Hello everyone! I want to start this off by saying that I am not an alcoholic. I know that will be the first thing people think of when reading these entries! I do, however, really want to limit by alcohol consumption. I enjoy alcohol as much as the next girl, my love for wine is strong and my passion for craft beer runs deep. There is not problem with this, but for me personally I want to work on ways to slowly cut alcohol out of my weekly routine.
Why am I doing this?
This is a completely personal project. You can choose to share input and follow my progress, or you don’t have to! Writing and documenting my journey is mostly for me and maybe to help a few other people with the same goal. Lately I have had a lot of clients who have shared that this is an issue for them as well. I hope that by trying different methods and learning how to hold myself accountable, I will be able to help my clients and others take the step towards a healthier life! For the past year I have been pushing my hardest in the gym and seeing a lot of success. I haven’t, however, seen as much success in my body composition as I’d like to have seen at this point. I blame this partially on self control when it comes to food, but I also blame it on my weakness for alcohol. I dislike how I feel the day after drinking. It makes me sluggish and slows me down in the gym. During this first entry I want to go over what alcohol does to the body, along with my reasons for drinking. During the next couple weeks I will be reaching out over social media asking for tips on how to reduce alcohol consumption.
Alcohol’s Effect on the Body
Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, but is not essential to the body nor does is serve an function in the body. The body cannot store alcohol, as it is potentially harmful, so the body works hard to remove it from the blood. Liver cells detoxify alcohol and it is assembled into fats. The removal of alcohol from the body takes priority over the the breakdown of carbs, fats, and proteins which slows the metabolism.
Alcohol causes dehydration and a loss of electrolytes. This can result in a headache and dry mouth. It also irritates the stomach and intestines which can lead to digestion issues and vomiting. Because alcohol deflects liver activity away from producing glucose, low blood sugar can occur which will result in lack of energy and being light-headed. Alcohol also disrupts the sleeping pattern… all these symptoms are part of your classic hangover.
Prolonged alcohol consumption can lead to a poor diet, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and an increased body weight.
Why Do I Drink?
I am not a binge-drinker by any means. I again want to reiterate that this is for my own personal reasons. Drinking has become a part of my weekly routine and I truly want to see what methods I can use to lessen it. It will be best for my health and my fitness goals if I learn to control situations in which I feel the need to drink. I want to be able to look at the situations that make me want a drink the most and learn why I feel this way and how I can change my behavior.
Night- Time Routine
One of the times I find myself drinking the most is at night while sitting on the couch, binge-watching shows. This has become somewhat of a routine. As I analyze the situation, it could be out of boredom that I feel the need for a drink. I also look at the situation in the way that I am trying to “celebrate” my favorite time of the day. For those of you who do or do not know me, my husband works long hours 6 days a week. I get to see him for 2-3 hours a day if I’m lucky before we go to bed. This night time chill session is our time to “hang out”. Whether it’s boredom or celebration, this is the Drinking Reason I want to change the most! When I drink on week nights I definitely make some questionable nutrition choices following my alcohol consumption. This interferes with my diet that I try hard to enforce during the day and also my hours I put in at the gym. I really want to stop self-sabotaging my progress in the gym with little choices made at the end of a long day.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a huge reason for why I drink in public. I fear that I am not outgoing enough without a drink or two in me. I also am extremely awkward and feel forced into conversation. Even if I know the people I am with, I still feel pushed to drink to be “fun”. If I do not know the people I am with, I only drink more. These situations usually occur on the weekends and are when my consumption is at it’s highest. I do not want to cut out social interaction from my life (who would?) so this is the Drinking Reason that I am looking for advice on the most. This situation has nothing to do with self control as much as it does anxiety and being uncomfortable.
Hobby
One of my most favorite things in the world is a good brewery. I love the environment, I love the process and learning, and I love the different tastes of beer. My husband and I share this passion and it is one way for us to connect. I’ve been to countless (literally, countless) amounts of breweries all over the US. This Drinking Reason probably won’t change because breweries are truly something I enjoy and look forward to doing. I would, however, like to limit these visits and maybe learn to mix in a water every now and then!
What is my goal?
So, now that I’ve put myself out there and you know my biggest Drinking Reasons, what am I looking to get out of this? My goal is to learn to replace that night-time celebration with something healthier. To learn to handle my anxiety in public and find other coping mechanisms. To not use alcohol as a solution to my problems, but something to be enjoyed occasionally. I’d like to limit my alcohol consumption to 1x/wk. I want to see what I can actually achieve in the gym when I stop putting alcohol into my system. I really want to challenge myself physically and mentally to become a better version of me.