Backing Off The Weeknight Beers A Bit

[ScrewyBrewer]

I'm hoping to drink beer only on the weekends for a while. If a special occasion falls on a weeknight I will make an exception, no problem. As a brewer I have developed a true appreciation for great tasting beer. Interestingly enough too, I have also developed a nightly tradition of enjoying delicious beer at the end of each day.

There are benefits to consuming pints on weekends only, a batch of beer will go further if not last longer than they used to. For some reason I tend to drink more beer during the warmer months of the year, as I'm sure plenty of other beer drinkers do.

[Gymrat]

I am typically strictly a Friday and Saturday drinker. Once in a while I will have some during the week but not as a habit.

[Beer-lord]

I've lived this way for a long while. I have 2-3 beers on Wednesday nights for 'band night' and then only on weekends. It's the only way I can keep the weight off and even then, it doesn't work so well. Walking in the morning and exercising most evenings can barely keep it even. As we grow older, and our metabolism slows, it's harder to keep it off and the beers I like, are high in calories.
I do the same for eating too, eating a lot less during the week and enjoy what I like on weekends in small amounts.
Best of luck on your cravings Vince. I think about beer while on at the gym, cutting grass, even in church so it's quite an obsession, isn't it?

[ScrewyBrewer]

I am typically strictly a Friday and Saturday drinker. Once in a while I will have some during the week but not as a habit.

Roger more and more people that I talk to seem to be doing the same thing these days. My typical weekend officially starts on Friday night and ends on Sunday afternoons. Lately I've been rehydrating more than I used to, by drinking water and not just beer and so far I'm feeling good about it.

[ScrewyBrewer]

I've lived this way for a long while. I have 2-3 beers on Wednesday nights for 'band night' and then only on weekends. It's the only way I can keep the weight off and even then, it doesn't work so well. Walking in the morning and exercising most evenings can barely keep it even. As we grow older, and our metabolism slows, it's harder to keep it off and the beers I like, are high in calories.
I do the same for eating too, eating a lot less during the week and enjoy what I like on weekends in small amounts.
Best of luck on your cravings Vince. I think about beer while on at the gym, cutting grass, even in church so it's quite an obsession, isn't it?

Haha Yes Paul, it really is and thank you. I guess until this ride is over for us, we will always be learning something new about our great obsession.

[John Sand]

And now for the opposing view: John?
I drink every day. I did cut down last year to lose weight, it worked. But I cut from four beers a day to two. I'm not rigorous about it, if I'm at a party or something I'll have more. If I know I'll be drinking more than one, I'll drink something lighter, a lager instead of an IPA. Incidentally, I'm am almost never intoxicated. I've been married twice, each wife got to see me drunk once.

[mashani]

I'm more like John. I drink 2 pints a day like a Brit unless it's higher in alcohol, then it's less. But if it's that strong then I bitch about it if it's a commercial beer and I think the ABV serves no actual purpose in improving the product (um... enjoy by for example). And usually won't buy it very often. I *have* to drink some beer every day or I lose weight. And if you were to meet me, you would see that I really do not need that. But I am stupidly active. If drinking pints, I spread that over a 3-4 hour period in the evening. I don't ever feel buzzed from how much I drink. If I am out drinking commercial beers somewhere and start to feel anything I'm done. But that only happens with those commercial beers I bitch about. And mostly I drink homebrew. Unfiltered lower ABV homebrew I just consider food. Filtered strong commercial beer maybe not so much. Strong homebrew I make to share, but rarely drink myself, except for special occasions. And I never drink more then my 2 pints.

[FedoraDave]

I'm not saying I couldn't cut down, for the sake of my waistline, but I also drink two or three beers every night, and usually more on the weekends. But I find myself looking forward to that "5:00 pint" every evening. I have a demanding job that's more suited to a younger person's constitution, so it's been getting tougher on me each season. Having the reward of relaxing at home with a pint of homebrew is one of the things that gets me through.

[Pudge]

A pint or two most evenings here unless I'm grilling for dinner. At least a couple nights a week without though too. Grilling usually leads to a couple more

A few points I try to live by:

Homebrew normally has many more calories than you'd think.
If you are feeling a bit run down, skip the beer. Even a couple interrupts great sleep. We all need that every now and then.
At least once a year, go two weeks without a beer. Your body/mind will thank you and it is good reassurance that this hobby is still just a hobby. I've seen many an online brewer discover our hobby, go "all in", and then disappear due to the residual effects this hobby can produce.

[MadBrewer]

I rarely drink anymore. When I do its socially or a get together, a night out, party...etc. Still love to drink great beer and brew....just not drinking much at all anymore.

[Dawg LB Steve]

More of a Friday/Saturday consumer, will have 2 or 3 Weds. nites at bowling from May to Sept. no on Weds.

[mashani]

At least once a year, go two weeks without a beer. Your body/mind will thank you and it is good reassurance that this hobby is still just a hobby.

I've done this in the past to prove that there is no addiction involved to myself. I feel no better or worse. I just shrink unless I eat a stupid amount of food to make up for it. Or put olive oil on everything.

I used to have to travel to happy valley for work a lot - so I also spent a some days or a week without beer - or coffee - because of that. Honestly the coffee was the worst part.

[Jon]

At least once a year, go two weeks without a beer. Your body/mind will thank you and it is good reassurance that this hobby is still just a hobby.

I've done this in the past to prove that there is no addiction involved to myself. I feel no better or worse. I just shrink unless I eat a stupid amount of food to make up for it. Or put olive oil on everything.

I used to have to travel to happy valley for work a lot - so I also spent a some days or a week without beer - or coffee - because of that. Honestly the coffee was the worst part.

NO COFFEE!? I don't think I could do my job without coffee! Well, maybe...I do periodic "detoxes" where I cut out coffee, or beer, or whatever.

I used to have a metabolism like yours--it finally slowed down a little, and my waistline is showing it. I'm trying just being a little more active, because I'm used to eating a lot of food and drinking a lot of beer!

[Kealia]

I'm not a big drinker and never have been. Ok, in college but that doesn't count, right?

I was typically having a pint on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sunday nights with 2 on Fridays and Saturdays but I've cut back to almost 0 during the week. I wasn't sleeping well and know that alcohol can affect sleep patters so now it's just the weekends - if I don't have other plans that keep me away from home.

I've been sleeping better but it may not just be the beer. I RARELY have more than 2 on any given night. I just don't feel very good if I do. I'm highly active and it keeps me from staying active if I drink too much.

For those cutting back for whatever reason - stay strong.
For those that aren't - good for you.
To all - keep things in moderation and keep it enjoyable.

[mashani]

NO COFFEE!? I don't think I could do my job without coffee!

No coffee was to be found in happy valley. Last call was at the airport. If you were desperate for caffeine you could get mountain dew however. For some reason modern priestly elders decided it wasn't the fact that coffee had caffeine in it that made it bad, but that it was some combination of being hot, dark colored, and having caffeine that made it evil. But cold yellow pee colored caffeine loaded with sugar was OK. So mountain dew became the coders beverage of choice.

There was a TGI Fridays in happy valley. It had a bar, because it was built to specification. The bar was never open. It was not stocked with beverages. Nobody there to serve you. So 1/3rd of the floor space was just dark and empty.

You could get them to serve you 1 beer with your dinner if you really worked at it. They would act like you were the devil incarnate, but you could get 1 beer. I guess TGI Fridays forced them to stock something for tourists. It would be a 3% version of whatever commercial beer it was. If you asked for a second one they turned red and looked as if they were going to explode and would flat out refuse to serve you any longer. So it was actually easier just to not ask.

To get anything stronger then 3% beer you had to go to a private club. Which you had to find a sponsor to get into. And none of the folks I worked with would have stuck a pinky into such a place. They were run by the devils minions.

Happy valley might be happier these days, I dunno? Been a while.