How to Ditch the Beer Gut

Someone recently asked me a pretty common question during a personal training session last week.  “Hey Alec, how do I ditch the beer gut?”

It’s a really common question.  There are some things that are unique to the beer gut beyond normal fat loss principles that are worth covering.  You can’t spot train fat to come off one body part.  The only way to improve that body part is to improve the overall body fat picture.  

That said, your beer gut isn’t just fat.  It is also a lot of inflammation.  According to the NIH study Alcohol and Gut-Derived Inflammation “alcohol can induce intestinal inflammation through a cascade of mechanisms”.  Because of this if we want to address the beer gut, we need to address inflammation along with fat loss.

Here are 3 steps you can take to ditch that beer gut:

1. Reduce inflammation with dietary changes and supplementation.  The most inflammatory foods according to Foods that Fight Inflammation by Harvard Medical School are refined carbs, fried foods, soda, and margarine.  The least inflammatory foods are tomatoes, leafy greens, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, berries, and oranges.  You can also supplement a probiotic and a fish oil pill to improve gut health and reduce inflammation.

2. Practice the fundamentals of fat loss.  You can’t get around the fact that reducing your overall body fat percentage will obviously have a positive effect on that beer gut.  Part I of the Fundamentals of Fat Loss is right HERE. 

3. Reduce inflammation by cutting the booze (temporarily).  Cut out the booze completely for a short period of time and then you can reintroduce it.  Usually after taking a break from it for a couple weeks, you don’t bring back the same level of consumption as before.  

    

   This is exactly what the Spring PROGRAM is all about.  It is 4 weeks of no booze, no added sugar, and no rest days.  It is a 4 week beer gut busting fat loss acceleration program.  I participated in this PROGRAM after the New Year.  Most of us noticed our stomachs felt flatter after a week.  During the 4 weeks you’ll make those simple nutrition changes and you will do 3 personal training sessions per week plus you will go on 60 minute “rucks” on your off days.  All fitness abilities are welcome.  Shoot me an email at alec@ontargetfit.comif you are interested.

Bonus: Stop doing what caused you to get the beer gut in the first place.  I know that sounds a little obvious but I say that for a reason.  As your personal trainer, I can’t help you get rid of your beer gut while you continue to drink large quantities of beer.  It just doesn’t work.  You don’t need to be super human pure with your nutrition, or never drink again, but you need to be willing to reign things in enough to make a difference.  You can still have a beer sometimes and it’s actually a lot more enjoyable when you don’t have a beer gut to feel guilty about.

If you are interested in finding out more about personal training, fill out the form at the top and bottom of this page and I will be in touch.

Serving Portsmouth, Kittery, and the broader Seacoast community, we help people finally get in shape, feel confident, and have all day energy, even if getting everything done is a constant struggle.