Saturday, December 18, 2010

What Not to Do: Eating and Drinking During the Holidays


Right now I am laughing at myself. I know my blog is typically about striving for a healthy lifestyle. This morning my dearies I am the poster child for what not to do during the holidays. I went to a party last night, and I knew I was hungry. I also knew I was dehydrated, as I was busy all day and never filled my aluminum water container which I have with me at all times. I did drink a small glass of water while I was getting ready, and I was definitely thirsty for more but didn't have time to go downstairs for a refill. I ate a couple crackers, but they did nothing for me. Since we were running late, the roads were wet and traffic was bad I knew Chip and I needed to get our buns out the door and had no time for anything unnecessary. My MIL was staying over night at our house with the kids so we just needed to make sure she was all set to feed them dinner and we took off. I will drink water right when I get there, before my first drink, I told myself. I knew there would be a lot of good food and figured I would have some substantial snacks before the alcohol hit my system. Right.

I walked in the door and was happy to see faces of friends I hadn't seen in months. If you follow my blog you know my schedule (mainly my husband's schedule) and we don't get out and socialize nearly as much as we used to, especially after 2 kids. There was a nice big table with lots of yummy food - right next to all the bottles of hard alcohol and mixers. Naturally I forgot all about my plans to start with water. While I did a decent amount of snacking, I was mostly socializing while drinking absentmindedly. Before I knew it, I had 3 cocktails and I was drunk...laughing, catching up with friends. My husband thought I was hilarious. The host was working on an amazing spread for dinner which I believe came out around 9 pm, long after I'd pickled myself with vodka. I didn't have a watch and probably didn't care at all last night what time it was! The dinner was great, I wasn't too wasted to enjoy it. I didn't make an ass out of myself or do anything stupid. I was just honestly having a good, old-fashioned fun night. I did have a couple small glasses of water before we left, but I already knew it was too late to reverse the damage. I am quite out of practice!

This morning I sort of felt like crap. I could have slept forever but my 4 year old Monkey came in to wake me up at 8 (which really is sleeping in for me, but it didn't feel like it after my indulgences last night.) I went downstairs to lay on the couch, wondering what an Egg McMuffin would taste like at that point. Thank goodness I was feeling crappy enough and it was raining so I didn't actually go out. I am grateful my MIL made my kids breakfast and once I decided it was time to function I made myself some scrambled eggs and wheat toast, and a nice big cup of coffee. Since then, I have been cleaning like crazy although somehow my house is still a mess.  I've been pounding water and I'm feeling pretty good.

What I've learned: 1) Don't go to a party hungry. This usually is meant so that you don't over eat "party food" and go crazy with calories. What this meant for me: don't go to a party on an empty stomach so there is nothing to soak up your liquor. 2) Don't go to a party dehydrated/thirsty. Really at all times you should remain hydrated, that's just smart living. What this meant for me: don't go to a party dehydrated and try to "hydrate" yourself with vodka tonics. It just doesn't work like that. Why must I document this? Because year after year, I re-learn these same lessons the hard way. As a matter of fact, I just had my office party last week, and I did the same thing. I am 40 years old, and not sure this is really going to sink in. But I have plenty of opportunities to keep trying!

Hope you are enjoying your holiday season and that it is loaded with good cheer!

5 comments:

  1. Ah I feel your hungover pain! At least it wasn't home made Elderberry wine that was your downfall. Several glasses of water usually do the trick but if you can drink several after you get in from a party without it all spilling down your face that also seems to help. (You will find you need to make several trips to the toilet during the night too)Happy, healthy holidays :)

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  2. Good tips. I learn the hard way nearly every time I drink. Which is quite rare now. I do also find two tylenol and a bottle of water before bed help beat the morning hangover!

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  3. Once I hit 30, I became TOTALLY unable to hold my liquor. It's also not a good age to try new drinks, which I learned the hard way when my neighbor (and incidentally, my daycare provider) supplied me with some drink I already forgot the name of. I learned I can take care of my daughter and throw up two days of food at the same time. Impressive?

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  4. Merry Christmas! Thanks for joining our "Where in the world are you Wednesday? Blog Hop" Hope to see you next week =)

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