To Drink wine most nights?

[Monique10]

I always try to have 2 days off per week but the volume is creeping up. I used to only have one or two glasses whilst cooking dinner but now its gone upto 3, maybe a bottle. I am never drunk and I do consume it over a few hours. I have loads of alcohol in the house that I dont feel the need to touch but white wine is so good! I also put loads of ice in it. My mum and dad drank so much and I seen things I shouldnt have seen growing up, I am never drunk though and fully in control but maybe I am on downward path? what do you think?

I used to barely drink and it didnt bother me at all through pregnancy and BF. I see it as reward for getting through the day with young children! but rightly so, shouldn't be the case!

Feel like the worst person ever :(

You need to cut down. Once or twice a week is plenty and one or two glasses. But at least you realise It's a problem. That's a start.

Not really. You don’t have to not drink full stop, you just need to cut back so your liver gets a chance to reset. So only drink on weekends, then have a dry week.

As I said, it’s a habit. Booze is addictive. If you reach for the bottle at 5pm before you start to cook, you’ll start thinking about it at 4pm. Just replace it with something else. Another non alcoholic drink of your preference.

People don't start knocking back a litre of vodka at 7am, alcohol misuse creeps up on you.

OMG Im an alcoholic :(

OP, I've been in your shoes, so no judgement from me

But it's too much, sorry

Suggest you buy a blood pressure monitor. You may get a fright, as you can have high blood pressure but still feel fine. Take a month off, and watch the BP fall. For me, this was a wake up call as it showed the invisible harm

AF still wines aren't great, but some of the sparkling ones are nice. Trial and error until you find ones that aren't too sweet. Kylie is popular. Also Freixenet 0

Not necessarily. Could just be a heavy drinker, not necessarily alcohol dependent

I did Dry January in 2022 and was pleasantly surprised that I found it far easier than I feared. Did you know cravings for alcohol last just 6 mins? Distract yourself, do something else and it'll pass quickly

You've got this

I just want my kids to have the very best of me, and obviously they arent getting that if I am drinking wine most nights. I start thinking about it at about 6pm before I cook dinner. The other night My DD and I had a film night and chose not to drink and I was not bothered by it so I can do it

This happened to me during lockdown. We were getting wine deliveries on an almost weekly basis and drinking the lot sitting in the garden out of sheer bloody boredom! We’re strictly weekend only wine drinkers these days - it’s too easy to let it creep to unhealthy levels.
Well done for asking the question, you can get a hold of this just like we did.

It’s too much OP, try stopping drinking at home and just have a glass or two when you go out instead

That's a great incentive. And, you want to be a good role model, right? And a long and happy life, to be there for them in future, right?

It all starts here OP

Alcohol is poison to your body. Yes most people consume it but every night isn’t great. Stick to a glass or two on the weekends

You thought most people do this?
I don't drink alcohol at all.. and my friends that do ...l know they definitely do not do this.
You know you're drinking too much.. that's why you asked on here.
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's good for you..
You're an alcoholic and need help.. please seek it.

Don't worry about labels or shame, just frame it as getting healthier.

AF drinks are a good transition, I like 0% martini rossi and big drop brewing co beers.

Don't worry about labels or shame, just frame it as getting healthier.

Agree

Don’t feel bad, many people fall into drinking too much alcohol (me included). Feel amazing that today you have recognised that you have an issue and that you are going to be empowered to change it. Be thankful that you are going to nip it in the bud before it gets really bad.

Our story: My husband and I fell into the trap of drinking 2/3 glasses of wine most nights during covid times. Like most people who did the same - it was our reward for getting through a difficult day of homeschooling/struggling to work from home/ managing young children cooped up in the house 23/7! The number of drinks per night started creeping up and we struggled to go more than a couple of days without a drink before we needed one.

I woke up one day and I was fat. I had put on 2 stone. My cheeks were fat and I was getting spots. None of my clothes fit. I woke up every day feeling groggy. And something inside me changed.

We both went tee total for a year. Not one drop. We needed a complete reset to change our terrible habits and bad health. After that year we reintroduced having alcohol just on a Saturday night as a treat. And we never ever have more that 4 drinks, even if it’s a wedding or party etc. And it’s not been a problem since. The weight fell off me and I look and feel younger again.

You can do it OP. Do it for your kids 💪🏼

Think of the calories you're swallowing every night. Approx 600 calories per bottle of white wine on top of what you've eaten.

I was drinking similar amounts to you, if there was a Y in the day I'd drink. It's easier to stop before you're at the bottom of the very slippery slope. You'll also sleep better, have more energy first thing, your shopping bill will drop, obviously ingesting less calories so you may well lose weight plus you're not putting your liver and kidneys under pressure. No need to say "never drinking again" just "I'm not drinking today" and the not drinking days will soon add up. It's worth it for you!

I now don't drink at all and don't miss it. Even sitting with friends who are drinking doesn't tempt me!

There's definitely no way that most people casually drink 5 bottles of wine a week.

Have a look on this website, there's people you can speak to to help you make better choices.

https://www.changegrowlive.org/

I honestly feel terrible

@Monique10 , i agree a lot of people do drink like this and it can normalise heavy drinking . A few years back I was one of them . I didn't have an alcohol dependency, I just liked drinking wine with dinner .
I cut right back due to cost and health / weight gain , and now drink much less the recommended units per week and have at least three / four nights with no alcohol . I have also got used to the low alchohol wine .
If you can't moderate you are probably someone who needs to be alcohol free.

You're not the worst person ever, you're not an alcoholic and there's no reason to feel terrible. OK? Keep repeating this until you believe it!

The first thing to do is to stop the 'mindless' glasses of wine while you're cooking dinner. That should be an easy habit to drop. You're not drinking to get drunk but you enjoy wine, so buy wine with a very low ABV and mix it with soda or tonic to make a spritzer with lots of ice. In two easy steps you'll have cut your intake by about 80% but you will not feel as though you're depriving yourself.

that's significantly over the NHS recommended limit, you really need to cut back a lot.

A PP called me an alcoholic, I dont actually know what one is, it is such a grey area

Don't feel terrible - some of these posts are designed to shame you for some bizarre reason and it doesn't help at all.

Loads of people do drink like this sadly. All those people who say they know nobody who drinks like this - do they quiz all of their friends on exactly how much they drink? No. And i'd hide it if I had judgemental friends like that!

People do it. That's why you have thought it was ok. But you will feel loads better and your life will improve if you stop. Shame won't be helpful. In fact it often keeps people stuck. They just keep drinking because they don't feel they are worth investing in themselves. Just try to feel good about choosing a happier healthier future for you and your daughter.