Tryers to be dryers spring into spring, not as much wine, beer or gin. We sow our seeds of hope for a dryer season, but if we drink, it's for a reason.

[Frouby]

Thread 5 for Tryers to be Dryers. A thread for those who want support for moderating or reducing alcohol. Whatever you hope to do, whether it's to have more dry days, or be less wet when you do drink, come and join us for support.

Absolutely no judgement here, just friendly support and chat, the odd swear (lots of swears to be honest). All welcome, new and old tryers to dryers.

[Flossie44]

Morning all.

Had half a bottle last night. Felt really in control. Enjoyed sipping the wine while I watched tv - two things I never do!!
Anyway tonight dh wants to watch tv. So I’ll be heading to bed early to watch something on my lap top. My plan right this moment in time is to eat dinner and head to bed with cups of tea and chocolate. I will be euphoric if I manage an AF night. But I’m not sure I will. I haven’t had one in months. Oh I tell a lie, I had one about 6 weeks ago while mega hungover - don’t think that counts though

Dion - I need some of your 🌱

[Flossie44]

Read that back through - haha sounds like dh and I can’t watch tv together but we alternate 😂😂. Haha!! We watched ‘the bay’ together last night (anyone watching it?). But now we are in sport mode for the next few nights..football tonight and then the masters golf crap for the next 4!!

[Frouby]

Morning all

leaving bet you are exhausted after all that running around airports, I love a random dream.

flossie I can't stand watching dh telly. I dont mind sports these days, it's the stupid stuff like gold mining and tuna fishing that drives me up the wall. Early nights sound like a good moderating plan.

Either that or get stoned. Bet swampy is partial to a left over spliff as well, he's a scrounging fucker that one.

Off to Costco this morning with my lovely cousin. She is very excited by a girly day out. Dh is a bit jealous I am off shopping for the day as is dd. Am hoping to find a kallax type thing in there to avoid a trip to ikea but bet I end up in there as well.

[Canshopwillshop]

Morning. We went out to our friend’s for dinner last night so was definitely not AF - a gin and a bottle of white! Had a lovely evening though.

Dionysa - go girl! These —drugs— herbs certainly seem to be helping you.

Leaving - hilarious dream 😅

Frouby - I’ve just had to google what a kallax is! I had no clue! Happy shopping.

[Canshopwillshop]

Flossie - well done on last night and good luck for tonight.

[Anglaise1]

Morning all
been reading but too busy to post.
Dion I've ordered your herbs, I see that they are effective in helping stopping booze and smoking, am hoping that they have the same effect on my over consumption of chocolate.
AF 4 nights last week, 2.5 bottles of wine over the weekend (too much felt shit) and AF day 3 this week. No problem at all being AF in the week when DP is too.
Flossie tea and chocolate sound a good alternative to sport on TV. I love doing sport but with the exception of athletics don't enjoy watching it. I don't watch much TV and most of it is French now which isn't a lot better than UK TV but some programmes are still not dumbed down which is nice. I find most UK TV is aimed at a mental age of 8 and it wasn't like that when I lived there.
NC4 are you OK?
School hols here but DS at kids club ridiculously cheap for all the activities they do, DD revising for baccalaureat and me rushing around finding documents for a new mortgage and marriage which will be 20th April.

[doris9034]

Hi all - please can I join?
Loads of your stories could totally be me - i really want to cut down, but then i get home and think "why shouldn't i" .... only very often I dont press the off switch when I should and end up pissed and feeling shit about myself.
We're going away this weekend with 2 other couples - everytime we've done this before I've got really pissed and gone to bed early, so this time I'm determined to be good!
Wish I had some of those drugs herbs to take with me - feel like I might need them....

[Flossie44]

Anglais - oh fantastic!! A date has been set!! This will be our second wedding on this thread then!! Frouby being the first. Tell us all about the plans. 😊😊

Welcome Doris

[DarkheartRedlips]

Thanks for the welcome. Had an Af night last night. Really want to do the same tonight but as I've got to nip out later I know I'm gonna end up with a bottle in the trolly. I don't want to turn to chocolate because I'm trying to lose weight. Which id be able to do if it wasn't for the alcohol..

[Anglaise1]

Darkheart when I first started moderating (1 bottle of wine a week end AF in the week) I ate a lot more chocolate than before and still ended up losing weight. I stopped eating cheese when I stopped drinking red wine. I went from 62kgs to 57kgs in 2 months.
Flossie it will be a very small affair, no dress, no party, just a ceremony at the Mairie with the 4 children, we'll go for a meal after but that is all for now. Depending on the weather I might wear a skirt or dress if it is warm enough but my feet are so misshapen with all the running I do, plus one foot has a lovely bunion that a nice pair of heels are out of the question. I mostly have to buy men's shoes.

[Supergrassyknoll]

Marking my spot in this club 👍🏼💙

[Dionysa]

Doris and Super

NC4, how are you feeling?

Anglaise... wow!!! I had no idea it would be so soon!!! That's amazing. Sounds like my type of wedding, too. If DP proposed to me, I'd marry him in an empty car park, wearing a bin bag, and would be beside myself with happiness. Plus I really hope the Kudzu works for you and chocolate. Strangely, I'm eating better (as in better food, not as in more food) since I started it. I'm not craving crap in the same way. Though this may be the honeymoon phase...

Darkheart, wishing you luck for tonight.

Frouby, I'll come to Costco with you next time. That and Ikea would be a grand day out.

Flossie, that is proper moderation. Especially given all you are going through.

Meanwhile. I had lunch with two friends, one of whom is partial to wine. However, I only had one glass (175ml). It was helped by the others also being restrained as they had other things to do (and evidently don't have a problem with their stop buttons). I was very tempted to carry on when I got home, not least as I still have the half bottle of white, and a tiny bit of red which DS left. But I haven't. I don't know if it's the 🌿🌯, but my brain told me very firmly: "do not make a bad choice now."

It also possibly makes a difference that I also have NDNs coming this evening, so will be providing wine then as well. So I am perhaps not as virtuous as I would like to think.

Leaving, PMSL at your dream 😂

[Confusedbeetle]

Hi everyone, I started reading Allan carrs book How women can stop drinking, based on his stop smoking method. I was very open minded until I got to the bit where he says, remember your first drink? It tasted awful, you had to persevere. Um actually no, it was cider and it was delicious. Then he says, alcohol does nothing good for you, its all bad. Um, I love the little warm fussy mellow feeling of the first glass. I will read on, and then I will read Anni Grace as she has a following. ClubSoda hasnt grabbed me yet. Where to get the motivation?

[doris9034]

I've ordered the herbs!!
@Dion have you had any bad side effects?

[NC4Now]

Hello to all the newcomers!!

Dion and Anglaise I’m not doing great to be honest, but thank you for asking. I’m struggling with my work/life balance, and just can’t shake the gloom. I’m usually so full of energy this time of year too. I don’t think it helps that I fell out with my friend, but actually I don’t particularly want to make up at the moment - I’m just feeling the gap if that makes sense?
I’ve just been for a swim and hot tub in the sunshine in the hope it’ll shake me.

I’m loving all the herbalism going on here at the moment. And tempted too!

Anglaise how exciting!!

[Flossie44]

Anglais - that sounds a perfect wedding. I’m that you are doing it for the right reasons. It’s raw romance in my eyes which is utterly beautiful!! 💕

Dion - bloody good moderating I’d say!! You
Must be chuffed to bits!!

NC4 - sorry you’re so down. What was the argument with your friend about? That’s bound to have an impact on you

Leaving - your dream 😂

[Frouby]

anglaise your wedding sounds absolutely perfect, I would have done similar if it wasn't for dh wanting a 'do'.

We all seem to be doing well on moderating. If we all get smashed on dions herbs we might do better.

NC I usually find when I feel like that I am brewing a virus or something. In a funk but not really knowing why.

Had a lovely but tiring day today. Costco was good. Bought new towels and throws for the sofa, and a fuckton of goodies from the food aisle 😂😂😂. Cousin was like a kid in a sweet shop, she kept sending me to get more samples of chocolates and cakes because she had been to them all 3 times, was stuffed when we had finished. Was nice though, having a day out with no kids or dh.

Am knackered now though. Got back at 1.45pm, had a quick drink then went and fed chickens, picked ds up, went and picked some prescriptions up which took an hour messing about gping to different chemists to get everything then got home and took ds and dog out for a long walk.

Not dry, just had 2 cans of lager. Will be getting pjs on and then switching to gin cos calories. But I think I have walked my 2 cans off today, done 12k steps.

[chooco19]

Evening all! Was going to be AF tonight but need it and also would love some more f your magic herbs 🌿 too Dion! 😂Arguing with DP(again 🙄) today have been over the last few months! He's the most selfish man I ever met said he's trying to change but how can u change your personality ?? I have been dieting and counting my wine calories in my daily allowance which is not good when u are using all your calories for wine then not really eating much !! I have to lose 10 pound in 6 weeks !! Problem is I love my alcohol too much !
I bought that Allen car ages ago and never really read it! Maybe I should get it out! Hope everyone is ok and having a good evening.......

[Flossie44]

Frouby - your day sounds bloody brilliant!! My perfect day!!!!

Chooco - you’ve hit the nail on the head. I too love wine. Bloody flipping adore the stuff if I’m honest. I was chatting to my mum today who said ‘well..I only have a g&t in the evening to be sociable and make your dad feel he’s got company’ Wtaf?!!!!!!! I have wine cos I bloody LOVE it!!!!!!!

Well all day I was going to be AF. Pah!! Half bottle down and enjoying
Every drop!! How the fuck do I stop when I
Actually
Love it!!

[doris9034]

@flossie same!!!!! I have such good intentions all day - and then I give in 😞 And I try to justify it to myself as being my only pleasure - which it is really because I dont smoke, go out much, do shopping, hair, make up etc - but that still doesnt make it right and I know that.
Am hoping for good things when the drugs herbs come tomorrow - maybe they will help shift the mindset

[Frouby]

It was a good day Flossie. My cousin is brilliant. Shes funny and lively and not a bitchy bone in her body and is so kind and polite to everyone we meet. She loves buying stuff as well, her house is full of the latest tech and gizmos but she loves a bargain as well so Costco is her dream place lol. It's like shopping with a teenager bless her.

It's been lovely since she moved back here and even better shes about 5 minutes away. I see her most days and we speak at least once as well. We grew up together though so are very close. She's the same age as me and we went through school together, they lived across the road from us and kids and then with us for a few years, then just up the road.

She didn't have it easy as a kid. Her dad was a serial cheat and got up to all sorts of stuff. And her mum (my mums sister) was an alcoholic for a long time, well until cousin hsd grown up and left home. And she only has an older brother, who has serious mental health issues. And her relationship with her mam is a bit strained so she has always been close to me and my sisters and my mum.

My new shark stick hoover came today as well. Its very nice and light, just giving it a good charge ready for a road test tomorrow. It's only for downstairs on the hardfloors and will definetly be easier than dragging my big beast out every day.

Had my 2 lagers earlier, and then my 2 gins and am going to bed now, am bloody knackered.

[Frouby]

Wtf, why has this been hidden?

[Frouby]

I haven't hidden it? Why does it say it has? Posted a long chatty post, the pfft it's gone?

Has Dion been dealing her 'erbs? 😂😂😂

[Frouby]

Have reported to MNHQ, not sure whats happening.

[Flossie44]

😂😂 frouby.....just Pmsl. What you been up to?! 😂😂