Day 6 has come around so fast, and we are nearly at the end of the first week.
Here comes the REAL challenge – the weekend.
Our brains have an amazing way of rationalising our self sabotage.
“I ate so well all week, I deserve a treat”
“It’s Saturday, what am I supposed to do, not enjoy myself?”
Don’t listen to these thoughts! They aren’t aligned with our goals and are not in our best interests. It’s just a slip of the brain, trying to tempt you back to old, comfortable habits.
Friday night can be a tough one for a lot of people, so I thought now is a good time to talk about alcohol and your Keto diet.
I am not an abstainer.
I have drunk my fair share of booze over the years, probably more than most but I am starting to accept this can’t continue.
If you are cutting back or eliminating alcohol during the challenge, it can be a great time to reflect on your need for alcohol.
We often say we NEED a wine. We MUST have a beer. We can’t relax/be social/sleep/enjoy food/etc without it.
Sure, there are lower carb alcohol choices out there.
But there is no such thing as healthy alcohol.
Alcohol is the most normalised drug we have – and the most dangerous drug.
If you have more than a couple of drinks a week, it is likely your body is experiencing detrimental effects from it.
Here’s why:
- Alcohol is almost twice the calories of protein or carbs – yes, even if its low carb. They add up quickly and you can drink a meals’ worth of calories in no time
- Drinking increases appetite, and…
- We make bad food decisions when drunk and especially when hungover (I don’t know about you, but I’m not having a salad on a hangover)
- It damages your stomach, kidneys, liver and the all important gut
- It lowers testosterone, which has a fat burning effect (part of the reason why men lose weight quickly)
- You sleep very poorly and become dehydrated very quickly, often leading to low motivation the next day. You are also likely to wake up during the night as the alcohol leaves your system
- It is addictive. That 5pm feeling of “oh I’d love a wine” is low grade addiction.
These affects are all there after ONE drink – not 10.
I’m not writing these things to make you feel bad, but instead so you can reconsider your relationship with alcohol, and how badly you actually need it.
Talk to anyone who doesn’t drink about their weekends, about all the things they do on a Sunday morning.
You will never miss a hangover, and you’ll never regret drinking water.
I am writing this as much for myself as for anyone else, as it’s time for me to recommit to cutting down on alcohol.
Who is with me?
Love
Rachel xxx
The Aussie Keto Queen
P.S
I encourage you to read more if you’re interested. In particular, Hello Sunday Morning and This Naked Mind have been really helpful to me. If ever you’re wondering how damaging alcohol is, jump on a forum of recovering alcoholics and have a chat.
