How to kick a nightly vino habit???

sarahwright01

PLAN PLAN PLAN!

Plan the days you get to have your wines and desserts/junk food. And then practice portion control. I made myself a little calendar, and when I work out 5 days in a row, i get to have either a Starbucks, or a yummy dessert I have been craving.

As far as stress relief, go for walk. Even though I am sure you are exhausted, just going for a walk instead of having your wine will make you feel less stressed and you probably won't want that wine.

Good luck!

LotusF1ower

So I LOVE red wine. I love buying it, I love seeing my collection, and I love to drink a glass or two most nights (unless we are with family or have an early day the next day). My husband and I relax after a long day with a glass and usually stay up too late and eventually start eating junk food. This is really hindering my weight loss. Furthermore, I'm tired of telling myself I'm going to get up early and do something, then sleep in because I stayed up too late drinking wine. (Note: I usually am in bed by 11:30, but my hubby gets up at 5 so I know this late night love affair is hard on him).

Does anyone have any realistic ways to stop using wine as my way to relax? What is something healthy I can replace it with, to still feel like I get a treat? I want wine to be special and something we enjoy at a nice restaurant or to celebrate, not our nightly crutch.

I used to be the same with vodka, many evenings I would have one drink "just to relax" - however, once I started my weightloss programme this time round, I was so serious about it, that I knew I would either have to cut out the drinking indoors or not lose the weight. It was either the drink or a nutritious meal. The meal won.

I do drink when I go out mind, but with my work, I am unable to go out most of the time, so it is really a blessing in disguise.

Really, I guess it comes down to just how serious about losing weight you are, you have to weigh up the options, the wine or your weight loss - you don't have to give it up forever, just don't drink it everyday, save it for when you go out or special occasions.

The wine or your weightloss x

animatedbecca

Stop buying it unless it's for a special occasion.
And no, Tuesday does not qualify for a special occasion!

Haha I love that " Tuesday does not qualify for a special occasion!"
Not trying to encourage bad habits but didnt I read that red wine and dark chocolate are suppose to be healthy? Would ONE glas of red wine and ONE small serving of dark chocolate maybe every other evening be all that bad?

Actually they found that the ONE red wine and the ONE dark chocolate had less to do with the health benefits and more to do with the people that had that habit. The people were healthier because they lived their lives in moderation. They didn't go overboard on wine or chocolate, nor did they cut it out of their lives because that's simply how they did everything.

Long story short : It's less the wine - more the ability to moderate.

Oh ok I thought it was to do with anti oxidants made it healthy.Im still learning

blakeym

My wife and I would do the same thing at least three nights a week (sometimes four). Inevitably you end up with a buzz and then it's food time.....and of course anything goes, because control has left you end entered the wine bottle (beer bottle, rum bottle etc). Bring on the nacho's, the cherry garcia....whatever....

There is no replacement for the fun times that come with just hanging out with your partner, drinking, and eating and generally having a good old time. We stopped doing it as like anything else the routine of it morphs into the habit of it.

We only have booze in the house if we have to go and get it. If there's beer in the fridge then my hand will reach for it, so it's not allowed anymore. Nor is wine or anything else.

That said, you have to allow for some "good times". So just plan to pick up a couple of bottles on a Friday night and let loose a bit, then be done with it for another week. :drinker:

metizzy2

Hi Melissa! I can SOOOOO relate to this issue!!! I used to drink wine almost every night. The sugar in the wine creates the craving. I was slowly packing on the weight so this summer I vowed I would NOT drink any wine. I can't just have one glass. It's a sin to let a bottle go to waste, so I'd drink it until it was done, which would take a few days..and I'm the ONLY one in my household that drinks it!! I gave up wine..totally!!!!! Other methods of relaxation is yoga, meditating or reading a good book. I have been a wine drinker for many years (I'm partial to red too), but I did not find it hard at all to quit. As long as it's not in my house, I won't drink it. I used to go to free wine tastings but now I just drive right past them. I love the money that I'm saving by NOT buying it anymore!!! As well as the extra calories!!
Good luck!
Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like!

absofsteel

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I think my love of wine not only comes from the wine itself but from the whole setting. I love wine glasses and toasting and it seems romantic. When I was pregnant with my son we started drinking tea and even bought a fancy tea kettle and big mugs, it made the whole nightly tea routine more fun. I don't drink it to get drunk, in fact I hate being out of control so if I feel the slightest bit tipsy I stop.
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I have to agree with the idae of it being a 'ritual' on the nights now that I stay away for my vino I drink sparkeling water but I still use the wine glass, Ther is something quite satisying about pouring into a wine glass or sometimes a tall glass with ice and lemon...for me it seems to be all about the habits I've formed associating these things with time to unwind.

absofsteel

sorry...that first paragraph was ment to be in a quote box :ohwell:

rebmcg

This was such a great question and so much good advice. I think that I, too, am just going to have to go cold turkey for a couple of weeks.
My husband and I enjoy the same "share" time and I too, love the pretty stemmed glass, etc. I think I'll try Pellegrino water with a twist in the stemmed glass and maybe after a couple of weeks try to stick to the Pellegrino "cocktail" and have one glas of red with dinner. Thanks so much for the question and the great responses.

I also had a friend stopped on week nights and allowed herself not more than 2 glasses on weekends--something to consider.

pickledlilly

I have to agree with the idae of it being a 'ritual' on the nights now that I stay away for my vino I drink sparkeling water but I still use the wine glass, Ther is something quite satisying about pouring into a wine glass or sometimes a tall glass with ice and lemon...for me it seems to be all about the habits I've formed associating these things with time to unwind.

No surprise I'm watching this post as well.