A Guide To Drinking Responsibly
Please be mindful of the legal drinking age in your country, I am in no way endorsing underage drinking*
You can’t deny that we all like to go out for a drink every now and then, for some, more often than others. But whether that be a quick drink with mates, some after work drinks to relax after a long day or just enjoying a glass or two with a meal, alcohol is in some way part of your life.
For myself, despite living a reasonably health-conscious life I am not against having a drink with mates and if I feel like it, a glass of wine during a nice meal out. That brings me to the topic of drinking responsibly. You all know my favourite concept is ‘balance’, for those who know me, you probably are rolling your eyes and thinking yep here he goes again with ‘balance’ haha. I enjoy life, I keep it real, I still eat what I want, drink what I want but I 100% make sure I only do it for pure enjoyment. I refuse to binge due to being in the moment or being pressured.
If you are conscious about your weight and diet, don’t be naïve about the calories in alcohol, you may think because it’s liquid, it can’t be that bad, there’s more than you think. According to the Alcohol Think Again website, five pre-mixed drinks are half an average adult’s calorie intake.
Also note that, alcoholic beverages are ‘empty calories’, so they may taste nice, but they provide zero nutritional value. So, for those who are on a diet or want to cut weight, it probably is best to avoid it full stop. One drink can be equivalent to the calories in one meal. And when it comes to getting leaner, you want to make the most of those calories with sufficient protein, fats and carbohydrates.
For those who are like me and still like to be a bit cheeky sometimes, here are some of my tips on how I remain conscious of when I drink and how much I decide to drink:
Also note that, alcoholic beverages are ‘empty calories’, so they may taste nice, but they provide zero nutritional value. So, for those who are on a diet or want to cut weight, it probably is best to avoid it full stop. One drink can be equivalent to the calories in one meal. And when it comes to getting leaner, you want to make the most of those calories with sufficient protein, fats and carbohydrates.
For those who are like me and still like to be a bit cheeky sometimes, here are some of my tips on how I remain conscious of when I drink and how much I decide to drink:
Balance
As mentioned previously, balance is one of my favourite words. I don’t deal well with restriction, so this guide isn’t about completely cutting out the alcohol. It’s more about how you can still responsibly and consciously control your intake and not deprive yourself of what you may enjoy. Drinking isn’t bad for you, a drink here and there sometimes will relax you. In fact some alcoholic beverages like red wine do have some health benefits. However, it all comes down to quantity, a glass of red wine every night, might be good for you but a bottle per night, probably not the best especially for the calorie conscious.
Binge Drinking
This is pretty obvious really. If you’re being conscious, bingeing on the booze isn’t the way to go and should be avoided. However, we are all human and sometimes those special occasions deserve a looser version of ourselves. For me if I know a special occasion is going to come up, I plan for it, I may choose to drink less on a night out with the boys or skip that glass of wine with a meal. Binge responsibly and know there may be some aftereffects from those actions, the thought of a hangover the next morning might actually work a charm and help you consciously decide when to say no to the next round of shots.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
We all have experienced this feeling before, we planned for a quiet night and friends spontaneously spring on an alcoholic-filled night of party and fun. You want to say no but FOMO takes over. The way I see it is, you can either try with all your might to accidently hang up the phone or force yourself to say you are extremely tired or you just go enjoy your night. Good friends will respect you want to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum, your company should be all that matters, right? You can still drink but opt for a lower calorie alternative such as Hendricks gin and tonic and set yourself a limit and be strict on it.
I’ll Just Have One
Honestly, just having one is easier than it sounds. Depending on how responsible you are with self-control or the crowd you are with, often having one drink is setting yourself up for failure. If you are being conscious of your health, the excuse of thinking “one won’t hurt” will add up over time. It all accumulates. Let’s say in one month, every three days, you’ll just have one, that’s still 10 additional unplanned drinks. Be mindful of the effects of your actions.
It’s a Social Thing
I often hear, you need to drink to be social, this is not true, you don’t need to crack some cans or sip on some wine to be social. You can eat burgers with the boys or go for a manicure with the girls. Avoid that mindset of thinking that anything social involves alcohol, save it for occasions. With that mindset you’ll be regularly consuming alcohol to the point where it’s second nature because everything can be classified as a social occasion.
Water is Your Best Friend
Alcohol dehydrates your body, so make sure you’re drinking water, before, during and after consuming alcohol, especially when you’re having a boozy one. My personal tip is to go one for one by ensuring you’re having a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you have. This means constant bathroom trips, especially once the ‘seal is broken’ but it’s worth it. If you’re having one of those occasional boozing with the boys or a girls night out, then I would recommend you to chug water when you’re home, whilst having some form of electrolytes such as a sports drink. This will help with avoiding the hangover the next day.
Say No to That Greasy Meal
As delicious as it sounds, avoid that high calorie meal after your night out. You don’t need a bunch of cheeseburgers, chips and nuggets to help soak up the alcohol. You’re just adding even more calories into your body. Most of the time, it’s not worth it. Go home, chug water and eat something small.
I am Single
This is not and should never be an excuse to go out and drink. If you enjoy a drink and find it comforting than by all means, enjoy. However, I am more referring to emotional drinking where you may be seeing loved up couples everywhere you turn and start feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have a significant other in your life. Don’t turn to alcohol, there are better things to do than drowning your sorrows with negative calories. You are not doing yourself any favours by doing that. As alternatives, you can go out for a drink with a group where it will allow you to step outside of the house and potentially make new friends or meet someone special.
Have a Plan
For me, I usually know when an event or celebration is coming up. I generally have a plan for my week and in that case I set out my calories for the day. I don’t necessarily calorie count but I will be conscious of what I consume on that day. If I know I have a booze fest with the boys at night I will be minimizing the carb load during the day. If there are a few events during the week I will make an effort to control what I eat for the alternative days of the week so my overall calorie intake is reasonable.