Damp Feb! For DJ survivors and Feb drink moderation fans!

[Fordian]

Hi Everyone who might be interested, a thread for anyone who wants an accountability check-in for their moderate Feb drinking!

I use AlcoDroid. You do have to put a bit of effort to set up some preset drinks - whatever you'd typically have, eg 250ml of wine at X percent - but once you've done that it's straightforward. TBH there's no way to track your drinking if you don't know how much you're drinking! I don't know about the other apps but this one calculates all your averages weekly/monthly etc, gives you graphs, etc.

Drank about 550ml of white wine today. I paced myself over about 4 hours, so feeling okay. Planning to have at least Monday to Thursday dry next week.

I will have drunk a bottle (700) over 5 hours by the end of this evening.

I also plan on not drinking til next Friday. This will be the real challenge, but I'm reminding myself it is just like DJ in miniature! And doing so 'allows' me to carry on as I am for at least a while, whereas failure means Stop Drinking.

It's on me!

Had a Super Bock pilsner 0% beer this evening, and have ordered some more as it's really nice (as is the Warsteiner). Drinking beer does mean I end up having a late dinner as I don't fancy food with it, but I don't have to get up early, so all good. Not tempted by the wine, which was good, as I thought it would be harder once I had started drinking again.

Woke up this morning after a deep sleep. One thing I’ve already noticed is that when I drink, self care gets neglected - I didn’t bother doing my skincare regime last night for example. I also forgot to take my anxiety meds on Saturday for the first time this year.

I think I had about 20 units at the weekend, so was 6 over the government recommendation. Limiting drinking to just a few days means it does make it easier to keep your units down.

Anyway, back to not drinking for the next four or five days for me!

Am also pleased with 20 units a week TBH - it’s a vast improvement on what I was drinking last year (70-80 a week!)

@newme2025 , well done for reducing your intake so significantly - that's an excellent achievement, and a good night's sleep is a nice reward 😊.

I wouldn't worry too much about sticking religiously to 14 units - it is an arbitrary number. I stopped taking it seriously when they reduced the limit for men to the same as women. When I had my bloods and liver function checked last year I 'fessed up to drinking more than that (about 21) and the nurse said that was OK based on my results. But the key thing is that it's better to spread units across the week. My favourite writer on the subject (Tony Edwards) presents evidence that there is a sweet spot of about 1/4 - 1/3 of a bottle of wine per day at which level you possibly get some benefits, or at least do no harm.

Speaking of Tony Edwards, this reminds me that one tip for those who want to carry on enjoying a drink is to consider taking a folate supplement. There is some evidence to suggest that where a link has been found between cancer risk and alcohol, it is associated with low folate levels.

Jumping over from dry Jan thread too. I drank Saturday night and back on the wagon, planning to limit to Saturdays only (and not loads!). Am restocked with nice grown up AF options and looking forward to reaping benefits. Good luck everyone.

I've come to the conclusion that I really don't need or want the last glass out of a bottle of wine! I finished last night's because I won't be drinking again til Friday night, and I didn't want the temptation in 'just a glass' sitting there or for it to turn to vinegar!

That final glass (175ml) made me feel a bit dizzy.

I wish wine came in 500ml bottles!

I too am not interested in the 14 units thing. They had to draw a line somewhere, I know, but it is just an arbitrary number. For me, drinking much less than I did before is 'the win'.

May I join DF? I SO enjoy my 'wind down' drink on an evening. However, it has often slipped up to 2. I have given up wine as it just makes me fall asleep, but am partial to a Jack Daniels and Diet Coke. Tonight I just had the Coke. Strange, but I always look at the Coke and think how many chemicals must be in such an unnatural drink, but never think too much about the wine or bourbon.

Day something or other here! Quite fancy a glass but deffo can't be bothered to go out and get a bottle so I'm staying dry!

Completely agree about the volume of a wine bottle.

Can I join you?
We've made a huge effort to cut down, we cut out Thursdays last year and this year Sundays. Which takes our total to Fridays and Saturdays only!
We've managed that since new year and don't miss it. We've are also stopping at 4 at home and when out. Even on holiday last week we moderated what we were having. Nice to find others trying to be a bit better with it

I wonder if the 14 units thing came from the days of when a bottle of wine would be about 7 units worth? Maybe things like Blue Nun and Libfraumilch that I used to drink in the 80s.

I'm still on day 29 so another 3 to go. I did however allow myself to buy a lovely bottle of French Bordeaux for the weekend today. I will just have a single 175ml glass on Friday and Saturday.

Welcome to the new people 😊.

@BurntBroccoli , I was wondering where the 14 units came from too. Of course it always used to be much higher, it's only in fairly recent times that it went down to 14 for women and then even more recently for men. I think it might be because it is divisible by 7, so it's easier to give the message of 2 units per day, which is roughly a standard glass of wine or a large G&T. Previous limits have also been divisible by 7.

Little update because I want to tell someone without them thinking I must be a serious alcoholic...

But- I only had one glass of wine AGAIN on Sunday and then I've not even wanted a glass today 🎉

Can I make it to Friday without polishing off the bottle, and set out on my way to become the mythical moderate drinker of my dreams...?! 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@mynamechangemyrules that's really good, stopping at one! Well done!

I had my first AF night after DJ, as planned, this evening.

It was fine, really, not least because I 'reminded' myself that most 'normal' people don't drink on a Monday night, anyway, do they? 🤭

Prior to DJ, I drank every night!

I admit I need to get out of the mindset ' only 3 more nights before I can drink again' (being Friday, an 'allowed' day). I recognise this is where the bargaining can begin, the 'I'll have just a SMALL one tonight then I PROMISE I won't drink on Friday', knowing I probably will!

@Fordian - oh dear - I'm clearly not normal 😂! Had my planned glass of wine this evening and really enjoyed it. (In fairness, weekdays aren't really that different from weekends for me, so I'm just as likely to stay dry on a Friday as drink on a Monday.) I'm finding that each sip is pleasurable because my tolerance is still so low after DJ - long may that continue!

@Neptunium93 actually, I'm in a similar position in that I work bank so Friday night' could be any night! 😄

Hi all

Can I join in here please. I was originally going to try and stay af for 120 days but have not managed that. I had some wine last night. Maybe 120 days was a bit hard to achieve and am happy that I had a big 33 day break to reset and break old unhealthy habits which I never want to go back to.

Im still not sure whether to carry on and try for 120 days again or think about how to moderate now for the future. I won’t be able to reduce the amount I drink in one sitting as that’s not me and not what I want to do. I’m either drinking freely or not at all. So it’ll be putting control measures in place for which days are acceptable …hmmm 🤔

Welcome @Sammy900 , 33 days is amazing, well done 😊. If you had a drink last night, enjoyed it, and you didn't go mad with it, then don't beat yourself up. If you want to moderate, I think it's about establishing a pattern that suits you and which doesn't feel like you're punishing yourself, so it becomes second nature. Whether you choose to stop for 30 or 60 or 120 days doesn't determine how successful you will be at moderating IMO, it's just about how long a reset you think you need (physically and mentally).

Someone (apologies, can't remember who) mentioned that the Noughty wine is OK, so I have some for this evening, which is a dry night for me. (I'm more or less alternating days and not having more than one glass.) I really hope I like it, as wine is much easier to incorporate into my evening routine.

Hi everyone.

I thought I’d write my Damp Feb intentions here to keep me accountable. I know everyone will be different.

• Have at least 4 dry days a week
• On average drink less than 14 units a week across whole month
• Aim to not drink more than 10 units in any one day

So far already tripped up on number 3 (10.8 units on Saturday 🙄). Been dry Sunday, Monday and don’t plan to drink again until Friday.

We can do this!

Thankyou @Neptunium93 yes I think trying to moderate so you don’t slip into unhealthy habits is the hardest part really as if abstaining there’s less of the inner persuasion as it’s more clear cut. No booze that’s that - I hope that one full month is enough of a clean break to reset myself. I guess I’ll soon find out. If I end up going back to old ways I’ll know I need longer off and try and start again.

Im definitely not drinking at all now for the next 5 days as working so tonight and during that time going to have a good think about what clear moderation measures I need. I’d rather be quite strict with myself to begin with as if I leave it open now I’ll just use that as an excuse to think it’s ok to have a drink every week and for me personally I don’t really want to do that

The 'rules' I've set myself is no drinking Mo-Thurs.

On Fri-Sun, I can drink, but not before 6pm and if I do drink a bottle, it tends to be over at least 4 hours. I will also drink on nights out, of which there are around 8 a year.

This is still rather more than (arbitrary) 'government guidelines', I know, but it is a sight less than I was drinking before!

If I find I can't stick to this, I have to consider quitting altogether, which I don't want to do!

Good luck to everyone!

Still here Still dry. Off to London on Thursday for long weekend though,so expect things will get a lot damper.