Welcome to fit to be real and a little extra
So before we get into what we're gonna talk about I
Just had my first sip of wowas pumpkin spice coffee
I'm so happy
This is my genuinely the first sip of this season well it is 95 degrees out so not in here
No, not in here the air is on yeah, it's a mess around. Oh, yeah, we don't mess around we drink pumpkin spice in the AC
Yeah
With our pumpkin candle. That's well that's all year around for you
100% that that one sip just like it hit. Yeah, well, I'm happy for you
I shipped it and now it already ready welcome. I didn't know that's all it took for you
I should just be force feeding it to you all year long like in an IV. Yeah, all took for me for what?
To be ready
I was choosing my words carefully nervous she wants to say happy
Not happy
Just happy yeah
Speaking of happy we're talking about something a little controversial. I think it's con
Well, first of all, I can't say the word controversial
controversial
Contra controversial now it doesn't make it doesn't it's not a word. Yeah controversial
No, no
Controversial controversial
Controversial
It's only that for some people that have an issue with it. Yeah, I think that's the majority though. Yeah, I guess I believe I feel like that's the majority and I do to think that that is
Shifting you'll you know, we'll talk about that a little bit. I think it's shifting into this new generation
Oh, I know there's so many names for this too
It's really yes, and it actually gets a little under my skin because it's like
Sometimes people make up words
That we're already there
But now they're just trendy trendy sort of like
Anyway, they have no idea what we're talking about. Let's get into it. Yeah, they didn't read the title
I
I'm Victoria. Hey guys, I'm Carly and we're talking about alcohol today and we are
100% sober
Today in this moment
Astring at the bottom in this fine print in this moment in this moment in the early morning
We are sober. That's another word. I have a hard time with my brain sober. No, oh
Ask is it a strict or a stress?
Astric
Astric a strict no, that's what I mean. What is it a strict?
No a strict. Why are you the athletic?
Athletic I don't know now. I'm all confused. I don't know what's up or down so controversial
So yeah, we're talking about alcohol today because I kind of did a little experiment
slash competition with myself and so we're just gonna kind of unfold it because maybe you're out there and you were thinking about
kind of stopping
drinking for a little bit or permanently or whatever the case may be and
You know want to see if it's worth it or whatever so I stopped drinking. What was that Thanksgiving?
2022 it was mid COVID so yeah, but we were all together so it was like opening up COVID
2020 21 22 it was Thanksgiving 2022. Okay, and I had it was Thanksgiving
I had a half of a glass of wine and I put it down. I had one sip. I put it down
I said, I don't I don't think I want to do this anymore and
For context I
Was in a bad headspace. This is after a
breakup, but I was still being manipulated post breakup and
I
Specifically remember so that Thanksgiving this old relationship had
many empty promises mm-hmm many many empty promises that at the time I
believed and one of them on Thanksgiving was that maybe for dessert they would come, you know
Show up. Yeah, and
I basically got ghosted, but we've now arrived at our family's house for Thanksgiving and I'm looking at my phone
I'm very confused. I've been believing things since who knows when about
things I should be looking out for and getting ready for and you know all the positive
Reinforcement that turned out to be a facade and
then I end up getting ahold of him and
fast forward how many months
Almost a year plus later. I find out what he was at another girls were Thanksgiving and
So all of the lies and all of that and I felt so bad because he told me his best friend that he was gonna spend Thanksgiving with
Didn't actually want to do anything so like the holiday was gonna be a wash and you know poor me poor me
Yeah, yeah, yeah
And it turns out it wasn't like that at all. So in any I didn't know that at the time though
I just knew I was being ghosted and like
confused yet again and like a
Gray cloud was constantly just like over my phone and my head at all times
So when I took that sip, I put it down. It was like I don't want to do this
I don't wanna I'm drinking just to drink at this point because it's like what you do on a holiday
Yeah, it doesn't even taste good. It doesn't taste good. It wasn't I
Now our genetics we do not farewell to the alcohol
we
We vomit
Let's just be direct
The mayows are vomitors. Oh my god, even our brother who you think looks like he can handle it is
Is the lightest weight? Yeah, I mean Andrew can Billy would not agree
But we've seen it time and time again Andrew can drink him under the table now. Yeah, not a
prize that we like to win all the time, but
Just because we look like we can handle it. Yeah, we actually are very lightweight. I think that's
Partially genetics like I don't know if you can actually build your immune system up to drink
I mean, yeah, you can build your tolerance. So tolerance. That's yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, that is a thing and we don't have a good tolerance because
What we do for a living and what we've done since we were of drinking age
We were actors and dancers
We didn't drink often because we couldn't we couldn't get up to audition for the next day if we were drinking the night before
So we just didn't drink a lot. So when we would go out on that rare every four months
We would have a drink it would be like go hard or go home because it we make we don't know when we're gonna be able to go out
And have fun again because of our jobs and it was fun
It wasn't even just you know, you end up having fun you start forgetting how much fun you're having and it just turns into
Horrible decisions maybe shots even you know like it just it kind of spirals
But fast rewind even more
We weren't drinkers in high school. No when people kind of experiment and do all of that
I I think that was mom's doing. Yeah, I told you that what she said if she ever found us drinking
She would lose the studio and lose the house. So we were scared to death. Yeah, I wasn't scared too much
I think it was she allowed us to have like a little bit of wine on Christmas
post 16 16 up
I would I remember having like last month
She was like here try it and I remember not liking it and then in my in personally for me in my head
I was like, what's the big? Why are you all going to the woods to drink? Yeah big deal
Like to me it was not this built-up forbidden thing, right?
So like our eighth grade. Sorry mom our eighth grade my eighth grade cruise that we went on. Oh, yeah
I had a pinot glada. Oh, yeah, I had a lime Ricky. I had I tried all the little things
Yeah, I was a sophomore in high school and she let me have a whiskey sour. No whiskey sour
Yeah, and I mean they served it to us and that was very tasty as a sophomore in high school
I remember liking pinot collat. They were in like shop. It was small. But however, it wasn't a big deal anymore
We were sitting next to our mom. It was one time and it was one drink
So never happened to never happen again, but to me in my head is what I'm saying
I think it like de-escalated the I want to do this. I want to yeah, I want to go sneak out and
And
Be ridiculous with a bunch of high school kids that aren't really my friend like yeah
I never was into the into that we were the designated drivers
Yeah, I would get a call at like 12 or one from a bunch of kids that would say I'm behind the gas station
We just ran from the cops. Can you come pick us up and take us home?
And that was my Friday and Saturday I'd get out of bed
I'd wake up mom and say hey mom I'm going to pick them up
I would pick them up off the street and drive them home and go back to bed. Yeah, cuz I was cool
But like yeah, and then look at us now I
Will I will say senior week was wild I I was bald so off for senior week same from what I remember
I don't remember much which is horrible and we're gonna get to why why our brains do that to us when it comes to alcohol
But I say all of that because I wasn't a big drinker COVID happen. We drank wine on Sundays
I didn't drink wine by myself in my condo not for the first six months. We did not drink during COVID
No post post getting healthy. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we would have
Like one of us would bring a bottle bottle of wine
Yeah, and we would just have like one bottle between how many adults like it wasn't like crazy, right?
But that was a lot to me. Yeah, I wasn't a big drinker before
So then add add all of the mental headspace of like a breakup and a horrible emotional abuse aspect to it. I
Knew for myself that when I'm not happy, but then I drink the drinking isn't a happy experience
Right. Yeah, of course
You just like harbor on all the things that are going wrong, right?
Some people just get happy and like forget about everything. I don't I like harbor. Yeah, it
Makes you have anxiety and stress. That's one of the negative effects that alcohol has on you
Some people it makes them happy some people it makes them sad and stressed out. Yeah, some people get angry. Yeah
I
Would just want to I want to know the answers to these problems from that person immediately
Right, like answer them right now. Yeah, like and I then you find that if you find the answers
They're not what you want to hear. Yeah, like it just wasn't a good time. Yeah, she yeah
So I decided on that Thanksgiving 2022. I'm just I'm not gonna drink right now. I'm not gonna drink and
I'm going to
That's the only honestly. That's the only decision. There wasn't like a ABC and D
It was just stop drinking right you weren't like I have a problem. I
Do that you were just like I don't like this. I'm not gonna do it. I don't like it
I've always been on that stance of I'd rather have a cookie than a glass of yeah, I'm opposite
I'd rather have a glass of wine than a cookie. Give me a good. Give me Nicole's chocolate chip cookie
So what so good what I was gonna say earlier is that there's a new word for what you did Victoria
Had stopped cold turkey because she didn't have a problem with alcohol
It was very easy for her to put it down and say I don't want this anymore. Yeah, what's it called sober curious?
What it's I'm sorry for those that that are sober curious. I don't get the name. It's just called being sober sober
It's like I might I
Might quit alcohol, but I'm just like testing it. I'm wondering what can I do it for a week?
I'm gonna I'm sober curious. Can I be sober for a week and like maybe I'll drink on the weekend?
No, you're either sober or you're not or you're just not a big drinker or you are there's no like
in my opinion
Sober curious sorry Vanderpump rules not a thing sounds very California to me it is but sober competition is what I did
She did she had a sober competition with herself
Well, could you get to that point where you're like, oh, I'm at a hundred days right how much farther can I go?
Oh, I'm at 265. Can I do another hundred? Yeah, oh, I made it a year like you for me
That was more fun in my brain and it was not a problem for me to stop
So I do I do have to stress that this is not an addiction on
My part of it so it's very if you do have an addiction if you know somebody with an addiction
That is a very different brainwave. Yeah of stopping and starting with alcohol and the effects and all that stuff. This was
100% not addiction based so I
Might say that a few more times to remind because this is a very touchy subject like a mental health
Reason and also a you know can I you just were testing your limits?
See if you could do it. Well, it turned out like when people would ask me I'd be like
I'm just trying to see how far I can go now. Yeah, because that's 100% the truth. Well, you said it before I
Don't have a problem with not drinking other people have a problem with me not drinking
So I'm gonna list the five things that I've learned in the so 2022 November 2022
When was Candice's wedding August August August second August second 2024
That was my span. I had a glass of wine at the exact same house that I stopped that
Is the exact same cousin's house that I started and by started I had one
Glass of wine. I know I tried to get her to have two. She's like no, I'm good
It's been two years one is fine for me. Well, they talked about how good the one it was like
expensive wine. Yes, like it was good wine and
I
Just was like I think I'm good. Like I'm in a good spot. I'm in a good headspace
I feel like I did the work for myself over the past
Two plus years like I did it. Yeah, and so that was kind of why I stopped because I I wasn't there, right?
And then I I graduated to doing the work. I mean paid enough therapy for it like I did the work and so I
remember texting
Texting them on a picture of me drinking it and I was like, it's official. Yeah, I guess it's official
Yeah, and I'm in a good, you know, the response was you're in a good place with good people. You're feeling good
Yeah, celebrate. Yeah, it happens and it was a good glass of wine. It wasn't you know
It wasn't like barefoot. Yeah, sorry barefoot
Sponsor I'll talk better about you
But yeah, it was in a safe place where I poured the glass of wine
Maybe bigger than she would have liked
She was like it's because you're looking at the glass and the glass is just smaller that bigger and it me me me
Look at the glass half full would you because it is
It was way more than it
All right, so five things that I learned since 2022 from my
sober curious competition no dry January plus eleven other months. Oh my god
times two
So some of these are gonna be completely obvious
But I think if you've never cut out alcohol, it's not really something that you constantly think about while you're
Continuously drinking alcohol, right? So you can tell me if that's true or not
Well, let me say it. Okay
Your restaurant bills your vacation bills your concerts your experiences your just normal new
Just normal night out all of your bills are cut down. Yeah by more than half
Mmm more than half if you look at a restaurant one dinner out meal
Take away the alcohol from it and then add the total and I didn't think that none of this was factored into like my main
Decision, but I took a moment to be like, what did I learn?
You save money. Yeah, and over inflation over since 2022 to 2024
Drinks are like 20 to 25 a drink now. Mm-hmm depending on where you go
I'm like what you're drinking in a see fit class is only 15. So I mean you get wasted in a completely different way
At see fit, but I think money is a big factor like yeah, we say it a lot of people use that as the why are you smoking?
It's so expensive
Why are you drinking? It's so expensive. It's the same thing, right?
We've gotten not to bring it back to see fit
But we've gotten complaints that they can't afford it, but they can what I always I never say it because it's not my
Place to say
Like I'm right now. I'm judging people's decision
No, but if you can go out on the weekends and spend a hundred dollars on a bar bill
But you think a fifteen dollar class is too expensive for your health. That's not expensive. That's that's your choice
That's your priority hundred and thirty nine for the month, right?
That bar bills a hundred for the night, right and they're like well that the membership is too much. Yeah
It's just priorities and if that's but say that I know but my priority isn't here right now
Yeah, you know like I why nobody's gonna say that nobody's gonna say that to me because somebody said that to me
I'd be like I understand that but if when somebody says oh, I can't afford it. I'm like that. I don't understand like hmm
Yeah, what you wearing?
So yeah when it comes to money that's a big factor. Yeah, there's a big change and
That's a positive. That's a positive change. Yeah
Sure, so it's a good bottle of wine, but go ahead
Let's just be clear. I did not do this for the past. No, but you cut back. I cut back
enormous
I was gonna say enormously
And what two words were you trying to say enormously and
Enormously nope. No, I swear. I'm sober is there Zimbouca in that coffee
No, I cut back a lot when Victoria cut back all of it. I was like, okay, I'll go down by half
Honestly, but I do think that's cuz when I would come over for like
You know one of the kids birthdays something Sunday dinner
Yeah, and everybody was invited to it was just something small
You would have normally had a glass of wine with mom or Andrew and you and me
Yeah, and so when I'd be like, oh no, I'm good. Well, nobody offered it to me anymore to be honest with you
I know we stopped it was annoying which was amazing. Oh so helpful for me. No, who wants to say no all the time?
Yeah, but yeah, when you stopped, you know when I was not a part of the equation
You'd be like, I'd rather I'd rather have another helping of yeah, yeah, you know side or whatever mashed potatoes. Yeah
We never had no we never had mashed potatoes, but I liked where you were going with it
But yeah, I also went down a lot and I you know, there's we'll talk about the benefits
But it just makes you feel so much better. Your number one was like, I feel I don't I like waking up the next month
Oh my god, that's a different experience. That is the best feeling
So my number two is that there are actually a lot of non-alcoholic options out. Oh
Yeah, there are so many non-alcoholic beers
Mocktails, obviously, there's lemonade and iced teas that I it has to be worth it for me to do something other than water
Because it's there's lots of sugar in it so much sugar. Yeah, but when I would start I can't remember what it was in
2024 I'm picturing 320 market where someone was like, oh, there's high-nickin zero or
You know a beer with abs a Guinness. It was a Guinness. Yeah, love Guinness. I know you do
I love stout and I love Guinness and it was a Guinness with no not even like I think O'Doald has a point something alcohol
Which is not enough for any addict to you know ruin their progress, but now they're doing absolutely zero percent and
Guinness is one of them that makes a Guinness zero. Yeah, and I was like, oh, I'm gonna
This is my first time trying a non-alcoholic in this process
And it tasted exactly like a Guinness and I was so happy. Yeah, I didn't get to lose that
we ended up buying it often for parties because
We had you know pregnant people in our family, so we were like, oh, let's get those Guinness zeros and everybody likes them
But it tastes exactly the same if it's a beer that you like and it comes in zero and you're like, well, I don't want to drink tonight
There's an option. Yeah, so that was just something that I noticed that
There are so many more options out there than you think of like, oh, you're going out. I can't go out. I don't drink
No, you can yeah first of all you can get water
But also there are other options for you, which I thought was cool like iron Hill has it's called hop water. Oh, really?
It's basically a non-alcoholic
Water water beer that tastes hoppy. That's cool. Yeah, I had no idea the one night. I went they didn't have it
But it was there
Number three be questionable morning afters it is
By far the most hated thing in my life. I hate waking up
Not feeling good not even hungover like some I don't drink a lot of the time enough to be hung over. It's just blah
Well for you, I
Believe this is what you've said in the past at least year
Correct me, but like you as you've gotten older. It's more like anxiety. Yeah, you wake up or I wake up in the in the middle
Of the night and I know a lot of this happens to a lot of people when you drink
You wake up in the middle of the night because your sleep is horrible and I have anxiety
And it's called anxiety sleep where you're like half awake half asleep thinking of things that you would never think of had you not had the
Interrupted alcohol wake up and then I can't fall asleep for the rest of the night because like my heart's racing
It's all all of that is rolled into one. I hate that so much that it
That I will not drink
For that reason because I don't want to feel it
So I have a science behind that sweet
I mean, I didn't create it. I found like I found it rats. I'm a scientist now
That's a no alcohol does she's a lot extra time on her hands
She has no friends JK. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding
The joke is that the alcohol did that the truth is this is how it is
So one drink just one so you're having one glass of wine. You're having one gin and tonic one state side
Those are big. Yeah has the effect in your brain to do something called neuron
Degeneration what that is the degeneration part is that the cell of their neuron dies? Okay, it absolutely dies
It's not broken. It's not torn. It dies. Yeah, it is gone and
As adults we cannot repair them nor can we grow a new one no way so when people are like killing your brain cells
No, that's exactly what it is. Yeah called neuron degeneration
All of your parents were right
Your brain cells are dying and that's from one drink so imagine one of those nights out. Wait a second
I've had so many of those nights out. I'm 38. Well, we're hearing every week what what that effect is for you
With the brain cells dying you're enormously. She's enormously
You know, I'm kidding. No, yeah, we cannot repair or regrow neurons. It's impossible for the body
Why all the all the good things that the body can do which is pretty amazing
We can't do that but alcohol is what kills them. Okay. Yeah, that makes sense
so then that effect of anxiety yes or bad decision-making of needing like
Validation ie texting your ex. Oh my god. Wait, how many times have I woken up and looked at my phone and said who the heck
Did I text last night? Right? Not even I'm not even talking exes. I'm just talking about people
I haven't talked to in 20 years that came to my mind and I was like, hey, what's up? Let's get dinner next week
And I'm like gosh, why did I say that?
Yeah, horrible idea. I know second ball your ex is Pat and you probably text him anyway
Oh, I do and he's always like are you drinking I can tell I'm like shut up Pat. You're like, I'm happy
So alcohol affects the dopamine system. So dopamine is like happy, right?
But it's a volatile effect because it's like
A high a dopamine sugar rush and then a crash
And the crash is the anxiety
Yeah
So when the dopamine gets affected because it's now been on this roller coaster that has not only done like very high highs
And very low lows, but it's done the twists and it's done the loops and it's like your stomachs and knots
So the crash is the complete dopamine like
Crash and that's where all those bad decisions come from. Yeah
Especially the morning after because that's the biggest crash
It's when it's like trying to get out of the body and it's still there because alcohol lingers for eight days
What eight days alcohol stays in your body. What if you just keep drinking?
Exactly, you just add on days. It just never it never leaves the body i.e.
Addix yeah where they need it you end up needing the effect of wow
So eight days. Yeah, it's um, hold on. I have
I have proof
No, I believe you no, no, no this this explains a lot of other things with it
Gluten oh, yeah is in the body for three to four months read that
Sugar two weeks coffee three weeks
alcohol eight days
Spices one whole week which is shocking. Oh
meat two to three months
Because that's the protein so sometimes that's a good thing. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing dairy three weeks
oils
Up to six months. Whoa
oils all of them not just like the good ones the bad ones so
So when you're constantly going bad being like oh, I stopped for a week, but I'm going back
You're you're constantly doing the cycle over and over and over again when it comes to alcohol when it comes to all those things
But today we're talking about alcohol. Yeah
So that's that's what the dopamine anxiety like sleep is it's crashing so it wakes you up
Yes, oh my gosh and then and as your mind takes over and as you get older you don't recover as quickly
And it lasts. I mean now that makes sense why when like if I'm going out out
Which is so rare these days rare when I go. Yes. Oh my gosh that because I stopped myself before I
Get to that point because I don't want to feel that way the next day
But sometimes it happens and you know, there's nothing you can do there is but whatever
Um, we're watching a neuron right now
But I it takes me like three days because I've lost sleep. Yeah, I've had anxiety and
My body is just tired and sluggish for literally three days
I think that also happens. I don't know about the sciences, but like as you get older
Yeah, because like the body it works a little harder to do things I think like metabolize and all that stuff
So I think those crashes hit harder and the highs hit harder
But everything's just more elevated and that's not science. That's um fit to be real science. So
You know, don't look that up. Yeah
Yeah, it's rare rare that we're right, right? Also, I want to add in before she finishes her what she's learned
We are not saying stop drinking. Oh
At all. I'm gonna get it again. Yeah. We didn't get there
Yeah, we did. Oh, we did the wedding. Oh, right. You started drinking again. Okay. Um, we love alcohol
Um, we
We we love peary winery to sponsor us. That would be great
If you are looking for good wine or winery in the area look up peary farms. They make their own wine
Um, but eight hundred five eight eight two three hundred empire today
That's different
But yes, we we're not saying you should stop drinking we drink. Uh, well, I drink she's a newbie and
We
Are just want to put that out there. Yeah, we're not saying that judging or saying it's bad or this isn't a public service announcement
To stop anybody. It's just this is what I've learned. These are the facts. I've looked up
It's all fascinating. You do with it what you will. Mm-hmm
And just laugh it us along the way, you know
All right, the fourth out of five things that I've learned
is that
Unhappiness can be fed by any vice. Oh, yeah, absolutely any vice
Meaning I gave up alcohol and I replaced it with food. Mm-hmm. So it's not
It's not the fact that like what what do you see like dr
Stop drinking alcohol. You'll lose all this weight all this weight the addiction gets just put into a different compartment, right?
So for me, this wasn't addiction based
But alcohol is a drug. Yeah, it is a drug
No matter whether you're addicted to it or not. It's a drug and so stopping that drug. I needed another one to fill
The happy void. Uh-huh. Not that I was you. I mean it was kind of using it for that
But it also put me in a dark place, which is why I stopped. So I was like, well, I'm not gonna drink all right. Well
They're all drink. I'll have another piece of pie. Mm-hmm. So like I put it into that got really heavy
Yeah, hated everything and still wasn't happy and still wasn't happy
Even though I was doing the work on my happiness and like my inner work, blah, blah, blah, blah
the revelation was that
Alcohol is not gonna fix things whether you're drinking it or not drinking it sugar is not gonna fix things whether you're drinking it or not
Ordering out Mexican food tacos all the things that I love that I was like, I'm gonna make this is gonna make me feel better
I'm just gonna whatever. I'll just eat it. I'll feel better. Well, guess what? I still crashed afterwards
Yeah, so mad at myself that I did it. So it's a cycle
Whatever drug you want to use for it. So
Take that for what it's worth
but that was like a big thing for me because I was like
All I kept saying it was so amazing. It's like the phone's listening
So the instagrams were like alcohol related and I would listen to them or I would look at them and I would read them and be like
I'm not losing 25 50 pounds. I'm gaining. Yeah. Well, why because I put all the things that you drink for I put it into food
And then I got tired and then I wouldn't want to work out as much then I got lazy
So like it all affects the body and the mind
You're not necessarily going to lose so much weight if you're gonna put all of the weight of alcohol into something
Yeah, that makes sense. I I agree. Thank you
the number one revelation
That I learned is that people are more concerned about what's in your cup than what's in their cup
that was the
most heartbreaking
and shocking thing that happened in in all that time because
The question is oh, you're not having a drink. Why?
Which is okay. That's fine. You know when I ask that question is that question
But you have to take my answer for what it is. Yeah, so then if my answer was I'm just not drinking right now
I just kind of stopped why you have a problem. Yeah, like the amount of people that thought why do you have a problem was an appropriate
question
Is was like what if I did yeah, like what if I actually did have a problem then what do you say you have to be really comfortable with yourself
Yeah, and your addiction or your sober to be able to answer that question
But when you say you're not drinking it immediately means there's a problem with you
And you can't drink not that you're opting out to drink
And because I would not drink some people would be like oh well then I can't drink because that's awkward why
Do what you want to do right? Yeah
Yeah, my decision should have absolutely nothing to do with any of your decisions like I never imposed that on people
No, I think people
impose it on themselves sometimes unintentionally because I do know that if
You're not drinking
I didn't drink maybe I wanted one, but I was like do I need it? No, I don't need it
Some people are social drinkers. So when they go out socially right and somebody's not drinking
Well, that's the only social thing that they know how to do so then they're like oh, then I can't now that's not somebody that
might be confident in
Themselves, right?
So it just depends. Yeah, but I do know that when people would be like is Victoria. Okay. Why isn't she drinking? I'm like she's fine
She or some like we'd have an event like oh well Victoria's not drinking is that okay?
I'm like it's okay for her. The best is that no one assumed I was pregnant. No, no
It was a win. No, and that's my go-to with all of our cousins when everyone was having babies
I was like what's in your drink?
Yeah, Carly was the biggest culprit because I would always know when somebody was pregnant
God forbid someone keep a secret and not tell you and want to try to hide it Carly will out you and ruin your day
Oh, thank you. Yeah
That's a good trait
Um, but yeah, I just I found that people definitely were more affected
By me not drinking then I think I was yeah, I'd be like go have a drink the espresso martinis are amazing
You should go on like I stop it. I don't care. So I I had to end up making people feel comfortable right
To have their own drinks
Around you is wild, you know, it's just such a wild concept didn't
It didn't bother me like it was mostly family because of my mouth
I was with family. Yeah, but it was it was just like amazing
That it was a consistent pattern
Of nights out or moments at you know a party to
I would have to put the lime on the side so they assumed I would you know, just so I didn't have to have the conversation
Yeah
No, I remember when I started dating that was a big that was a big thing
I said you're going to iron hill. Are you gonna tell this person that like you don't drink?
Is that gonna be a problem and you were like if it is it's his problem. Yeah
Yeah, well, I had some people
Ask me via like the app like they would oh, you know, that was one of their questions of I guess
priorities or importance
And I'd be like, ah, actually I'm not really drinking right now. I've made it this many days
It's like a fun. I'd have to do the whole spiel like it's like a competition at this point someday. I've drank again
I'm sure but like whatever and some of the conversations would fizzle out. Yeah, some of them would stop on a dime
One of them deleted me immediately stop it
Like deleted like this person is gone and the best when it comes to bumble if any of you out there have been on bumble
When that happens when someone like deletes the match and or the conversation
You can click on it. It just says delete it so you can click on it and it says oh, don't worry
So and so just deleted you and you can't see any of the conversations you've had so far. Oh my gosh keep searching
But it's so funny because it's like don't worry. Yeah, don't worry
I would laugh it make me laugh
But that only one person did that and then I met two people out and neither of them
Cared neither of them cared. Yeah, I it didn't work out with that first guy. Thank god
Yes, I remember many reasons that I was like bye
But he didn't care he didn't care about that. Yeah
Well, that's good because it's not it shouldn't be a central
It is because we live in the world today, but it shouldn't be like the central thing
In a conversation or a date or an outing
I noticed when I stopped drinking for six months during covid. I was doing it for losing weight, right? Um
Which
Helped. I mean it helped. I
My suggestion from personal experience if you are trying to lose weight or a significant amount of weight
I would
Cut it out of your life. Yeah, it doesn't help it. It definitely hurts you if you're in your fitness program
I would cut it out
You see all these things online influencers say you can eat the same way and you can go out and have fun and have this cocktail
For me
And what I have learned just cut it out if you are not an addict and you don't need it
you can absolutely have fun going out in social settings and
Continue to lose weight without alcohol. You don't need it
And that's what I learned when I stopped drinking like it stopped being like, oh, where are we going to go?
What am I going to drink right or looking forward to a friday and saturday or whatever it because I didn't care because
I stopped drinking so it was looking forward to other things like where were we going and being present in what we were doing
And I was like, wow, I really like that it changed the priority
And then I stopped that and I went back to drinking but
um
But definitely shifted and I would say for anybody trying to lose a significant amount of weight
Cut it out completely and then slowly add it back in. It's just like anything else
So I want to clarify because earlier I said because you stopped drinking doesn't mean you're going to lose weight
what we're saying now
Is that if you cut out drinking in addition to changing your healthy lifestyle, you're going to lose weight
If you cut out drinking and continue to eat the exact same way that you're eating which is clearly not
Helping your weight loss process. You're not going to lose weight. Right. So it's paired with your food lifestyle
Right, but if you've already started on the healthy track, but you're still drinking every single weekend and you're like, why is the scale not moving?
Try. Yeah, try cutting out your give yourself however many weeks
to
Kind of reset and detoxify. It's like such an ovaries word now. I'm detoxing from this. Oh, I'm I'm detoxing from toxicity
I'm detailed
Actually detoxify because after eight days it will be out of the system
How much farther can you go and see what your body reacts to them? I?
Second that and on that note. Let's talk about
a couple
negative effects that it has on your fitness journey
Only not in your life just in your fitness journey. Yeah, so the number one is a slower recovery
So drinking alcohol, it's not going to like kill your process, but you're going to be sore
longer
it's
It's the bad kind of carbs
So if you're a beer drinker, we always say carbs are good carbs are good. Don't cut it out
But that's a bad carb just like there's good fats and bad fats. That is a bad carb
It's gonna do nothing for you. It is empty
so
Your recovery time is going to be
Miles slower than if you just cut it out cut it out
It stretches your heart
Your heart is a muscle alcohol stretches the heart and as much as you're supposed to like stretch your muscle
That's not a muscle to stretch
That does only bad things and only has bad effects for the heart and in long term
The heart is the reason we're exercising and working out right? It's for our future
It's to keep us healthier longer. That's what exercise is for
and so
When you're exercising and you're doing such a good job, but then every Friday Saturday Sunday is drinking alcohol
You are reversing all of the hard work that you just did and your heart is like
You're damaging your heart. So yeah, that's a big one. That is a big one
You're gonna pack on the calories and how that happens is you know
We've talked about amino acids before and how good they are for you. Sometimes people put them in their water
They there's a packet you put amino acids in your water
So alcohol breaks them down so that you don't have them anymore
Yeah in your muscles like specifically in your legs and your glutes
You don't you just don't have them anymore because the alcohol obliterates them just like the neurons in the brain
So because of that it really bulks up the fat and the calories and so you don't you I mean just that alone
If you are trying to lose weight that alone would should make you maybe
Think of another way just think about working out so hard
So hard Monday to Friday and then Friday to Sunday you're drinking so hard
And it is a hamster wheel of nothing. Yeah, nothing is happening. Yeah, and it nothing's gonna happen
My god, what a waste. What a waste. I'm like picturing it. You just work so hard, but the hamster is cute. Okay
It weakens your immune system and wreaks absolute havoc on your sleep cycle
which
We've learned at this point in all of these episodes. They go hand in hand with progress weight loss health
Whatever you want to do hormones hormones. Oh my gosh, it messes up the hormone system
Like none other so if you're in any stages of like confusion of what the heck is going on with my body
I'm doing abcnd right. I don't understand
Or maybe you know exactly what's happening
Your sleep cycle is affected
It's depleting that wreaks havoc on your immune system your immune system is what keeps you healthy to be able to go to the next workout
to be able to make the good healthy food choices and
Then your hormones are completely fluctuating doing the highs and the crashes and the lows and
Nothing is going right. That's breaking. What's a hormone your cortisol levels your cortisol levels is your stress level
So your stress levels are rising
Stress levels are rising
And only us found knew what was happening there and we're not gonna explain it. That's fine. It's fine. No, we're not gonna explain it
and so all of that is affected to your fitness journey your fitness lifestyle and
And just overall health. Yeah
I I agree with that. Thank you. My last one is depleted water and nutrients. So
What happens you've all said it you've all done it
You drink so much you have to go to the bathroom and once you break the seal, there's no going back
I mean once you go to the bathroom that first time when you're in a night of drinking it is non-stop
So what are you doing? You are dehydrating yourself. The alcohol is
Irritating the stomach lining. So all of the nutrients every time you go to the bathroom when you are drinking the nutrients are getting flushed out
And then you drink again, right?
So then yeah, so then you're dehydrating yourself with that
Cocktail or that beer or whatever instead of water, right?
So when you're going to the bathroom with water, that's fine
The nutrients are not being irritated in your stomach. They are staying when you're drinking alcohol
The nutrients are getting flushed out and you're dehydrating yourself
So think of two nights in a row where you've had five drinks you've non-stop go to the bathroom
And you're just all those nutrients are just gone
So if you're not having a drink of water in between each alcoholic drink
You are severely dehydrated and that is just horrible for any fitness journey
We'll think while you're saying this what I'm picturing in my mind is that
The more alcohol you drink, right? There's a stick figure in my mind and it's
pounding it's just pounding him down
And so but it's think of it as outlined, right? So it's like a glass of water this this
stick figure and it's filling up with red every time it takes a drink of some sort of alcohol
And then out of the feet is the blue. It's all the water draining from having to go to the bathroom
Depleting yourself, but the red like a battery is filling up up up up up. That's how you're getting drunk right drunk drunk drunk
My brain is poisoned. I cannot think straight all these bad things still going to the bathroom
But not flushing out the good stuff right water, right?
And then it gets to that max level of like
Blackout vomiting bad decisions danger, right? Right danger. Yeah
That's wild. I actually didn't understand that process. I never did either until I looked into it because when they were saying like
Break like I put that when you break the seal because that's just what I think of all the time
Oh, yeah, no one ever wants to go to the bathroom and then when you do you cannot stop
Um, which is the worst when you're in a crowded bar every time it's every time
So what you want to do if you're in that situation is have water
I know it's hard. Nobody wants to do it. Have water in between each drink. I mean again
We're not telling you not to drink. We're just saying do it better
Yeah, do it better
Well, it keeps your body with the nutrients in it and also stops the process of the toxicity to the brain
So it like slows down your your drunk factor. Yeah, and it also helps your sleep
And then yeah in turn helps helps your sleep. So
Why all of that ties into this last one, which is for the fitness journey your mental health
Alcohol is a depressant
It is a crusher, right?
What's a depressant a drug?
Like we I don't think as a society we think about alcohol as a drug. No, we think we go exactly we think of drugs as drugs, right?
But all drugs are poison
Alcohol is just an accepted poison
That comes in different flavors for different people's
Likes
That it's more uncommon and outlandish for you to not drink this poison than for you to drink this poison, right?
Just like sugar. Just like sugar sugar is a drug drugs are drugs, but alcohol is something
That is governmently it's legal
Legal. Mm-hmm to drink can't do anything with it. You don't get behind a car. Yeah, right, but you are allowed to drink
Here's the age. You're allowed to drink this poison
And whatever happens after that's up to you. Yeah wild and so so wild there are
studies
That there are some benefits like I know some people
And I've read and I've known some people to go to the doctor and it thins your blood
So anybody that has like heart issues where their blood is
Coagulating and they need to thin it out. They suggest that you drink wine. You just grew a neuron
How'd you do that? Wait, it's a new science. It's called fit to be real. I'm regenerating those neurons. I lost during my drinking days
Um, amazing, but yeah, so it thins your blood and so they you know, the doctor will suggest that you drink x amount of wine
Or red wine. Yes, and then you know, some people say that Guinness
Helps with milk production when you're nursing and it you know for me it worked
But I don't know if that's a wives tale or you know, some people just want to think that the Irish created that one
but um
You know, there are some benefits, but there it's a might be or a may or a
We're not sure yet because the studies doesn't show this is 100 accurate
So, you know take that with what you will like I feel my blood coagulating right now. So I feel like I need some
You know, yeah, that's thinning wine. That's the drug of caffeine that you're chugging
It's probably not your first 20 ounce of the day. No, it's not
um, but think of it like this
those benefits
That we don't want you to run off with no don't don't be like fit to be real said I need
I'll all good for you and I am all for going out and having some wine or some drinks and you know, I
Who doesn't go to dutch wonderland and have some beers? I mean, that's what I think you're only allowed to I know you're only
But why right because they don't want you to get drunk
At a kids amusement park. So at dutch wonderland per ID you can only buy two drinks for the day
It's kind of brilliant. It's amazing. I never knew that at first. We were like, um
Why because that's four drinks between me and Andrew
And they were like because we don't want any drunk parents around the kids and I was like, oh, that's amazing
Because a lot of people cannot stop themselves
You know, I have an expired license. So I couldn't buy any beer, but whatever
To know I had a really good bartender and I was like, oh god
You gotta you gotta have the schmooze factor. She was like, you don't look 21. So I'm gonna serve you you look 40
You look like you need more than two
But I mean I'm I like to enjoy the beverage now and then but I so much prefer to wake up clearheaded
Than anything else. I think the clarity was the biggest thing I could get through
Situations with more of a clear head to be like no, that's not how I feel my mind just telling me that I feel like this
I feel different. I feel this or I
You heard that that's not what I heard and my head was clear to be like, no, trust me. This isn't exactly what happens
Right exactly because I was there like I was present. I was there. I was not
I was not under any influence of anything. So that part of it was
Not always fun. No, I know always fun, but
In the long run, I was like, well, I'm glad I didn't I'm so glad that I didn't I'm so glad I don't feel like you
I'm so glad, you know, like there's so many good things to it
Fun fun fact fun story
Hmm Victoria and I we have some pretty heavy medication we go on once a month. Oh god and
It's heavy. It's prescribed. We need it or else we wouldn't be able to teach or function
For a while. It's about our period
What's up, Justin?
Hey dad and
So Victoria
Went out with friends to a very famous gay bar in the city called woodies
And she had this prescribed pain medication one. I took one out of two one and then she drank
One then she got carried out of woodies and asked never to return
And the people she was with were kind enough to call our mother and say can you pick up victoria?
She can't make words kind enough. I told them to okay. That's that's good. I roofied myself. So in clear carmella fashion
they are
Handing victoria over to carmella on the side of the road in philadelphia
She's stumbling into the car and carmella looks at her friends and goes she needed this guys. Thank you. She needed this
It's not like my daughter is stumbling and just got kicked out of a bar for being on
Pain medication and alcohol. No, she needed this guys. She needed it talk about drugs
I didn't realize to be clear. I did not understand
What would have happened? I was like, hey
I'm at intermission of the show that I'm in and I know we're all going out after I'm gonna take this now
So I don't get horrible cramps and like ruin my night and then out. I was like, yes, I will have a double gin and tonic
Sure will
Because I never go out
Well, it's one gin and tonic. We had a show the next day. I was throwing up in the bushes outside
There was like potted potted trees and I was vomiting in them. I knew I knew something was wrong though because I was there
Yeah, my body was not okay. My mind was okay. I told lauren to get a plastic bag so I could throw up in the plastic bag
I told
Sarah to get water because I needed water. I got kicked out. I couldn't have access anymore
Erica was holding me up. She's who I told to call mom and it was like I'm not calling your mother
I was like call my mom
She'll be here in a minute and she was
The best part of that that you forgot is that our microwave broke
Oh
And so she pulls up and I opened the passenger door in the back
Of the driver's side and there was a microwave right there
and
Nick
Oh
Nick was going to walk me around to the other side of the car and put me in the open seat and I went no
And I put both hands on the microwave and I shoved it to the other side of the car
With that like strength you you have. Yes. For what reason? I don't know and he went. Oh my god
And I ruined the car the car had um like the metal tore the the seats up in the back
And that's when Carmela was like thanks guys. She needed this
It was like a movie
But my body was not there. That's the crazy thing is that my body had no control
Yeah, they had to help me go down the stairs of woody's from the second floor
If you know woody's you know how many stairs and how steep that is I couldn't do it myself
I didn't get sick until I left so I don't know why I got kicked out. Well, we're unsure. We're not unsure
But you were good enough to get kicked out. Yes
I I'll be back woody's. I'll be back. No your picture's on the wall. You are banned from the wall
But yeah, I did roofing myself because that's how horrible when you mix things with alcohol
Yeah, and now I know but that is my roofy uh my roofy story. She needed this guys. Thanks guys
We're gonna play a fun game. I like to call
booze clues. Oh my god
We're gonna ask victoria some alcoholic questions now that she's back in the game fantastic and see if she knows the answer
It's a short little short little game. Okay
all right
booze clues
The uk's top doctors recommend no more than 14 units of alcohol a week
But what's the unit? Oh god one pint of beer
a cupboard where I keep my drinks
Or 10 milliliters of pure alcohol within a given drink
Pine a beer a cupboard where I keep my drinks or 10 milliliters of pure alcohol, but 14 of these things
So a pint? No, you're incorrect. No, you're correct. No, you're incorrect
I'm drunk. I'm super curious. I'm not sure
No, it's 10 milliliters of pure alcohol within a given drink
Yeah 14 a week. Mm-hmm. That's in the uk
Well, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah, okay
How long does it take the body to break down one unit of alcohol?
It depends on whether I've been drinking beer wine or vodka around an hour
It takes no time at all because I've built up a good tolerance about an hour
Correct. Yeah, it was the only actual science
Option what is the best way to cure a hangover?
Go for a five mile run allow enough time for your body to process the alcohol or hair of the dog
I've heard hair of the dog even though I've never ever ever been able to do that myself either
I can't smell or think about
Yeah, the morning after
I think it's the second thing you said which I already can't allow enough time. Yes for your body to
process
Is drinking red wine good for the heart? Yes. It's complicated
No way. Gin agrees with me more. Yeah. Yes because it helps you fall in love. Oh
What um, I agree with the gin, but I'm gonna go yes
So it's complicated. It's complicated. Okay. Go with that one because while
In my krigados it's exactly right. There's all studies that show that there is no health benefits
But there are some studies that show that there are some health benefits. So it is complicated
Studies get your stuff together. How many calories are there in a pint of beer? Oh my god, none
It's mainly water after all more than a can of coke. I have no idea
Oh, definitely more than a can of coke. Yeah for beer. Mm-hmm. I would say upwards of
200 plus
You are correct
Yeah, yeah, that's absolutely right. I'm sober. I'm amazing. I'm sober. You're not sober curious
I'm sober confident
All right, what grape is used in red french burgundy wine a red french burgundy grape
Merlot cab pino or sarah. Oh, Merlot cab
Pino no
Oh, I thought you said cab
It's pino. I was naming them. I thought you picked cavernade. It was pino. He said no
Again, you can hit up Christina. Pieri for all your wine needs for their new winery
During what years did the United States go through prohibition?
No options really. I mean pick a decade in the 1900s or 18 late 1800s
1920s, you got it. You did it. You got that one. I know
What is the alcohol in beer wine and whiskey?
Butanol ethanol methanol
Ethanol you are correct. Yeah, ethanol is a carcinogen
What is James Bond's favorite cocktail?
A martini. Oh, you knew that? Yeah, it's James Bond. Oh my gosh
Wow, okay. Which of the following cocktails does not contain orange juice?
Tequila sunrise screwdriver fuzzy navel pina colada pina colada
If you like pina colada
Getting caught in the ring
Which beer brand spells its light beer?
L-I-T-E Miller. Oh, you didn't even need a suggestion. No
Which of the following whiskies is made in Kentucky? Burban
Okay, jack daniels crown royal jameson or jim beam
Oh, oh, oh say it again. Sorry jack daniels crown royal jameson jim beam
I feel like I should know this. Um whiskies in Kentucky. Come on pick one
Jim beam Jim beam you are correct. That only took 20 years off my life. Honest to god
That was a guess. I know which of the following grapes is used in making white wine. Oh trash
Malbec, grinache
Or two other things I can't pronounce two other things I can't pronounce
Okay, yeah, vagonier
This is a good question. This is like this is like you doing Bravo questions. I can't pronounce these french words
Gin is flavored with it's probably something like chavon where it really means pino, but it spells something completely different
Like what's that irish name sorcy
Seircy
S-A-I-O-R-S-E
Sersha
Look it up. There's an irish name. That's like soleil. No, that's not irish. That's like spelled s-a-i-o or something like that
It's like schwarz. Chavon. No, that's s-b-h or whatever. Okay. Anyway, gin is flavored with juniper berries anise orange peels or black currants
gin
Juniper bellies
Juniper juniper black. You're horrible. I don't know
What is the legal age for drinking wine in beer drinking wine and beer in Germany?
1819 1716 two
no
uh
1819 17
16
16 you can drink in Germany. Is it really uh-huh?
Oh my gosh. Okay last question. You ready?
At what blood alcohol percentage does a driver become legally intoxicated?
0.065 0.12 0.08 0.10. I don't know this
um
It's 0.1 something
No 0.08 a 0.0. Not even 0.1. Yeah, guess what?
For the first time in fit to be real history
You lost. No, I didn't. Yes, you did. I got way more right. You got 35 percent. Oh
No, that's because you couldn't pronounce anything and I usually round up and like if you got 51 percent, I would say you won
But you got 35 percent. You don't know your s
H it about alcohol
You know, I think I'm okay with that actually
She just started drinking very small doses. So uh, we'll give her that
listen
We're gonna say again
This is not about somebody with an addiction and this is not a deterrent for you to stop drinking alcohol
We're not trying to do that. That is not the plan. This is an experience that I went through
These are all the things that we learned in the process and it's just sharing information that you can
Do with what you want, right? I think it's fascinating clearly
I started drinking again. Yeah, so it's not something that like I'm doing this you should do it too, right?
I've never crossfitted or veganed to anyone about my alcohol. Uh-huh. She's never judged if you do or don't drink
She's never judged, you know, so that's not I mean I sometimes do but she definitely doesn't oh you did every single time
Are you kidding me?
um, no, there is no judgment involved and I'm sure I'll go through another, you know phase of not wanting to do it but
One glass in a month. I think yeah is like what my life is if I really want it
I think now it's like I know all the bad things about it
So I have to really want to have that glass of wine
You have to really want it has to be good and it has to be in a situation that you're comfortable in
No heavy drugs needed
No, and it has to be your decision. Yeah, like I was out on that ironhill date
And I was like, you know, I might I might I don't know I might have I've been thinking about it
and he was like
I don't want any decision. Yeah made based on me. I don't want to be the reason you started drinking
Yeah, you do it and I didn't have it that night and at the wedding with my family
I was like I want to have a glass of wine like it was my decision. I was not
Coerced I was not guilted. It was like what I wanted to do is what I did
Just stop and start had she been coerced or guilted it would have happened over the those two plus years
So I think that you have to have a strong
mental head about you if you are going to do something like that
Um
Because you're you could be easily coerced. Yeah, and just think those those
22
I don't know. I can't put a full time frame on it the majority of 22 all of 23. I was in
Some sort of depressive state. Mm-hmm. I can only imagine what alcohol would have done on top of that guys
She went on two cruises and didn't drink
I mean you have to be strong headed and strong willed in a competition with yourself to not go on a full cruise
With drinks and we're all drinking or I'm an idiot
That's the other option
I mean, she was with people that drank from sun up to sundown and it was fun and she still had fun
and I think that's the point that like you have to be
Wanting to do it for nobody other than yourself because if it's for somebody else
It's not gonna you're not gonna stick to it. Yeah, but I also wanted to start because of me too. Yeah, so I'm I'm glad I
Nobody guilted me into that. I'm amazing
I am just the strongest human in the world
Her usual
We just want to remind you
That you are always fit to be real and you are always allowed to be a little extra
For legal reasons we have to tell you that this podcast is meant for entertainment and educational purposes only we are not health care
Professionals for all of your health wellness fitness and self-care needs
Please refer to the medical professional in your life your primary care physician your therapist a certified coach
Whoever it may be and then let us know what they say because I guarantee we need to know it too
Okay
Okay, bye