Dating…Drinking…Dieting
Dating often means drinking. Whether you
are meeting a blind date for the first time or going out to dinner
with your boyfriend, it is likelythat the majority of us will consume at least one alcoholic beverage at some point in the evening. Moderate consumption of alcohol should not have a negative effect on your health or weight. However, based on what I see in my private practice, many women consume more than a few drinks a week. Take the example of Mary (names always changed!), one of my private clients.
Mary came to my office seeking help in losing 15 lbs. She was a 25 year old female who had gained this weight in the past 3 years since moving to NYC from California. Her social life was contributing towards her weight gain. Mary had just joined 2 online dating services and was in dating overdrive. At least 3 nights a week she was out with men she had met on match.com or jdate.com.90% of her dates revolved around meeting guys for drinks. Add this to the night or two she went out with her friends. This added up to at least 12 alcoholic drinks a week. Not only was this adding to her caloric intake (1200-1500 calories!), it was also increasing her fatigue the next day and decreasing the time and motivation she had to exercise. Her alcohol intake was playing a major role in her difficulty losing weight.
My suggestions:
1. Meet her dates for coffee rather than drinks at least some of the time. This will serve 3 purposes:
you will save calories and the potential for a hangover if one drink ends up turning into multipleyou will still be able to go to the gym after work
you can make a quick escape if you do not like the guy
you will see your date more clearly. Dark lighting in a bar along with the slightly blurring effects of alcohol may make your date seem more desirable than he really is.
2. Limit the total number of alcoholic drinks you have a week. For example, let’s say your goal is to have no more than 5 alcoholic drinks a week. You will need to plan how you want to fit these drinks in.. Maybe a drink on Wednesday and Thursday and then 3 drinks out on a Saturday night. Why waste your drink on a date that ends up not even interesting you?
3. Have a night or two out with friends that does not include drinking, maybe a movie or a healthy dinner after the gym.
4. Try meeting guys in a different environment. Examples: the gym, a running club, dance lessons (this is big right now!)
Share This Tags: alcohol, Diet, drinking, Health, Weight Gain
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April 13th, 2007 at 12:59 am
I found your comment on literal “blind” dating oh so very true and very funny now that I think about it. When I think of all those dark bar dates where the attraction factor goes up progressively through the night, I can only laugh to myself and feel a sense of disgust at the same time. Though I do recall one bar date in particular - I think it was High Life - where in spite of the drinks, blurriness and vision distance of about 6 inches, the date turned out to be quite a looker!….but I will certainly keep what you said in mind for any of my future blind dates and, more importantly, to keep my waist as slim as possible……thanks….Julia