It's day 1! Anyone else?

[Thepeppapigfanclub]

I'm 45. I've been drinking a bottle/bottle and a half a night for as long as I can remember with the odd dry January/ Stoptober along the way - but I always end up back on the wine again.

I'm a parent to a 13 year old and the shame that comes with this is crippling. It's not good and I know I HAVE GOT to stop. I am sick of the self-loathing, the fear, the anxiety and the money down the drain. Most of all, I'm worried about shuffling of this mortal coil leaving my child before I should.

So it's day one (again) for me. I just wondered if anybody else has picked this as their day one too for some support.

Any tips for the first week?

Many thanks - there's some seriously inspirational people on here reading some of the other threads - I'm in awe of all of those who've made it to six months, a year and beyond. It feels beyond my grasp.

I think I know the thread you mean… and there but etc.

i have been absolutely exhausted today in a way that confusingly mirrors a hangover and concentration just all over the place which is disappointing. I think I really really need to crack on with earlier nights, somehow short but sober sleeping is not proving to be enough and I am struggling to find energy and enthusiasm. Not tempted which is great but still!

Sleep has been a major problem for me anyway. I think I am in the throes of menopause so dripping with sweat on a normal day, let alone this heat. Fingers crossed tonight isn’t too bad.

I don’t think I have seen the thread you mentioned. Not sure I should try and work it out!

I too dream of being the person who gives it up for good but one day at a time is the sensible approach I think!

It’s the one whose DH is up to cracking the 4th bottle of wine a night. It’s horribly familiar - my ex was at two bottles of red plus beer on an “operational” daily basis and last year sunk properly into full time drinking. I think he’s on the mend again but I try not to get drawn into it.

Sorry you're feeling so knackered @TimesaChangeling. Would you consider taking some sleep medication for a coupe of nights and try and get your body a new routine?

Sleep getting 'back to normal' has been much harder this attempt but that would be due my age/ peri or it could well be to do with the amount I was drinking. Despite me thinking I've climbed a vast mountain, it has only been a couple of weeks.

I hope you both get a decent night's sleep tonight!

And you!

Hi everyone - wow just catching up on the threads after a few days and you’re all doing amazingly! Keep going! 💖

A big hand hold @Elledeco I can totally relate to feeling sneaky. Last time I quit it was getting to the point of having a ‘summer fruits’ cordial which actually had a gin in it to get through the evening. No one knew. I did and I don’t want to ever be that reliant. Keep going with it - you can do this.

it’s day 5 for me. Want to start counting in weeks next!

@Thepeppapigfanclub , @BoilingHotand50something and @TimesaChangeling I do remember it being soo hard to adjust to the normal sleep pattern (been so used to waking up in a frenzy at 2/3am!) I hope you all start to get some sleep soon… @MamaGhina you made me laugh about being in bed at same time as kids with teeth brushed - I am the same atm. Peppermint tea and up to bed with the kids lol.

@ReadySalty the evening strategy is the hardest I think. Currently I’m getting up as early as possible but it’s that time from getting in from school run to bed time which is hardest. My triggers are stress (a horrid local man shouted at me today while I was out with my daughter - no reason for it, he is just a horrible jealous person). He’s only done it once before a year ago but this was a trigger. Usually I’d be opening a bottle of wine and still be on it now! Other triggers are the children ignoring me constantly when I ask them to do something, having too much to do and using alc to ‘improve my performance around the house’…e.g. chirp and speed me up during tasks and also to simply dumb away anything stressful from the day. Associations are rubbish too - like, ‘ah we are having a bbq so I’ll drink a crisp rose’. Apart from the fact that rose is just simply poison in a bottle!!!! @MamaGhina your post about supermarkets having the wine next to the back to school stuff really resonates! It’s totally wrong and we are subject to consumerism - I hate it! Have actually started shopping at Lidl as it makes me feel like I’m in a foreign supermarket and also they usually place the alc on the last isle so easily avoidable and it doesn’t seem to just have wine on offer randomly next to the Lego, strawberries, bread and haribo like the leading more expensive ones do!!

Once you get through the first month or two sleep patterns change, the brain fog is removed and you’ll feel more vibrant that’s for certain. I did this a few years ago and it’s changed my life but I’m back on here as it’s creeped back in and I’m not going back there as you all know it’s totally rubbish to feel like this :( since then I’ve started a course, got a job back in fashion despite having a big career break and taken back control of my life. I thought I could just have a drink at the weekend (which I could for some time) but as per the Alan Carr book - he believes that no one can ever drink in moderation. I think this is totally a personal choice. However for me, that moderation soon started to trickle into weekday drinking again 😩

Keep going lovelies and apologies for huge post! Just catching up x

You're all amazing. I love checking in here as i don't really have anyone who knows/understands irl.

Tomorrow night will mark 2 whole weeks since my last drink. This is the longest dry streak since my daughter was born.

I have been super productive today - my family are wondering who this is woman is.. but enjoying the domestic bliss. I'm just trying to distract myself but I'll take any praise sent my way!

I saw something about genuine dopamine hits and I'm going to look into that again as i can't quite remember what they are.

Well done everyone

Yes! Slightly better sleep and another pound down this morning. Feeling super positive. I don’t think I have got to a day 4 for a long time. Here we go!

Hope you all slept ok and are feeling positive about adding another day to your count!

Morning all.

day 1 again for me I am ashamed to say but I am back with a renewed sense of purpose.

I am trying to follow DH's lead..... he is a alot older than me, but does not drink, is vegetarian and looks fantastic.

Today though we are away for a night in a lovely country hotel. The Dcs are both on school trips so we decided to take the opportunity. Usually I would say 'oooh! special trip, special dinner let's drink!!' (tbf I usually say 'let's drink' to everything....... ) but i am determined to not do that today. The sheer price of glasses of wine (£15!!! ) will mean that sticking to soft drinks will see a massive savings alone! I'd be a two glasses at lunch and 3 at dinner otherwise.... ). I love a spicy Virgin Mary so that will be lunch and I tend to find that a lovely meal is ruined anyway by wine and much better to have sparkling water so I am feeling form in my plans.... I'll be able to report back tomorrow!

I love reading all the posts on here. Thank you to everyone who posts. I am going to check out a Dry app as well.

best wishes to everyone.

@NewLifeHappyLife don’t be ashamed. This is hard - otherwise we wouldn’t all be here talking about it and encouraging each other.

A hotel break would be a major test for me. It’s not something I can imagine doing without wine. You have most definitely got this!

I've got loads of things coming up soon which will be very testing. The biggest is DH's 60th birthday. I have private chef coming to cook dinner for us and 4 close friends. Fizz, wine and port will be very much expected and served. It will be interesting to see if DH and i can resist or at the very least, drink in moderation. However I'm not going to worry about that until it comes around. I have other, lesser, hurdles to jump first.

Checking in from the hotel. 🙂all is fine so far…. Resisted anything at lunch….although the £20 glasses of Prosecco made it easier to resist!

Also I have signed up to the try dry app. Thanks to the posters mentioning it. 🙂🌷

Hi everyone. Hope you've had a great day.

@NewLifeHappyLife £20 POUND for a glass a prosecco!!!!!!!😯That should make it a bit easier! 😂I hope you have a great time!

Nobody should be ashamed of being back at day 1 - progression, not perfection. Counting days is all very well when you're winning - not so much when you're not. I've lost count of the times I've thrown the baby out with the bath water and gone back to full on drinking because I couldn't face being back at day one again.

That being said - great news on day 4 @BoilingHotand50something Nearly at a week now!

I'm in awe of you all doing social things - I'm not even going to attempt that until I've got 100 days under my belt.

I can't lie - am a bit disappointed that I haven't shifted so much as pound. How can you go from drinking a bottle and a half of wine a night and not lose anything? And I've massively reduced the carbs! Losing weight wasn't my number one reason for knocking it on the head but I thought I might have lost a few pounds. Also awake from half 3 again this morning. I'm a bit pissed off tbh. Still - onwards we go.

I'm enjoying the weather with a cherry Pepsi Max. It's quite nice. 😂

Hi everyone, just checking in at day 6..having a few triggers such as out for lunch today with friends and the cocktail menu was staring right at me 😬 I resisted.

@Thepeppapigfanclub im sorry you’re not getting the results you wanted to get - hang in there as dieting plus going AF is a huge mission! Do you cut caffeine before bedtime? I tried a meditation/relaxation app and lavender oil and it helped a bit.

Keep going everyone, we can do this!

Well done for resisting @Cloudsclouds6. That must have been a big temptation - especially as it's so hot!!! Do you think it gets easier to say no with practise? A week tomorrow.

I really am grateful to be able to check in here every day. There's such kindness and kind words. I haven't told anyone in real life yet so thank you to you all for all of your help.

I need to be more patient. It's only been a few weeks. 😂

Day 18. Sorry to hear so many are struggling with poor sleep. I’m so fortunate to be in a good sleep routine.

I read the other thread, agree with those who said it scared the life out of them. All those stories of sadness and illness and desperation.

I have a plan in place for Saturday night, I’m going to paint my nails. I never normally bother so it will be a bit of a treat and keep me occupied.

I’ve also not lost any weight but I swear my stomach is so much flatter, like noticeably. Not that anyone has commented but I can really feel the difference. My clothes fit better and my jeans aren’t so uncomfortable when I sit down. I have been making a conscious effort to eat better, I’m taking vitamins and being religious about my skincare routine. Just trying to keep those small changes going and hoping they will add up to a big difference.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be able to post on here. I haven’t told anyone in real life either.

I do think it gets easier to get used to not drinking in social situations. It’s kind of interesting to watch myself sober and how those around me change after a few drinks. I do feel like a bit of a bore though but I think that will pass with time as hopefully I get happier and healthier..

has anyone any advice on avoiding alcohol in social settings other than the old ‘I'm driving’ or on antibiotics ploy?!

❤Just adding to agree that it means a lot to post here and only have support, not judgement. 🌷thank you all so much. 🌼

I don't have any advice on excuses yet @Cloudsclouds6 but I'm currently researching if I link it to some excuse to do with peri - that might buy me ten years. 😂

A list of viable excuses that don't involve antibiotics would be great.

I echo that sentiment.

Well done those who are resisting. And to those who aren’t - still well done because you are still here and wanting to change and that is so important.

i am definitely noticing a flatter tummy. I am doing hardcore low carb 16:8 because I need to see a difference relatively quickly as I know I will otherwise have an excuse to give up. But I’ve got a lot of fat to go at!

And I am another day in! I genuinely genuinely believe you can just say “I’m having a booze break”. So many people do it for health kicks these days and I would just own it… not one person has pushed it at all when I’ve said it and you don’t end up tying yourself in knots trying to create random situations.

I think my problem is not the actual sleeping, it’s turning the light out and going to bed which I am going to concentrate on. MN scrolling isn’t helping…

That’s a good point - real friends won’t judge, they will just say ah cool. It’s my inlaws who do the eyebrow raising lol! The only thing that works is going along with the obligatory wooing over the fact we can have a drink as it’s past 12 and then either nursing it, tipping away while ‘helping’ in the kitchen or pouring into husbands glass 😆

That said, two ladies I met at a bday party said oh we don’t drink, never have, just don’t like alcohol. Gosh if only - I feel like I’ve been caught up in a cultural time warp of binge drinking since I was 15 🫣

Really hope everyone gets more sleep tonight zzzzz

I think I am preferring not drinking in this heat. I don't feel as fuzzy and sweaty and off kilter. I'm enjoying refreshing juices and ice lollies.

That's my day 6 done and so far it's been fine. I hope you all have a lovely, peaceful no alcohol weekend.

I wish I wasn’t still sweating profusely! Lol

Day 5 for me and I feel strong. Spurred on by being 6lb down in weight and probably 30 pounds down in money!