How much wine is to much

[beanflicker]

Please help settle a debate with Dh.

I've just put the kids to bed (as always at 8:15) waltzed down the stairs and poured myself a large glass of wine. My Dh has pointed out I go through 4 bottles per week.
Help me out ladies is that to much?

To me, yes.

I'd have a bottle a week and feel that that's enough.

It's half a bottle per night, with a splash each night extra for the road.

Why bother saving it for the weekend?

Surely it's better little and often, rather than a binge?

Drinking 4 bottles over the course of a week in social situations would be understandable.

Drinking 4 bottles over the course of a week at home alone is really bloody sad.

Obviously both scenarios involve drinking to excess, just the drinking home alone to that extent seems a bit pathetic.

Far too much to be healthy. It would take me months to drink that much.

Alonso
a) She’s not alone, she has a DH who imay also be also having a drink.
b) It’s not sad. Is it sad to have a meal alone at home? So why a drink? And what about those of us who live alone? Your attitude is really horrible.
OP I know itcan be easy to get into this habit. Try having a couple of drink free nights, and maybe having one night where you have, say, a G andT as it’s easier to stop after one (watch measures though!).
It probably is too much.

I could easily, easily drink that much, but I know I shouldn't. Have cut wine out at home unless I have guests and that's helped hugely. Also I find that a bottle of wine is very moreish, it's so easy to just top for a second glass... G & T or whatever your chosen alternative is might be easier to stop at one. and half the cals too!

That's about what i drink and i'm happy with it.

Cardibach

Unless you don't believe the guidelines it is too much, not probably too much.

I think the key questions here are

Can you stop? Say have a month off no worries?
Can you afford it?
Is your weight fine?

I think we all know you're drinking to excess and it is always a worry when someone else has to tell you that,

So if the answer to all three questions is yes, then I guess have a liver function test and tell your gp you drink to excess, make sure no damage just now and give yourself time off.

If th answer to any of the questions is no, then you need to reassess.

Sounds about normal to me
I try not to drink alcohol 3 nights a week , and probably drink a bit too much on the other 4
🍷

It's quite a lot a lot. I will maybe have two bottles a week.

But it's not sad or pathetic to drink at home alone. Quite often I will have a glass of wine alone.

Mumsnet is a bizarre place at times.

I think that's a massive amount! I have 1 GLASS a week at the most.

Not an alcohol drinker but that sounds like a helluva lot to me

Lots of people drink that much but it is incredibly bad for your short and long term health. Boring but true. Really horrifyingly bad. Cancer risk, long term effect on cognitive function.

Short term you would be amazed how much better you felt if you stopped.

So to answer your question it is way way way too much - not on the basis of any sort of social or behavioural standards but purely from a health perspective.

If you enjoy it, not suffering ill effects, can afford it and can do without it every now and again then ignore the judgemental pearl clutchers and crack on.
About as harmful as not drinking at all as you can see from the classic J Curve.
The "guidelines" were heavily influenced by the temperance lobby, many of whom can be found on this thread.

It's a bit like weight. Just because the average person weighs or drinks too much, it doesn't make it any less of a health risk.

There's not safety in numbers.

I’m always surprised at the drinking threads
People on MN drink a lot - is this why you’re all so mouthy?
But seriously I don’t know anyone in real life that drinks every single day besides my alcoholic uncle who’s currently riddled with cancer and dying slowly and painfully
I would think someone who drinks every day has an alcohol problem

I used to drink that much a week

2 glasses a night then extra Thursday to Sunday

I cut down in January of this year as I realised I was Majorly alcohol dependant . So I have alcohol free week then maybe a bottle over the weekend .

And I don’t actually feel that different ! I have lost weight but socialising is hard , when I do drink I get hideous hangovers .

I kind of miss it but it now makes me ill 🤒

Anyway make of that what you will !

"Sounds about normal to me"

It might be "normal" for a lot of people, like being a size 16 is "normal" for a lot of women, or eating a big plateful of chips with a large portion of lasagne. It doesn't mean it is healthy.

It's a lot but I could easily manage it if I didn't keep an eye on my intake, which is why I make sure to have 3 - 4 nights off a week, 2 weeks off a month and 2 months off a year. The liver needs regular breaks.

I worked with liver patients and saw people who thought they were drinking socially or normally who woke up with

a new transplanted liver having gone into a coma with liver failure.

I enjoy a glass or two of red wine most evenings, but they're very small glasses and I'm a lightweight! A bottle lasts me four nights or so if DH is away and I'm drinking it alone.

So, four bottles a week would be a lot for me - because I'd be drunk every night after half a bottle.

If it's the ritual of enjoying a drink that you like, buy some smaller glasses maybe?

On mumsnet, anything more than a small sherry at Christmas makes you a raging alcoholic. Yes, four bottles is a lot, but in my extensive experience many people drink more. Newsflash for the pearl clutches, not everyone is drunk on a couple of glasses of wine.

It's not about being drunk. In fact not getting drunk suggests a tolerance associated with heavy drinking. It's

about keeping healthy.

www.nice.org.uk/news/article/new-recommended-drinking-guidelines-welcomed-by-nice

Loads if it's every week.

If it happens occasionally then not so worrying.