No self-discipline and very little wil... - Weight Loss Support

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No self-discipline and very little will-power

Eleanorann profile image
14 Replies

Is there any hope for me? I’m 73 and struggle to stick to any diet, as I love to cook and eat, but my biggest problem is wine. Any suggestions?

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Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann
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14 Replies
moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone

Hi and welcome, Eleanorann :)

We have just the club for you healthunlocked.com/weight-l... where anyone that wants to reduce their intake of alcohol can post and receive support.

You may also find this interesting healthunlocked.com/weight-l... and find this easier to stick to than any diet healthunlocked.com/api/redi...

All of the information you need about the forum can be found in Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... and I hope you'll be joining all the Events, Challenges and Clubs that we run, especially a weigh-in and the daily diary.

If you haven't already taken it, here's a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/?tour=true

We've found active participation to be key to successful weight loss and, of course, it's a good way to get to know people, find inspiration and share support and encouragement.

Wishing you all the best :)

Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone

Hello, I have the same demon and I try to abstain completely apart from holidays.

Would you like to join us on our weigh in today? Here's the link, I hope to see you there :-) x

healthunlocked.com/weight-l...

Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann in reply to Lytham

Hello, thank you for your supportive reply. I suspect total abstinence is the only way forward for me, but I enjoy a celebratory beverage at the end of the day. So, if you have any recommendations for non-alcoholic drinks, I’d be very grateful.

Pitterpatter3 profile image
Pitterpatter3

Is it white wine? Then you could do a white wine spritzer with soda water ( sorry) if it’s red... my fave. Then I’m not sure apart from sipping it slowly from a shot glass instead!

Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann in reply to Pitterpatter3

Red, unfortunately! But I like your shot glass idea!

Peachy40 profile image
Peachy40Maintainer2 stone

How much wine are we talking about? I used to have a drink every evening...spirits...so to cut down, I committed myself to only 4 days a week to begin with.

Where I would add a bottle to my weekly shop, I also stopped doing that. Its more like 5 or 6wks now.

1 glass of wine 🍷 each evening is different to 1 bottle. Whatever you're doing perhaps try to cut out a little bit at a time. Going cold turkey is also an option, though you have to be sure that's sustainable for you personally. ☺

Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann in reply to Peachy40

Thank you for your very thoughtful and helpful reply. That’s an interesting suggestion. At the moment I try, not always successfully, to have one booze-free day per week. The other days I can cheerfully polish off half a bottle of red wine of an evening, and of course this is waaay too much.

I’ve looked at alcohol-free options, but I don’t want to commit to buying, say, an expensive bottle, only to find that I hate it and it’ll sit in the cupboard forever, a silent and reproachful mistake.

What do you drink, if you don’t mind my asking?

Peachy40 profile image
Peachy40Maintainer2 stone in reply to Eleanorann

At the moment I drink gin or vodka mainly. Before I started on this journey...about 24wks now...I would also regularly have brandy and rum. The darker drinks are higher in carbs, so I have them only on occasions.

I know what you mean about the non alcoholic versions...it can be hit and miss.

I found it helpful to select the days I wasn't drinking that way I always knew. It then became times when a drink day became a nondrink day simply because I hadn't thought about it.

So if you decide its one day, pick a set day and see if that works for you.

There is also a drink less forum on here. Eleanorba can you share the link please? It's where others talk about what they have been doing to cut down or abstain altogether.

Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann in reply to Peachy40

Thank you, that’s very helpful.

May I ask, do you think abstaining makes a great deal of difference to weight loss?

Peachy40 profile image
Peachy40Maintainer2 stone in reply to Eleanorann

Cutting down definitely helped with my weight loss. I also read that when you're burning energy, alcohol is the first that gets burned, which resonated with me. So I was conscious that I didn't want all my exercise to get rid of just the rum and coke I had the night before. ☺

I'm also feeling the overall health benefit of not drinking as much.

Pitterpatter3 profile image
Pitterpatter3 in reply to Eleanorann

Don’t buy alcohol free wine, I did when I was pregnant hoping it may be a very slight substitute. A bottle of shloer light ( red) would be better. Sainsbury’s

Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann

Thanks very much.

1vern0n profile image
1vern0nRestart April 2023

Snap! I too love food and drink and can easily contemplate my next meal while eating one. I wish I could have the mentality of "seeing" food as fuel rather than enjoyment. As for wine, I started buying the small/individual bottles as a way to restrict my intake and then moved on to the occasional measure of peaty whisky. I find that the strong flavour satisfies me better pretty much like vintage cheddar cheese rather than a mild cheddar.

I have to be careful because if I have more than one or two measures of spirits then I think about nibbles, finding that difficult to resist and hating myself the next day!

Good luck and may the force be with you.

Eleanorann profile image
Eleanorann in reply to 1vern0n

Thank you. I liked your idea of small bottles of wine, but as here in France we’ve just gone back into lockdown, that’ll have to be placed on the back burner.

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