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A year sober - why I'm quitting booze and sugar

Day one: I've finally decided to get off the hard stuff.

By Sarah WellsPublished 4 years ago 2 min read
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It's New Year's day 2020, and today is the day I try to quit both booze and sugar for an entire year. I know what you're thinking, I'm an idiot, but hear me out. There have been a number of factors that have brought me to this decision which I will no doubt go in to at depth in future posts, but the crux of it comes down to this - I've realised that I have terrible relationships with both sugar and alcohol, and at 34 years old it's time I change that.

The alcohol thing makes it sound like I'm an alcoholic, and I'm not. I don't drink every day, not even every week, and it's not very often that I crave a drink. I don't believe I have an addiction to alcohol, however I know that when I choose to drink I'm way too easily swayed to abuse it. I can have a drink or two and then leave it there if I'm in the right mindset. But if I'm not, by drink three just buckle up and I'll see you on the other side with a raging hangover and a serious all consuming case of beer fear (because I'll probably not remember how I got to the other side).

The sugar thing is my real vice. I am 100% addicted to sugar in all forms. Chocolate, cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks, you name it and I'll enjoy mindlessly putting it into my face whilst sat on the sofa or bored at my desk. I eat when I'm happy, sad, tired, wired, and normally those snacks are of the sugary kind. It's been the thing I've turned to for emotional support from a young age and so the idea of a life without it is quite frankly terrifying. But now, like an old boyfriend who just keeps dropping me a "Hey, you are you?" text I need to go cold turkey and cut this mother off. It's not you, it's me. But it's also you, you sugary sweet deliciously addictive little bastard.

I've already had to talk myself out of reaching for the Christmas snacks approximately 6,348 times today. The excuses my brain has been giving me are all along the lines of "Just start on Monday, then the Christmas stuff you have in the house wont go to waste." Even as I type this I'm still thinking it now. You'll never know if I go and finish the Milk Tray after this. But I'll know. And then I'll have to tell you because, you know, transparency and honesty and all that.

I'm not saying I'll get through the next year unscathed because I know that I'm only human and I will slip up, but I'm going to do my best to try. I've spent 34 years not being happy with the way I look after my body, yet I've continued to eat sugar and drink booze and then berate myself that I don't change. 2020 is the time that stops. I'm really interested in getting to the bottom of the challenges that I'll come up against in situations like dating and London socialising to managing my mind as I put it through this enormous change.

Wish me luck, I've a feeling I'm going to need it!

S x

goals
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About the Creator

Sarah Wells

A thirty-something writer based in London, by day working in the advertising industry and by night trying to cram in as many creative hobbies as possible.

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