On a mission to moderate or absolutely abstaining - new thread for summer 2024

[Bigbus]

@amdone123 @touty @coppergate7 @swannyb
@Hohofortherobbers @YoghurtPotWashingMachine @Mj20 @Freezingfeetwarmheart @Needtokickthehabit @OhShitImNearly40 @Nowstrong @enoughisenough4

The last thread got full before a new one could be started. I’ve tried to tag some of the regular posters but I don’t really know what I’m doing! Let me know if this works and please tag people I’ve missed.

@Amdone123 well done on day 4! Not even trying? Now you're just showing off 😅 I abstained last night and I was glad I did. DH very nearly gave in too but we made a cuppa and put something on tv instead and then the shop closed (we don't have anything in the house, mainly because I end up drinking it 🤦‍♀️). I'm wall climbing tonight and I'll be back at 9:30pm ish so there won't be that temptation tonight (well there probably will be but the shop will close half hour after I get home!).

Hope everyone else is doing well. @Peridot1 that's great news about your blood tests!

@Amdone123 well done on day 4, especially over the weekend!

I drank 3 days out of 7 last week and had only planned to on 2 days, but wasn't too annoyed at myself as I didn't get really drunk or have hangxiety after any of them. Definitely didn't stick to 14 units over a week, it was just over 30. On Sat when I was drinking from 3pm - 10.30pm (had family over) I tried to pace myself and had water while I was cooking, so by the time I went to bed I didn't feel like my head was spinning or anything, as it usually would after that sort of day. Sleep score suffered though! On Day 2 now and going to try not to drink until next Monday (will be going out), but we will see. Weekend is always hard not to.

Welcome @Wakeupcall12, the more of us the merrier!

Hope everyone else is doing well x

@Peridot1 great news on your liver results by the way!

@Flumpywoo 3 days out of 7 is not too bad but I know what you mean. Weekends are difficult but I have the odd one af, and quite enjoy them. I think it depends on if you work Mon to fri, etc - always so many factors.
@enoughisenough4 well done for last night. It sounded to me that it was one of those times when you just know you're going to cave, so really well done !
Yes, I thought it sounded different, day 4 without trying, but I meant it's not bothered me, when I'm normally climbing the walls 🤣. In fact, when I want to drink, there's not much that will stop me.
@Peridot1 that's great news about the liver results.
I keep meaning to get that tonic. I wouldn't even mind if my new drink were gin n tonic, I'd see that as a success.

Well, I've done my nana duties. The l'ill bundle of joy has been here since 9am, I'm now in bed with hot chocolate and birthday cake. Ds was going to tesco, and asked if I wanted anything ( he meant wine). Said I'm all good, which I am.

@Amdone123 well done on resisting the wine!
Yes I find it easy not to drink during the week (when I mostly have nothing on) and working but then feel I need that treat of a weekend. So I might get some nice AF drinks / nice sparkling juices as my treat this weekend as I know I'm having a drink on Monday so won't be that long to wait.

Hi @Amdone123 glad to hear you doing so well and also over weekend too! I drank sat and sun, it was planned to a degree and I was reasonably good , at last night and will be to next sat now, I’m hoping this is the new routine moving forward but early days.

@Amdone123 it was pretty bloody close last night, especially when DH suggested it. I did a walk and a swim yesterday which totalled just under 600 calories so just under a bottle of wine. You would think this would encourage me NOT to want the wine (I need to lose weight) but nope, still wanted it. I'm going to quite literally be climbing the walls later (climbing session) but im thinking of leaving earlier than last week (it starts at 6:30pm so not sure I'm up for 2.5 hours again when I'm too scared to actually do much climbing 😅). Already crossed my mind that I'd be home and showered by 8:30pm, and you know what time that is 🙄🤦‍♀️

Well done on passing on DS' offer!

Back on it Day 1 today .
Had a heavy weekend with my sons 21 st and dds 14th and trip to London. We didn't get back until after 11 last night so early night needed .
Planning on AF until Friday and I know I need to do this.
Just been to supermarket and avoided the wine and bought three bottles of soda water and a bag of fresh limes .... hi me. Also some Earl Grey / Chia and a massive bottle of bit B complex.
All very well amd good just got to stay off it now.
Hope everyone has a good evening

All good here thank you @Amdone123. Back at work after a weeks leave where I relaxed the moderation a bit but now back to no drinking in the week and no silliness at the weekends. At least that's the theory - tough day in work today but hammered crisps rather than alcohol tonight. 🤣

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Thank you @Amdone123 @Flumpywoo@enoughisenough4 @Peridot1

Day 8 AF here.
Doing OK. Still having a chilled AF beer or 2 at night time in a wine glass.
AF wine not great at all, unfortunately.
Sleeping better. Determined to keep going for the moment, one day at a time. Feel a bit flat and tired today but I had a busy day.

@Wakeupcall12 that's brilliant well done.
You're doing really well.
And yes, af wine abysmal.

Morning all! Belated birthday wishes @Amdone123.
Back home and am really tired but have SO much to do. Day 1 starts today and normally I should be OK for quite a while. But will just wait and see. I really love my friends but staying with them can be tiring, I did no end of gardening to help my bestie as she isn't retired yet and I feel shattered. Her husband is not at all in good health and can't help her very much and he also seems really depressed. So stay healthy you lot, 'cos being ill is not a sinecure.
I'm going to Morocco in 12 days so if I'm really good here before I leave, I could be on a long AF stretch. Over there the temptations are less and you really have to be organised to drink seriously, even slightly. Crossing fingers.
Off to make tons of jam and jelly. Silly me thought it would be a good idea to bring back no end of cheap fruit for everyone, now I have to do something with it. Can only eat so many peaches in one day. Home made jam does make good pressies though.
Have lost track of everyone slightly but sending positive, even if tired, vibes. Welcome to @Wakeupcall12.

Hope you all have a good day. SSS

Good morning all and thanks for the tag @Amdone123 - I always think of you when there is tennis on! I’ve had my ups and downs the last few weeks - I’m finding it easy to be af or moderate most days but have had one or two stupid nights that I’ve regretted. I’m going to an event on Saturday with people I don’t know that well and I will be nervous and it’s set up as a big boozy event and it starts at 5pm!! These are all big red flags for me with regards to ending the night in a drunken mess. I’m hoping that by being super aware I will manage to pace myself and stay on the right side of tipsy!

@Bigbus could you start off on a couple of soft drinks so that you start on the alcohol a bit later? I sometimes do that and just say "oh I'm really thirsty" or that I'm pacing myself, as once I start drinking in a big group, I find it hard to switch to soft drinks when everyone is buying in rounds, it just keeps flowing. And/or maybe try to have water at times with your drink. I know from experience that it's not always easy to remember to do this once you start getting carried away, but worth trying!

@Bigbus lol about the tennis 🤣.
I have a similar event to yours, in August that I'm dreading ( I have to go, it's a family event and there would be people moaning at me if I didn't go). Mine starts at 1pm, that's bad for me. I've put it on the back burner for now.

I'd do what @Flumpywoo suggests, try to keep putting it off : diluted drinks are great, and eating is helpful, too - especially before you go - could you have a big tea ?!!

Day 5 here and a day on my own. I need to go to the supermarket - for some reason, I see myself drinking today.

Thanks for the tag @Amdone123 just what I needed. Last week was not good, we were out almost every night or had friends around for a meal - the recycling bin is definitely full. I am so annoyed that I swiftly slipped back into bad habits, too much wine followed by stupid snacks.

So I started again on Monday, weighed in at 10st 9.2 and was AF. Tuesday I had one measure of whisky and today I have planned two measures of whisky.

It is good to read all the posts and thanks to everyone for sharing. Take car everyone.

@FiveShelties That's me when I have the wine. I get wired into the snacks so not only am I angry at myself for drinking to much but for eating too much too. I would love to be 10 stone 9 :)

I feel like the remedial poster on here. I've been drinking far too much. Last night I had three small bottles of beer and an early night and it's the first day in ages I have woken up feeling vaguely human. I'm an anxious person and when it gets to 5pm I just want to drown it out for a while.

@YoghurtPotWashingMachine yes, the snacks are so annoying - if only I could see the attraction in lettuce and celery at 10.00pm, rather than crisps, ice cream or cheese and biscuits! I have been gaining and losing the same 7 pounds all year - so stupid.

@YoghurtPotWashingMachine sorry to hear about your anxiety. Do you have medication for it?
I've kind of sailed through the menopause with the exception of anxiety - which is made worse when drinking. It's an awful condition.

Well, I thought I was going to drink today but on my walk to the supermarket, I had a chat with myself.
I don't want to waste money, I don't want a hangover, I don't want to be crying to anyone who will listen ( 🐶), etc, etc, so I bought a bottle of ginger beer.
And chocolate 🍫

@Amdone123 I thought of you as I headed to the supermarket for a few bits ..... loved the "had a chat with myself !" And it just kind of made me do the same
I had a chat with myself and bought I big portion of protein enriched king prawns in chilli sauce which I then inhaled in the car waiting for dd .
On the soda and freshly squeezed lime.
Very much looking forward to a red at the weekend with dh but can't have too much as have a report I'm working on.
How's everyone else doing?

Well I failed already lol...
Got myself some nice sparkling AF drinks today at the supermarket for the weekend. But my mum got home from work early and asked if I wanted to meet her in the pub, so I had half a bottle of wine, a little bottle of Prosecco and then a glass of Prosecco back at hers 🙈. If I don't have any more this week then it's 8.8 units, so under my 14 limit, but I wanted to have none, so still feel bad. Although I did want a Baileys to finish off the night but stopped myself, so it could be worse. I'm really clutching at straws now looking for a positive 🤣.

@Flumpywoo well at least you had a nice time with your ma ! And well done for saying no to the Baileys not sure I could have done.
Onwards and upwards.

Morning all! AF day 2 here. Yesterday went well, was just so busy it was crazy. Went to bed really early, watched Netflix a bit and must of been asleep before 21H00. As AF, lovely sleep and woke up this morning really fresh headed. Have already made a batch of apricot jam, now having my morning tea and planning how to organise myself. Have sport this afternoon and my DGD is coming for a late lunch, everything is late for her at the moment, she gets up at 11H00, breakfast at 11H30, and goes to bed at an unearthly time, so will get some bits in for her, before. Typical teenager, picky eater too. Rant over.
@Amdone123 you made me laugh because I'm always giving myself talks. Which are better than full blown rants if I've had a few too many. @FiveShelties my problem too, wine always rhymes with nibbles. Whatever is available, cheese and bread, nuts, crisps. My discipline melts in wine.
@Flumpywoo just see the positives, you're still under your weekly allowance and you said no to the Baileys. Mind you, that's easy, Baileys is disgusting (to me) and as @mumzof4x said, upwards and onwards.
@YoghurtPotWashingMachine I'm sorry about your anxiety, alcohol may not be helping you there, used to make mine worse and I had terrible hangxiety at one time. Feeling so much better now that I am controlling my alcohol intake better. Still work in progress, but I am progressing. As @Amdone123 said perhaps consider medication perhaps have a chat with your GP to help you. I sound patronising there, don't mean to, know how it feels.
Well folks I have another busy day to get through and it will definitively be AF, so I'm feeling good. Weather is damn awful here. Chilly and mostly wet. Where has summer gone?
Take care, love yourselves. SSS

Morning, folks, great to read your posts. I'm laughing here to myself which I do a lot, as well as talking to myself - I probably do need help.

@Flumpywoo see, I'm on day 6 but only because no one has invited me to a pub!
I'm fine if I don't do anything but put temptation in my way, and I don't have as much willpower as I appear to have.
I think you did well - don't feel guilty or anything else - it's not worth it. Just keep going.

I'm pleased that I haven't drank this week, especially since I'm off work, tennis is on and I'm flying solo.
Dh just got home.....laters 🤣❤️

Yes I'm the same. Can easily not drink at home during the week but if I get invited out, then it's like permission to drink and I think "you only live once", then that's my good intentions out the window!

Well done on your 6 days AF @Amdone123!