Christmas drinking - want to cut down without being a party pooper?

Christmas drinking - want to cut down without being a party pooper

My alcohol consumption definitely ramps up with the Christmas drinking.

But I’m such a lightweight - I just can’t take my alcohol! 

Gone are my student days of three pints of purple nasty (snakebite and black!) on a night out. I’m good with one drink or two max. If really pushed I might go onto Baileys and let the cream stop the alcohol spike.  

And that can feel difficult at Christmas when it’s almost expected that socialising will involve plenty of drinks. Office parties, long awaited catch ups with friends, the family joy/stress of Xmas Day … all times when the opportunities to drink alcohol are endless,

But don’t worry - I'm not suggesting going booze-free for the festive season! I just want to shine a light on why alcohol is such a major stumbling block for midlifers.

I hear this all the time from clients. They just can’t drink the amount they used to, the hangovers seem worse, or longer - three day hangovers, anyone?... or that beer belly just won’t disappear. 

Research from Drinkaware of 3,000 people aged 40-64, found most midlife drinkers realise cutting back on their drinks would be a way of improving their health. But less than half of them actually tried anything to reduce their alcohol consumption.

I’m not surprised  - a lot of my midlife clients are brilliant at embracing a new way of eating but not so keen to ditch their large glass of red on a Friday night or cut back on the beery night outs. 

Often it’s because we associate drinking with relaxing and being off duty and we crave that feeling. But sometimes we discount the drinks and don’t think drinking calories and sugar has as much effect as eating them. 

The honest truth is drinks DO count and they DO have a major impact on your midlife health...boo! :( 

Why Christmas Drinking Affects Your Weight

Did you know that alcohol has 7 calories per gram?!

Carbs only have 4 - so alcohol is almost double!  When you consider fat has 9 calories per gram, alcohol is actually closer to fat in calories than it is to carbs and protein. 

The other problem is that alcohol is basically a sugar source - just because it doesn’t taste sweet doesn’t mean that it’s not. So you’ve got the double whammy right there - calories plus sugar. With decision fatigue kicking in the more you drink, this often results in bad eating and drinking decisions, which all impact negatively on your body. 

The body views alcohol as a toxin so will process alcohol above everything else. Forget digestion, fat burning or processing hormones - the liver wants to get rid of the alcohol first, which for a midlifer wanting to lose weight is BAD news. 

Otherwise you’re going to get alcohol poisoning, and in a way a hangover is partly this because it’s dehydration and the other effects we know so well.  But what you’re then stopping is your body being efficient at doing all the other things. So it’s not processing the hormones and it’s not being efficient with all that fat.

If you want help with avoiding weight gain this Christmas, including make ahead recipes, how to plan for social nights out and what to do if you end up head long in a tin of chocolates, then get FREE access to The Ultimate Festive Guide - it’s got all this and LOADS more!…

Why Can’t My Midlife Body Cope Better with Christmas drinking?

Midlife for men and women is a time of hormonal imbalance. As the liver is going to be working hard processing those, it probably hasn’t necessarily got the bandwidth to cope with all the alcohol as effectively. 

The classic midlife beer belly is simply the result of endless amounts of excess carbs and sugar from a drink which is so full of carbs it’s nicknamed liquid toast! 

I know these days I can actually feel quite depressed the next day from a glass or two, I don’t necessarily feel hungover but, just like bleak. It’s not necessarily that I’ve got a headache or I feel sick or anything tangible like that, but my emotional mood is low. I just feel glum and heavy.

So What Can You Do About Christmas Drinking... After All It’s Xmas!

As I’ve promised I’m not going to tell you to go alcohol-free for December…

...but we do have to face up to the fact that it is a big cause of midlife weight gain.

There are some things you could do to be a more ‘mindful drinker’ - just being more aware of how much and what alcohol you are consuming. Taking some steps to be more conscious of your alcohol consumption will make a positive difference. It’s the ‘oh drink doesn’t count’ approach which causes the midlife problems.

One approach which I often employ is being the designated driver as I know I won’t even be tempted. I think current midlifers are the generation who really got the ‘don’t drink and drive’ message and it works well in a social situation. I would say most people accept that if you’re driving you simply cannot drink and it takes the awkwardness out of saying no or being persuaded to have a glass you might not even want in the first place.

However, do be aware of the no alcohol alternatives because a lot of them are high in sugar. Switching from a glass of wine to a tonic water or a J2O doesn’t mean you’ve ditched the sugar. And low calorie versions will have artificial sweeteners, which have their own health issues I have spoken about before. (link to artificial sweeteners blog)

If you are drinking, then there are some ‘better’ drinks to stick with. A vodka and soda water is probably one of the best drinks, in terms of being clean. Any neat spirits are better options but you’ve got to watch those sugary mixers - the gin’s fine, it’s the tonic that’s the problem! 

A wine as dry as you can go is also a good option. I have gradually taught myself to go from rose wine to dry white. Or just pace yourself a bit better - have some water between each glass to slow down the drinking rate and give my body a chance to catch up. 

Heading into Xmas it’s about trying not to drink every single day. I know at this time of  year it’s easy to start drinking at lunchtime and just not stop. Before you know it you’re having a glass of something every day of the holidays. Try Drinkaware’s Drink Free Days  - 3 days a week without alcohol - preferably at least 2 of them consecutive days.

That’s a great idea  - it gives your liver a rest and it stops alcohol becoming your go-to drink every time you are out. 

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The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this blog are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this blog. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this blog. Midlife Menu Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this blog.

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