I quit drinking. I gave up sugar and sweets, I stopped eating after 5pm……It was time to challenge myself again.
I have been very hard on myself in the past and since my mid 20’s.
That said, I started to like myself a lot more over the last few years – and didn’t criticize myself as much as I used to.
But this also meant I wasn’t as strict with my lifestyle. I missed out on dance classes and exercise routines, allowed myself to have late dinners, and sweets… and wine.
So one day walking up the escalators in South Kensington, I saw an advert about Sober October. So I thought to myself ‘hey you have been complaining that you are not strong enough anymore to push through something. Let’s give it a go!’ To really make this happen I told my patients, friends and family about it.
The first week was the easiest one although I went to a Birthday Party with a free bar, and a lovely 60’s Birthday dinner with cheese and red wine. And yes as a woman in her 30’s – you get the pregnant question quite often. So every ‘no thank you I don’t want a drink’ was followed by ‘no I am not pregnant’.
The second week it only bothered me a bit at the weekend, as I love to have a glass of wine making/preparing dinner. So there was my first complaint. But every morning – I was very happy I didn’t drink the night before. I felt more awake and even when going bed later than usual, the energy lasted longer.
The third week I went back to Germany for my Osteopathy course and I was a bit worried – seeing friends and family again would make me weak – but I stayed strong and then found myself with three of my girlfriends talking about the 90’s, and drinking alcohol free sparkling wine. My dad got me alcohol free beer for our Sunday dinner which I can only recommend!
Week number 4 was pretty much easy. I didn’t mind not having an alcoholic drink on a Friday night when sitting with friends. And I actually thought about keep going on for longer. But I guess the alcohol free red wine I tried on the last weekend changed my mind. Not recommended!
So I did it! And I must admit I felt much better not having alcohol. Not as tired overall, more energized, running was much lighter (not as many side stitches), slept overall better and deeper, less moody and more relaxed. So I will definitely from now on have a think if I really need to drink that glass of wine or cider or beer.
The downsides: cravings for sweets which I normally never have – I am an absolute savoury eater – and what came with that were spots. But I remembered that one of my teachers mentioned when we ‘clear’ our liver it will get rid of all the ‘old’ bits and this might show up like an allergy or spots on our skin. So there I was not drinking alcohol, eating more sugar, looking like a teenager again but a lot more energized, less moody and probably also more healthy – and no for the final time – I am not pregnant!
Author: Annabel Gatjen