So, the No Booze Challenge is officially over.
And while I'd like to say I truly made it the full six weeks..... I threw in the towel half way into Week Five.
I know, I know. But at that point, it was a pride issue. I knew I could finish out the full six weeks. And then the opportunity presented itself to go to dinner with a friend I hadn't seen in forever... and it was super cheap girls' night happy hour at the great (new to me) restaurant. So yeah. I had one glass of wine. In hindsight, I don't regret it one bit. So score one for Julie... because pride has always been an issue for me.
Setting this challenge was about taking positive steps toward better health and pushing myself to do something difficult. You know, to learn stuff. (If that's not the epitome of nerd, I just don't know what is.)
So what did I learn?
- I need a healthy outlet. Without the option of having a glass of wine after work, I quickly realized that I need to develop a healthy stress relieving outlet. And it turns out that sugar isn't healthy, either. Believe me, I figured that out the hard way. (In case you're wondering, in the battle of Julie vs the double dark chocolate brownies.... well, Julie lost. There, I said it.)
- It is possible to hang out with friends and not drink. I actually can go out with friends on the weekends and watch them drink. And I don't even feel pressured or persuaded to take part. Honestly, this was what I was most worried about throughout the challenge. Hanging out with friends and not drinking? I won't lie... it felt pretty awesome to come home and know I'd stuck to my guns each time.
- Alcohol is everywhere. Seriously. Granted, I was on hyper-sensitive, pay super crazy attention mode. But really, it's everywhere. I should've taped my "thanks but no thanks" response for waiters when we went out. Good grief.
- It feels good to set a challenging goal. There's something to be said for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Yes, really.
- I'll probably do it again. Much to the dismay of my friends who thought I'd lost my mind, I'll probably do this again... just because I can. I'm sure I'll learn even more about myself next time too.
So... what do you think? Could you go six weeks without drinking? No occasional glass of wine. No margarita with your Tex-Mex on a Friday night. Could you do it?
