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) 😁

I think I'm past the danger zone tonight too so that's 4 nights in a row for me too. It's been a long time since I had 4 nights in a row booze free. I've started reading a book this evening to pass the time.

I've also got normal smelling urine again (sorry for tmi.) My urine has smelt very odd for a while now which I was ignoring but new it was down to booze. I can't quite describe the smell? Maybe ammonia and ever so slightly fishy at the same time. Not nice. Even drinking water wouldn't change the smell even though the colour was pale. I know it wasn't an infection because my urine has been tested a few times due to reoccurring cystitis. I noticed this evening though that my urine doesn't smell like that anymore.

You're doing great Athena. Reckon I'm nearly past the danger zone tonight too.

I’ve thrown myself into crafting in the evenings (making miniature dollhouses). It’s not something I can do while drinking and it takes a lot of concentration, and for me it’s fillling the dead space after the kids are in bed (DH often works in the evenings, from home, but I drink (drank) out if sheer boredom mostly.

Having said that, I am really looking forward to having a few glasses of wine tonight. After 6 AF nights I think I deserve them...

Athena, you write very eloquently. I'm sure you are doing the right thing changing one habit at a time - don't worry about the Doritos for now! I think one thing that would make a massive difference to you in many areas of your life is exercise - do you do any? The NHS Couch to 5k podcast can be transformative, if you don't.

Can I join in too please? I am in a similar situation to many of you in that somehow those one or two glasses of wine in the evening end up being more like 3 or 4 and whilst I don't drink every day, it has become a bit of a habit to signal the end of the day / start of evening when dc have gone to bed.
After drinking most nights over the Christmas period I was ready for a break and realised that I wanted to take more control in 2018, although I felt that dry January would be unrealistic for me. I have always tried for 2 nights in a row AF in the past but would then usually be craving it again by the third night. This year my goal is to try for 3-4 nights in a row AF.
I had a few glasses of wine last Thursday (4th) and then again over the weekend but nothing since Sunday, so I have now had 4 dry nights in a row which I'm pleased with. I'm sure that with each other's support we will find it a bit easier to stay on track, so thank you for starting the thread OP.

Course you can Mytribe! More the merrier. Or the more the trying to be less merry I suppose .

Tonight is probably going to be damp. But not soggy I hope. Raided the M and S 2 dine in as we usually do. And have only put 1 of the 2 bottles of wine in the fridge. We usually get 2 of the deals so we have tea Saturday night and then the chicken for sunday.

Anyway. Normally I would put both bottles in the fridge, drink 1 tonight plus beer, then probably half the other tomorrow plus beer then have the last half on sunday while I cook dinner.

Am planning a g and t tonight and maybe all the wine. Or half the wine. I won't drink beyond what I feel comfortable with and will switch to water or soft drinks when I want to.

That's the plan anyway. Will see how we go!

That sounds like a plan Frouby. In fact I'm going to nip to M&S now and do the same with my wines. Going into the weekend feeling positive.

I'm doing ok with the alcohol but now I may have to detour via m&s on the way home for a dine in meal

Georgethehamster Thank you - that is very kind! I possibly write better sober than drunk, whatever the White Wine Witch might think (yet another reason...) It will perhaps not surprise you to hear that I am something of an exercise addict. I used to run, but had to give up due to severe degenerative joint problems (caused partly due to, um, obsessive running). Having to give up running and, then, walking has partly caused my depression. That said, I compensate by cycling (which I can bear) and swimming (which I detest, but it fills an obsessive exercise hole). Part of my dysfunctional relationship with alcohol comes from the bonkers idea that I can drink as much as I like because I'm offsetting the unhealthiness of it by being so ridiculously fit and lean.

Frouby, good luck. I am also a Dine In fan, but have avoided it this week as I know I will be too tempted by the wine. I can't believe I've only done three nights and half a day. It feels like about a million years already, with no end apparently in sight. But I have to keep telling myself that three nights is still three nights more than I've managed in two years. And I am probably already £12 or so richer...

Mytribe, you are a night ahead of me. It would be great if we could help to keep one another on the straight and narrowish!

Love this thread. V inspiring. I have a girls' lunch tomorrow so have saved myself all week and am really looking forward to a drink or two!

Athena - I'm with you on the exercise! I aim to do something (run or yoga) three times a week, more if possible, and it DEF gives me the buzz you miss from booze. Am hoping to fit in a 10k tomorrow but I will have one of my children in tow so might have to reduce my ambition.

Frouby the M&S deal sounds great.

Girls' lunch... I have one of those brewing up (sic) in a fortnight. I would love to say I will be able to save myself until then, but it's not likely.

At the mo, struggling with the thought of this evening, as I am going to have to have a horrible conversation with one of the DC when they come home from school. I know it will go better if I am stone cold sober, but I can't tell you how desperate I am to pre-load with gin now...

Athena hugs. It will go better without gin. You will feel guilty if you have it. Try and be strong.

Wine going down nicely. Have had 6! dry days so happy to drink tonight. Am enjoying it but haven't missed it if I am honest.

Going to finish the bottle then switch to ginger cordial.

Thanks, Frouby. Have had the conversation. Having Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic now. The euphoria of managing three nights has now well and truly worn off. Tonight is not going to be easy, as I am now fantasising about gin. Or wine. Or whiskey (which I hate). Or anything at all...

Nearly past the danger time now tho! You are doing so well. Keep busy. Bet you have a junk drawer to sort or something. Do that and I bet another half an hour has gone.

Then it's nearly bed time. Am on ginger cordial now. It's all good!

Thank you, Frouby. I needed that hand-hold. Spent the afternoon mucking out DC2's bedroom, which was a monster task (though quite useful, as I discovered long-lost crockery). Feeling very jittery now, as I was late getting supper on due to the horrible conversation. Now in that awful ten minutes before supper is ready, which is prime danger time. Have saved mountain of ironing for after supper. Would normally let it mount up until I put it all away unironed, but going to use it as therapy...

Do mine too then! Big pile of therapy at this house at all times.

Soon it will be 8pm. Then you can legitimately have a glass of milk or hot chocolate or a cup of tea. And once you have eaten you won't want a drink anyway. It's not the same on a full tummy and not worth getting soggy knickers for!

Thank you. Have now eaten. Struggling, but have not caved in. Not helped by DP not ringing when he said he would (which always provokes an anxiety attack, and has in the past led me to (more) gin. Which I think has a good effect, but in fact probably has the reverse...)

Hi all. I'm savouring some wine this evening after a dry week. Trying to make it last. Definitely appreciate it more for having a dry week.

I think cutting out alcohol in the week has improved my mood, so will enjoy my bottle tonight and tomorrow and try and keep it up! Good luck everyone.

Hope you enjoyed it, colouring.

Good news here. I have got through the evening without caving in. Moreover, I neither rang DP nor sent him a text which in some way prodded him into ringing me (he is abroad with work at the moment). If I had had gin, I would have done either one or both of the above. My anxiety was sky high, but I still didn't do it. I had set myself a time beyond which I would allow myself to ring him - and lo and behold, he rang before that time, with a good reason why he hadn't rung when he said he would. So I think that's a double win. Alcohol has undoubtedly made me more inclined to act clingy and paranoid. If I can overcome both problems, I will be wanting to give Frouby some kind of medal for starting this thread. I would undoubtedly not have got this far without it. Four nights...

Well done Athena! I bet you feel great on both counts. I don't need a medal tho, just other people in the same boat to talk to is fab! I thought this thread would end up just me waffling to myself!

I drank my wine. Switched to cordial when it was done and enjoyed it. Am in bed with ds now. Feel soberish and glad I stopped drinking when I did. Dp is downstairs still and liable to fall asleep on the sofa. I feel very smug.

Normally on a friday I would be pissed as a fart, feeling a bit sick and bozeyed by now.

No more wine this weekend. I will have a couple of g and ts either tomorrow or sunday then back to dry until next weekend.

Need another 5 or 6 ticks!

I had a couple of glasses of wine this evening but enjoyed them after a sober week. I felt a nice buzz after a couple then put the cork in the bottle and was content. Normally (and probably because my tolerance had built up) I would polish off the bottle.

I told a couple of people today that I had been good all week not drinking and they jokingly said "you don't drink that much do you?" I have said before that my drinking had crept up but no one really takes you seriously because I still go to work and have a normal life. Sometimes I think they thought I was exaggerating my drinking but if they knew I was getting through up to 1 1/2 litres to a week of gin plus a bottle or 2 of wine they would be surprised. But the people I told just weren't supportive or took me seriously,

Frouby - I'm not sure I'm feeling great (completely wrung out, in fact), but I have got through another evening. And that is massive, for me.

I'm glad you managed to switch to cordial. This is what I aspire to be like (again): to enjoy the wine/g&t/whatever, but then stop. And to wait several days before having the next one(s).

Sleep well!

AintNoOther - I think we posted at the same time. So that's great news from you, too. Again, this kind of 'normal' relationship with alcohol is what I'm aiming for. I know what you mean about people not realising - though I also have a horrible fear that other people have noticed in my case, but are just too polite to say anything. Or that may just be the alcohol-induced paranoia talking. Anyway, we have all done ok this evening. Phew.

Well done everyone - it sounds like we are all managing to stay on track. What is nice is that we all have slightly different personal goals. For me, I know that I will realistically want a few drinks Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. I know 3 days in a row doesn't sound great but as long as I'm AF during the week (4 nights) I don't think that's too bad. Also, I plan not to binge on the 3 nights I drink. So for instance last night I ended up going out to a bar with a friend but as she doesn't usually drink much, we had 2 (single) g&ts and a large glass of white wine. I did consider more wine when I got home but headed to bed instead. Tonight I plan to have 2-3 glasses of wine and probably the same again tomorrow. By Monday I will definitely be ready for a break. And tbh just seeing that written down makes me realise quite how much I consume and will aim to reduce this further over the coming weeks. Sorry for the essay.

Afternoon, all...

Just checking in. Going out with DP tonight, so that will involve wine. I am looking forward to it after my four nights of abstention. Hopefully my tolerance will have reduced, even if just by the teeniest bit, so I will need less to have an effect. I can hope.

The struggle will be on Sunday, when I have to start at Day One again. But I think that knowing that I'm allowed to indulge every now and then helps to make the other nights more tolerable. I wouldn't like the thought of going completely AF - I think it would just make me want it more.

Hope everyone is ok!