2015 Beer Diet Results: 7 lbs and My Triumphant Return to the 170’s

• January 7, 2016
• 0 Comment
• The Beer Diet
• Posted by Eric Diaz

The 2015 Beer Diet: New Challenges

So this year’s beer diet was a bit of a challenge. I knew I could do it having already done it last year with great beer diet results, 8 pounds in 10 days. However I knew there was a number of factors that were going to be a trial to get past this year. They were as follows:

1. I was starting at a much lighter weight this year, I actually started at the same weight that I ended my diet last year, 186 lbs. This I knew would be a problem because as you know it is harder to lose weight when you weigh less. To lose another 8 pounds would definitely be a challenge starting at 186 lbs.
2. My next issue was that I was injured; I had sustained a back injury from playing dodgeball, which is actually a pretty intense sport for adults and involves diving, dipping, and the rest of the 5 D’s of dodgeball. This was a problem because I’m a very active person and working out is a part of my losing weight. My biggest worry was that I didn’t know how/if the lack of working out would keep me from losing weight.
3. Finally, I was going to be traveling for business to a conference in Chicago. I knew this could be an issue because I had read from Evo Terra’s book “The Beer Diet: A Brew Story” that when traveling at a conference it can be hard to get sausage. Surprisingly, sausage is not on the menu at most marketing conferences. Strange.

Excuses aside, I knew I could still perform.

Cooking out a sausage pepper medley

The first few days were easy and to be honest with you, actually pretty fun. I just get into a whole new mindset about food when I’m on a beer diet. I don’t see the need to gorge the way I generally do when I’m not on the beer diet. I don’t even see the cookies, crackers, pretzels, peanut butter, and they don’t tempt me when I do see them.

 

The summer sausage that kept me going for 4 days in Chicago

While breakfasts and lunches were a bit light and uninspiring as I hobbled away to my hotel room to cut slices from my summer sausage, dinners were indeed grand. The lucky thing about Chicago was that they actually are sausage kings, as Ferris Bueller so eloquently mentioned in his movie. Also, being from the Midwest myself, I had a number of friends now living in the windy city who were more than happy to help with my diet who had ideas for sausage houses near downtown for dinner. Thanks to this, I got to experience some of the best sausage that I could find each night in Chicago.

The Weigh-In

My girlfriend Anaiis picked me up from the airport and I made her take me straight to the gym for the weigh-in. I was scared to see the beer diet results as my average calorie intake was about the same (2,000 per day) but I had not worked out near as much as the year before. When I saw the scale I actually started laughing as it read at 179.8, which I’m rounding down to 179 (don’t hate). I recounted to anyone that would listen how I had not weighed less than 180 pounds since high school.

The 170s!

 

Favorite Beer

By far, my favorite beer was consumed in Milwaukee, the 3 Sheeps Cashmere Hammer Stout.

Highlight of the beer diet, the Cashmere Hammer Stout

Day 1

– cheddar-worst at 1pm (200 cal), and another at 545pm (200 cal). Arizona brat with peppers (250 cal) at 10pm.  (650 total)
1. Sam Adams Hoppy red
2. Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin
3. Illusive Traveler Grapefruit
4. Sam Adams Boston
5. Omission ale
6. 1/2  an Angry Orchard

650 + 1,100= 1,450 calories

Day 2

– Arizona brat and peppers at 145pm (250 cal). Sausage house brat with bun at 9pm (500 cal).
1 – Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest
2. Sam Adams Boston Ale
3. Four Peaks (half sampler)
4. Fate Brewing Cherry Porter
5. Porter at Sausage Haus
6. 24 Oz Marzen (2 beers)

Day 3

– maple sausages, peppers at 11am (200 cal). 3 Arizona brats throughout the day, one at 430pm, two at 1030pm. (600 cal).

1. Woodchuck Hopsation
2. Woodchuck Hopsation
3. Sam Adams Rebel IPA
4. Chain Breaker White IPA
5. Chain Breaker White IPA
6. Sam Adams Summer
7. Coney’s Hard Root Beer
8. Woodchuck Hopsation
9. Stone ipa

600 + 1,800=2,400 calories

Day 5

– cheddarworst at 3pm (200 cal). Pork kielbasa (250 cal) and hatch pepper at 630pm. Pork and pepper at 10pm (350 cal)
Weight Check: 182 lbs in the morning.

1. White Rascal
2. Blue Moon
3. Kilt Lifter
4. Blue Moon Lime

800 + 800=1,600 calories

– Half sausage in morning (100 cal). Brat and kraut from Thunder Canyon Brewing at 1230pm (300 cal). 1.5 sausages from Haus Murphys in the evening. (450 cal)
1. Tecate Light (don’t judge)
2. Tecate Light
3. Sam Adams Oktoberfest
4. Large Pilsner from Haus Murphy (double)
5. Small Marzen from Haus Murphy

Day 7

– leftover sausage and kraut from Haus Murphys (150 cal). Serving of summer sausage 5pm (100 cal). Double sausage, no bun at 810pm (400 cal).
1. Unknown beer (forgot to record)
2. Allagash White
3. Kentucky Bourbon
4. Shiner Redbird
5. Pear Saison
6. Unknown

650 + 1,200 = 1,850 calories

Day 9

– sausage at breakfast (75 cal) and one sausage link (75). Summer sausage for lunch (100 cal). Double sausage, no bun at same restaurant (400 cal).

Day 10

– bite of sausage leftovers in AM (30 cal). 3 sausage platter with ham and kraut and cabbage at 345pm (700 cal).
1. Warsteiner Pilsner
2. 3 Sheeps Cashmere Hammer Stout
3. Schlitz 16 Oz
4. Pabst Latrobe
5. MKE Brewing Squash
6. MKE Polish Moon
7. Floyds Indiana
8. 312 Wheat

A Few More Photos

2nd day of the beer diet at Four Peaks Brewery.

Sausage and Kraut at Thunder Canyon Brewery

My friend Clint who brought me to a great Chicago sausage spot, Al’s

The road to Milwaukee

Success!