you're ingesting depends on the beer itself. Greg Kitsock of the Washington Post writes that craft brews contain high calorie counts because of the increased alcohol content; these beers offer 200 to 600 calories per beer. In an interview with the authors of "Drink This, Not That," Kitsock learned that American lagers like Budweiser or Miller usually contain 135 to 155 calories per 12 oz. can. India Pale Ales have more calories, ranging from 180 to 240. Wheat beers land somewhere in the middle, with 150 to 170 calories per beer.
Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, it takes 3,500 calories to make one pound. If you're drinking one can of American lager per day, you're ingesting approximately 145 extra calories per day and 1,015 per week. If you stopped drinking that daily brew, you would lose a pound in just under 3.5 weeks. However, if you drink a higher calorie beer like an IPA (with 210 calories per 12 oz. serving), you're getting 210 calories per day and 1,470 calories per week. If you nixed the ale, you'd lose a pound every 2.4 weeks, without any exercise at all.
Prevention/Solution
To solve the beer-calorie conundrum, cut the number of beers you drink, drink lower-calorie beers or cut the overall number of calories in your diet to accommodate the occasional beer. You might also look for alternative versions of your favorite brew. For example, the authors of "Drink This, Not That" tell the Washington Post that while Guinness Extra Stout contains 176 calories, Guinness Draught contains 125 calories. Two extremely low-cal choices include Budweiser Select 55 and Miller Genuine Draft 64; both have less than 100 calories per bottle.
Expert Insight
To boost your rate of weight loss, combine a reduced-calorie diet with a weekly exercise regimen. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a mix of muscle-strengthening activities (such as weight lifting) with moderate or vigorous cardiovascular activity. Every week, they suggest you pair two days of muscle-strengthening workouts with 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Walking your dog or gardening would count as moderate activities, while faster-paced activities like jogging, swimming or cycling would count as "vigorous."
Member Comments