‘I lost 4st after turning teetotal’
Claire Owen, 47, lives in Criccieth, North Wales, with her 47-year-old joiner husband and their children, William, 11, and Sam, nine.
She says, “In my twenties I drank relatively moderately
– a bottle of wine over dinner at the weekend and I’d go out once a month.
“But in my thirties I started going out partying. I was always out and then everyone would pile back to mine.
“I met my second husband when I was 35 and he loved a drink, too. I gave up alcohol during my pregnancies but, other than that, our house became the party place.
“But it took its toll on my health. I went up from 10st to nearly 13st, not just from the alcohol’s calories, but because
I’d crave stodgy food like pie and chips the next day. Some weeks I’d drink about 100 units. I found it hard to make decisions and would put off everything until the next day, while I had a glass of wine. I couldn’t sleep properly either, which left me tired and grumpy, and our marriage started to suffer. My husband drank quite heavily too, and so we’d have silly arguments.
“In February 2018, I felt that I needed a break and managed to give up for 125 days – I felt great. I started again mainly because I felt like I was missing out and thought I could just have the odd drink.
“But in November 2018, I gave up for good. I researched the benefits and looked at other people’s experiences and how much their lives improved through not drinking, and that inspired me. If I wanted a drink I’d distract myself by decluttering or taking the boys to the park.
“The first 16 days were tough but, after that, it all fell into place. One of the key bonuses is the uninterrupted sleep I get, so I now feel ready for every day. And my energy levels soared, meaning I started exercising – I started with walking but now I do yoga and weight-lifting and I recently started hula-hooping. And that’s helped me to lose 4st gradually, along with no longer having ‘hangover’ food cravings.
“I look after myself so much better now and the boys have a happier mum. Now I run soberholic.com, helping other women on their journey to a sober life.”