Hi Class!
@Dee: Hi There!
@Chase: Hope you got a good night's rest!
@Numblady: I think it's really interesting how invested your colleague has become in the subject of your sobriety and how you will manage on your beach trip. I may be totally off, but the fact that he sought you out for a follow up conversation, along with a few other details such as the intense grilling and offering you a bourbon 'if you relapse', appear to be telling signs that perhaps he is going through his own struggles with alcohol? I think you are absolutely correct in that this line of conversation has little to do with you and a whole lot more to do with why he is reacting in this way to a lifestyle change you have chosen, and why it is affecting him so much. It reminds me of how i used to react to non-drinkers - I would feel that they were judging me and thought they were holier than thou. Now i realise that I was clearly projecting my own feelings of guilt and shame at my drinking behaviours, and these negative cognitions were heightened around non drinkers as the comparison was so stark and undeniable. Perhaps a similar thought process is occurring for your colleague.
@Palmer: i'm so happy you're feeling well as a result of a shift to healthy eating. I need to follow suit as since I've decided to put a pin in the weight loss plan until my sobriety is a little more stable, I now find that my focus has rather shifted to just feeling better, and eating tonnes of sugar and bad food is simply not cutting it at the moment! I just feel bloated, lethargic and a bit cr@ppy all round - so I will be taking a leaf out of your book once I get to the grocery shopping tomorrow or Friday! As for your description of the AV's process and ultimate devolution that will result if we allow it to fool us into picking up that first drink, I couldn't have put it better myself and reading this was a great reinforcement to be on the lookout for any AV rumblings!
Hubby went out last night with a drinking buddy of ours and I point blank just said I didn't want to go and that I don't really want to socialise in those environments any more. Instead, I tidied the house then got into bed and watched a show I love. Talking to hubby this morning about how the night went reinforced that my decision was the right one!