Drink Up, Columbus: making healthy(ish) adult beverage choices this summer
Hey there, Columbus! My name is Lily Hall, a.k.a. Lily G, but you can call me Coach Lilz, your new fitness godmother. I’m a coach, motivator, blogger and self-proclaimed “sweat queen.” I started my fitness career six years ago as a certified personal trainer and gym manager. Today I operate my own fitness brand (luluandlunges.com) and am a full time coach at Orangetheory Fitness (5592 Whitesville Road, Columbus). This incredible community has welcomed me with open arms, and I came in hot ready to make an impact. My thank-you offering is this bad boy: your new fitness column.
With this column, I will give you the good, the bad and the ugly, and the reality of finding a realistic and maintainable version of your personal health and fitness goals. I’m not your typical fitness guru encouraging you to drink 63 servings of kale or demanding burpees until you throw up. While I love my veggies and, yes, burpees are an incredibly effective exercise, I want us to be real with each other. I want to show you the magical universe that is diet free, lifestyle friendly, and motivational as heck. It’s what I do, it’s my thing. To get started, I want to jump in on one of my favorite topics: alcohol.
With summer fast approaching, school letting out and temperatures rising, we’re more tempted than ever to grab a cold one and kick back. That’s okay! A lot of trainers and fitness professionals would encourage a sober lifestyle, but, again, this is real life. I want us to be healthy and happy. My solution? A few low calorie, lower sugar drinks to keep on deck.
First up, hard seltzers. They’re everywhere this year and I love it. There are several established brands available at stores all over, so you’ll have no trouble finding them. Second, a good mixed drink is hard to beat. I’m a major cocktail fan, and this is why: you can make them clean. Whether you’re pairing your hard liquor with diet soda or soda water, the possibilities are endless. Enter Crystal Lite. You heard me: there are a billion flavors of healthy drink mixes out there, so use them. Buy the drops to add to your vodka soda. Bring a packet to dump into your gin and tonic.
Frozen drinks? Skip the ready-made mixers and use real fruit. I made myself fresh margaritas last week and completely forgot I was drinking alcohol. Pop your tequila in a blender, add some freshly squeezed lime juice, throw in some strawberries and you’re golden. Beer drinker? Rock on, sis. But here’s the thing, those babies fill you up quick. Ever notice how after just a few beers you feel bloated? Cut ‘em back. Hard seltzers come I handy here as a replacement, but if you’re seriously craving a brew, reach for a low calorie option.
There are so many ways to choose a healthy lifestyle. But you have to make the decision. Decide that you are not going to deprive yourself of a fun time, yes! But also decide that you are going to remember your goals, that you will not sabotage those health goals with poor drink choices. Small daily decisions make an incredible impact over time.
Columbus: I would love to get some feedback on my new column. What can I help you with? Email me (lilygfit@gmail.com) with any questions you want answered, topics you want covered or myths you need busted. Also, you can find me on these additional platforms:
instagram.com/lilygfit
facebook.com/LilyGFit