I’m not one for “memes”, but the latest thread about vices is kind of interesting. Quick To Fit asks:
What is your biggest health or fitness vice?
I wish I could say I never thought about vices. I wish that moderation were so ingrained into my soul that my indulgence of the odd treat was so rare that it could hardly be termed a “vice”.
The truth is, I think about vices a lot, more than I would say is “healthy”. And even though I’m fairly moderate about my vices, my thinking around them is anything but. But I’m skirting the question. What’s my biggest vice?
My biggest vice falls into two categories, both liquid: diet soda and alcohol.
Diet soda doesn’t trouble me as much as beer. I try not to drink it very often, and when I do, I don’t get too bent out of shape about “failing”.
When it comes to alcohol, however, I definitely have (or at least used to have) a horrible tendency to drink WAY too much. I’m a fast drinker, and can finish a pint at the same pace as my boyfriend. It may not seem like a big deal, but I’m about half his size, and half the size of most people, so it’s an effort not to drink so fast that I basically get drunk immediately.
The trouble is, I really like beer and wine. Especially beer. I think I have pretty good taste in beer, too. I’d like to drink it every day. I know, I know – studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol every day is good for the heart. But screw the research. For someone like me who’s done her time at the college watering holes, drinking every day is simply not healthy no matter how much or how little I drink. I don’t quite have the self control to limit myself to “just one”. So for me, one drink a day just isn’t healthy: I’ll only want more.
I’ve been pretty good in recent years about limiting my alcohol intake. But I still think about it all the time, and I still have to remind myself to slow down, drink water, and be moderate, every time I go to the pub. I miss the days when I drank without reservation – it was much more relaxing! But I don’t miss being a lardo who could never remember her Friday nights. Sometimes I wonder if I should just quit drinking altogether.
One of my favorite bloggers, Sally Parrot Ashbrook, left this comment on Get Fit Slowly, where JD also cited alcohol as a vice:
I was thinking just this morning about how my alcohol consumption has increased lately and maybe isn’t at a healthy point (not just how it relates to calories, but also emotionally). Then I was thinking, when you are utilizing (not necessarily abusing) a glass of wine or whatever to help you chill out a bit, and you decide to cut back or cut out alcohol, you have to figure out how else to offer yourself support for what the alcohol is offering you in your life. I’m intending to try yoga and a couple of other things; I’ve been thinking about it today. . . .
This made me think: If booze causes me more worry than relaxation, maybe I should trade it up for something else? The trouble is, there’s nothing that’s so ingrained in the social culture as alcohol (not in London anyway). And I want my social life to be relaxing. All too often the two collide and I’m left wondering where the happy medium is.
I’m hoping to one day be able to be around alcohol and not worry about this crap. The whole point here is to be healthy, and worry is far less healthy than alcohol (in moderation!).
I am supposed to tag someone else to post on this meme. How about NCN at No Calories Needed and Ali at The Office Diet?
Pete @ quicktofit says
Thanks for participating! I know the memes going around can get a bit tiresome, but I thought this one actually asked a good question that makes us examine our lives and think about what is and isn’t healthy.
Alcohol is your vice, huh? yeah, that used to be a big one for me. Now I only have a beer ever few weeks or so, and I hardly ever drink so I’m a cheap date!
NickK says
I definitely have that same vice! I love red wine. I tend to crack open a bottle or two of cheaper stuff for drinking during the week to have a glass (or two) with dinner, and then get something better on the weekends. I’ve started instituting a couple of rules to help me curb the amount – maybe they’ll help you?
1) When ordering wine/beer with dinner, get water until the food comes out. Then when the server asks if there is anything else you need, order what you’d like. This almost ALWAYS takes at least one drink away, as I’m typcially ready for a second one if I order at the start of the meal.
2) Drink more water! Drink water with or in between your alcoholic drinks. It should slow you down!
3) Pay in cash, and only take enough for a couple of drinks. This one works if you typically drink with just another person, but it makes you more conscious of what you order. Watch out for when people buy rounds for you, though!
Hope those help. I still work on it, but these help when I am mindful of them.
Love the blog!
Stu says
I’m with you NickK.
I more than enjoy a good drink up yet love being healthy. The latter inspired, shall we say, because of the former. For the last fortnight I’ve tried in vain to not drink at all during the week, but unfortunately this has been caused by overindulgence on both weekends!
But similarly whilst out last night having dinner in a restaurant, I opted for chinese tea and then water instead of booze. I think my biggest challenge is equalising the amount of booze intake over the course of a week!
When I don’t drink I think smarter, am more productive and find my mood is generally better. Maybe my livers trying to tell me something!
Lance says
Beer is good isn’t it? And I like your picture – my favorite New Glarus is Spotted Cow. And I just drank an Island Wheat this past weekend. But I biked today, so does that offset it?