High functioning and ready to cut down ? Anyone want to join me ?

[Tinkerbellx]

Hi
I'm not ready to go AF hence a separate thread ( yes I know I should do so sorry just being honest ) , but I'm in my late 40's, single parent and full time professional job .
2 at uni and 1 in 6th form and one still at primary . I'm juggling as many of us are .... the career/family/house / car . Along the way I'm now drinking a bottle of wine most nights . It's become a habit and I know it's making me ill .
I guess I leaned on alcohol throughout a long unhappy marriage / then the divorce and now it's become a habit .
The first thing mummy does when I get home is pour a glass of wine and then I feel myself start to unwind . Except I carry on .
My face is now feels puffy , my clothes are tight , my sleep quality is crap and so on .
I'm at a point in my life where I really need to take control as its my first opportunity in almost 27 years that I actually can .
I have an amazing partner now and we're planning on selling our homes imminently to move in together as a family . I want to have taken back control of this before then .
So I plan on not drinking during he week starting tomorrow .
I've stopped before and after the first night I remember actually enjoying it so I don't know why I'm so panicky ?
Does anyone else want to join me please ?

Morning all. AF last night. Thanks to all on this thread.

Bert sounds tough. Hope things are going in the right direction for your DS.

iam I know what you mean. Just carry on as you were on the overall really good trajectory.

tinks how are you and apologies for not remembering it's your thread (a couple of pages ago). Can't thank you enough for starting the thread, and serendipity for me finding it.

Hi all, Bert it sounds like you are going through a lot at the mo. Well done for last night. I made a dinner using red wine and had a small glass 1/4 full of red wine because it was there. It wasn't much so I was pretty happy but tonight I've had almost a whole bottle of fizz and I really want to stop. It would be lovely to hear from others who have successfully stopped drinking to inspire me

Hi, so I've been really ill tonight and I'm feeling really rubbish about myself. Most likely it's due to exposure to someone who has had a sickness big but I'm also embarrassed about the fact that I drank a whole bottle of fizz to myself. Is anyone else seriously considering going alcohol free?

@bert3400

Bert3400 that would be enough to drive anyone to wine, I hope the treatment goes well for him.

Halfthesky if most of the bottle of fizz was gone at that time, what time did you open it?-not judging!! - I think it’s too easy to drink fizz quickly, especially if it’s in a flute. One sip & the glass is half empty so needs topping up again. Hope the sickness isn’t a full on bug & you feel okay today. I have considered going alcohol free.....I just can’t do it, which speaks volumes

Mackerz sending DH to support his friend sounds like a plan!

Ringsender well done on the AF nights.

Humphriescushions here’s me thinking a week off was good going I will work up to a month off, I have done it in the past but not for a couple of years.

iam hope you enjoyed your day off & enjoy the long weekend.

We are out tonight so will be having alcohol. Will then see if I can last another whole week AF

Well, I had 3 glasses of crap red at a function on Friday night. Was back home by 9.30pm. A regular size scotch at home later on (didn't really need it, more thought I wanted it). Cat woke me up so not enough sleep.

Banging headache this morning and awful sinus pain. Got DD to activity and back. Puked a lot and had a couple of hours on bed.

AF tonight, which is an unplanned bonus.

I refuse to believe that my tolerance for booze has disappeared in just a few days, but I did feel very rough today. Weird!

Well it was an awful meal -sent back twice & finally said not to bother because DH had finished his by this time-but they gave me (another) large wine to apologise which means I ended up drinking more than planned. I’ve had an awful nights sleep and feel worse than I usually do when I’m drinking 3/4 nights a week. The result is I wished I hadn’t had a drink at all which I suppose is good in a way. Hopefully I can hold that thought through the rest of the week.

Ring I also think my tolerance can’t have lowered so much in a week but, as we have both had the same rough feeling on drinking again after a few days off, maybe it has?? Hope you managed a good night sleep last night.

Did anyone else have a drink last night?

I had about 3 glasses last night, as I didn't have any on Saturday (my so-called allowed night). (Ahem). I enjoyed 2 1/2 of them, but finished the last glass because it was there, not because I wanted to.

I wonder if at least I'm becoming a bit more in tune with myself at least.

How's everyone else? Tinks, how are you?

Morning - oh I drunk way too much yesterday. We had family over for a roast and we ended up drinking 3 bottles wine between 4 of us ( I think I had the most ) . Feel so tired and out of sorts this morning. Well looking forward to a week of no drinking and maybe the weekend too

And thank for the messages of support for my son. He is doing really well but we have a long journey until his treatment is over, but so far so good

@Tinkerbellx are you ok?

How we all doing? Going to post to be accountable. Drank too much on sat, had people here and was not sensible as often happens. So starting my month af as of yesterday. Day one easy with a hangover but a good reminder of why i need to do this.

Ring the “because it was there” is very familiar to me too.

bert glad he is doing ok, a long road. Sound like a lively Sunday lunch!

Humph starting sober October early!

I’m already thinking how tomorrow is usually wine night & not sure I can abstain. We’ve had some good news so we want to celebrate (whilst being very aware that if it had been bad news I would be wanting to drown my sorrows) and it’s a busy day in work so I will have ‘deserved’ a drink Will see what tomorrow brings.

OP hope you are okay.

Hi All. Hope you had a nice weekend. Well done Ringsender2 on an AF Saturday. I cant remember when I last managed that!! Are we all up for a more sober October? I for one am putting a rather ‘Steaming September ‘ behind me and moving on. I am trying for as many AF nights as I can muster, with a view to very restrained drinking on the nights I do partake. Tinker and others who have not been on for a couple of days, please come back and join us. My personal campaign has not been a great success so far, but I know if I keep logging on for the support of this group it might be the push I need to see real results this month. How are others doing?

I know itsall, easy with a hangover. Must make sure i dont persuade myself i can finish early!

Joined my DH in a beer this evening. Monday. Not too impressive!

As Iam said above, it's about doing better than not trying. All a win.

Tinks hope you are OK. You brought us all here!

Hi All. AF here tonight. I made dinner early which definitely helps. How are you doing tonight @ring? What about you Itsallpetetong? I know this is a wobbly evening for you.

I downloaded a good App called ‘Drink Less’ .There is a bit more to it than the ‘drink aware’ one and it tells you straight! Last night it told me I was drinking more than what over 90% of the population drink, which was a bit of a wake-up call. I knew I was a bit of a lush but . Anyway, come on and post for support. Doesn’t matter if good or bad, let’s just get blethering about it. I am not up to telling my friends, family or colleagues I am cutting down on drink (as don’t want them knowing I’ve been drinking too much). Only you guys and DH know. This has to work this month or I will need to ‘fess up to GP too.

Happy hump day. So far it's been AF and I feel really good. My son is coming round for dinner tonight, so it will be another AF as I will drive him home. I hope everyone is having a good week .

Hello ladies, can I join in? I've always had a bit of a dodgy relationship with booze. I worry about it all the time because my Mum was an alcoholic and died young of cancer (no idea if the 2 were connected but they might be). However, I also love a drink and have quite a high tolerance which I know isn't a good sign. I use the drinkaware app, and I'm pretty much NEVER under 14 units a week, I average about 22. Not horrendous, but more than I should. My trouble is I can never have just one glass. So, given that I enjoy a few glasses at a time I'm keen to try and keep it to weekends only.

I've got a glass with measures marked on it so I can't kid myself about what a 'small' glass is. I also quite like the Rawson's Retreat sparkling AF wine, that's a nice substitute for a weeknight.

Let's do this xx

I should add, I had 2 small glasses last night - I don't even know why! I just fancied it but the second one I don't think I even really wanted it. Aiming for AF today and tomorrow now, will almost certainly have a couple on Friday night.

Well I totally failed last night, I actually could have done without it but.....it’s just what we always do. Boredom I guess. So, more effort needed for the rest of the week!

Scattered welcome. I’m also someone who can never just have one glass but at least you measure-I just free pour!

iam I will have a look at the ‘Drink Less’ app. Thanks for the suggestion. The drink aware one is a bit meh. I am also not telling anyone, fear of being judged I suppose. I have also wondered if I need to chat to the dr!

bert glad you are feeling the benefit of being AF. Well done you!

Ring it would be hard not to have a beer when you DH is having one & it is definitely better to try than not.

@Itsallpetetong today's a new day! Stick AF with me tonight :) I plan to have some AF wine, popcorn and Netflix. DH is away with work for 3 whole weeks so I can binge on my own TV watchlist!

Late to the party but can I join? I've been getting a bit worried about how much I've been drinking. Once the bottles opened I'll drink it, even though I know I'm going to feel like shit.

I've started cutting back so haven't been drinking every day but ideally want to stop drinking whole bottles when I do have a drink!

Well I’m pleased to say I’ve had a 9 day sober streak and intend to continue to the end of October for Ocsober. Wish me luck!

DP is going out for a lads night with some friends on Saturday. I’m pleased because it will stop the “it won’t hurt to just get a few ciders in” moaning.

@Mackerz well done! 9 days in a row is good going