No Alcohol 2024 February

[NoAlcohol2024February]

Checking in for February 2024 now Dry January is over. Feeling positive for an AF February and the year ahead AF 🤩

@Thelittlestranger Thanks for the book recommendation. I’ll give it a read. I enjoyed Annie Graces book. I think these books reinforce what we already know, consciously or not. @wannabedrygosh, I would be raging. I would have refused to pay. Cheap night for them. Good for you setting boundaries this time.

AF evening out for food. It’s feeling more normal to think that the activity itself is the relaxation and not the alcohol that would normally go with it. I did eat more
than normal and had a massive dessert when I wouldn’t usually bother. Swopping one vice for another!

@Atacamadesert I agree even though I have cravings I am starting to feel that not drinking alcohol is becoming the default setting in my brain.

Glad you enjoyed a yummy desert.

Check in Monday.

Day 43 No Alcohol 2024.

Struggled a bit with cravings this weeekend so had a 0% Corona with a wedge of lime.

I am beginning to really regret the fact that alcohol has had such a hold on my adult life.

I know I can change my mindset. It’s just hard at times.

Another AF week ahead. I can’t believe how quick 2024 is going by.

Checking in. Day 60 here 😊

Checking in. Currently half way through my holiday and actually I’m ok being AF.
There are a few moments of envy looking at other people with their drinks but it’s passing.

Checking in from holiday too, still AF. I mostly haven't missed it at all, but had a moment of panic one evening and ordered a drink! Was so weird reverting to that reflex! Panicked again, ended up giving it to DH (who is drinking a small amount) and had my fizzy water - he said it was horrible!

Haven't weighed myself but can really see I've lost weight now despite all the sugar I'm having. More definition on the stomach and less stress on the face.

Well done @NoAlcohol2024February what a great achievement! You must be so proud. Well done for not caving to a craving as well and instead, keeping the ritual but changing the drink.

I think with tricky situations, it helps to just think of the 'one day at a time' rhetoric. Today, I choose to be alcohol free.

I had a good weekend and was going to crack the Kylie Prosecco (0%) open on Saturday but just didn't fancy 'a drink', so had water instead!

Here's to another great week x

Well done @PissPotPourri and @DJer24 - I was going to ask how the holidays were going. Have you felt like you have missed out at all? I'm worried I might think I'll be able to moderate come May (Italy) but even if I could, I really don't want it in my life any more.

@wannabedry Not at all, for me - but it's quite a child-focussed holiday so much easier to avoid I guess. I'm sure it would be different with friends. There are also decent mocktails which helps.

Apart from my moment of panic, dinner generally feels much more relaxed not having to give any headspace to alcohol.

Checking in for another week. Well done everyone 💪🏻

That's great to hear, thanks @DJer24

Funny how we feel a stronger urge to drink in the second month AF.
I had a moment when food shopping, fancied dry white wine, used only drink Red before going AF.
Managed to pull myself away from the Aisle. Settled for more tonic water.
Did not regret the Tonic water. Great getting so much done at weekends now.
We are almost half way through Feb, Well done everyone, have a great week.

Checking in for this week. I’ve restarted a hobby this last week and I think I was actually finding it hard to find the time and motivation to do it but going AF has helped. Bit wobbly this weekend as the MIL is here. She’s great and I like her but shes has been here for a week and never stops talking and asking questions and I realised that I used a few glasses of an evening to help me cope 😂. I’ve been shooting up to my room for a meditate and a deep breathe instead. Got a big night out on Friday and it’s on my mind a bit.

Still here...

Also have a big night out with all my girlfriends on Friday. I know I'll be delighted I haven't drunk on Saturday when I wake up, and probably as I'm driving home. But it still feels weird at the thought of not drinking even though I don't want to drink. Just discombobulated about it.

Good luck to those with big nights out this week.

@Atacamadesert drinking wine was always my go to for every emotion and a coping mechanism. Meditation and deep breaths seem like a good alternative.

Checking in, also on day 43. Already one of the longest stretches of sobriety in my life other than pregnancy and one stretch of a couple of months a few years ago. Finding it easy day to day but the odd craving hits me like a tonne of bricks some days and takes a while to go away. Totally manageable though and I'm confident going forward. Still get waves of being dog tired which is disappointing but maybe having more periods of not feeling tired at all than I ever did. Also exercising more so maybe that's making me tired. Certainly no regrets as I do feel like I'm getting more out of life and no guilt about pickling my organs. Think my fitness is improving and my hair growing faster oddly! Well done everyone!

Checking in.

a few cravings this week because I was away from my safe place of home and staying with friends who are big drinkers.
a few questions but nothing much, they are very live for the moment could get hit by a bus tomorrow people.

I ate two portions of dinner and enjoyed my soft drinks.

met up with a friend who had nursed her dying sibling through cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by alcohol abuse. I knew the person and by any stretch they were not 24 hour drinkers, heavy yes but probably on par with me at times.

it shocked me and also how out of nowhere end stage came. Nosebleeds, scans and diagnosis 2-3 months of treatments, went yellow pretty much overnight. Dead in 4 months.

im not going there I’m keeping going because I had no idea how quickly terrible damage can creep up.

and also because I feel much calmer and better.

proud of us 😎

That's so sad @Limeandsober. There are so many good reasons not to drink.

How's everyone else doing? I hit 50 days earlier this week, and have just come back from a few days away where I abstained too, so I'm pretty pleased. It's helps of course that I still at this point have absolutely zero desire to drink.

One point of irritation - we went out for dinner, and I had soft drinks whilst the others had wine etc. At the end of the meal the waiter plonked down free shots in front of everyone, including me. Whilst I appreciate that they are just trying to offer nice service, i feel they shouldn't make the assumption that it's ok to do that? Anyway. My husband gratefully accepted mine 😏

46 days today. I managed 50 days last year and then decided I was fine to start drinking occasionally... eventually it built up again of course. So I feel this could be a danger zone for me.

When I gave up last year it was so much harder because I did it in the summer and there were quite a few events where I really felt I was missing out. I loved drinking wine at home so it's still been hard at times but not as bad as sober parties etc when you're still in the early days of not drinking.

Hi all,
So I’m back from holiday. Stayed sober, despite there being medical emergency/trauma with one of the dc (more treatment commencing here in uk next week, but fine).
I drank more coffee than I would normally, and more sparkling water, but felt rested and well.
Funnily enough, my biggest “reach for it” moment was last night when we got back. I’d stuck the first load of washing in, unpacked the case, sat down and then really missed reaching for a glass of something. But… I didn’t. And the urge faded.

Morning all, day 71 for me today.

I had a win yesterday when I was out for lunch with work colleagues. A large group of us and I was the only one who didn't drink! Everyone else was drinking beer and wine. It was an expensive place, but I only had a starter and Diet Coke.

I've been screwed over before on bill splitting when I've been the only one not drinking or not eating a lot. It's really hard for me to be assertive in these situations, but I spoke up and said 'my starters and coke probably came to about £15, so I'll transfer £20 if that's ok?"

There is not way it did, but you have to super round up on these things. It was more like £10 tops, but what with service charge etc... anyway, just one person picked up the bill with the idea for others (there were 8 of us I total) to transfer money over to her. I do feel a bit bad that the others will have to work it all out, but really all they need to do is remove my £15 and then split it? Anyway I have transferred my money and left it. God I hate these things!

As you can tell, I am pretty paranoid and anxious!

*remove my £20!

Day 47. Feeling positive.

Well done to all those who have had holidays and nights out and passing the challenge of remaining AF in high risk situations.

I am feeling positive and looking forward to an AF March. Feel like I’m ready to set myself a new healthy habit in March. Previously it’s always been to cut down on alcohol but as I am now AF that doesn’t come into it anymore.

Nearly lost 1 stone since Jan 1st too which is an added bonus.

Day 46 for me and also made it back from my holiday dry. No cravings and it was absolutely fine not drinking, I only looked enviously at someone with wine once, which was on the flight home, & that was because it was stressful flying with young DC. More of a mourning the days when flying was somewhat fun Wasn't really genuinely tempted.