The beer belly is quite common and can form in both men and women, especially at the age when the metabolism begins to slow down. This causes fat from a surplus of calories to build up, especially around the torso and often also from a few too many beers. Although beer is not the only one responsible for your belly, if you think your passion for hops, malt and delicious leavened beers may be the cause of your waistline expansion, you can plan how to reduce it by changing your habits. This article provides you with more information on the calories of the beers you drink and teaches you to change your eating habits, integrate exercise and start losing pounds safely. Keep reading.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Change Habits to Alcohol
Step 1. Avoid alcoholic parties
The best way not to gain weight from alcohol is precisely to avoid drinking too much. Aside from the long- and short-term effects of alcohol consumption from beer, unnecessary calories (between 150 and 200 calories for a 330ml can) begin to accumulate. If you regularly drink several medium beers in a night, consider that this equates to an extra Big Mac burger or two, on top of everything else you've already eaten during the day and which inevitably leads to weight gain.
When you drink too much, the liver is put under too much effort to process and filter the alcohol you have consumed and which acts as a toxin. Because of this, the liver becomes less efficient and has a harder time turning fat into energy, which means more inches to your waistline. Add to this an age-related drop in metabolism, you understand how easy it is to get a beer belly
Step 2. Determine how much is too much for you
The answer is different for every single person. It is important to find the right calorie intake and start counting calories if you want to lose weight. Include any beers you drink in this count to know when you are overdoing it.
- For most people, 1700-2000 calories per day is a normal amount. To lose weight, this can drop to around 1500 calories for most people if you are on a healthy moderate diet, or you can get around 1700 if you get enough physical activity. A couple of beers that keep daily calories within that range shouldn't be a problem.
- Discuss with your doctor or dietician to approach a diet to lose weight professionally, so as to understand how much to reduce your calorie intake in order to lose the amount of weight you want. Simply consuming fewer calories is not suitable for everyone.
Step 3. Learn the approximate calorie estimates for different alcoholic beverages
If you want to lose your beer belly, it's important that you start thinking of those beers as calorie bombs (as they actually are). Alcohol, in addition to its wonderful social aggregator qualities, is a great source of empty calories, especially when you drink too much. Learn to count the calories of those beers and whiskeys and you'll stay fit.
- Each can of beer can contain between 100 and 300 calories, depending on the type and brand. Dark beers and those with a higher alcohol content are substantially more caloric than lighter ones. Most modern pale beers may be low in calories, such as 50 or 60, but this results in a reduced alcohol content, meaning some people may drink more in the long run, thus losing the benefit of low calories.
- Wines usually have about the same amount of calories as a beer, between 160 and 200 per glass.
- Spirits generally have around 100 calories per 45ml. Liqueurs such as scotch aged in barrels have a higher calorie content (closer to 200 for the same amount) due to the increase in fats and esters due to the more complex aging process. This has nothing to do with the color of the liqueur, but rather with the distillation. Cold-filtered liqueurs have fewer calories and less flavor. Alcoholic drinks vary a lot, but soda or energy drinks are usually the higher calorie ones you can find in bars.
Step 4. Switch to low calorie beers and drink a few
If you really like beer, you don't have to stop drinking it completely to start losing your belly. Losing weight with exercise, with changing drinking and eating habits is the way to go, you don't have to radically eliminate your favorite drink. Cans of light beer usually have between 80 and 100 calories and can safely be featured in most weight loss programs.
- Keep track of the calories you eat, not the number of cans. If you are a regular beer drinker, you may think that drinking the light ones that are low in alcohol will allow you to consume more, effectively nullifying the benefits. Don't overdo it just because it's a "light" beer.
- Alternatively, you can continue drinking your favorite high alcohol or high calorie beer but make it a drink for special occasions, limiting yourself to one. It should not be a rule to drink only poor quality to lose weight. It may be more satisfying to take a stout or a double malt once in a while if you wish, as long as you stay aware of the calorie count and take it into account.
Step 5. Stay hydrated by drinking water when you consume beer
A good way to drink fewer calories, facilitate healthy digestion and correct metabolism, is to stay hydrated, drink at least one glass of water for each beer; this gives you the advantage of making you feel full and induce you to drink fewer beers. This can be a good strategy, both to drink less and to reduce the impact of beer on the body.
Step 6. Eat fewer calories throughout the day.
If you want to lose a few pounds, you need to change your eating habits and focus on calorie counting, so as to make exercise more effective and burn the fat that is forming on the belly. One of the easiest ways to do this is of course to cut out all the extra beers and the empty calories associated with them.
- Men should consume no less than 1500 calories per day, and women no less than 1200 calories, to lose weight in a healthy way. Do not reduce your calorie intake too much and keep the amount of calories consumed by alcohol very low.
- Establish a "calorie ceiling" on the alcohol you consume each week. For that week, stop drinking when you've hit your beer calorie ceiling. If you want to keep a daily total of calories between 1500 and 1700, those from beer shouldn't be more than 100 or 200. You may want to give yourself a limit of 1000 calories per week from alcohol, or no more than 5 lager beers, to losing weight consistently.
Method 2 of 3: Changing Your Eating Habits
Step 1. Eat something healthy before drinking
If you want to spend an evening with friends and plan to have beers with friends, make sure you eat something first and that it's something consistent and healthy. Lean meats, whole grains, and nutritious vegetables are an essential part of any good weight loss program, as well as being effective in helping to metabolize the beer you consume. If you are full, you may also be less likely to drink more and eat unhealthy food at the bar.
- Never drink on an empty stomach. The toxic impact of alcohol increases if you don't ingest anything else. Also, hangovers are worse if you haven't eaten any food. So always make sure you eat something before drinking alcohol.
- Eating healthy foods before having a couple of drinks will also help you avoid the temptation to eat snacks and junk food late at night. Unhealthy "midnight snacks" are one of the main causes of a beer belly, so if you want to avoid it, you also need to forgo the fourth night meal.
Step 2. Always have breakfast
Many dieters make the mistake of skipping breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but actually eating within an hour of waking up helps jump-start your metabolism, helping to keep blood sugar levels steady. throughout the rest of the day, making exercise more effective and making you feel more energetic.
Try to always eat at the same time every day, start the day with a high-fiber breakfast, with whole grains, fresh fruit and healthy proteins like eggs or peanut butter. Avoid grains and processed sugars, and don't start the day with refined carbohydrates
Step 3. Commit to a change in diet
Try to consume fewer high-calorie, fatty foods, such as those you find in bars and those you frantically crave after drinking a few beers. Appetizers, pizzas, and burgers are all fat calorie bombs. Replace these foods with lean meats, fish, and fresh vegetables as much as you can. Avoid fried foods, cheesy dishes, and red meat as much as possible.
When drinking there is often the desire to have some snacks. Instead of eating the nibbles you can easily find in the bar, however, bring some unsalted nuts or fresh fruit with you, or always have some carrot sticks ready at home, to avoid the salty chips and cheesy snacks that might tempt you
Step 4. Replace animal protein with other protein sources
Legumes, beans, lentils and nuts help you feel full, provide you with the protein you need to keep you healthy and active, and help you lose weight faster than following a diet consisting primarily of meat, eggs and dairy products. they also purify the kidneys and liver and increase metabolism.
Step 5. Eat cruciferous vegetables to detoxify the liver and facilitate healthy kidney function
Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and other sturdy green vegetables are great foods to add to your "beer belly reduction" diet. In addition to providing an excellent supply of fiber and micronutrients, these foods help purify the organs that bear the weight of the alcohol you consume.
Your kidneys and liver have to work a lot to process alcohol, and taking care of it will help keep your metabolism running and lose weight much faster. Eating these foods regularly and cutting back on alcohol will make your waist lose a few inches much faster
Step 6. Avoid saturated fats and processed foods
Refined sugars, carbohydrates, and fatty snacks are the first enemy of your line. High-calorie fatty foods are very unlikely to cause you to lose your beer belly, even if you're getting fewer calories from beers. The foods to eliminate from your diet are:
- French fries and cracker-like snacks.
- Candies.
- Bacon, sausages and burgers.
- Muffins and sweets.
- Egg yolks.
- Fried foods.
Method 3 of 3: Physical Activity
Step 1. Aim to exercise 30-45 minutes five times a week
In addition to reducing calorie intake, another essential aspect of losing a beer belly is increasing physical exercise. Simply put, you need to burn more calories than you take in if you want to lose weight. The best way to do this is to start with a moderate workout and increase it as you get stronger.
Divide the routine over the week. Start with 15 or 20 minutes of stretching that you can do every day, then you can do planks and squats to strengthen your abs, you can alternate between strength training and cardio every day to vary the exercises a bit
Step 2. Start at your own pace
You don't have to go straight to an expensive gym membership to start shedding inches at your waist. With the right commitment and motivation, you can find the activity you like and that will lead you to train in the right way, before moving on to a more complete fitness program. Consider starting training from:
- Walks. Consider getting a pedometer to keep track of your steps throughout the day and try to get as close to 10,000 as possible, which is actually easier than you think. Instead of driving to the shop which is 2 to 3 km away, go there on foot, or take a couple of walks every day to break the routine and get out of the house. Walk briskly, a little faster than you would normally walk. Try and try to sweat.
- Do stretching and calisthenics. Losing weight does not have to require the use of complex equipment in the gym. You can stay quietly in your neighborhood and do simple exercises that keep you moving, such as skipping rope, pull-ups, sit-ups, and push-ups, using your body as resistance.
- Play basketball or play a sport you enjoy. It's easier to get moving if you're with friends. Arrange with some of your "drinking buddies" to shed a few pounds together, doing a few hoops at the park, or kicking the ball a couple of times a week for an hour. If you have fun, you will be more motivated to be consistent.
Step 3. Strengthen the muscles of the abdomen with exercise
If you want to lose your belly, focus on your abdominal and core muscles in your workout routine. Strengthening these muscles and losing weight at the same time is the best way to get rid of the beer belly.
- Work your abs at home with sit-ups and planks. Start slowly, aiming for three or four sets of 30-50 sit-ups and five 30-second planks over the span of half an hour. As you build up your speed and add some cardio exercises. This way you strengthen your abs and lose weight at the same time.
- Consider doing yoga, Pilates, or another exercise program to strengthen your abs in a gym or private practice. These can be great ways to strengthen muscles and lose weight under the guidance of professionals.
- Some people mistakenly believe that drinking a lot of beer and eating a lot of calories isn't a major problem as long as you are exercising your abdominals, but that's not true. Building the chest muscles strengthens the abdominals but does not immediately eliminate belly fat which, in fact, may appear even bigger during the muscle strengthening phase. Eating fewer calories and losing a few pounds is the only way to get rid of them.
Step 4. Find a cardiovascular exercise that you enjoy
In addition to strength training, cardio exercise helps you lose weight and is essential for overall health. It is usually quite unpopular, especially for those who prefer to relax at the bar above the gym; but if you find some activity you enjoy to do cardio exercises, you will be able to keep yourself constant.
- Try cycling. Bike lanes and bike shops are becoming more and more popular around the world, making cycling culture popular, healthy and trendy. Get a good road bike and arrange with friends for an after dinner ride. In this way you activate the blood circulation and you will end up with a slimmer waistline.
- Go hiking in the woods. Taking long contemplative walks is a great way to exercise differently. Walking in the woods strengthening the legs and getting closer to nature is the best way for many people to train.
- Swim. Getting in the water and swimming is a great way to exercise. This is a "calorie-burning" workout that people often don't even perceive as too strenuous. You don't have to commit to doing many laps, even the simple float and movement burn 200 calories per hour.
Step 5. Take some time to relax
Alcohol is not the only one responsible for your silhouette. Cortisol, a hormone produced by the body in response to stress, causes weight gain especially around the belly. If you feel stressed, carve out some space to regain serenity and regain your waistline.
- Make sure you rest every night, continuously, for at least 7-8 hours. Rest is a key element in fighting stress.
- Many people drink beer to relax after a busy day. Try doing the same but with a herbal tea or sitting down to meditate instead of drinking. You will be surprised how effective these alternatives can be.
Step 6. If it works, add beer to your training program
Beer and training can coexist as long as you keep your calories in check and treat yourself to a good beer as a reward for your efforts. It will taste much better and won't contribute to your drinking belly. Go by bike to the brewery which is 5 km from home and then go back. Treat yourself to a beer after swimming a kilometer and a half or after a basketball game with your friends. Always be careful of calories and you will stay in shape.
Step 7. Prepare for the long haul
It will take several months of diet, work, and constant training to get rid of a big beer belly. You should aim to lose half a pound per week (not more), which means it will take some time for you to notice the results. It is a work of constancy, not of speed. Start reducing calories, training and limiting alcohol and you will begin to lose weight.
