Last November I went on the dry for the month.
There was a combination of reasons for this.
I thought it would help in the battle to lose weight. In addition to eschewing the calorific values of the drink, in my case mostly white wine, I recognise my tendency to pig out on munchies when I have “drink taken”. (the state of inebriation being a very lenient dietitian)
I also am getting heartily fed up of hangovers, they do not get any easier with the years and now, as I get older I notice that there is a third distressing symptom creeping into the hangover complaints.
We all recognise the feelings of nausea and lethargy on the morning after the night before, the secondary symptom with I am only too familiar is the classic headache, mind you I must say that this happens to me only after red wine, which I should completely cut out , but don’t.
The third punishment of the hangover, that I am recently beginning to suffer from, is depression.
This is not debilitating clinical depression, more a form of self loathing that one has overdone it once again, also unlike true depression , it passes during the day.
Don’t get me wrong in this .
I have not suddenly become a rabid anti-drink pioneer.
On the contrary I love alcohol.
All alcohol.
Wine is one of the pleasures of my life, white wines of The Loire, Burgundy and Alsace are one of my great luxuries, and, even though it obviously does not love me (see headaches above) I also love a good bottle of Red; Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cote de Rhone or more likely anything affordable from the South West of France are often my nemeses.
My preferences don’t even stop with wines, although I haven’t yet mentioned favourites such as fortified wines like Manzanilla from Jerez in Spain,or Chambery Vermouth from the French Alps, I also enjoy many spirits and liqueurs and have my moments with stout and, given a hot enough day, (or a hot enough chilli) have even been known to sip an icy lager.
This brings me, fairly obviously to the main reason why I gave up all alcohol for November.
I wanted to see if I could manage without it.
The good news is that I could.

Not only did I manage without it I actually enjoyed the month.

I was, I promise, very aware that this was just a temporary stratagem.
I was also very aware of the passing month, the milestones passed on the 15th (Half Way There!) and the 20th (Two Thirds Done!).
But I did have the satisfaction of managing to stick it out for the month and a certainty that, so far at any rate, I had managed to avoid the slippery slopes of alcoholism.

I would love to report that I reached December with a new maturity and a better ability to drink in moderation.
No.
I set off into December with my usual determination to abolish the French Wine lake single handed (Well it was Christmas)
Any great achievements on the weight-loss fronts were quickly dissipated in the same lake, not to mention a prolonged and successful assault on the turkey, sprout and Christmas cake mountains.

My doctor, a man of profound insight and understanding, has told me that he can’t see any way that I am going to successfully reduce my weight by eating less. He told me (and for this God Bless him) that if he cooked as well as I did he would eat as much as I did.
He consequently advised me to double up on my morning sessions on the exercise bike.
I am now under contract to do a full hour or 30 klms. on the same bike each morning. I have been doing this for most of the month of December.
(The bike was actually sent into the shed for the 12 days of Christmas, I mean you have to take a holiday from everything-even diets- for the Christmas!)

I stepped on the scales for the first time since December this morning.
I’m not telling anyone what I weigh.

This month, it is no holds barred.
30 klm on the bike every morning and no drink.
Not a drop has passed the lips since the early morning of the 31st.
I promise to relate any progress made.