Today is my six-year anniversary of not drinking alcohol. After enjoying wine and an occasional Lemon Drop Martini since I was in my mid twenties, I decided on May 7, 2019, when I was 67 years old, that enough was enough. I gave up alcohol. As the weeks and months of not drinking alcohol became years, I decided that this change will be permanent. It took awhile, but I no longer miss it.

My initial reason to stop drinking alcohol was to lose weight. I had been trying to lose weight, and had not been able to. I had  been on Weight Watchers for years, but had not really worked the plan. I wish I had the money I spent on Weight Watchers during those years! I would lose ten pounds, and gain it back. The amount of weight that I wanted to lose was in the ten to twenty pound range. When I hit 159 pounds, I decided something else was necessary to lose the weight. Although I had often said, “I am not giving up my Chardonnay,” for whatever reason, on May 7, 2019, I decided to give up my Chardonnay.

In the next few months, I lost 57 pounds. Of course, removing alcohol from my life was not the only change that I made to lose the weight, and it certainly did not account for me losing 57 pounds. But it was a major part of it. And more importantly, removing alcohol from my life made my life so much better in several ways.

I was mainly a social drinker. I often had a glass or two (or three) of wine in the evenings while cooking. I would drink when out with friends. What became an occasional drink or two of wine mainly on the weekends gradually became more of a daily habit. I knew that was not healthy, but habits are easy to make and hard to break. Although I tried to cut back, again mainly to lose weight, I found that hard to do. So I decided to stop completely.

When I stopped drinking, I did not make a decision that this change would be permanent. In fact, I think if I had thought initially that I would not drink wine or a Lemon Drop Martini ever again, I don’t know if I would have stopped. That might have felt too severe. But the longer I was not drinking, the better I felt. And I sometimes acted better! I Know I slept better. I also had more energy overall. I also no longer had to worry if I had said or done something I should not have said or done, at least while under the influence of alcohol.

I no longer enjoy sitting in a bar socializing, although I do so occasionally with my husband. I enjoy socializing with friends who are drinking alcohol, and no longer feel different in a negative way. I am different, due to my choice; not better than, just different. When with others who are drinking alcohol, I drink my beverage of choice, iced tea, and enjoy the festivities. I do miss wine tastings, but again, it is my choice to not drink alcohol, and with that decision there are some losses. But the gains are more than worth the few losses. 

It isn’t easy to go against the flow, and I am definitely in the minority by not drinking alcohol. Our society in many ways revolves around alcohol. While there are more people now who are drinking mocktails or non alcoholic drinks than there were six years ago, alcohol is still a major part of our culture. 

I found some of the 57 pounds that I lost, and I am ok with that. I am a lifetime Weight Watchers member, no longer having to pay since I stay below my goal weight. I am healthy, walking at least two miles most days, and have settled at a weight that I can maintain.  

Life is good, without alcohol.