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How can I Lose a Beer Belly?

Garry Crystal
Garry Crystal

If you are a regular drinker, you may notice that your stomach has started to get slightly bigger. It may have even come to the point where it is now hanging over your waistband. A beer belly is a problem suffered particularly by men, but it can affect women as well. The best way to lose the belly is to cut down on the alcohol and begin some form of regular exercise.

The calorie content in alcohol, especially in beer, is very high. These calories tend to get converted by the body into a beer belly. Other parts of the body may also show excess fat due to the amount of alcohol consumed. The torso, chest and abdomen are the most common areas to carry this extra weight.

Three men with beer bellies at the beach.
Three men with beer bellies at the beach.

If the thought of giving up alcohol completely is too much, try changing to light beers. Light beers have around two-thirds of the calories of normal beer. Fewer calories in the beer mean less fat on the belly. Try drinking only on weekends and alternating beer with a diet drink or juice. This will not only help decrease your belly size, but will keep you clear headed as well.

Beer.
Beer.

If your beer belly is becoming a real problem, try cutting out alcohol for at least a month. In some people, alcohol consumption can lead to an increased appetite. If you cut down or eliminate drinking, you may find that you are not eating as much food, particularly fast food. You may find it surprising how quickly the weight drops off if you cut out alcohol completely.

A woman with a toned belly.
A woman with a toned belly.

Exercise is another way to combat a beer belly. You may have fantastic stomach muscles, but no one is going to see them under belly fat. Many people believe that sit-ups are great for losing fat. Sit-ups are great for strengthening the stomach muscles and lower back, but they won’t eliminate the fat hiding the muscles.

The best weight loss exercises are cardiovascular and aerobic programs. These types of exercise are great at getting the heart pumping faster and also help you break into a sweat. Good fat burning exercises include running, swimming, cycling and tennis or squash. If you stick to 30 minutes a day, three times a week, you should notice results in around ten weeks.

Activities such as tennis may help reduce a beer belly.
Activities such as tennis may help reduce a beer belly.

Cutting down on the alcohol, eating healthily and exercising may sound tedious to many people, but the results and healthy feeling will be worth it. You will start to look good in clothes again and will have a greater supply of energy. That extra belly fat could be gone in around ten weeks if you put your mind to it.

Discussion Comments

anon924919

I have a mini barrel and my love handles are pretty big. It's only been four days since quitting the beer and I have been jogging daily and eating a strict diet of chicken salad/ tuna salad for evening meal, three boiled eggs for breakfast, plus four bananas throughout the day and already I feel lighter on the brain. I just can't wait for the barrel to start breaking. Good luck, fellow beer bellies in your hard work and dedication to losing your man fat.

anon351630

I drink 10 pints once a week, and even though I get a little exercise, I have a large stomach and man boobs, but not as bad as they were since I do weights sometimes and that has firmed up my chest a bit. But I decided to get fit and started by stripping down and recording myself on web cam just as a starting point as to what I look like. My God, I look rough. I look so out of shape I am ashamed of myself. I look like a pregnant women.

I am giving up alcohol for good, or until next summer which is 7 months away. And I am going to walk daily and do weights three times a week. I don't even eat that much so I don't understand why I look like Mr. Blobby. It must be the alcohol and too much time sitting on my butt.

I look at these fit people on the internet and it makes you realize just how tough and dedicated people can be to sort themselves out. Makes me feel less of a man being so unfit. It's time to stop smoking and drinking and put in the hard work to look and feel better.

loydmacey

Exercise and outdoor activities is great way to losing a beer belly, but only working out your stomach with sit-ups and other exercises isn’t enough. Proper diet is also required.

anon305167

Just don't drink so much. It's simple. If you are drinking too much, then you have a bigger problem to worry about than calories (i.e. alcoholism). Set rules. For instance, I only only drink with my girlfriend, and she does not drink very often. Or try shunning the going out with the boys for a night and having one beer instead of 50.

anon243058

Giving up beer is harder than stopping smoking. Therefore, limit the times you drink. I've successfully got down to only going out on a Friday,(stops the wife nagging)and this works a treat.

Chuck in walking, cycling and swimming and you have the basis for success without killing yourself.

At least you have sunshine in the States. Here in the UK beer helps us forget. Good luck.

anon232085

I drink at least five glasses of wine a day. I'm going to cut back to just drinking on the weekend to see if I can lose the belly fat.

anon223744

I'm on week three of no alcohol and going to go to xmas alcohol free. I do weights three times a week (split), punchbag for 20 minutes twice a week and the weight is moving slowly. Keeping my diet in check, and having one cheat meal a week as my treat for hitting my targets. Can't believe how much energy I have and how clear headed I am.

anon179100

I was drinking 1.5 liters of wine every day. I am on my seventh day of not drinking for the first time in over 20 years. I hope to lose the belly fast and for my memory to start functioning properly again as it's a bit sluggish at the moment.

Exercise won't be to easy as summer is arriving and the temps will be in the high 30s.

anon172874

I am a 25 year old male and usually drink between six to 15 beers per day or every other day. My beer belly was getting quite large and i was gaining weight rapidly, i decided to cut back on the alcohol and eat less. I've lost almost 10 pounds in three days! But there was one catch: i use adipex to help suppress my hunger which really helped. i will post back and let you know further results.

anon167989

I am 27 years old. I am a pretty heavy drinker. I rarely miss a day without alcohol. I decided to give up drinking and smoking. I started a seven day total body cleanse from GNC, along with jogging two or three miles every day. Today is day nine, my second day off of the total body detox. I have lost a total of 8 pounds. I have a lot more energy. Actually too much, so much that I find myself staying up all night. I have decided to commit to working out every day for one month.

anon163646

Just like losing any other type of fat on the body you have to take in fewer calories than you use to lose weight.

Everyone gets really excited about special teas or herbs or whatever that is going to burn fat or special exercises that will give you rock hard abs, but the truth is that simple exercise and good nutrition is the best way to lose that belly.

It's just that no one wants to hear that because it actually requires work.

anon144457

Let's not forget that your liver serves a vital function in how your body processes what you eat (or drink) so if you continually drink, your liver cannot perform it's regular functions and that also adds to the fat on your gut.

I'm on day nine of no drinking and I finally have a ton of energy. My workout today felt incredible, I could have run forever.

The first week I felt awful and now I'm beginning to realize that the alcohol has finally left my body. I feel great. What am I going to do when college football starts up again? you have to have a beer during football!

anon138998

As the new year arrives, time to lose some weight. i have wear a jean size 36 and today will be the first day of drastically cutting down on the lagers. i can easily drink three or four pints a day after work. i will be doing some cycling, skipping and just a bit of running. i will post again in march to see if i have changed for the better.

anon119887

I drank at last count, no less than 50 beers a night. Seriously, it's true. I'm 22 and in college. my waist is about 60 inches. i tried everything, even suction. it worked for a month but now I'm heavier so now I'm 77 inches on my waist. i like it and I'm proud. You should be, too.

anon96634

I ran one hour a day up the mountain and after one month lost my gut. It was real hard work, but after one month back on the beer with no exercise, the gut is back. Ale free is the only answer.

anon94533

I am a very heavy drinker. 23 years old, drinking approximately 13 - 16 oz of hard alcohol or 10 - 12 beer every night for the last four years.

Suddenly I started to gain weight all at once, so I stopped drinking, started jogging more often, and shed the pounds fast. I suppose it is the alcohol that prevents your body from burning fat, as well as adds excessive calories to one's diet.

Try switching beer, with carbonated water mixed with 1/2 orange juice. It's a great healthy replacement and the vitamin C protects the liver.

anon78749

I know what you mean, my beer gut was fierce. It took a while to get it down. I think stopping the booze helped drop quite a bit, but I still couldn't get rid of about 10-15 pounds. I started using some tips online. Really starting to help trim those stubborn pounds now. Might help some.

anon60466

For years I would not believe that cutting out alcohol would make any difference to my weight. I work out 5-plus times a week and stick to a fairly healthy diet.

Well I finally took the plunge and I'm now on my 11th day of no booze. I am shocked with the results. I really miss my couple of glasses of wine at night but the results are going to be so worth it.

It's definitely challenging, but as cayenne stated it requires hard work and dedication!

anon46307

this article is on the money.

jeffm

Trying to lose a beer belly is really tough. I've had a pretty Big Beer Belly for too many years now and trying to lose it is sooo hard.

The first thing I did (as you suggested) was to give up drinking and it really helped.

I'm getting there, but I really think your advice could help me along and achieve my goal a little faster.

cayenne

Just like losing any other type of fat on the body you have to take in less calories than you use to lose weight. Everyone gets really excited about special teas or herbs or whatever that are going to burn fat or special exercises that will give you rock hard abs, but the truth is that simple exercise and good nutrition is the best way to lose that belly. It's just that no one wants to hear that because it actually requires work.

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    • Three men with beer bellies at the beach.
      Three men with beer bellies at the beach.
    • Beer.
      By: volff
      Beer.
    • A woman with a toned belly.
      By: Paylessimages
      A woman with a toned belly.
    • Activities such as tennis may help reduce a beer belly.
      By: Galina Barskaya
      Activities such as tennis may help reduce a beer belly.
    • Switching to light beer can be a way to cut down calories while still enjoying the beverage.
      By: Givaga
      Switching to light beer can be a way to cut down calories while still enjoying the beverage.