Sober Fit Life

Okay, I have to be honest, this episode started because Tina Lanzoni sent out an email with the subject line Why Yoga is Better Than Wine after returning from a retreat in Costa Rica. And I immediately had to get her on the podcast.

Tina is a yoga therapist, meditation teacher, somatic instructor, and indoor cycling coach with over 10,000 hours of teaching experience. She's a certified yoga therapist in the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy, a graduate of the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, and a Level 2 iRest Yoga Nidra teacher. She's trained over 100 teachers in the Annapolis area, and if you've ever been in one of her classes, you already know she has a gift for making hard things feel doable.

She's also the person who quietly kicks my butt every week in SoulCycle at Evolutions. So yeah, she's the real deal.

This conversation goes deep into something I talk about a lot  (why willpower isn't the problem) but, Tina brings a completely different lens to it through the world of somatics and embodiment. When we keep reaching for something outside ourselves (wine, scrolling, binge-watching, you name it), we're actually teaching our nervous system that discomfort is a threat. And the more we do that, the more disconnected we get from ourselves, and the harder it becomes to trust ourselves.

Tina also did a live somatic practice with me on the episode. Honestly, just listen to it. You'll feel it.

Here's what we get into:

Tina Lanzoni - Yoga Classes, Yoga Therapy, Meditation - Annapolis, MD

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Want to explore what changing your relationship with alcohol could look like for you? Email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

In this episode of Sober Fit Life, I'm doing something I've been wanting to do for a long time — I'm reading you my actual journal entries from the month leading up to my last drink on September 14th, 2021.

The shame. The bargaining. The waking up at 2am asking what is wrong with me? The promises I made to myself that I broke over and over again. I wrote all of it down, and I want you to hear it — because if you've ever kept that inner struggle completely to yourself, I want you to know you are not alone and there is nothing wrong with you.

These aren't someone else's words. They're mine. And I'm sharing them because when clients work with me now, I never want them to think I don't remember what this felt like. I do. Every bit of it.

In this episode, I share: 

I also want to invite you to take my free quiz — Am I Drinking Too Much? — at www.soberfitchick.com/amiquiz. No labels, no shame, just honest questions and real answers. You'll also get my guide to gray area drinking and three science-backed strategies for stopping cravings in the moment.

And if this episode speaks to you, I'm already taking names for my next six-week Alcohol Reset, kicking off at the end of September. I would love to have you.

Ready to take the next step? Email me at [email protected] or visit my website to learn more about working together. No obligation, just science-backed techniques that actually work.

💬 Want to learn more about the tools I offer? 👇

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Dr. Betsy Greenleaf is renowned as a premier expert in menopause and andropause, a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and innovative specialist in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery with over two decades of experience. She was the first female in the United States to achieve board certification in urogynecology — which she had to explain to us because her own mom thought it sounded like "Euro Disney." We had a moment with that. She's also the founder of the International PAUSE Institute (perimenopause, menopause, and andropause support), CEO of the Pelvic Floor Store, and founder of Femversity, a women's empowerment platform focused on body, mind, and spirit. And she has a podcast called 40s Forward. Because of course she does.

Here's what we covered:

What even is urogynecology? It's not fancy European gynecology. it's the specialty that deals with everything inside the pelvis at a deeper level than a regular OB-GYN. The bladder, the vagina, the uterus, the rectum, all of it. And yes, Dr. Greenleaf really did say "my vagina has fallen and it can't get up." And I love her for it.

The pelvic floor matters more than you think. Like every muscle in the body, pelvic floor muscles weaken over time. We lose about 8% of our muscle mass every decade after age 30 and nobody ever thinks about exercising those muscles until there's a problem. Weakness can lead to leaking, difficulty controlling gas (she used the executive farting mid-presentation scenario and I was here for it), and reduced sexual function. The fix? Kegel exercises, adequate protein, and strength training. It all works together.

Andropause is real — and men don't escape it. While menopause is having its moment on social media, andropause is still flying under the radar. After 40, testosterone starts declining in both men and women. For men, that shows up as the dad bod creeping in, brain fog, lower motivation, mood changes, and reduced sex drive. Sound familiar? It's not just aging, it's hormonal, and there's a lot that can be done about it.

Alcohol and your hormones are not friends. This is where things got really specific in a way I hadn't heard before. Here's what Dr. Greenleaf broke down:

The gut-brain-vagina connection. I had never heard this framing before and it stopped me in my tracks. Dr. Greenleaf explained that when the gut microbiome is off, it triggers a cascade that affects everything — including vaginal health and libido. Because of the anatomy (the anus, vagina, and urethra are very close together), bad bacteria from a disrupted gut can easily migrate and overpopulate the vaginal microbiome. This leads to recurrent UTIs, vaginal infections, and the body essentially deciding to shut down reproduction and libido because it senses inflammation. So when people say "I need a drink to get in the mood" — yeah, it's actually working against you long-term.

90% of serotonin is made in the gut. Read that again. Your happy hormone? Made in your gut. And alcohol kills off the bacteria responsible for producing it. Dr. Greenleaf also talked about GABA, another neurotransmitter made by gut bacteria that's critical for brain health, focus, and preventing brain fog. A lot of gray area drinkers drink specifically because they're chasing that GABA effect. But alcohol actually trains your body to make less of its own GABA over time. It's borrowing against your future.

The cortisol curve. This was one of those explanations that made me go "oh, THAT'S why." Normally, cortisol rises in the morning (helping you wake up) and decreases throughout the day. When you're chronically stressed, that curve flips — you can't get out of bed in the morning and you can't shut your brain off at night. Alcohol and caffeine both make this worse. If you're using coffee to get going and wine to wind down, you're in a loop that's actually reinforcing the problem.

Bladder health and yes, Botox. We have an epidemic of overactive bladder, and alcohol is a direct contributor. It dehydrates you, concentrates your urine, and is an irritant to the bladder lining. But here's the part that genuinely surprised me: there are more people walking around in their 70s with overactive bladder at any given time than have the common cold. Dr. Greenleaf does Botox injections into the bladder to calm spasming muscles — and she got into aesthetics because patients started asking her to use the leftovers on their faces. Her words. I love this woman.

Wearable tech changed her perspective. Dr. Greenleaf already knew intellectually that alcohol was bad for you — she's a doctor. But it wasn't until she started wearing a health tracker and actually saw what one glass of wine did to her sleep quality, heart rate variability, and oxygen levels that it really hit. She showed me her data during our conversation. The red dot was not subtle. She said one glass can throw off her microbiome for up to a week. After seeing that in real time? It's just not worth it anymore.

Non-alcoholic options she actually likes. Hop water, non-alcoholic beer, seltzer with bitters. She's a bitters fan because bitter foods have a GLP-1-like effect on appetite and gut health — something American diets are seriously lacking. And she made the point that nobody at a party is paying attention to what's in your glass. Nobody cares.

The PAUSE App. It's still in beta and she wants us to try it! Go to pauselabs.health and use code SOBERFIT for three months free. It tracks your hormones, symptoms, food, and stressors because hormone levels alone don't tell the whole story. 

This is a must-listen. Go find her.

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I'm busting the myth of the overnight transformation and getting into the real reason why you might not feel amazing right away: it's not a moral failing, it's chemistry.

When we drink regularly over time, alcohol takes over jobs our brain used to handle on its own — dopamine production, GABA regulation, stress response, relaxation. Our brain, always trying to conserve energy, stops producing those chemicals itself and relies on alcohol to do it instead. So when we remove alcohol, the brain doesn't just snap back into full production mode. It waits. It recalibrates. And that takes time.

In this episode, I cover:

I also share what helped me personally (including going through a gut detox after years of damage) 

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In this episode of Sober Fit Life, I'm joined by one of my most dedicated coaching clients — Sandra Draper, joining me all the way from Western Australia. Sandra holds a senior leadership role in the Western Australian government, supporting innovative companies as they grow, and she is one of the most committed people I've had the privilege of coaching.

Sandra shares how her relationship with alcohol shifted gradually — starting as a social habit in her late 20s, becoming a coping mechanism after her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and eventually growing into something that was quietly working against everything she valued. She wasn't losing everything on the outside, but on the inside, she was out of alignment — spiritually, professionally, and personally.

What I love about Sandra's story is how she approached change: not with shame, but with curiosity. She started by getting educated on the neuroscience of alcohol, and that shift in perspective — from a willpower problem to a brain science conversation — was the turning point for her.

In this episode, we talk about:

Sandra's advice for anyone quietly questioning their relationship with alcohol: take a step back and honestly ask whether alcohol is giving you what you think it is — or taking more than it's giving. And then get curious about what the best version of you could look like.

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I am so excited to share this episode with you because it's one I've been wanting to do for a while, a real, behind-the-scenes look at what the coaching process actually looks like from my client's perspective.

Michael Levins is one of my coaching clients, and he came on to tell his story completely unfiltered. And honestly? I think so many of you are going to hear yourselves in him. Michael was a social drinker, loved the Friday exhale, the weekend fun with friends, and drinks at work events. But the mornings after were quietly adding up.

Then came the golf tournament. He overslept, missed most of the round, let his partner down, had his wife panicking trying to reach him, and felt too physically wrecked to even feel guilty about it. That was his moment.

What I love about Michael's story is how he and I actually met, a chance encounter in a gym class in Lake Tahoe, a full year before he ever called me. You'll have to listen for that one. And then how, after that golf trip, his wife remembered my name and sent him my link. A year later, here we are.

In this episode, we get into what coaching actually looked like week by week, the education on what alcohol is truly doing to your brain and body (the blood-brain barrier conversation still gets me), the personalized toolkit we built together, and how Michael went from dreading a big football weekend with his college friends to coming out the other side completely alcohol-free... and nobody even noticed.

One of my favorite things Michael said is that he thought getting support meant admitting he had a problem. I hear this all the time, and I'm so glad he said it out loud, because that belief keeps so many people stuck for years, sometimes decades. We get coaches for golf, for fitness, for business.

This is no different. If you've been in that gray area, asking yourself the same questions on repeat but never quite taking action, this episode is for you.

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I'm so excited to share this conversation with you! I had the privilege of sitting down with my friend Christy Osborne, and let me tell you, her story is incredibly powerful. I've watched some of her journey firsthand, from writing her book to creating the 40-day fast that's now changing thousands of lives. 

Christy is a Christian sobriety coach, author, and host of the Love Life Sober podcast. Christy shares her incredible journey from being a glamorous blogger in London to finding freedom from alcohol through faith and neuroscience-informed practices.

Christy opens up about the complicated layers of her drinking story—from postpartum depression to the devastating loss of her mother. She reveals what life looked like behind the glossy Instagram posts and champagne glasses, and the divine moment that changed everything on the two-year anniversary of her mother's death.

You'll hear about Christy's book "Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind," and learn about the upcoming Lent Fast starting February 18th—which I'll be coaching in alongside Christy! I'm so honored to join her. 

This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered if they need to change their relationship with alcohol, especially Christian women who feel alone in their struggle. The next fast won't be until October, so if you've been thinking about this, now is the time!

On the fence about coaching with Maureen Benkovich? Hear what it’s really like—from an actual client.

Trina Dolenz is a couples therapist and relationship expert (VH1’s Tool Academy), author of Retool Your Relationship, and a familiar voice from the Dr. Drew universe (including guest hosting Loveline). And in this episode of Sober Fit Life, she’s not here to “teach”—she’s here to share her real experience being coached.

Connect with Trina:

https://www.couplestherapyannapolis.com

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/trina-dolenz-washington-dc/91622

Trina talks about her European upbringing where alcohol felt cultured, sophisticated, and nostalgic… and how that story can quietly turn into habit. You’ll hear what surprised her about a science-based, non-judgmental approach, why she didn’t want an all-or-nothing rulebook, and what it looked like to take a mindful break with structure.

We get honest about the moments nobody posts about—being alone, being bored, and learning how to build new rituals and replacements that actually feel good. Trina also shares what she noticed in her attitude, presence, and gratitude as a grandmother, plus her therapist's take on how alcohol can quietly impact connection in relationships.

If you’re thinking, “I know I’m drinking too much… I just don’t know how to change it,” this episode is for you.

✅ Take the quiz: Am I Drinking Too Much? https://www.soberfitchick.com/ami

In this episode of Sober Fit Life, I’m breaking down one of the most overlooked reasons people keep drinking, even when they don’t want to: people pleasing disguised as politeness.

This conversation is about what happens when alcohol becomes a social smoothing tool—not because you’re craving it, but because you’re trying to manage other people’s comfort, avoid awkwardness, or prevent imagined judgment.

I share real coaching examples from clients who drank after months or even a year alcohol-free, not because they wanted to, but because they didn’t want to seem rude, difficult, or judgmental. We unpack the mindset behind those moments, why your brain treats assumptions like facts, and how “mind-reading” leads directly to self-sabotage.

You’ll learn why this isn’t a willpower issue and how automatic negative thoughts quietly drive drinking decisions in social, personal, and professional settings.

We also talk about:

Why drinking to keep others comfortable is actually self-abandonment

How alcohol solves discomfort for 30 minutes but creates regret for days

Why confidence isn’t a personality trait—it’s a practiced decision

How to stop apologizing for not drinking

This episode is packed with practical coaching questions, mindset reframes, and simple scripts you can use at dinners, parties, and business meetings, without over-explaining or feeling awkward.

If you’ve ever found yourself drinking just to keep things “smooth,” this episode will help you pause, choose differently, and build real self-trust—one moment at a time.

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Welcome back to Sober Fit Life! It's been a while, and there's a reason for that. 2025 threw me some major curveballs—two spine surgeries, a booze-filled cruise, and turning 60. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing exactly what I learned navigating all of it completely alcohol-free.

I talk about the mental work it took to recover from surgery without numbing out, what happened when I was accidentally served alcohol on a cruise (and the thoughts that went through my brain in those split seconds), and how I'm reframing what it means to celebrate a milestone birthday without a blowout party.

If you've ever wondered whether you can handle life's biggest stressors, travel, or major transitions without alcohol, this episode is for you. I'm sharing the tools that got me through, the mindset shifts that made all the difference, and why I'm more confident than ever stepping into this next decade alcohol-free.

I've been alcohol-free for years, and I'm still using those same tools my coach passed on to me when I first quit drinking. In this episode, I'm sharing some of them with you. 

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Six-Week Alcohol Reset

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