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) 😁

😂😂😂😂 oh frouby, I feel your pain!! M&S meal deals are Devine..and how could a bottle of sparkling water be added as a sub hey?!!! Hope was lovely x

Frouby: too right. I have just got home after a 14 hour day and I am having a very significant G&T and that is that.

Anglaise, the William Porter book has arrived. I am going to open the Amazon envelope tomorrow (not tonight, as I want to try to start tomorrow as a new day).

Pinkcoat, congratulations. My anxiety is through the roof, hence a not very AF week.

Pontious - I hope you manage to come up with a strategy. It's hard when everyone else is drinking. Last time I was in that situation (had to be, as I was driving), I just wanted to go home...

Athena I hope you enjoy it, I found it really good, full of good facts and well written. Even if I disagree with the author that modération isn't possible if you drank a lot previously.
Frouby I understand your pain, I'm lucky (?) living in The sticks in rural France with no take ways except of a pizza van once a week and no M&S meals, I cook everything. So it isn't worth opening a bottle of wine for generally !

2 small glasses of red tonight with a few crisps, Friday evening treat after 1km of swimming and a long run this morning. Not tempted to have anymore, a cup of tea and some chocolate is much nicer. How things have changed in a year!

Hi. Please may i join you?
Ive known for some time that I need to curb my drinking. Easily sinking a bottle of wine most evenings. Oh my!
Anytime I've had a dry period i feel amazing so I'm pledging to be dry for the rest of lent and then hoping I can drink "in moderation" thereafter.
Feel quite shit this morning (clearly due to last night's wine) so im going to chill out and read lots of your fabulous posts.

Well I opened and drank my fizzy plonk.

But we started early, about 4pm. Which would mean by the time ds is in bed I would have drank most of the wine and be starting on the gin. However I had 2 glasses of wine, then switched to water for an hour. Another glass of wine, glass of water. Then the last glass of wine and back on water.

So I don't feel particularly hungover and slept OK. We had thai which came with 4 bottles of tiger beer which I love but didn't open.

So it wasn't a complete disaster as I did moderate and change my drinking.

I might break my 2 days only drinking rule tonight too and have a couple of those beers. It's my lie in tomorrow, mothers day and I have another soft play hell party to endure.

I also have the worst period pains in the world, may actually bleed to death and DP is going out this afternoon for a drink which means he will be very buggy when he gets home.

Well done on moderating Frouby
DH is downstairs with the DCs, watching a rainy day movie
Im having a "fuck it" moment, taking the hair of the dog and laying in bed hoping to nap.
That's quite bad isn't it

Just setting off for the weekend- am planning on swerving the wine completely and having a G&T or lager with dinner instead. Fingers crossed. Good luck to us all in our quest for moderation tonight!

Feel atrocious today. Slept badly (beer fear), and have felt sick most of the day. I read the first four chapters, Anglaise, and will read some more this evening instead of drinking...

Good luck, all. And welcome Lulla.

Athena sorry you're feeling crap.

Athena - sorry you’re feeling sick. How’s the book going?? I might order next week.

Frouby - you did fab with moderating!! Well done you!!

Pontious - great to have a plan. I’m sure you can stay strong.

Lulla- welcome. You sound very like me. I’m sure that because we notice it’s a problem then we are on the first step to success with this!!

I say success loosely..went out with friends last night to dinner. Had several glasses of wine. We came back to our house and whereas normally I’d carry on drinking..I didn’t. Friends and dh did, but I had a cup of tea!!
Today was cleaning, entertaining children followed by a disco party with dd2. Got home 8:30pm. Had to think dinner so ordered pizza and opened wine. Partly due to my day and partly due to being pissed off that dh has sat and watched two games of football, then got up from sofa, picked up his golf clubs and went to golf club for 18 holes!! Grrrrrr!! So wine open here and in sod it mode!!

Frouby, woosey well done on your moderating Friday, hope last night was similar..
Pontius have a good weekend away
Athena hope you feel better and that you are enjoying the book or at least feeling motivated by it!
Welcome Lula and good luck with your moderating plan!

Last night I had a relay running race with my club and after my 10k contribution I had terrible stomach ache (often happens) during a race) so not even a beer with my club friends after the race. Plus I was driving as I always do (single mum),This week will be very dry.
Happy Mother's Day to you all in the UK🍫💐here in France it isn't la fête des mères until June

Hurrah for tea woosey

Hi all.

Well, I am now on Chapter 8 (have just read two more chapters in bed this morning). I am reading properly, rather than doing my usual "skim it in 30 seconds" thing.

It is too early to say whether it will in practice curb my habit. But so far, I am hoping it will help.

Alcohol consumption last 7 days:
50cl wine
Cost 2,40€
Calories 400

One year ago 7 days average:
4 x bottles beer
5 x bottles of wine
Cost 21€
Calories 3400

Ooo what's this book?

Last post was curtailed by one of the DC wanting something!!

Right. Day 2 AF. I went out this eve with the DC for a Mother's Day treat. At a pub within walking distance from home, and I DID NOT DRINK. God, was I tempted. The range of gins... Not to mention the idea of just the one glass of wine (which would, of course, have led to me opening a bottle when I got home). However, I stuck to slimline tonic with ice and lemon. Even if I fail for the next 7 days, this is a triumph. The meal was horribly expensive (£50 for just one course each - I realise this isn't expensive by lots of people's standards, but compared to a Macdonald's £1.99 bus ticket meal, it's extravagant for us!) And that said... I have been known to spend that on one bottle of decent gin, which hasn't lasted long enough to justify the price tag. So in that context, it has to be better to spend £50 on a meal for the DC and me, than on one bottle of Sipsmith 57% just for me.

Have now read two more chapters of William Porter. The bit that interests me particularly so far is his description of what he calls the "spiral of craving" (aka the Witching Hour). He has not yet told me how to overcome it, but it seems that the way through it is to get to the stage where you weigh everything up and no longer crave a drink - and, in fact, feel positive about everything you gain by not having one, and glad that you are making this choice.

I will try not to bore on too much about the book, but I'm so glad you recommended it, Anglaise. Just as well you decided to join this thread.

Hope everyone else has survived Mothering Sunday. DC1 forgot, needless to say...

Love the photo, Anglaise. And the calculation is quite sobering in itself. The calorific difference is astonishing...

Lulla, the book is Alcohol Explained, by William Porter. Anglaise recommended it further up the thread. I bought a second hand copy, which arrived on Friday, but I wanted to start reading it sober so waited until yesterday. I'm very, very sceptical generally about self-help books, but I think this one is very good. He doesn't write particularly well, and repeats himself a fair bit, but doesn't try to dazzle with science - and he has been in the situation that we are all in, in that he wanted to cut back his drinking, but couldn't understand why he found it so hard. His explanations (which are all science-based) are very clear and pretty compelling, and are certainly making me think very hard.

Anglaise - amazing to see the calorific difference!! That’s scary!!

Athena - OMG you did gooooooood!! Pub within walking distance and still on tonic water. I’d say that’s phenomenal!! I’d be mega chuffed if I managed that!!
You really are selling this book. I too am sceptical of self help..but you say it’s worth a shot hey.

Well Mother’s Day has been lovely. Ds is at uni and managed to remember to phone me which was miraculous and very well received.
Dd’s Brought me a cuppa in bed in a mug they’d bought for me, along with a bag of chocolate buttons!! We then went to beach for a stroll and ended up in a bar. Dh has a coffee and came back with wine for me!! Then we stopped at the Italian on way home for dinner where I had another glass of wine but asked for soda in a separate glass so made it last the meal. I got home and opened the sparkling water. So kinda chuffed I was making changes..normally I’d have necked another bottle once home!!

I think the great thing about this thread..I know I haven’t managed to go AF often yet but I’ve definitely opened my eyes and begun to accept and acknowledge I have a problem rather than hiding it. So thanks guys x

I'm home! I'm pretty happy with the way it went,
But wary at the same time. Drank a small lite beer when out for dinner and then shared two bottles of wine between three of us back at the holiday cottage. I'm happy with that, but at the same time, If I'm
honest, I know that I would have had more wine if we'd had it (where is my damn 'off' button?) We got home late last night - exhausted and I shared another bottle of red with DH. I'm aiming on AF until Friday and then no more than two glasses a night over the weekend.

Woosey, that is excellent news. And I agree with you that this is a great thread (for many reasons).

Pontious: it's the 'off' switch that has become the problem for me, too. I never used to have a problem with it - I could drink one glass and not even think about another. But it has somehow crept up on me, and I find it easier in a way not to start at all than to start and stop. Though I don't find either remotely easy. The easiest thing by far is just to down a bottle... But I am still thinking of The Book, and I am determined to try to see tonight as a positive, when the Witching Hour comes around and I resist (if I do...)

Pontious, I’m with you too regarding the off switch!! Once I’ve got the taste..I just keep on!! I need a cup of tea to break the cycle.
Started with a relaxing lovely morning then a tad stressy so already thinking of wine but had promised myself none tonight!! Got ds back from uni (staying with girlfriend) and they’re coming over for dinner tonight..tricky not to get a bottle of wine out when folk for dinner tho!! Have warmed him it’s AF tonight and he said ‘yes no problem’. I even said I’d drop them back at end of evening so that I can’t falter as I’ll have to drive!! Hmmmmm let’s see........!!!!

Woosey, you can do it... My DS was back at the weekend (the one who forgot Mother's Day...). He wanted to open a bottle of wine, but I bought him a couple of bottles of beer instead (and some Becks Blue for myself). Hope you have a good evening with yours.

Here, I nipped out from work at lunchtime to see a friend. She had already ordered me a glass of wine!! But, interestingly, I did not think "YAY!" Instead, I thought "Oh no!" I did drink it, obviously, as it would have been rude not to. But I resisted the lure of a second, for once.

As a result, I am cross with myself for not being entirely AF today, when I wanted to be. But I am definitely not drinking tonight. I have William Flipping Porter in my head now, telling me not to.

Sounds as though you are changing habits Athena.

Stay strong Woosey. Driving is a really good reason not to drink.

AF yesterday and tonight. Was really tempted tonight. Been a stressful day today. Ds was off nursery due to them having a flood over the weekend. Which was bad enough as had a fuckton of work to do. Then dsis phoned at 9.30 asking me to pick nephew up from school as she couldnt get out of work and he had an ear infection. She told me she would be able to get out in hour but then phoned (once I had him) to say she was stuck and it would be 1.30pm before she could leave.

Fml. Trying to send a file to debt recovery with a 4 year old and a 5 year old boy running around was hard work.

But I managed to stay AF. Despite swimming lesson, shopping for 2 birthday presents and horrendous rain this afternoon. Yay me.

I think we are all getting there slowly but surely. Would love to have a 1/4 bottle of wine left over after each weeks drinking!

Wow frouby you’ve done amazing!!
I’ve had less than half a glass of Pinot as all the others were drinking (dh, ds and g/friend). Ds said he was walking back to girlfriends house where he’s staying, as they wanted fresh air meaning I could be let loose on the vino!! Feel I’ve been really restrained. I’ve definately changed my attitude to drinking even if I haven’t managed to go AF. I’m definatelt cutting down which I’m pleased about.
Athena - I’ve been looking at ‘the book’ online. The reviews are staggeringly positive. Seems almost all that read it are successful. I think I’m going to invest too.

Love to all

There are lots of 'books' - and they all seem to be very much down to personal taste. A lot of people love Jason Vale but for me it was awful, a rip off of Allen Carr and William Porter. I didn't like the Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley either, but loved the Unexpected joy of being Sober by Catherine Gray even though as a mum with kids my situations was more similar to Clare Pooley. Just didn't like her style of writing at all and there weren't enough tips on stopping. The Unexpected Joy is full of really useful tips from someone who really had a bad alcohol problem. It is also cheaper!
Regarding calories, something from the The Book - booze contains no nutritional value at all and is stocked directly in your body as fat. For sports lovers like me, it destroys the ability of muscles to repair themselves and also prevents the absorption of vitamins and minerals by the body, and dries your skin out. I'm sure everyone has seen this but there is a difference in appearance - even by cutting down you reduce the puffiness of eyes and face
www.boredpanda.com/before-after-sobriety-photos/