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.

I slept so well last night for being AF. OK today, once a day is under my belt it's easier. I'm out friday night so plan to drink then, but 3 consecutive AF days will be more than I've managed for some time. We'll done sober Octoberers, I'll be your weekday friend 🧡

Thanks @ForeverTipsy, I'm downloading it now.

@Hohofortherobbers 3 af days is great. It's all about managing it your own way, I think.

@Hohofortherobbers sorry I meant it's a great plan - you can do it.

Still sobering October here. Wednesdays are historically tricky but I ignored the witch. My dh has some spirit in the house and I even thought of getting some coke to go with it. Honestly, I had to give my head a wobble. 1) I don't even like the spirit - it's horrible and 2) he can't have anything of his own 🥴.
I've been known to drink anything and everything. Someone once bought me a Chinese cookery set, complete with a wok, sherry, fish sauce etc. I just drank the sherry. No idea what happened to the wok.
Got in from work last night feeling great - house is spotless, meals organised etc and I just thought how happier I am not drinking.

I went to the pub last night for an hour and had a lime and soda...proud of that. Was walking past after taking my daughter to the dentist and my mum was in there so she said to pop in, but there was no way I was breaking sober October this early!

Just watched Dr Hillary Jones talk about the benefits of sober October, so I'm pleased I'm doing it and it has spurred me on. It's the weekends that I will find hard, I'm ok not drinking during the week. Need to stock up on some sparkling juices etc to feel like I'm having a treat.

@Flumpywoo well done - not sure I could do that !
Weekends can be challenging - I have a list of things I can do if ' bored'. They range from going for a walk to cleaning the bathroom - I usually find I'm ok being bored.

Hello everyone and thanks for the tag, @Amdone123 . I’ve been keeping up with the thread and I find it really beneficial. I am moderating quite well currently - no recent binges - but I’m drinking fairly regularly. The most AF days I manage in a week is 3 usually and I don’t seem to get under 30 units a week very often. I think I might try for 25 a week and see how I go. I think oddly I drink more regularly when I feel more in control. If I know I’m only going to have a couple of glasses and stop then I’m more likely to have the drink than if I feel like once a start I won’t stop - if that makes sense! I’m struggling to stop eating rubbish though so have resorted back to calorie counting. I’d really like to lose a few stone to make myself feel more comfortable.

I hope all those who are doing sober October are doing well - remember even if you have a slip here and there it’s still much less than you would have drunk. (I’m not doing it but I’m cheering you on! I’m doing ‘slightly-less-soggy October). Good luck everyone!

@Bigbus I'm loving the slightly less soggy take 🤣.
I'm like that - not having massive binges but still drinking fairly regularly although I have been on holiday since April ( 🥴), so it's been hard to regulate really. Though on every holiday and weekend break, I have drank sensibly and wasn't hungover once. But that's probably because I ate more.
One day at a time. Today I'm super happy because I've had my granddaughter, the sun is shining, I'm on top of everything house / admin wise, so what do I want to do ? The very thing that makes me miserable and not on top of everything.
😡

@Amdone123 thanks for the tag. Loooooong few weeks of being away with work which has a huge drinking culture. General success whilst away but then kicking the arse out if it at home. But will take the success of not being silly on work as a win.

Still reading and sending huge hugs and positive thoughts to all.

Evening all, another day AF. Busy day and at an open evening tonight so plenty of distraction. I didnt sleep well last night though, work worries on my mind. Hopefully better tonight.

Managed my 4 AF days - Monday through to Thursday! It was quite hard, but checking back here from time to time really helped. I darned a lot of socks. Watched crap telly. Slept well the first two nights and badly the last two. I really need to find better ways of filling my time!

Thanks everyone. I'll be back here next week.

Well done AFers. I've done my 3 days, see you next week!

After my week off I've managed a grand total of ONE alcohol free days once last Sunday 🙄
Time to sort myself out again. Going for two completely sober weeks from today, and attempting to eat healthier too.

Having a bad weekend...yesterday's plans went out the window (my whining child, so we turned round and went home before we even got to the station) and I was soooo bored. Then tonight's plans got postponed too.
Going out for a roast today and really craving a wine so that I have something nice to look forward to, but I'm not going to do it. I've got myself an AF bottle of freizenet to try for when we get back, that will hopefully satisfy my need for a treat. I'm just in a bad mood basically, but I'm determined to stay strong. Will get a pudding to cheer myself up instead. I'm normally really good on the first week of an AF month and don't even want a drink, but this boredom is getting to me! Sorry, rant over.

Hope you are all staying strong and enjoying your weekends. @Freezingfeetwarmheart don't worry about your slip up this week, I was the same before sober October. Had a really good week, then drank 5 days out of 7 and that's when i decided to go cold turkey for a month (minus my friend's big birthday night out in the middle!). So you can write it off and start again this week with a clean slate. We've all been there x

@Amdone123 thank you for the tag, I definitely needed it after drinking far too much at four different social events over the last couple of weeks.

I am now back and determined to cut right down on alcohol - sleeping really badly and I am sure that is down to alcohol. So have decided today is going to be AF. I was doing quite well with reducing but obviously that has gone right out of the window lately.

I have managed to lose weight whilst reducing but I know that is going to go straight back on if I carry on like this. I am now 10st 0.4lbs and wanted to get under ten stone, so have almost cracked it - cannot bear the thought of having to lose it all again!

Hope everyone is well and off to read the thread now and see what I have missed😀

Hey Everyone, how's it going? I'm doing OK, not had a drink in seven days now. I'm finding the 0% alcohol fizz/wine is helping. Fancied celebrating last night so nipped to Tesco express and they had some Nosecco. I enjoyed sipping it out of a flute, then tried the McGuigan 0% sauvignon blanc. It's pretty gross tbh, but in a big wine glass with ice and a dash of lemonade it was drinkable.

Tonight the husband and I have shared a bottle of Fre 'merlot' and quite like it. We were definitely missing chinking our glasses of an evening, and dh said it helped him relax, even tho we know it's a placebo effect.

Hope those of you who are cutting down throughout the week are feeling positive about the next few days. You've got this!

Hi there everyone, I'm back for another 3 days AF. Definitely need it, wine wrecks my sleep, I've always known this but last night was horrible, tossing and turning sweating all night. That was just half a bottle of red, didn't feel like I'd overdone it 😕. Here for my mid week accountability. We'll need a new thread soon, I don't want to step on PPs toes by setting it up myself.

@Hohofortherobbers oh it's the worst isn't it, when you're in bed feeling boiling hot and keep waking up. That's when you know it's time to lay off the drink for a bit, it's horrible. I usually get that in December after going over the top, but there are of course other times throughout the year! You can do this and we're all here to support each other

Day 4 (again!) for me. Feeling very tired and achy today which is normally when I really fancy a drink - I know that a good night's sleep is a much better cure and a drink wouldn't help with that so hopefully it'll be easy to resist!

I also know the waking up sweating and tossing and turning all too well - it's worse after having fatty/salty food as well as the drink.

Wow, I have done 2 AF days. Cannot remember the last time I have done two consecutive days. That is shocking really.

Well done on the two days @FiveShelties , that's brilliant! Don't they say two days gets the liver clearing out toxins properly?

I've bought myself some hot chocolate for when I want a relaxing drink at night. Having one now and just musing on if I keep this up whether I might wake up one morning looking a bit less haggard.

Well done everyone who is doing a few AF days this week, every little helps!

Tbh quality of sleep is my No1 reason for cutting right back. I need my sleep sooooo badly. If I'm tired I'm grumpy, moody, snappy, irritable etc and it affects everyone who lives with me, and that's not fair on my family.

When I'm tired any and all attempts at healthy eating go out the window too. Then I feel shit because I'm never going to shift the stone I'd like to, to get back into a healthy BMI range and fit back into lots of clothes. The self loathing, anxiety and paranoia are on my list, too.

Definitely more pros for quitting than cons at the moment. DH doing Sober October with me is helping massively too. He's noticed his sleep and digestion have improved. He really struggles to go more than two or three days without alcohol, so very proud of him for doing eight days.

Ooh which hot chocolate @Freezingfeetwarmheart ? I'm currently sipping a blend of the Rheal Coco Dream and Whittard's cookies and cream! Have been working online this evening and needed something to chill me out before trying to sleep.

Ooh that sounds good! I have the Salted Caramel flavour Options. That Cookies and Cream one looks amazing.

It definitely helps me when DH is on the same page as me, he's trying to cut down too and currently doing really well as he's going through a bit of a stressful time at the moment. For once we're supporting each other to NOT drink rather than being bad influences on each other!

@Freezingfeetwarmheart yes, it definitely helps to have someone supporting at home! And I don't feel like I'm being pious or irritated with him when he's drinking and I'm not 😉 Sorry your DH is going through a stressful time right now, so hard not to just turn to drink.

If you've got an Outlet near you with a Whittard in it, I'd recommend some of their luxury hot chocolate. The sticky toffee pudding white chocolate one tastes like silky melted Caramac! <drools>

Off to bed now, hoping for a good night's sleep.