Sorry it has been so long since I blogged. I have been waiting to feel inspired and now I am. I was reading through my BCC client food journals. Some of my clients include the alcohol that they consume and some don't. Don't get me wrong...not everyone drinks alcohol, but many of us do and some of my clients are scared/ashamed to include their alcohol consumption on their food journals for fear that I may judge them or think that they have a problem. Meanwhile, I KNOW that they drink because I either see them out enjoying a glass of wine with dinner or I hear side conversations going on in class. It ain't my first rodeo people. Dang....it's too bad that wine has such a bad reputation..
Let's talk about this...cuz we need to. Alochol = sugar and is stored in your body as fat. So...as I tell EVERYONE...moderation will do no harm. The question is though...what exactly IS moderation? This is something I cannot answer because there are so many different opinions and studies done regarding alcohol. Is it good for you....is it bad for you....are you a lush.....blah blah blah....
Personally....My habits change often regarding alcohol. This summer I drank 1-2 small glasses of wine EVERY night for about 8 weeks (ok...sometimes 3 glasses). I was on vacation, I didn't have to get up early for bootcamp, it was summer, etc....However, I also gained about 5 lbs and the alochol was 100% to blame. I also felt draggy and moody the next morning even from only 1 glass. I'm a cheap date....I know.
I quickly changed my habit when school and bootcamp started up again. I have to get up at 4:30 most mornings of the week, and have a few races to train for, so I save my glass(es) of wine for the weekends (Fri-Sun). I have not cut it out, but I have cut down and am practicing better moderation and I am sharper and more energetic during the week and during my workouts.
I read a very enlightening article on closet mom alcoholics a few weeks ago in Redbook. Click on the link below and read....it will be worth your time and maybe help with some of the confusion on what is "normal" consumption. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this topic?!!!
http://www.redbookmag.com/kids-family/advice/alcoholic-mom?click=main_sr
Very interesting article. I think for those of us who drink wine, we could see ourselves in some of these woman because we enjoy wine and we feel relaxed and rewarded for a day of work completed but I would hardly say that makes us alcoholics or on the verge of. Knowing when you should and shouldn't drink and keeping your REWARD as a reward and not as your "most drinked beverage of the day" is knowledge enough for me to know when it's OK and when I need to stop. - I need my wine like I need my pizza so it's not going away. With that said, I don't drink wine for the buzz, I drink it for the taste and within a glass or two (and knowing the calorie count, which matters to me) it's enough! - Thanks for sharing the article Mel. It's nice to read things like this to put ourselves and our drinking into perspective!
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