By the time you are reading this, I will have completed my first year and be onto day one of my second year alcohol free.

I have learned a lot about being a non drinker over the last year, not least how  common it is becoming. Virgin Radio's Chris Evans is now  alcohol free (and about 4 months ahead of me) and he has many guests on his radio show who talk abut having made the choice to give up drinking. This has been an inspiration and I feel it is very apt that I celebrate my anniversary on the very day I arrive at Carfest (Chris's festival) to set up and enjoy my time here.

I have learned that there is a difference in the language used. Being sober or sobriety is linked more to having done the 12 steps and getting to the bottom of why you drink whereas alchohol free refers more to a life choice. I have made a life choice but it has also given me cause to think long and hard about my habits and behaviours.

What has fascinated me is peoples' reactions to me. While most are really supportive and impressed, there are those who feel the need to start to justify what and how much they drink (which is none of my business and is only their concern) or the odd one who really wants to see me have "just that one glass?"!

Yes I am proud of myself and thought I would cover some of the questions I am typically asked and in their usual order...

1. Yes I do feel better. Loads better. I don't do moderation so I have never been a "one glass will do"
2. No, I didn't see a big change to my weight but then I have also made other life changes that I attribute my weight and fitness to far more.
3. No, I don't miss it. Not at all but again, I am an all or nothing so once I am in the "nothing" mode, I am totally committed.
4. What do I drink instead? If I go out, I may now have a glass of non alco wine or lager (these days, there is so much choice and some of it is really good) but otherwise, I am happy with sparkling water and at home I just tend to have a cup of tea!! Yes I would pay £15/18 for a non alcoholic bottle of gin. With a few chunks of ice in a nice glass and a good mixer, it is the theatre of preparation and being able to enjoy a "posh" drink but staying AF.
5. I have no idea if I will stay AF. I. have not set a time limit but having been one year in, and not missing it in any way at all, why would I start again? What gains would I get?
6. The strangest one - don't I miss a glass of Champagne on NYE or a good glass of wine with dinner? Can't I just have that one glass? My answer is "but I can have those things anyway but I choose to have the AF option. Why am I "missing out" if I don't include the alcohol". I do think our culture has slightly warped our attitude and thinking towards it.

Recently I hosted a friend for her birthday lunch and we shared an AF Prosecco. She said she felt a bit lightheaded and had to reassure herself she was fine to drive home as having the same taste in the same type of glass was so powerful. As I said, it is the theatre of it all as much as anything.

I remember the day I stopped vividly. Standing at an outdoor music event last summer, holding a glass of wine that I wasn't enjoying. I wondered why as I could drink wine like it's going out of fashion. Either which way, it seemed madness to continue drinking so I tipped it out on the grass and when I came home, I had a few days feeling unwell so clearly I had something lurking. I had some wine in the fridge that I poured down the sink and that was that. I have not had a drink since.

The two things that really hit home were as follows. Firstly for the first month or so, I was going CRAZY for sugar. Sitting on the sofa in the evening, I would suddenly be craving Diet Coke or wine gums or fruit pastels, none of which I have ever bothered about. I was a wine drinker, I was never bothered with spirits or beers and clearly I was suffering the sugar withdrawals.

Secondly, was the consistency of mood. Bearing in mind I was also heading into the menopause and the anxiety and irrational panic was a regular feature. I hadn't really considered this until I was getting ready for Christmas. I was going to be away travelling for nearly a month, had to sort presents to distribute before I left, organise my house and work and sort my dogs and found myself getting  all upset and flustered and it hit me -I hadn't felt like this in absolutely ages. This was a perfectly just reason for feeling a bit stressed and anxious but it hit home just how little I now experienced this. Talking to my friends who are in the grip of menopause, "hangxiety" is a big thing that I too used to experience- waking up in the morning with a racing heart, feeling irrational anxiety is a common thing and I do not miss that one bit.

There was some thinking behind it for me. I have a lot of cancer in my family, the cause of the death of both my parents within a few weeks of each other the year before, as  well as other relatives. I work in the health and fitness industry. I study, research and deliver all things geared to a healthier life and yet here I was, a total fraud. I could exercise and eat  clean but what use if I was pouring toxins down my throat on a very regular basis. I was overweight, feeling very low and knew I had to make some life changes. There are no end of things that might "get me" but what madness would it be for me to fall ill or die from something I have total control over? The obesity crisis is something I cannot fathom as a drain on our medical resources and a wilful means to early death and binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption carries such a massive health risk too. That was my thinking and the big kick that got me back on track.

I am absolutely NOT here to preach and you are free to live as you choose but if this blog has given you even a tiny bit of "I wonder", why not try just for a few days? So many people say to me "oh I don't really drink much at all" in which case why not try to stop entirely for just a week then? If you don't have much, what is stopping you? Why do we want to stop after Christmas/holiday/celebrations? Why do we  choose  alchohol to assist us in our celebrations?

Just thowing it out there!!