The first week of my “experiment” is finished, onto the next week. Last week I began to reduce my alcohol intake by trying other methods to fill the void. During my first week I had a lot of support and also a lot of questions from others. One question I feel is important to answer is “Just how much do you drink on a weekly basis?” I want you guys to understand the huge accomplishment of what I did this week, so this question is important. I’m not proud to admit this, but each weeknight usually ends with a bottle of wine or 4-5 shots of vodka in a mixed drink. The weekends, depending on what is going on, usually end in breweries, bars, and overall over consumption of alcohol…let me tell ya, your girl can drink. Now that you know this, I want to review my first week of reducing alcohol consumption.
Week 1: The good and the bad
I started this week off strong. My first alcoholic beverage wasn’t until Wednesday night, when I had 1 glass of wine. Thursday night I also had 1 glass of wine. This is a huge feat for me, as I’ve stated above. The weekend brought old habits, however. I was scheduled to fly home for the first time in 4 months to see my family, but because of the weather the entire trip was cancelled. I was very upset, which lead to some choices being made as far as drinking goes. Friday night I only consumed 4 beers which wasn’t bad, but Saturday and Sunday were not great.
I found it so interesting how mood affects the amount I want to drink. This really helped me to nail down my first trigger for drinking this week; sadness. Now that I’m aware of this trigger I will work to find something else to fill this void. Although there were some failures, I did try some new methods this week to reduce alcohol intake that were very successful.
Methods Used in Week 1
- Tea: This one is going to sound strange but it has honestly helped me the most. The majority of alcohol consumption I want to reduce happens during the week at night. This is my time to watch TV and relax, usually with a bottle of wine. Instead, this week I bought a cute teapot and awesome tea cup. I bought some loose leaf tea and used this as my “special drink” at night. The process of making the tea made me excited to drink it, and it replaced the drinking I do at night! I actually really enjoy this new habit and look forward to it all day!
- Making it Public: On my Instagram I had posted many stories and posts about wanting to reduce my alcohol intake. the response was crazy! I had so many people who had the same goal or had completed this goal already! I was so excited to hear tips and tricks from others, along with receiving support from many. I also have many friends at my gym that checked in on me and held me accountable. It’s amazing what support can do!
- Eating In: A huge trigger for my drinking is eating out at a restaurant or bar. Usually in those situations I feel pressured to order a drink with dinner, and then feel the need to continue to drink . Sometimes it is out of anxiety, other times it is because the alcohol has me feeling some type of way and I make bad nutritional choices. By eating at home every week day, I am so busy preparing food that I don’t even think about drinking! Then, by the time I have finished my meal I am ready to make my night time tea. I’m really trying to get into a routine to set myself up to be successful.
Looking at Week 2
This week I want to do better during my weekend. I have my weeknight drinking almost under control, its the weekend now that causes me the most strain on my diet. My goal for this week is to limit myself to 2 drinks on Friday night and Saturday night. I’m starting to get very serious about my fitness goals, and I know that if I keep my alcohol consumption the way it is I will never reach those goals!
If you have any tips or tricks for me to try, comment on this post. I’d love to hear about your experiences and feedback.