What did you throw out?

atamrowski
atamrowski Posts: 417 Member
in Motivation and Support
New Year's bring on so many cliches for wanting to be a better person to getting fit for the new year to come. I am guilty for falling into those same type of cliches to only set myself up for failure.

We all want to be better people inside and out but I believe it starts making small changes. For starters, if you want to be a nicer person, you smile more and reach out to others more. If you want to lose weight, you eat better. If those small changes are short-lived, then there's no point in even boasting those resolutions.

Instead of making commitments hastily, I say we throw out or put away the NEGATIVE elements in our life to keep us from reaching our positive goals. Sure you can eat a salad but eating a doughnut afterwards won't make you skinny. If we can keep the smallest NEGATIVE things at bay, or even eliminate them in our lives completely, it just helps us reach our mini goals much more easier.

So instead of making the typical resolution to be healthier and smarter, I chose to "throw out" the NEGATIVE that has kept me from achieving any of the good things. It's call alcohol. While it brings no nutritional value to my body but it serves no purpose right now if I want to achieve healthier goals. And who knows without it, I might become that "nice" person we all want to be. :)

So what did you throw out?

Replies

  • Rwheltsley
    Rwheltsley Posts: 16 Member
    That is a steep one.

    As a sidenote - have you ever noticed that you can't talk about alcohol at all without sounding like you have an alcohol problem?

    For example, I don't have a problem with it (See? Now it sounds like I do.) but I also don't think I would/could give it up. I have no motivation to NOT have it. I don't typically drink during the week just because there is nothing going on, but whenever my friends and I get together to do just about anything, alcohol is involved.

    I know it's empty calories - but I really couldn't imagine what I would do when out with friends at the bar or after a long day at work. Or, come warmer weather again - how am I supposed to properly cut the grass without knowing a delicious cold beer is waiting for me after? The thought of watching a baseball game without beers at the stadium sounds more like a punishment than anything. I'm a guy and I like sports, but I've found baseball to be incredibly boring without beer.

    Power to you if that will help you achieve your goals, but I guess I enjoy it more that I will make concessions elsewhere in order to be able to enjoy a few beers here and there.
  • atamrowski
    atamrowski Posts: 417 Member
    I can understand. It's hard to make it sound like you don't have a problem when you mention it but in order to kickstart my weight loss, I have to start somewhere. That's just me. I can't speak for anyone else. I don't eat sweets so really my caloric downfall is the wine right now. So instead of cookies and cake, I'm forgoing the alcohol for a few weeks!

    :)
  • xF7x
    xF7x Posts: 143
    good point
  • dragonladywendy
    dragonladywendy Posts: 71
    I really admire your slant on this topic! By removing the negatives, rather than trying to state what (limited) new resolutions will remain, is superb. Also, trying to 'give up' alcohol is really difficult, to begin with. I barely drink now (and yep, it now sounds like I have a problem with it lol!!) but I've found I enjoy food too much to allow those precious few spare calories to be taken up with drink.

    After two years of only drinking one night a month (and it's usually only a couple of drinks as I'm now a cheap bet!!) I find I don't miss it at all. Even this Christmas, I've only participated with a couple of wine bottles with friends and family...what we actually bought is still to be opened! So it can be done. (Giving up smoking was a damn sight harder!)

    As for me...I am removing and no longer buying biscuits/sweets/cakes. I study every evening, after work, and I find myself grazing on these to keep me going. So, I've decided that as I already buy the pre-packaged 'Graze' boxes, that these are going to be my study companions (along with flavoured tea!)

    I still have a long way to go (610 days on MFP and more to come!) but feel free to add!

    Wendy x
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    As the resident "she sounds like a lush, let me discount her," if alcohol feels like a problem for you, by all means, do what you can to cut it out.

    However, what kind of alcohol you drink depends on whether or not it's empty calories. Drinking 4oz (or 8 oz, if you're a man) of dry red wine has way too many repeatedly proven health benefits to call it "empty calories." Similarly, drinking craft beer (unfiltered, for instance) occasionally has enough health benefits that a man famously lost weight with no side-effects from drinking only it, there's merit to it working as a recovery drink, etc.

    Like food, or even caffeine (ex: a cup of coffee or green tea isn't quite the same thing as a Monster, right?), alcohol is not all cut from the same cloth.
  • atamrowski
    atamrowski Posts: 417 Member

    However, what kind of alcohol you drink depends on whether or not it's empty calories. Drinking 4oz (or 8 oz, if you're a man) of dry red wine has way too many repeatedly proven health benefits to call it "empty calories." Similarly, drinking craft beer (unfiltered, for instance) occasionally has enough health benefits that a man famously lost weight with no side-effects from drinking only it, there's merit to it working as a recovery drink, etc.



    My thing is wine...Pinot Grigio. Problem is, I find on some nights (mostly weekends) I can easily drink four glasses (or 600 calorie)! :/
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    I threw out nothing.....i only practice self control.

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