On a mission to moderate or absolutely abstaining, no judging, keep on being strong, new thread autumn 2024

[Nowstrong]

@Amdone123, @Freezingfeetwarmheart , @Bigbus,@Flumpywoo , @FiveShelties , @ForeverTipsy, @Hohofortherobbers,@Jbob1976,@walliedug,

Wanted to post and old thread wouldn't let me, so took the plunge...
Please tag everyone, don't want to leave anyone behind.

Still AF here and even starting to enjoy it. Nearly 2 months. Will write proper post later..
Hope you are all doing well. Stay strong. Wet vibes, 'cos it's raining.

Oh the calories are insane! I had lost quite alot of weight in 2018/19 but from 2020 onwards it started creeping back on. By the time I forced myself to step on the scale in January 2024 I was 50lbs heavier. I honestly couldnt understand why as I ate healthily 90% of the time. My brain refused to consider alcohol calories until I wrote it all down and I realised i was drinking up to 5000 calories a week in booze 😱😱😱
Ive lost all the weight now and keeping it off is so much easier!

@HorrorFan81 congratulations! That is a great achievement. @ForeverTipsyI don’t think that I made it completely AF. I’m back in a good place (mentally) again. It’s horrendous how quickly you can slip into bad drinking habits and to actually see the toll it’s taking on you mentally and physically, but feeling helpless to do anything about it. Got that strength back again. So grateful. So all I can say is keep up the hard work. Love yourselves. I really think that this is part of the healing process. Thinking about yourself. Loving yourself. Reminding yourself that if you are loved by others, you must love yourself too so that they can also help you if in need. If you get my gist.

Moving onto another island today. New experiences with my lovely DGD. So glad that I can share these precious moments with her. Memories to be cherished.

sending you a lot of wind (to get rid of it slightly), will keep the sun but sending positive and sunny vibes. Stay strong! X

@ForeverTipsy my oldest just started secondary too! I've been v nervous (he has ASD and Dyspraxia) but he's settled in so well

I really like the I Am Sober app, it's so good to see how far I have come and I love tracking the financial and calorie savings

So I was talking about alcohol with my PT yesterday @HorrorFan81 @ohthejoysoftoddler. he was telling me that, not only is alcohol empty calories but your body switches from fat metabolism to alcohol metabolism when you drink because essentially it prioritises getting rid of the alcohol toxins from your body. So booze is doubly harmful to weight loss - needless calories and pauses fat metabolism. I had no idea about the latter!!

Dinner party tonight at which I am pledging to drink moderately. Aunt’s birthday lunch tomorrow and I’ve said I’ll be designated driver so that will help me stay on the straight and narrow 💪🏻

That's interesting @harriethoyle Obviously, I knew that wine had calories but I sort of convinced myself it didn't. I used to 'jokingly' say that liquid calories didn't count. Since giving up alcohol, I've lost over a stone. I still usually have a drink (AF now) at 6 (which was when I ALWAYS had wine) but that one drink is enough. With wine, one drink was NEVER enough! I'd drink the first really quickly and then go back for a refill - then another etc. I've realised that alcohol lured me into drinking at an ever faster pace. That's its addictive quality. I watched the BBC documentary 'Rain in my Heart' - it's gruelling and fascinating, but very sad. There's a young alcoholic man who drinks about a pint of red wine straight down - no sipping or swallowing. There's no pleasure in his drinking, nothing about it tasting nice or making him feel good. It's purely about the quickest way to get alcohol into his bloodstream and blotting everything else out.

Yep I remember reading about that when I was losing weight. My weight loss slowed down massively on the weeks I drank even though I was still under calories. So annoying!

@LillyPJ that's exactly the same for me. One AF drink and I am happy. One alcoholic drink and all I could think about was the next and the next and the next. I would drink so quickly and all I would be concerned about was where the next drink was coming from. If out in a bar / restaurant I would often order my next drink before I had finished my current one so I didn't have a gap. Its such a relief to be free of all that

This is what I've read too, I know I'm under calories, I don't eat huge amounts and I work out a load. Yet there's still some stubborn weight.

It's certainly not the main reason to stop drinking, but I think it could help motivate.

I really like a none alcoholic beer, and same could happily sip all night slowly, but I have found myself getting through my nightly bottle of wine at terrifying speed.

Funnily enough quitting drinking was kind of a happy accident for me. I wanted to lose 'the last 5lbs' so decided to stop drinking for a month to make it easier. I had absolutely no aspirations to stop, although I knew my drinking was problematic. I did want to moderate so hoped a break would help that. After a few weeks tho, I think I had had enough space from drinking to really examine my habits and the more learning I did, and the longer I went experiencing things without drinking, the more I realised I could do this long term

I was the opposite - wasn't looking to lose weight but really wanted to cut down or stop the drinking. The weight loss was an unexpected bonus.

3 weeks AF today and feeling so much better. We go on holiday to Italy next wee..that's going to be a challenge! I'll deal with it when it comes. Am sleeping better and have more energy. Log may it last

@LillyPJ I also recently watched “Rain in my Heart” and it was absolutely hideous. I actually had to skip quite a few parts, too hard to watch. It also seemed so dated, I know it was 20 years ago now, so I hope there is more support and understanding for people like this now. The Dr who I am sure was an absolute trooper was on a hiding to nothing telling people who had got to that late stage of liver failure to “just stop drinking or you will die”.

The positive thing is I believe Mark - the chap downing pints of red wine, has found sobriety and written a book. I honestly expected they would say he died within weeks of filming.

I've had a small glass of wine this evening. I actually feel like I'd love another but I've not caved, I suppose that's the point of the naltrexone.

I took it early, as a friend invited me over post school and I knew it could be boozy and was tempted. But I took it and declined and held firm.

Feel like weekend are going to be tough. But in the last three days, I've had three small glasses vs at least three bottles. Sunday will be my true test this weekend.

Well done @ohthejoysoftoddler - that sounds like real progress! You've got this 💪

I watched that documentary too, I remember the man downing the wine, so pleased to hear he recovered.
I've made it through first sober Friday! Chugged 2 AF beers, as i was feeling deprived but I've made it.

Good lass! I’ve had a few voddies, won’t lie! 😬😬😬

I have been a bit absent, stopped tracking my units and got a bit too complacent I think. I’ve realised I’ve let the alcohol creep up again and woke up with a bit of a headache today so time to get back on track. I haven’t been having the out of control regret-filled binges anymore which is a definite positive but the gradual build up of wine in the evenings needs to stop. Time to get healthy. This is such a supportive thread. Best of luck to everyone.

Already done an hour of weightlifting this morning after one solitary Trip drink last night (tried a new flavour). Planning an AF weekend too.

That’s fantastic! Well done! 👏 💕

exercise is very powerful isn’t it?!
3 sweaty workouts under my belt this week, not exercised in a couple of months but great for giving something else to focus mind on!

Thanks @Asyoulikeit123, and well done to you too.

Welcome back @DrFroggy, it’s so easy to do especially over the summer. I was very similar - though kept tracking so I know how much I surged 😳. It’s made me determined to have a very low alcohol September.

So I got through last night’s dinner party with one large gin and 1/2 bottle of red. This time a fortnight ago it would have been twice that. And then drank peroni zero at today’s birthday lunch, rather than defaulting to a couple of glasses of wine. Feeling really pleased!!

I’m going to have a glass of wine now in front of Wednesday and save the rest to split with DH tomorrow over a roast.

Definite progress for my first full week of moderation 💪🏻

Saturday of my first AF weekend of Sober September and it’s been quite easy. Right now I am in danger of scoffing the rest of the bar of Tony’s Chocolonely I bought to console myself however (I managed to moderate that too yesterday!). Still, feeling quite serene about the alcohol though, so I’m pleased about that.

Update: came downstairs after my bath and just don’t fancy wine at all. So I’m drinking lilt!!

Am angelic 😇 🤣

Sounds like everyone is doing well this weekend so far!
I've had a few non alcoholic beers and a no alcohol spritz - a fevertree tinned one which was excellent.
I've been on a diet but trying to let loose on the food while going through this, so have caved to a Chinese takeout!

Slept like a log last night! Park run was good, no PB, but cruised it nicely 👌
Went to a local event tonight and had Sprite, now in bed with a bedtime tea. The Friday and Saturday minefield has been navigated 😅