I don't necessarily like to count non-drinking days as I find it to be a bit of pressure. Plus, my ultimate goal is to cut back, not to never drink again.
However, I work with computers, life tends to be very black and white. What you cannot count you cannot measure and what you cannot measure you cannot improve.
Over the recent weeks I've figured out that my worst days of the week for drinking are Sunday and Monday. Sunday because I loathe my work and Monday because I've just lived through another work day.
As well, I've figured out that I am a boredom drinker. I am ok when I have things planned and am on the go. Tuesday evening I had a work call at 8 PM (I work with folks in a US timezone), and I never mix alcohol into a conference call setting, I have a hard enough time keeping sarcasm in check when sober.
Wednesday was date night. OH suffered through another low carb vegan dinner and then we did our shopping that we usually do at the weekend as we're packed up with plans on Saturday and Sunday. By the time we returned at 8.30 it was too late to be bothered to drink.
Today (Thursday) I had a electrician stopping by at 7 PM, so that also broke the cycle for me.
I've figured out if I can get past 7 PM, then I'm free for the evening. I've never been one to eat late and drinking seems to fall under the same pattern. While I'll have some water all evening after 7, my stomach doesn't really want to process anything else. So the trick is to block out enough to bridge the gap from 5 until 7 PM.
I plan to keep this roll up through Friday night and then Saturday we're off to a festival so am ok to break this streak for that one. The festival is an alternative, artsy thing, so am expected to be distracted by activities, but not going to stress if there's something interesting to try, just deciding already not to be preloading on wine prior to heading over there, as would have been my past behaviour.
Thursday 30 June 2016
Wednesday 29 June 2016
Background
I've been having a fascinating read of so many bloggers out there (a special shout out to age 40 plus ladies who live a 'normal' life otherwise), that I thought I'd like to join in this bloggersphere.
I am drifting a bit in life, being a 41 year old lady with a proper, yet painfully dry career. Earlier this month I had an interview for a role that I would have excelled at which matched my goals and lifestyle.
I've been lazy over the recent months, working at home (at said boring career) has made it a little too easy for wine o'clock to start precisely at 5.01 PM. On slow days I've even been known to have a glass of wine at lunchtime. I like to see the positive in everything, it means that there was a glass still in the bottle when I went to bed the prior night...
I was so excited at this new career prospect that I started to make some quick changes in anticipation of getting out the credit card and buying a new career wardrobe. I've been working at home since 2010, so I've been making due with one suit and 2 sets of work shirts and trousers when I travel. Fortunately business trips only usually run a week at a time for me, two weeks max.
So I went back to my golden triumvirate of healthy living: no alcohol, vegan, intense exercise. To be fair, you wouldn't necessarily guess that I can pack away 2 bottles of wine for 7 nights in a row. Or probably you would recognize the signs...
Basic stats, my starting point was a UK size 10, 58.5 kilos, 5 foot 5. I go to the gym 4 times per week, despite said wine. I've been eating more from a convenience level in recent weeks, frozen pizza and pringles have figured prominently on the menu.
So I had a bottle of wine the night before starting (see, I was already cutting down, it wasn't two) and hit it hard at the gym the next day (Thursday), along with a strict diet regime tracked in my fitness pal. I hit my 1200 calories and 1 hour at the gym.
Friday I informed my long suffering other half that it would be a healthy evening, low carb vegan, no wine.
Saturday followed a similar pattern but included an hour at the gym. On Sunday my OH was hosting his parents for a Sunday dinner, they are teetotalers. OH was a tad annoying by getting out 'my' white wine (he usually drinks red as his preference) and then kept putting the cup next to my water glass. I kept moving it to the other side and it kept gravitating back until I finally pointed out that it was going to get knocked over being so close to my water glass.
On Monday I clocked in at 57.3, so a 1.2 kilo loss. On one hand, a little too much too quick, although having gone vegan in my 20's, I recall the weight just falling off me with no effort until it finally bottomed out at a certain point.
By Wednesday I reached the 56 kilo zone and was flying along in the subsequent interviews.
It went to 4 interviews and in the end they chose the other candidate.
So I had a frozen pizza and two bottles of wine. Rinse, repeat for another week.
In the three weeks while thinking I might have a new job and following my regime I felt physically great, was sleeping wonderfully and reaching new levels of fitness. So this little online diary is my attempt to find and keep the momentum when right now I have no driver for it.
I am drifting a bit in life, being a 41 year old lady with a proper, yet painfully dry career. Earlier this month I had an interview for a role that I would have excelled at which matched my goals and lifestyle.
I've been lazy over the recent months, working at home (at said boring career) has made it a little too easy for wine o'clock to start precisely at 5.01 PM. On slow days I've even been known to have a glass of wine at lunchtime. I like to see the positive in everything, it means that there was a glass still in the bottle when I went to bed the prior night...
I was so excited at this new career prospect that I started to make some quick changes in anticipation of getting out the credit card and buying a new career wardrobe. I've been working at home since 2010, so I've been making due with one suit and 2 sets of work shirts and trousers when I travel. Fortunately business trips only usually run a week at a time for me, two weeks max.
So I went back to my golden triumvirate of healthy living: no alcohol, vegan, intense exercise. To be fair, you wouldn't necessarily guess that I can pack away 2 bottles of wine for 7 nights in a row. Or probably you would recognize the signs...
Basic stats, my starting point was a UK size 10, 58.5 kilos, 5 foot 5. I go to the gym 4 times per week, despite said wine. I've been eating more from a convenience level in recent weeks, frozen pizza and pringles have figured prominently on the menu.
So I had a bottle of wine the night before starting (see, I was already cutting down, it wasn't two) and hit it hard at the gym the next day (Thursday), along with a strict diet regime tracked in my fitness pal. I hit my 1200 calories and 1 hour at the gym.
Friday I informed my long suffering other half that it would be a healthy evening, low carb vegan, no wine.
Saturday followed a similar pattern but included an hour at the gym. On Sunday my OH was hosting his parents for a Sunday dinner, they are teetotalers. OH was a tad annoying by getting out 'my' white wine (he usually drinks red as his preference) and then kept putting the cup next to my water glass. I kept moving it to the other side and it kept gravitating back until I finally pointed out that it was going to get knocked over being so close to my water glass.
On Monday I clocked in at 57.3, so a 1.2 kilo loss. On one hand, a little too much too quick, although having gone vegan in my 20's, I recall the weight just falling off me with no effort until it finally bottomed out at a certain point.
By Wednesday I reached the 56 kilo zone and was flying along in the subsequent interviews.
It went to 4 interviews and in the end they chose the other candidate.
So I had a frozen pizza and two bottles of wine. Rinse, repeat for another week.
In the three weeks while thinking I might have a new job and following my regime I felt physically great, was sleeping wonderfully and reaching new levels of fitness. So this little online diary is my attempt to find and keep the momentum when right now I have no driver for it.
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