No Beer or Only Beer?

This time of year there's a lot of talk losing weight. For those of us that enjoy beer the fact is that beer does indeed contain calories, as much as we'd like the opposite to be true. That means one way or another we have to find a way to combat those delicious calories.

Going on a beer fast, for a week or two or maybe even a month is something some of my beer friends do on an annual basis. As I understand it, a beer fast isn't entirely a weight loss strategy. It also has to do with a kind of recalibrating of the body and the taste buds. Certainly the lack of liquid calories adds up and for those on multi-week beer fasts I suspect a few pounds do slip off in the process.

I'm neither advocating nor dismissing a beer fast. I understand the theory behind it and applaud anyone who can achieve their goals. At present a beer fast is not in my future; I'll take others' words for the fact that it works for them.

Going to the polar opposite of a beer fast, you may remember hearing the story two years ago about Jay Wilson of Iowa who went on a 46-day fast during which time he consumed only his own Illuminator Doppelbock. For those interested in the full story, check out his blog or grab his book, Diary of a Part-Time Monk. The quick and dirty story is that he had a great employer who was on board with the project, he did the liquid fast under medical supervision and due to his lack of solid calories, lost quite a bit of weight.

I can't say I'm interested in trying either a beer fast or a beer only diet but if I had to choose I might lean slightly toward the latter. How about you? Have you done either? If you had to do one, which one would you choose?