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) 😁

Has anyone read the Jason vale book kick the drink easily? It completely changed my life. I haven't drunk at all since last November. That actually wasn't my intention. I just knew I needed to cut down drastically. The amazing thing is I don't miss it.
I know this thread is support for cutting down not quitting but reading your posts it seems that you are on the same merrygoround that I was.
So if someone said to any of you I can take alcohol put of your life and you won't miss it.. would you?
I'll leave it there

*out

I’ve succumbed!! Fml

Spent this morning receiving Tesco delivery and sorting the lamb into slow cooker and prepping veg for dinner etc. Took dd for bloody awful mri scan. Got home from hosp, cooked for dc’s. Then put our veg in for when Dh for in later. Dishwasher hadn’t worked so dirty plates and stuff everywhere. Went to get lamb out and it was a lump of gristle!! Couldn’t find any meat on it. Even Dh wouldn’t eat it!! Threw it away. Ended up with more pans etc on worktop as backlog for dishy. And now no food!! Nothing else in as going away so not really got much. Now cleaning kitchen and gonna order pizza. Wasn’t gonna drink tonight but absolutely am now!!!!!!!!

Wow, you all had a much more exciting Easter than did ( mainly work and a race) and the usual bottle of red over 3 nights, despite a lot of stress with work on Friday didn't drink any more than usual.
Woosey you had 2 AF days so that's great, don't beat yourself up, small steps
Athena so sorry about your problems, drinking seems like a fix but remember the 3am sleeplessness is it really worth it?
Pontius don't forget there are lot of calories in wine too, so don't feel bad about exchanging them for chocolate. I didn't drink anymore than my usual bottle over 3 nights (how boring am I) but I ate my weight in chocolate but ran it off doing no 50km.
Running helps get rid of a wine belly!
Florin welcome, I was a nightly wine drinker, worse still I did it alone most of the time. I've saved loads of money and calories by going from 6 bottles to 1 bottle
Frouby I'd find it hard not to drink with younger kids. When they are older you sort of need to set a good example so that's an extra motivation not to drink too much
Donijimena hi, well done on stopping since November, that's a great achievement! I never wanted to stop 100% and have been moderating since last August without a problem, AF 4 nights a week at least. I'm glad Jason Vale worked for you, I didn't really like the book, found it a rip off of Allen Carr, there were other books I found more helpful.

Only 2 small glasses. So half a bottle. I sipped it!! Quite a miracle to do really!! But did it!!

Thank you for the welcome, you definitely seem to be my kind of people.
On Easter Sunday we had breakfast in bed which was hot cross buns served with a glass of champagne! Then we had more when cooking our Easter lunch.
I managed to keep AF yesterday even though husband was working from home and he had a glass when we sat down at 5pm for ds’s supper as he had a stressful day. I so wanted one as it’s when I crave it the most but I poured myself a nice pink fever tree tonic with loads of ice and garnished with mint and for some reason as soon as food landed on the table the urge went away and we had a nice evening and I didn’t miss it then. Other big advantage is because I wasn’t drinking dh has really cut down too as not drinking in company which I am pleased about. One more night to be AF then will treat myself to a measured gin and tonic tomorrow and a glass of wine with dinner when I will then be working on my stop button!
woosey Sounds like a hard day and you did well to stop at half a bottle. Hope the MRI results go as well as possible. Sometimes you need a let yourself have glass of wine and you can start again today.

Another fml day here!! Just feel over run with stresses right now. Feel teary and unable to cope with simple things!! Not like me!! Soooo much going on that I can’t xope with the simplest of things!!
So what did woosey do?? Obviously pour a gin!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh Wolsey 🙁
I'm so sorry you are having a tough time. Alcohol will just make stress and anxiety worse, can't you have a cup of tea and chocolate or cake instead?

Hello ladies...
Sorry for the silence. I have been absolutely snowed under with domestic nightmares (can't specify, as they would definitely be outing - but every family problem under the sun, topped off by a plumbing disaster). Had to face the worst night I can ever remember last night, so there was nothing AF about it. However, that is now over, so I am going to see how the next few days go. I have started re-reading William Porter. Sigh.
Woosey, I'm really sorry to hear about your DD's MRI scan. I would have to have a GA to go through one of those.
Florin, welcome from me too!

Athena - sounds like you’re mighty strong to even be considering ‘the book’ again after what sounds to be a completely hideous time. I’m sorry you’re going through such a rough ride and hope it improves soon for you x

Hello florin. Hope you can do better than me lately. Sigh.

Haven't been AF for days. Sunday I think the last time. Bottle of prosecco last night. Lager the night before that. And the night before that.

Am currently AF today tho. Seriously considering a gin listening to DP 'tidying' ds toys up though. I spent 2 hours the other day sorting them out and he is currently launching them randomly into toy boxes.

However. Ds starts full time nursery monday. He is desperate for it. I wanted to keep him home with me for as long as possible as dd was in nursery for 6 months but he is so, so ready. He was 4 in December so will be full time at school from September anyway but 15 hours a week just isn't enough for him. He is bored with me at home every afternoon, bored at softplay or park without his slightly older cousins to knock around with and bored out doing chores/shopping or me sat working.

So from monday I will have 6 full hours, 5 days a week to Get Shit Done. Getting Shit Done will reduce my stress levels significantly, motivate me to Get More Shit Done and drink a lot less. Hopefully.

Monday is a new start.

Woosey, I have failed spectacularly tonight, as a result of more stress than I can describe. But I so much appreciate your kindness.

Frouby, we are all in this together. Easter holidays horrendous here. DC at one another's throats. One revising for GCSEs (or doing something in his bedroom, at any rate). I am also regarding Monday as a new start. 6 hours a day, 5 days a week will make a difference to you. Going back a bit here, but I ended up sending one of mine to school when at 4.5 because she was fed up with being at home with me (mine are all August birthdays - I kept the others at home until Y1. Though this may explain why I have resorted to wine).

Meanwhile, on top of everything else, I am having the period from Hell, ELEVEN DAYS after the last one. With pain to match. Hence extra medication with wine. FML. Who'd be late 40s?

10 days alcohol free for me. I have discovered cans of diet fizzy Vimto in Home Bargains at only 25p.
We were just getting into bad habits (and fat!). Booze needs to be a treat, not a habit and I’m enjoying not drinking on the sofa now the lighter evenings are here. I potter in the garden instead and seem to be getting the better of the household tasks.
Well done to all on cutting down on the booze. Once it’s a habit, it’s not easy, I know.

HotSauceCommittee, 10 days is fantastic. As is Home Bargains.

Why thank you, AthenaAshton.

BTW, you should see the scrubbing brush I got from there the other day; it’s a beauty!

My relative silence speaks volumes! Thurs: about a bottle of red, Fri: beer and wine and more wine tonight. I've not been 'legless' and have managed my 'off' button - but it's not really moderation. Can't even blame stress/hard times - just been out and sociable. Funny isn't it - we drink when things are good and we are with good friends and we drink when we are stressed and/or unhappy. Im
clearly better when everything is just run of the mill!

Was watching Unforgotten tonight with 17 yr old daughter. We couldn't believe the amount of alcohol consumed throughout the programme ( by the cast, not us!) No wonder it seems normal to drink at least half a bottle of wine a night or more. Here in France you might have a glass of wine with a meal in a restaurant but I don't know anyone who drinks anything other than water with a meal unless entertaining or for an apéro.

Silence from means I'm off the wagon. There is wine in fridge today, but starting better habits tomorrow.

Athena. I'm struggling with periods too. Dr appt this week to check iron and hormones I think.

Ginger cordial and fizzy water tonight. Day One Again.

Was dry last night but wet today.

Last day of drinking (and eating) crap. New start tomorrow. Dry, home cooked food. No takeaways or dinnerding.

Have just realised it's my hen do next saturday. That will be wet then 😂😂

Fever free and lime tonight. Day one here again too after a soaking wet weekend!!!!!!

Onwards and upwards, then. I think we might all need to drink a toast to Frouby's hen do next Saturday from the comfort of our own sitting rooms, though...

Haha Athena, I happen to agree there!! Maybe we could
Be honorary guests from afar....

How are you doing Athena??

Monday = Day 1! Fell right back into old habits for the last four days. I'm aiming to stay dry until Frouby's hen do (which we definitely should all 'attend' in a virtual sense!) I'll also be watching my food intake!

Pontius Athena Woosey you can do this, if you manage at least 3 AF nights on the trot it gets easier, honestly! Find something else to occupy you during your evening trigger time. Don't think of alcohol as 'normal' it isn't normal to reward yourself with a drink every evening (unfortunately it has been normalised in the UK for women with wine o'clock etc).
There is no nutrition in alcohol at all, it goes straight on your middle which is why alcoholics are often really skinny but with fat stomachs.
Another weekend of one bottle of wine but I did have half a glass of cider that I won for a race on Sunday with some running friends, but no more! French women hardly drink (it is considered really bad form) so it is really not normal to drink any more than one or two glasses when out. For men it isn't the same thing at all.