(Newser) – Whereas some people might give up alcohol for Lent, a 38-year-old Iowa man is existing on nothing but, reports the Chicago Tribune. J. Wilson, a beer aficionado and blogger, said he came up with the idea when reading about German monks who did not eat during Lent, but who drank doppelbock beer, which they called "liquid bread." Inspired, Wilson is now living on four 12-ounce cans of doppelbock a day (and water), and says he will continue to do so until Easter comes on April 24. "I want to educate beer people about God, and I want to educate God people about beer," Wilson told CBS News.

In preparation for his sudsy challenge, Wilson bulked up 20 pounds since Thanksgiving. But as each beer has less than 300 calories, Wilson says he already has dropped three pounds. "It's not a cavalier, silly stunt thing," says Wilson, who has a doctor monitoring his health. "I'm genuinely curious about the monks and that kind of thing." (Read more Lent stories.)

