Life & Style. Have a fitness tip or recipe to share? Contact the editor at lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca 150 days without alcohol Post-holiday drinking apocalypse By Keating Smith, Staff Writer Geren weeks ago, I wrote an article about how I achieved 100 days without consuming one drop of alcohol, offering advice from my experience. My choice to be sober came after I decided that alcohol was a complete burden in my life. Although the holiday season was (at times) a challenge to keep from taking part in the “cause of / solution to all of life’s problems,” I charged through using some creative, sometimes hilarious, techniques that I will now share with you, along with some personal examples. 1) No one cares if you aren’t drinking People tend to focus solely on themselves when they get drunk. Although people may call you a few choice words or try to slip you a drink if they become aware of your dry night, ignore it and understand that the night will most likely be just as ridiculous. Bonus points if you can add fuel to the mayhem of drunken debauchery ina sober frame of mind. 2) Live in the moment Interesting and fascinating events still occur when you're sober, and even more so when you are at a party, bar, or dance club. If some drunken stranger pulls you aside to dance or to examine the inside of your mouth with their tongue then just go or don’t go with it. You are sober and can make your own decision as to what is right and wrong. Resolution solutions Five ways to burn 50 calories By Caitlin Van Den Brink, Contributor Aw now, everyone is starting to realize that their New Year’s resolution to lose weight is actually a lot of work. However, here at The Other Press, we're determined to help you cut corners wherever you can, making your resolution as easy as possible to manage. For instance, did you know that you can burn more calories by... 10 1) Bringing your book to you Students have textbooks. That's a well-known fact. Instead of reading it while it lies on your bed or a table, hold it up so that you don’t have to look down at it. Reading suddenly becomes an isometric exercise that will strengthen your shoulders and arms, and help burn calories. 2) Being tidy Not only can several housecleaning activities— from vacuuming to ironing to dusting—burn over 100 calories per hour, but having a clean house can help lower stress and, with it, lower that fat-inducing hormone cortisol. And, let’s face it: life is easier when you don’t have to dig through that pile of 3) Babysit your intoxicated friends This may sound more like an arduous chore than a pleasure, but if you put the right spin on this, you can have a lot of fun. For example, if you are in some type of “drinking establishment” and your buddy is being indecisive about talking to someone they found attractive, start messing his or her mind. I find that when people are intoxicated they have no real concept of what the hell clothes on your bedroom floor each morning. 3) Fidgeting Tapping your feet, twirling your pen, and pacing while you talk on the phone all burn more calories than sitting still. However, a 150-pound person who regularly performs activities such as these can burn up to an extra 300 calories a day when compared to a non- fidgeter. That's a difference of more than 30 pounds a year! 4) Watching a scary movie Sound too good to be true? It’s not. These movies activate your fight or flight response, which in turn increases your heart rate, increases your resting metabolic rate, and decreases = afta aa “Stil from Anchor Man | Photo courtesy of Dreamworks is going on around them, so they will for the most part believe anything you tell them. Another side to babysitting drunk friends is that you can make decisions like you normally would; thus when you decide it’s time to get out of a bad situation or that you've had enough at 4 a.m., you have the power to call the shots and your sober decisions will seem extremely logical or even brilliant to them. your appetite. Just stay away from the munchies that normally go along with Friday the 13th. 5) Splurging Whether it’s grocery shopping or window shopping, you're doing your body (though maybe not your wallet) a favour. The constant movement— pushing a food buggy, carrying bags of clothes, stretching to grab items from a top shelf—is a surprisingly effective workout. Bringing some friends along makes it a double-whammy when this suddenly social event beats back daily stressors and lowers cortisol levels. 4) Be spontaneous Similar to my second point, spouting off random actions and words while surrounded by drunken people is a liberating feeling and receiving a mixed reaction is even better. If you think that attempting to freestyle rap while playing floor hockey with kitchen utensils at a house party is in your cards that night, then go for it. 5) Don’t stop having fun I cannot emphasize enough that this is the most important tip I can share with you. If you think one of the only ways you can have fun in life is by drinking, then you are wrong. I said and did some of the funniest, craziest, and most spontaneous things I have ever done in my life this past holiday season, and I will never forget them. I urge you to be cautious when surrounded by drinking while sober. If you feel uncomfortable or have the urge to cave, then you have to make a decision as to whether you want to leave or join in. If you have the willpower to refrain, I commend you. On the other hand, if you cave and decide to join in, then maybe sobriety is not for you. Sobriety, in my opinion, equals no hangovers, no drama, more money, and the everlasting quest to answer some very deep questions in life. Alcohol has no part of this. Proto courtesy of spunkinator Flickr (Creative Commons)