Now drinking is not all it is cracked up to be... Yes its fun, yes it gets you laid and yes it is part of most social circles but if you cannot go out with mates and not drink then it is something you should really question about yourself. Alcohol is expensive, you could spend that money on interstate flights/new clothing/paying off old debts/savings for a mortgage... Alcohol hurts your body for days post celebration, you could party all night alcohol free then the next day go straight to work and impress your boss for that next promotion, go to the gym and get that rippling six pack, Clean your house so you can invite your parents around for dinner.
Just so you know I am not anti alcohol. I drink. I've gotten drunk. I've told those unoriginal Monday morning, "Man, I got so hammered this weekend!" stories. I'd be retarded if I thought drinking had no down sides, but overall I don't see it as this evil, depraved activity, I just know that in my journey to have the body of a female bikini body builder... Alcohol is not going to do me any favours.
The first thing I am going to say is DO NOT MAKE LAME EXCUSES FOR NOT DRINKING... These examples are: "I am still recovering from last night" "I just don't like the taste" "I'm already wasted" "I don't drink!" "Alcohol is bad for me" ... All of these are just going to encourage your mates to offer you more alcohol. A better excuse is to imply that you have no problem with drinking, but that you don't feel like it at the moment. Be assertive and stick to your guns, but do it in a friendly way. Don't be overly assertive/borderline confrontational about it, you'll just be that dick who ruined everyones vibe.
SO the question is; How do I socialise with my friends in alcohol fuelled situations while still sticking to my diet? Here are some helpful pointers for you:
1. Be the designated driver.
No one wants to pay that ridiculous cab fare home so you are going to be looked after all night by your friends, because if you go home they have to also... Which means they are going to go out of their way to make you enjoy yourself.
2. Imply you are drinking more than you are.
No one is going to buy you a drink if you have a full glass still, it'll go cold and it is a big party foul to not finish a drink. Make sure when you order or pour your drink you pour it into a short glass with ice or a wine glass, that way people just think you hold your alcohol really well. If you're drinking, but just don't want to get drunk, then nurse one drink for hours and let people assume it's more than one. Order a juice or a fermented drink, and don't do anything to stop people from assuming you're having a mixed drink. You could also cycle between mixed drinks and similar looking non-alcoholic ones. Sometimes people will even do things to discreetly get rid of their drink. Like just leaving it somewhere at the bar, or pour it down the sink at a party when no one is looking. If someone orders a round of shots for everyone, and it would be awkward to say no, someone could pretend to drink theirs, then quietly pour it on the ground. Obviously there's a bit of risk to that last one...
3. Find a pharmaceutical.
Ok I am not suggesting you go out and get yourself a cocaine addiction, drugs are illegal for a reason but for the sake of this blog this has to be addressed... Believe it or not most drugs are better for your diet than alcohol and depending on your level of indulgence your body recovers from them faster. Most drugs suppress appetite, increase heart rate, have a zero caloric reading, increase metabolic rate and promote endorphins. Food for thought.
4. Engage in conversation or dance.
You cannot dance with a drink in your hand and spilling a drink all over someone is not going to win you any awards or new friends. So stay active! The more you move around the less likely people are going to notice that there is no drink in your hand or that the drink in your hand is water (Because it isn't going to be soft drink :-). If you don't drink, but you can still have fun while you're out, most people will be fine with your been sober. It's just that everyone has had the experience of having a non-drinker around and they didn't want to do anything. And everyone was sure they would have loosened up if they would just have had a beer or two. If you're not going to drink, still do your best to be good company.
5. Change your friends.
Why do you need to go out partying with your friends to socialise? Surely a game of soccer in the park could be fun or a day at the beach? Perhaps now is the time you got buddy buddy with those other sexy hunks at the gym who share your fitness and nutrition goals. It sucks but if you want to change your appearance this is the crucial point that you will fail... Your chosen social network. It works in all avenues of your life, If you want to be a very successful person in business surround yourself with likeminded ambitious professionals, if you want to be creative person, surround yourself with musicians or artists... You will never succeed if the people in your life do not share or support your goal. Just hang out with a crowd that has priorities other than partying. Don't go to bars on Saturday nights. Have fun in one of the million other ways than getting messed up.
6. Pick up a hottie.
Need a distraction from drinking, bag yourself someone sexy and make an effort to get laid all night. If all you are doing is chatting to one person, respectful people will not interrupt your attempt at taking someone home for the pow-wow... No drink no worries, you have yourself a boner to contend with and that is so much more rewarding.
7. Befriend the bartender.
Let the bartender know you are the designated driver and point out your friends. That way if your mates are doing rounds he'll know to make sure one of the drinks is non-alcoholic just for you. This could get difficult in a night club because most bartenders are not quite interested in helping out patrons who are not drinking.
8. Get a good personality and learn to like drunk people
Drunk people are boring and irritating if you're sober. But that's sort of missing the point, since they're not meant to be fun for sober people to be with. You're supposed to be buzzed right along with them. Then they're fine. If you don't want to drink, you've got to be really good-humored about having your retarded, giggly friends around. Don't take their behavior personally. They're just being drunk, not purposely trying to get under your skin, have a laugh with them, get on their vibe and level. Drinking is associated with socialising, so be prepared to dance for longer, have pub conversations for longer, laugh at something mediocre and possibly be a little rude... All part of the alcohol fun.
9. Choose your drinks wisely
If you cannot go out and not drink, just choose your drink wisely. NO BEER, No mixers... Those are the rules. If you need to drink have a red wine or a vodka on ice with water and fresh lime/lemon. They will still get you tidily without the overwhelming guilt of bad diet breaker choices.
10. Do not go passed a certain level
Another one of those obvious things... Sometimes when you think of "drinking", your mind automatically jumps to an image of a wobbling, stinkingly drunk guy puking in an alley. Not all drinking equals getting completely plastered. It could just mean having a good glass of wine to compliment your meal, or having a few beers to cool off at your cottage. You may have some drinks with your friends at a bar to make the conversation that little bit more lively. You may go to a party and drink just enough to maintain a happy buzz, but not go beyond that. In moderation alcohol isn't too terrible. There are different degrees of drinking - These are the levels you should stay at:
- Drinking to enjoy a particular drink.
- Getting a very mild effect from the alcohol.
- Drinking to get a small buzz.
- Getting a decent buzz
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SO there is my advice and assistance... Hope you are well and had a great weekend. x
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