4 Ways to Keep the Weight off and still be an Avid Craft Beer Drinker

, 4 Ways to Keep the Weight off and still be an Avid Craft Beer Drinker

Good News! You can still reach your fitness goals while keeping your daily regimen of consuming your favorite brews by changing what and how you eat and finding ways to exercise. Like most readers on this site, I enjoy drinking some sort of craft beer every day, and like most Americans, I don’t exercise as much as I should. I have, though, found ways to keep a healthy physique while doing the minimal amount of work. I am no dietician or fitness expert, but here are some tips that have helped me stay fit while enjoying amazing crafts day in and day out.

 

Limit Carbs

We’ve all heard of the fad diets that limit carbohydrates: Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, No Carb, Slow Carb, Chevelle Carb (that last one is for car enthusiasts). Personally, I don’t believe in cutting out all carbs because whole grains make your heart healthy and fiber makes your colon happy (but not your loved ones). I try to avoid sucrose or sweeteners of any kind, potatoes, and bleached flours. If I need some type of sweetener, I go with agave nectar. I focus on eating more protein than carbs in meals and for snacks, because any unburned calories from carbohydrates are stored as fat. When it comes to all carbs, I like to think of the words that my wife’s grandpa wrote on our wedding photo that is hanging in our hallway – “All things in moderation.” Changing your eating habits might not sound fun, but if you’re obsessed with beer and want that Hasselhoff body, then the reward is far greater than the loss.

 

, 4 Ways to Keep the Weight off and still be an Avid Craft Beer DrinkerEat Smaller Portions

If you’ve ever traveled off the continent of North America and ordered out at a restaurant, then you’re probably well aware that American portion sizes are grossly out of proportion compared to the rest of the world. But that’s the American way, son! Shiiiiiiiit, I need my belt to be bustin’ and I need to have another meal for tomorrow from this Philly Stacked Burger! Calm down Patriot Pete, nobody is taking your food away, but try eating half of that burger instead of gorging yourself with three pounds of Angus beef. Especially if you’re enjoying your meal with a craft beer, Pete; when that beer enters your system, your body makes it a priority to metabolize your Märzen first. The other calories that you consume from your TGI Friday’s App Sampler are placed in your body’s digestion back burner and the excess calories from carbs and fat that your body doesn’t burn are stored in your man boobs.

 

Find More Convenient Ways to Exercise

I’m like most people in that if I was presented with a choice of putting on workout clothes and running on a treadmill for an hour or sitting on my ass and watching a Bob’s Burgers marathon, I would easily choose the latter over the former. That’s why I have found ways to exercise that are more convenient for me. For example, I have a pull-up bar and dip bars in my garage next to my beer fridge, and I’ll do 10 to 20 pull-ups or dips prior to cracking open an IPA. The shower in my ancient house takes an eternity to heat up, so I’ll do pushups or squats in the time it takes for the water to get from the chilly communal summer camp temp to Ritz-Carlton spa levels. I get an excellent upper body workout from a routine that has been dubbed “The Super Jump” in my household, where I pick up my kids by their hands and do curls/military presses with them. Find routines in your life where you can squeeze some type of physical activity in on a daily basis and the calories consumed from your craft habit will be negated.

 

, 4 Ways to Keep the Weight off and still be an Avid Craft Beer DrinkerDrink Yerba Mate When Not Drinking Beer

I gave up coffee about six years ago because I was drinking a pot o’ joe a day, the acid was killing my stomach, and I was on a vicious never-ending tired/high/jitters/crash/drowsy cycle. I switched to drinking a black tea and Yerba Mate (pronounced MAH-tay) mixture in the mornings as an alternative and iced tea brewed with Mate in the afternoon instead of soda, which helped me break my indentured servitude to coffee. In addition to reducing my caffeine intake, the Mate raises my metabolism rate, stimulates my mind, makes me happy, and has a shit-ton of antioxidants. Now none of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA, but the FDA is also denying that fish from the Pacific are radioactive (it’s a conspiracy man!). It is a fact though that Yerba Mate contains theobromine and theophylline, which aids in gastrointestinal emptying (it helps you poop). The faster you can get food out of your gut, the fewer calories your body will absorb. By now, you’re probably checking the URL address in your web browser to make sure you’re not at www.aarp.org or you’re asking yourself why you’re reading about gastro health on a website about craft beer. It’s all so you can drink more beer, my friend.

With any weight loss plan or healthy lifestyle, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Everyone’s body is different and how you store or burn calories may be different from mine or your other drinking buddies. Give these tips a try as a starting point and feel free to adjust your dietary needs or exercise regimen if they’re not working for you.

Here at ACB, we hope that in 2016, your friends can look at you and say, “You look great! Did you stop drinking beer?”

And you can confidently reply, “No, but I do drink American Craft Beer!”

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