Sharing a bit about my journey to ingesting much less alcohol and suggestions for decreasing your alcohol consumption if that’s one in all your targets.
Hello associates! How’s the week going thus far? I hope you’re having an incredible morning thus far! I’m right here engaged on content material for our 6-week group – ALL of the data will probably be posted right here subsequent Tuesday, so mark your calendars!
For right now’s put up, I wished to talk a bit about alcohol and among the issues I’ve completed to scale back my alcohol consumption over time.
My journey to ingesting much less alcohol
Let’s take a bit of stroll into the previous and my historical past with alcohol:
– I’ve by no means actually been somebody to *overdo* it on alcohol. Whereas I’ve undoubtedly had my moments (in school principally lol) of overdoing it, I by no means blacked out or did issues i might later remorse due to impaired decision-making skills, thank goodness. Whereas I’ve solely drank what I think about to be an excessive amount of on a couple of events, I often had 1-2 glasses of wine or cocktails all through the week.
– I discovered that “an excessive amount of” means various things for various individuals. Whereas I wasn’t getting tipsy continuously, there have been occasions (years?) that I had some sort of wine or cocktail each.single.day.
– After we lived in San Diego, it was not unusual for us to drink a bottle of wine each night time. Whereas it felt utterly regular and like part of life, I noticed that it was an excessive amount of and wished to chop again. (PS ingesting a bottle each night time will get costly, too!)
(Caro approves of my choice to chop again. )
A few of the primary the reason why I selected to scale back my alcohol consumption:
– Each.time I drank multiple cocktail or one glass of wine, I slept terribly and awoke feeling exhausted the following morning. It actually sucks to start out your day on such a low-energy be aware, particularly if you’re chasing after youngsters all day. I noticed that I felt so significantly better within the morning once I skipped wine the night time earlier than.
– I noticed that it grew to become a behavior greater than an enjoyment or pleasure. Consuming wine grew to become one thing I did every day, not one thing I really loved. Like several behavior, it took some time to interrupt, and it was price it.
– For well being. I had a gallbladder scare a couple of years in the past and seems that your liver and gallbladder (BFFs) hate alcohol. It was wake-up name to watch my consumption and attempt to scale back it. Your physique views alcohol as poison and can pause different processes as a way to attempt to eradicate the toxin. It processes alcohol totally in another way than meals.
Alcohol inhibits deep sleep, as your physique works to course of the alcohol as you sleep. It will increase your temperature and resting coronary heart fee, and in addition impacts your insulin sensitivity. Carrying my Oura ring and the Nutrisense CGM have offered priceless perception as to how alcohol (particularly after 7-8pm) impacts my physique.
– For physique composition causes. Once I decreased my alcohol consumption (along with some diet modifications I’ve remodeled time), I seen a distinction in physique composition. I felt much less bloated and puffy once I awoke, and in addition like I might lastly see among the muscle I’d been making an attempt to construct.
What about social ingesting?
This was an enormous contributor to common cocktails, and in addition as an introvert, I LIKE the nice and cozy and fuzzy feeling from a glass of wine as I chat with individuals I don’t know very nicely. I really feel prefer it completely takes off the sting, and makes it simpler for me to interact with everybody in a social setting.
Actually, I needed to recover from it.
I needed to inform myself I didn’t *want* alcohol to talk with new associates at events, and it’s true. I don’t want it to really feel comfy in social conditions or to have time.
I additionally puzzled if anybody would say something once I selected water as an alternative of a cocktail, and nobody has stated a phrase. On the Pilot’s squadron Christmas celebration, I drank water with a lemon and nobody cared. There are different ways in which I’ve labored on my social anxiousness, particularly with meditation, hanging out with smaller teams of individuals, and a bit of CBD right here and there.
Did I stop alcohol totally?
No! I nonetheless love a margarita or a glass of wine 1-2 occasions every week, however that’s it. Some weeks I’ve zero alcohol, and a few weeks I’ve one drink 1-2 nights per week, totally realizing that I gained’t sleep as nicely or have as a lot vitality within the am. I’ve simply labored to scale back my consumption over time and I really feel like dancing within the center (as an alternative an all or nothing mentality) has labored nicely for me.
Ideas for decreasing alcohol consumption:
Listed here are among the suggestions which have helped me! Please know that I’m not licensed in ANYTHING associated to this and I’m simply sharing my expertise. In the event you’re scuffling with alcoholism, please please get the assistance and assist that you just deserve. There are plenty of assets right here.
– Drink one thing else that you just take pleasure in. Kombucha and sizzling natural tea are pretty substitutes. I additionally loooooooove the Organifi Gold or Concord (use the code FITNESSISTA) blended with heat almond milk, a giant glass of water (I goal for round 100 oz per day), LMNT electrolytes, or a large smoothie.
– Strive a mocktail. A bartender could make a stunning mocktail in the event you inform them what taste notes you take pleasure in or how candy you’d prefer it to be. There are additionally so many variations you should purchase at grocery shops and on-line choices for alcohol-free wine and spirits (regardless that I’ve but to strive any of those).
– Drink half. As a substitute of getting a full glass, strive ingesting half as an alternative. I’ll order wine generally once we go to eating places, and can solely drink a 3rd or so of it (and realize it doesn’t go to waste as a result of the Pilot will end it as an alternative of getting a second drink).
– Cut back consumption over time. Like with something, full deprivation can backfire and result in overindulgence later. It was useful for me to be aware and step by step scale back my consumption. I decreased the times I had alcohol every week till ultimately I obtained right down to 1-2. Now when I’ve it, I be sure to take my time and luxuriate in it.
So inform me, associates: how typically do you drink alcohol? What’s your very favourite drink?
Hope you might have an exquisite morning and I’ll see ya tomorrow with a recipe!
xo
Gina
