Cutting way back on wine consumption

[Anonymous]

I am concerned about my wine consumption which can range from 2-4 glasses over a 4 hour period every night. I usually pour my first glass around 5-6 and one every hour until 9 and then I am really tired and just fall asleep only to not sleep well. I need to stop the wine to sleep better, be healthier, and lose some weight, be more motivated.

Anyone else tried to do the same with success? I need ideas, and not go to AA. I don't think I am an alcoholic, but I think I have a habit and am bored at home as a SAHM and the evenings are hard for me as I do it all, my husband is gone a lot for work.

Thanks everyone.

[Anonymous]

I had the same concern, so I think I know where you're coming from! I drink 2 glasses of wine probably 5 nights a week, and it was really out of boredom and my way to relax, not in any way a dependency issue. I started to have a few cups of camomile tea instead (not every night, just a few - I still drink wine probably three nights a week now). I really did make a difference. Drinking the tea satisfies the boredom factor, the need to relax factor, and the fact is that I sleep better when I drink the tea. I also started doing yoga at night. That decreases the amount of time I'm available for other things, and I'm getting exercise!
Good luck to you!

[Anonymous]

No advice. Just wanted to say that you are not alone, I do the same. I don't really want to stop, however. I am not bored, just enjoy having a glass around as I'm cooking, eating, talking with friends/family on the phone. It is a habit, and probably a bad one, but it's my only real vice.

[Anonymous]

Fellow wine drinker here. Two things that have helped me cut down. 1) I drink red vs. white. For some reason, I drink red wine much more slowly. 2) I pour a half glass with dinner and then don't refill until after the kids go to bed and I make lunches, check e-mail, etc. So that limits me to about 1.5 glasses.

[Anonymous]

I agree with pp. You need to replace the wine with something else. Another "routine." Maybe you replace the wine with tea, but also an activity or task. When 5:00 rolls around, make a cup of tea, grab two gourmet cookies and a crossword puzzle (or sudoku or Us Weekly, or whatever) and sit on the sofa for at least 15 minutes.

I don't know how old your kids are or what you're able to fit into your evening routine, but hopefully you can try that.

What are you normally doing while you have the wine? I almost always have wine while I cook. So for me, if I was trying to break that habit I would stay out of the kitchen for a while.

[Anonymous]

I just posted, but I have another suggestion to wean yourself off. Try making wine spritzers insdead. Especially now that we're entering warmer weather. Mix about half white wine and half club soda and add ice.

Also, I hate to say it, but you build up a tolerance to the relaxing effects of the wine and when you have more than a glass or two it has the reverse effect. It sounds like you already know this since you think it makes you sleep poorly. If you try and cut out wine completely for at least a week, you will notice that one glass should be enough.

[Anonymous]

I drink maybe 2-3 glasses of wine 4 nights/wk and am not dependent either. Sometimes I do feel more tired, and get less quality sleep so do other things in the evening: take a long bath and drink a lot of ice water. I only like red wine too so sometimes I have my spouse make a cocktail for me and I never finish it. I just sip that one not-wine drink all night long.

I drink and cook too .So when summer is here and I use more white wine, I drink less b/c I don't like white as much. But then there are all the neighbors socializing...so I drink more.

[Anonymous]

Get Izze sparkling drinks, split with 1/2 club soda and put in a wine glass with a lime.

-Someone who needs to take my own advice.

[Anonymous]

Kindred souls! Makes me feel good that I am not the only boozy one out there.

[Anonymous]

It is the boredom that needs to be addressed.

OP, I would suggest finding something else to do, at least most of the nights.

Bookclubs, supper clubs, knitting, puzzles, online classes, volunteering, baking, blogging, exercising, whatever.

Find something to do that MEANS something to you.

THAT will keep you out of the booze...at least some nights!

[Anonymous]

Just curious (truly, no judgment here- really trying to understand)- how do you all know you're not dependent? I ask b/c my father has an alcohol issue (wine is mostly his drink of choice) and it turns out that he was drinking a bottle a night, plus other stuff, but claims that he doesn't have a dependency.

[Anonymous]

I probably am.

[Anonymous]

I replaced wine with diet tonic water and lemon. I was on a diet (lost 60 lbs 2 years ago and kept it off) and wine is just calories. I was drinking 2-3 glasses a night which is about 300-400 extra calories. Now I've lost my taste for it.

2 years ago I would have thought I could never ever NOT drink wine during the week but cold turkey did it for me.

[Anonymous]

There are different levels of dependency, and some people can abuse wine (like many are here) out of sheer habit, and then kind of POOF, wake up to it and stop. Some people can abuse wine, wake up to it, and uh oh....stopping, not so easy.

There are a lot of factors....length of use, reasons for use, and chemical and genetic factors.

Everyone is a little different, and some people can casually drink off and on for years and never succumb to dependence, whereas others can become addicted relatively quickly.

[Anonymous]

I don't mean to hijack, but what about beer? I crack open a brewski at around 5pm and drink about 2-3 every night. I brought this up to my doctor at my last physical, because I was concerned that I was becoming dependent, but she just shrugged it off and told me to try to cut it down to one or two and to not go past that. Alcoholism runs in my family, and I just want to know when I should become concerned. I drink beer to relax, but sometimes I keep looking at the clock because I can't wait until 5 so I can have a beer.

God, maybe I do have a problem.