Stopping drinking for a while - part 2

[Patbutcherismyhero]

Hi all, a new thread as requested. Hope to see you all here shortly x

Happy end of weekend everyone. Sounds like you are doing great @AlCalavicci and @randomgirl

Hope everyone else is ok.... here's some Sid love

thanks @fluckityfluckfluck
You should start Sid working as a model, he’s a natural.
You hit 100 days?! How was the cake Congratulations!
I had a dry meal on Friday night and a dry weekend. Slept like a log last night. Feeling optimistic about the week ahead.
Hope everyone else had a good weekend.

@fluckityfluckfluck,
You could not make it up ! you are much better off with Sid , he is a bundle of cute wrapped up in floofyness .

I hope everyone else is doing ok

I had my 100 day on Friday - posted on fb and had four people pm me asking for help how to start. So many people struggle and we are pretend there's nothing wrong. I feel immense peace. I'm not even tempted to break it now. I'd struggle without the af alternatives but otherwise don't miss it. Still not saying forever - but definitely not at home alone the way I was

Place marking as I keep losing the page!

Well done @fluckityfluckfluck! That’s a real achievement.

I’ve just looked at the calendar and seen that there is still time to get to 100 by New Year if I include the 16 days under my belt. I’m really tempted to try and go for it.

That’s interesting about your friends messaging. There is still a bit of a stigma to being AF.

Hi guys, not been here for a while but I'm on day 44AF!! I have nearly achieved my goal which was AF till 40! My birthday is tomorrow and I haven't yet decided whether to carry on being AF or to have an occasional drink, my worry being that occasionally will lead to 3/4 bottles of wine a week 😬

Lost 2lbs at my weigh in yesterday, really pleased and going to try and keep it off this week.
Day 17 here. I’m ploughing through my ‘to do’ list like a woman on a mission.
Hope everyone is keeping well.

Hello everyone ,
well done @fluckityfluckfluck I bet you are ( rightly so ) proper chuffed.
I hope your FB friends are able to join the AF way of living , if you can support them thats great but mind they dont start saying its all not worth it and I will drink what I want when they start to struggle and drag you down with them. I have not had that issue this time but last year when I went AF for a while i shared it with a few friends who joined me for a while but one by one they decide it was not for them ( fair enough ) but then I got a lot of 'why bother ' , 'your soon dead enjoy life while you can ' kind of comments . They were not been nasty or provocative , they thought I was sort of waiting for permission to drink .

@Shelleyjelly80 belated happy birthday I hope you had a good day . Did you have a drink ?

@Cherrybakewellll , just tagging in case you lose us again

@ImSleepingBeauty well done on the weight loss ( I think I am looking after it for you ) I am a bugger for writing to do list and then not getting round to the doing bit . my motivation seems to of gone on a very loooonnng holiday.

I am still AF, 98 days today ! that really surprised me , I have not been keeping a close track on it recently , I never thought I would get this far and not have any problems .

Onwards and upwards everyone

umm that . . . its all not worth it and I will drink what I want. . . was not meant to be crossed out , I meant its all not worth it and I will drink what I want

( I promise I haven't had a drink ! )

@AlCalavicci I'm going to try and get into my skinny jeans at the weekend. I think to be comfortable in them I need to lose another couple of pounds. I have noticed I seem to be losing it from around the stomach though so thats good.

I’ve got a real challenge this weekend. I’m meeting up with a friend who I normally drink a lot with.
I haven’t told her I’m alcohol free at the moment.
So last time I managed 25 days (aim was 30) and I was comfortable with the decision to break it.
This time I really want to stay dry. I’ve found some AF wine I can take but I feel she’ll be disappointed when I tell her I’m not drinking. She wouldn’t cancel but it does change the evening if she’s drinking alone... it’s a bit tricky.

@ImSleepingBeauty , I hope you can get into them , I remember many years ago I squeezed into a very tight pair of leather trousers by lying on my bed and breathing in a lot all was good till we were out and i wen to the loo for the love of me I could not get the dam things fastened back up , fortunately I had a belt on and a longish t-shirt so I got away with it.

It is hard been around people that expect you to drink , as I said up thread some can see it as a 'sad' / 'boring' way to spend the night . hopefully your friend will support you and not make a big thing of you not drinking.
Will you tell her in advance or leave it till the night ? . TBH I took the slightly cowardly way out last time ( last year ) and text people to tell them I wasn't drinking and I didn't want a fuss making of it and to be fair the evening went well on that occasion and most of my friends actually drank less than they would do normally but as I said to fluckity it doesn't always go well .

I just saw an ad for sober October so I may say I’m doing that to avoid the whole discussion. That seems more socially acceptable then saying I’m not drinking right now because I’ve realised it’s not doing me any favours - to a friend who drinks the same if not more then I used to.

I’m really keen to go for 100 days by the end of the year. I know I didn’t get to my target of 30 last time but I’d actually be on day 44 if I hadn’t had that one night off. I’m finally starting to feel the benefit and I don’t want to spend Saturday going through the justification journey ‘it’s just one night off, I’ve done so well etc’ and then Sunday feeling the anxious regret cycle ‘I wish I hadn’t, did I do anything stupid etc’.

@AlCalavicci I’ve spent many an evening breathing in because I’ve squeezed myself into something
One time I went for a meal with my boss on a work trip and my skirt was so tight it split up the back when I was walking up some stairs. I had to walk with my jacket tied around my waist for the rest of the evening

Thank you @AlCalavicci had a great birthday. I did have a drink in the end which was nice but 2 drinks and I had to have a snooze🤣 think I will carry on with the not drinking as I like the clear headed feeling !

@ImSleepingBeauty oh no ! did your boss know or did you manage to hid it ?

@Shelleyjelly80 😂 I think I will be the same , either that or my knees will get that flexible in the wrong direction thing going on , you now , when you know you have put on foot in front of the other but somehow you end up going sideways

@AlCalavicci 🤣🤣

Congrats @fluckityfluckfluck and @AlCalavicci!!! Amazing.
Hope all are well, going to catch up properly at the weekend, just a speedy check in tonight.
Hope all doing ok x

@AlCalavicci yeah he knew. The shame!!!

@Patbutcherismyhero @BoxAndKnife @BooksMusicSnacks @cherrybakewellll @NeedAUserNameAllTaken @Railingsohno How are you all doing?

I'm really struggling at the moment. Work is insane, stuff with the ex is insane. And I go from 100 miles an hour to nothing when not at work or having the kids. Sid will be great company when he's older but his constant nipping is really getting me down too. It fucking hurts.

I go from being so grateful for my simple peaceful life to aching with loneliness. I don't have the urge for a drink but I still have to fight the instinct to have one if that makes sense?

I'm eating really badly, and really fear the dark mornings/evenings and the wet weather and how this is going to impact on my mental health.

Sending a hug @fluckityfluckfluck, I hope life levels out soon. I'm glad that there is peace in there. But I'm sorry you feel lonely. Could these moments be turned into ones that bring peace? Maybe the times you workout/exercise/do yoga/meditate etc... maybe become about the stuff busy life doesnt allow so they are treats instead? I always find a dog walk helps too as there's always plenty of others to chat to.

I'm good cheers, super busy with work and knackered but its good to be working and I enjoy my job, even if its hard atm it's an adjustment for sure. I think I'm about to hit day 80 and now its cold am enjoying having a hot chocolate instead of booze. Had a period of just wanting a glass of wine like "normal" people but that's passed, re reading Catherine Grey and finding she cements my desire to say this is forever. Also dont have time to drink atm cant even imagine this tiredness with a hangover!

Hows everyone else? @ErinBrockovich are you ok? @HotelRoomforOne?
Have a lovely weekend all xxx

Hi @NeedAUserNameAllTaken I'm Erin with a NC
I’m doing my first night out AF tonight. Im dreading it. Partly the feeling of having to fight the craving the whole time and partly that self doubt. Will i be the boring one?!
Probably if I'm honest. I also think it sucks for the other person to be drinking alone. Its not the same.
I’ve decided to take the car just to make sure i’m not tempted.

I’ve had a good week, will power wise. I’ve had this change in mindset. Its been a turning point. I feel more in control.

@fluckityfluckfluck that sounds really tough. Especially with Sid. At least you can try and shut out the rest but the nipping is a bit of a metaphorical slap in the face!
He will get better with time.

I’ve really pushed my exercise the last couple of weeks. Done some classes, a couple of swims and a couple of walks. Its helped my mood.
I’ve also continued with my ‘to do’ list and i think that’s also made a positive difference to my moods. I’ve realised that losing sleep worrying about the stuff i can change is so counter productive. Chipping away at the big jobs rather then putting them off is working for me.

I hope you feel a positive change soon

For those who remember my skinny jeans purchase during lockdown. I bought them in my usual size and couldn’t do them up, which my DC found hilarious. So I took them back and exchanged them for the next size up.... Still unable to try on in the shop. I got them home and whilst I may have been able to force the button closed they were extremely tight! I couldn’t face returning them for a second time and get the next size up again so they’ve been sat in the back of my wardrobe ever since.
As I’m out tonight I thought I would try them on.
It’s been six weeks of avoiding alcohol. I’ve really worked hard to get out exercising. I’ve cut back on eating junk in the evenings and upped my fruit and veg.
I’ve lost 2% of body fat and gained 1% more muscle in 6 weeks. My face and body is looking much less bloated. My skin looks better and I’m sleeping really well now.

Wow sleeping that's cracking progress!!!! Well done you.

Where is @HotelRoomforOne and @RandomGirl - are you guys ok?

Hi all, Thanks for asking @fluckityfluckfluck and @NeedAUserNameAllTaken, I'm well. Day 51 here. It has been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least, I have so much work to do on my mental health and life in general. Stopping drinking is only the very beginning of all this for me. Have been busy here with children and baby but am enjoying reading all your updates. You all keep me going! Thank you.

@ImSleepingBeauty, you did it, the jeans! And the results are fantastic. So impressed that you chipped away at it for six weeks, and it really worked, you give me hope! How was your night out with your friend? Did you go for 'sober October'? Nice jeans!

Our outdoor pool is opening on the 19th October and I want to shrink my gut a good bit by then, and actually enjoy going to the pool. It's my last summer in Australia, I want to squeeze the juice out of it! My body is hanging onto this extra weight for dear life. I guess 20 years of heavy drinking just can't be undone in 50 days!!

@AlCalavicci big congrats on 100 days now! Will you mark with anything special? What an achievement! Well done Al.

@fluckityfluckfluck hope you are doing ok. Have you ever used one of those sunlight/ blue light lamps for the dark mornings? I have a friend in Canada who swears by it for aiding low mood in winter. Take care xx