Male Mastery - 5 Things I Noticed After Reducing My Alcohol Consumption
Hands up if your alcohol consumption has increased during lockdown? Boredom, depression, frustration, stress, nagging wife or girlfriend. Not to mention the kids driving you round the bend. All contributing factors for so many people whose alcohol consumption increased after being stuck at home all day during lockdown.
I don't have kids and, nor a nagging girlfriend. But even I found myself drinking more during certain periods of lockdown, just out of boredom. Never a good reason to have a drink, I’m sure you will all agree.
At the end of January, I thought enough was enough. Two packs of Punk IPA on days that finished with a Y wasn't doing my weight or productivity any good. Neither was it enjoyable anymore. The thought of not drinking at all wasn't that appealing either.
So I decided to jump into a new fitness routine and reduced drinking to just one day a week, either a Friday or Saturday night. After all, it was the weekend, and I needed to be reminded of that whilst being cooped up during lockdown.
Some of the things I noticed after reducing my alcohol consumption might be obvious to some of you, but a little reminder never hurt anyone. Let's be honest, when we consume alcohol regularly, logical thinking and common sense can often go out the window.
5 Things I Noticed After Reducing My Alcohol Consumption:
Weight loss
No shit Sherlock I hear many of you cry. But you would be surprised just how many people I know say they gain weight easily when in fact, it's simply the empty calories that alcohol provides that hinders weight loss and fitness goals. And it's not just the alcohol itself that contributes to weight gain. Alcohol is a gateway drug. The gateway to poor food choices, not to mention it diminishes your motivation to work out!
Improved food choices
I'm not talking about the food we eat after a night on the booze or the morning after a big pissup. I am talking about a social couple of beers or glasses of wine of an evening. When this becomes a regular thing, you will find we have an inherent want for less healthy foods in our everyday life. Alcohol, as we know, is packed full of sugar; if not the alcohol itself, then quite often the mixer. So when you wake up the following day, you might not be hungover, but the majority of people's food choices are far less healthy and certainly more calorific than they would be if they weren't chasing the sugar fix. Breakfast bap from McDonald's, anyone?
Inflammation (face & joints)
I've made no secret that turning 40 was a huge fucking wake up call for me. So when I notice pains and soreness in my joints when I train, it's another reminder that I'm no longer in my 20s. If I found myself drinking more than I usually would, which I did during certain periods of lockdown, I noticed that my body reacted to it. And not in a good way, I might add - pain in my knees and ankles when I tried to squat. Not to mention a puffy face. Cut out or reduce your alcohol consumption, and you will notice a difference within a week.
Better mental health
It might be my age or my body just being honest with me. But regular boozing fucks with my mental health. And let me make this clear to everyone. There's an extremely high chance it fucks with yours as well, even if you think your mental health is OK. Replace mental health with happiness or positivity and ask yourself the same question. I know people who would argue they don't suffer from depression, yet they're miserable fuckers most of the time and certainly negative for the best part. I love a drink as much as the next person, but regularly drinking makes me less of the person I want to be.
Be honest with yourself - is alcohol affecting you in a similar way?
All areas of my life have improved.
Yes, it's a broad answer, but it's the truth. As I've said before, I enjoy a drink. Getting out on the piss with the lads, a big session watching the rugby or sitting in a backstreet bar in Bangkok whilst travelling. But there is a time and a place. I am not advocating that you give up completely, far from it. But suppose it starts to affect the things that mean something to you (business goals, fitness goals, relationship goals) and stops you from making progress. In that case, it's time to address your alcohol consumption and prioritise your goals and lifestyle.
The cold hard reality of boozing too much
For me personally, I start to lose my connection with my spiritual self, my workouts deteriorate, my diet goes out the window, and I'm far less productive. But drinking is so deeply ingrained in our culture and society; it's easy to fall into bad habits, especially now that we are out of lockdown and summer is on its way - hello, beer gardens!
The key is recognising the signs and realigning with a lifestyle that will move you closer to your future goals. Let me leave you with something to ponder.
I have never met anyone who didn't feel better after reducing their alcohol consumption - Damian King
