Just over a week ago my brother asked me to be his best man. It was short notice, given the wedding is at the end of next month, but I was more than happy to do it. I’m the eldest of five kids and he’s the last to get married – but also the first to ask me to be his best man. So that’s cool.

What’s also cool is he bought me a dark navy suit to wear at the wedding. A really nice suit from Country Road. I’m someone who rarely wears a suit, so so don’t spend much money on them (why blow hundreds on a suit you’re going to wear once a year at best?). But, after having tried this suit on, I can see the difference spending a few extra bucks makes. The suit would have to be the best one I’ve owned.

And having tried it on, I can also see the difference a few extra kilos would make too. Because, while it does fit now, I need to make sure it still fits in six weeks’ time on the wedding day. Be pretty poor form to not be able to fit into the suit my brother bought me for his wedding.

Rather than look to make alterations to the wedding suit, I’m planning on making them to my birthday suit. To actually drop some weight between now and then – or at least make sure I don’t put any more on.
That means, in part, getting serious about cutting back on the beer. I’m already on the weekday wagon most of the time, only having a few beers between Friday evening and Sunday evening, but I think it’s time I even reduced the intake on those nights. For me, the biggest issue is making the connection between beer and calories. I mean, I know they’re there but, when I’m drinking a beer, the idea that it could be contributing something to my waistline doesn’t enter my head.

As an effort to fix that I’ve opted to compile a list equating the calorie content of beer with those of other foodstuffs I know don’t do me any favours. It’s not an exact comparison but they’ll be in the ball park.

One beer = a 330ml bottle of Coca-Cola
Two beers = a McDonald’s Cheeseburger or a Mars Bar
Three beers = KFC Original recipe burger
Four beers = a Big Mac
Five beers = Subway foot-long pizza sub
Six beers = at least half a Pizza Hut BBQ Meatlovers pizza

Looking at this rough list there are a few that shock me. For example, the idea that one beer could be similar to drinking a bottle of Coke. Or that having three beers after dinner is not too far away from eating another dinner, given the calorie count is similar to a burger.

Also, given the average daily calorie intake for men is 2500, a big night where I might drink six beers is equal to a THIRD of the recommended daily intake. A third!

The idea here is to equate a caloric value to beer that I can understand and respond to. It doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stop drinking altogether, more that if I want those three or four beers I have to rule out some calories elsewhere in the day.

Which will be the other part of the suit diet – telling my sweet tooth to go away.