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As Brits, drinking is basically in our blood. Going for a “quiet one” after work with our colleagues is how we socialise and watching a football match down at the pub is a quintessential British pastime. But what is it doing to our waistlines? There is a reason the term “beer belly” was coined as there’s almost 200 calories in each pint of beer.
This means if a woman has three “quiet ones” (which is defined as “moderate drinking”) she’s actually slurping through a third of her daily recommended calorie intake.A whopping 23% of adult men admit to binge drinking five times per month with eight drinks per binge – clocking up 1,600 calories per session.The calories from alcohol can sneak up on us and cause bloated stomachs and weight gain, so here are five easy ways to avoid gaining weight while drinking beer.
1. Slow and steady wins the race
Taking your time to down your drink is integral to keeping your calories in check.Not only will you buy less drinks, it takes at least an hour for the liver to process a standard drink so it’s imperative to make your beer last that amount of time.Drinking a beer in under an hour will cause the body to slow down it’s fat-burning ability and ultimately store more fat in the body.
2. Eat protein
Eating protein before or while you’re drinking can help reduce the amount of beers you sink in one sitting.Protein will control blood alcohol levels and will decrease the absorption rate of alcohol and can stimulate the liver, reducing the alcohol that enters the bloodstream to less than 40%.
3. Hydrate
The best way to go about drinking is have a glass of water for every pint of beer you have.
Not only will this help you keep the weight off but you’ll stay hydrated and stave off a hangover.
4. Know the difference between the types of beer you’re drinking
For people looking to watch their calorie intake, there’s light beer, low-alcohol beer and low-carb beer but what are the differences between the three?Light beer is lower in alcohol and lower in calories – often around 110 calories a pop – while low-carb beer has removed carbohydrates but will often have the same amount of alcohol – but could still have a similar calorie content to regular beer.
5. The shape of your glass makes a difference
A study from 2015 revealed using a straight-sided glass led to less consumption of alcohol than drinking from a curved glass.
Source: dailystar
