February alcohol free/moderation thread - graduates and flunkies of Dry Jan 2023, new members welcome!

[MeinKraft]

Dry January has come to an end (sooner for some of us than others ) but the alcohol free fun doesn't have to stop there!

Whether you're wanting to extend your drought, moderate your drinking on an ongoing basis or are thinking of going dry for Lent and want to prepare why not join us to discuss all things alcohol free!

@MeinKraft

Thanks for this. Great idea for those of us who got through Dry Jan (scathed and unscathed) and hopefully will welcome some new people too.

Look forward to continuing the journey

I got through Dry January for the first time! My situation has changed in the last 7 months and I’m around people who wouldn’t look down on me for not drinking.

Dry January has given me the confidence to say no to a drink when I don’t want one without the stigma of being boring afforded to me by previous friends!

Checking in!
Nice that I can sit at the back chewing gum and whispering to person sitting next to me this time!

After a bone dry January, I'm in the moderation camp now . I'm going to have a wee drinky this weekend as we're having belated Christmas with my DS and his GF. Thereafter I'm going to be mostly dry, with maybe a glass of wine at the weekend.

Well that's the plan!

Great stuff - had a think about what works for me going for max 2 days a week

Rocking up for more abstinence-based shenanigans on here - thanks @MeinKraft for starting!

Thanks MeinKraft for the new thread.

I'm in the Dry Feb segueing to Lent from 22 Feb. Keeping up with the 'dry' % - if you've done DJ and are planning for a DF combined, you are already over 50% of the way through!

I'm in! Aiming for 60 days dry, so first drink of the year will be on March 2nd.

Although I now have a date in with friends for the 3rd March and not sure I want to do 2 days on the trot. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

In the meantime, looking forward to keeping on the straight and narrow with you all.

Checking in. Thank you @MeinKraft for the new thread! Looking forward to sharing more dry/slightly damp adventures on here 😊

Thanks @MeinKraft
I'm going for a dry Feb as January for me was about cutting down, breaking habits, having my first few dry days etc. There is a part of me that thinks ok it's under control now but having read about all the benefits of a full month off I would really like to do it.

Checking in ( from the holiday in tenereife with a glass of wine on the balcony )
Drank much less on holiday than we have in the past , and still had a whale of a time
Home , and onto Damp February from Monday 🏖

Hi. Thanks for the next stage thread. I’m planning on staying dry throughout Feb and beyond. I’ll be on here as well as on one on the Alcohol Support topic.
Ive been looking at lots of ‘before and after’ going AF face photos online. They are fascinating! I do look better already after 1 month, but it’s subtle. I’m hoping to see further improvements over the coming months.

Thanks for the thread @MeinKraft great to be here

Yes please! Managed Dry Jan with the exception of DH's birthday on 14th Jan - we went our for dinner, (a rare treat), and I had a glass of red. I'm planning a Dry Feb, with the exception of 24th, when I have a 4 hr drive to a fancy hotel to take DS to a cross country race the following the day. Having a drink one day per month would be a substantial improvement (and challenge) from the usual 3-4 bottles a week. I feel so much better for it so far though.

I'm back on the usual moderation, got a bottle of my favourite red in for Friday which is sitting quietly in the cupboard. It keeps very well and lasts comfortably over 2 weekends too.

Hello all <waves>

I'm going to aim for 60 drinking days a year and see how it goes. I think it will be less challenging than I think as when I'm back to full time shifts there are 4 out of 10 nights when I'm not at home anyway, and two nights when I have a very early start the next day (not that that used to stop me 🙄)

I'd also like to rely less on the AF alternatives as well, but that can wait for the time being.

Starting February the right way with no booze, I'm on day 4 of a streak. I find the Try Dry app really helpful because looking at the calendar I can see yes I have drank a few times but I've had 10 times as many sober nights so even though I'm not totally abstaining I still have motivation to take nights off.

Hello everyone! Thank you to @MeinKraft for this thread. Still can't believe I managed a whole month of dryness - and still dry so far. I'm thinking I'd like to set a 2 evening / 2 glasses limit on my weekly alcohol intake, but slightly nervous about that first glass in case I can't control myself and end up downing the whole bottle in one.

My sentia finally arrived and I tried it last night to celebrate the end of dry Jan. I'm not wild about the taste, I was getting clove / winter berries / old sock / loo cleaner, but did decide I definitely felt comfortably relaxed like I'd had a glug of sauv blanc.

So happy to be joining you all and let's see where February takes us...

Checking in! Not quite sure what my plan is yet, but it's to live differently, definitely.

I think I've broken the early evening / finishing work wine habit! I was okay tonight which I know is only one day... but am optimistic!!

I think a lot of it is habit, so I'm hopeful the 30 days is long enough to break it!!

Hi everyone, thanks for the new thread @MeinKraft.
I've done DJ before but this is the first year I've managed the whole 31 days without a single day missed, and the previous thread definitely helped. I'd always planned to go on until this Friday when I have a social event, so still dry right now and it hasn't been too hard.
I did wonder if I'd be gagging for some wine just because January was over, but I managed to do a Sainsburys shop without walking down the alcohol aisle, which is a huge achievement compared to before DJ! It's very much a habit I suppose.
Interesting to hear about your Sentia experience WaxingGibbon
I ordered it too, and was hoping it would arrive in January, but I've only just had an email telling me it's finally been dispatched. Did you drink it neat? I read that it can be made more palatable by mixing it with tonic, or coke so I'll be interested to see how I find the taste. Anyone else tried it?
Hoping it might help me have a few more dry days in Feb. Aiming for 2 days a week going forward, and perhaps less if there are no social events, although my downfall is a glass of something while I'm watching TV!

I have a bottle of Atopia AF spirit which is supposed to be rhubarb and ginger. I'm not convinced it actually is, but it was pleasant enough with a posh flavoured soda. Perhaps not for the dark winter nights, but I think it would be quite pleasant as a long drink during the summer.

Signing my wine-loving self up.
My plan is to do my best not to drink more than 2 nights a week and to go at least a week a month dry.
Thanks for the thread @MeinKraft

Hi. For any podcast or audiobook people on here.. something popped up on my insta feed this morning and I am currently listening to it (free on audible but I'm sure you can get it for free anywhere). Some might have already listened to it but I think it could be good for many of us on this thread

It's called 'Sort your sh*t out' - a comedienne who has different guests on each episode - all to do with alcohol.

The one I am listening to is her talking to a coach who works with people to moderate and explains how best to achieve this. It's less about being dry and how to balance.

It raises a lot of the questions and scenarios that we are probably all asking ourselves at the end of DJ about how to move forwards without giving up completely.

Thanks @lemonsaretheonlyfruit I haven't done any quit lit reading / listening yet but I'll definitely give that a go, especially if I start to lose any of my dry momentum, also there was some great recommended reading on our January threads.

@Silkandvelvet regarding sentia, I'm hoping the flavour will grow on me! I had it mixed with tonic, over ice. it's expensive though so for me it will be a treat once or twice a week when I need the extra oomf that you don't get from a herbal tea. I think with lemonade and bits of fruit it could pass as a sangria substitute.

WaxingGibbon yes I was planning to try it with tonic to start off with. It arrives tomorrow so I'll try it over the weekend. It is expensive isn't it? I'm planning to have it occasionally, hoping it will just take the edge off if I'm trying to have a AF day but still want that "mellow" feeling.

Advice / reassurance needed please !!

I managed whole of January Dry, and bonus of last night too! Actually do feel great, although I have pined big time for a real gin, or glass fizz or rose.

But I'm out this evening with a friend who has literally been putting-off meeting up until I could drink again. She's booked a table at snazzy bar, and wanting a fun night.

The thing is, I don't know what I want. I feel nervous about having a drink, which is the most bizarre feeling! It's almost as if I've told myself alcohol is bad, makes me feel rubbish, full of sugar (which I have eliminated completely from diet) - that despite really wanting a drink, I don't know if I do.

Sorry if talking jibberish, but can anyone relate? Advice? Do I have just one? Do I share a bottle and let my hair down? I feel very up-tight, and would LOVE the release that alcohol brings. But genuinely don't know what to do. I'm feeling really under pressure .... pressure to drink? pressure from myself ???? It's almost as though I'm having to seek permission. Arrrrrraaaaggggghhhhh! I'm a grown middle age woman, very capable of making big decisions!

(In all honesty I think I would rather be meeting to catch up for a morning coffee or bite of lunch when it wouldn't be an issue, but won't happen logistically with work. Plus she loves a night out!)

What do I do? Anyone understand and doesn't think I've gone crackers?!