No Alcohol March 2024

[NoAlcohol2024March]

Day 61 2024

60 days AF so far in 2024

I made it to March nearly a quarter of the way through the year!

I am struggling but battling on.

The benefits physically and mentally are worth it.

Good luck in March 2024 for those of us hanging in on the AF journey.

@everlastingpanini yeah I can't imagine anything I'd less like to spend my weekend doing than a pub crawl right now. Come to think of it even when I was drinking I'd have hated it. I was always more of a get settled / drink till it's time to go home type.

92 days for me. My original goal was 100 but I think I'm going to keep going. Not sure how long for but at the moment I'm NOT missing it and the thought of the panicky 3am wake ups isn't appealing at all.

I DO sort of miss having an obvious drink when we go out. It was always wine - really the variety was just red or white or sometimes fizz but it's harder to think of what to have now.

We went to the pub last weekend and I had AF beer and it was nice enough but not really what I fancied. I have AF Guinness for this weekend though. Not tried it before but I hear it's good. Mostly I'm just having tonic when we're out or kombucha in front of the telly at home.

Anyone have any more exciting ideas to try?

@Samsond my DH really rates AF Guiness. He barely drinks - maybe 1 glass of red at Christmas - and he has tried most of the AF beers. He rates also an AF Erdinger.

This evening I mixed Belvoir Elderflower and rose cordial with tonic water. It was really good. Not too sweet. I also love their ginger cordial which i mix with tonic or soda water.

When I have been out I have been having a pint of lemonade. It feels a bit 'treaty' as I never drink lemonade or coke and never wanted to 'waste the calories' on them. I had NO hesitation about wasting calories on wine though!!

I never much liked pub crawls either. (I mistyped that as 'pub brawls' which is possibly suitable!!). This group of friends we are going away in a month - but one of the others is a long term AA member and sober so I will keep her company this time.

Last time I was sober I loved af kronenberg fruity cider

I enjoy the flavoured tonics - elderflower and pink grapefruit. Had an orange San Pellegrino tonight - this is all at home though.

Nodding head at the 'wasting calories' on a sugary drink, but not on booze. Has anyone lost any weight? I was expecting to, but I haven't - I've been eating the calories instead, but tracking and sticking to a sensible amount. Was really hoping it was going to fall off 🤣

@everlastingpanini totally agree…exactly that age wise, it’s been divorce, parent dementia and loss, work. It’s like flipping snipers alley…
I realise now that drinking isn’t a ‘me time’ escape…. It poisons us, it ramps up the blood pressure and anxiety. @Samsond nearly 100 ! That’s such an achievement. Keep going everyone…

Morning all - it's Day 100 for me today. I have completed my challenge. I wanted to do 100 days AF after an awful 'morning after' in early December. Here I am.

That following morning I felt so low and depressed. I can literally remember the exact feeling. Ive never felt that low. I had by even drunk what I would consider a huge amount the previous night. I wasn't physically sick but mentally I was in an incredibly bad place.

Ive found it pretty easy BUT I was out of action with a bad back I just for a few weeks over Christmas so dodged a lot of 'danger time' celebrations when I could have been tempted.

Ive hardly gone out, to be honest. The times when I have been out, Ive not been craving a drink but I haven't enjoyed it either. The 'not drinking' really highlights everyone else getting pissed up. It's fine for a couple of hours but the as the night goes on, people start invading your personal space, talking louder and repeating stories! I'm sure I was one of them too, so I'm not saying I am innocent.

It's made me feel a bit sad, to be honest. Like, will I ever enjoy a night out with my mates if I'm not the same level of drunk as them. I used to have such a good time but would have bad hangovers that would take days to get over. The anxiety around drinking was creeping into all days - even my AF days (I was a binge drinker and would go blackout drunk once every three months or so). I would normally drink every weekend too. Most of the time I could moderate, but it was that 10-20% of the time when I'd go to far and the 'f&£k it' mode would kick in.

I want to carry on being sober but I'm not sure what it will look like. Maybe another 100 days? Maybe a year? I just don't know. I feel like I am still at the beginning of the journey. Ive not done any holidays sober yet and I feel like I still need a few more nights out with friends to be completely confident without alcohol. So for me, it's navigating social situations alcohol free that's my hard area.

How's everyone else doing? How are you doing @NoAlcohol2024March now you are back from your holidays?

"I've!!!" Not sure why it keeps correcting to 'Ive' on my phone but it's annoying!!

Congratulations @wannabedry on 100 days! That is a good achievement.

I understand the 'now what?' feeling. The most I have done AF was about 120 days. I aimed for 100 and achieved it but after that felt very flat. Do you have a new little goal to achieve? very best of luck.

I am thinking only of today and tomorrow. Sunday afternoons are a big trigger for me. i usually do all the ironing in front of the tv with wine. I have some AF wine today but will also try and get the Dcs out to something I have to drive to.

That time I was AF I also replaced booze with food and put on 2 stone I have ever since struggled to shift. Yesterday I started writing a meal plan that aims to keep that in check and to massively increase my vegetable consumption. I was watching the netflix documentary 'blue zones' and really want to focus on my health.

@Housebythesea1 - snipers alley. yes that descrobes it perfectly. I am feeling the strain of having teens (one with significant disabilities), a DH who is older than me and who is having some health issues and elderly parents in another country. Plus a relatively stressful job which gives me sleepless nights alone. Although I am hoping to scale back on the latter in about 3 months when the colleague I am covering for returns from extended sick leave. {fingers crossed}

Alcohol does not help with any of the above. It slows me down. Deadens me inside and tale away my energy and motivation.

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

I went to a gig last night, it was two hours away and didn't start until 9pm, so we got back after 1am. I was absolutely starving, so had a bowl of cereal and went to bed. I've only just woken up now and I have to say - waking up without a hangover (although I'm very tired, going to gigs in you 40's is very different to in your 20's) NEVER GETS OLD. It's funny, I slowly come to in the morning and remember what I did the night before and wait for the hangover to kick in and then of course, nothing! It's such a great feeling!!

@everlastingpanini (amazing name) that's exactly how I feel in general. Flat. I wasn't expecting fanfares or flowers from friends after reaching 100 days (my DH said congratulations after I reminded him, but he doesn't really drink much so doesn't really get it.) But I don't know, I thought I'd feel like I was on the other side of it and not actually want alcohol. Don't get me wrong, I love feeling like I do now - awake after a big night with no signs of a hangover but honestly, in general, I do fancy a drink on nights out like that. I keep thinking I can moderate as I've done it in the past but there have been many times when I can't.

Like you, I have also put on weight during these 100 days of no drinking. I've developed an incredible sweet tooth and don't deny myself anything because I feel like I've given up a lot by not drinking. I know we are meant to frame it as 'not what you're giving up, but what you're gaining'. It's hard as all of my friends drink and sadly I think some of them are fading away as the old party girl me has left the scene (I hope for good, but at least for now)

It's a great idea to tackle the ironing with some AF wine. I have the kylie AF Prosecco and it's really nice. How many days are you on at the moment? I use the Dry App to track my days.

It sounds like you have so much going on, but alcohol won't help any of it. It will actually make it worse! It will dull your senses and slow you down, something you definitely don't want with everything you have going on.

That sent a bit early, but I also wanted to say that MyFitnessPal is good for tracking food. I need to get back in the habit of doing that too. I'm just rewarding myself with food treats instead of alcohol at the moment and it's got to stop! I also need to cement in a new goal otherwise I'll be back to drinking.

I have found that I'm having to reframe friendships and find other things to do and that only works if the other person is willing to put in the effort too. It's likely that some will also fall by the way side.

Also tracking via myfitnesspal - first month I didn't, but have been since. February I ate a lot of chocolate. This past week I have tried to curb that and eat better calories - more protein. I can't afford to put on weight as it's so difficult to lose nowadays and I'm so short and mildly round already!!

100 days was my goal - I get the noone else seems to care piece a little. I'm so proud of what I have achieved so far. I didn't think it was possible - why can't I have more fanfare about it 🤣

Checking in for the last time this year. I managed the week AF but I have just booked our summer holiday and I have decided I am going to drink alcohol on my holidays.

I started this thread and the ethos was to commit to being AF for the year and I don’t feel I am ready for this yet. I don’t think it’s fair for me to continue as I know how much of a struggle it was being AF for a year in the past so I am going to bow out for this year.

Good luck and well done everyone. Someone please take up the AF mantel for the rest of the year.

Hi @NoAlcohol2024March nice that you have booked a holiday! Could you maybe just drink on holidays as an alternative to a full AF year? You've already done so well to get where you are. Do you think you will want to go AF another year or long term in the future?

I am struggling myself now Ive hit the 100 day mark. I think being AF long term is going to be hard. I spoke to my sister last night and told her I was 100 day alcohol free and she said "oh great! Well done, we can have a drink to celebrate when I see you next weekend! Haha" and "that's great you have proved you can do it, now you can go back to drinking but just moderately"

I had to say that that was my problem. I can't moderate every time.

The sad thing is that I do miss it - or rather I miss the 'bonding' you do when you're with others who are drinking. Like I said before, I think some friends are avoiding me until I'm back on the wagon. I'm finding it all really hard. I'm listening to podcasts and following sober influencers and being on forums like these helps, but literally all my friends drink and all socialising includes drinking and more than likely 'getting pi$$ed'.

@NoAlcohol2024March how are you really feeling about it all? Do you really want to go back to drinking or is it just that you're finding it too hard to keep going? If it's the latter, then I am here with you. Sending love. Don't throw it all away just yet!

@NoAlcohol2024March totally understand

The pressure of counting days and going from 100% to 0% is too much

I had 3 cans over the weekend which I'm feeling good about as that is still an achievement for me and I don't want to brush that aside

I've changed the goal to be alcohol free by the end of 2024 therefore cutting down considerably throughout the year untill I reach that point.

It is still my goal to be AF but I'm not going to be too hard on myself for having one or two along the way

It's part of the journey and we've all come so far.

Good luck to you all 🍀

@NoAlcohol2024March
Thats such an achievement….. we all understand how you feel…
. I have a dancing devil on my shoulder willing me to ‘go on, have one ya miserable git’ but nothing beats the feeling in the morning knowing I beat it for another day.

Take it day by day, enjoy your holiday… we are here for you if you fancy …. I think I would’ve caved without this group and I’ve only achieved half your journey. Whether it’s 100% or occasional…. We’ve done so well x

Morning guys,

I haven’t posted on here in a while as I broke my AF streak after 40 something days and didn’t feel it was fair. I’ve logged in a couple of times and read over the thread though. I can see the AF participants have thinned out. It is difficult to maintain but honestly deep down I think I’d be so proud to be a teetotaller! I have drank twice since New Year’s Eve which is not too bad I guess. Both times I went out with some friends had 4 or 5 drinks. I hope a night like New Year’s Eve never happens again but I’m so scared it will. Did I regret having those few and breaking the AF streak 100% yes. Well done @wannabedry on 100 days. I say keep going if you can. When I woke the next day after the first time drinking I have to say I felt disappointed with myself. @NoAlcohol2024March don’t be too hard on yourself for wanting to drink on holidays. Your perspective changes again. As I’m typing in the group right now I’m back to the AF mindset again. It definitely helps checking in and reading all your comments. I have been reading them the last while but didn’t message.
well done everyone x

It is so helpful to hear everyone's perspectives and I'm nodding along with all of you. I'm really enjoying being AF but the thought of saying 'never again' is too tough right now. But I know if I have one, I will find it so difficult to stop again. So I keep on. For now.

I have admiration for those who can have a couple and then get back on the AF bandwagon. Moderation feels a lot harder to me than having none at all.

I find it fascinating the pressure our social circles put on us to drink.

We are all on our journey with it, but you're right @Thelittlestranger it is strange how society expects us to drink. Friends have still invited me out ("even though you're still not drinking!") but to be honest I don't enjoy nights out with drunk people when I'm the only sober one. Would much rather lunch or a coffee date, which is what I'm doing.

I find moderation harder that total abstinence as well. At least there's no negotiating and no "I'll just have two" or "I'll have a big dinner, that will help soak the booze up" way of thinking.

I'd be disappointed if I had a drink now but I don't think I'd totally chuck the towel in. I've found some great AF subs but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss that very specific hit of that 'first drink'

Alcohol truly is the drug that deceives us to thinking we need it, really need it, to relax. The marketing and brain washing into normalizing taking ethanol and 'morning drinking means you have a problem but 11am bottomless brunch with the girls is fine' is crazy. Such a headfu&k.

Checking in! Well done those still not drinking in 2024 and to those that are, don’t beat yourselves up - it’s tough!

So I’m learning to sit and be in my feelings. This is the hardest bit for me as it was rather easy before to hush the thoughts with a drink.

My eating has calmed down, I was just in and out of the cupboards or fridge just trying to plug the gap.

Things I really enjoy- the sleep, lovely deep restorative sleep without the million wee get ups and the 3am wake of doom.

Anxiety is a thousand times better although it is still there which may be a bit of personality and quite a bit of perimenopause.

I still look crappy and tired but healing from the inside out takes time and I do feel better so that’s the most important thing.

Im really committed to seeing what a year feels like sober and present x

Hi all. I’m still going too and completely hear those of you who say that abstinence is easier than moderation.
Nearly 30 years of heavy/regular drinking and trying to moderate has shown me that I cannot do it. I just can’t. It creeps back and I have no control.
Currently, I am “not allowed” to drink and therefore it doesn’t present as an option and it takes up less head space.
The MINUTE I allow myself one, for whatever reason, then every occasion, including ‘it’s raining’, ‘it’s sunny’ and’ it’s Thursday’ will be an excuse and I’ll be back to square one.
Therefore, no targets set for me. Just one foot in front of the other.
My current biggest incentive is knowing I have massively healed and protected my liver and reduced my chance of getting certain types of cancer. I want to have the biggest chance possible of being here to see my boys grow to be.
Although a bit of weight loss would be a bonus!

*seeing my boys grow up! Or be adults… not sure what I was typing

Also still here and dry!

'healing from the inside out takes time and I do feel better so that’s the most important thing'

Definitely this for me, I'm feeling many benefits but they are gradual, and I suspect some I wouldn't even notice before they slipped away if I were drinking again, even possibly small amounts. But mainly I too am too scared to try moderation yet! DH is now moderating quite well but I haven't been too tempted as yet.

I definitely feel I have further to go benefits-wise. Dealing with kids-based lack of sleep and winter illnesses slows it down too, it definitely takes patience. I've been able to reduce sugar a bit this past month and though I don't weigh myself can tell I've lost weight. Not the goal especially but it's been nice actually, makes me keener to do a bit of exercise, which I'm lacking in time for.

Got a few potential challenges coming in the Easter hols but keeping on for now!

I'm also noticing benefits, though agree they creep rather than rush to show themselves.

I'm also feeling quite lucky as I really have no desire to drink and don't miss it at all at the moment. However, this ain't my first rodeo, and so I know what attempting moderation looks like for me.

I think my first major challenge will be a wedding in May. My son is coming with us and so he will obviously be my sober buddy (he's 9 😆). I'm happy we can bugger off to the hotel together and watch a film if either of us is bored/struggling at the evening do.

I'm still here. Still AF and on day 96. Which is awesome but I'm a bit worried about how I'm going to feel once I hit my original goal of 100 days. What next? I don't think I'm ready to try moderation at all really so I need to keep going but I'm not sure whether I'm ready to say "forever"?

Well done @Samsond keep going! I am the same as you though. I'm on day 102 now and I am a bit 'lost'. I feel like I should commit to 'sober spring', so I have a new challenge to take part in, but I can't keep doing that all my life. Not sure I want to do 'forever' but don't want to go back to trying to moderate either as that did not work.