Individuals who drink beer find they must watch their weight. Many people equate beer with liquid bread, as the average beer contains 153 calories. Even those who drink light beer find they take in 103 calories with each serving. Regular drinks add up and put pounds on the person, and this weight gain becomes significant for some men and women. By changing the way, they drink, however, people find they can avoid this excess weight gain and still enjoy their favorite beverage. The following tips help greatly when it comes to achieving this goal.
Quit Binge Drinking
Anything in excess damages a person’s health, and this includes alcohol. Research shows that the human body uses alcohol in the system as a fuel source before turning to other sources of energy. This includes non-oxidized fat, which lands in the abdomen and brings about the stereotypical beer belly that’s visible to all. Every person lets go at one time or another and overindulges in alcohol or something else. It’s when this occurs regularly that problems arise, so Alcohol Professor recommends people keep this in mind the next time they notice they are drinking excessively.
Alternate Alcoholic Drinks with Water
People often consume multiple drinks without drinking water in between. This leads to dehydration, which can leave a person believing they are hungry when they aren’t. The person then engages in binge eating, a topic covered later in the article. However, it also leads to dehydration and the risk of a hangover. A person finds they enjoy their alcoholic beverages more if they don’t wake up the next morning feeling horrible. Ensuring the body remains hydrated when drinking reduces the risk of this happening.
Choose Foods Wisely
Men and women need to choose which foods they eat before they drink alcohol. Alcohol serves as a toxin in the human body. When a person consumes an alcoholic beverage, their body turns its focus to processing the alcohol. When doing so, it ignores other food material in the system, which leads to dietary fat being stored as body fat. Any calories above and beyond what the person needs for the day will turn into body fat. Consume lean protein sources before enjoying an alcoholic drink or eat lots of vegetables and low-fat snacks. Good choices include rice cakes, tuna, and low-fat Greek yogurt, among others. Have a meal a few hours before having the first drink, as this helps to slow the body’s response to the alcohol.
Pay Attention to Food Consumption
Snacking while drinking remains an activity many people engage in without even realizing they are doing so. Walk into a bar and there will probably be pretzels, nuts, or other snack foods on the counter. The person eats, paying no attention to how much they are taking in, especially when they are having fun with friends or are distracted in some way. This leads the body to think it is hungry when it truly isn’t. Those pounds that a person puts on because of their drinking habit may not all be attributed to the alcohol being consumed. Some of these calories come from the food the person eats.
Know What You Are Drinking
People worried about their calorie intake often choose light beers, thinking this will reduce the risk of them gaining weight. However, this isn’t always the case. Understanding the terminology used by beer makers becomes of great importance. Light beers, for example, have been brewed so they contain less alcohol, fewer calories, or both. In contrast, low-carb beers have fewer carbohydrates but may contain the same alcohol content as beers without this designation. Why is this important?
Low-carb beers often have the same calories as regular beers, which means the person remains at risk of weight gain with excessive consumption of these products. Light beers often contain less alcohol than conventional beers, but people drink more of these beverages to get the desired buzz. As a result, they consume the same number of calories, if not more. Additionally, all light beers aren’t the same. Drinkers need to pay attention to the calorie count and the number of carbs present in the beer, as they vary by brand.
This suggests a low-carb beer could have a very similar calorie content as a regular beer. As for light beers, they’re lower in alcohol, but some drinkers may have more because it takes a higher quantity to get the same buzz. In the end, drinkers may end up consuming more calories and more alcohol than intended. Again, keep this in mind and know what you are putting into your body.
Additionally, men and women should indulge in non-alcoholic beer occasionally. As these products contain little or no alcohol, they don’t affect the metabolic system the same way alcoholic beverages do. They also contain fewer calories than conventional beers, which means the person can drink more without gaining weight. This remains a good option for those who are watching their weight but still want to enjoy a beer with family or friends.
Change Your Beer Glass
This tip surprises many individuals, but the shape of the beer glass impacts how much a person drink. When a straight-sided glass is used rather than a curved glass, individuals consume less beer. In addition, when the glass shows volume measurements clearly, the person watches how much they drink. They spend more time consuming the drink than they do when the glass doesn’t have these markings. This simple change in a person’s drinking habits could mean less weight gain over the long run.
Men and women want to enjoy a drink or two without worrying about gaining weight, but many people believe this task is impossible. Fortunately, it isn’t. Make use of the above tips and you’ll find you can enjoy yourself without packing on the pounds. If you have already gained weight because of your alcohol consumption, make these changes today. Doing so helps to prevent additional weight gain and may also help you lose some of the weight you have put on. It never hurts to try.
