It has been 201 days since my last alcoholic drink. As the days go on, there are less and less chances of me drinking again and more chances of me continuing on my alcohol free journey. Although it might only be 201 days, it is still 201 days which can be seen as an achievement. Last week, I told someone that I have not had a drink since the 6th of January 2024. Their reaction was “congratulations” and my reply was “thank you”. The more I think about these types of reactions around this topic, the more it makes me think. If people are saying congratulations, well done, that is amazing, what does this mean?

Why the Change?

Throughout my adult life, I have spent a lot of time reading and learning about health, as well as assessing my own health. I put into practice better routines and rituals that are going to assist me to feel my best. However, having alcohol as part of my life is something that I have overlooked. If I actually think about it, I probably choose to overlook it. It was the one thing that I have justified and made excuses for. I have always eaten well and I have always had some sort of routine with my exercise whether it is running, resistance or a combination of both. I incorporate yoga and meditation in my life for strength, flexibility and well being of the mind and body. Yet, once a week, or sometimes more, I am consuming something that is not good for me. Am I undoing all of my hard work by moderately drinking and sometimes, excessively drinking?

Making the Change

There are many factors that influenced my decision to take a break from alcohol, which then turned into ceasing drinking altogether. There have been many times in the last few years where I have gotten way too excited, drank way too much and have had to leave the party way too early. Not to mention the feeling of regret the next day. Feeling sick and tired with hangxiety looming and then asking “why do I do this to myself?”. With too many occurrences, I started thinking that I want better for myself. What would life be like to be alcohol free and what that would mean for me and the people around me. 

Towards the end of 2023, I was getting sick of alcohol. When I was drinking, I was consuming much less than I normally would. This was a sign that I needed to make a change. I started to question what alcohol was doing for me, or rather, what alcohol was taking from me. Christmas consisted of a few drinks on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. By the time we got to New Years Eve, after only a couple of drinks, a glass of champagne was poured for me at 11:30pm and that same glass was used to toast 2024. Having taken it easy that night, I was keen for a 10km run the next morning. This has not been my preferred activity on the 1st of January in years passed.

The 7th of January saw a group of us taking on the 75 Hard Challenge. On the 6th of January, I had one last alcoholic drink before we began. Little did I know, this would be my last drink for a long time. As the 75 days went on, I started wondering if I should actually ever drink again. I kept thinking to myself, I don’t want to drink so why do I feel like I have to? I decided that I would keep going for another 75 days and reassess. 

As mentioned, we are at the 201 day mark. At the 209 day mark, we are getting married. About 6 weeks ago, I was still thinking that I may have just one glass of champagne to toast our marriage. But what does that mean? Does that mean I can only celebrate an occasion with alcohol? That any other sort of drink is not acceptable to clink my glass to? The more my partner and I talked about it, we started to ponder what it means for me to have one drink to toast on the day. Why would I have one drink? Why would I not have 6? If I have one and that is it, then I could have not broken the alcohol free streak. If I have six drinks, where does it stop? What if I have too many drinks and miss out on the precious moments with my new husband, our families and friends? I have come to the conclusion that the best thing for me is to enjoy the alcohol free drinks, the food, the entertainment, and the memories.

New Lifestyle

For me, my new way of life is taking my health seriously. I am almost 46 and I want the next 46 years to be as healthy as I can make them. I wake up in the morning and know that I am not hungover. I feel in tune with my body, more than I have in a long time. I have made slight changes to my dietary intake. I have found a good balance and I am feeling well recovered, strong and have muscle definition that I have not seen in years without the puffiness of alcohol. 

My exercise regime has taken a new direction. With the goal of running 1000 kms this year, it required me to run at least 20 kms per week. However, I have been running anywhere between 25 and 40 kms. I can guarantee that the motivation to get out and run has come from feeling fresh in the morning and not weighed down from the night before.

Completing the 75 Hard Challenge and training two times a day set me up for a good routine. It is not necessary to complete two sessions per day but two or three days a week, I do and I am feeling good for it. I have incorporated functional training classes at the gym which has increased my resistance sessions. I am feeling powerful and can see the impact that has on my running. I am running with ease and for longer distances. At the start of my running goal this year, I was nervous every time I went out running. I put a lot of pressure on myself and expect to run at a certain pace and feel a certain way. Silly really but that is the athlete in me. Now the nerves are gone because I know that I can make it. When I start to tire, I have the strength in my body to keep my technique and get to the end. It feels good. 

For the last few years, I have been seeing the number on the scales creep up. I will preface this by saying that the scales do not always reflect health. There are many factors that will influence this number. For me, I know that I was heavier than I should be. Since this time last year, my body weight has reduced by around 10kgs. It is not about this number, it is about the extra weight that I was carrying that is not natural to me and holding me back from what I want to achieve. 

There is a cyclical effect of this decision to stop drinking. I took a break from alcohol that turned into not wanting to start again. I then had the motivation to exercise with consistency. I am able to exercise more because I am not feeling the effects of drinking. I have become lighter on the scales because I am alcohol free and able to train with consistency. I am able to sleep better for more energetic morning sessions. Due to the positive impacts from not consuming alcohol, it inspires me to continue on this progressive path and not go back. 

This is about my health. There is no other way to say it. Being just shy of 46, I want to make sure I do everything I can to feel and look my best. Studies show that when women drink alcohol they are more susceptible to illnesses such as breast cancer and heart disease. Do I really want to take that risk? It was the right time for me to quit.

Am I Missing Out Being Alcohol Free?

I don’t think so. As everyone comes to the island for our Bali wedding, there will be pre wedding get-togethers, family outings, my birthday, and also my sister and friend’s birthday, and the wedding itself. I am confident that I will enjoy this and not feel like I need to have a drink to have a good time. On the wedding day, will I be longing for a drink? Probably not. Will I have regrets the next day that I didn’t partake in the alcohol consumption? Definitely not. I know that I will have a fun time. There will be declarations of love, delicious food and dancing into the night. Alcohol will not change that.

An Alcohol Free Future

As I go forward with this new feeling where my health is, I want to inspire others to do what they think is right for them. Am I saying that everyone should give up alcohol? Not necessarily. I will say that I am hoping to encourage people to ask themselves some tough questions about their own health. Are you doing the best you can for your body? Is your lifestyle going to make it hard as you age? Are there things you want to do with your life but your health situation is holding you back? Are you curious about a sober life but don’t know where to start? This was true for me. When I started to really think about how I was treating my body, I started to realise that I could do better for myself. My body deserves that.