Wankerbastards will upset us that try, but we will still be dry. Or dryer at a push. It's a good job we are not in a rush.

[Frouby]

Thread 6 for the Tryers to be Dryers.

Support thread for reducing alcohol, stopping alcohol, monitoring alcohol. All welcome, absolutely no judgement. Whatever your aims with alcohol come and join us here. Lots of swearing but no judging or criticising.

Previous threads dotted around but can never do clicky links.

I think opinions have swung, a bit, but opinions are still very divided and strongly held. Hard to see a way through. I only wish all the parties had adopted a tone of expectation management from the beginning, rather than whipping everything up for their own political gain.

Afternoon all

Welcome back Rupert, I hope you find aome support from this thread.

Wasn't dry last night, had 3 g and ts. Am fine with that. It wasn't the mad day out dh wanted so consider that a win.

Been mad busy this morning. Had a few hours on the allotment planting out. Walked the dog, tidied round, been to fat club (got my 1/2 stone certificate 😜), and been and checked ponies. Just having 5 minutes then starting making dinner. Roast chicken and all the trimmings.

Probably be dry tonight. Depending on whether ds stops mithering me.

Half a stone, that's fab Frouby! I just wrestled myself into a wetsuit that was a bit snug last year and ridiculously constructive this. Couldn't really swim in it, just floated around a bit!

On the plus side I have booked us all on a tall ship sailing experience on Wednesday. Kind of pricey and I am by far the most excited about it, but it's something I have always wanted to do (in a seafaring voyage sort of a way but a two hour cruise round the harbour is a start!). Weather is lovely today. Going to have a barbecue on the beach this evening.

Half a stone is brilliant Frouby go you! And that with your weekend away last week.
Welcome back Rupert, I hope you manage to reduce your drinking with us - there is generally someone being AF or moderating, but never all of us at the same time.
Barbecue on the beach sounds great Longest and the tall ships experience will be well worth it I'm sure.
Back from work and nearly cried on the way home. DD is doing her Baccalauréat this week and had her German oral exam today. The subject was myths and heroes and the examiner asked her who her hero was and she said 'my mum' (or mater whatever is in German) because I came out to France and brought up 2 children on my own, running my own business and teaching, as well as running ultra marathons. It was mother's day here yesterday and I got nothing, so it was nice hearing her exam story

That's really lovely Madame, would make me have a bit of something in my eye too.

Am pleased with my certificate, there is something about a fatclub certificate that takes me back to school and getting merits 😂😂😂. My fat is mainly from alcohol so it's a big incentive to stay dry.

Very nearly had a drink earlier. Dh was having a few cans while watching football and put me a bottle of wine in the fridge. I thought about how nice it would be to have a nice cold glass of wine while I cooked roast chicken, then remembered how nice it is to be sober and wake up fresh tomorrow. So I had a can of diet coke and promised myself I would have wine when I put the Yorkshire puddings in if I still fancied it.

Then I forgot all about it so that's good. Going to have a shower, get my pjs on and watch LOD instead then finish my book in bed.

Proper rock and roll here.

Aw Madame, they are sweet underneath it all! How nice.

Frouby your willpower is awesome!

Welcome back Rupert.

Have sent DH and dd1 for evening stroll to beach. Dd2 is in bed. Enjoying a bit of peace. This is a good holiday though- working out better than the last one, which included some lovely places but too much driving and stress. Rowed our rubber dinghy this afternoon and have booked pony riding for tomorrow, and going fossil hunting.

Lovely to hear tales of holidays, Longest and NC4. I'm so glad you're enjoying them.

Madame, your DD is a sweetheart. It's funny how they sometimes come up with unexpectedly nice things. They're what keep you going, really.

Frouby, half a stone? That is seriously impressive. Does it also coincide with your recent stint of moderation? (Does this mean that alcohol in fact contains calories? Surely not).

Rupert, I remember you from the original thread. Lovely to have you back!

Bigbus, it sounds as if you're doing a good job of moderating.

I actually managed an AF night last night (not sure how). It was a struggle. I had a can of Diet Coke, which I hate - but it filled a gap. So it was a dreary and dull evening. However... when I was getting into bed, I was then very pleased with myself for being AF. I didn't sleep particularly well, but at least it wasn't beer fear. And now I feel not hungover, which is a good feeling. It's such a good feeling that I don't know why I don't do it more often.

Unfortunately the weight loss does coincide with my AF streak dion. It's quite sad really as I prefer drink to food. I can't say I have been particularly strict with food either, still had normal dinner, reduced the amount of bread I have (maybe twice a week instead of 4 times) and increased the amount of salad and veg.

But other than that not really changed my diet because my diet was healthy anyway.

My excess 2 stone is all alcohol I am afraid.

I use that drink aware app which tracks calories as well as units. Looking back some (lots) of weeks were around 3000 calories on lager and wine. If there are 3500 cals in a lb, thats nearly a lb a week added on in empty, pointless calories. Add to that having the odd takeaway because I couldn't be arsed to cook dinner, or the odd bacon butty at a weekend because hangover and multiply that by about 2 years since I last did fatclub and you have a fat, saggy frouby 🙈🙈🙈.

Skin looks a bit better already and I don't look quite so jowly and bloated and my complexion is a bit brighter.

It's so easy to list the benefits though. Not as easy to keep to it long term.

Off to ponies, got blacksmith coming and hope he turns up on time or I might throw ds and dd on the muck heap!

Dion well done on your AF night, maybe it was the caffeine in the Diet Coke that kept you awake.
I lost 6kgs without effort (I wasn't even overweight) when I moderated strictly at 1 bottle of wine per week. The problem is that the calories in alcohol are useless and are stored directly as fat around your middle. William Porter goes into some detail of this in alcohol explained. Of course the other reasons for weight loss is that when you drink you eat more bad food during and the day after to compensate for the fatigue and exhaustion of not sleeping properly.

Not had chance to read but will do so..just putting my head through the door from France to say hi 👋🏼
Totally NOT AF here I’m afraid!!

Hope you're having fun Flossie! Well done Dion. Inspiring moderation going on.

Hi all. I had 2 glasses at spice girls, not bad I thought. Then a hot choc and twix as I was freezing. Srill feel a bit groggy today (and hungry) even though it was only 2! I also ordered a medium size glass instead of large. Not done that for years.

I wish they would put calories plain to see on a bottle. Some times I look it up online for a special gin mixer, but it should be easier.

I've been eating pretty well but allowing treats. My wine belly has shrunk and I've lost a few pounds in first month. If I keep this up I can probably slowly get it off. Requires more movement on my part!

Bonjour Flossie, profite bien de tes vacances
Cotton so pleased you are able to moderate and the weight loss is an added bonus
Forgot to say last night DP fancied a glass of wine so I opened a bottle but neither of us really wanted more than a glass so there is still two thirds left. Not AF but serious moderating for both him and me.

Hmm. Not dry, at all. DD is being a cowbag. I have worked all day, since 6AM. DD says I love work more than her. Yeah, right.

Madame, I'm loving the French!

Ugh Dion, kids know how to twist the knife don't they? Tbh I tend to laugh at mine when they say things like that. I feel no guilt about work really. Plenty of other things to feel guilty about if one is so inclined!

Went swimming at Durdle Door. DC went pony riding. Just settling down with a glass of wine now but hope that bodes well for moderation.

Well done M et Mme Forest!

Longest laughing at your kids is often the best way to shut them up.
Am so jealous of you swimming at Durdle Door, I think it was the first beach I ever visited. So I was surprised when I saw that most other beaches were sandy!
Dion I suggest that DD does a day at work with you sometime to see what you actually do (including the early starts). I'm sure she won't be so quick to comment after that!
Not dry either, ran 20km this evening and the two glasses of wine after were lovely!

Hello, will catch up with everyone tomorrow but I have a temporary job so that’s good! And as I’m working from next week I’ve been drinking like a bastard. Have had a great time though, loads of meals out, lots of siesta crapuleuses (?!) - it’s been brilliant. And dh and I are taking dd and her best friend to Paris on Thursday, just for one night. Feeling happy. Fat but happy. Will get back on diet and AF next week!

water well done on the job, you sound like you are having a ball!

dion definetly make dd do some graft. Mine got snotty about me 'gambling' a few months ago because it's not a 'proper' job. Pointed out my improper job pays for her ponies in full livery every month, her school trip to Belgium this year, her D of E stuff, her weekly allowance and last years holiday plus I am around 247 but if she wanted me to get a proper job the ponies would have to be DIY livery which she would have to do because I might be at work, and there would be no more extra curricular stuff because we couldn't afford it plus she may have to collect ds from school and look after him a couple of nights a week.

Teenagers are knobbers sometimes.

Happy half term to everyone else.

Didn't get back from stables until 1pm. Ran round and blitzed house, then had a bath. Dh had poured me a wine when I got out the enabling twat. So I drank that plus another glass, then ate 2 of the cupcakes ds made at my cousins the other day. Not even ashamed. Am going to have a lovely lie in tomorrow morning. Dh is up at 5.30 so I can starfish in my lovely clean room and fresh bedding.

Frouby and Dion, Teenagers are indeed knobbers. I love them and all, but yes.
Here’s a rare sighting of the lesser spotted NC4 on a boat trip, with family, where there was snorkelling, kayaking, banana boat, sea swimming in glorious blue water (hence my sea salty hair). Check out DS2 in the background, not wanting to do any of it 🤣

If by chance you know me IRL , please DM!!

We’ve just dropped their dad and stepmum at the airport, so back to a party of 3. It’s been good to have them here. Shameless wine time now.

Water brilliant news on the job front. You enjoy your celebrations!

Flossie hope you’re enjoying France and Longest Dorset. You’re very brave swimming outdoors. I’m not sure I would have done if I hadn’t capsized the kayak trying to get in. FML. Glad I did though.

Rupert I wasn’t on the first thread but welcome back. We’re all a work in progress here.

Hurrah! Found you!

Loving the holiday pic, NC4.

Teenagers are, indeed, knobbers. I did point out to DD that I could stop working, and we would go and live in a tent and she would leave her school. She said: "whatever". FML.

Hello, Doctor.

Hope you are enjoying your starfishing, Frouby. I've been up since 4 with beer fear, and it didn't seem worth going back to bed. So I have been doing some cleaning. It's all excitement here.

Water, that's great about the job. I admire the way you seem to be able to use your off-switch when you need to. That's the bit I can't seem to manage.

Excellent moderating, MadameF (and M. F).

Longest, that all sounds fab. I'm glad you're having a good time.

Watery, brilliant news! Enjoy your celebrations!

NC4 you look gorgeous! Enjoy all the wholesome outdoor activity!

You look lovely and happy and relaxed NC. Lol at ds not wanting to join in though, sounds like my dd.

Didn't really get a lie in, ds woke up at 7am because he could. Did send him back to bed for an hour with his tablet but I didn't manage to get back to sleep.

Quieter day today thank goodness. Just waiting for my lovely dsis to come for an hour with my niece, we might have a mooch up to nature reserve possibly. Then going to do an hour on allotment.

Felt rubbish this morning. I don't think it was the wine, think it was the fairy cake full of buttercream and the burger. Have been pretty low fat low sugar for the last few weeks and I don't think my tummy appreciated it.

Lol, does anyone watch Pointless? My cousin just smashed it out of the park!

Longest, I last watched TV in about 2000, so am a hopeless case. Also a hopeless case re AF tonight as DP invited me for a drink. I am unable to say no. His drinks are very strong. No excuse.

I am wilting a bit as have been up since 4.30 and am now under the influence. FML. Would like to say I will do better tomorrow, but I won't, as I have been invited out by school mums.