I am notoriously tired on Fridays. After a long week at the gym, with the kids, and meeting the needs of my week, it is this day more than any other that I need something a little different than my usual. The spontaneous part of me wants to plan a last minute girls weekend getaway, but my reality refuses to play along. So since I continue to parent on the weekends, I'm not kidding, it has been one of the larger struggles of motherhood....no days off....and I am always on a very clean and regimented eating schedule, I make Friday night my cheat meal. And when I say cheat meal I'm really not talking about food, but more about alcohol :)
When I talk to someone about making changes to a healthier lifestyle, you can bet that alcohol consumption comes up right after talking about daily soda{oh yuck!}. People get too many of their calories from what they drink, and never even think about it. And when it comes to alcohol, don't really want to consider how it adds up quickly, and then wraps itself around your tummy in the form of a muffin top. It sucks. I know. I love to drink. I wish I could do it everyday. I feel so darn adult with a drink in my hand. I also feel very adult when I use the "F" word but I have to do that in moderation too!
So here's what I tell people to do when they ask me how to stop drinking everyday. I tell them to start by just cutting back, make your previous five nights of drinking wine into three. Examine how you feel. Do you sleep better? Wake up more willing to hit the gym instead of the snooze button? And after cutting back do you see a difference in your weight? I can guarantee the answer to all questions is yes. Then I ask them to cut their three nights of drinking to just one or two. Limiting alcohol, just like limiting dessert and special treats, ULTIMATELY makes you appreciate it more, is a step in the right direction to reach your fitness goals, and lets face it, makes you more in tune with your over all health and less dependent on something that you have simply decided to help you cope. Never a great option. Be mindful of how you treat your body. It's the only one you get. If you never make it to the gym, at least be intentional with what you put in your mouth.
Here's my Friday night cheat. It has nothing to do with chicken! Hooray! The ingredients are clean, serve it with a little rice if you so desire. I suggest a glass or two of wine instead.
Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1 garlic clove{minced}, 1 pound large shrimp{peeled and deveined}, 4 ounces wild or baby arugula, ground pepper, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.
in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they blister, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until almost opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Add arugula, season with pepper, and toss until wilted, 1 minute. Add lemon juice and toss to combine.
A wonderful way to start the weekend. Cheers my friends.