Taking a break from the booze
On Thursday nights after school the yoga girls and I head to the bar for drinks. They all had beer and I had ginger beer.
Last year was a rough year. Last month was a rough month.
At some point in December I decided that eating and drinking whatever I wanted was fine and I would get back to clean living when I was emotionally ready. I usually like to set a deadline for myself, otherwise the unhealthy lifestyle can go on too long and find no end in sight.
And sometimes just knowing I have set a timeline for myself makes me feel OK in the moment of unhealthy living. There are times when we just want to or need to break away from the routine. But we must always get back to it.
I was pretty unhealthy in December. My yoga practice (home practice and public classes) was a little disturbed by the goings on but for the most part was pretty regular and I was happy to keep something routine and healthy going on in my life.
At work, there were many lunches and happy hours.
Even once we were on winter break I continued to drink more than I typically do. (I try to reserve alcohol intake to the weekends.)
I was definitely drinking too much in December. I didn’t do anything bad or stupid. Just took in a little too much booze.
I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions (why you ask? because they don’t work). But I decided to start with a clean slate on January 2. We returned from a trip to San Diego on the first and I could start to control the food I ate and the things I drank better with being back home.
I am back to eating rather healthy since January 2 and have already lost some weight. I am back on track to get back to my goal weight soon.
I decided to not drink for a time. Sort of a way to cleanse myself. It was not permanent.
I gave up drinking for two weeks. I am sure some of my readers are wondering what the big deal is, just two weeks? And others are wondering how the in hell I could give it up for that long.
It wasn’t easy, for sure.
I went out a couple of times with girlfriends. Thursday nights the yoga girls go out for beers after school/class. I went out and just had a ginger beer. (Last night I skipped yoga girls/beer night out because I was tired and had to finish getting ready for my flight today.) Fancy, fun birthday dinner for one of the girls and I said no to the delicious bottles of wine ordered.
I probably would have tried to give up alcohol for the whole month. But I am headed to Tucson this weekend. And not to be overly dramatic, but I will be drinking when I am around my family. Plus, I really don’t want to have to field the nosey questions about why I am not drinking. No, I am not pregnant!
Once I am back home I will go back to limiting alcohol to the weekends.
As I write this I am having a beer at the airport bar. My first drink in two weeks. Don’t judge that it is still in the a.m.
I came up with a mocktail to sip at home. I used either club soda or sparkling mineral water over ice and squeezed a lemon (and sometimes added lime). I made sure to rub the lemon over the lip of the glass for a little extra taste.
I have to say I felt a lot better over these two weeks. And it has been a stressful two weeks at work. But I kept my eating clean and stayed away from alcohol and kept my yoga practice pretty regular.