Finding a Healthy Relationship with Alcohol
As many of you know, I'm currently a student at Stonehill College and will be attending graduate school for physical therapy this upcoming fall. All college graduates and those of you currently in school KNOW that college life comes with a drinking scene - an environment certainly more attractive to some than others. My attitude toward alcohol has drastically changed since my freshmen year and I'd like to explain my journey toward a much healthier mindset.
Similar to the story of so many others, I went overboard during my first semester of undergraduate schooling. The freedom and independence can be so tempting for kids that have lived at home for the past 18 years, causing students to take every opportunity they can to get "wasted". NOW, by no means was I never dependent on alcohol - BUT I do know it was far too heavy to maintain the fitness-focused lifestyle I now enjoy. I am also not shaming anyone that can drink Thursday/Friday/Saturday/etc., but I am saying it may not be assisting you toward your fitness goals. My best friend at school manages to consistently drink moderately 3 nights a week because it's the lifestyle she prefers - and she is absolutely thriving.
OKAY, fast forward to the end of my freshmen year... The point in which alcohol became "poisonous" during my distorted mindset. The fact that alcoholic drinks provide only "empty calories", (those with no macronutrients or nutritional benefit), absolutely frightened me away from consuming any at all. I was wasting away to nothing and also isolating myself from social situations involving alcohol due to irrational fear - WHAT KIND OF COLLEGE FUN IS THAT?!
Luckily I was also able to shake that mindset and reach a more balanced lifestyle - I swear balance is the answer to everything. I've come to realize that anything in moderation can be incorporated into healthy living. So how exactly DO I approach this?! My relationship with alcohol transformed again once my approach to eating also became less obsessive. In my final years of college, I found the best method of drinking for me involves saving it for special occasions, select weekends, and typically formal settings. When I go to have a drink, I no longer hold the mindset of; "How many of these will I need to get drunk??" OR "Why am I bothering wasting calories on this when I should be chomping on broccoli instead?" 🙅🙅I now choose drinks I ENJOY most (despite that list being very short), and drinks that are least deterring from my fitness-related lifestyle. Wines are among my favorite drinks, especially red, and I truly try to incorporate a night of enjoying some every 1-2 weeks. Sometimes I simply have a glass at dinner. Other nights I'll have several glasses with my girls during a movie night OR I'll have a few vodka sodas at the bar with friends... ALL OPTIONS ARE FINE. Drinking is NOT a daily pattern for me and surely never will be, but I love having the mental ability to enjoy a drink with friends or family when I chose. I NEVER restrict calories for the day leading up to a night of drinking - as this can be both detrimental to health and cause late night binges for many people thinking it's a technique to save calories.
To conclude, don't assume that you need to completely remove alcohol from your diet to reach your fitness goals. If you're counting macros (which I still am not), a few occasional drinks can easily be tracked into your plan. If you're working on losing weight, it is wise to cut down the 4 nights of drinking to once/twice weekly to enhance the caloric deficit. Or you can swap the heavy pina coladas and margaritas for lighter options, especially if you're having trouble seeing results OR binging on pizzas and curly fries after a night out (HA we've all been there!!😂). However, if you're working on gaining weight, it is NOT wise to think you can absolutely drink whenever you want. Alcohol actually works to prevent peptide formation at the amino acid level and will only counteract your goals of increasing muscle mass. But it IS a treat like any other that can and should be moderated within your diet if it is something you enjoy to do - especially on social outings/occasions with friends😌.
I hope this was slightly helpful!? No one needs to take my exact approach on drinking, but it's currently what works best for me. BALANCE IS KEY. Thank you all so much for reading! Comments & questions welcome.
XOXO - Coco
Similar to the story of so many others, I went overboard during my first semester of undergraduate schooling. The freedom and independence can be so tempting for kids that have lived at home for the past 18 years, causing students to take every opportunity they can to get "wasted". NOW, by no means was I never dependent on alcohol - BUT I do know it was far too heavy to maintain the fitness-focused lifestyle I now enjoy. I am also not shaming anyone that can drink Thursday/Friday/Saturday/etc., but I am saying it may not be assisting you toward your fitness goals. My best friend at school manages to consistently drink moderately 3 nights a week because it's the lifestyle she prefers - and she is absolutely thriving.
OKAY, fast forward to the end of my freshmen year... The point in which alcohol became "poisonous" during my distorted mindset. The fact that alcoholic drinks provide only "empty calories", (those with no macronutrients or nutritional benefit), absolutely frightened me away from consuming any at all. I was wasting away to nothing and also isolating myself from social situations involving alcohol due to irrational fear - WHAT KIND OF COLLEGE FUN IS THAT?!
Luckily I was also able to shake that mindset and reach a more balanced lifestyle - I swear balance is the answer to everything. I've come to realize that anything in moderation can be incorporated into healthy living. So how exactly DO I approach this?! My relationship with alcohol transformed again once my approach to eating also became less obsessive. In my final years of college, I found the best method of drinking for me involves saving it for special occasions, select weekends, and typically formal settings. When I go to have a drink, I no longer hold the mindset of; "How many of these will I need to get drunk??" OR "Why am I bothering wasting calories on this when I should be chomping on broccoli instead?" 🙅🙅I now choose drinks I ENJOY most (despite that list being very short), and drinks that are least deterring from my fitness-related lifestyle. Wines are among my favorite drinks, especially red, and I truly try to incorporate a night of enjoying some every 1-2 weeks. Sometimes I simply have a glass at dinner. Other nights I'll have several glasses with my girls during a movie night OR I'll have a few vodka sodas at the bar with friends... ALL OPTIONS ARE FINE. Drinking is NOT a daily pattern for me and surely never will be, but I love having the mental ability to enjoy a drink with friends or family when I chose. I NEVER restrict calories for the day leading up to a night of drinking - as this can be both detrimental to health and cause late night binges for many people thinking it's a technique to save calories.
To conclude, don't assume that you need to completely remove alcohol from your diet to reach your fitness goals. If you're counting macros (which I still am not), a few occasional drinks can easily be tracked into your plan. If you're working on losing weight, it is wise to cut down the 4 nights of drinking to once/twice weekly to enhance the caloric deficit. Or you can swap the heavy pina coladas and margaritas for lighter options, especially if you're having trouble seeing results OR binging on pizzas and curly fries after a night out (HA we've all been there!!😂). However, if you're working on gaining weight, it is NOT wise to think you can absolutely drink whenever you want. Alcohol actually works to prevent peptide formation at the amino acid level and will only counteract your goals of increasing muscle mass. But it IS a treat like any other that can and should be moderated within your diet if it is something you enjoy to do - especially on social outings/occasions with friends😌.
I hope this was slightly helpful!? No one needs to take my exact approach on drinking, but it's currently what works best for me. BALANCE IS KEY. Thank you all so much for reading! Comments & questions welcome.
XOXO - Coco
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