Is Happy Hour Sabotaging your Fitness Hour?

Probably not,  IF (and that's a big IF) you are keeping happy hour to once or twice a week. One or two glasses of wine per week will probably not make a difference at our waistlines, but let's get 'Real'....how many of us are holding at one glass of wine once a week? 

You know the scenario... You've just uncorked a chilled bottle of Clois DuBois;  your husband doesn't like Chardonnay, and it will go bad if not finished in a day or two, sooo... half a bottle a night for 2 nights and problem solved. I'll be the first to admit it, I love a glass of wine while cooking dinner and maybe another while eating dinner. I'm not talking about excessive amounts of alcohol here, but even low to moderate amounts (1 or 2 glasses nightly) can slow metabolism and our ability to burn fat! Add the excess empty calories dumped into our system (not to mention the toxins) and we have a good chance of sabotaging all our hard work at the gym.

Moderate amounts of alcohol can also interfere with sleep patterns , making muscle regeneration particularly challenging. We need good, sound sleep to effectively recover from our workouts.

I don't want to get preachy here, I love the "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" happy hour motto too. Instead I would like to share some of the challenge based  solutions that I use to keep my self tuned up and reaping in all the benefits of my workouts.

Consider a 30 day alcohol free challenge. 

This one is my favorite. I do this on and off throughout the year, planning the months strategically throughout the year so that I can attend weddings and celebrations and enjoy a glass of wine or two! During my challenge months I substitute my glass of wine with a glass of kombucha or sparkling water in a wine glass! I always feel fabulous after these challenges and it shows in the way my skin looks and my clothes fit. I just got done with one last week and am planning another one Sept 15th-Oct15th.

Take 6 months off from all adult beverages.

This plan takes a little more discipline but you will see big changes: after 3-4 weeks the fat begins to melt off!I did this in 2011.... No wine from Jan 1 thru July 1.  Allow one exception on this plan. On my 50th birthday my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful bottle of French wine together!

Don't cocktail at home.

This one works well if you attend a lot of social events. And it goes without saying... No driving on those special nights out!  So pick a challenge plan and give it a go! it may not seem like it now, but it can be  satisfying to challenge yourself by giving up favorites for a predetermined amount of time. It's empowering to know that YOU are in control!

And remember when you do enjoy "happy hour" moderation is the answer to long term success. 

Hope this helps..... and as always let me know how it goes! 

Your coach,

Cecily