Alcohol, booze, plonk, beverages, tipples, dram, drink or giggle water!
Whatever you call it, as a nation we
love it.
Every media story of how good a glass of wine is for our heart, how a glass of beer a day does this or that we pounce upon and grab that bottle.
Now, I'm not going to write all the negative effects of alcohol, you know these.
Life is about living and a glass of wine with friends if a
perfect way to spend an evening.
Where the lines blur is that crossover point into where the units are too much for you over a week and/or you are using it as a sedative.
When talking results with clients and they have all the other ducks in a row there are a couple of things that derail the most perfect of
efforts:
- poor sleep
- poor nutrition and hydration
- too much alcohol
Sleep and nutrition can be fixed with some effort when a person starts down the path of making some changes and starts to feel how much better they feel physically and mentally.
Then the focus turns to alcohol. This can get tough.
Those clients that do quit for a bit, or even entirely, propel themselves forward toward their goals so fast it surprises all around them
Taking a long
hard look at whether we need alcohol really can be THE secret to success
I'm a non drinker, albeit very much an EX drinker.
I nearly lost the love of my life, stunted my progression for years and nearly killed myself with alcohol.
Yes, I was a mess.
I lived for the weekend, that first sip at the start of the evening.
I NEEDED it to feel comfortable out socially...to the point I would down a bottle before even leaving the house.
I was having fun and made lifelong friends so it wasn't all bad :-D
However, below are some things below of expected and unexpected positive life changes I experienced when I did finally quit:
- bad things/ curveballs/ upsetting things that happen to me I can deal with better as my first reaction is to grab a pen and thrash it out on a piece of paper or pick up the phone to a friend, INSTEAD of reaching for a bottle.
- Monday mornings are
the same as every other day
- work is the same as play, it is just as social as the pub. Taking the need for that glass in hand away means I don't class it any different.
- I wake up at 4am every day, my natural rhythm feels like it adjusted back into place with a few months of giving up
- my thoughts and words are always me and me alone
- people gravitate to the sober person at a party or a bar (try it!)
- social confidence INCREASED after a initial awkward period.
- skin improved
- fat loss doubled in rate alongside the nutritional changes and training
- sleep quality improved
- recovery
from training improved
- recovery time from illness halved
- finances improved
Overall, my life became 10 x more easier in every facet minus alcohol.
Most people have a much healthier relationship to alcohol than I had, although I am sure there are others that were much
worse.
Through my own mistakes I know how easy it is to go down the 'wrong' route in life choices, and I know first hand how simple (yet really HARD) it is to make a change.
At the end of the day, cutting back or quitting alcohol should be seen the same as cutting back or quitting cigarettes, processed food or
sugar.
If you want the benefits from it, do it.
If you can honestly say you have a good handle on it and are happy, stick with where you are.
All of the above are so interwoven into our lives that taking these away is a major life change so needs to be done gently in some
respects, but with a strong and forceful approach if the change is to last.
The benefits we get reach into every facet of our lives and add in new ones too!
When I quit I did it because I could see where I was heading.
The above changes I noticed are the tip of the iceberg...and as it was over 10 years ago I've probably forgotten heaps too...
To put it all together life is consistent and my energy levels are the same across the day and week.
A run or gym session on a Friday is the same a run or gym session on a Monday.
Always moving forwards uninterrupted.
Add this to better mobility through good training, more energy from sensible nutrition choices and reduced stress through balancing life it is all there for the taking!
J
