Beer and WeightWatchers

Yes. Weight Watchers finally has an article on Beer. As you may or may not know, I have been on WW since August 2008. I started out weighing 242 lbs, and was probably closer to 245 lbs, and I got down to 202 lbs as of 4 weeks ago. I'm now at 205 lbs b/c my homebrewed Belgian Wit beer is at its optimum for flavor, and I can't get enough of it when I'm back home. Not to mention that my homebrewed IPA is quite nice.

But now WW is putting out articles about Beer. I've posted it below. The article has a little flash movie about tasting beer as opposed to slugging it. I know for me that is what really cut down on the consumption from my Miller Lite days. Drink less beer, but drink better beer.

Old WW Beer posts
Post 1
Post 2


Beer Cheat Sheet

Article By: Jeffery Lindenmuth

29 facts and tips to savor with your favorite malt beverage

Your typical 12-ounce beer with 5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) contains 3 POINTS® values.

The typical 16-ounce draft pint contains 4 POINTS values.

Most 12-ounce light beers are about 2 POINTS values.

A 1-pint draft of light beer is 3 POINTS values.

What’ll ya have?

There are thousands of different beers. Here’s a selection of ten popular brews. Some are smarter grabs that save POINTS® values. All are 12 ounces.

Beers with 1 POINTS Values
Miller Genuine Draft Light
64 (MGD 64)
Becks Premier

Light Beers with 2 POINTS Values
Amstel Light
Guinness Draft (bottle)
Aspen Edge
Samuel Adams Light
Bud Select

Beers with More POINTS Values
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Coors Blue Moon
Red Hook IPA
Kirin
Molson Golden

Beer bellies are B.S. "This is a silly myth," says Charlie Bamforth, Ph.D. chair and professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis and author of Beer: Health and Nutrition. "If folks get fat from drinking beer it's because their total calorie intake is too high and they are not working it off."

The Good NewsBeer contains some B vitamins, antioxidants and minerals and contains:

NO cholesterol
NO fat
very little sugar

The Bad News
Alcohol is one calorie-dense nectar, packing seven calories per gram. That's almost as much as fat, which has nine calories per gram. Don't blame the malt. "The most significant source of calories in beer is the alcohol itself," says Bamforth, "The stronger the beer, the more calories."

Most 12-ounce beer with 5 percent alcohol by volume contains 3 POINTS values.
The typical 16-ounce draft pint contains 4 POINTS values.
Most 12-ounce "light" beers are 2 POINTS values.
A 1-pint draft of light beer is 3 POINTS values.
A 12-ounce non-alcoholic beer is 1 POINTS value.

Another Reason It's Good to Be a Man

Some studies show that moderate drinking may help lower risk of heart disease, particularly in men over 45 and women over 55. But what is moderate? For men, it's no more than two drinks per day. (SHEEEIT) For women, it's no more than one. Exceed your quota, and the risk of heart and liver disease, stroke and accidents negate any perks. Don't follow the lite.

The terms "light" and "lite" (or any other cutesy variation) have no legal definition.

They could mean the beer is light in color or lighter than lead—or anything else the guys at the brewery decided. Watch your low-carb language. If the labels reads "low carbohydrate," the beer must have no more than 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving. But any beer can tout "reduced carbohydrates" or "lower carbohydrates" on its label, just so long as the brewery makes a more carb-heavy beer. Shifty, eh? (THAT'S THE GOOD ISH)

Do suds wine-style.

A tip that adds civility and can shave POINTS values: "There's nothing wrong with pouring a beer into two glasses at dinner like you would with wine," says George F. Reisch, brewmaster for Anheiser Busch, Inc. Yes, you read correctly. One of the guys who makes Budweiser takes his Bud in a white-wine glass. (what an idea!!)"I actually think people should share beers more," Reisch adds. "It's smart and your last sip will still be cold."


About the WriterJeffery Lindenmuth is a fine dining writer and lecturer, who has written for Esquire, Wine & Spirits, Men's Health and Cooking Light.