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An alternative to beer?!

Hi,

I guess I should firstly say I am by no means an alcoholic But I do like my beer especially after some kick ass training has taken place.

Now, I'm not a good enough triathlete to win anything, I enter races for personal achievement, but that doesn't mean I don't want to achieve the best result I can.

So I train well, and as probably most people I could do with loosing a few pounds. I eat well and hence beer is probably my worst habit.

Unfortunately beer tastes so good! So I was wondering what people drink instead of, you know, when you fancy a beer? I've tried alcohol free, but apparently it is as calorific as normal beer.

Anyway, this isn't a serious issue, I was just wondering

Comments

  • It depends how stuck on beer you are. Spirits should be less calorific, and if you can develop a taste for whisky, hopefully you won't drink as much. When I want to have a drink, but drink less, I have a few whiskies. After the third I only want a soft drink. If you find whisky a bit harsh, you can mix it with Amaretto, for a Godfather.
  • grant1974grant1974 Posts: 262
    Thanks for the reply, but I think abstaining from alcohol completely is probably the goal here, with the result being a few pounds of weight loss without even trying.
  • BmanBman Posts: 442
    So a creme egg mojito might not be the best suggestion then?
  • grant1974grant1974 Posts: 262
    Mojito with a cadbury creme egg whizzed into it? That sounds lush!
  • ColinthColinth Posts: 15
    I've been drinking Becks Blue, it has half the calories of normal becks (52 per bottle v 110 for normal becks). It's not bad for alcohol free beer and suprisingly does seem to satisfy the "I need a beer" craving. It's usually on special offer as well so pretty cheap (3 quid for 6 bottles).

    Fancied one when I was working in the garden at the weekend but there's something wrong about drinking a beer at 10am, even if it was alcohol free. Neighbours would have thought I had a problem
  • willieverfinishwillieverfinish Posts: 1,381
    Forgive me for being thick but just don't buy any.

    There

    Job done.

    Is used to smoke 20 a day. Met a lady through my work (paramedic) who was 42 and had cancer of the face through smoking. She had her entire lower jaw removed and half of her tongue amputated and had a drip tray attached to her neck to catch her constant salivation from her upper palate.

    I treated her, spent ages chatting to her and she spy said " do you smoke ?" I said yes.

    She said " I am dying, I am disfigured and my family can't bear to look at me. Dont be like me. Give me your fags"

    I handed them over, she torn them up and threw them in her bin. She then asked for my lighter and threw that away"

    I left her at home to die, alone. With no one. I haven't smoked since.

    Walking out of that house had a profound effect on me. More than picking up body parts from someone hit by a train. More than a baby in cardiac arrest, more than a body hanged from a tree etc.

    This was directly related to me.

    The point I'm trying to make is this : drinking alcohol is fine. You obviously want to stop or cut down. You don't have to be an excessive drinker to want to do that. Maybe just knock it on the head. I don't wish for you to have to have the experience I did or have with patients. Trust me you will feel better for stopping.

    What oh need is a substitute - swap beer for protein shakes. The act of making them up, measuring them will be replace the beer.

    Just stop. Don't ask us, don't buy any. When you shop, ignore the beer isle in the supermarket. It's not there.
    It's easy tbh.

    Good luck
  • willieverfinishwillieverfinish Posts: 1,381
    Forgive me for being thick but just don't buy any.

    There

    Job done.m

    Is used to smoke 20 a day. Met a lady through my work (paramedic) who was 42 and had cancer of the face through smoking. She had her entire lower jaw removed and half of her tongue amputated and had a drip tray attached to her neck to catch her constant salivation from her upper palate.

    I treated her, spent ages chatting to her and she said " do you smoke ?" I said yes.

    She said " I am dying, I am disfigured and my family can't bear to look at me. Dont be like me. Give me your fags"

    I handed them over, she torn them up and threw them in her bin. She then asked for my lighter and threw that away"

    I left her at home to die, alone. With no one.

    Walking out of that house had a profound effect on me. More than picking up body parts from someone hit by a train. More than a baby in cardiac arrest, more than a body hanged from a tree etc.

    This was directly related to me.

    The point I'm trying to make is this : drinking alcohol is fine. You obviously want to stop or cut down. You don't have to be an excessive drinker to want to do that. Maybe just knock it on the head. I don't wish for you to have to have the experience I did or have with patients. Trust me you will feel better for stopping.

    What oh need is a substitute - swap beer for protein shakes. The act of making them up, measuring them will be replace the beer.

    Just stop. Don't ask us, don't buy any. When you shop, ignore the beer isle in the supermarket. It's not there.
    It's easy tbh.

    Good luck
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    How about alcohol free beer?


    Ok, have you stopped laughing yet?


    This is emphatically NOT an advert for the brand (I've been on this forum years and I don't spam), but I won some Erdinger Alkoholfrei recently and it's very nice. Low in calories, very low in alcohol (less than 0.5%) and apparently has vitamins and is isotonic.
  • rpmabbuttrpmabbutt Posts: 1
    If you like Erdinger try Erdinger Alcoholfrei sold in Sainsburys and Tescos. It's even isotonic! I think it has recently been launched in the UK. If you like Hoegarden then try Bavaria Wit. I have only been able to get this in a Big Tescos. Bavaria 0 is also OK.
  • maomao12maomao12 Posts: 1
    They have good ventilation and are lightweight.
  • booicorebooicore Posts: 2
    Coors Lite works for me. It's the alcohol that hinders training rather than the calories. A hangover will seem like it lasts a day or a morning but it'll stay in your system for up to a week and thus has a real knock on effect on your training > energy levels > immune system > nutrition...
  • Try the Bavaria alcohol free wheat beer, you can often get it in Aldi. It's as good as any other wheat beer I've tried. This all assumes you like wheat beer of course !!
  • MacaroneMacarone Posts: 58
    I can't help think, trying to find a 'healthy' replacement will just remind you of what you're really missing. Each to their own but I just drink water during the week (except tea/coffee). It's hard enough trying to eat the right amount of calories (I love my food) so opting for water makes drinking one less area for exceeding my limits. I also feel better during the day and morning (when I train) as I'm usually fully hydrated (I usually drink a pint of water during the night/early morning). I find the more I train, the less I want to hamper my efforts with alcohol so I don't miss it at all anymore (it takes a while, I used to drink a glass of wine every night). I still have a glass or two on a weekend and I enjoy it all the more but I no longer feel an urge to drink alcohol. So my advice would be, to try and go cold turkey in the week and treat yourself (just a couple mind) to the real stuff on the weekend. You might find over time that you no longer want to drink it as you feel better without it.

    Cheers and good luck with whatever you choose!
  • I would recommend Cobra Zero, which you can pick up pretty easily from any supermarket.

    Make sure you get it ice cold and it really kills your desire for a "real" beer.

    After a couple of Cobra Zeros I then switch to a glass or two of red wine.

    I would recommend the 2012 Malbec from the Co-op which is only 540 calories per bottle and still 13% volume i.e. A large glass (250ml) is only 175 calories which you can sip slowly with a nice meal or if you are just talking.

    My biggest problem us smoking - I still have one or two in the evening.
  • Hey Grant - Get stuck into Erdinger Alkoholfrei, it's the 100% guaranteed fix for your problem. 

     

     

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