I’m not a massive drinker…no honestly! I like a nice glass of red, a G&T in the summer, or a glass of bubbly. That’s not to say that those three haven’t got me into trouble in past! Alcohol can disrupt hormone function and can wreak havoc with blood sugar levels. All-in-all, for someone like me trying to figure out what is going on with their hormones, it makes sense that my Doctor suggested I cut it out. I wasn’t particularly worried about cutting it out at home, but I was worried about going out and not drinking.
Social drinking is a huge part of British culture and I’ve noticed others who have given up or cut down alcohol come in for a lot of flak from their friends. Am I really going to be boring now?! Is no one going to want to hang out with me anymore?! My first test came at the Christening of a friend’s baby at the weekend. It was a jolly affair and out came the bottles of prosecco to toast. I tried deflecting and saying ‘oh no thank you, I’m good with my juice’. Fail. ‘Don’t be silly Lou’ and a glass is thrust into my hand. I toast but don’t drink and no one seems to notice, after a while I pop my glass down in the busy kitchen and crack on with my super fancy mango juice.
Towards the end of my day when another friend asks if I want a top up I confide in her that I have given up drinking. ‘Dieting?’. ‘No’. ‘Then why then?’. She genuinely looked as if she couldn’t comprehend why I would partake in such craziness.
Going out for dinner a few days later for a friend’s birthday was the biggest challenge. I decided to be honest and tell my friends I wasn’t drinking. ‘Are you on a diet then?’. FFS. Apparently the only people who give up alcohol are dieters. I quickly explain my reasons, grab the menu and proceed to demonstrate just how much I’m not dieting. I wonder if giving up alcohol is like giving up smoking and this time next month I’ll be 2 stone heavier?! I make a mental note to get back to jogging three times a week.
It’s not been a bad week without alcohol and I have enjoyed waking up without a headache! I think trying times will to come as we head into spring and summer, which brings wedding and BBQ season!
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