Scotch as a Diet Hack

http://bradpilon.com/weight-loss/my-favorite-diet-hack/

by mburney • 16 years ago

70 83 16 years ago

If you want to drink less, can't you just do it however you want?

InfinityX0• 16 years ago

Pretty easy to say, harder to do. It's best to set up barriers like this to prevent overeating. Another barrier is eating foods with low calorie density. The barrier here is the harshness of the drink - it is very hard to chug scotch. It is not very hard to chug a beer.

When I don't want to eat a lot, I set up barriers. I have literally no food in my apartment. 0. I am a former fat person, who has gotten into shape purely by avoiding the need for willpower. I like this hack - I'll try it this weekend.

ShardPhoenix2• 16 years ago

I suppose it makes a certain amount of psychological sense.

Confusion• 16 years ago

Just ordering Scotch wouldn't work for me: I love the stuff and, corrected for the alcohol content, I will consume it faster than beer. If you have the same 'problem', what may work is ordering water on the side.

elai2• 16 years ago

so you eat out every day? Do you live in a developed country?

Kuytu• 16 years ago

Also you need to drink beer faster, because it gets warm and stale pretty fast. With scotch (and other strong alcohols) you can take as much time as you want.

alf• 16 years ago

I think many alcohol drinkers would find it easier to drink 1.5 oz of liquor, than 12 oz of beer or a 6 oz of wine, especially if the beer is in a bottle. I think the main benefit here is that holding a different drink separates you from the people who are heavy drinkers. It would work the same if the group were taking shots, and you chose a sip on a beer.

rodh257• 16 years ago

true, but he's talking more from a social point of view.

forsaken• 16 years ago

Last weekend I went out with a flask of Laphroaig (some damn good scotch), and was just sipping that most of the night. I let a bunch of my friends have some, and always came back with some left in the flask. It's a great way to drink really delicious scotch, share with your friends, and drink less.

megablast• 16 years ago

Came here to talk about Laphroaig. Laphroaig is the smokiest whiskey you can get, really nice drop, from the Isle of Islay. Very flavorful.

Perhaps worth saying as well, please do not buy a nice whiskey, and ask for coke mixed in. If you tried that in Scotland or Ireland, they would at best refuse you.

greendestiny2• 16 years ago

Have you tried the 10 year old Ardbeg? That might change your mind on the smokiest.

nailer2• 16 years ago

Re: sweetened whisky drinkers, a friend of mine who runs a rather nice bar (awarded best cocktail menu in the world from quite a few sources) simply smiles, says they don't stock coke, and suggests something else that's not as dominating to the customer.

jacoblyles• 16 years ago

I'm just not a Laphroaig guy. Tastes like Bacon. I prefer Balvenie. Tastes like maple syrup and burnt ash.

PStamatiou• 16 years ago

thats why i like Lapsang Souchong tea- very smokey and tastes like bacon

sandGorgon• 16 years ago

Do join the Friends of Laphroaig

As a condition of this award, we agree to pay a yearly ground rent in the sum of one dram of Laphroaig, to be claimed in person at the distillery. You’ll understand we’re not offering heritable ownership or any right to cut peat, farm sheep or extract minerals from the plot - far better to take up your right to a warming measure of Laphroaig.

Upon the Leaseholder’s arrival at Laphroaig we undertake to provide a map, with adequate directions for locating the PLOT, and suitable protective clothing against Islay’s rugged weather and eccentric wildlife.

russell_h• 16 years ago

Am I the only one who eagerly clicked through hoping that through some scientific miracle drinking scotch could lead to weight loss?

As to the actual topic, I'm not sure that its so much that people think scotch has a higher alcohol content, I've always imagined it had more to do with seeming somewhat classier and in control. Sipping a scotch while your companions pound beers establishes you (perhaps on a subconscious level) as the leader of the group whose choices aren't really up for discussion.

Of course I rather like scotch so maybe I'm biased.

varjag2• 16 years ago

Hard liquor abuse actually leads to weight loss. Plenty of alcoholics are dried out like raisins.

rue• 16 years ago

That might also be because they do not eat much?

gaius4• 16 years ago

But no-one really wants weight loss, and that should be easy to prove: say you were offered a choice, drop 5lbs of fat or convert 5lbs of fat to 10lbs of muscle, what would you do?

garret2• 16 years ago

Some people, when confronted with a problem, think “I know, I'll use regular expressions.” Now they have two problems.

danielsiders2• 16 years ago

Seems equivalent to being the one person with a D-SLR and 5 lenses when everyone else carries a point and shoot. Even if you take fewer pictures people assume you're the more serious photographer. Apparent overkill is an effective way to preempt annoying comments?

aaronbrethorst• 16 years ago

Until you get cornered by the asshole with the Rebel and the abysmal EF-S 18-55mm kit lens who's badgering you with questions about why your 50mm f/1.2L doesn't zoom.

elai2• 16 years ago

There are seriously people like that?!

modality• 16 years ago

> Even if you take fewer pictures people assume you're the more serious photographer.

Or that you're a pretentious rich kid.

geuis• 16 years ago

I have to agree 100% with this story. I have recently taken up a taste for scotch. Not only do I drink less, I save money because I'm drinking less. Here in SF a beer or non-scotch drink might range from $5-$10. I can get one scotch for usually $8-$11 dollars, drink it for 2-3x longer than other folks with their beer and cocktails, and in the end save money even if I have a second.

I had some Blue label on Saturday. Oh my, so so lovely...

0xygen• 16 years ago

I have had a totally different experience actually. I would assume that the following will hold true for most of the people in the simplest form of the arguement: The more i like the drink the faster and more i would drink it. I am an avid scotch drinker and have been a connoisseur for several years now and (unfortunately) the suggested practice would fail miserably for me and potentially for scotch-lovers.

dagw• 16 years ago

Funny, my experience is exactly 100% the opposite. I'm also a a huge whisky fan, and find that if I'm drinking whisky all night I both drink a lot more and spend a lot more than if drinking beer. Even when sipping slowly and taking my time I find that a scotch takes, a best, half as long to finish as my friends spend on their beers.

_b8r03• 16 years ago

I'm surprised as to how you can talk about Scotch and Johnnie Walker in the same breadth. Sure it's technically Scotch Whisky, but it's a disgustingly promoted chain brand that convinces people they're drinking real Whisky instead of overpriced mass-manufactured tat, like Ginsters Cornish Pasties (made on the Cornish border next to the main road leading into Devon).

I'm not attacking you, and I apologise if this has come across this way, but really, it's made in a factory in Glasgow, not the original Kilmarnock distillery and Blue Label is ridiculously overpriced for what it is. There are so many other beautiful Scotches out there, it's a sin to eschew them in favour of lining Diageo's pockets.

khafra• 16 years ago

It's hard to drink Scotch in America without lining Diageo's pockets--I mean, they own Glenkinchie, Lagavulin, Knockando, Oban, Royal Lochnagar, and Talisker, among others. If you're claiming Talisker is mass-manufactured tat, I don't know if we can be friends anymore. And do bear in mind that Talisker is the largest component of the Red Label blend.

zbyszek• 16 years ago

"good ol’ Scottish Whiskey"? It's Scottish whisky, and Irish whiskey.

paolomaffei2• 16 years ago

Does not apply to people not in USA, UK or China.

jpr• 16 years ago

What do you mean?

paolomaffei2• 16 years ago

Well in Italy at least you aren't really FORCED to drink more and more during a night out with friends.

arethuza• 16 years ago

For anyone seriously interested in whisky I can recommend this: http://www.smws.co.uk/

fmw• 16 years ago

Another benefit to your diet is taking a glass of whisky as an alternative to your "evening snack". For me, it is a good way to avoid the urge to eat something. Especially when paired with a good cigar or tobacco pipe. Last night that was a dram of Highland Park 18yo accompanied by a Trinidad Reyes cigar, which was a wonderful experience.

The only problem with giving in to vices like these is giving yourself an excuse to drink. Thankfully, I'm pretty relaxed with alcohol and often don't drink anything at all for weeks or even a few months on end, but you still have to be careful that it doesn't become a daily ritual.

_b8r03• 16 years ago

I have to say I much prefer Irish Whiskeys like Bushmills Malt and Jameson. Then again, I'm not a lover of peat, so Speyside's the place for me.

c00p3r• 16 years ago

One scotch, one bourbon, one beer - that is a hack!

Raphael• 16 years ago

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

hnal9432• 16 years ago

...not to mention this song isn't exactly about diet advice

nhebb• 16 years ago

Using the word 'hack' is a linkbait hack.

seven• 16 years ago

My diet hack: Do not give a sh*t about peer pressure and drink what you think is best for you.

"Mach dein eigenes Ding, dann klappts auch mit der Nachbarin." - German for "Do your own thing and it will work out with the neighbours girl."

tfh• 16 years ago

These Germans, always chasing the neighbours.

jdminhbg• 16 years ago

Even if you take peer pressure out of it, Scotch tastes better nursed than beer (which will go flat and warm).

barkmadley• 16 years ago

A bunch of my friends and I have been organising a regular event we call Scotch Guard. It is a time when we come together and bring exotic alcohols to share and sample.

I have noticed my gut has receded slightly since attending these events because I haven't been drinking as much beer, yet still socialising just as much. 'Tis a good hack I say.

dermatthias• 16 years ago

Why don't you just skip the extra candy bar after dinner and drink as much and whatever you like?

Alex39172• 16 years ago

"Oh and you still get the anti-inflammatory actions of alcohol too, just without any of the extra calories."

Alcohol causes inflammation, it's not an anti-inflammatory in any way. Maybe the author was confused because both alcohol and aspirin reduce your risks of heart attacks, and the latter is an NSAID. But taking alcohol if you have inflammatory problems is an extremely bad idea.

mburney• 16 years ago

From another post by the author: "it is interesting to note that small amounts of alcohol (the occasional drink) is associated with reduced levels of markers of chronic inflamamtion like IL-6, CRP and leptin." Don't have any sources of the research, but it seems like he may post it soon.

Alex39172• 16 years ago

I'd be interested to see this research. It's obviously no surprise that drinking would be associated with lower levels of inflammation, considering how much physcial/emotional discomfort alcohol causes to people prone to inflammation. I just have a really hard time believing there could be causation without seeing the research.

garret2• 16 years ago

The point of this article seems to be: people believe scotch has more alcohol than it does, so you can drink less without their pressuring you into drinking more.

Obviously you could just have a water

This is more about hacking other people than it is about diet. Managing other people's impressions of you without having to be upfront about what you're doing.

isleyaardvark• 16 years ago

Am I the only one here who thinks scotch acts as an appetite suppressant? Scotch reduces my hunger in a way that beer or wine doesn't.

hysterix• 16 years ago

why does everything have to be a hack?

Scotch as a Diet Hack

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