It's Saturday and that means we are only hours away from Saturday night! One of the most anticipated nights of the week. The coolest to the geekiest, the oldest to the (legally)youngest, the wildest to the most conservative, everyone goes out on Saturday.
Even I, Lance 'the Health & Fitness Freak', will go out and have some drinks. It may be at a party, at dinner, or when out with friends. Believe it! After you regain consciousness, you may wonder how could I possibly drink alcohol when I am such a cheerleader for proper nutrition?
Well, It's all about balance.
Not sobriety test on the side of the road, balance. Balance within your lifestyle choices.
Having the right combination to allow you to live life, but not to the point where you are sabotaging your progress towards your fitness goals. The body cannot use alcohol like it does carbohydrates, fats, and protein for energy. This means that when we drink any kind of alcohol, we are basically just consuming empty calories.
I have a some food for thought for my fellow Saturday night socialites:
How many drinks do you really needto feel relaxed and be where you want to be?
Do you really need to be drunk to dance? to karaoke? to talk to that attractive stranger?
Is it the drinks or holding the drinks that make you comfortable in a social setting?
Can't you have fun with just little buzz or if you were only tipsy?
Not only does drinking that much add extra calories, dehydrate you, increase your chance of eating late night, prevent a good next day workout, and just imagine what you looked like!
Impressive, but this is NOT the balancing I was talking about either!
One effective 'balance' strategy I use for myself and with my clients is setting a
Drinking Ceiling
The Drinking Ceiling:
A self-selected maximum alchohol drink limit that is determined before you start your evening out and followed throughout.
Allows you to participate, but curbs your calorie intake
Creates awareness of what you are doing
Improves willpower and control which can be applied to other nutritional goals
Finding your Drinking Ceiling:
Pick a number of drinks that will allow you to have fun, but is less than your normal consumption
The Drinking Ceiling can also be extended for an entire weekend (i.e. 7 drinks for Fri & Sat)
Even I, Lance 'the Health & Fitness Freak', will go out and have some drinks. It may be at a party, at dinner, or when out with friends. Believe it! After you regain consciousness, you may wonder how could I possibly drink alcohol when I am such a cheerleader for proper nutrition?
Drinking Ceiling
Finding your Drinking Ceiling: