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) 😁

Greetings everyone. How's it going tonight?
I have been managing the 4 nights AF for the past 3 or 4 weeks, mostly anyway but tbh I can't say I feel much different. Apart from not feeling guilty the next day. I never really felt rough the next day, as in hungover rough, as I didn't drink a lot in one go anyway.
But seeing how many calories in a bottle of wine has quite shocked me. No wonder I'm not losing any weight, especially as I eat so much crap - crisps, nuts, olives etc - whilst quaffing wine, usually followed by a massive dinner.

The guilt of being a wine induced greedy pig is properly putting me off at the moment.
My aim is to not drink at home, only when out socialising (and not eat crisps and chocolate)

Well done Pinkcoat, I'm surprised you don't feel any different with being AF 4 days in a week, how much did you used to drink? If it was just a couple of glasses in an evening I don't feel any different on AF nights to when I drink at the weekend. I was drinking a lot more than that before 'moderating', probably around 5 or 6 bottles of wine a week and after cutting back to 1 bottle went from 62kg to 57kg in a few months (I'm 1m73 so didn't have a lot of weight to lose!) but some of that was probably due to the cheese I stopped eating when the nightly wine consumption stopped. I run 50 miles a week too so that helps burn off the extra chocolate I eat as a result.
I worked out I saved around 4000 calories on the wine and occasional beer and at least 100€ a month.
CottonSock AF wine and beer has fewer calories than the real thing, a lot of people wanting to stop drinking alcohol buy those instead but I don't know if they taste that great.
Woosey it must be difficult with an OH who drinks, not sure if I'd resist the temptation if I lived with someone.
Frouby well done on your AF nights, enjoy your hen weekend!

Rather personal question, but do any of you ever have sober sex or is it always after a drink?

Woosey, if Slimming World works, go for it!!

Pinkcoat, it sounds as if you are doing well if you are managing 4/7 AF nights. Four is my current goal.

Anglaise, yours is a very good question. I'd have had to have been generally anaesthetised to have sex with XH, so alcohol wouldn't have helped there. In fact, I came to the conclusion when I was married to him that sex just wasn't for me. Then I met DP. I fancy him rotten all the time, but even more so after a drink. Despite this, though, sex is undoubtedly better for both of us when alcohol isn't involved. Which tends to mean during the day (not always easy to engineer!)

Urgh tired.com here this morning. Stayed up while 1am working. Which was productive but I am knackered.

woosey I did sw a few years ago. Found it helpful to a point. It definitely focuses your mind on the calories/syns in alcohol.

I ended up with 2 flowergirls as my family are very excited about the wedding and all keep talking about it amongst themselves and miscommunicating stuff. My mam told.me yesterday my youngest niece (she is nearly 5) is excited to the point of nearly wetting herself about being a flowergirl. Sil has explained she isn't a flowergirl but will be able to sprinkle flowers at the end (confetti).

I said as my lovely aunt is doing flowers that we will see if there is enough left for her and other little niece to have a little posy. My mam told sil this who promptly rang me and asked what colour scheme was for both nieces dresses. And what time did they need to arrive etc.

Sigh. Spoke to sis about it and she realises whats happened and we laughed at pushy sil. Then 5 mins later sis got a txt from pushy sil informing her she had ordered the flowergirl dresses from monsoon and just settle up when she sees her.

It's not worth the upset putting a stop to it. And both nieces are cute and will love it.

Just waiting for the phonecalls from other sis asking what nephews need to wear for pageboys...... 😂😂.

Am probably not AF tonight.

We do have drunk sex. But more often than not slightly hungover morning sex. We don't actually have enough sex but with a non sleeping 4 year old, dps very early starts and the fact he is usually asleep before ds its difficult atm.

Well I’ve just been to an hour kettle bell class....not sure I’ll ever walk again!! Seriously have muscles where I didn’t know I had them!! The instructor was screaming “go go go” and I was screaming inside “no no no”!!!!
Prefer sober sex here! Wine makes me sleepy!!

Frouby, I shouldn't laugh, but your pushy sil story is just too funny. Families!! I am sure your little nieces will make gorgeous (if unintended) flower girls .

I still feel crap today. It seems to be a two-day hangover.

Radox bath, Woosey!

Hi All! Love then accidental flower girls!
Managed 3 AF nights this week. Will probably have a couple of glasses of wine this evening as we are going out. My sleep has been much deeper for the last two nights - possibly a positive side effect of no booze?
We tend to have sex after a glass or two, but prefer to be sober and more 'present' Like most of you - with kids and life getting in the way - any sex is a bit of a miracle these days!!

Pontius well done you on 3 nights AF! Sleep is definitely better, you don't get the 3am wakefulness and the quality of sleep is much better, with alcohol you don't get the correct sleep cycle and miss out on the R.E.M. or deep sleep, can't remember which but both are important. Enjoy your wine tonight!

Evening all. Would love to say I have breezed through Day Two, but it has been more a case of limping and staggering through it. Still, I have done it. And there is still a bit of wine in the fridge which defeated me the other night . Not least as I have to be up early tomorrow. Sigh. Hope everyone is surviving...

AF here tonight!! By default I must add!! Did a second exercise class this evening and felt so chuffed!! Got home knowing no wine in the house. Then she said he would pop to the shop and get a bottle. I told
Him not to go!!
I really think exercise makes me get the buzz. And then it keeps me on the straight and narrow. Trouble is..getting the time to be able to do it!! I can’t do running anymore as I’ve got a dodgy knee (used to run half marathons). So a class seems to be the buzz I need maybe. I’ve eaten really well today and didn’t want to turn to wine tonight!!
However it’s Friday tomorrow and I’m already thinking that our weekend is in sight!! Obviously we all have froubys hen do on sat too!! 😉
I’m looking forward to next week though..a bit of routine and hopefully some chance to be able to get onto the exercise routine and onto the wagon!!

Yay for Woosey. No exercise class here, but I have hoovered the sitting room and stairs very, very thoroughly in order to keep busy. One of the DC asked if we were having visitors.

Was meant to be af last night but dh came home with gin as a gift from colleague. He doesn't drink gin. I only had a few, but really feel it now. Did 3 AF days and now probably there will be drinking (thurs) Fri, sat, Sun.. soon adds up.

A gift of gin, cotton!! That’s my kinda gift!! 😂😂

Totally counting down the hours til this eve. Had shitty morning already. Bad news re my dd. Awaiting email from the hosp now. Fml over!!
Bring on froubys hen do

Woosey, just to say I am so sorry to hear about your bad news.

Sorry about your bad news Woosey. Be kind to yourself.

Had a couple of g and ts last night. Enjoyed the first but wasnt bothered about the 2nd.

Having a glass of wine just now because it's friday. And I can. And need to be match fit for tomorrow 😁.

Thanks guys. We will get through it. She’s a tough lil cookie. Makes me proud every minute!!
Athena - hope you’re ok.
Frouby - not being bothered about a second g&t is total strength I’d say!! Enjoy your wine. I’m wanting Dh to hurry up and come home so I’ve then got an excuse to crack open the bottle.
Any of you ever feel panicky that you have one bottle and have to make it last?! I feel total shame in worrying I’ll run out mid eve!!

Woosey, I think that’s the least of your worries at the moment. Xx But, yes, I know the feeling.

Fail here. Provoked beyond endurance by DC1 and 2, who seem to think they are still 6 and 8. Blood was shed. Then DP texted me to say what a brilliant time he is having in France, tasting wine. Fml.

Frouby, only being interested in one g&t sounds brilliant!!

Athena...bloody hell....I’d be totally hitting the second bottle!! Why do men feel they can make comments like that!! As if they have no responsibilities!!!! Maybe generalising somewhat but.....!!!!!!
As for dc...when ds went to uni in sept life became calmer. Left with two dd’s at home is piece of cake compared with all 3!!

Morning all.

It's Hen Night Day. Gulp. Am already dreading the hangover but if you can't feel hungover the day after your hen when can you?

Had a bottle of wine slowly over yesterday teatime/night. Feel slightly hungover and sleepy but am having a nan nap later 😁😁. Booked for my eyebrows doing at 3.30pm then having a lovely long bath and titivating. Dp is on ds duties all day as his stag is in 2 weeks and he is leaving here at 9.30am so what is good for the goose and all that.

Am planning a lovely g and t while I titivate just to get me in the mood. Hoping to sneak the odd soft drink in to pace myself.

And am drinking overpriced cocktails later as they tend to have less alcohol than straight g and ts. Hopefully anyway.

Frouby. Have an AMAZING day!!!!! Don’t even think of the alcohol content today. Of all the days, today is one to just let loose hey!!
Can’t wait to hear all about it. X

Wasn't online last night, but was thinking about you, Frouby. Hope you had a fab night and that you aren't feeling too grisly today. I am on the grisly side after an evening with DP, which involved too much alcohol...

Urgh. Feeling pretty rough this morning.

Had an absolutely amazing night tho. Worth the hangover and poorly feet. We had a few drinks, went for an italian and then to the bar they had reserved a table. It was all trimmed up with loads of balloons, banners and table glitter and lots of silly hen night stuff. They had booked a bloody stripper too. Very much not my thing at all. But it was only 10 minutes of embarrassment.

My feet ache and my head is spinning. I don't want to think about how much I drank. But was pleased that I paced myself, didnt get falling down drunk and wasnt even sick when I got home.

Will be needing a nap later I think. Or a very early night.

Sorry to hear about the rough feeling - but so glad you had a good evening. I think I would die on the spot if I encountered a stripper, so you are a better woman than I am. Don't give any thought to how much you drank. It's not as if you have a hen do every weekend!

The stripper was awful. I really don't go in for that type of thing. It's not particularly that I get embarrassed doing daft things but the only male body I want to touch is dps.

The stripper did see I wasn't comfortable and was actually really nice and respectful. My youngest dsis stepped in to be my wingwoman tho and did some of the more rude stuff.

I was actually really shocked that the stripper really did actually strip right down and spent a good few minutes waving his lad around 😮😝.

It's definitely not for me.

Just getting ready and heading to the pub now. I am hoping hair of the dog cures me.