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) 😁

Sorry, myusername, meant to say wow to four days, too, but was sidetracked by Pontius! What sort of juicing do you go in for?

4 days and 6 days!!!!! Flipping amazing!!

Fml again tonight. Another ambulance to school for dd anaphylaxis and hosp for the day. Just got in and walking towards the fridge.....

Oh, Woosey, I am so sorry. Never mind wanting to cut back - you have more than enough to think about without worrying about units etc. This is not the moment for that. You just need to get through this. Your poor DD, too.

I can claim no virtue for not having succumbed tonight. The truth is I feel too ill after yesterday.

Hope everyone else is ok.

Oh woosey how worrying. Focus on your dd for now.

Was wet last night. Always going to happen. But I did moderate quite well I think. Quick pint after the allotment as sadly the allotment is bang across from a pub. It was thirsty work tho and I needed a dust cutter. 😁.

Then we came home and sat outside with my ndns who I love. Usually I would have either drank lager by the can or done a bottle of wine in. However I picked a bottle of koppaberg up. It came in a wine bottle with a poppy cork like prosecco and came with 2 free champagne style glasses. Which is why I bought it as I liked the glasses. It was only 7.5% abv so half the strength of wine. And because I was having it in the little glasses with ice it lasted all afternoon and up to teatime. Then I swapped to water.

So considering it was a beery afternoon I think I did ok.

Will probably have a drink tonight. Because it's friday, I am working all day today and we are oiling the decking later. But want at least 4 dry days next week. Am missing deep sleep after a week of pretty consistent if steady drinking.

6 days is amazing!

Hope you feel better today athena. Hangovers are vile aren't they.

Woosey so sorry to hear about your DD. That sounds like a hugely stressful day.
Frouby it sounds like you found the holy grail (the off switch) well done!
Night out went well, got home 12ish after being AF all night and DH offered me a glass of wine. It was so nice sitting and debriefing the evening with him that before I knew it, I'd polished off half a bottle! Oh well - back on it Sunday!

Pontius that's amazing! Now on day 5 but seriously struggling. Really wanting a cold glass of prosecco. Our weather has been better today hence the struggle. I so don't want to fall off the bandwagon, trying to focus on tomorrow and having a few at this party. @AthenaAshton it's Jason Vale 5 pounds in 5 days that I'm doing. Ive done it a fair few times and have completed it twice. Usually fall off the bandwagon day 3 or 4. Trying to go for my hattrick .

Woosey, how is your DD?

Frouby, I am impressed by your off switch. Ginger cordial tonight here. I know I can't do the off-switch, so I am better off AF. So Day 2 is nearly over. Made supper early and will go to bed soon, just to make the day go away.

Myusername: Day 5 is brilliant. Know what you mean about the weather. It has been nice here today, and I'd have loved a nice cooling G&T. I hadn't realised your juicing was a regime - well done for sticking to that, too.

Pontious, I am starting to think that half a bottle sounds like relatively little .

Just a quickie here...
Wow you’re all doing fab!! Athena...go girl!!

Dd is doing well today. Mostly due to me keeping her indoors. She’s anaphylaxis to cut grass....a tad tricky this time of year!! Hmmm!! If only it was merely hayfever !!

Anyway..been our wirh friends tonight and drank copious amounts of anything going!! Off on spa day tomorrow with said friends. Will think about AF again on Sunday and not before!! Pressing the fml button way too much right might. But can’t seem to stop myself !!

Woosey, you have other things to think about at the moment. You just need to get through this before you can worry about being AF. So sorry to hear about your DD - cut greass really is a difficult one to avoid... x

Morning all

Enjoy your day woosey. I always think it is better to make a decision to drink rather than just randomly drinking.

AF for me today I think. Had an awful nights sleep last night. Ended up wandering down to the pub about 4pm after a very profitable day working (I made £££!). So felt a celebration was in order. Had 5 Peronis then a couple of tiger beers in the thai restaurant we had tea at. Was a lovely evening but feel really blergh today. Too much alcohol and shitty food this week. Am up early tomorrow to go visit my lovely cousin who lives 1 and a half hours away so want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Just doing housework. Bad enough but 10 times worse with a hangover. Ds toys are taking over the world so having a fettle.

Hey congrats on the success at work frouby. You deffo deserved to celebrate by the sounds of it!!
Well done on AF today. Have lovely time with your cousin tomorrow.
Athena - thanks for your lovely thoughts. I went out with some friends today for spa. Dh had dc’s. Didn’t take them out Cos of dd!! Hopefully she’s on more steroids so will be able to venture tomorrow somewhere. I had such a lovely day.
Yes it’s tough with dd but so many worse off. Trying to look for the positives and enjoy every moment. That’s the prob..wine always then creeps in!!

Didn't quite manage AF woosey. It was a lovely day and we were potterinf around in the garden planting seeds and stuff. However I only had 1 and a half 330ml cans of cider in my little posh glass with loads of ice. Didn't fancy anymore. Didn't want to open the wine or start on the gin. Just wanted a nice drink of something cold.

So not AF. But off switch pressed which I am chuffed with. Had an amazing sleep too. Was bang out for 10pm and didn't move until I woke up for a wee at 6am.

And have just ordered a 6 x 4 shed on fleabay for £28! It's brand new from a business seller so suspect a pricing error but if it comes and they honour the price it will be an amazing bargain for a chicken house.

Hello everyone! How's your weekend been? I managed to day 5 AF! Had a drink yesterday as planned but managed to stick to a couple of glasses of prosecco and a few teeny gins! Plan to be back to AF today but there's a bottle of prosecco calling my name in the kitchen......weekends are definitely the hardest for me. DH is currently asleep on the couch as he had far too much last night and is absolutely dying today. I feel sorry for him but I'm so glad it's not me!

Myusername - 5 days is brilliant!! And you evidently managed to operate the off-switch yesterday...

Speaking of which, Frouby: that is great news. Shed sounds pretty good, too. And I hope you had a good time with your cousin.

How are things, Woosey?

Here, I was decidedly not AF last night as went out with DP and can't even remember the 'getting home' bit . Weirdly, no hangover today though. I had a 330ml can of 4.5% lager this evening after an afternoon's gardening, but didn't have any more than that. It's easier to operate the off-switch if you're drinking something relatively low in alcohol, I think. Should have been AF, but I was hot and the lager was cold...

^^ Name-change fail!!

woosey so sorry about your DD it must be a nightmare this time of year - I cut my grass every 5 days at the moment you poor daughter must have to spend a lot of time indoors 🙁
pontius 6 days AF yaaay! Well done, it is possible!
Myusername hi, you do really well anyway, weekends are harder.
I'm stop I'll boringly sticking to AF in the week and a bottle of red over the weekend, but I don't have an OH to lead me astray or much of a social life so it's easy. Ran a fab race this morning in Rennes, only 24km but good fun and I'm definitely running better since cutting back. Day 1 again tomorrow 👍

Sounds like you’re all
Enjoying the lovely weekend weather.
All ok here. All calm. Tooooooo much alcohol!!!!! Spa day year and after a day of house and garden jobs, we venture to our local for wine and lovely food!! Really struggling with AF at the mo. Dd back at school tomorrow so on edge again. Gotta live tho and let her live too. The only way forward I can see.

woosey it must be terrible to have that worry. Especially at the moment with the nice weather.
I had a couple of proseccos last night, just couldn't resist. Back to day 1 again today but I'm going out with DSis tomorrow for her birthday so there will definitely be no day 2! Going to try and resist over the weekend this week though!
Anglaise I think I'd do much better AF if I didn't have DH as I'd never drink alone!

I would find it easier without DP too. He drinks far too much.

Wasn't AF yesterday. The dcs were little twats. Ds threw an epic tantrum yesterday because he is testing boundaries aka being a little shit. Kept hitting me with a board book. Warned him 3 times if he did it again the book would be in the bin. He did it again so book ended up in the bin.

Then DD was being stroppy and grabby. It's her 14th birthday in July. We have our wedding in 3.5 weeks and she wants to start booking a birthday party. She had epic birthday parties until she was 11. When I told her it would be the last big party and from now on it would be cinema/bowling etc with a few mates and some sort of food.

She has now decided her friend circle is too large for this. And wants to hire a community hall and do a disco. Reminded her we weren't doing big parties anymore and we have the wedding to finish sorting. Apparantly I am selfish and it's all about me and dp. Fml.

Had half a bottle of wine hiding in the garden from them.

Only half frouby?! Only half?! That’s the sort of days I hate!! When then kids deliberately test you and fire your buttons. I think you did fab with moderating on that one!!!! 🌷
Myusername- you’ve got tomorrow to look forward to which is always a relief when trying AF. Good luck.
Athena - there’s been many a time I can’t remember things..horrid horrid feeling. As for the lager in the sun..refreshing!!
Day one here today. But don’t actually want it to be!! Thanks bad hey!! Going to kettle bells during the tricky time early eve so hoping that will help considerably.

Woosey you are doing the right thing going to an exercise class during the trigger time. I think it helped that I was busy every evening when I first went AF in the week - now it is just a habit NOT to drink in the week.
Alcohol isn't good for dealing with stress, well, maybe in the short term just after the first one or two, but after it just increases long term anxiety. There is a good article on it here
thisnakedmind.com/drink-to-relieve-stress-and-anxiety/

My DH is the same he drinks a lot and huge measures if it's a spirit he's drinking. I find it easier to moderate if it's a spirit. I can do half a normal 25ml measure and loads of nice tonic and ice and enjoy it. Been up and to spin this morning and going back to pilates this afternoon. I'm juicing again this week apart from dinner tomorrow which seems to keep me on track. So want to be AF this weekend but I'm not sure if I'll manage!

Good article, Anglaise. Thanks for posting the link. It is similar to William Porter. They can't all be wrong!

The problem for me is that I know now that they are all right, but it's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a drink will just take the edge off some particularly awful event (I have one going on at the moment, and the temptation is great). Though I also know that I can't just stop at one, meaning that I shouldn't go down that path at all. Tonight will be a test. Or another test, I should probably say.

Frouby, I'd have been scrabbling around for anything else I could find after the half bottle of wine . I think your 14 yo is the twin of mine. When I sympathised with mine when she had a headache, saying that I had one too, she went ballistic and started shouting about how IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU, YOU KNOW .

Myusername, spirits are my undoing. I am also coming to realise that gin makes me more unpleasant than wine does. DP is another undoing, as he is always returning from travels with wine. Just as well we don't live together.

Woosey, good luck tonight. We can try to keep one another on the straight and narrow!!

Fml!! Kettle bells didn’t help me tonight!! Came home and poured tonic with lime. Then felt so stressed that I slurped gin into it!! Now on a glass of wine!!!! Cross with myself but also know I’ve got too much shit going on to sort myself out!!

Hello ladies!

I've been reading you for some time but haven't wanted to comment or commit to anything. I thought I might put myself out here without any expectations, just to say that I appreciate what you all are doing and would enjoy being part of a group that is trying for that off switch.

I drink regularly for many reasons (good times, bad times, lovely weather, you all know how it goes,) but I really do need to cut back. Thankfully DH agrees on his part as well, but doing it is another matter!

I think being bored is a big part for me, so I want to use spring time and my new job as a launch pad to get me onto healthier and more interesting activities. I love reading about you all in the garden. It's good motivation for me to get my peas in!
All that said it's 1 am here, and I'm drinking wine while DH sleeps. Stressful work day, followed by a lovely evening grilling with the family (dss wanted to hang out and talk about science!) coupled with good weather means a wet night. I was in bed with a small portion and a book, but then I wanted a smoke, my book wasn't interesting enough (there's that boredom again,) and my wine ran out, so here I am.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my long winded intro. I have a tendency to not follow through, but I really find the journey you all are follow unique and fascinating, so hopefully that will be enough to get me fessing up and following along!