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) 😁

Hi, can I join? I'm so pleased to find a cutting down thread instead of AF. I used to drink red wine most evenings, often alone (I'm a single mum) and decided to change my guilty habit in August. I run a lot and did a really bad half marathon, started the menopause and had put on a few unwanted kilograms and was fed up of feeling fuzzy and not sleeping properly. I cut out alcohol in the week completely and allow myself 2 units an evening at the weekend, so from 6+ bottles of wine a week I'm down to less than one, sleeping correctly, have lost 5kg, run faster and it feels so good to finally drink like a normal person. Good luck to everyone here - I think I'd obsess about having a drink if I decided to go AF 100%, even if I enjoy my AF days.

Hi, I've been watching this thread with interest. I'd love to cut down on my alcohol consumption but don't want to cut out completely, however I'm worried about my inability to stop at just one! Red wine is my poison, or actually any wine! I like gin but I'll have that if I'm 'not really drinking' as I'll stop at one. Which I realise sounds terrible. I've done pretty well this month and have managed to do 3 weeks with 3 AF days in a row each week, ie Monday to Thursday. However when Thursday comes, I feel like I've done so well I 'deserve' a drink! I don't work Fridays so it feels like the end of the week to me. I feel proud of myself for stopping for 3 days a week but why can't i do a 4th?! I feel calmer during those days, my sleep is improved and I have more patience with the kids, I should just carry on but that little voice in my head on a Thursday says 'go on, you deserve a drink' then it continues through until Sunday. I easily drink a bottle of wine a night across those 4 days, although I guess it's better than a bottle each day for 7 days?! Sorry I'm rambling, need to do better next week, I'll aim for 4 days AF and try to reduce what I have the rest of the time. Thank you for reading if you got this far!!

It's really interesting reading about other peoples relationship with alcohol. We all seem to feel guilty and sad about it which sort of defeats the purpose of drinking which I do to make me feel relaxed and happy.

I know what you mean about gin not being a 'real' drink sunshinel. Gin is just grown up juice in this house. I prefer wine or lager but the calories in those makes me drink gin instead.

AF tonight! Struggled earlier so had ginger cordial and told myself I would have a gin after tea if I really wanted one. Of course I was past it then so beat the gin genie.

Anglaise that's fab how much you have cut down and maintained it. When the weather picks up a bit and the nights pull out I am going to start walking the dog an extra walk in the evening. Will hopefully fitten me up a bit and lose a few lbs.

You're right Frouby, I used to look forward to a night out and having a drink and it used to be for celebrating. Now more and more it's about 'I feel stressed' ' i need or I deserve a drink'. I'm really trying to break the having a drink when stressed. The time I enjoy drinking most is a Sunday afternoon, starting with cooking a roast, would be great to just stick to that and go back to just drinking when I go out....although I don't go out that often anymore!😂 I think that's why drinking at home has become the norm. Well done for not drinking tonight, If I could get past 6/7 o clock I think I could be ok, actually, even if I had a gin 'because that's not a real drink'!🙄 then that would put me off opening the wine!

Wet night here

colouringagain Saturday nights are designed to be wet - or at least a little damp.

Hi all.
Very wet night last night, as DP to see me, so I probably had about 2/3 bottle of wine (possibly a bit more). So I'm still just about within my weekly units, though I'm now desperate for a drink of any description at all. Have had three cups of tea, and am going to waste a bottle of tonic water by having it on its own when I've written this. I just have to get through the next couple of hours, and the urge will have abated (I hope).
Girls' lunch on Tuesday, so I really do need to keep tonight and tomorrow night very dry. Sigh.

Sunshinel: completely agree with what you say about drinking turning from something that's pleasurable/celebratory into your first port of call when stressed/bored/anything at all. Still, we do all at least accept that we need to do something about it, which is a massive first step in the right direction.

Hope everyone is surviving their evenings...

I am doing quite well tonight. Don't even want a drink. Dp and dd went to the cinema earlier so we decided to have chinese takeaway for tea instead of a roast so I didn't even get the urge to drink while I cooked.

Just having a ginger beer then will probably have a cuppa later.

I had 2 g and ts Thursday and a bottle of fizzy wine on Friday. That is a massive improvement on what I would normally have had. Which would have been 2 g and ts for 5 or 6 nights. A few beers. Bottle of wine or prosecco. Dread to think how many units but certainly at least double the recommended amount.

I think my energy levels are increasing a bit now. I have started lots of horrible little jobs at home like sorting the paperwork and the drawers in the kitchen. And am planning on going to the gym to do a class this week which if I get there will be the first time in about 15 years!

Onwards and upwards for next week.

Whoop!!!
I’ve only had 1 bottle of wine all week, usually I’ll have 4-5.

• 2 glasses of cider

Excellent news, Frouby and Wetwashing. Onwards and upwards indeed. My witching hours are over, thank God, and I have not succumbed...

Well done everyone. I have had a bit of a disasterous week and have written it off! I did keep a record of how many units and am ashamd to have to admit to 47.3 units over the last seven days. Over three times the guidelines so definitely not good.

But it is Monday and a whole new week ahead to start. I have realised that my alcohol consumption is just habit. I drink when bored, happy, sad, celebrating or just because I can. We usually open a bottle of wine at around 6pm (or earlier) and I am going to walk the dog this week around that time to create a 'replacement' habit.

Have a good week everyone.

Hi team,

I drank a lot yday - two and a half glasses of red at lunch, two massive G&Ts last night - and have really noticed the effect on my mood today. I've felt vaguely down and a bit shit all day.

But I've kept off the drink today, despite DH glugging a couple of glasses of a really nice red at lunch, and am glad to be in bed with another tick in the diary. 14 dry days this year which I'm quite chuffed with.

This week's going to be tough for various work and personal reasons, and there are at least two days I'm going to have to drink for work. So it might be a write off, but I'll see how I go.

Good luck all - this thread is really helping me think more about drink, and how it makes me feel, which is really interesting.

fiveshelties - do not despair! You are not alone. Whilst I definitely drank less I only had one dry night out of 7. I have no clue how many units I consume. I will go and jot it down (might have to have a drink to recover from the shock!)

yikes! Somewhere in the region of 34.....:-o

Thespian - it is a shock when you add them up - I wonder how many units I would have when not trying to be aware!!! I am having a very damp January

Mine’s drizzly with large damp patches too 😆

FiveShelties: Units are scary. I have had my head in the sand about them for two years, but I reckon 47.3 weekly would have been pretty standard for me until I started to think it was becoming problematic and found this thread. I was also alerted to it when I went to the GP with depression/anxiety, and he asked how many units I was drinking per week. I mumbled something along the lines of "about 30", and he said I would need to halve that before I could be referred to anyone, as alcohol is a known depressant, and has to be ruled out as a cause before they can treat people. I felt bad about not telling him the whole truth, because he was so nice. He then said he would ring to check up on me in a fortnight (which is this coming Wednesday). I so want to be able to tell him, truthfully, that I have cut back massively. And, um, I'm also less depressed (touch wood).

Ah well. Another dry night here, or so I hope. Hope you all have a good day...

Units are like calories. Sneaky little fuckers that creep up on you without you realising it.

Dp was shocked when I worked his out last week. Over 60. Mine has dropped from 30 or so down to 12ish. And reduced calories by 1000, which over 3 weeks is nearly 1lb in weight which doesn't sound a lot but is actually about a stone in weight over 1 year!

So if I maintained my current activity and diet I could lose a stone without changing anything else.

And that is by drinking low calorie gin and tonic mainly. When I look at it like that it's no wonder I have struggled to lose weight. I dont actually eat a great deal. Can go all day on coffee no sugar and usually have a healthy meal in an evening so I struggled to reduce what I was eating convincing myself that it wasn't the gin and slim doing it.

Was getting a bit twitchy about having a drink tonight but having just worked all that out I won't bother.

Got a wedding dress to buy soon. Sigh.

Back on the wagon for me today. I ended up drinking two and a half bottles of wine in 3 eves, so about 22 units. I'm meeting a friend tomorrow so will drink. Would really like a drink tonight as some v stressful and sad family stuff going on... Struggling.

Best wishes to all.

Frouby, I think you have just come up with a new acronym (SLFs). Indeed they are. That is a massive drop for you. My weekly units have been around 10 and around 15 since I joined your thread, and I think they were well above 40 before. Your calorie count is interesting, too. I would also be interested to know exactly how much money I have saved by drinking so much less. My 'wet' nights have been with DP, so he has been paying . I was getting through a £30 bottle of gin in about four nights, so that is a big saving at a time when saving is exactly what I need to be doing.

All that said, I am meeting friends for a girls' lunch tomorrow, so I will probably imbibe this week's recommended maximum units in one sitting...Must stay strong tonight. I have just bought at bottle of alcohol free wine in my local shop - reduced to £1.75. So I will try that, though I think it will only remind me what I'm missing!

PS Frouby... A wedding dress? Tell us more. I hope you will be having an AF reception...

Colouringin: cross-posts. I'm so sorry you're having a crap time. I find that anything can de-rail me. It so happens that I've had an ok few days generally, which makes not drinking that bit less difficult. But if I get tipped back into the s* (which is very likely, given the stuff going on with XH and the younger DC), I'll find it more or less impossible.

colouring so sorry you are having a shitty time. It makes it so much more difficult to do anything positive when you feel down. Do what you need to do but maybe keep a track of units just so you are more aware of how many, rather than just mindlessly quaffing away.

My go to is usually alcohol. Today has been another manic monday but once I get past 6pm I am fine. It's that stress time between 4pm and 6pm that does me. I only have tomorrow and Wednesday to get through this week then I can have a drink after 5 days AF.

Athena at least you are actively planning to drink now rather than just drinking as a matter of course. I think that is a big step on its own.

I get married on 19th May. Only booked it in November and it won't be a posh do. Need to buy a frock yet. In fact I need to do everything still. Other than sort registrar and venue I have done nada.

It will definitely not be an AF do though 😂😂😁. My hairdresser is already arranging to collect me, do my hair in the salon then get me a lift to the venue because we have to have bubbles. And the venue which isn't at all posh was chosen partly because it's only £2.40 for a pint of Carling so everyone can afford lots of drink.

Be more a dingle do than an AF one.

Thanks Frouby and Athena

I have drunk a lot of fizzy water with lime... What you said about being more aware was spot on too.

Congrats too!

Athena I know exactly what you mean about when the sh*t kicks in. I've definitely been drinking to numb emotions... Recently separated from OH with Bipolar 1, a vv difficult decision and v tough on kids...

Hoping to switch to tea soon, but there may be a nightcap first tonight. But even that would be better than starting drinking when I'm cooking dinner and then not stopping...

Love to all

Dd just told me she's been having suicidal thoughts

Colouring: my sympathies. I have been there with one of mine. It is beyond hideous. I don't want to go into detail here because it's potentially too outing, but I will send you a massive virtual hand-hold. I've ended up in this mess with alcohol as a direct result of marriage breakdown, the DC's response to it, XH's behaviour, my own feelings of guilt/inadequacy about it all. Etc, etc, etc. All I can say is that I have felt slightly less diabolical about it all since I drank less, although I do still just want that fuzzy, 'I'm invincible' feeling that comes after the first couple of gins. My problem is that I can't stop there, and end up with the shitty, weepy, maudlin bit as well.

At least your DD has told you, however awful you feel now. I hope you can find a way through it.