Dry January and beyond - Thread 2

[BulldogMumma]

Hey everyone
New thread as the old one was filling up
@Flicitytricity @coastergirl @TimeForNosecco

So great to read everyone’s positive posts!!
well done to us!! 🤩
50 Days!! Feeling so happy and grateful that I didn’t give in and saw it through I definitely feel this is the right time for me now after toying with going AF over the years!!
feeling really good atm so just enjoying looking after myself sleep,fitness, nutrition all in order!! Life is much better now it’s calm and I’m not causing myself problems alcohol was the problem and it made me feel and look like shit!! 🤪

Wow.. 50 days already. I feel like January was sooo long but Feb is flying by!

Soon it will be March and spring will be on its way, I can't wait! I like winter in many ways but I think I have had enough of the cold.. although evening hibernation does make not drinking easier I think.

@TimeForNosecco can you share some of your good nutrition tips? I’m currently carrying a spot on my face the size of an orange and I know it’s chocolate driven 😭 I’m back from holiday on Friday and want to start Saturday first thing so I don’t feel like I’ve wasted February. As others have said, it seems to be flying by.

Oh and isn’t it lovely how we are all hitting that 50 day mark around the same time?! So glad I kept posting!

Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

I just had a read of the Damp Feb thread as I wanted to see how people were getting on. Good to see some.positive stories of people managing to moderate successfully but overall feeling somewhat relieved I'm not trying to moderate as I know it would be far harder for me. An endless mental battle with myself and likely a slippery slope ending back where I started

I hope I don't sound smug as I don't mean to be (and it's still very early days).

Its been great to keep active on here and feel a sense of community, so thanks to all of you who keep poa

*posting!

I agree @AuraBora, I also read it from time to time and it sounds like me this time last year. I broke on Valentine’s Day and I spent a lot of time telling myself I was ok with that because I’d done more than a month.

For me it was the drinking at home that was problematic and as soon as I started drinking again, that resumed instantly. Last year my longest run was 60 days (I did the entire summer holidays). Looking forward to passing that in a couple of weeks. It’s been much easier this time so maybe I needed to go through that ‘trying to moderate’ phase to realise I couldn’t!

Yes sure!! Basically eating healthier in general so mainly protein with every meal lots of blueberries and Greek yogurt instead of sweets and chocs. Fruits, nuts for snacking and lots of veggies with dinner and I feel great skin looks glowing also. Using MyNetDiary app to track calories also and I’ve managed to eat lots and still only have around 1,600 calories which after exercise gives me a good deficit. Just being more mindful and trying to stick to eating at the same time every day. Now it’s easy to see why I wasn’t losing weight when I was drinking I would have all those empty calories so all those hours at the gym just maintained so now I’m seeing my results!!

Thanks @TimeForNosecco that sounds doable! Saturday morning I start the healthy eating plan. Need to up my protein and fruit/veg and swerve the chocolate and crisps. Yoghurt and nuts are a good shout. I know I can do it. It’s not weight loss driving me because I have a ‘healthy’ bmi, I just want to tone up and feel stronger. I want to thrive in 2025(!) and now I feel like the alcohol is off the table I want to focus on other areas… food first coupled with exercise 💪

9 days alcohol free and just had a notification that my resting heart rate has dropped from 78 to 70 over the last 6 days! That's certainly not a coincidence! Feeling more positive I can stick with it this time.

@hereshegoesagain36
Great news! Good luck for the weekend and welcome (sorry if I've missed a post before)

Checking in for day 58. A big incentive not to cave into booze is the fact I'll get on day 60 come Sunday.
My only other next little challenge will be my aunties funeral in 3weeks. It will be a horrible family reunion & the wake is in a lovely wine and tapas bar.

I keep coming out in hives since autumn too and it's freaking me out with the googling too which would have triggered me to drink months ago.

Hope everyone's Friday is going smoothly xx

Welcome @hereshegoesagain36, you’ve done the hard bit now that first week is behind you, hope you continue to feel the benefits.

Day 53, DH is drinking tonight. Cider followed by a bottle of red wine. That was a usual Friday night for us last year. Sometimes 2 ciders first. For some reason it’s annoyed me… can’t really pinpoint why. I don’t want to drink. I don’t even fancy it, I think it’s the fact the quality of conversation goes down the more alcohol that is consumed and he’s interrupting the tv to talk 😆 didn’t use to bother me but grates now.

Anyway, I am also looking forward to day 60 @Littletinytarzanswingingfromanosehair and it’s these little targets keeping my motivation going.

Day 55 for me. Catching up with some friends today. We have form for boozy lunches so hope I can keep myself on track. As long as that first drink is AF, I should be ok. Feeling a bit down about back to work and school tomorrow. It’s hard to keep cajoling myself into being upbeat. Can’t say I’m feeling particularly great about another 6 weeks of that.

Checking in for day 60.
Great cardio sesh was needed today at the gym, 758 kcal burn and loved the endorphins!

Morning all!! Day 56 here! Hard to believe!! Really proud of myself for actually enjoying my first sober holiday!!! Feels like a big achievement!!

the hard bit was this weekend! Was a birthday in the family and lots of drinking and I wanted to join in! I dug into this a bit snd it was mostly wanting to forget about returning to work & normality today!

however I am glad to say I reminded myself of all the reasons I stopped & that in reality it wouldn’t stop today coming but would make today harder ! Was a veteran of hung over Mondays!!

so am feeling doubly proud of myself despite post holiday blues!!

hope everyone’s weeks get off to a good start!

Well done on the sober holiday@Seahorsesplendour and on the mammoth workout @Littletinytarzanswingingfromanosehair!

I spent yesterday watching my friends drink. Glad I resisted but I struggled to sleep last night and have to admit I felt a bit annoyed because sleep is one of my main motivators for not drinking.

Feeling a bit fed up in general. The rain doesn’t help and I’ve got to do a job I’ve been putting off for ages later and that’s not helping either.

Oh and I weighed myself and so far this year I’ve put on 4lbs so that’s another kick in the nuts.

@Seahorsesplendour You should be very proud of yourself indeed! I haven't really had a big challenge yet in terms of being surrounded by friends/family drinking. Even though I'm generally not struggling I think I'd find that hard.
My Monday wasn't great - have caught cold from my son - hacking cough and not sleeping well so feeling rather run down.
However on the plus side I think I am now 2 days without chocolate/any junk which makes me feel more positive about myself, and I also think I'm about 4-5lbs down from December/early Jan weight which is great. Sorry @Thrivein2025 I'm not trying to put the boot in there. Just mentioning as maybe same will happen to you all of a sudden (I defo didn't think I was losing anything).

@AuraBora that’s ok! Food wise I’ve done much better since realising I’ve put some weight on so maybe it was the kick up the arse I needed. I’m aiming to lose a pound a week for the next 4 weeks to get me back to my 1st Jan weight.

Sorry to hear you aren’t feeling great. I didn’t sleep well for another night. Think I dropped off about 2 in the end. That said, the quality of my sleep is good. I rarely wake up before my alarm. It’s like I’ve reversed my trend because when I was drinking I’d fall asleep within minutes and then wake around 4 or 5 feeling rough. I know which one is better for me 👍

How's it going everyone?
Cold is finally on its way out. I'm in to my second Trip (my gave- Lemon and Basil). I started off never having more than 2 and I've now got a bit addicted to them! I think I'll try not to have more over the weekend..not cheap! It's my sons bday on Tuesday (pancake day this year) so we are planning to do an early.celebration on Sunday and am making a cake tomorrow. Hoping to get out for a nice long walk - really not had much exercise this week and feeling lazy!

Apologies for the boring update! 😁

Morning all still here and sober!! Day 60 today feeling a sense of of achievement 🤩 well done to those who have reached milestones and sober holidays!! So inspiring to read!
Not much to report still loving being AF especially on the weekends I love waking up feeling good!! Still exercising, food tracking and educating myself on the effects of alcohol think I’d be a fool to ever start again no temptation so far.
Have turned down a boozy weekend in Spain for friends 40th in April my DP is going but the last time I hung out with this crowd I didn’t get a warm reception when I showed up all shiny and sober!! 😂 so I’ve decided to swerve it I’ve decided I won’t spend time with anyone who can’t respect my choice to not drink, plus I think I only tolerated them with booze!!.
Also have my birthday next week!! I worked it out that it will be my first sober birthday since 2007 when I was pregnant!! 😆 that’s crazy to think I got wasted every birthday or pretty much the whole week leading up to it, really couldn’t think of anything worse.
Not been doing much socialising so I haven’t had a great deal of testing just meals out with DP which I just happily have soda&lime, I think I planned most of the nights out anyhow so obviously they’re not on my radar now. Was thinking I might go to a sober event would be really nice to make some new friends, and meet likeminded people.
Never felt so calm and connected to myself as I do lately, I’m a much better person sober and I’m kinder to myself!.
Hope everyone is doing good! 🙌🏻

Well done everyone! I didn't manage on holiday to stay AF but definitely a lot less alcohol consumed than normal. The good thing is it has made my mind up that I would prefer to stay AF now. Drank on 3 nights, poor sleep and stomach upset. That horrible anxiety feeling too.

So I managed to do 60 dry days and today starts my new day one.

Just checking in for day 60! Honestly can’t believe it. It is so good to not worry about being judged for my recycling (or bottles falling out on windy days 🙈) Sleep not great but that’s probably a me thing sadly. Going to try and get healthier now and lose some weight. Got my sons graduation this year so want to look good for that.

When we first started January seemed impossible, February honestly so much easier. I don’t want to think about ever going back to the old me getting drunk on the sofa.

Congratulations everyone who has posted and shared. You are incredible and inspiring. Thank you 💜

Just a few tips on the sleep, as mine was good, then went bad and now it’s really good managed 8 hrs last night!!
I’ve been taking magnesium glycerinate after my evening meal, getting outside everyday for walks, a new one which I’ve discovered due to my quest in everything healthy is chocolate is not good around bedtime and I know that’s a tough one as many reach for that instead of wine of course!! But it has caffeine which is obviously not a relaxer! Alternatives nuts, bananas which contain magnesium I hope this helps also breath work not checking phones not watching anything to heavy on tv like crime/ thrillers all effect sleep reading can help also. It’s all trial and error just need to find something that helps you unwind before bed 😴