Real life stories: Cutting back. It can be done!

The challenge

So why am I thinking about my drinking? It’s because, with a calendar booked solid with everything from weddings to work dos, I’ve woken up to the fact that I’m regularly drinking too much without even realising it.

Of course, some people wake up with a grinding hangover so bad that it hurts to move, say “never again”, and are back on the booze next weekend, but I really am set on reducing the amount I drink.   

It’s not however just the Saturday morning hangovers that inspired me to take a closer look at my drinking. Last month, on the way into the office, I read a women’s magazine feature that pointed out drinking too much alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and liver disease.

Apparently it can affect your fertility too, which is something I should be considering if my husband and I decide to try for a baby!

So, I’ve decided to try and stick within the government's daily unit guidelines for the next two months, which means that (clears throat) “I should not regularly exceed 2-3 units of alcohol a day.”

Anyway, wish me luck! 

Weeks one and two

My first challenge was finding out what a unit actually is! After a bit of research online I discovered that a unit isn’t simply one drink – it depends on the size of your drink and the strength of the alcohol in your glass. The higher the ABV (alcohol by volume) the stronger the drink is.

Drinkaware’s online unit calculator says that my usual tipple, a large glass of Pinot Grigio, is three units. That means that if I do choose to drink over the next two months I had better go for small glasses, or make my drinks last longer. I’ll also try to switch to a wine that’s close to 12% ABV than 14%.

Weeks three and four

Surprisingly, the first month has been really easy! To give me inspiration for the challenge, my husband printed out some information he found on the web about living a low-alcohol life.

I already know that drinking within the guidelines reduces the risk of cancer, and liver and heart disease, but it turns out that choosing not to drink to excess can also help reduce anxiety and promotes better sleep too!

I have to say that in the second week, when I chose a romantic Friday night in with my husband  rather than heading to the pub, I felt really rested the next day. It was also nice to have lunch with friends and do some shopping on Saturday without a hangover to hold me back.

The first real test of willpower was heading off for a mid-week celebration with friends at work after our team won a contract from a new client. When I explained that I was cutting down on alcohol, one of them intercepted me on the way to the toilet and demanded to know if I was pregnant!  

I’ve found that dealing with people’s reactions can be difficult. Most people are really supportive, but one of my colleagues really couldn’t get her head around it. When I asked for a sparkling mineral water at the bar, she tried to give me a gin and tonic!

Luckily sticking to the unit guidelines doesn’t mean I can’t drink at all. By switching to small glasses of Pinot I can have two drinks and still stay on track. Spacing these out with soft drinks means that I can still enjoy going out, and I felt more alert than many of my colleagues the next day.

Weeks five and six

My first lapse! I’ve been using Drinkaware’s online drink diary as a way to keep track of my drinking, and according to the site I was shocked to see I’d drunk a whopping 10 units last night. And after over a month of moderation I’m definitely paying for it today.

The night started really well, I was heading off to the pub with some of my old university mates for one of our regular catch-ups. We went to a fairly posh bar, so I kicked off with a couple of non-alcoholic mocktails.

Since I’ve being trying to change the way I drink I’ve noticed that when me and my friends talk about a ‘big night’, it’s usually a code word for drinking too much booze without actually saying “we plan to drink to get drunk.” After being persuaded to swap my small glass of wine for a large one, things started going downhill. I got involved in rounds, which meant that I had less control over the speed at which I was drinking. I can barely remember getting a cab home at midnight.

It’s a shame since it’s really good to meet up and it would be better if I could remember some of the conversations that we had. Maybe next time I’ll suggest dinner round mine instead. At least then I can stay in control and make sure the evening doesn’t revolve around alcohol.

Of course, I could always go out and not drink at all, which is an option that I sometimes forget I have. Occasionally it might be nice to go out and not drink because I could then drive home.    

Weeks seven and eight

At the end of my challenge I’m pleased to say that I’ve managed to stick to the guidelines at least 99% of the time, which isn’t bad going at all. To be honest, overall it’s been a lot easier than I thought.

Since starting the challenge I now feel like I’ve got more energy in the mornings, and I certainly sleep a lot better. And one benefit I didn’t count on at the beginning is that I’ve started to lose a little weight.

It’s not really surprising, since a large glass of wine is 175 calories, so after three I used to consume the calorie equivalent of a large cheeseburger. While before I might have skipped dessert to control calories, now I have dessert and skip that second glass of wine instead.  

So am I going to continue with my lower-alcohol lifestyle? Definitely. I’ve been able to enjoy having a drink, without suffering from the consequences that used to come from overindulging.  Now let’s see what the next two months bring...

If you’d like to see if you can stick within the government's daily unit guidelines of not regularly drinking more that 2-3 units for women (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) or 3-4 units for men (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer) and for a period of time, why not make it easier by using MyDrinkaware to track your drinking?

Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

27 Jul 2010