Man Goes on Beer-Only Diet, Loses 25 Pounds

This Guy Lost 25 Pounds on a Beer-Only Diet

While many Christian denominations observe Lent – performing their own personal Lenten sacrifice – one Cincinnati man, Del Hall, is taking things to a totally intense, and perhaps intoxicating, level.

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Hall, sales director at Fifty West Brewing, told Cincinnati.com he struggled with his dietary habits for most of his life. He's tried keto. He's tried intermittent fasting. Now, he has embarked on a 40-day journey, following in the footsteps of wise monks from the 17th century.

Hall vows that for 40 days, he’s giving up all solid foods and his only sustenance will be man's best friend (sorry, dog lovers), beer. “Just like the monks used to do it back in the 1600s, I'm going to do the same thing,” he told the paper. “It's not necessarily about the weight loss as it is the challenge of replicating what the monks did."

So far, according to his personal Facebook page, the Pleasant Ridge resident has maintained his boozy pledge for 21 days, having only cold brews during that three-week span. Hall has already managed to drop 25 pounds, a decidedly impressive result for both beer fans and those on similar weight-loss journeys.

So is the beer only diet, in fact, a wise idea? As it turns out, the sales director did receive the nod from his doctor to proceed with his plan and takes a daily multivitamin for a bit of balance. That's not to say that Hall hasn't thought about stepping out on his diet. As with all diets, cheating has crossed his mind more than once.

“Day two and three were pretty rough,” he told the paper. “I wanted to bash some Taco Bell after a few beers because that's what we do.” Hall somehow managed to resist temptation. However, he does allow himself a break from his all-beer diet – he’s also drinking sparkling water, black coffee, and other low- or no-calorie liquids.

Hall and his journey has attracted a small group of fans and supporters on social media. One woman, Ms. LaFlamme, offered up words of encouragement to Hall after his most recent weigh-in. “Way to go! Hey, beer got humanity through the Dark Ages (safest, cleanest beverage to drink!) it will get you through Lent!!!”

The overall idea may seem bizarre in a modern context, but there is historical precedent for the sudsy Lenten season strategy. According to the Catholic News Agency, 17th century Paulaner monks, being required to abstain from solid foods for 40 days, prepared an “unusually strong” brew in advance of Lent. The Catholic monks created a type of beer, something like a dopplebock, called “Salvator,” which translates to “Holy Father beer.” Paulaner Brewery is still in operation today and serves alcoholic beverages to 70 different countries around the world.

Already at the mid-way mark of his journey and having made such significant progress, it looks like Hall might just have the stuff of the monks of old running through his veins. That, and no small amount of alcohol.

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