How do you like your doughnuts - Wi Jam in

Well if there's one thing I've learned from not being able to touch a drink it's the importance of finding something to fill that void in your life. I seem to have unconsciously selected food. Every time I feel like having a drink I just reach for the least healthy snack or junk food I can find.

I was at a local tea shop on Saturday and had a coffee and a large slice of chocolate brownie with my morning paper. I then found myself back at the counter, empty plate in hand saying, "same again please" as if ordering my second pint of the day.

I imagine my next visit to my GP will be along the lines of, "well the good news is that your Gamma GT levels indicate your liver is recovering from alcohol abuse, however you do now have gout".

My weight seems to be gaining at a dramatic rate. This didn't occur when I didn't eat from one day to the next, beyond the occasional packet of peanuts. In fact keeping food down was often more of a challenge that keeping my first vodka of the morning down. Now I don't seem to be able to get from breakfast to lunch without imbibing something otherwise only seen on Man vs. Food - and he's only doing that as a challenge, for me it's a tasty snack.