Drinking

So, when I told a lot of my friends about this challenge they were supportive - until - I mentioned NO DRINKING (except for a few choice days). They railed against the restriction. Why? Annette - why? How does drinking affect your ability to reach a Muscle-Up in 90 days.

Well. My friends. A lot of ways. And last week was an example. It is time to come clean.

It started innocently enough. I quit my job. Got a new job. EXCITING, right?! And so, I decided to indulge in what Robb Wolf calls a Norcal Margarita - basically - tequila, fresh lime juice, splash of soda - and that is it. MMMmmm... I had two. No big deal. No ill effects. So then. I think... why not? Add in a little of the alcohol into the plan. I mean, after all, what will happen when the challenge ends? Don't I want to make sure that this is pretty much sustainable? The rules that I apply with drinking - only wine or tequila - because they are not grain based and nothing added - no sugar or fruit juice. And not, like, you know, drinking all the time ... right?! No problem. All is going well.


And then... Solstice - a week ago from today.


Oh. Solstice.

Here is the plan. Meet at my friend Katie's house... they will be drinking Mimosas - I will be prepared w/ tequila, lime juice, and soda...

It is an early drinking "festival day". See picture above - Katie and myself - all looks like it is going well... but, NO --- earlier at the house... making my second drink tragedy strikes. I was really excited because the amount of lime juice I had in my cup was AMAZING - this was going to be a good drink. PROBLEM. Hands + lime juice = slippery. Hands + lime juice + heavy square bottle of tequila = accident. I DROPPED THE WHOLE BOTTLE OF TEQULIA ON MY TOE. It hurt. And instantly started bleeding. No bandaides were available so Katie went super-camper style and jerry-rigged a bandage using a papertowel and her hairtie... beautiful...

See toe. This is post jerry-rigged-band-aide coming off.



I am a prize. Right? So this is the middle of my day. The day continues on and furthers itself in further acts of ridiculousness - which I really don't need to get into. But, this brings us back to why alcohol - NO.

It is not just the damage that it does to the liver. Or the body that needs to burn alcohol off first - it is the choices one makes when one over-indulges. They stop being well-thought out... or good. And there is fall-out from that...

Here is what it looked like for me:

The next day. HUNGOVER. All I want is food I have been doing a really, really, really good job avoiding. That sucks. I don't have that food, but I do eat more than I normally would. Oh... well that is not exactly true... in honor of full transparency... I am weak. WEAK. I have a cookie. My roommate was making some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies - with tahini!! WHAT! Tahini?! How must that taste!!!??? A girl must know. And so, in my weakened hungover state - I go for it. It is delicious and worth it. SO very worth it... but boy do I feel bad about it... and all I want now is 2o cookies.
Day after being hungover... I AM SICK. SICK. SICK. Throat sore. Have to get dental work. Have no energy... granted this is how my roommy was feeling - so I contracted from her, but would it have happened if I were not down yesterday...? That is the question. So I don't work out that day. I read. And have one VERY LARGE meal in the middle of my day. Beef, Cauliflower, Broccoli... made of good stuff... and then I have a modest amount of pineapple - which ends up becoming a WHOLE PINEAPPLE - seriously. Annette. Seriously. Also - I found these legit bars at Whole Foods - that are paleo... soaked and dryed made from coconuts, dates, almonds... goji berries - a good choice for a treat... but I eat 2... not ideal... and then I had this flaxseed spirunlina bar... MAN! Bars are meant to be rare treats, but because I am sick and there are cookies in the house... I go to town... ! And that is it for my splurge... thankfully... I cast myself into a bout of fasting... well, one, because I need to - for a blood-draw, and two... because I need to RESET.

I was really sad about the events above... the next day Tuesday... still sick... I took off (working-out)... fasted for most the day, slept for most the day... and then made a modest soup... good reset.

Feeling guilty and none too pleased with myself. I confessed my errors to my roommate Stephani... and she gave me some really solid advice. Basically she said that as someone who might track this challenge it isn't about... "well, I did everything perfectly... TAH DAH!" - She wants to see my struggles, my failures, and that I haven't lost everything I am still in the challenge... etc. etc. motivation... etc.

This was a needed talk.

And true.

SO... here it is Saturday again. And NO. I haven't had a drink... feels good.