Drinking Beer Will NOT Make You Fat

Okay, we lied. Drinking a beer now and then will not make you fat, but swilling a six-pack nightly will qualify you for work as Marlon Brando’s stunt double.

Let’s do the math: On average, a 12-ounce beer contains between 150 and 200 calories. Even if you’re knocking back only two a night, that’s approximately 4,400 calories per month. It takes 3,500 calories to make a pound of fat, so it’s easy to see how those seemingly harmless hops can add girth to your midsection. Still, fingering beer as the lone culprit is a mistake.

Having a beer might not be a problem, but are you going to eat a salad or vegetables with beer? Or are you going to eat pretzels, chips, nuts and other salty things? These are the things that usually go along with beer and add a ton of carbs, sugar, and fat calories – and that all goes straight to storage in your fat cells.

Alongside white bread, sugar and candy, beer belongs in the “empty calorie” category. Meaning you’re consuming calories, but ones that don’t supply any essential vitamins or minerals. Sure, beer contains carbs, which, most of the time, can give your energy levels a boost. But it’s highly unlikely—not to mention highly inadvisable—that you’re going to hit the treadmill after popping a few drinks. It’s also possible that downing a couple of 12-ouncers a night can deprive your body of other necessary nutrients.

Alcohol has a certain way of curbing someone’s appetite. If you’re drinking a couple of beers, that’s probably going to end up replacing nutrient-dense foods and minerals that your muscles need in order to recover, and it could lead to a higher lactic acid buildup and more muscle soreness the next day.

If you do drink an occasional beer don’t forget to knock back a glass of water for each beer you drink, since alcohol can dehydrate you. Having a beer now and then isn’t going to sabotage your health, however, if you are trying to lose weight, ditch the brew for a while.

If you’re content with your body weight and you’re just working out for general health and wellness, having a couple of beers every now and then, isn’t really a problem. Just think about the beer as taking the place of your starch at that meal, especially at night.