I've cut down by 30 units a week but need to do more

[2022newme]

Until recently I was drinking around a bottle of wine a day, seven days a week - so 70 units a week approximately in total.

At the start of this year I vowed to make a change, and have had three days off drinking every week so far, thereby reducing my intake to 40 units a week approx.

The problem is that on the days when I do drink, I still struggle to limit myself and invariably wake up feeling hungover the next day, with all that entails - anxiety, lack of productivity and low mood.

Yesterday for example I had half a bottle of wine at the pub, then came home and had a couple more glasses in the evening.

I want to be able to drink the half bottle at the pub then leave it there, rather than coming home and drinking more. I'm sure I'd be feeling much better today if I hadn't had those two extra glasses.

Has anyone managed to achieve this and if so, how? Do you have any tips for monitoring your alcohol on drinking days and stopping when appropriate?

Please don't tell me I need to go teetotal - that's not something I want to do. I just want to get my alcohol intake down to more "normal", sensible levels. Thanks.

Swap from wine to beer or cider.
The volume versus units will reduce your intake
Some fruit ciders are very wine like

I understand enjoying a glass of wine with food, but say you finish dinner at 7:30 and you've had 1/2 glasses, the evening seems very long without more. So what I do is drink something like cranberry juice in a wine glass with dinner, I'm distracted by the food so don't really notice. Then say when I've cleared up etc at 8pm I'll have a glass of wine and try and make that last the evening.

So then I've gone from 2/3 glasses a night to one. Some nights I won't even bother with the wine at all.

I'd actually try going teetotal for a while. Then one glass gives you a pleasant buzz. It's an odd balance but you need to drink less to enjoy it more.

Am shit at this myself as it always creeps back up. So am currently teetotal. :)

That makes the day feel less crap, it makes Friday feel special too.

I would like Friday nights to feel special too, rather than just another night on the booze.

I’ve just completed another day sober - so that’s 10 days in total this year and a total saving of £160 that I would have spent on alcohol. Feels good to have some semblance of control back.

@2022newme, well done and that's a great saving. It's good that you want Fridays to be special. For me I actually shied away from drinking on a Friday night because I felt like I was just drinking because it was Friday!! I changed my mindset very gradually and now it's not unusual for me to not drink on a weekend. I actually prefer to have a few glasses say on a Wednesday to break the week up. Not everyone can do this I guess if they work but it works for me ( I only work 7 hours a week - tues and wed).

I think if you have to have rules about your drinking, if you have to consciously moderate then you're always going to struggle.
Those people who can take or leave drinking are few and far between and will never be in the position of having to decide which days of the week they are allowed to drink and how many units. They are lucky it isn't an issue. The rest of us who struggle to stop after 1 or 2 glasses eventually realise its so much easier to just quit.
There's no nagging voice in the back of your head every evening making you justify your drinking or lack of.
Just a suggestion OP

@2022newme

That makes the day feel less crap, it makes Friday feel special too.

I would like Friday nights to feel special too, rather than just another night on the booze.

I’ve just completed another day sober - so that’s 10 days in total this year and a total saving of £160 that I would have spent on alcohol. Feels good to have some semblance of control back.

That's really good!! Keep going, you can do this!!!

@2022newme

We sound very similar. I have just done 3 days with no wine after a long period of a bottle a day, like others have said, I think not having any in the house is essential. My DD has a few MH issues and it's way too easy to open a bottle when things get stressful.

I think wine is so moreish - I can't stop at 1. So If I do fancy a drink then I have taken to buying 2 premixed of g and t . Sure they are not wine. But you still get that nice low key feel but aren't gasping for more. Could that work?