Anyone giving up alcohol for Lent?

[wintertime6]

I tried dry January, I definitely cut back a lot but wasn't completely dry. Then it seems to have creeped up a bit over the past couple of weeks. I feel like I need to show myself I can actually do this!

I'm doing couch to 5k and should hopefully complete it around Easter time, so think I'll see if I could give up alcohol for that period as well. And hopefully see benefits from both.

I'm not entirely sure I can do it, but I'm going to give it a go. Anyone with me?

I've not been sleeping well the past few days. Waking up around 5am and I find my mind is racing with things I need/want to do. I think it's because I've been a lot more productive the past few days and so I'm going to bed thinking about what cupboard to clean out tomorrow or what bill I need to pay!

Glad I've got through the first weekend, and it's so satisfying to tick the days off in the app. I've been tracking my drinking since October last year as that's when I really decided I had to stop or at the very least moderate, although this is the first attempt that I'm feeling much more positive about. My longest dry streak since October was 8 days in January, I'm really hoping I can do it this time 🤞

Hope everyone has had a good weekend and is looking forward to starting the new week feeling refreshed.

Yup I’m in too, started feb 15th, got a lot of weight to loose too and for me they go hand in hand. Trying to do 2021 better than 2020 the lockdowns and boredom turned into a year of boozing and eating crap for me but not this year !

Day 8

Is anyone else ridiculously tired?

Maybe I'm having too much sleep? To stop me from eating (whatever I can get my hands on to compensate for the not drinking!) I take myself off to bed to read, so am often asleep by 9PM, with a couple of wakes in the night & up at 6:45ish. Living alone there's only so much Netflix you can do on an evening!!

I'm eating normally.

Just want to put my head on my desk right now ... zzz zzz zzz

HCHQ yes! Also day 8. Really hoping something's going to 'click' soon (immediately) and make me zoom through my work backlog! Also early bedtimes. I think we're probably just catching up. Just turned down a cold beer in the sun for the first time though which was a win.

hchq I've defo had a case of the can't be arsed, I had a few jobs to do in the house at the weekend be ended up in bed till 3.30pm and back in by 9pm.

sputnikle that's awesome! Well done.

I'm in.. succeeded in a dry lent 2020 and felt so much better.. god knows why I started again. I am someone who can't have one glass.. for me it's the whole bottle or don't start... thankfully I haven't got to the stage where not starting is anything more than over coming a habit.. DH is functioning alcoholic and I am not going to be that person. Suffice to say - he is not very supportive because me drinking validates his drinking in his mind.. luckily I have a strong faith and a 'promise' to stop for lent is a promise. I will keep my word .
Then when I get there I will look for the next goal date ..

@Trickyboy I'm exactly the same, always finishing off the whole bottle and often starting into a second. I have no idea how some people just have 1 or 2 glasses and then stop! On the evening before Lent started, there was about a third of a bottle of wine leftover from the weekend and I decided to finish it off while I still had the chance. Of course I then decided to open a second bottle that was in the cupboard and I finished that off too, I really have no off switch!

Onwards and upwards, we're on Day 7 everyone 😀

Such a deep sleep last night & managed to get up after only two hits of the snooze button - its usually about five!!

Baby steps ...

We've Got This

I wasn't planning on doing it but as I haven't had a drink for a couple of weeks now I figure I might as well try carrying on for Lent.

I've been trying out some low/non alcohol substitutes this week.

Aldi Strawberry and Lime low alcohol cider is nice (0.3 units per 500ml). Tastes like pop but so does the boozy stuff. Also have the Aldi Rhubarb and Ginger spirit (0.3 units per 700ml) which I drank with Rhubarb tonic. The ginger gives it a little bit of burn. Appreciate that some might think that the small amount of alcohol is cheating but I'm cool with such a tiny amount.

0% San Miguel lager still the best. Beck's Blue is yuck.

That's good to know zampa I've been having a bitter lemon in a wine glass which had been sating me.
It's my weekend to see DP this weekend and I'm thinking about having a couple of drinks, I'm not going to but the idea is in my head.
If I could do it once a week and in moderation it might be okay but like someone up thread, once I start I just can't stop. So bitter lemon it is.

I've just been drinking water. I think if I tried anything wine-like, I would just want wine!

All going surprisingly well at the moment- I think because I have decided I WILL last til Lent is over, it has taken away the shall I/ shall I not just drink tonight struggle.
However, it’s back to work tomorrow and the hardest triggers to ignore are those caused by work related aargh! I will need to dig deep to not give in...

I think because I have decided I WILL last til Lent is over, it has taken away the shall I/ shall I not just drink tonight struggle

Yes! This is it exactly! I don't drink loads (always under 14 units a week) but I was drinking pretty much everyday. It's such a hard habit to break. My New Year's Resolution was to have 3 booze free days a week but that was a real struggle!

@Sometimesonly

I've just been drinking water. I think if I tried anything wine-like, I would just want wine!

The alcohol-free versions always taste so disappointing I'd much rather have the real thing so I avoid too. I drink fizzy water and in the evenings I drink herbal tea which is very satisfying in its own way.

cautiousblonde How's the not smoking going, that's the next thing that has to go for me, but it's so frikking hard.
I'm going to get my e-cig sorted and start on that on Monday. It's probably the best thing to give up but the thing I find the most difficult.

How's everyone feeling heading into weekend number 2?

I don't want to speak too soon, but I'm surprised I'm not missing it at all. Couch to 5k is giving me something to focus on and I'm feeling so much better and my skin looks a lot better, probably due to both the exercise and ditching the booze. I'd love to be able to keep this up longer term, but best not to think too far ahead.

What has everyone planned for the weekend? The nicer spring weather has spurred me on to start some spring cleaning and I've cleared out the kitchen this week and taken a load of old stuff to the dump. Might start on another room at the weekend!

I had a horrible day at work yesterday and really wanted a gin and tonic. Powered through though and really pleased I managed.

Only 38 days to go!

Zampa

Well done .... we've got this!!

Thinking of trying the 0% Gordons this weekend as a treat ... But otherwise I'd doing okay too, Becks Blue is helping though . And no, I don't consider that to be cheating !!

Happy AF weekend! Please share any interesting mocktail recipes if you are experimenting this weekend?

Well I slipped up.After cutting back in jan then going through Feb ok.I felt really fed up.Dh was in a bad mood which brought me down .Still I've only had 2 units this month compared to my normal 6 per week so I saved myself 22 units so I am focusing on that.
I am still glad I'm using lockdown to reset my habits.
Yes to spring cleaning and gardening it has been another busy productive week.
I hope everyone is still doing ok.Back on the tonic water for me this weekend.

@whatisforteamum don't beat yourself up, and it sounds like you only had a small amount anyway. That's one of my major problems, I can't just have a small amount, a glass soon turns into a bottle, I find it impossible to moderate.

I've had a few attempts to stop since October, and here I am trying again to give it up for lent. None of my previous attempts have been successful, but I think something sticks each time so I think you gain something with each attempt, even if there are slip ups along the way.

@Buntyforgirls personally I find it easier to stay away from AF wines and mocktails, it just seems to make me want to have an actual drink! But I know lots of people find them a good replacement.

@Buntyforgirls

Happy AF weekend! Please share any interesting mocktail recipes if you are experimenting this weekend?

Frozen strawberry daiquiris are great AF cocktails. Usually I do the virgin ones for the children and then add rum to mine!

I'm in! I've also been following the Annie Grace programme. Her podcast - This Naked Mind is great for bite sized bits of motivation. Personally I like the science based ones she does around how alcohol affects the brain but she also interviews people about their alcohol stories etc...

I've slipped up! I had red wine with a takeaway last night. I wasn't drunk and didn't even enjoy it that much! App counter reset and my attitude is that today is a new day!