A common activity for many in the corporate world is the ritual of dropping by the pub on the way home. There are some grueling and hectic days that make a stop at the oasis on the trail look pretty inviting. Often times, happy hour is a time to meet up with co-workers for what starts out as maybe “a beer or two” to chat over the events of the day.That first beer can quickly lead to another and another if you aren’t careful. Anyone concerned about their weight knows how quickly calories add up. You want to be able to enjoy yourself, though, and not be limited to sipping one single beer all evening.
Do you remember when you used to laugh at the guys who drank the watered-down “lite” beers? Well if you’re watching your figure, it’s time to throw in with them. Although some people don’t think that drinking responsibly means getting beer that has fewer calories, it is one form of it. Save yourself another notch on your belt and change to a lower calorie beer.
Heineken and Sam Adams are pretty high up the list as far as calories at 166 and 180, but if you’ve ever had a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, you should know why it has such a name. At 330 calories per 12-ounce bottle, the person who drinks many will have more than just a big foot!
Check out the number of calories per 12-ounce bottle in these 5 popular beers:
- Sierra Nevada Bigfoot – 330 calories
- Samuel Adams Boston Lager ?180 calories
- Guinness Extra Stout – 176 calories
- Pete’s Wicked Ale – 174 calories
- Harpoon IPA – 170 calories
And how many of those are on your favorites list? It’s easy to see the havoc beer can wreak on a 1200-1500 calorie a day diet. Just a few bottles of beer can easily account for more than half of your daily allotted calories!
The alternatives:
- Budweiser Select – 55 calories
- Beck’s Premier Light – 64 calories
- Miller Genuine Draft – 64 calories
- Pearl Light – 68 calories
- Blatz Light Beer – 85 calories
There can be substantial calorie differences in what are labeled “lite” beers. For example, Yuengling Light and Kipling Light Lager are in the high 90’s calorie wise at 98 and 99 respectively. Depending on how many beers you drink, the total calories consumed can vary a great deal based on which beer you choose.
Even if you select a mid-range low calorie beer like Pearl Light, it would take almost 5 beers to equal just one Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.
If you really want to cut back to lose beer belly, you might consider alcohol free versions like Free Damm, which has only 35 calories.
The truth is, the bar scene is not the quickest way to lose weight anyway. It comes with other temptations such as eating foods that aren’t on your “safe” list. If you want to go out with your friends and co-workers, try to limit how often you do so and limit yourself to the lower calorie beers.
You’d be surprised how many of your drinking buddies have no idea how many calories are in the beers they order. You might surprise them with your knowledge on the subject on your next visit to the pub. They might re-think their choices, too, once they know the facts.
Every minute of being in the corporate world increases the risk of growing your belly. Corporate workers being themselves don’t always have the luxury of time to exercise. Which is why the 10 Minute Corporate Fat Loss Plan is for you have 10 minutes a day and a lot of beer belly to spare.
Daniel Ho is a Certified Sports Nutritionist (USSA), Certified Personal Trainer (ACE) and fitness enthusiast with over 10 years of training experience. At the time of writing, Daniel is working as a Product Manager for a large Multi-National Corporation. Having worked in the
corporate environment for over seven years with a
typical nine to five (sometimes longer) schedule, he
understands the struggle that most people have in
order to stay fit and healthy...