Not dry january. But less booze in general. Anyone else?

[Frouby]

I am posting this thread because I really want to reduce the amount of alcohol I drink.

I was going to do dry January but think that is too much for me. And when I do drink again I will revert back to bad habits.

On a normal week I would have 1 or 2 g and ts mon to thurs. Bottle of wine on a friday. Then either a couple of beers or a couple of g and ts on a Saturday night. Nothing on sunday.

Over Christmas (which started for us mid December as we had a holiday) I have drank every day. Never been drunk drunk but 4 or 5 drinks every day.

I feel fat, bloated and lethargic. I want to cut my drinking down to a couple of nights a week. Friday and Saturday. Or thursday and friday. DP also drinks most days (more than me too) and we both need to address our relationship with alcohol.

I didn't drink last night and won't tonight either. And I feel 100% better already. We get married in May and I want to lose weight and improve my health.

Does anyone else want to join this thread for support? I know there is the dry January thread but I will be drinking (probably) 2 days a week so dont want to post on there and knock any penguins off the ice.

Currently drinking ginger ale with loads of ice and contemplating a shower and a cupp of tea later with the last of the Christmas cake (diet starts tomorrow) 😁

Hello Renata. I agree with the idea of reducing the number of measures (your vodka consumption sounds very similar to my gin intake) - though IME, it's easy to think of that beforehand, and much harder after you've had the first couple. There's no really easy way round this. For me, joining this thread was a biggie, as it was my first acknowledgement (to myself, not least) that my drinking is/was getting out of hand.

It hasn't provided a miracle cure for me (there's no such thing), but it has made me much more aware of my triggers (boredom, stress, anxiety, tiredness, loneliness, cooking, etc, etc). Again, that doesn't mean I can always overcome the 'oh, sod it' mentality - but I am at least being a bit more conscious about what I'm doing, rather than just doing it because it's a habit to reach for the gin bottle at 6 PM.

Last night was wet because I went out with DP. We then had a difference of opinion which upset me (didn't upset him, needless to say: he has all the sensitivity of a particularly thick-skinned rhino). I was probably more upset because I'd had a drink. I really shouldn't have one tonight, but friends are coming so I will end up having something (still upset about DP, too, and had very little sleep, which isn't helping). Likewise tomorrow, when I'm invited for a work do. I think I'm going to have to write off today and tomorrow, and start afresh on Sunday, when I will have all the DC. This often feels like a reason to drink, but I am much nicer when I don't (as well as richer and thinner ).

I think Frouby is right about telling yourself that you can have another vodka, if you still want one, once you've had something else. Sometimes knowing/thinking that you absolutely can't have something makes it all the more desirable.

Can you imagine the injustice? 1 bottle of wine a week. 5 glasses. Ds aged 4 wanders in while I am on the phone and tips a glass down the sink. 😣😣😣

Little sod. Sigh. Didn't resort to gin tho, on water now and feeling smug.

Frouby 😂😂😂😂 Reminds me of the time one of my teens decided to try my gin, which I store in the freezer. Only I came back unexpectedly, so she hastily stuffed it back in the freezer - with the lid off. Fml.

Christ Athena wasting the gin is even worse than wasting the wine. Would have been devastated.

All dry tonight. Half heartedly looked at wine when shopping earlier, still bitter about my wasted glass but then decided against it. Have promised myself a g and t tomorrow if I fancy it instead to compensate for the wasted glass of wine.

Slept horribly last night. A combination of wine and takeaway curry. When will I learn.

Dp is working tomorrow so looking forward to a lie in making like a star fish! Hopefully ds will cooperate and not be up at daft oclock.

Yes, Frouby. Couldn't agree more. Bloody children.

Wet here this evening, but I knew it would be. A lie in! Would love one , but am catching a train tomorrow to visit the Firstborn. FML, again.

Didn't particularly have a lie in this morning. Sigh. Ds woke up at 7.15am. He did evict dp last night though so I didn't have to listen to dps snoring all night so that was good.

Slightly surprisingly damp here today. I blitzed the house today from top to bottom and cooked a full roast. Am not working tomorrow either so had a 'fuck it' moment. Stayed off the wine and gin and just had a couple of cans of lager. It's the first time since 8th January I have had lager and really enjoyed it.

Debating between a cup of tea or a g and t right now.

Frouby I would feel as if a couple of cans of lager was a very good night. Dry here due to over-indulgence last night and feeling like crap all day today...

Hello all

Very snowy here. Had a couple of wet days. Well sunday, monday and Tuesday I had 2 or 3 drinks each day. Don't really know why. Think waiting for the weather to come through me off my stride!

Anyhow am back dry now. Have enjoyed kicking back and relaxing but have felt it in a morning too.

How's everyone else? Has the snow driven you to drink like me 😂

Frouby..2 Cans of lagar is commendable..id deffo have continued longer 😐
Well had guests here for 5 days and drunk ridiculous amounts. Was going to be dry yest once they’d gone, then did the ‘thank god they’ve all gone...I’ll pour myself a drink’!! So had 2 large glasses of wine.
Yup tonight I was going to be dry but I’ve lots of friends sending me photos of them with a g&t in the snow etc. So am now pining for one. No tonic in the house deliberately but pondering what Perrier would taste like with gin!! Or maybe hit the wine!!
I hate myself for this love of alcohol!! 😫😫

A dusting of snow here but not enough to drive me to drink! As usual dry in the week even though W I'm not working too much. I used to always be dry Monday then Tuesday evening after the running club session there was often a 'pot' (someone celebrating a birthday, race result whatever) with beers wine and snacks. Then when I got home pizza with the kids which went so well with a glass or 3 of red then cheese....how thing have changed in 6 months! On Tuesday there was a pot, I drank orange juice and no wine when I got home. Dry Wednesday and Thursday now follow naturally.
It is easier for me as I live alone with the kids so no OH to tempt me into drinking. Drinking alone is just sad (although I have a pre dinner glass of wine at the weekend but no more and not with the meal).

Anglais, you do incredibly!!!!!!

Snowed in here in the SW. Can’t get out of our road due to snow and ice. DH working at home as can’t get in to Office, which is driving me mad!! Kids schools shut. Driven to drink!! Why do I always give myself an excuse?!

Same here Woosey. Sigh.

Ds is recovering from a horrible bug and alternating between wanting to play in the snow, whining because he is cold playing in the snow, dragging snow in on his wellies and then moaning to go back oit in it.

Dp is whining because he didn't risk going to work this morning and now he thinks he should have.

The dog is whining to go out. Then whines to come in because snow.

Dd has been out with her mates. Then whined because her hands were cold then hot.

I have just dispatched dp to aldi for a mini greenhouse, half a crispy duck, some spring onions and a cucumber.

And cracked open a can of lager. And eaten a pack of Worcestershire sauce crisps. In protest to the whining going on.

I worked this morning for a couple of hours with ds jumping on me and dp sat watching daytime tv. Then cleaned downstairs, saw to the little animals, dragged the dog out, had a nan nap while ds slept (which will make bedtime horrendous) and have had a bath and got my pjs on.

Am hoping they are back at school and work tomorrow. Not sure if ds will be well enough tho so we might have a quiet day in together.

But yeah. Resorted to alcohol again. Writing this week off. Starting again sunday. #celebratewednesday/Thursday/snoday

Anglais, that is tres impressive...

I have been keeping a low profile because I'm ashamed of myself for having a wet week. Snow, XH, DC, work events, etc, etc, etc. Tonight will be no better. So, Frouby, I think I will join you in writing this week off. Sadly. I have just bought some ginger beer, though it will not be cracked open tonight...

Frouby..I totally feel your pain!! Enjoy the lager!! Will you stop with lager or progress to gin? I bought myself some tonic today....had planned to have it plain with limes. Hmmmm don’t think so!! 🙄🙄

The weather doesn't help. Frouby was today better?
Definitely better to start afresh on Monday, it is always easier.
I feel terrible posting because I don't really want to drink much anymore. I think it is partly age, I'm 52, menopausal so sleep is tricky enough without adding alcohol into the mix. When I was younger with young kids I could never have give up as easily. I think we all reach a point when it is the right moment to change habits, but I think you are all doing brilliantly - at least you recognise that you are perhaps drinking too much and want to cut down. I denied that for 30 years!

Anglaise - you did amazing considering you were drinking for 30 years. What was the point in which you thought ‘today’s the change’??
Tonight I had a tiny bit of gin in the bottle left so split it into two weak g&t’s. Then had an inch of Pinot left in the bottle so drunk that. I looked at the next chilled bottle of wine in the fridge and instead made a cup of tea. Quite proud of myself. Normally I would always just open it!!
Have come to bed early to read. Bed always means a cuppa as opposed to alcohol so that’s a step I feel.
Hope you’ve all stayed strong tonight.
How you doing frouby?

Wolsey Ia number of things, I live in France where most women don't drink so I felt guilty and not normal compared to my friends. I'd taken up running seriously 4 years before and in Aug 2017 did a bad HM in 1h52 10mn more than usual, and suffered, I didn't want to end up with a drinker's face - puffy eyes red nose, I wanted to lose a few kgs to get back to ideal,running weight, I wanted to set a better example to my kids and break the hold that wine had over me. I never got drunk but wine was my friend when I was on my own in he evenings so I had a problem. Water, tea and chocolate are better friends as I sleep properly and don't have that fuzzy tired feeling the next morning which means you can't wait until evening to have another drink and feel better.
William Porter's book Alcohol Explained helped enormously by explaining the effects of alcohol.
Having no said that I will have 2 small glasses of wine tonight before dinner, weekend treat 😉

I stopped after 3 cans of lager woolsey. I will be wet tonight and possibly tomorrow but back dry on sunday.

Been a tough bloody week!

May I join you all? I'm almost 50 and, to be honest, I'm bored of the part wine plays in my life. I usually have half a bottle 3-4 times a week. If I go out, shamefully, I still have not
found my 'off' button

• drinking until drunk and occasionally experiencing loss of memory. This doesn't happen often, but I always end up feeling guilty and embarrassed. Time to take control I think. Any tips greatly appreciated!

So much of what you all say on this thread are things I could have written myself. I ended up drinking on Wednesday night because I'd felt horrible all day as a result of drinking on Tuesday night.

I have now finished all my gin, and am not buying any more. If it's there, I just slide into drinking it. Same with eating crisps.

Anglaise, I also want to avoid the puffy facial look.

Feeling very gloomy today, which isn't going to make this evening any easier. I had a lot to drink last night, as I went out with DP. This may be contributing to today's gloom, of course. It's that horrible spiral of drinking to cheer myself up - only it actually makes me more miserable.

Pontius - no tips, I'm afraid, but you will find lots of lovely people here.

Morning all

Urgh. Hangover from hell. Because I haven't been dry all week I decided I would drink as much as I wanted last night. Which ended up being a bottle of wine and 2 cans of lager. I feel rough. I was awake from 2am on and off. My back aches from a shitty sleep. My head aches. My stomach is making funny noises. And my eyes feel gritty.

And DS has a soft play party at 2pm. 20 odd 4 year olds. Small talk with other parents from nursery. A present and card to buy yet as I haven't been out all week because of the snow.

No more for me. I wanted to work this morning for a couple of hours but can't face it.

Why do I do it to myself? Just why?

Frouby, I feel your pain. I was the same last Sunday and haven't touched a drop since. Having said that, after drinking water all last night, I've also woken up with a headache this morning - which feels very unfair! I read the Kindle sample of Jason Vale's book last night and have ordered it. I'm interested to see if it's as powerful as the reviews suggest.

Frouby so sorry about your hangover and even more sorry about the soft play centre, not somewhere you want to go even without a hangover! Pontius I hated Jason Vale, he nicked a lot from Allen Carr and William Porter. Porter's Alcohol Explained helped me a lot.
As for tips, for me to moderate successfully you need to set rules and stick to them and also have several days on the trot 3 or 4, to break the habit of uncorking the wine in the evening. My rules no more than 7 units over the weekend and no more than 2 units in one evening. I'm so anal Wi even measure my wine!

Anglaise1, I thought he seemed quite 'Alan Carr' with all the repetition. Oh well, I'll give it a read! Quite like the 7 units over a weekend rule. I'm pretty anal with rules and lists and stuff too - perhaps I need a weekly 'units chart' to keep me on track (yes, I'm that sad!)

Frouby, really sorry to hear about your hangover from hell. All the more so as I have similar symptoms. I had a bit of bad news yesterday (not life-threatening, but upsetting), then the washing machine broke down. So I had far too much to drink (lost count) and was unfairly horrible to one of the DC as a result. I now hate myself in every possible respect (usual post-drink symptoms: misery, self-loathing, paranoia etc - and I look awful). Today I am thinking I really do now have to get a grip on myself. The alternative doesn't really bear thinking about.

Anglaise, I am going to look up the Porter book now.