Erwin8r

A bit of a silly question, but are calories consumed via beer any better or worse than, for example, via grains or meats? Will I truly get/keep a "beer belly" even if I keep my calorie count at or under my daily allotment by consuming beer? Inquiring minds want to know...

Flatbroke

They taste great and are less filling

yooperbiker

Beer calories are all carbs, so the worse calorie wise. They call it beer belly for a reason.

Moderation is the key with beer. Drink a good quality beer (craft brewed IPA is my weakness) but learn to be satisfied with one or two, and only a few times during the week. Make it your reward beverage instead of your everyday drink.

jimmie65

Nope. Not the same at all. Beer calories are far better.

Erwin8r

Darn. I was afraid of this... Ok, so will limit it's soothing intake... lol

spoiledrotten

They're not fattening if you take small swallows.

Like cakes and cookies; they aren't fattening if you take small bites.

Erwin8r

None of these answers are very helpful (tongue firmly in cheek... )! I have found a renewed affinity for beer... and now it is working contrary to my weight loss goals, Im afraid... Alas, I must suffer well... lol

indyfabz

So ride more.

corrado33

If you're thinking about substituting beer for food in some sort of diet to lose weight. You're fighting a losing battle. You'll be tired more and not have the energy to do the things you want to do. Different types of calories are DIFFERENT. Learning what your body needs to achieve your goals is what you need to do. Generally for anybody serious about losing weight or getting in shape, beer is not a significant part of their diet.

LGHT

Do you eat a lot of red meat and more importantly is it typically rare? I stopped eating a lot of red meat a few years ago and if I do eat red meat I may have 1 serving a week and it's usually fairly small. Ever since then I have lost almost all of my beer belly in the process before I even started loosing weight. Ironically in that time I started drinking more beer and drinking beer daily. Since that time I have almost no belly and I'm right at the 200lb mark down from 240 this time last year even though my beer intake has increased.

jsigone

only need to count beers if you drink more than a 6 pack a week


Life is to short not to enjoy a good ale or porter

dr_lha

Last time I checked, a week has 7 days, so I guess that means I have to count them.

Null66

For a technical answer, no they are not the same...

They are NOT carbs. Alcohol is like 7 calories per gram. Worse it takes an entirely different metabolic pathway, evolved a branch off of the formaldehyde metabolism.

Functionally, it favors fat deposition. Worse then that it encourages visceral fat (in and around organs). This type fat which is known to increase risks of everything from Cardio vascular problems to diabetes.

Worse in higher dosages (not all that much, compared to what people really drink) it impairs your hormone production.

Needles

Calories are calories--- less is better. It doesn't matter whether you overeat protein, fats,or carbs--- too much is too much. It's even more complicated--- your body learns. In other words, if you go to any version of the protein heavy diet, you might have some impressive weight loss at first, but, as your liver adapts, your body will begin to store excess protein just like it stores excess carbs--- with more toxic by-products. Like it or not, historically, the best diet for proper weight maintenance is 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 starches (carbs). You can REPLACE up to 10% of the veggies with fruit, and up to 10% (less is recommended) of the carbs and/or protein with healthy fats. Not ADD, REPLACE. A beer has about 350 calories. That only leaves you another 150 calories for the day, assuming a 2000 calorie diet. You can add activity to burn off more, but that's a lot more difficult to do than it sounds. Roughly 20-40 miles per beer.

Spoonrobot 

lollin'

"vegetables" are now a macronutriet?

So this "best diet for proper weight maintenance" is 0% fat? With an option for up to 10% fat?

LOL

Drew Eckhardt 

A tasty 12oz beer has about 200 Calories - there are 210 in a Sculpin IPA, 187 in an Arrogant Bastard, 186 in a Samuel Smith Taddy Porter.

Murphy's Stout is 163 Calories, and Guiness 125 which shows darker beers aren't necessarily more caloric.

American lagers have about 150 - there 145 in a Budweiser.

American "light beers" have about 100 - 110 in a Bud Light, 102 in a Coors Light

1 Watt = 1 joule/second, so 100W for 1 hour (3600 seconds) = 360,000 joules or 360kj. 1 Calorie = 4.2kj although cycling metabolic efficiency is never better than 25% so you can approximate 4 Calories in = 4.2kj out and round to 1 Calorie in = 1 kj out. I measure about 100W averaging 15 MPH on a road bike which is 360 Calories / hour and 24 / mile; 150W at 17 MPH for 540 / hour and 32 / mile; and 200W at 20 MPH for 720 / hour and 36 / mile where by average speed I mean distance covered in one hour out and back.

One tasty beer is about 8.3 miles at 15 MPH, 6.3 miles at 17 MPH, or 5.6 miles at 20 MPH.

100 miles a week is a good start, and 200-250 a very pleasant number.

While beer isn't on the shortest path to six pack abs, I lost my first 50 pounds still having one or two most evenings.

Black wallnut 

It is possible to lose weight while drinking beer or other alcohol beverage however it does make it harder to do. Once you drink alcohol you must metabolize the alcohol before you can burn any calories from fat. If you eat a meal after drinking alcohol that is high in carbs or consume anything with the beer your body stores the extra as fat. In moderation and in balance you can drink and lose weight.

Needles

Spoon, I can give you at least 20 more of these.

Balanced dinners - how to get the proportions right - Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch
https://www.manateeyourchoice.com/ima...en_3042010.pdf (page 2)
National Fruit and Veggies Month - LegSmart Compression Socks

Needles

Drew, if you're not going to drink a pint, what's the point? I tend to drink microbrews. In pints, if not Brit pints.

Microbrew Beer Calories | LIVESTRONG.COM

clawhammer72

Stouts are tasty and low abv.....just sayin'

JustinOldPhart

Beer has what is known as 'empty calories'.

This, I am given to understand, means there is nothing in them.

Since there is nothing in them they don't count and you may drink as much as you want.

Hydration is important.

Any information contrary to the above is a conspiracy and suspect.

Tom

VCSL2015

"Beer" is an objective word unless you call it a pint. If you want to cut back, and have less caloric intake but still want your fix, use a shot glass fill it with your alcohol and drink it six to seven times per week. (less than 400 cal per serving).

Needles

"Skinny" rum, or whiskey 'n' coke: 1 shot spirits of choice + 1 shot cola (House brands can have 100 calories per 8 oz, compared to 140 calories of actual Coca-Cola.) + fill the glass with seltzer. The cola has so much sugar & flavoring that you don't really miss it. Less than 150 calories.

jimmie65

I do take the alternate view. Monks have long known that beer is the perfect food and will fast every lenten season for 40 days on nothing but beer.
if it's good enough for the monks, it's good enough for me.

fietsbob

in the dark ages the water was not healthy , beer brewing required cleanliness and boiling, the water, so it was safer.