Every now and then, I start a record of what I eat and drink. While I am at it, I am pretty meticulous, too. Most important, the record helps me control my diet. Also, it gives me ideas of how to change it, which I do often enough. But I never stay with it for more than a few months at a time. The last time around, I started a record on January 20 of this year, and I abandoned it on May 14, only a few days ago. A typical day looked straightforward enough, and here is an example from a couple of weeks ago:

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

09:20 - Banana
09:25 - Aspirin with sparkling water
10:05 - Espresso, sparkling water & Amaro
11:20 - Canned tuna with olives & toast
11:30 - Omega 3 & resveratrol with water
11:45 - 0.25 red wine - Teran
13:20 - Pasta with mushrooms
13:35 - 0.25 white wine - Malvasia
13:50 - Espresso & brandy
16:10 - Stool
16:25 - 0.50 dark beer - Tomislav
17:50 - 3 biscuits
19:10 - 0.25 red wine - Teran
19:45 - French fries
20:55 - 0.25 red wine - Teran
21:05 - Peanuts
22:25 - Green tea

Three days after I stopped recording what I eat and drink, I feel quite relieved. With about twenty items a day on the average, keeping track of everything was often a nuisance. But I also feel a bit lost about my daily practice. Whenever I eat or drink anything, I think of my record. More often than not, it takes me a few seconds to remember that it is history by now. The way things are going, I am liable to return to the practice in a few short months. The next time around, I may well go for what I drink only. And alcohol is my main concern at present. As my record dutifully shows, and all the measures are in liters, I drink way too much.

Addendum I (June 16, 2014)

Well, I returned to the practice today, nearly a month later. As I predicted back then, this time I am recording only my alcohol intake. Indeed, it is high time to get it under control. It may take me a while, but I feel rather confident of my eventual success. If everything goes well, I will limit my alcohol intake to two or three glasses of wine a week. And no more. As for the amount of time needed to reach this goal, I cannot be sure. Say, six months, which would take me to the end of this year. But there is no way back. The only remaining question is how much time it will take me to rid myself from this misery. Fingers crossed.

Addendum II (September 5, 2015)

As it turned out, I diligently recorded my alcohol intake for a full year. I never pushed myself, but I did my best to end up with one to two glasses of red wine a day, which translates into two to four deciliters in volume. This is what many a doctor would recommend, for red wine in moderation is a godsend. And this is what I easily achieved after a year, when I stopped recording my alcohol intake. Ever since, I have stuck to my limit without any trouble whatsoever. In retrospect, I was a victim of mere habit. Stupid habit, to be more precise. Over the entire year, I did not feel constrained by my regime even once. Everything went smoothly, and now I feel so much better than before. What makes me especially happy about this experience is that I was under no compulsion to limit my alcohol consumption. It was my own desire.