Sometimes, I have to do social things that include drinking alcohol or eating non-Paleo foods. I am typically okay with the former, but not the latter: I’ll have a few drinks, but when at all possible, I won’t eat non-Paleo foods.

It seems easier for me to not follow up drinking with more drinking than it is to follow up non-Paleo food with Paleo food. I think it has to do with some of the cravings that the non-Paleo foods cause, and it can take 2-3 days sometimes for them to go away after a day of eating non-Paleo foods. This is my experience; yours may be similar, or entirely different.

I enjoy doing things with friends; going to concerts, movies, shows, vacations, restaurants, events, and holidays. I don’t want to miss out on the fun, and while it’s not necessary to drink alcohol all the time, in our society, it plays a role in social functions. I have decided that with all the exercise I do and with how strict I am with my diet, it’s okay for me to imbibe every now and then. I just can’t keep doing it day after day.

I’ve been fortunate; I’ve been able to keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum. But when I do drink, I work to keep the quantity down, and I stay away from beer and high-sugar mixed drinks. It seems to help me recover more quickly.

You have to find a balance that works for you. I’m in maintenance mode, so this works for me now, but never would have worked while I was losing my 150 lbs. Being strict and adopting a policy of NO ALCOHOL was absolutely necessary for me to avoid sabotaging my own progress and leading me off the trail to success.