No More Chardonnay for me! My booze-free Diary

Chardonnay

My week has been good. Alcohol wise, I went out to lunch with my dad on Sunday and had one glass of wine and that was enough. On Monday, OH and I had the day off and went into town to get our hair cut and have lunch. We shared a bottle of Prosecco. Very decadent and not our usual Monday behaviour! We really enjoyed it at the time but later on we both felt a bit tired - that's the trouble with day time drinking!

I haven't drank since and won't be until Saturday when I am meeting my friends for lunch, then meeting OH to go to the pub to see the fireworks. I don't plan on drinking to excess though. Will see how I get on!

I still have fleeting thoughts of stopping drinking but if I do, it will be after Christmas. I'll see how I feel in January. It doesn't seem to be a massive problem to me now and I do feel that my drinking habits have improved hugely so that is a real positive!

Honey_Bear

I'm totally with you on the whisky bottle in the filing cabinet crap!

I've said it before but it's always worth repeating. Don't even think about stopping altogether unless you really, really want to be teetotal. If you can moderate - just moderate and enjoy the balance. I really wish I could but I know I can't and that's that. I would if I could I can assure you!

I love being able to have a shot at doing all of the things I'm interested in doing and having a hangover makes that impossible, feeling ill for three days after a heavy binge makes it impossible and being a really nasty person (only very occasionally, but enough to know it would happen again) was making my most important relationship impossible. I had to stop when I did, it was crunch time. I had no idea that it would be this good a year on, and it was only the first 60 days that were really tricky for me - but nowhere near as tough as living with myself after a heavy night. I loathed the shame and depressive feeling I'd get at about 5.00 pm the next day, I crunched paracemetol and ibuprofen like they were smarties pretty much daily and I was steadily gaining weight, pastey faced and a bit broke. Not quite the same glamorous picture as they paint on TV pouring the first glass of the evening around 6.00pm, is it?

The really sad thing about alcohol is that by the time someone realises their relationship with it is unhealthy, the habit has been formed and it seems like an impossible task to tackle. It's not, obviously, but I can remember knowing for years what I was doing wasn't sensible. I just couldn't find a way out of it. If only I'd known about all the sober blogs!

MarylandCookie_2

Hi Chardonnany, hope you've had a good week, I'm glad it's Friday, I'm ready for the weekend!

Glad the kittens are ok, I love them at that age, full of mischief and fun. My cat is 7 now, and is happier sleeping or sat on my knee purring away! I'd love another but she's very antisocial and wouldn't tolerate another cat. I adopted her a couple of years ago, as an only cat.

Prosecco on a Monday sound very decadent - how lovely! Have a lovely time with your friends tomorrow and enjoy the fireworks. We're out with some friends tonight for dinner which I'm looking forward to. I'm driving as I'm training in the morning at 9am.

Running 10k is brilliant, you must be so chuffed with yourself. I had PT this week and I've been keeping a food diary, interesting to hear his thoughts on the tweaks I need to make to my diet to give me more energy to train. I'm still enjoying the sessions with him.

I'm happy moderating at the moment and enjoy the balance in my life that this gives me, and that might be a pint of real ale at the weekend or a glass of red with Sunday lunch! And if the opportunity arises prosecco on a Monday!

Have a brilliant weekend, enjoy park run! XxX

Chardonnay

Hello both. HB, I hear what you're saying. I don't think I'm 100% committed although I am definitely questioning why I carry on drinking alcohol today.

You are so right about the reality of getting drunk and hangovers being a world away from the glam image that alcohol companies use to promote their drinks! I've had times like that, where I've been popping painkillers and just wished the next day away. Not a way to live!

Ah MC, I love it when the kittens sit on my knee - well one does, the other is a bit more anti-social and likes her own space! I find cats really relaxing. Just stroking them is calming

How did your dinner with friends go? Well done for driving! Your training sounds like it's going really well! It sounds like you're really into it with the eating as well. I could really do with someone to guide me with healthy eating. I know I need to change my eating habits.

Hope you've both had a lovely weekend!

Chardonnay

Had a lovely day yesterday. I did parkrun in the rain and although I didn't get a PB, still did it in under 30 minutes again, which I have to be pleased with.

We went for coffee afterwards, then I went to meet my friends. 3 of us shared a bottle of wine with lunch. I then met OH in town and we went to a restaurant to grab something to eat. I had a small glass of wine with my food. The pub we were going to go to had a huge queue for drinks so we decided to go to a different one. We had a lovely walk along the river - it was so warm! We went to a bar on the riverside and were very impressed with it. It's not long been extended and is really tastefully decorated and very classy. OH and I decided to share a bottle of wine. We got a taxi home at 9 and to be truthful I was intending on having a cup of tea when we got home but OH suggested opening a bottle of Prosecco and I didn't take much persuading!

So we had that and then OH put some music on and said a few times that he fancied another drink. I said it was fine if he wanted to but I wasn't having any more. I'm really proud of myself for that because a couple of years ago I would have opened another bottle. I just knew it would be a mistake.

So glad today that I didn't have any more because I really think that would have pushed me over into having a full blown hangover. As it is, I have felt pretty dire today - mostly just very tired with that horrible feeling when you don't know what to do with yourself! I got up at 8, then went back to bed at 10 and didn't get up until 1! So that's half the day wasted and I feel pretty fed up with myself. It is the most I've drank for a few months so not surprising that I would feel the effects today.

Is it ever worth it though I ask myself? Early night tonight and can't wait to get into bed!

MarylandCookie_2

Big hug Chardonnany, and well done for saying no to opening another bottle. It shows how far you've come over the past few months. It sounds like you've had a lovely day, but when you don't feel great the day after it makes you question the reasons why you drink, and think more about stopping - I know it does me. Please don't beat yourself up, think of the positives and that you didn't open the second bottle.

Love and hugs xx

Chardonnay

Thanks for your positive words MC. You are right that I should be pleased that I didn't open that second bottle. It definitely does make me question why I drink when I feel like that the day after.

I had an early night last night and thought I might have trouble sleeping after sleeping so much yesterday but I was out like a light and found it hard to get up at 7am this morning. In fact I still feel awful today - just so very tired. It's like drinking saps all of my energy.

I want to chart this so that I can keep a record of how drinking makes me feel. Have a busy day at work ahead and can't wait for today to be done so I can go back to bed

Hope you have a great Monday! xx

MarylandCookie_2

Hi Chardonnany, how are you feeling? Hope you're having a good week x

MarylandCookie_2

Hi Chardonnany, hope your ok and had a good week. Thank goodness it's Friday, tough week at work and I'm ready for the weekend. Are you doing park run tomorrow? It's really cold and windy in the midlands where I am, so take care if you are.

Have a great weekend, have you any plans? I'm taking my mum to see The Lady in the Van tomorrow night, it looks really good!

Miss your posts, hope to catch up soon x

Chardonnay

Hi MC! So sorry to have gone AWOL, had such a busy week!

I felt ok from Tuesday on thanks. I ran 10k on Tuesday morning and felt slightly under par but mostly much better. I've not done parkrun today as I did a race instead - was meant to be a 10k but left it too late to enter so did 5k instead and did my second fastest ever time so have to be pleased with that

I'm in the midlands too and it was absolutely freezing this morning, with light rain and a cold wind. Luckily it didn't rain while we were running but I felt so cold for hours after - took me a hot shower to warm up! Nasty shock to the system after the mild weather.

Just a quiet weekend this weekend. Have had a nice chilled out afternoon. OH and I are going to share a bottle of bubbly tonight and have a takeaway so looking forward to that! I haven't had a drink since last Saturday night and so am feeling a lot better about everything. I think for the moment I just need to watch that I don't get carried away. It's quite rare now when I have too much so I think I am getting better.

Ah, hope you enjoy the film! I've seen it advertised and it looks really good! Am sure your mum will enjoy it too!

How's the training going? x