Anonymous wrote:I was enjoying 2-3 drinks a day while on vacation this summer. 6 pounds later, I’ve cut back considerably and decided to go cold turkey for September to lose some weight, which I did. However, I’m miserable. I don’t care about having to seriously cut back on sweets too (my weakness) but I really hated giving up my pre dinner cocktail. Is it concerning to have two drinks before dinner (think Negroni or one cocktail and a glass of wine with dinner)? Is it problematic that this makes me happy and the little buzz makes my evening more fun/enjoyable? I’ve never felt like this before so I’m just looking for a sanity check. I’m married, late 40s, 2 tween kids, happy marriage, but definitely a little bored and missing adult time. TIA!
Anonymous wrote:To me the ritual and feeling of a treat matters. Can you sub in something non-alcoholic? Seltzer with a splash of orange juice and maraschino cherry for example, or spiced cider, or a shrub or virgin cocktail if you're really getting fancy.
I feel the same way about a drink after the kids go to bed, and I don't love it, so I try to stick to alcohol on the weekends. It does make me more likely to drink a couple on a weekend night though, whereas when I'm not limiting myself I'm more likely to just split one with my husband and call it quits.
Anonymous wrote:I think you are an alcoholic if you feel you need the alcohol. You should go to an AA meeting to talk with people there about it. I am very serious.
Anonymous wrote:I’d love to drink every night, even just 1. I like the taste. But I don’t like the calories or the impact on overall health (including sleep).
I doubt drinking 2 drinks a night is the secret to your happiness.
I make a rule, any day I exceed my calorie burn target on my Fitbit by more than 400 calories I can have a drink, except not 2 days in a row, except for special exceptions and special exceptions can’t happen on weeknights. I can save up one credit during the week by not drinking mon-thurs and then drink fri, sat, and sun evenings.
So in the end this means I’ll usually have a drink 3-4 nights a week.