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.

@Flumpywoo thanks.
Oohh those drinks sound lovely, well done you.
I've had af kopperburg before - I enjoyed it as I don't drink cider, so had no expectations 🤣

@Amdone123 I stayed strong and didn't cave last night. Once I was sat at my desk and started with the task I'd set out to do the craving disappeared. Obviously I'm glad today and yet somehow I've thought about wine tonight approximately 122 times so far today 😅 joking, of course (sort of) but I'm definitely fancying some which is just crazy because 1) I'll regret it tomorrow and 2) it'll throw my health kick out! Good idea leaving your purse at home. You've got this!

@enoughisenough4 thanks. It's crossed my mind a few times too, especially with the weather. I also told myself if abstaining today (or any day) makes you miserable, then don't abstain.
After a bit of a chat with myself, I decided that hangovers, weight gain, wasting money makes me miserable.
I'm home now, got diet coke, fruit teas and sparkling water 😇

@Amdone123 a good way to look at it. All those things definitely make me miserable too 😅 I am still tempted but DH has suspected tonsillitis and is feeling rather sorry for himself so I expect a drink is the last thing on his mind. Did think about a nice evening to myself including wine but I'll be glad tomorrow that I haven't.

Healthy dinner followed for a cuppa here tonight too I think. Happy Friday everyone

Morning, folks, hope you're all ok @Bigbus @FiveShelties @Flumpywoo @Freezingfeetwarmheart @Jbob1976 @Liverpool52 @Needtokickthehabit @NextPhaseOfLife @OhShitImNearly40 @Peridot1 @Shiningout @Swannyb @Wakeupcall12 @YoghurtPotWashingMachine @determinedtomakethiswork @lemonsaretheonlyfruit @Swannyb @mumzof4x @tahinitoast @theflyingcow

Day 5 here - I'm glad I got back on track despite the blip on Monday. Feeling fine.
I need a plan for today. Not ( as yet) any thoughts on drinking but I still need a plan !

I haven’t posted as it’s been a rubbish week moderation wise. Drank every day. Wine. Even had wine at lunch time on Thursday as ended up out for lunch with DH. Which was really nice and very unusual so don’t regret that.

Only good thing is that we have gone to bed really early last couple of nights so that puts a natural end to drinking time.

I completely understand what some of you have said about wine being so much more addictive than other alcoholic drinks for me. I just love it. Both red and white. But especially red.

Planning a better week next week.

Hey all - thanks for the tag, @Amdone123

@Peridot1 - wine was definitely my thing. When I was trying to moderate, drinking G&T was my thing as I didn't even really like it (seems madness now to drink something you don't like just to be able to control alcohol intake).

Think I'm probably on around Day 90 AF now...

AND A MIRACLE HAS HAPPENED... My DH helped himself to a couple of my AF beers last night rather than the alcohol stuff. Seems minor, but he's NEVER drunk AF versions of anything, not seeing the point, and this was without me offering, encouraging or even being on my radar. Just went to the fridge, tried one, decided it was good, and had another.

On a primary level, me going AF was a decision for me and my health, but I was also aware that as a couple, we both drank too much and were excellent at motivating each other. Taking me out of the equation would have a positive impact on both of us.

I'm so pleased that subtle changes to habits are happening.

Both up bright and early this morning.

Thanks for the tag @Amdone123 - I’ve been doing ok with moderation these last few weeks. I’m off on holiday now for 2 weeks - we are driving around a bit so I won’t want to have a hangover but I do find it very difficult to be AF on any day of a holiday! It’s like a habit but I know 2 weeks of daily drinking (even moderate) will be a hard habit to break when I get back.

Like others have said, I don’t really consider a normal measure of g&T to be drinking really! I do sometimes order it in a pub to moderate or if I’m doing slimming world. Wine is definitely my favourite and the one I find it hard to stop once I’ve started. However we always have alcohol in the house - wine, beer and spirits - so on AF days I just ignore it!

@Peridot1 just write this week off and start afresh next week. You can do it!!

@NextPhaseOfLife that is amazing, honestly, and great that your husband is trying some AF drinks as well.

I drank (planned) Friday night and yesterday but not going to drink today even though I'm going to my mum's and usually would. I had a decent amount but not where I was really drunk, just a little bit merry and no hangovers. But I want to get a good night's sleep tonight and my next drink will be on Tuesday, just a few in the garden with family. Then I'm going away next Fri-Mon and will drink every night, so I'll definitely want a detox when I get back!

The summer hols will be harder for me to moderate I think, as I'm a bit more carefree and YOLO lol. Still working but have days off spread out each week and a holiday in August. But I'm fine with that and can be better in September.

@Flumpywoo you sound in control which is great and also like me with the YOLO mentality 🤣.
I drank yesterday but I'm good with it. I won't drink now til Saturday when I'm at a party. I know I can do 6 days af til then.
Holiday in 3 weeks,too - but my holidays and drinking are a lot different to how they used to be. Thank god.

Ha ha yes the year before I had my daughter, I was so drunk on holiday that I got out of bed and started walking down the hotel corridor for no reason. I have never in my life gone wondering after a drink, so no idea what happened. Oh once actually, just remembered! Luckily had pyjamas on 🤣. So now, even though I drink every day on holiday, I'm careful and don't want to get really drunk, as it's hot as it is so I don't want a hangover in the heat! And sharing a room (and sometimes a bed) with my daughter so I need to be coherent, don't want her seeing me falling asleep drunk or waking up with me smelling of stale wine! She obviously has seen me get stupidly drunk when younger (told nursery that mummy was being sick from wine, I was mortified!) and I just don't want to expose her to that and think it's normal. I think she is my motivation for moderating more than anything else sometimes. Both mine and my husband's families love a drink, and some drink way too much (my dad was an alcoholic but she never got to meet him unfortunately), so I want to still have a drink sometimes but so that she sees you don't need to slur your words and talk a load of nonsense EVERY time you open the wine! Ha ha. Sorry, that went off on a bit of a tangent.

@Flumpywoo no worries - it's great to read - I feel exactly the same.

Three weeks without a drink now. Not really been tempted either, holds no appeal. Not sure how this has happened really!

@OhShitImNearly40 that's brilliant, well done. 3 weeks is amazing - keep going.

Morning, folks, hope you had a good weekend. I've had a lovely weekend - really balanced. I drank on Saturday. 6 large glasses ( I've decided this definitely sounds better than 2 bottles). I imagine on a pub crawl, I'd have 1 glass getting ready, then the rest in various bars, so I'm justifying it that way !
I wasn't hungover yesterday and easily could have drank again. I was very content and mellow, probably still drunk, but I didn't - had water and ice lollies.
I'm aiming to be af now til Saturday.

Well done @OhShitImNearly40 - that’s great.

@Flumpywoo - that’s the plan. Back on it today.

DH and I drink on holiday but reckon we drink less than at home really. I love a glass of rosé with lunch on holiday but only one. Two makes me sleepy. And at night we go out for a drink pre dinner but then just have one usually and share a bottle of wine with dinner. We are pretty boring and tend to go to bed early on holiday too!

Yesterday we went to drinks at some friends in the garden and I was pretty restrained. Started with a soft drink and then had champagne. Had three glasses over the course of the afternoon and drank them slowly. I know if I’d had wine I would have drunk more. Then we came home and had pizza in the garden for dinner and I had two glasses of red wine and went to bed early. Slept really well too.

@Peridot1 that's a great result - good moderating and mindfulness !

Thanks @Amdone123! I was pretty pleased! My neighbour comment that starting with a soft drink wasn’t like me. I said I am trying to behave like a grown up sometimes! 😄

Morning all! Been moderating nicely on holiday, yesterday back to hotel with eldest DD and we shared a lovely ice cold bottle of rosé, much appreciated and needed, excellent anticipation by DD. We were absolutely knackered and the company of 2 young bloody annoying teenagers didn't exactly help. Sweltering heat and today it will be shade beside the pool all day. So AF day guaranteed as none available.
Back home tomorrow so will be recuperating and doing washing. AF day planned, as I have got a stock of AF drinks waiting for me.
Then it's more or less back to swimming and exercise. Keeping a check on diet and moderating/abstaining as much as possible.
As on phone can't manage to tag anyone, as I have a crappy memory and don't want to lose my message, but am reading all of your posts. Sending encouraging waves to all.

@Amdone123 thanks for the tag. Had a bad weekend and hating myself today but picking myself up and starting over. Survived Monday so that's something.

@Liverpool52 that's great you got through Monday. Just keep trying. Weekends are a pain. We love them but it's hard to stay focussed when you've worked hard all week.

I don't even seem to be surviving Mondays. I was in a brilliant mood yesterday, absolutely flying. Went to work, didn't take my purse, walked home and picked up my purse and went back out. To buy prosecco and beer.
I did the same last Monday but the good news is I then stayed af for the next 4 days, so I'll aim.for that this week.
I'm not beating myself up. Sometimes it happens and it's best to move on. Lots of water today and extra exercise.

Still drinking but much less. Have had a tough few weeks and used it as a crutch but onwards and upwards.

Yesterday was not AF. Yesterday was one of those incredibly stressful days that wine was invented for.

Today is another day.

AF mojito in the fridge for tonight.

Slightly shocked to see this morning that a bottle of whiskey that was delivered last Tuesday is now empty. And I don’t drink whiskey. The whiskey is on top of the gin, Pimms and wine that was drunk through the week by DH too. Not good.

Not AF again last night but did start with the AF mojito. Then had two glasses of wine in the garden.

@Peridot1 that's not too bad.
Yesterday morning I was itching to do something, anything ! I thought I'd throw a sickie and go to the coast and drink - no idea where that came from.
Went for a walk, and decided the most sensible thing to do was to go to work and maybe drink later.
But in work I was so hot, and then tired, I forgot all about drinking. Came home, cool shower, had tea and bed.
I often get the urge to do something impulsive. So glad I didn't do anything daft as my granddaughters have been here early today and between nursery rhymes and science experiments, I'm glad I'm fresh ( and not in a bed n breakfast somewhere!).