Author: Caroline

young and the resting

In Defense of Beer, Wine, and Liquor

Before I get any angry comments about alcoholism: I am not saying “yay alcoholism!”

If you cannot drink in moderation, it is most likely a coping mechanism for deeper issues. (So let’s deal with the deeper issues!)

But this post is for people who are afraid of beer, wine, or liquor for the calories or weight gain. People who feel that their social life is hindered by not only fear of food- but fear of the evil calories of alcohol.

If you’re afraid of the bingeing or “overeating” you do during or after alcohol, that means you need to be eating more. If you binge or stuff your face every time you drink, it means your body is using your defenses being down as an opportunity to get in more calories.

Do not mistake this as a problem with alcohol. This has everything to do with you needing to eat more! In general!

While drinking, your best bet is to eat carbohydrates before and during and after.

And to drink beer.

Or drink wine. Or liquor.

Whatever you like.

If you drink to excess you will feel shitty. It will mess with your day. It will tax your liver. You will sleep poorly. I don’t recommend it for a million other reasons before weight.

Most alcoholics are skinny. Which is another point that goes to show: skinny is not everything. Skinny does not equal health and happiness.

Alcohol does not inherently lead to weight gain.

Alcohol is not a calorie concern. Don’t obsessed over drinking “skinny” and having two vodka diet cokes and snacking sparsely on edamame.

Eat. Drink a bit. Enjoy your friends. Laugh. Sleep well.

Drink a beer. Or two.

Fuck It.

I Shouldn’t Finish This Meal

Have you ever looked at your meal and thought “I’ll just eat some of it. I really shouldn’t finsih this.”

WHY!?

If. You. Are. Hungry. You. Should. Eat.

You should absolutely finish your meal if you are hungry for it. And you retain every right to stop if you start to get full- or over it – partially through.

But feeling guilt for finishing a meal when you were hungry for it is absurd and counter-intuitive. No matter HOW big the meal is.

The point of food and feeding yourself is about satiation. If you eat too much, you will be full and satisfied longer. Sure you may be uncomfortable, depending on how much you ate, but if you continue listening your body will adjust and make up for it the next meal. That is how we are wired. Especially in a surplus of food.

Eat as much of your meal as you want. Eat the whole thing if you want it. There is no prize for leaving that extra bite in your bowl. Leaving it, if you are hungry, is in fact, crazy.

Eating should be easy. Feeling satiated or full shouldn’t be nerve-racking.

You should finish that meal if you want. You should stop eating if you want. You should eat how and what you want, and in time your body will start to get it. It is all good.

Fuck It.

Stop Exercising

Seriously. Stop. If you are addicted at all to exercising, stop. If you have any past of restrictive eating or imbalanced energy intake and expenditure, stop. Stop stop stop.

I know how addictive exercise can be to a disordered eating/body dysmorphic mind. I know. I also know that moving and weight bearing activity can feel AMAZING and is VERY good for you and life affirming. But not the way so many of us do it, and not if your body needs to heal and become nourished and fix your metabolism.

Seriously. Stop.

Your body can regulate its eating and burning and metabolism easier and faster without exercising.

And, if you want to sit for 2 weeks, or 2 months… or more, straight on your couch, so be it.

I promise you will want to move again, and then and only then, when you genuinely want to move- can you add in exercising again.

Exercise should not be one of those things that stresses you out or makes you feel bad (doing or not doing it).

Only when you leave it and realize that your life and body are fine without it, can you add it back in in a healthy and sustainable way.

NOTE: For anyone who is going to comment and say “BUT EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU”. I know. Believe me I know. Just not the way disordered eaters and exercisers do it. Stopping is more beneficial in that case. For anyobne who is going to comment and say “BUT EXERCISING MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD”. I believe you, if you are sure you are not addicted or using it to go into a deficit or to “burn off your food” obsessively, then fine! But you secretly know if skipping exercise stresses you out in an obsessive way. You know!

Healthy and sustainable and life affirming movement and activity is part of continuing to allow your body to be a Badass machine… but not in the beginning. And maybe not for a while.

You’ll know when to add it back in. You add it back in when its just a nice addition to your day, not a way to “repent” or obsessively feel like you are countering all the eating you are doing.

And check out my workbook if you haven’t already.

Fuck Diets. Fuck being skinny.