Alcohol consumption...

[staceyflack]

AIBU... to be drinking roughly a bottle of wine (10-12%) per night recently?

[Winterwoollies]

I’m afraid while easily done, that’s way too much. It’ll become habitual and something slightly more sinister unless you ease up a bit. Or a lot.

[AtrociousCircumstance]

You know that’s too much OP. Way, way too much.

Wine is terrible because it does what you want it to (I love drinking wine but have to watch myself) but it is a poison, it will make you feel like shit, break you down emotionally and physically.

Do you think you could moderate?

[Winterwoollies]

For context, a 12% abv bottle of wine is ten units. That’s 70 units a week.

The current guidelines are 14 units a week over at least three days, and having some alcohol free days.

[HealingCalmingSoothing]

Yes. I have scared myself recently with the after effects of too much alcohol. Something really worrying happened that I won't go into here.

It made me research the effect alcohol has on you. In particular the liver. I have read a few books on the subject.

At that level, for a period of time, it really is terrifying. My recommendation is do your research and then make a decision based on what you discover.

Plus the fact alcohol lowers your immune system. Lowers vitamin D and C levels in the body etc (which rely on the liver functioning well).

Do you really want a reduced immune system right now?

But you know yourself, hence the question on here.

All the beat of luck. It's easy to get trapped into a negative routine at the moment. I know!

[indemMUND]

Don't think I could manage a bottle of wine per night, but also don't think YABU. Probably not a great habit to get into, but it's hardly like necking a bottle first thing in the morning.

[whiplashy]

but it's hardly like necking a bottle first thing in the morning

🙄 good thing livers wear watches

[Samtsirch]

It is too much, alcohol is a depressant and can cause anxiety.
Can you have one glass of wine at bedtime, or with your evening meal ?
Do you know what is making you drink all of the bottle ?
Is it boredom, or something else ?

[indemMUND]

Aye, how else would we regulate our acceptable intake or potential dependency without liver watches?

[OscarWildesCat]

I was until last week, I totally get how easily it sneaks in. I made a conscious decision last week to cut it down to Friday and Saturday only, I started using my fitness pal to calorie count too as I'd put on weight.
I know how hard it is, try a couple of nights with none (I say that because for me, I can't just have one, I finish the bottle, I have to intentionally not start at all) and see how it goes.The first couple of nights I was irritable and grumpy but I kept looking to the weekend when I could let loose and enjoy it because I'd waited for it. I wont pretend it was easy but I hear you.

[staceyflack]

It's a fair cop guvs. Thank you., especially @os

[Subeccoo]

I used to and I am toying with going completely af but I do enjoy it. I am a million miles from where I was several years ago where I did drink every single night so I do believe it is possible to moderate even if you don't want to give to.
I try and stick to one or two nights a week max, have a whole week off every few.
Have the first drink later and plan something to do in the morning so you need to get up, for me especially with the hot weather it is running because running in the heat with a hangover is gross.
I like mocktails too, fizzy water with lemon, mint and berries is my fave so I'll make that on a Friday night to watch a film with (that's one of those stupid occasions I'd sink a bottle, just pointless) and that way I'm drinking it with my teen ds which is a much better example for him.
Good luck if you want to change, it is too much but no judgement here, just telling it as someone who's been there and done it.

[Survivalmode36]

Minority here, but I say whatever gets you through these bizarre times.

[Norma27]

I think it is so easy during lockdown to get in the habit of drinking more. I could drink a bottle of wine per night if I had it in the house.
What I do is buy a couple of ciders to last me 2 or 3 days when I do my weekly shop. I then have alcohol free days until I do my next weekly shop.

[Babyg1995]

It's not a good habit to have I was drinking wine every weekend 2 bottles a night it made me fat and horrible looking now I just have the odd glass drink more on a night out though .

[TheGlitterFairy]

Also think this is easy to do (and also have been known to do this also). I have a couple of nights off a week - as a pp said, i can't have one - I'd end up with the whole bottle gone so prefer to have nothing. Also break it up with G&T e.g. might have a small one of these with loads of tonic. I realise this is still alcohol but one small one is less than a bottle of wine in calories and units. Also have seedlip and tonic too which satisfies the requirement for a grown up drink without the alcohol.

That said, in these weird times, I had 3 small g&ts on Monday a 3 bottles of beer last night! I think the fact that you're aware of what you're doing is good; don't beat yourself up over it - just have a couple of nights off it in a week and take it from there.

[Sirzy]

It’s easy to get into the habit. I became aware of the fact I was drinking way too much so I had an alcohol free week to prove to myself I could and now I make sure I have a couple of alcohol free days a week. Because for me a part of it is I just like the taste of wine I have also taken to having the odd bottle of alcohol free wine instead

[ScottishStottie]

I had a similar issue but with cans of cider. Was drinking fruity cider like juice throughout the day. Was easy drinking at least 6-7 440ml cans each day, more on some. Ive cut it out completely because i started piling on weight and realised how many calories i was drinking. Could you look at it like this to try and motivate to cut down? The health motivation didnt really hit home with me as i was suffering no health issues so was difficult to put into that context.

[Northernsoullover]

Cutting down is really hard. I read a book called Alcohol Lied to me by Craig Beck and I haven't had a drink in over a year. I got into the habit of drinking every day and found it really difficult to cut down. I was recommended the book and as if by magic the allure of alcohol completely disappeared.

[staceyflack]

[ShirleyB25]

Normally I would be 'telling you off' along with everyone else. But if you don't become a fully fledged alcoholic by the end of lockdown, I'd say crack on.

Maybe work in at least 2 alcohol free nights

I know that whilst on holiday in France my DH and I would share a bottle of wine every night. Became a very pleasant way to end the day. I guess a full bottle to yourself perhaps is quite a lot - although when younger I could do that.

Are old are you? (nosey)

[aliceinsunderland44]

I used to do this 5-6 nights of the week. It's easily done. A bottle of wine is only 4 glasses and over the course of an evening it doesn't feel like a lot in terms of volume at all.

Health wise it's not great though. There are almost 1000 calories in a bottle of wine! I got very fat when I was doing this and while I never felt hungover as such, it did make me tired and demotivated because it messes with your sleep patterns too.

I think a lot of people are drinking more in lockdown and contrary to the general MN consensus, I don't think you will naturally drift into alcoholism by doing this. If you feel you can't stop then it's a problem. If you do it just because you enjoy it then that's different.

I would advise selecting a new tipple. Maybe something less strong in terms of alcohol percentage. See wine as a weekend treat not an everyday drink. And try to have at least a few days of the week drink free if you can.

[LarkLaneLove]

I realised over the weekend how much I'd been drinking since lockdown started - loads. And was using it as a stress reliever / relaxant and becoming dependent on it and was having the fear and huge anxiety every day. So I've made the decision not to drink alone or at home anymore. My dad is an alcoholic (has been in recovery and not had a drink for 18 years) but I know how quickly and easily it gets a grip on you, and for me it's a slippery slope and one I don't want to go down.

[dontdisturbmenow]

17% thinking it's reasonable? Really?

[edwinbear]

Focus on the calories OP, it helps me. 750 calories in a bottle of wine, that's 5,250 calories a week which is equivalent to 1.5lbs a week!

[lastqueenofscotland]

I love a drink but my god that is too much