Alcohol and your goals 🧐

As you (hopefully) know, I believe in everything in moderation. Restriction of anything you really like can lead to a blowout.

I remember when I was prepping for the bikini competition and I would find my Instagram feed full of calorific foods oozing with Nutella. My body was craving calories and instagram knew that’s what I wanted to see.

It’s only now, with very little restriction in my life, that I notice some bikini competitors that I still follow, sharing these gluttonous foods - and they don’t really appeal to me any more, because I can have them whenever I want. Which, it turns out, is not that often.

Over the last few years, I’ve contemplated my relationship with alcohol a lot and I’ve currently come to the conclusion that removing it all together would not be the best option for me.

Why?

Because it isn’t hindering my current goals.

Plus I just can’t imagine a life where you can’t have a cheeky margarita on Taco Tuesday!

But what about yourself?

Most of my clients have a goal of fat loss.

I’m not the kind of coach that tells you what to do.

I like you to make informed decisions.

As we know, dropping body fat needs an energy (caloric) deficit.

This week, I managed to be in a caloric deficit, despite drinking a lot on Saturday and going for pizza with my friends last night.

How?

Activity was high over the week and weekend. Even when I woke up on Sunday, I had 6000 steps done from my late night dancing!

I was a bit too hungover on Sunday to eat until the afternoon on Sunday, so I had enough calories for pizza and cookies.

(This is, of course, not conducive with health, but I’m just showing that you can be in a calorie deficit and having fun) 

Now, if you’re reading this in disgust that a personal trainer lives like this, maybe I’m not the coach for you.

I also know that my Sundays are my lazy days and that I will be back to my productive, healthy and fit self on a Monday so I’m not beating myself up about it.

For my clients, I like them to try not to overhaul their life but to live it with more awareness and look out for small habits that they could change that might illicit a calorie deficit.

E.g. Perhaps they go out at the weekend for dinner and drinks and it ends up with them in a calorie surplus. I don’t want any guilt around this. I want them to journal their thoughts on how they are feeling, with their goals and values in mind.

If they are really set on fat loss as a goal, then they might decide that next time they’ll go for the dinner and not drink, or they will eat at home and then go for drinks, or they will make sure to get up and do some movement on the Sunday, OR perhaps they are really clear on their values of enjoying time with friends and family and practice acceptance that it will mean a slower route to their fat loss goal - and that’s perfect!

I like to use a “no hangover” rule for the majority of the time (last weekend was a special occasion!), which means I can have a nice glass of wine with dinner or a margarita but only enough that I don’t feel it the next day.

At the moment, I’m not that fussed about a fat loss goal, but currently my main goal is building the new version of The Furnace and learning how to market it properly.

So if you would like some help getting to your goals, in an empowered way, you can join The Furnace today. If you have any questions or doubts whether it is suitable for you, please reply here and we’ll see if you’re a good fit!

Thanks for reading,

Siobhan “more steps on a Saturday night than all week” O’Hagan