6 Easy Tips to Maintain Your Summer Body Without Giving Up Beer

LET'S FACE IT, STAY AT HOME ORDERS HAVEN'T EXACTLY DONE MUCH TO HELP STAVE OFF DAD-BOD, and it's been a problem since March. Angst, stress, and a generally sedentary lifestyle were all factors. Combine that with a new culturally acceptable form of over-indulgence and self-medication, and you've got a proven recipe for love handles. So here you are standing in front of the mirror staring at the new you after about 12 weeks of Hazy IPAs and Imperial Stouts. This is your new reality, and it came in the form of about 10 lbs of newly distributed belly fat.

"Well, damn. That escalated quickly."

So you do what any self-respecting person does in the age of technology and immediate results... You Google "how to lose 10 lbs in a month". Annnnnnd you are off to the races. Having made it through a crash course in depravation, chock full of quinoa/chicken bowls, and a couple of half-assed Peleton sessions, you are ready to find some sustainability. We both know you aren't going to make it through this summer without your booze, and this fall isn't looking good for moderation either, cuz odds are the kids aren't going back to school until there is a Covid-19 vaccine. Does this scenario sound familiar? The good news is you can totally do this, and we are going to explain how with these 6 simple tips. 

1) Don't start drinking before 5 pm - Yeah I know it's cliché. The whole "It's 5 o' clock somewhere" thing, is a little silly, but let's be honest, evenings are generally when you want to imbibe so chasing a buzz all day when you know you are going to want a tasty beverage around happy hour isn't a good strategy for restricting calories. Hold off a bit or just know that if you start the day with a lunch beer, thats one less you can have later. No biggie.

2) Stay busy during the morning and afternoon hours - This one is related to the #1, but if you've got a bunch of stuff to do, you are less likely to drink. Load your mornings and afternoons full of activities and make sure you do workouts as late as possible as that's one of the number one reasons to avoid an early buzz. 

3) Save calories for the evening - Generally you are going to know what nights you want to turn up. Make sure to eat light for breakfast and lunch so you can have a few without worrying about it. Intermittent Fasting can help with that because you are effectively eliminating an entire meal, substituting liquid calories later on. 

4) Keep your N.E.A.T. activity high - Without getting too nerdy on this, Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (also known as NERT - Non Exercise-Related Thermogenesis) are the calories you burn staying busy-doing laundry, chasing your kids around, yard work, or even walking. In other words move around as much as you can, especially around mealtimes. Careful though, taking the dog for a casual walk doesn't earn you a Carne asada burrito and a sixer. 

5) Stick to lighter styles - This one is tough. You are drinking craft beer for flavor, we get it, but there are many satisfying, lower alcohol beers available. Think about the food you eat. The more flavor, typically the more calories. As a rule-of-thumb, if it tastes heavy, it probably is. Try our Tierra Madre Lager at just 125 kcal. Or drink what you want but realize you can't have as many.

6) Keep healthy, low calorie snacks on-hand - This one should be obvious. When you went to the store last time did you put reduced-fat Wheat Thins and cottage cheese in your cart or potato chips and spinach-artichoke dip? Everyone knows the drunk munchies are as bad if not worse than high munchies. Probably because your inhibitions are lowered. Stock the cabinet with food you can eat guilt free when hunger hits.

That's it! It IS that simple. The good news is that it is easy to do and we all know the reward is worth it. For additional assistance with your weight loss goals or beer habit sustainability try out some personalized training and nutrition plans. You can do them online with great results and they are totally affordable. We recommend MVMNT Wellness. Jump over to Instagram and check them out.

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