Of note: this information is for people who are ~if possible~ trying to balance alcohol with weight loss. It's not intended to address addiction and will be useless on that front.
Let's get into it.
In this issue:
- Why an operating system is more effective than rules (or apps).
- The power of defaults.
- How to shape your operating system.
An operating system allows you to maneuver through life's endless opportunities to (eat and) drink with a template for making decisions quickly and in your best interest.
If you go into every social situation without one, you're going to consume alcohol by default. An operating system gives you control without relying on calorie logging or some other high-friction 'solution.'
I've seen all kinds of methods to reduce drinking, but none have particularly impressed me. Sure, you can count drinks on an app, but once that device is gone, your drinking will creep back up to the current level. You can do a 'challenge.' I like this one a little better because it at least gives you time to observe yourself without alcohol.
But to my mind, nothing is as helpful as knowing how and why you make decisions when presented with the choice to drink. The why is key, so please refer to part one if you haven't considered it. It's crucial to make the connection between your weight or well-being (same difference) and the more significant effects of alcohol.
This is one of many reasons I don't care about the calories in alcohol, or at the very least, that's the least problematic aspect of drinking, especially for women in midlife. Of which I am one ⬇️
I call these defaults.
They're essentially shortcuts to making decisions based on your particular needs. Here are some questions to spark your good thinking.
- Do I drink once or twice a week or a month?
- Do I drink before or after a meal?
- Do I drink only when offered something I'm excited about, or do I need other methods of discernment?
- Do I drink to please others or feel part of a group, or is there another way to approach inclusion?
- Do I want to break the stress/drinking cycle, and what behaviors am I willing to try instead of reaching for alcohol?
A word about experimentation.
All health is a series of experiments. It was never rules, plans, or the breezy term lifestyle. It's you going about your life and trying this and that to get to something meaningful.
I tell you this to give you the freedom to try things, fail, and then skip the recrimination and try something else.
My expertise is in clarity around the process, not showing up with some ironclad plan where you sink or swim. No one grows that way, and I care about your continued evolution.
Here's my most potent default.
I don't 🍷
Before you roll your eyes and throw up your hands, that doesn't mean I never do. It means that my general position is not to.
That's powerful because now I must consider the conditions required for partaking. For me, it involves sleep, stomach pain, time of day, and quality of offerings.
That interrupts slippery thinking and has helped me to cut my consumption by about 90%. I'm happy with that number because the effects of alcohol make it hard to perform my healthy weight behaviors. Menopause has changed my body's ability to resist the effects of imbibing, and it's okay to accept that reality.
💡It's ok to stop drinking altogether if efforts to moderate are unsuccessful. A good life does not require alcohol.
How to work with me:
- Learn to make real food–without recipes, gadgets, or hours of prep.
- Take my sugar course 🍭
- Individual coaching sessions (one or three).
- Hit reply and ask me a question!
