Beer - does a body bad

You know, one thing I haven't come across in the blogging world is a lot of realistic talk about alcohol. Maybe it's not something I've researched too much. Certainly on the family and weight loss pages, we're not talking too much about alcohol. Maybe no one else drinks. Maybe we just don't feel comfortable talking about it.

Well, I'm gonna talk about it.

I drink beer.
I had my first beer when I was 12. Where some say it's an "acquired taste", it's a taste that's always been okay with me. My sister, drinking her diet coke and Jim Beam, THAT is an acquired taste. I dunno how she does it! YUCK!
I drink beer.
I've never really considered myself a Problematic drinker. I am a social drinker. And probably a little more than that. I will indulge on evenings when I'm alone at night - the kids are down, my partner is gone to work, I'm doing school or various other things... I'll have a few beers. I'll have 6 beers and play computer games. Is that being a loser? I dunno.

The Problem issue, that's not really where I'm going here. I'm going with CALORIES. The sugar, the barley, the whatever makes beer so high in calories... it's not a good drink of choice, if you choose to imbibe. I assume that also what makes beer so "high in calories" is that you don't exactly have one. It's not like having a real Coke at 150 calories and allowing yourself that moment. It's that you drink 3 beers, or 6 beers, or more. Well, there's your calorie intake for most of the day.

I did some painful math today. All along I said that I'd gained weight, 6 months after my son was born, because I'd quit smoking. And while that might be true, it really is because... at the same time I'd quit smoking, I'd started incorporating beer back into my life. After my son was born, it was 2 months before I'd had a beer, then the holidays, and then a good two months of house/school focus before I even went out with girlfriends. 5 months before I even "went drinking", whatever that means.

That I've steadily gained weight, back to my "normal", somewhere between 185-205, that I've been for the past 17years, I really could say is about Beer. I don't really eat differently. I don't eat more. I don't eat worse. I just have more beer. It was summer. It's the weekend. My son is older, I can have a beer at home. Whatever excuses I've had over the past 8 months, they're all related to beer.

And I have the beer gut to show for it. This is NOT baby weight. This is not just weight-gain. I am not a proportionate individual. I have DD boobs, which are just genetic, and I do have the Germanic body of bigger tummy, thin legs, no butt. That is just the way it is. But my belly... this is beer gut.

So... this really needs to be Step #1 for me. I can exercise, I can work on diet, I can drink slimfast and take Hoodia. I can do all these things (that I've done in the past) to TRY to lost weight. But really, I need to cut out the beer. I assume I should do that for more than just the weight issue. But weight is the one we're going to focus on right now. It's an easy one - and a realistic one. If I can't get into jeans I could a while ago, because of the BELLY, and the kiddo is just getting older (meaning, I can't blame it baby weight any longer)... well, there you have it.

beer... does a body bad.