On A Mission To Moderate or Absolutely Abstaining? Join us for encouragement, support and non - judgemental chat CONTINUED....

[Determineddoris]

Hi all,

Can't believe the last thread has already filled up!

Thank you to all of you for the incredible support shown in the last thread especially @amdone123.

Everyone is welcome! This is a safe, non judgmental space.

Sorry about my inability to tag everyone but if others can that would be great!

@VenturingOut80 well done on the 2 af days. It really is one day at a time sometimes.

Well I am a bit crap at this.
Friday - Sun - no drinks!
Monday - four whiskeys
Tuesday - three whiskeys
Wednesday- my brain says 2 whiskeys would count as cutting down and as I have no willpower I just go along with it!
It doesn't help with it being so bloody cold at the moment.

So the plan is - NO whiskeys today! Or tomorrow! Maybe Saturday. And no from Sunday through to at least Wednesday!

Hope everyone else is doing better than me.

Hi all :)
@Amdone123 my recent weekend drinking I’m also 3 pounds up!!!!!! It only takes a few drinks and a few snacks and it comes back on quickly. So that is my motivation to be A/f!
Day 12 and doing ok!!!
got a festive night planned tomorrow, doing the tree so going to have to have strong will power not to have fizz or red wine! But I’m determined to get a decent stint under under my belt and get this bit of weight off!!! Plus playing it forward… want a nice cosy day Saturday, but waking up in the middle of the night, anxious, etc etc!!!!

@Amdone123 how was the granddaughter 💖 how lovely for you 💖

@Coppergate7 meal out sounds divine! And you sound bright and breezy and top of things! Well done!!!!
@Bigbus you also sound very much in control! Go you! Let us know how your weekend goes and remember the playing it forward motto! Seems to really help 🙏🏼
@Nowstrong spunds like your doing ever so well with the no booze too. I’m sorry you feel anxious, I hope you feel brighter soon!
Hello @VenturingOut80 just remember even a small adjustment is a win! You’ve got this.

@Needtokickthehabit i think it may be worth going back to the doctor??? And having a more detailed chat??? Or I wonder if there are any general services in Ireland. Even just initial phone support to help facilitate a plan. I’ll have a Google shortly and get back to you. sending you lots of love and strength.

Deep breaths all! We’ve got this xx

@Needtokickthehabit i found this, it might be helpful?

https://www2.hse.ie/living-well/alcohol/alcohol-services/

@Freezingfeetwarmheart to be honest, I sometimes think I'm crap at it, too ! I was so ill yesterday but still before I had a thought that I'd have a drink tonight. I have to remind myself alllll the time.
But then, I think I'm not rubbish at it. I'm having a go, and I have been successful in the past. Even if only for short periods of time.
Just keep going - do what you can. I'm the same with this weather - it doesn't make me want to drink as much as the sun, but it does make me want to hibernate. And give up. But I can't give up because then I'll be a mess. Physically and mentally.
@Mj20 well done on Day 12 - that's brilliant.
Granddaughter is beautiful ❤️

Thanks @Bigbus and @Mj20 appreciate that x

@Amdone123 congratulations on the baby!

Im doing ok, I had a few drinks over the course of the week but not every day.

But I’m going to be in the house on my own for the best part of two weeks, so this is dangerous territory for me and booze.

Yesterday was a recovery day for me - I managed to get my work done (3 hours max) but that was about it. Low level hangover all day - one of the very very rare ones that was actually worth it. Still a waste of a day off though. I had no desire to drink until it got to 7.15 pm, when I started to cook the dinner - then I wanted a glass of wine. Resisted and it soon passed though - first step towards a bit of a dry run I hope...

Morning all! Well last night didn't go too well. Had 1/2 a bottle of red wine. Don't feel hangover or even not too good. Bad news is I feel bad about myself. Good news is I stopped there. Put a cork in the bottle and stopped. Didn't have anything stronger afterwards, just did my beauty routine (ha, ha), also the WW didn't bring her friend the SW (sad witch) with her, so just went to bed. I did sleep well, whatever my Fitbit has to say about it.
I know why I had wine, I was stupidly a little disappointed that instead of having a lovely cosy evening, just the two of us, I had a solo one. No-one's fault really, except his work. He was also pretty peeved off, as he had to leave my place after dinner and drive 4 hours. I think I wrote that last sentence as a reminder to myself.
Anyway, back to day ONE. AGAIN.
But, as there is always a but, I am pleased that I could have just a couple of glasses and stop. That wouldn't have happened at this time last year. Just need to continue my AF road.
It's pissing it down here, so no walking for me. Will try to persuade myself that the water at the swimming pool is warm, as I love swimming but hate coldish water. I did jump on the scales this morning (that woke them up) and weight wise I'm still losing. Another positive.
So you lovely lot. Stay strong. It's a long and winding road. So I looked up the lyrics and found them quite fitting.

Many times I've been alone and many times I've cried
Anyway, you'll never know the many ways I've tried.

Keep on trying!

@Nowstrong 🤣 I'm loving the SW - didn't even know she existed, so thanks for that - I think ! Half a bottle is great so well done - I would love to be able to do that.
Day 3 here sprung upon me, so keep trying and I'm sure you'll get those af days racked up.

@Coppergate7 we're at a similar stage / mindset. 1st December today so a fresh start ?

@Touty I know I've said this before but I've been in a similar situation when dh went away for 10 days. I knew I could either drink or be af and get stuff done.
Honestly, I loved taking the High Road. It was actually a really nice time for me - so productive and positive. I know it's hard - could you set a mini target, say, 10 out of 14 days af ?

Strangely, I was tempted last night. I knew why. I was tired and hungry. I didn't want to make tea but I needed to eat and I knew that drinking wine would make that little activity more pleasurable.
Once I acknowledged this, I told WW to do one.

No plans to drink this weekend. I'm still feeling tired and demotivated from my 2 day binge. I want to get back to where I was - happy, energised, positive as this weather is hard enough as it is for me.
Hoping that Monday I'll be reporting Day 6.

I didn't stay AF last night but I only had one glass of wine. That's quite a thing for me to stop at 1! My running total for the last 7 days is now just 20 units so I've cut down a lot this week. Feeling better for it. I'll try to stick to one glass tonight too.

@VenturingOut80 that's great. You are my hero 🤣. I could never stop at 1
Good for you aiming to repeat tonight. Great also that you've cut down a lot.
Keep going !

Well... was a bit mad at myself about last night so went out and found a heated pool. Not specifically for swimming but for aquagym classes, aqua biking, etc.., so have got myself into nearly daily sessions, starting tomorrow.
Oh the W & S Witches you don't mess about with me. Ha ha...
Hopefully won't be too exhausted to report back soon.

Will most probably be too exhausted to drink though 😈

@Amdone123 iswym but I don’t have any stuff to get done though, also a bit put out that I am left here on my own.

Hi all! Waking up fresh on a Saturday morning feels like such a lovely reward for an A/f Friday night!!! Despite really fancying fizz or wine I resisted!!!! And it soon passed tbh!!!!!
Day 14 here now! Can’t believe how quickly it rolls around! Was just catching up on everyone’s news.
how are you doing @Needtokickthehabit i thought the service @bigbus shared looked really useful! And how is everyone else?

@Amdone123 I really liked something you wrote earlier “I’ve been successful in the past”!!! I thought how true, we are so quick to look at and share the times we aren’t successful but there’s many times we are!!!! Also @Touty hope you’re feeling ok. I really enjoy being alone 🤣 and it’s the time I’m less likely to drink, but appreciate we are all diff in that sense. Could you make plans to keep yourself distracted? Like schedule in walks, visit a friend/family member etc?? Hope you’re ok! Also @VenturingOut80 stopping at 1is a win! Good for you!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Just having a cosy, quiet one here, with no desire to drink! Which is lovely! X

Also I tried to tag everyone is the above message but it kept saying error! I’ll try again now……

@Amdone123 @Bigbus @Coppergate7 @Freezingfeetwarmheart @Hohofortherobbers @Illegallyblonder @Needtokickthehabit @Nowstrong @Swannyb @Touty @VenturingOut80

@Mj20 I have the busiest week of my life next week so it has to be AF so I am telling myself if i have a few tonight and tomorrow (my mam is coming over and she loves a glass of wine) then Monday make a conscious effort to not drink and keep that up all week then that is the plan but we all know about the best laid plans.

@Needtokickthehabit you sound more upbeat than a few days ago so that’s really positive!!! And it’s a good plan! Keep us posted on how you go! Xx

@Mj20 day 14 is brilliant, well done - I find once I'm 'off', it becomes easier.
Yes, I think it is sometimes about confidence that's why I remind myself I've done it before. I think a lot of stuff in life is down to confidence - it should be on the curriculum. I suppose it is.

I've woken up really refreshed and....a pound lighter, so it's working again.
I don't feel the urge today. Husband is out all day tomorrow - that, together with a Sunday, can be danger zone, but I don't want to be hungover Monday.
Anyway, one day at a time ❤️

@Amdone123 one day at a time indeed! And I’m laughing because im also a pound down! Two more pounds to put me back to where I was!! And then anymore this year will be a bonus xxxx

@Mj20 i don’t have anyone I can call on.

Hi there, I hope it's ok if I join you. I'm trying to moderate my alcohol intake. A few years ago I used to have problems with bottles of wine lingering in the fridge and "going off". Now they don't get the chance. Life is pretty stressful for various reasons and has been worse over the last year and a half. I find myself drinking most evenings and I'm not happy about it. I want to exercise more. I've also found that alcohol triggers ocular migraines and my sleep is beyond awful (although that's not just the booze).

I'd like to get to a stage where I just wasn't bothered about what I was drinking again, and could go a fortnight without alcohol without even noticing. I'm trying to find ways to "treat" myself that aren't food or alcohol related. All suggestions welcome. Thanks Lynn

Hi @LynnThese4reSEXPEOPLE welcome !
You're definitely in the right place as I think most of us here have slipped into it gradually. One minute you're enjoying a glass or 2, the next you're drinking more than a bottle on your own. It's a slippery slope.
The migraines sound awful ❤️
I don't think I treat myself as such, but when I first started trying to cut back, I made a list of all the reasons, benefits. It was a long list ! When I felt tempted, I read the list.
For lots of us on here, our reward is sleeping better, more energy, feeling more positive, more in control.
You could have more tangible treats ; see what works best for you.
What are your plans?
Is today day 1 ?
People may say December is a bad month to start - I actually think it's a great time to be mindful. It's better than just going along with all the festivities, feeling great at first then feeling ill.
You could treat yourself to a different Christmas experience !

I'm working nights over Christmas so it's less of a trigger for me. Today (yesterday) is day 1 although it isn't the first day 1. Weirdly I was teetotal for a long time so this is odd in retrospect. I have a bit of a obsessive/addictive personality, and what I think I need to do is find a new "interest" which will probably help a lot.