Dry January and beyond - Thread 2

[BulldogMumma]

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

Day 21 for me today. Tonight might be a little tricky. We have ended up with the 2 youngest kids going off this afternoon for a sleepover with there cousin which is great as my health hasn't been great recently and I am exhausted.

The oldest (nearly 13) is still home as he hates being away overnight so I think we are going to take to the driving range and for dinner but I will be driving so couldn't drink anyway. One of the dcs has a party tomorrow morning that I need to drive 25 miles to so i couldn't really drink tonight anyway even if I wasn't doing DJ.

Slept for about 9 hours last night, which is unusual. Was too tired to exercise yesterday (also unusual) and still not feeling all that energetic, so I wonder if I'm fighting off a bug. Normally I would wake up fine whether I'd had a drink or not, so it's hard to tell. Will get out for a walk / run later or I will go stir crazy!

The Sentia Gold has just arrived - something new to try this evening 😊.

@Neptunium93 i was looking at the Sentia Gold & the Sentia - let us know how it is! I haven’t really gone down the AF route but just wanted to mark tonight as a bit different as having a family watching of Gladiators followed by games so ordered some Trip to try, as seen a few people mention it!

I tried the Trip lemon and basil last night as someone had recommended and was absolutely delicious. Just had on its own with ice in a nice glass! I can't really say whether it relaxed me as I was still putting kids to bed circa 9pm... nice drink but part of the not drinking for me is saving money so I can't buying alternatives all the time!😁

On the plus side the rest of my Friday night was spent sorting out my mess of a wardrobe and in the process I found a lovely pair of earrings which had gone missing and must have fallen out of a jacket pocket in the wardrobe. What a crazy life I lead...

Hoping to get out shortly for a walk although it's grey and uninspiring out there.
Been in all morning tidying and cleaning and feeling a bit stir crazy like you @neptunium93 !

Thanks @BulldogMumma, I'm checking in on Day 19 here.

I had cause to celebrate this week and was going to have a drink, but then a friend brought round some alcohol-free fizz, so I didn't! (The drink was disgusting, btw, I do not recommend but I'm so pleased my friend brought it).

I'm now wondering how I can stop myself overdoing it when I start drinking again. Finding this thread really helpful

hello everyone, still here and Day 18 mostly done. We saw a film last night and it was lovely to be out out instead of sitting on the sofa feeling we're missing something because of not having the usual Friday evening drink. And this morning we had an early appointment which was such a breeze because we weren't oversleeping/bumbling around with fuzzy heads. Nice.

Having said that, my sleep has gone to pot again, grrr. No idea why, but will get an early night tonight, I think. DH is out with his mates and staying over, so I'm planning a nice pedicure and theatre evening (I have the National Theatre subscription so can watch plays on demand). What's everyone else up to tonight?

Oh, and keep motoring on, @Littletinytarzanswingingfromanosehair . You're nearly halfway through those assignments!

Had such a lazy day today 🫣 going to have to pound the treadmill later to get some steps in. That will at least stop me from being tempted to drink. Day 19 here and looking forward to my 3 weeks on Monday.

I’ve decided today is the day to tackle my appalling diet. Anyone any tips? Had hummus and vegetables for lunch. Will have a banana and yoghurt later. Anyone found anything quick and easy that isn’t crap food (no nuts)?

Last night I had a J20 with frozen berries. Was quite a nice change and not expensive.

@AuraBora I really like Trip drinks and also Goodrays is nice! Chuck it in a wine glass and it feels like an evening drink iyswim

People sound like they're going really well! @Seahorsesplendour well done in your dry night out. I'm pretty much recovered from the appalling lurgy I got on 6th Jan, I'm usually really healthy so it has hammered me.
Kind of board of being AF now though, I like the sleep and the lowered anxiety, I definitely appreciate that but I'd like a large glass of red right now 😕

@TonstantWeader The theatre membership sounds great. I'm definitely going to look into it as my partner and I both love the theatre but can't really get out to anything like that since having our lovely baby.

I'm still AF on day 18 but I have definitely found this weekend harder than the previous. It's strange because I'm really starting to see the benefits of not drinking but suddenly I find myself with cravings. I wonder if it's some kind of self sabotage at play.

@FollowFollowTheFold I would really recommend it. You only have to watch about 4 in a year between you to make it worth it compared to the cinema ticket prices for the NT Live shows. We live so far away from London or Stratford that it's impossible to get there, so watching it on TV is brilliant. Turn all the lights off and you can imagine you're there! [And congrats on the little one!]

I've had cravings tonight but I think it's because my usual habit of an evening if DH is out is to relax on the sofa with a nice glass of white, so of course the habit bit of my brain has kicked in. Luckily I don't have any in the house and am mainlining low calorie tonic instead. Oh my glamorous life.......

Evening all!
Day 18 done 👍. I did a 12 hour shift at work today and I'm shattered so tonight will definitely be an early one.
Saturday night is usually the one night where I really want wine but tonight I haven't had any urges or cravings, probably because I'm tired but hopefully it continues.
Tomorrow I want to get out with dd, maybe to the park but definitely out in the fresh air.
Sleeping like a log at the moment, I think my skins looking better but annoyingly I've still got my dark circles under my eyes despite sleeping properly so any tips for getting rid of dark circles would be appreciated 😁

Day 18 done.

Well I've gone completely off my healthy diet today eating pizza and chocolate trifle and then felt a bit sick...I know I shouldn't eat this stuff as it sets off digestive issues but oh well at least I haven't had any wine which is good.

Mmm was thinking earlier that a J20 with frozen berries sounds delicious I also like the sound of the lemon and basil drink so might have to give that a try too

Had quite a nice day out with the family and now ready for bed and up early for a morning walk with some friends who are also doing DJ

Well done everyone hope you are enjoying your weekends

Well done everyone. Looks like it's early nights all round - I will be heading for bed soon. Managed to get out for a short run, but found it harder than normal - I'm definitely a bit under the weather.

For those interested in the Sentia... I had Sentia Gold mixed with Trip Peach & Ginger flavour, which was lovely. The Gold has a slightly orangey / mangoey taste which is perfect for mocktails. It has hops in it, which are supposed to have a relaxing effect, so with that and the CBD I should sleep well tonight. I have ordered Fevertree Mexican Lime Soda, which I think will go well with it.

The other Sentia variants are the Red (berry flavours with a hint of spice) and Black (less sweet, more spicy). I'm definitely spending more money on the alts than on wine 😮! Tanquerey 0% with Trip Lemon & Basil is still my favourite.

Almost 60% of the way there.😃

Well done everyone.

I've struggled more this weekend than last, surprisingly. Last night was tough, I REALLY wanted a nice cold, crisp dry white wine while watching The Traitors! I resisted, but it felt a bit boring!

Like some others, although I know abstaining for a month is obviously doing me and my wallet good, I wish I were seeing more tangible benefits! No weight loss, which has surprised me! I really don't think I'm going mad with sweet treats or AF drinks! My post-60 skin would require a miracle to 'glow'; my sleep is at best average; and I'm waking with a mild headache. 😡

Hopefully 3 weeks will see me turn a corner! I still plan on keeping it up, though, and am not making any decisions regarding post DJ, yet!

Managed a night out in a pub! Couple of fever trees. Felt very dull though!

Missing the sociability of the pub, and the option of going out to chat with friends there. Rather than staying in again, alone. But I'll get to end Jan I think. Who knows beyond that.

That must be more difficult. I haven’t been a pub person unless we were out for a meal.

Althiugh my friends have been very good, it was more difficult at first people almost sympathising about me not drinking. Was easier when they realised on meals out etc I was still fun and having a laugh, and they all definately love that I’m driving as we no longer have hassles (and cost) with taxis given some of the distances.

im just approaching five months….but I haven’t really had pangs which has surprised me..l think maybe just resolve and concerns about health etc. The more I read about alcohol the more worrying it is…not just the liver as well but damage to nerves

Well done! I think I would have caved! Cravings still quite persistent here, also completely get the feeling of dull!
sounds bad but if I wasn’t drinking I don’t think I would want to go to the pub watching everyone else drink I feel so small and non existent sitting there with my Diet Coke listening to everyone else get loud and jolly!
just makes me really uncomfortable and I definitely feel judged for not drinking then there’s the questions just don’t find it enjoyable.

Last year when I was cutting back I went clubbing sober. Hated it and promised myself I would just skip that part if there was a next time. I think some of this comes down to personality. I’m not a main character in our friendship group but I felt like all eyes were on me. Very uncomfortable.

I’m going for a year AF and I do worry slightly about missing evenings out. I will still do the ones where I feel ok not to drink but may have to miss the ones that prove too tempting, like work drinks where everyone gets trashed. I just don’t want to get drunk again but find myself feeling incredibly awkward and worse, the topic of conversation if I go but don’t drink.

My DH caved last night as my brother stayed over and turned up clutching wine (he didn’t know about DJ). His glass of wine smelled sooooo good. I must have super senses because he wasn’t waving it under my nose it was feet away. He’s gone right back to bad habits though, they polished off two bottles between them (my adult son had one glass) over the course of the evening. I had 0% Tesco GnT which was ok. Social media is advertising all sorts of alcohol free drinks at me - have ordered some Mother Root to try.

Morning all
I slept like a log again last night, currently drinking a cup of tea while deciding what to do today.
I want to go for a walk today, DP is up for it, DD needs a bit more convincing 😂.
Sundays have turned into a house cleaning day for me, I'm currently working 6 days a week so Sundays the only day I get to give the house a good clean, I never did that when I was drinking, I was too fuzzy headed from Saturday nights wine and spent the day in my pjs.
Hope you all have a lovely day whatever you're doing.
@Miloarmadillo2 well done for abstaining I bet you feel good today

Morning all. Last week ahead.
i found week three really hard.
I went and had my hearing checked yesterday. It has been deteriorating for years. I will need hearing aids for my awful tinnitus. I felt so depressed and stressed. Why is it any different to needing glasses? I SO wanted a drink after the appointment. I didn’t have one, but felt utterly miserable.
i also have relationships woes.
my sleep is still bad.
i have new kittens and they sleep in my bed- that doesn’t help!

Well done all. I am sleeping better,feel energised in the morning and have lost the wine belly. All great..so why do I feel like caving and " treating" myself to the thing that caused all of the above? The self sabotage button is flashing.

DH and DS are away to footie and won't be back until tonight so a free day for me. Plan to make soup and a first attempt at making bread. What could go wrong?

Well done for sticking with it through a tough week@BigButtons