Two Thoughts

Two thoughts about drinking.

Part of the reason I was drinking more and more was my venue for drinking.  I wasn't going out to the bar/club anymore.  It wasn't me going out with my friends.  Due to my kids, I was home most of the time and hence my drinking was concealed within the walls of my house.  You have to plan a night out.  Am I driving or not?  How long am I going to be at a certain place before going to another place?  When I was going out to drink, you always had "drinks too much" guy to be your warning system on when to pull back.  The guy who was drunk by 9 every time you went out.  That guy kept you based in reality, not drinking too much.  Also, drinks in the bar are pricey.  You didn't drink as much because it cost a lot more than getting a bottle at a local liquor store.  I'm not saying going out and drinking is the way to go.  I have had too many friend's marriages end up destroyed after a regular girl's night or guy's night out, and I'm also not trying to convince myself I'll be fine to start drinking again by going to the bar instead of at home.  No, I am done, but it's just an observation.

I wonder how many people are overweight because of liquor/beer.  When I gave up alcohol last year, I lost a lot of weight.  Even though today I have a few more pounds on me, and even though I still eat some "bad for me" food, it's amazing how much easier it is to lose weight without drinking.  Just getting back into the gym after Christmas, I've gotten thinner faster, even cut on certain muscle groups, something which took me months before.  With football games on and people chugging beer, wine and cocktails across the country, my feeling is the biggest culprit in regards to individual weight issues is alcohol.