I had a conversation with a friend today about wine. She uses it daily (only a glass or two) every night when she comes home from work at her super high-stress job. She also wants to lose weight (specifically around her mid-section).
Wine and Women
Jun 27, 2019
This is not the first time I've had this conversation. I typically work with women and this is a very common conversation.
Here's the simple answer that many trainers give and expect their clients to simply adhere to: If you want to lose the weight, give up the wine.
Here are the problems with that advice.
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You already know that.
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You're not willing/able to follow the advice. I don't mean you're an alcoholic. I mean you LIKE your wine and you don't have another mechanism readily available to help you cope with stress.
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You already know that. You're looking for a solution to a problem that you may not be ready to solve, but by asking the question you feel like you're making progress...and in some small way, you are.
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Social pressure makes the thought of breaking up with wine a tough task even for the strongest among us.
What can you do?
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Set a target. Your brain likes targets. It doesn't like avoidance. This means you have to set yourself up to DO something instead of reaching for the glass of wine. Maybe it's meditation, maybe it's going for a walk. Maybe it's drinking from a smaller glass. Maybe it's drinking water in between glasses of wine.
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Make a conscious choice to make the change. Yes, this may mean talking to yourself..."Self, we're doing something different tonight. We're going outside and breathing deeply for 3 minutes before we have a glass of wine."
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Remember, your health is worth the effort. Sure, it's only a glass of wine. That's one way to look at it. It's only a glass of wine, that makes you feel awful when you look in the mirror, is another way to look at it.
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Get help. Making changes to your health and wellness isn't easy. Support, accountability and guidance are key...whether it's professional help or help from a friend...you are worth it! Remember that...always.
