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.

I am on day 2 today woo bloody hoo! Sounds sad however, for all of us 1 day is a good start it shows we have the ability to do this. We need to think about the positives even if they seem small.

Good night all.

Good night, Rupert. Have now stopped (fell asleep in front of an attempt to watch something on iPlayer), and feel reasonably sober and just cross with myself for having caved in...

Coming back later

Day 1 today here!! Hasn’t been a day 1 for probably a month!! That’s totally shocking I know. Really embarrassed to even admit that!!

Don't be embarrassed woosey

When I started this thread I realised I hadn't had a dry day for at least 9 weeks. Shit happens. We are dealing with it.

Day 1 here. New plan. When I started getting twitchy I got a pack of anti bacterial wipes out and cleaned the woodwork in the kitchen.

Result. Clean skirts and doors. No alcohol consumed.

Had a shocking sleep last night after 4 cans of lager. And I got on the.scalea for the first time in weeks and I am a stone heavier than this time last year. Hmph.

Did you go to slimming world? I find I losr weight on it because of the weigh ins. But hate all the meetings and don't actually follow it that well.

Am really busy at the moment and the thought of taking an hour a week to go and get weighed (and it does take an hour at my local group) just doesn't appeal.

Anyway. As well as wanting to reduce alcohol I really want to shift a stone. Aiming for 2lbs off this week. I know if I go AF it will fall off. Not only will I be consuming less calories I will have more energy and move more. Plus I will get up earlier and get work done giving me more time to play ponies, be on the allotment or walk the dog.

But dry here and aiming for dry tomorrow. Was dry saturday too so will be 3 dry this week. Which is massive improvement for me cos I am a lush 😁

Day 2- I find it so much easier when it's a work night. No alcohol is in the house so I don't even think about it-at the beginning of the year this was certainly not the case. Now have to break the habit of drinking just because the day of the week is Friday, Saturday or Sunday

Woosey, I second Frouby's 'don't be embarrassed'. Especially not when I think of the things I've confessed on here that I would never dream of confessing to RL friends.

Day One, yet again, here. Or almost. I bought some low calorie Fever Tree tonic (17cals per 100 ml, so fewer than 100 cals in the whole bottle). Tipped it into a wine glass to try to make it feel special, and added a few dashes of Angostura Bitters just to give it a bit of an edge. Angostura Bitters is the same percentage as gin, but given that I'm only using the tiniest amount (barely covers the bottom of a shot glass), this has to be better than several shot glasses of gin...

Bunty, Day 2 is good. And it sounds like an improvement overall. I am still thinking about it, a lot.

If gin or wine was in the house it would be softly calling to me for sure! Then I have to go to bed!

Well that was an awful day at work, I don't think anyone should be embarrassed we are all here for the same reason. I think I said before I take each day at a time I don't try to aim for anything in particular because it's too much pressure, one af day is fab, I'm hoping not to drink tomorrow but I can't guarantee it, Thursday is a danger day for me so let's see.

You’re all so kind. Thank you. However when I say I’ve drunk every single day, I mean a whole bottle of wine every single day!! When I say this out loud it horrifies me!!
Anyway....I didn’t last night!! I had tonic and lime and stayed absolutely AF!! Really proud!! Stupid I know!! Have had some hideous stresses recently with my daughter being really ill. I know I shouldn’t use excuses for drinking heavily but I always turn to drink. I didn’t last night. Day 2 today. Really want to succeed!! Then Friday and sat will be wet due to going out with Dh tomorrow night, and some girlfriends coming over on sat night for a catch up. But two days will feel fab.....fingers crossed!!

Frouby, I’m going to SW tonight. Had to change days. So will be braving a new start!! Went last year to a diff group and lost a lot and felt great. Then Christmas I let it all go again!! I too want to loose a stone. Aiming on2lb a week too. I know that by cutting wine out I loose easier.

Hello all, sheepishly checking in.

I had a good start, 3 days AF.

I did a fair bit of reflecting and pondering and felt clearer.

Been decidedly damp since, soaked at times!

I really do identify with so many of you here and so I’m going to make a conscious effort to keep posting.

Sometimes I feel as though I literally do not know another way of coping and contending with the kids meltdowns/horrible ex husband/the daily stresses/ enoumous responsibilities involved with running a family, I just each for the wine.
I can easily neck a bottle it doesn’t touch the sides.
Like many others on here I know it’s caused a nice steady weight gain, when I’m on the booze I deprive myself of meals and then make up for it later which is ridiculous as it’s just like a normal does food on top of a load of booze. I feel quite ashamed typing that.

I’m trying to see this as a project to look after myself more. Eat properly, drink far less and just feel more sorted in general.

Despite it being a rollercoaster few years a lot in my life is right and my kids deserve a Mum that is stronger than I’m being right now.

I don’t know if I’ll manage another day one before next week but I will keep posting.

I think that talking about it at all is a good step, DP doesn’t live with me and so I guess I’ve been keeping this to myself.
He does like a drink but can happily go without.

Sending support to one and all!

Hellabella - lovely to hear from you. I can relate to a lot in your post. Especially a bottle of wine not touching the sides. I drink it like water!! The only effect it has is feeling slow and groggy in the morning.

We can do this!!!!! I’m up for the challenge. I am a realist though and have pencilled fri and sat in as boozy soaking days. Otherwise im going dry!! Let’s do it!!

Hi, kind of called in to see you all last week after 2 AF days but then it all went wrong.... no will power and just disgusted with myself. Anyhow this week I thought I’d speak up if I got 3 AF days in a row and guess what..... I’m going for 4 AF days today now... whoop whoop. My motivation today is Frouby’s last post... I too have 1 stone extra to loose and since about 1/3 of my calories come from wine I know that’s the only change I have to make to get there. Hope, crossing everything, I’ll be back to brag about day 4 tomorrow....good luck everybody.

Actually - your name says it ....actually can do!! You really can!! See you here tomorrow 😉

Thanks woosey. Yesterday I turned down a glass of wine in the garden with dh and I was really pleased with myself but he was a bit 🙄 so I’m not sure how this evening will go but a plus is, I have 2 teens and I saw a look exchange between them when I refused a wine and one jumped up and offered me a cup of tea so I’ve been thinking about that... I feel like they will be watching/judging me too - can’t decide if that’s a good thing or bad thing but for today I’m going to focus on good.

Girls, an update. Dh just suggested we get home and open the wine but I’ve pasified him by suggesting he have a pint in the pub, where there is a park for the little ones since it’s a nice night and I’ll drive. He’s at the bar now and I’ve asked for a coke. Feel like cartwheeling- pretty sure (see - no faith!) I have night 4 AF in the bag. Whoop whoop! Hope you guys are too!

Thanks wooden, I think we can do this, yep!!

Well done Actuallycando, anything that makes you want to cartwheel has got to be awesome !!!

Not wooden, woosey poor you I hope that name doesn’t stick

Well done on your day 1 Woosey I know things aren't easy for you and your little girl.
Actually good luck with Day 4, I'm on day 4 as usual, don't miss wine at all in the week now and even when I drink it it is never with a meal, just as an apéro before dinner. I prefer drinking water with a meal at home.
I wasn't overweight when I started moderating, but dropped from 62kgs (I'm 1m73) in August to 57kgs in a couple of months when I stopped my 5 or 6 bottles of wine a week habit. I stopped eating the cheese I ate with the wine too which probably helped.

Fml!!!!!!!!

So Tuesday dd ended up blue lighted to hosp again. She now can’t go to school for a while (long story!!).
Today someone came to home tutor her. I’ve been trying to be strong!! Then met ds who’s back from uni but staying at his girlfriends for a few days. He was a knob to me!! Still mantra of being strong. Then been on phone to dd consultant ....great stress!! Stay strong!!!!! Then dog pooed and weed on my wool carpet!! Then I opened the steak to cook for Dh and I....it was green and smelly!! Ffs!!
Can’t do ‘stay Strong’ for another min!! I’ve stuck a bottle of Sauvignon in the freezer and ordered a take away!! Fml over and over!!

Woosey your words and little wink kept me on track for day 4 AF - gutted your having a wet day but with so much on your plate I get it. Hope you get to relax some at least and maybe just have less than you normally would in this situation? I can’t talk - I always finish the bottle of wine once opened - I’m trying to think of ways to keep me from going mad over this weekend. One thing in my favour that’s putting me off drinking tomorrow is - that I always feel rough if I drink when I’ve had a few days off, even though I don’t if I drink daily - does anybody else find this? And 4 days off is a lot for me so that means I’ll probably really suffer if I have too much.I’m focusing on this tomorrow to try and make me either AF or at least cut back a lot - remember it will hurt afterwards! Also as another motivation - I’ve had more Dry days in June than wet now! How good is that! Would love to be able to say that at the end of the month!!

What a lot has gone on here!!

What is striking is that you could all write my posts for me.

Day 2 is a sodding fail due to DP "going out with friends". When he's that vague, I know he is not telling me the truth. Which is when I should have a cup of tea and think "sod him". But of course, I try to anaesthetise myself instead.

More importantly, though, Woosey... I am so sorry about your DD. It will be no consolation, but my DC1 is also a knob. He has announced he is coming home next week because his exams have finished. FML several times over, and then some more. And then some more again.

Actually, Day 4 is brilliant. Hella, 3 days is pretty brilliant, too. And Anglaise is our inspiration. Thank you for sticking around, Anglaise. I think we need you, even if we are not quite at your stage yet.

I'm always so impressed when I hear you folks recounting your days 2, 3, 4, etc. I'm lucky to get a day 1, particularly if it didn't overdo it the day before.

That said, I've been doing the moderating with moderate success. I've decided that since I'm working so many mornings this month (not too many hours, but very few full days off) I need to set a pumpkin hour for the night before. So, no drinking after ten, which means that I'll hopefully be in bed not long after due to boredom, if not actual sleepiness. Wish me luck (and strength, and motivation, and sanity...)

Last night we were out with friends so I just conveniently didn't look at the clock after a certain point . I paid for it this morning. Tonight is book club, so I must be firm and let them all know that I can't chat all night.

Enjoy your (af) evenings!

Dion thanks, I think I'm older than most of you and until last year I was the same as most of you, I rarely went more than 2 days without drinking, I enjoyed it, I even managed to win races whilst doing it (well not during the race itself), when I had blood tests for liver enzymes mine were always in the normal range, wine was my friend and I loved the taste so why stop? It was hitting the menopause, putting on a little weight, getting fed up with that tired fuzzy feeling and having kids old enough to be influenced by what I was drinking which gave me that light bulb moment to cut down drastically or quit if I found I was an alcoholic and couldn't just cut down. I'm not a saint at all, I feel awful posting here sometimes because it is like being miss goody-two-shoes but I had 25 years of heavyish wine drinking so I'm anything but!