Why 15 Drinks In A Weekend Is Part Of My Healthy Lifestyle
I drank too much and slept too little this weekend.
I still feel terrible. But it was worth it.
Alcohol is horrible for your health. Sleep deprivation is nearly as bad. And considering I live and breathe fitness, by the books, I shouldn’t have had the weekend I had.
But here’s the thing—strict rules only work if they serve your life, not the other way around.
The reason I can fully enjoy weekends like this (and get back on track without guilt) is because I have a strong foundation. I know how I want to live my life. I have a plan. I follow core principles. And one of those principles?
Forget my principles… to the degree of the significance of the event.
How to Know When to Go All-In (And When to Dial It Back)
I’m not here to tell you how to live—I’m here to help you think about how you want to live so you can enjoy your life without guilt. These are my rules, not yours. Take what works for you, leave what doesn’t.
Here’s how I think about it:
1. Once-in-a-lifetime event:
A bachelor trip, honeymoon, or something you may never experience again? I’m all in—no hesitation. These moments don’t come around twice, and they’re meant to be fully lived. The key is knowing that they’re rare and making the most of them without stress or guilt.
2. Rare but meaningful occasions:
A friend’s wedding, Duke in the Final Four—things that don’t happen often but matter? I’ll indulge, let loose, and enjoy. The memories made here far outweigh a perfect diet or workout routine for a couple of days.
3. Recurring celebrations:
Birthdays, date nights, NFL Sundays—these are trickier. They happen all the time, and if you treat them all like once-in-a-lifetime events, you will lose progress. So, I stick to 90% of my usual habits but still allow myself to enjoy. These are the moments that make up most of life, which is why handling them well is crucial.
A simple rule? If something happens weekly, it shouldn’t be a “screw it” situation. That’s where discipline comes in.
4. Day-to-day living:
Here, I stay disciplined. Not obsessively, but consistently. Because the more locked in I am on regular days, the more I can enjoy the special ones without guilt.
Think of it like your finances—if you save and budget well, you can splurge on the big things without stress. But if you overspend every weekend, the big things start to cost you more than you realize.
That’s the balance. Knowing when to let loose and when to stay disciplined so you can actually enjoy your life instead of constantly feeling guilty.
What Happens After an Indulgent Weekend?
Here’s what I don’t do:
❌ Feel guilty
❌ Starve myself
❌ Do endless hours of cardio to “make up for it”
Instead, here’s what I do every time:
✅ Drink plenty of water
✅ Get my sleep back on track
✅ Hit my workouts hard
✅ Eat quality food and fuel my body
That’s it. No guilt. No stress. Just getting back to what I know works for me.
And that’s the key. If you’ve built a strong foundation, an indulgent weekend won’t derail you. It won’t make you lose progress. It won’t mean you’ve fallen off track.
Because you weren’t on or off—you were just living.
When you figure out how to strike this balance, fitness stops feeling like a constant battle of restriction and willpower. It becomes a tool that allows you to fully enjoy life—both the disciplined days and the wild weekends—without guilt or setbacks.
So next time you let loose, enjoy it. Then get back to what you do best. 💪
Best,
John
P.S. Me, my guys, and hibachi 🔥🔥
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