prograde here i come…XD
First off, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I’m certainly thankful for you – each and every one of you are incredibly special and important me – YOU are the only reason I’m able to do what I love every day and share my passion with so many wonderful people. Thank you.
Next up – beer :)
So, when it comes to Cheat Days and the Cheat Your Way Thin program, one of the more common questions I receive is the beer question:
“How many beers can I drink, boss?”
Or something akin to that.
Well, within the manual one of the few “rules” I place on Cheat Days is that alcohol consumption be limited.
Why? Because alcohol intake lowers leptin levels, which is the exact opposite of everything we are trying to do hormonally on a Cheat Day.
So, what then, is the solution? Well, if you’re looking to get DRUNK, then I’m afraid there is no solution that will suit your lush-ish ways (yes, I know that’s not a word). However, if you just happen to enjoy the taste of beer and similarly prefer beer as your beverage of choice to wash down your Cheat Day feast, then there is one particular beer that actually may be able to boost your fat loss results:
O’Douls, non-alcoholic.
Fact is, it’s everything that beer is, just without the alcohol, and tastes strikingly similar to most other domestics. In fact, in a recent “study” (performed in my kitchen) 7 out of 7 people were not able to tell the difference between O’Douls and 2 other alcoholic domestic brews.
So, how can it help you burn fat?
Well, if you’re familiar with the science behind Cheat Your Way Thin, then you know that simple carbohydrates are by far the most effective nutrients for boosting leptin levels. O’Doul’s contains plenty of simple carbs, without the leptin-plummeting alcohol content (and it tastes just the same…after all, it is beer).
And it also contains ZERO crap carbs, like high-fructose corn syrup (the most common “beverage” sweetener), which has repeatedly been shown to be one of the most fat-promoting carb sources around.
So, for a Cheat Day choice of beer, I gotta recommend O’Doul’s. Yes, it’s non-alcoholic. Get over it.
But what if you want to have a beer during the week, not a Cheat Day? Is that totally off limits, or is it OK to sneak a light beer every so often?
Answer: Will a light beer on rare occasion totally sabotage your results? (I know, that’s a question, not an answer).
Considering that most light beers are around 100 calories, if you had 2-3 a week, I’m going to say no, that’s probably not going to make a substantial difference (especially if you’re compensating for that intake via other means [an extra exercise session, decreased cals elsewhere, etc]).
But hey, why not go for the lowest calorie and lowest carb content? Here are the Top 3 lowest-calorie, lowest-carb beers:
1. Bud Select 55 (55 cals)
2. Beck’s Premier Light (64 cals)
3. MGD 64 (64 cals)
They’re all less than 3 carbs per 12 oz. and a whopping 2.5% alcohol by volume (that’s how they’re so low calorie). But, I actually like Beck’s and MGD 64 − full flavor beers despite the minimal calorie content.
So, if you want to enjoy the refreshing taste of an ice cold brewsky (or 5 or 6) on your Cheat Day, go with the leptin-boosting properties of O’douls instead of the leptin-crashing properties of other alcoholic brews. O’Douls contains the right types of carbs to postively affect leptin (i.e. simple, fast acting, insulin-spiking carbs), while alcohol unfortunately counteracts the intended hormonal purpose of the Cheat Day.
On other days, a 60-calorie low-carb beer won’t do much damage, but it’s all about moderation (limit to a couple times a week and you’ll be good).
By the way, if you’re not using beer and all your favorite foods to lose fat faster every week–especially over the holidays–then what the heck are you doing? :) Pick up the Cheat Your Way Thin Holiday Edition and get started today with your first big Cheat Day – Thanksgiving!
==> Cheat Your Way Thin Holiday Edition
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Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel
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114 comments - add yours
Cheers for the info Joel, LOVE getting your e-mails as it’s always good to be learning new tips & tricks when it comes to training & nutrition, they’re always helpful so keep em coming! Also did you like how I said “cheers” for the info? Ya know cheers seeing as you’re talking about beer? I’m sooooooo cool lol!
Interesting! What’s your take of light/clear alcoholic drinks? Such as vodka?
If you think MGD is a ‘full flavor’ beer, you haven’t had real beer.
Hey Joel
Any recommndations for a similar healthier alternative for soft drinks?
You’re welcome Misty!
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What a nice surprise! Thanks so much Holly! I am very appreciative to be a part of a great list!
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...