Less booze. More AF days. But still a bit damp. Not dry jan, but not a soggy summer. Support thread for reducing alcohol.

[Frouby]

New thread in case the other fills up while I am busy this weekend.

Did I mention I get married tomorrow? 😁

Rubbish at clicky links but sure someone clever will be along to link the last thread.

This is a support thread for those wanting to reduce the amount you drink. There is no judgement on here. We are all struggling along with our own problems and lives and looking to cut down. You might only want a couple of weekends off. Or reduce the amount of days you drink. Or the amount you drink. Or both.

Whatever your starting point and whatever your goal come and join us for friendly chat and support.

Rupert, you write my posts for me. I hate my inability to stop, when I know that I don't enjoy being drunk, and don't enjoy feeling crap the day after. And I would love to say I tipped the vodka down the sink, but the truth is that I drank it instead.

Frouby... I, too, would be tempted to dive into a vat of gin in that kind of company. Sometimes it's the only thing that gets you through it. But I can see that there would be amusement to be had from being the sober one, watching them all being vile. I can't believe anyone would be so rude as to not reply or turn up to an evening invitation. I think they get my first Mumsnet "CF" badge.

Will be thinking about you. Going to do some gardening today, if it stops raining.

PS Cocktails were my undoing yesterday. Just too nice.

Ignorant fucker badges Dion . I was glad they didn't come. But dh was a bit upset.

Chicken run went well. Just cooling off with a nice can of cold blood orange fizzy stuff. It's nice enough.

But not lager.

Have just done an invoice, a company return and a reference for someone. Diving in the shower then starting my upstairs and putting laundry away.

Abd evicting dd from her pit and she can clean the woodwork I asked her to do at the start of halfterm. I don't ask her to do much in the house. Wash the pots occasionally or give the bathroom a clean. But she is very, very lazy and stroppy at the moment so it will go down like a shite sandwich.

I hope your BBQ goes well Frouby. I hate events like that, good luck!
Good luck with your Day 1 Dion and Rupert

I had a beer at lunchtime after a 15km club run in hot sunny weather because it was a friend's birthday.
It is the first time in 10 months I have a) drunk a beer and b) had alcohol before 7.30pm.
So a big fail for me, but I don't care, it was delicious.
So I will probably go over my 10 units a week but what the heck, I was under last week

PMSL at shite sandwich, Frouby. I asked DC1 to do some very minor job in the house earlier this week, and that was exactly the response. Have had lots of fizzy water and coffee thus far today. Not overly optimistic about Day One.

Day 2 gone tits up here.

However. It wasn't my fault.

Our old ndn who used to work for us asked for a reference last week and we arranged a bbq for yesterday and he was collecting. But weather was rubbish so we cancelled and he was coming this afternoon to collect. Came with his partner who is lovely (if slightly bonkers) and she brought me cheesecake she had made herself. My favourite. I made a brew and we sat in the garden chatting. Dh came wandering out with a can of lager and asked of anyone wanted a drink. She said she might fancy a can actually, offered her a g and t or wine if she preferred and she said I will if do. Sigh. So I had a socialable gin, then another. Then we decided to go over the road and have a thai and had a couple of tiger beers too.

Was a lovely, random afternoon tho. And don't mind that I drank as it was a social drink rather than a fuck it I am stressed drink.

And I have cheesecake in the fridge. Baileys and a lemon one. In case you are interested 😁

Frouby. OMG. You lucky devil. If I had a kind neighbour who handed me in homemade cheesecake I would think I’d died and gone to heaven. You must share a G&T with her. Would be rude not to!

Dear Frouby. I want your cheeeeeesecake. Reminds me that my best friend at school and I used to make what we thought was the best cheesecake in the universe, out of a box. Just add water, etc. God, it was good.

Complete fail this eve for all sorts of reasons to do with "D"P and all the "D"C, without exception. Also had to tolerate a DC-related visit from sodding XH. Tomorrow is a new week, though.

The cheesecake is gorgeous too. Had to try both types just to check you see.

Ndn isn't actually ndn anymore, we moved about 3.5 years ago. He is a lovely bloke. A bit older than us and really interesting. He is actually really wealthy (family money) but lives as though he is a student. His partner is newish to us. They met about 3 years ago and we only met her recently due to dh seeing ndn independently for the last couple of years.

She is very sweet and slightly bonkers. We talked about addictions tonight actually. She says she gets quite obsessive about stuff. At the moment it is running, a sport she does competitively at county level and baking.

Am hoping the baking one lasts as she doesn't eat a lot of her masterpieces but gifts them to people instead.

I can see me inviting them around a lot 😁

Frouby. Baking obsession. This made me laugh. A lot. I can't bake, but would love an XDN's partner who could!!!!!

Honestly Dion she is obsessed with baking. Savoury stuff too. Pies and pastrys. Offered to bring a chicken pie with her today as well.

Her fb page is chock full of photos of stuff she has made. And until 2 years ago she says she couldn't fry an egg. Then she did a cookery course and has been cooking ever since!

Have offered to have them for a meal soon. I can cook but it's basic, family cooking. Nowt fancy. I think she will be a bit disappointed. I regularly used to cook for NDN when he was NDN and he always raves about what I fed him. But he is a human Labrador and lived on beans on toast or kebabs if I didn't feed him so a nice sunday dinner or stew and dumplings or a plate of spag bol was going to be good!

Still. At least I can say 'bring dessert' and know it will be nice.

I normally turn up with a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates if someone is entertaining us. I can't go anywhere again if homemade baking is the new thing 🤣.

Just arrived home. Well...a few hours go..enough time to have wine!! Decided to start slimming world wed for sure. Will reduce alcohol for that for deffo. Slimming world works for me in that I’m competirive even with myself. Almost becomes an addiction!! Had to stop last time as got a bit controlled by it. If only I could stop alcohol so easily hey!! Trouble is I really LOVE the taste of wine. I love the refreshing taste of ice cold Pinot!! Arghhh!! If only I hated it!!
Anglais you live in a fab country. I love France so much. Have come back so chilled. Should use that to my advantage and think ‘oooo I don’t need wine’. Instead my excuse is I’m so mellow, let’s have one. But then when the stress comes in, I’ll think that too!!!! Roll on wed!!

Frouby....god...how did the bbq go with cf folk?! They sound horrid people you don’t need in your life!! Can you just ban them from your life?? They don’t sound like they enhance it in any way. You are sooo much better than that!!
As for cheesecake lady...she’s a keeper for sure!! Lol
Anglais..15k..go girl!! You deserve that drink!!
Athena?? You ok lovely??
Hi to everyone else. Will catch up with you all in next few days when I’ve read back through properly. Need to get back to normality. Holiday was soooooo what was needed. Now have to face reality and hope things run smoothly!!

Hello, lovely ladies!

I've been busy and just lurking for the last little bit. I wish I could say that being busy resulted in less alcohol, but I'm afraid I fall into the "I've had a long day. I should have a drink." trap.

This next month will be a challenge, given that one job is up from 1 or 2 days a week to 4 and the other is rearranging the schedule, wanting to have me on M-F, just for lunch. Plus, an older friend could use help, and my baby niece needs watching. I just want to do it all!

On top of that my dh is full time, so I do most of the household work/coordination. Dss will be done school soon and as of yet has no summer job (aside from sometimes watching his little brother,) so theoretically he can pick up some slack, but historically that hasn't always gone well. I trust that being older means he'll be more willing, but we'll see I'm not sure how it will look, juggling it all, but I'm trying to look at it as an overabundance of blessings, rather than a trial.

I do know that I'll want to drink more, even if I (thankfully) have less time for it. Either I'll have been working and deserve a break, or I'll be off so I should take advantage and have a drink . Plus, I'll have more income so I can't even blame expense (aside from I should be saving .) I need to harness the idea that sleeping and getting things done is worth much more than staying up late getting toasted.

Anyway, that's quite enough of my troubles. It sounds like many of you have been having a rough time. I'm so sorry to hear of the hardship, but I'm honestly glad to hear about the barbeques, cheesecake visitors, and hard earned, post-run beers. We're all here because we enjoy a drink and want to keep doing so. So let's cut down on the habitual and unnecessary/harmful drinks and relish in the delicious cocktails with friends and cold brews after a hard working day!

frouby that cheesecake looks amazing I do love baileys, how was your BBQ? I find if others drink with me I can square it with myself as social drinking, not that it stops me drinking alone it's just a strange reason or excuse!

aprillivy you make a good point at the end if your post regarding cutting down but still enjoying drinks with friends this us exactly it, I envy people who can take or leave alcohol or drink at what I would call a normal level.

Well day 2 tomorrow I have a 13.5 hour shift on Wednesday so that should take care of day 3 😂, however I find Thursday my danger zone as I have finished work on Wednesday and am off until Saturday, I am taking each day as it comes trying not to think to far ahead or put pressure on myself.
Hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday thank you for all the support you are all so lovely.

Very quickly, as I'm desperate for sleep... Have read the last few and, as always, you all speak for me. Welcome home, Woosey - I have missed you!

Staggered through Day One here, thanks to tea, more tea and Heineken 0%. Will be peeing all night as a result...

Laughed at your baking comment, Frouby. If anyone in my family were relying on my home baking, they would long since have expired.

Well done Dion. Day 1 is always a cunt.

Didnt have day 1 yesterday but did moderate to 2 x 35ml g and ts. Am OK eith that. Monday's are hard. Ds has swimming after nursery. I have to get in with him. He doesn't listen. I need gin after.

Was thinking last night it's been about 6 months since I started the original thread. I had hoped I would be finding it easier by now and got a bit fucked off that I still drink most nights. But then I thought about how many dry days I have had which would have been wet. And how many times I have been damp and moderated rather than just had what I wanted. So I have made progress. I think we all have.

Dry tonight. Hopefully.

Just whizzing by to say I THREW AWAY a glass of wine last night!! A whole large glass of wine!! I’d had two glasses and Dh poured me a 3rd. I sat and looked at it for a while and thought ‘nah, actually I’d be drinking it for the sake of it, I’ll leave it!’ What happened there?! Never done that before, shocked myself, let alone Dh!!
Well tonight ds is coming over with his girlfriend for dinner. Know I’ll b drinking with them over dinner!! Slimming world starts tomorrow so I figure tonight is the last supper!!!!

Well done on chucking that 3rd glass of wine away Woosey and welcome home! Good luck with slimming world. I have a friend from university who runs one and she earns a very good living!
There are good things and bad things about France like anywhere, but one good thing is that it isn't socially acceptable for women to drink so its easier to quit or strictly moderate here. Also taxis don't exist, well, they do, but you have to book them a year in advance and they cost at least 10 times more than in the UK so everyone drives when they go out. Usually the women as if you drink more than one apéro and one glass of wine with the meal you are considered an alcoholic, a slut, or both.
I had such a crap night's sleep on Sunday I felt like I used to when I drank a bottle of wine in a night. No energy, hungry for sugary crap. It reminded me why I drink very little now. Good quality sleep is so important.

Woosey.... What can I say?! That is fantastic. Every one glass you don't drink is a plus. You could have had more, but chose not to. Which is essentially a slightly less eloquent way of saying exactly what you said, Frouby (and your moderation is pretty impressive, too - 2 x 35ml is barely anything). I am nowhere near as advanced as I wanted to be in January, but this thread has helped immensely. Even just having AF nights - and increased awareness, even if it doesn't always make any difference - is an improvement.

Anglaise, interesting to hear that you could feel the difference on Sunday. I slept unusually well last night, which may or may not have been a coincidence. What does an apéro consist of? I meant to ask you before.

Hope you manage Day 2, Rupert.

How is it going, April?

Oh gawd...the bar maid must have thought I was a complete alcoholic and slut when I was in France then!! Dh sneaked to the bar when my mum was with the kids so we could have a sneaky drink. I had two glasses of wine in quick succession in order for my mum not to know where I’d been or what we’d done!!

That was supposed to say Dh and I. I certainly wouldn’t let Dh sneak to the bar without me!!

@woosey35

Woosey

Sigh. Am having a nightmare week. Had blacksmith wrote on calander for today. Phonecall yesterday saying he was sat at yard waiting for me. Had got the day wrong.

Dragged kids to dentist for check ups.for all 3 of us. That appointment is tomorrow. Fml.

Ds had a melt down at dentist because ge really wanted to see dentist. Dd had a strop as she has made plans for after school tomorrow.

Am already looking out of the window for dh to come home because once he is home it's legitimately drink o'clock. Am starting on a san pelligrino fizzy orange. Have some fizzy bitter lemon and really trying to avoid alcohol.

Woosey 😂
Don't worry the label doesn't apply to British women just French, the British generally are known for their heavy drinking habits so it doesn't count!
Dion an apéro is just an aperitif usually a glass of wine, a kir, a small bottle of beer or a whiskey (for men only of course!)
Drink after club running session tonight and just drank iced tea. Hopefully it will be less hot tonight for sleeping. Bloody menopause!

Frouby, sending hugs. Fail on Day 2 here. No good reason. x

Thank you, Anglaise for the explanation. And agree re bloody (peri, in my case) menopause!!!!!