Roses are red, we like Becks Blue, Tryers to be Dryers push on through. 2019 will be our Valentine.

[Frouby]

Thread 4 for support, tips, tricks and friendship as we reduce our alcohol intake even more. For anyone who wants to reduce, stop, moderate or even just track their drinking.

Absolutely no judgement, just support. Everyone welcome.

Previous threads somewhere but am rubbish at clicky links.

Old tryers and new dryers, welcome to our thread. The one that starts in February and will see us all hit our goals as we move forwards.

Hi Nikita190 and welcome. I’m still trying to master weekend only drinking. I have been doing 3 AF days in the week until this week when it all went pear shaped. An App I’ve been using which might help you is called ‘Drink Free Days’ . Good luck and keep posting.

Purple - you’ve done brilliantly. Don’t beat yourself up about having some wine on a Friday. What is your goal?

Hey all thanks
The wine witch had me at 6pm today I was working from with a colleague who wasn't staying long and they brought out the witch I had 2 glasses of that bitch n regretting it even more now!! As I now she will be back again tomorrow night as it's a Saturday what do you all do during AF evenings? Xx

Thanks canshop and rosie. Feeling better now, only has half a bottle and a nice eve with DH and now in bed resisting any more.

nikita I got the drink free days app canshop recommended and its really good. I love a sticker chart and it has kept me motivated (till today!!). On AF days I go to bed early if I can, or fill my evening with anything other than just sitting on the sofa......I've taken up crochet, I play the piano, read or do housework. Anything to have my hands busy!

Hope everyone is ok with eve whether AF or not xxxx

Just wanted to join the thread (have lurked for a while) and say "Hi".

Had my first alcohol free night in about 5 years last night! Didn't sleep brilliantly but that was partly due to being woken up by my dogs barking and then my 10 year old DD saying she couldn't sleep! Feeling pleased to get one AF night under my belt anyway!

My aim is to try to stick to 14 units a week with some alcohol free nights. Don't dare to calculate how many units I've been having until now as I think I should look forward rather than dwell on the past!

Both me and DH are trying to kick the habit as he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition last year and had to have an ICD pacemaker fitted. Alcohol certainly doesn't help with his tachycardia!

Just flying by. Welcome to new Tryers. Will read properly later, but need to report a complete and utter failure last night. I am feeling it now. Ugh.

Frouby, I hope you are having a fab day!!! 🤓🧐

Having a shite week people! Wine witch got me ! Hope everyone is having a nice Saturday! X

Yes, how's it going Frouby?

I have finished my 13 day run of shifts!! Fanfare

You know that insane feeling you get after a gruelling gym class, when you thought you were going to die but you finished it anyway? I've got that.

NC4 I don’t do gym stuff so I don’t really get it. Though I have heard of this weird thing. What class do you do? Last week I finally found a friend to come rock climbing (indoor) with me. Was great. And noted that it would be very bad with hangover. So that’s a plus

I’ve not done the gym for ages, I just can’t find my mojo, but when I’m in the zone I love spin. I start thinking there’s no way I’ll finish, and it nearly kills me, but the buzz after is brilliant.
Mostly I do weights. I just need to get back into it.

Have now caught up. Was out last night with DP, which ended being saturated. As we'd had the shagathon on Thursday, we just ate and drank and went to sleep. Cups of tea this evening. I feel very rough, so not that tempted to drink.

Nikita, welcome and good luck. Occupation during AF evenings is the million-dollar questions. I mostly count the minutes until I can remove DD's phone and go to bed. Either that, or faff on the internet.

Purple, you may have succumbed, but you did 12 days. That's 11 more than I seem able to manage ATM.

Scottie, welcome too. I think I had about 24 units last night alone. Sigh.

Longest, I will be interested to hear about the RADA course...! And NC4, congrats on getting 13 days of shifts done.

Hello everyone. Congrats on finishing the shifts NC4. Welcome newbies and hope today was good Frouby.

Have been relatively moderate I think though not saintly. Dsis is here for the weekend but turns out to be early days pregnant with dc2 so although dh and I polished off her share of the bottle we didn't open another. Love dsis and DN so excited about new baby but we have both had our share of miscarriages so on tenterhooks.

Have first period in about two years after changing coil. Am trying out new tulip cup. Seems good so far.

Am bloody knackered though. Did park run again and am making basically no progress (have shaved 10 secs off very slow PB in three weeks) and my ankles are really weak and have been hurting when I walk. Also took kids swimming and into town. Ready for zzzs now.

Ps school strike was fun. Dd1 thought it was wild, and was amazed that the teenagers were in charge. We went to the science museum afterwards to the atmosphere gallery to learn more about climate change. Going to go next month too and go to museum of London to learn about suffragettes and other protests. Am quite looking forward to my once a month day out with her!

That sounds brilliant Longest. I was sent out to report on the climate change protests in Manchester yesterday (I love, love, love reporting on demos) but by the time I got there they’d left.
It’s the bummer of being up here. London newsdesks cover a story, then at 2pm go ‘we should see what’s happening up north’ by which time it’s finished.
I sometimes wish I worked in London.

Evening tryers.

Bloody hell am knackered now, been up since 6am, out of the house at 9 and walked back in 10 minutes ago.

The course was absolutely amazing, I learnt so much, met a couple of industry boffins, spoke to a couple of bigwigs within Betfair (which is a trading site, the biggest there is) and was made to feel important and valued by them smoozing us, met a couple of guys I speak to daily online and had an absolute blast.

Am absolutely knackered now. Having a cuppa and going to bed.

Sounds really good Frouby. Did you walk into calm at home?
Amazingly, my boys caught the train together to visit their dad yesterday, both had friends in while I was working, but had a quick whip round before they left - pots washed, front room tidied and recycling out.
I’m raising decent blokes.

It was pretty calm NC, kids were still awake but I expected them to be but in bed which is fine, it's half term next week so no harm done.

Both very pleased with their goodie bags I swiped for them 😁.

Dh was in bed too, said he's had a good day and everything was fine, but said in a sad, poor neglected husband kind of way. He daren't moan and say it's been hard but also darent enthuse too much in case I make a habit of it. .

Will break it to him at a later date that I am going on another course later on in the year .

Sounds like familiar husband behaviour frouby. I couldn’t find mine on Saturday while the kids were building a time machine on the table from the contents of the recycling bin. This was the last surface area in the flat left untrashed by kid crap. The place is not big, hard to lose folk. Found him in bed asleep (man flu). I’m almost glad to go back to work just to get away from the devastation my kids create.

Just flying in. Sorry not had time to read through...

Just wanted to ask you all what you consider to be ‘moderating’ ?? I know we all consume different amounts. But just wondered what moderation actually means to each individual.
For me, moderation is half a bottle of wine. And a full night is a whole bottle. I never go over one bottle as I then become ill/pissed/beer fear etc. I know my limit and can stop at that. But my actual ‘moderation’ is half a bottle

Day 2 has turned into a major press of the fuck-it button. FML.

Flossie, I would think half a bottle is good moderation. I haven't managed this tonight.

Frouby, you say it so well.

Yes Flossie - I think I agree with your definition of moderation being a half bottle of wine. On a Sat or Sun I might have a g&t followed by bottle of wine - that’s a full night.

Half a bottle would be good moderating for me too. I can only achieve that if someone drinks the other half though.
I’m going to count today as a successful day 1. I did have half a bottle of beer while I was cooking tea, but that was not much in the big scheme of things.
DS birthday tomorrow - but I’m going to try for a dry.

flossie moderation for me is sharing a bottle of wine but like you NC I can only achieve that if someone drinks the other half should they be able to keep up yes a full night it a full bottle sometimes with something before or after it. I have no off-switch anymore if someone encourages me (I have enabling friends and partner to an extent) or I'm alone. I aim for 3 AF days a week which I don't find that hard, in truth though for me I feel it somewhat misses the point as I just make up for it on other nights, get trashed at least once a week, feel shit in the morning regularly etc. I'm thinking of doing a circadian fasting diet on week days, which is a fancy way of saying nothing at all consumed (aside from water) for 12 hours in 24. I did it last year for a few weeks then lapsed. There are a lot of supposed health benefits which still appeared in research subjects with 2 cheat days a week. Those research subject were mice though

I haven't entirely decided. Definitely no more than a bottle between 2 on any one night, but I don't know how many AF days I want to do. I think I want to get to the point where it's not my default state of being, so I will only drink if there's a reason, which u an pretty good at until someone else suggests a glass then I totally cave.

Glad you enjoyed the course Frouby. We went to the zoo. Was a good day but I could barely move last night. Am a bit worried my joints aren't really up to running, even 5k. Would be a shame though as I have been sticking to my park run thing.

Half term. Dd2's nursery is open so I am experimenting with working from home with dd1 and friend here. Have deep sense of foreboding, but is just for today. Have a night away on Thursday.

I’d like to get back to how I was last time I was a single parent - never drinking at home, pub for a few hours on a Friday night, out out (falling through the door at 3am) a couple of times a year. That’s what my early 30s looked like and I think that’s pretty good.
I worry about being a middle-aged bar fly type. My best friend is always drunk and it’s not a good look. I’m having to distance myself a bit, sadly.