A One Year Experiment in Not Drinking

So, here it is, January 2, 2010, and I decided to start this year out with an experiment to see if life will be different for me if I don't drink for a year. You see, I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a "social drinker". What does that mean...really? You know, when they ask you that on an information form at a doctors office if you drink and you say yes and then they say how many drinks a day do you drink? Don't we all say two? Seriously, am I the only one lying about that? I drink about four glasses of wine a day, really. Is that social drinking? And, if I said that I drink four, what then, would they advise me to go to AA or something?

Why am I doing this experiment and why am I doing a blog? Well, the answer to the first question is that I'm NOT doing it because alcohol has damaged my personal life. Actually, I'm pretty fun when I drink. This isn't going to be some tragic story about domestic violence or anything, it is more like, what the heck happened? One day I was this cute, blond, 5' 3", 35 year old that weighed 127 pounds and then, BLAM, I wake up the next day and I am this 51 year old pudge that has gained, I don't even know how much because I won't get on the scale today, and I am taking Lipitor and blood pressure medicine.....WHAT? How did this happen? I'm thinking it happened because my life has been, if you can believe this, too darn good (you'll understand if you read on). The reason I am writing a blog is that I am a pretty responsible person. If I tell someone that I am going to do something, I do it, if I possibly can. I felt like, if I had to write this every day and share my experience, I was somehow being accountable and maybe I would be more likely to succeed.

Oh, and just asking me to cut back...can't....tried that...I just love Pinot Grigio and drink several glasses every evening if I start while cooking dinner.

Just to tell you a little about myself, I am a 51 year old female, wife (to a wonderful husband), mother of grown daughter, building contractor and real estate agent. My parents are both still alive, in their late 70's and I have a great relationship with my only sibling, a sister, and her husband. My husband and I have many friends and have, what some might consider, a really great life. Even though our business is not as busy as it was in the past, we have a beautiful home, a condo on the beach, and have been able to pay our bills, and I dare say, even go out to dinner and still do a little travelling (not as much as before) in spite of this economy. Since we are empty nesters, and have tons of friends, my life is what I sometimes call, a series of parties. Even with the declining economy, at 51, most of our friends have lovely homes and can cook like Julia Childs and so, on many occasions, when socializing with friends, instead of dining in a restaurant, we just cook together in someones home.... and, oh yeah.... did I mention drink good wine together? EVERY evening, my beautiful husband and I have our little routine of coming home, pouring our favorite cocktail and cooking and talking about our day. Since we have a great marriage, it's like a date every night. Not a bad thing but did you see that part about the cocktails? Even exercising, I am so social, that I have managed to arrange my walking time around happy hour with a neighbor so that we walk 3-4 miles to our favorite local pub and have a couple of beers (light beers of course) and wings. I don't do that every night but just a couple of times a month.

Here are the concerns that I have. Can I do it? If not, why? That really would make me an alcoholic, wouldn't it? What about my relationship with my husband, will it change? We have had this routine since we have been together. It is like the whistle at the quarry letting the workers know that it is time to quit working. If we don't have our cocktails, we keep working in our office, which is at home, by the way. What if I quit drinking and don't lose weight at all? NO??? That would be a total bummer. Also, ALL of my friends are social drinkers. Will it change the way we feel about each other? Will they feel uncomfortable around me if I don't drink?

If anyone is reading this. Keep me in your prayers. It is important to me to succeed at this.