Losing Weight with Beer

Drinking beer and losing weight may appear to be complete opposites of each other, but actually beer really is not that bad of a beverage in terms of dieting and losing weight.

In comparison with a 12oz can of Coca-Cola (140 calories), your typical beer (Budweiser, Miller, Coors), is about 100 calories for the same size can.

Fruit juice actually has more calories. A typical 12oz serving of cranberry juice cocktail, is about 200 calories.

Light beer (Bud Light, Miller Light, Coors Light), is about 70 calories for a 12oz can.

Budweiser, Miller, and Coors are lagers, which are typically lower in calories than ales. A light colored ale (pale ale, cream ale, hefeweizen) is about 100-125 calories for a 12oz serving, while medium-colored ales (IPA, red ale), is about 150-175 calories, and dark ales (porter, brown ale, stout) is about 200-250 calories.

One advantage that beer has over sodas and juices is the lack of high fructose corn syrup. And since beer contains zero fat, all of its calories comes from carbohydrates in the form of grains. The dark ales are heavier in grains, and are also high in B-complex vitamins.

The good news about drinking several beers in one evening is that all the weight gain will come from water, which you can easily urinate out. The actual carbohydrate consumption will usually amount to about 600 calories, considering you had 3-4 beers.

You can burn that off in a one-hour walk the next day. A one-hour walk, at a medium pace, for about 2-3 miles, will equate to about 600 calories burned.

The disadvantage of drinking beer is the alcohol. Alcohol will cause the body to lower its metabolism, as well as other associated issues like destroying brain cells, or taxing the liver.

But drinking 3-4 beers is still better than drinking 3-4 cans of soda, fruit juice, or other high fructose corn syrup beverage, and still better than filling up your belly with tacos, tortilla chips, or mozzarella sticks.

Just be careful about driving. It's cheaper to buy beer at a store and drink at home!

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