Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Fat Tire

No, I don't mean New Belgium's sweet, coppery classic. What I'm getting at is nestled above my hips, and is otherwise known as my gut, belly or ponch. Yes, folks I’ll admit it, I've gotten pudgy. That's not to say I haven't done anything about it. Walking, running, biking, sit-ups, push-ups, and climbing stairs—you name it, and over the last three weeks, I've pulled muscles doing it. I'm counting calories and starving myself adjusting my portion sizes, too. I'm trying the tried and true method of diet and exercise, to slim down and it seems to be working—I'm down about six pounds. Granted I've developed Achilles tendonitis and my knees are killing me, but six pounds nonetheless. There is however, a little snag, aside from the general aches and pains. A snag, that usually comes in sixteen ounces.

It's not quite this bad.
As much as I'm enjoying my new exercise routine—and I am actually enjoying it—I can't say I enjoy it as much as a trip down to the pub to quaff a pint or two of Well's Banana Bread or Lakefront IPA. I don't enjoy it as much as popping the cap on a bottle of Longtrail Ale, to sip while grilling chicken or fish for that night's dinner. Nor do I enjoy it as much a leisurely afternoon, knocking off a few bottles of Fullers London Pride while flipping between Arsenal versus Sunderland and the Mets versus Washington. Okay, maybe I enjoy it a bit more than the part about the Mets, but generally speaking, beer is more enjoyable than exercise—for me at least.

As enjoyable as beer drinking is, the clincher, unfortunately comes down to calories. A 7.5% ABV beer ranges between 220 and 250 calories. Let me walk it back this way—two bottles of Tröegs Perpetual IPA offer nearly the same caloric value as a McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese. So, a beer while grilling up that heart-healthy chicken breast and one later in the evening, sipped on while typing up the latest blog post, is essentially like eating hamburger on top of whatever else I've taken in for the day. There in lies the rub I've become a beer blogger who essentially can't drink beer—at least not more than one beer a day. Sure, I know the mantra of "everything in moderation", but that's the tightrope I'm having trouble traversing. I've been searching for a way to write about this, it's a topic that's been on my mind for quite a while. I'm not an exercise junkie by any means, nor do I drink six or seven pints in one sitting. I just want to have a beer or two and still have my pants fit.

So I'll ask all of you out in the beery inter webs—how do you walk the line?

7 comments:

  1. I personally can not offer much guidance.
    I am about 30 pounds above the weight I maintained from age 40 to 50; nominal 180 lbs, back in the day.

    I know becoming a craft beer geek has not helped. I have tried to restrict beer to days starting with S; but, that, typically, does not work.

    And, beer is seductive. After 24 ozs, the resolve melts.

    However, a friend in Silicon Valley has lost 30 lbs since April. He gave up alcohol, mainly wine, for Lent and decided to not go back. However, he legally qualifies for medical marijuana and seems to smoke most evenings; suppressing the pain. My wife could qualify, here in Colorado, but does not choose to. sigh.

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  2. Oh, you are doomed. I have now cut out most breakfasts and added a reasonable amount of sweaty activity but am waaaay overweight even if a bit less than I was. I have no had a beer for three days, had a little wine and don't really recall what I might have had on Friday even. Maybe I stopped drinking beer and I forgot to notice. Maybe that's why the pants are looser... but not much. BTW, you are doomed. But I am fat.

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  3. Started my beer blogging adventures back in September of 2011. Figured I had to do something pertaining to how my body could change. I joined a gym in January (hitting an elliptical machine once or twice a week). Tried to cut out sugars as much as possible. I refuse to touch pop/soda. I was just over 170 pounds at the time I started the blogging. I'm now at 143 pounds. I don't follow this extreme workout regimen, but I just don't want to be completely sedentary. Then again, I'm only 24-years-old.

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    1. 24 years old? Did you lose those 27 pounds over a weekend? Seriously though, good job. I've been walking, running and biking—and I've lost 10 lbs off 170. I'm hoping for another 10 to 15 and I'll be happy.

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  4. I eat small people like you for breakfast. Complain away. You are both tiny.

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    1. I thought you said you've cut out breakfast?

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