“I love life and I want to be as healthy as I can for the second half of it.”

I’d heard this phrase before, but I’d forgotten it: “Drinking is an elevator that’s going down. You can get off or stop it at any time but – if you get back on it – it’s still going down.” That’s exactly how I felt.

I used to spend so much time bargaining with myself. You know, the little rules that you make. “I’m not going to drink on a Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday…” And it’s so hard, it’s such a struggle to moderate that it’s not really moderation. You’re just staving off the addiction that’s there until you crack. And then you think, “Well, I’ve had a drink now, so I may as well keep going.”

My built-in response over so many years was to say no – whatever it was would interrupt my drinking or I’d be hungover. There’s something so liberating about just saying yes to things, and I’ve found a whole load of things that just make me genuinely happy!

I’ve lost four stone (56 lbs) – and for the first time in my life I’ve done it without dieting. I’m motivated by trying to be healthy and strong, rather than thin. So I haven’t been to Weight Watchers, I haven’t been to Slimming world. I’ve tried all of those things in the past. People say to me, “You look fantastic, how did you do it?” And I say, “You’re probably not going to like this, but honestly – I just quit drinking.” All those empty calories are gone.

The best thing is that I can rely on myself and I trust myself. Knowing that whatever happens I can pick up my car keys and be there for someone. I can respond to anything that comes my way – it’s so empowering!