I am not at all embarassed to say this as owning our shiz is an important part of personal growth. I am certainly not one to make excuses (plus I don't get embarassed).
HOWEVER
As many of you know I am doing dry January. Mind you, and this is the silly admission I think some if not ALL can relate to, my nightly drinking was just a bad habit. I am not an addict by any means (certainly do not judge if you or a loved one is) but clarifying this awful and expensive habit I had each day. I've been a very healthy eater for years and more of the past 2 years have become incredibly active. But this drinking why oh why ?? My life is happy. It's not stressful, in fact I have a charmed life. The only reason is habit and my drinks are very tasty.
My fitness is also a habit. I get up and do it every single day without a second thought and I love it. Proof good things can become a habit just like bad habits! Here is the cold hard realization I had last night these near 2 weeks into no drinking: I was consuming easily 3500 calories a week in booze. It's pretty amazing I wasn't gaining weight! Granted being tall, fairly fit and eating 1200 or less a day is probably why I wasn't gaining but more importantly, WHAT WAS I DOING TO MY PRECIOUS LIVER??? That's where our fat gets metabolized and I wondered why my loss was so darn slow considering my activity and calorie levels. In fact I wasn't fully considering my alcohol in that calorie count. Did I think a calorie fairy took them away before they did anything significant? Currently I am stuffing myself full of liver cleansing foods like beets, milk thistle and lemon. I have to give it some love.
Now lies a silver lining: Since early December I've had a terrible trigger point pain that is unresolved in my shoulder. It hasn't stopped me from working out or cardio/running of course but it's affected my mood, my sleep and overall quality of life. I started to take OTC painkillers to no avail but they are hard on the liver and I kept taking them almost daily hopeful something would help. Painkillers AND all that alcohol? Honestly that is what made me cut the booze COLD. I could do one or the other but not both. At the end of the day my health is my priority. I want a long life but not a long life with 20 years of sickness and disability at the end. I want all my years to be active and healthy without organ failure or difficulty moving my body (watching my parents deal with this due to mere lack of enough activity leading up to their senior years). Surely we all want that?
I am thanking this darn pain in my shoulder for getting me out of my bad habit and proud I haven't let it take away my good habit. Not even one day have I said " this hurts to much so I will skip my workout today". There is always a way when there is will. ALWAYS.
But I did eat Christmas cookies. I am human after all and I own it.