So the 1st January marked the start of my little journey. Annie Grace recommends you write a diary during the Alcohol Experiment so I bought myself a journal and here are some the excerpts…..
1st January 2020
I have been drinking too much for years . I joke about how few HLDs I have but the reality is that it is not funny. I have been exercising less and simply finish work and start drinking. I wasn’t planning on doing this right now but two things happened on our recent trip to Barcelona: (1) I started re-reading the Alcohol Experiment on the flight out as I didn’t have anything else on my Kindle (2) I was sick through drinking too much on the first night we got there. I’m not sick very often and I felt truly dreadful the following day. As Annie Grace says ‘alcohol is poison’.
4th January
I woke up rested but still very sleepy. I pottered for a little while doing chores but then I started to feel dizzy and faint so stopped and had something to eat. I felt better for eating so maybe my blood sugar was low or was it the DTs?? I didn’t exercise in the end as my hamstring was tight. We had tea at Lloyds and I tried San Pellegrino Limonata which was very nice. I found it OK being in a pub AF as lots of people are doing Dry January.
5th January
So today Steve and I got the train down to London for the Chelsea v Nottingham Forest cup game. I survived two visits to the pub: The Bolton (pre-match) and The Frizzle afterwards. I read the liver chapter of AE on the return journey. Oh Lordy – what an eye-opener. Anyway, I survived quite a big test of a day and feel proud of myself for that. I keep thinking about the nice idea of having better skin and not looking like a “blinkin’ alcoholic”.
11th January
So according to Annie, all traces of alcohol should have finally left my system (7-10 day requirement for cleansing). Hoorah! I am finally ‘clean’.
12th January
I had such a good night’s sleep. (Fitbit good score). Headed off to Draycote and did the run. I felt better for not drinking but was tired from yesterday’s run. Two-fifths of the way through already.
15th January
I have just found the notes that I scribbled down in Barcelona when I started reading the AE again. I’m going to record them here so I have them for reference:
“We create what we anticipate”.
“Thank your body for keeping you alive”.
“Alcohol is not my friend”.
“Visualise positive things before going out”.
Annie’s advice to visualise positive things before going out has worked well for me so far. I have tried to focus my mind on the thought of enjoying my meal out rather than what I will or won’t drink.
19th January
I had to give up on the idea of a 10 mile run as my ankle has completely swollen up! In the afternoon I headed off to my Improv course which was really good fun. Again – another experience in a pub and a bit of taking myself out of my comfort zone that I managed to survive. Another AF day done.
21st January
Nearly 3 weeks alcohol free! I worked from home today which I actually didn’t enjoy. I ate too much crap due to boredom/twitchiness. Cooked chicken but wouldn’t marinate it in whisky. Get me!
I then tailed off writing the diary and the next update was 19th March.
So since I last updated this diary, I have been to Seville for a long weekend, had an all-inclusive holiday in Barbados and celebrated my birthday……all AF!!! I am super-proud of myself. My goal now is to get to 100 days. This will take me to Easter weekend and I will then have a think about the future.There is a lot of sense in the advice to stop altogether. Choice creates internal discord. Since I told myself I’m not drinking for 100 days there is no internal dialogue, no choice to make. I know I’m not drinking tonight so I don’t dwell on it. I won’t lie though, I have found the last few Friday nights quite difficult and I have lifted and smelt Steve’s pints of Peroni. What a tease! We are now in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic which is bizarre and quite alarming. Pubs and restaurants will shut soon so the temptation to drink will be reduced.