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.

one thing I do find though is I have to have my last drink (as in glass or cup of liquid) really early on or I end up needing to get up for a wee. Anyone else find this? It’s so annoying!!

Wrong thread ! Have reported to MN to delete - sorry! (and I've not had a drink in days, promise!).

I'm off to a day time event with kids and adults today, just close friends. This would usually be my spiral. I'd start and then go all afternoon and evening. Im nervous. Woke up feeling so refreshed this morning and don't want to be rubbish tomorrow. Especially for Monday and one of the kids first days at school.
I've got a nice dinner out, and we started a good TV show last night. Hoping that will be a good motivation for me.
Anyone else got any hurdles today?

I slept really well last night - must be connected to yesterday’s sobriety…

@harriethoyle good one, hopefully same again today, good luck

@ohthejoysoftoddler yesterday I got the ferry - usually a bit of an opportunity because it's just like airport wetherspoons isn't it - but just ignored the drinks service and enjoyed the short trip. Late afternoon we had to stop in a little pub restaurant for DD to use the loo, and that would again be a danger point. I mean it would be plain rude and against all the rules not to have a drink when we're stopping to use the facilities, yeah? But I bought DW a drink (which to be fair I did taste because it was a bitter I hadn't seen before) and didn't have one for myself.

Then later on we missed the ferry due to IKEA indicision, and had over an hour to wait. I think if I'd had a few drinks during the day I would have been a bit moody about that to be quite honest, but I just shook it off. No big deal. We took a very slow walk to the bar near the ferry where we could sit and pass the time. I have to say at that point I did order a medium-strength pint, and it went down very nicely thank you very much.

You know what's really difficult for me personally? When the only AFs they have are in those stupid little 330ml bottles. I mean what sort of bullshit is 330ml anyway? It's appropriate for a can of pop, but not a measure for a refreshing alcoholic beverage. Sorry pet peeve, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't influence my decision to have a pint instead.

Anyway we came home without any further incident of drinking and I'm good. Today I don't see any major roadblocks, just a day pottering in the hoose and sorting out my garden office.

Keep on keeping on

Wow @BezMills sounds like you handled that day so well! I know, I'm in London and more and more places to a pint of AF on draft, and it's so much nicer than a piddly can!

There’s a thread on Black Forest gateaux on AIBU and I want one!! Does boozy cake count as breaking Sober September?

Definitely not @AlertCat as long as you don’t bypass the cake and drink the kirsch from the bottle…

Two large glasses of red today with roast lamb and now back on the lilt. Really pleased with how the first week of moderation has gone.

Well done Harriet, that’s great!

First sober weekend of September done ✅

Has not felt like a challenge, so I’m pleased by that. Slightly flat, maybe, but I find myself wondering if I’m now someone who might say “oh I don’t really drink any more. I can take it or leave it.”

Idk. Maybe I still have some attachment to drinking.

@harriethoyle good old lilt! The aldi sugar free one is pretty refreshing, and makes a nice change.

I got through yesterday, even swerved the booze at the club when I popped over for sausage rolls and accidentally joined in a local sports charity day. Had a couple of pints of Heineken 0, which scratched the 'I'm at the club drinky drinky' itch.

Woke up with a bit of a sore back from sitting weird in the armchair using my laptop (following up from IKEA visit). So even just looking at IKEA on the website can hurt my back ffs. Dangerous place, IKEA. I'm annoyed about that because I'm up nice and early and could go and train... but I better not. I'd feel a right plum if I made my back worse right at the beginning of a busy week.

@BezMills I'm with you about piddly little 330 mls. And I really dislike it when you're at a concert or cinema and they pour it into a (plastic) pint glass so it just emphasises what a stingy portion you're getting! I'm glad AF draft beers are becoming more common - not seen many yet.

Yes I'd like AF beer is a proper measure. I like a tall slim pint glass like you get with a peroni draft. It's the theatre of drinking that I need more than the alcohol.

@Hohofortherobbers completely agree. My goto at the moment is Ghost Ship ale, which comes in a nice 500ml bottle and happily is in stock in my two favourite pubs, and on the shelf in Saino. I drink it from the bottle and it goes down a treat.

@Hohofortherobbers I like 'the theatre of drinking'! When I pour my AF Martini, I always have ice, slice of something and a nice glass. In a pub, I particularly hate being given beer/lager in a glass with a stem - it makes it look like a much smaller drink for some reason. I want a tall straight-sided glass.

Yes! I don't like beer in a stemmed glass either, but I will top trump that. I give you beer in a traditional pint mug, with a handle and the multi squared finish , urgh! I'd never drink alcohol again if it all came in those horrible mugs 🍺 😕

Totally with you on needing a fancy glass. I have definitely found having a good AF option, in a glass that is more interesting than my daily water glass, keeps me positive about keeping off the booze

We had friends over yesterday which we would never have done previously. It sounds mad writing it down but I never wanted to socialise with them on a sunday as I wouldnt be able to drink the way I liked since I couldn't work with a hangover on a monday. So it was a Saturday or nothing really. We had such a lovely day, my DH made a roast and I woke up today feeling fresh - even went to the gym before work!

@Hohofortherobbers Completely agree with you! Those things are not only ugly but also too heavy and make me think of old men with froth on their moustaches. Eurgh!

Tonight I have discovered tanquery zero. It’s properly ginny. To the extent that, having finished my second , I thought to myself “I’d better not have a third on a weeknight” and only then remembered it’s alcohol free 🤣

@harriethoyle Thanks for the tip - I'm always looking out for interesting AF drinks. I once tried a Seedlip 'gin' and thought it was disgusting. The Gordon's one is ok but not brilliant so I'll try the Tanquery next. My latest discovery is buying super-sized ice cubes. I wouldn't normally be so extravagant but I got fed up of making normal ice cubes and having them melt too quickly. The big ones last ages and make your glass look fuller.

Weekend #2 of sober September. It’s ok. My joints are marginally less sore, but I have been taking ibuprofen for a few days so it might be the anti-inflammatory properties of that. Or it might be the detox. I’m not completely off sugar, though.

How are you all doing? Moderating/abstaining with grace and ease? 🙂

Good luck with sober September and the sore joints @AlertCat I suffer with one of my knees and take ibuprofen before and during exercise. My GP advised it and it does help. My abstaining is going well - Day 134 today. I went through a difficult patch recently but managed to steer through it. I'll be meeting an old friend soon who I've not seen for a few years. He's a functioning alcoholic and we used to spend a lot of time in the pub together -he'd be on his third pint before I'd finished my first. He doesn't know I've stopped drinking yet so I'm curious to find out what he'll think of it. I hope he'll be impressed! He's a really nice man so I think he'll be pleased for me.

Still here, still sober, Friday nights are my achilles heel, I feel so deprived ! Chugging down Heineken 0%. Get through to bedtime, don't break 💪

I went for a herbal tea. On a Friday! I’m not sure if I’m proud or slightly shamefaced!

I've avoided AF wines for ages because last time I tried them they were all rubbish (apart from a sparkly one). I saw some new ones in Aldi today and thought I'd give it a go... They are still rubbish. Still, it got me through Friday's most dangerous hours.