Eat, Drink, and Still Slim Down: Why You Don't Need Perfection to Feel Better in Your Body

Most of my clients who come to me to improve their relationship with food and alcohol aren't looking for a rigid plan. They don't want to count every calorie or log every glass of wine. They're not interested in eliminating entire food groups or declining dinner invitations just because there's a charcuterie board involved. They want their lives to still feel like their lives. They want to hang out with friends, say yes to the party, not stand out by ordering a club soda with lime, and not have to explain to their sister-in-law why they’re skipping the cheesy artichoke dip.

And here's the thing: they don’t have to change everything to see real, lasting results.

Let’s be honest—most people already know the basics. If I asked you whether broccoli or an Oreo is healthier, it wouldn’t take you more than a millisecond to answer. People know vegetables are better for them than cookies. They’re not confused about whether drinking six cocktails a night is going to help them feel great in the morning.

So the issue isn’t knowledge. It’s integration.

It’s about bridging the gap between what we know and what we actually do, in a way that feels sustainable, not punishing. Because deep down, what my clients want isn’t about hitting some arbitrary goal weight, or following a strict routine so they can brag about it on social media. What they want is much simpler—and much more human.

They want to feel good in their bodies. They want to look in the mirror and feel at ease. They want to go to events and weddings and dinners and feel comfortable—not self-conscious, not ashamed, not like they’re being “bad” for enjoying a slice of cake. They want to move through life with less friction, less overthinking, and less guilt.

The Myth of "Hard" and "Strict"

We live in a culture that often equates results with restriction. That if you want to lose weight or drink less, it needs to be hard, and you need to suffer a little—or a lot. And the more disciplined you are, the more “worthy” you become.

That’s a lie. And a damaging one.

Most of the clients I work with have already tried the hard and strict approach. They’ve tried cutting carbs, skipping dinners, avoiding alcohol entirely, tracking every bite of food. And maybe some of those things worked for a while. But then life happened: vacations, holidays, stressful days, a kid’s birthday party, a breakup. The plan fell apart. And so did the progress.

What they come to me for isn't another plan. It's a shift in mindset.

They’re tired of living at the extremes: all in or all out. Perfect or “screw it.” They want to learn how to live in the middle—where they can say yes to pizza night and feel good in their jeans. Where they can drink socially without feeling like they’re sabotaging all their progress. Where they don’t have to mentally track every morsel of food or beat themselves up for having dessert.

You Don't Need to Be Told What to Do

Most people aren’t walking around unaware of the fact that their nightly wine habit or stress-snacking isn’t helping them feel their best. They don’t need a food tracker or a set of rules. They need support in learning how to make choices in alignment with their goals—without feeling deprived, judged, or like they're failing if they eat nachos once in a while.

You already know what foods help you feel energized, clear-headed, and confident. You know the difference between eating until you’re satisfied and eating until you’re numb. You know the difference between a celebratory glass of champagne and an I-had-a-bad-day bottle of pinot.

But knowing isn’t always enough. Life is busy. Emotions are messy. Habits are ingrained. Social pressure is real.

So the work isn’t about learning new facts—it’s about learning new patterns. Building new strategies. Creating space between impulse and action. It’s about bringing awareness and intention to your choices, instead of trying to white-knuckle your way through another “clean eating” challenge.

What "Normal" Eating and Drinking Can Look Like

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to overhaul your life to start feeling better in your body. You can eat and drink in a way that feels normal to you—still fun, still enjoyable, still social—and also feel more in control, more confident, and more connected to your goals.

For example:

• You can go to dinner with friends and order the cocktail you actually want, while skipping the bread basket because you know it makes you feel bloated.

• You can have a glass of wine on Friday night and not feel the need to finish the bottle “because it’s open.”

• You can enjoy the artichoke dip at the party, but also serve yourself a plate with some veggies and protein so you don’t end the night starving.

• You can say yes to dessert when it sounds amazing—and say no when it doesn’t, without overthinking it or making it a moral issue.

You don’t need to be the “health nut” in your group. You don’t need to draw attention to your choices. You don’t need to prove your discipline.

What you do need is clarity around what makes you feel good—and permission to honor that, even when it looks different from what other people are doing.

Why This Works

When you give yourself room to be imperfect, something surprising happens: you become more consistent.

Why? Because there’s no guilt spiral. No shame storm. No “I’ll start over Monday” mentality. You just keep going. You adjust, you learn, you respond to what your body is telling you. You stop swinging between extremes and start building real momentum.

You also start trusting yourself again. You stop outsourcing your decisions to apps or diet plans or influencers. You become the expert on you—which is who you were always meant to be.

Realistic, Not Rigid

This approach isn’t about “moderation” in a vague, hand-wavy sense. It’s about developing skills:

• Learning to recognize when you’re eating out of boredom or emotion

• Understanding your patterns with alcohol and how to interrupt them

• Finding meals and routines that support your energy, your mood, your digestion

• Setting boundaries around food and drink without isolating yourself

• Navigating social situations without falling into old habits

And you don’t have to do all of this at once. This isn’t a transformation that happens overnight—it’s a process. A gentle unwinding of old beliefs and a layering in of new ones.

Final Thought: You Can Feel Good Without Being “Perfect”

You don’t have to track everything. You don’t have to give up wine forever. You don’t have to say no to dinner parties or only eat grilled chicken and kale. You don’t have to be perfect.

You just have to be willing to show up differently. To stop looking for rules, and start building awareness. To focus less on what you’re cutting out, and more on what you’re bringing in: energy, confidence, clarity, joy.

You can eat and drink like a normal person, live your life, and still slim down in the process.

And honestly? That’s the kind of change that sticks.