No more drinking in the week ... anyone want to join me pls .

[Easterdaffsx]

Just that really .
I'm getting married later this year and so need to cut down on the alcohol on the week. Mostly for my physical and mental health but also for my bloating.
I drink every night at the moment amd it's a habit I formed during a really stressful couple of years (job) and now I've managed to change jobs and I just need to stop the drinking but it's hard.
I managed Annie Grace 30 days AF and actually enjoyed it but that seems ages ago now.
Anyone up for joining me from Monday ( I'm on holiday this week ) so we can be accountable / provide an bit of hand holding and support please ?

@Easterdaffsx I gave up weekday alcohol a couple of years ago now save for special occasions and you'll really notice an improvement in how you feel. My skin is better, I lost weight and it's much easier to keep off, I've debloated... I really notice the adverse effects over ie Christmas when I drink daily. It's a relief to get back to part time abstinence! I find the key is to have good soft drinks in the house, that you enjoy. Best of luck!

Yes please I need to stop drinking in the week

Can I join? I need to make a change!

Can I also join please? I started off January deciding to drink much less and not in the week unless I was going out and I've ended up back to where I started drinking most nights. I realised that stopping drinking through the week made me "reward" myself with booze at the weekends which meant I was drinking more so then went back to being more moderate with a glass or two most nights but I actually don't want to be drinking every day as it's so not good for health and weight and energy.

Feeling determined this morning. My weakness is when I'm cooking so have asked DH to cook tonight to avoid that trigger.

I'm in. We are just on the tail end of Dey January, and for February, are having what we call Wet Weekends

Hardest for me will be Thursday nights as that's typically our take away night. But we will just move our takeaway.

I use this app to track drinking- it would work for weekday sobriety too.

I stopped weeknight drinking a few years ago and can't recommend it enough. I've also started sober Sunday evenings - so I might have a drink or two if I'm out for Sunday lunch, but no booze after 5pm. Oh my lord, clear headed Monday mornings are a total revelation!

Well done for recognising an unhealthy habit, and taking steps to change it

This is one of the most common goals I hear - to go AF Mon-Thu. If you want to make this sustainable and not a constant struggle, I would start with awareness. Figure out when you drink and why you drink. What IN THAT MOMENT are you seeking? How do you want to feel? Because wanting to improve your health/be a better role model/have a weekly break will seem like flimsy reasons when the time clicks round to when it's time to cook dinner. That was me. I would have the best of intentions then the voice would say "just one". Knowing I was doing this for my health was so unimportant at 6pm that evening. I could work on my health in the morning.

But when I could recognise why I wanted the drink then (maybe because I'd had a stressful day) and be OK with that. To accept that sometimes I feel stress and that's OK. It's not an emergency and it's not something I needed drink to combat, then everything changed.

This is important as will powering your way through will not work over the long-term. And I was all about being DONE with the drinking struggle (as are my clients). Happy to answer questions.

@brightspice I agree with that and I think that's the issue I've got- I want a glass of wine because I wfh, have two small children and I genuinely enjoy the taste and tiny buzz of relaxation it gives me. It gives me a feeling of adult time that's separate from my work time during the day and makes me feel warm and cosy. And it helps to make me feel relaxed after the relentlessness of parenthood. I've not found anything else that matches any of these things so it's always just a battle of mind over matter (unless I don't fancy one in which case it's no big deal but I generally do).

So far so good here - how's everyone else doing?

Would love to join, just hope I have the discipline. So it’s AF Mon-Thurs?

Can I join in too? I failed Dry January as had a couple of wet weekends. My partner drinks every night so I find it very difficult, but I really want to lose weight. I’d like to only drink Friday, Saturday and one other day. If I drink Sunday then that’s it for the week. If I don’t then I can have a social drink on one other night when I do a shared hobby with friends, but basically four alcohol free nights.

@bravelittletiger Here's what I will offer: as long as you connect a glass of wine to signify adult time/relaxation/end of the day/reprieve from parenting, then it's going to be difficult to cut back. Because the moment you stop the consumption of wine it's as though you're telling your brain "no more me-time" or "end of the relaxation". And you're human. We all need downtime, calm, peace, relaxation, some time to ourselves. So your brain will rebel and you will reach for the wine again.

To get out of this cycle, ask yourself how can you give yourself little moments of me-time during the day? (This can be as simple as pausing to look at the clouds in the sky; pour a cup of tea and sit still while you drink it; go for a little walk; do 2 mins of deep breathing etc, it doesn't need to be anything major in terms of time or money) so you don't save up your need for calm until the end of the day when you end up needing to relax and you need it FAST!

Me, following 4 months of extreme stress with major life changes, ive eaten and drunk to comfort myself, put on 10 pounds, my skin is a mess , really tired and generally feel awful 😞

I switched to a nice non alcoholic drink on weekdays so feels like a treat, as otherwise I’m only drink water and coffee. Helps as keeps the routine of the evening but no booze

I’m in. I had one very weak G&T last night which I count as a win as yesterday was bloody hideous and normally a few glasses of wine are my reward, and as awful as it is, it helps me get off to sleep.

Normally I sleep awfully without a few glasses - my brain won’t stop - but last night I actually rested well. So tonight not even one gin. It’s given me motivation.

How did everyone else do?

@Lcb123 what do you drink on weeknights? X

I have mini cans of fever tree ginger ale or appletiser which I put in a wine glass alongside a few crisps in a bowl. Really helps that moment as you get dinner ready!

I'd love to join, it's become something I feel I need / deserve every night after the working day.

Aldis "No"secco is actually quite a reasonable non alcoholic prosecco. Tried tesco and m&s both taste awful. But Aldi version is good.

Hoping for a second night off tonight, I'm going out and am driving so I find that easier than having the temptation....

@brightspice thoughtful and lovely advice thank you.

I've also taken a PP advice and have had an alcohol free beer and some crisps on the sofa this evening. It's sort of worked but I still want wine!!

'It's sort of worked but I still want wine!!'

It does take time to break that habit. If you can, try to focus on tomorrow morning and how damn good you're going to feel!

Both DH and I have cut down our drinking mainly due to DH blood tests showing he could have liver problems if he didn’t, he got into habit of drinking a couple of lagers each night and wine with meals. He has managed to get better blood results and has lost weight too, me I’ve cut down also but haven’t lost any weight.