200 days alcohol free- anyone wish to join?

[FeelingLessTired]

Several years ago, under another user name I did a 100 day alcohol free challenge and alot of people joined me on MN. It was before covid, so a long time ago!

I really appreciated the support and lasted 120 days in the end. ironically enough DH joined me IRL and he just continued on and has been teetotal since then.

I was reading Annie Grace back then (I think) and her recommendation was that if you slip, to then challenge yourself for double the time- hence I now wish to start and achieve a 200 day challenge.

I'd love some company if anyone wishes to join me!

I have a funeral today and plan to drink J20 with tonic water. The deceased was a good friend of DH's and although he was in his early 70s drinking definitely played a part in his extreme fragility over the past few years. He's been really ill for a good ten years I think.

I have set out a spread sheet with my alcohol-free savings. In the last week i have definitely reduced and have saved just shy of £50 already (since the beginning of April) as we have had a fair few dinners and lunches out. I look at what I would have drunk (sauvignon blanc here and there) and when i have not had it I add that cost to my spreadsheet. That does help to inspire me because COL is biting us hard right now.

Well done to those who are still sober - and also well done to any who fell but are getting back on it. I wouldn’t restart counting - just skip the days count. It’s hard and we are not perfect and failing one day is so much better than failing every day.

im sure for most of us, there will be a day when we have a drink (hopefully planned). The key for me is to end my dependence on alcohol.

Morning all, just catching up with the thread
firstly thank you for all your support , it means a lot!
@Goandygo im impressed that you got rid of the cigarettes! You are mentally in a strong place to do that
@paintcolourchart love your observation that alcohol would not have added anything to the evening , I’ve been thinking that too lately .

so, I’m back on the horse with no desire to drink on a daily basis at all (for context used to drink every evening , 7 days a week)

im less worried about my upcoming family holiday in a fortnight , I think I can get through that as it’s family and combined with the heat I won’t have too much of a desire to drink. My family are not big drinkers and my eldest DD is expecting.

its social events that are my nemesis

I forget who said up thread they have more energy now, I did last week and loved it… I want to get back to that feeling

Today I will not drink
sending strength to you all

@Seenoevil33 Ill go with your advice and carry on the counting
so I am AF 7 out of 8 days (7/8)
thats a great stretch for me

@Sonnet yes, look at the Big Picture, as they say. Even with a blip, you're doing really well. Get back on track, and you'll soon be feeling great again.
I had a thought about my birthday weekend. I think it was the Wine Witch, trying her best to persuade me ( lots of 'just have a couple', 'it's your birthday ' and the worse ' no one will know').
Well, it's never just a couple, I've never even made a fuss of my birthday so I'm not going to start now and I'D know.
Off to the dentist at this unearthly hour 🥴

Yes I agree about not going back to Day 1. It's demotivating! Unsurprisingly I am a bit All or Nothing (so moderation is madly difficult for me.). If i had to go back to Day 1 I would say 'fuck it' tbh.

My wine witch says 'It's not illegal and you have been so good'.

I started a new book last night- I had forgotten I had even bought it. It's this one;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365587860298?chn=ps&_ul=GB&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A18qEkOs2hTLW6WrAZPOhZuQ11&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=365587860298&targetid=2405654676673&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045715&poi=&campaignid=21697391927&mkgroupid=177203736618&rlsatarget=pla-2405654676673&abcId=10027104&merchantid=137585778&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21697391927&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Lr1d0b39L0u4z4gEhL0lXTeg-c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyrec77SJjgMV-J1QBh2FPhrAEAQYBSABEgJ-z_D_BwE

It's all about how to alcohol affects our nutritional uptake and the effects of alcohol on various systems in the body such as the endocrine system and how to use nutrition to support recovery. The author has a strong history of problematic drinking so 'gets it' from that perspective. (I read a book once by a woman who said she personally does not have any issues with alcohol at all but wrote a sobriety book anyway.... ).

Ooh a holiday @Sonnet I'm madly envious.

Wishing you all a great day!

Sorry about the unwieldy link.

Good luck at the dentist @Goandygo !

Good luck at the dentist @Goandygo
you’ve got your birthday - you have strong muscles!

thanks for the book recommendation @FeelingLessTired
currently listening to the Annie Grace book but this one looks like another for my arsenal 😀
i’m not sure exactly how I feel about quit lit. There are times it’s immensely helpful, but at other times it feels like I’m still focusing on alcohol if you know what I mean. When I so desperately want to not think about it (like last night, didn’t even enter my head!)

@Sonnet same for me regarding quit lit. I feel that if I start to read how damaging it is, I'd think damage is done, feck it....Where's the wine ?!!!

Evening, all, hope we're all OK and flexing those muscles.
Dentist was fine - I'm having work done on my back teeth. Atm they're just filed down awaiting crowns next week.
This means that I couldn't drink at weekend even if I wanted to as smoking would just be awful on them ( I know I no longer own cigarettes but I could still buy them).
So, I'm really pleased with this turn of events.
It's soft foods and ice cream for this week.
God works in mysterious ways 🙏

Ooh @Goandygo that sounds painful! I admire your positive spin!!

I see your points about quit lit and making you think about alcohol all the time. I attended AA for a few weeks some years back and left. There were a few reasons (there was an unhealthy dynamic of men sleazing over newbies) but also i did not want to sit there for years and decades rehashing stories about alcohol. It made me feel like I would be stuck in the cycle of making alcohol a priority in my life- even in its absence. Perhaps they know something I don't because i know some people really get what they need from it, but it was not for me.

But today I did not even think about alcohol longingly. We had Sports Day at school and the school served Pimms and gin and tonics after 2 pm and I was not even tempted. I looked at the other parents enjoying their drinks and thought that it was so far from what I was interested in right that moment and I would genuinely prefer an ice cream - which i did not have either because I had a good seat and did not want to lose it!

I have never run a marathon and never give the idea of running a marathon a single second of thought. I want alcohol to be like that for me. Just not on my radar at all. Silly analogy I know.

It took 2 hours too get home from Sports day due to roadworks and diversions and a crash. Usually it's 40 mins or so. So now I am making burgers with lots of salad and drinking ginger ale.

Hope everyone has a lovely evening!!

I’m joining you in soft foods as knocked my front veneers out this morning doing some gardening. Will cost a bomb and no chewing for 2 weeks - feeling like wine would help, but of course it won’t so will have ice cream instead

Oh what a pain @Seenoevil33 . I hope it was not/ is not too painful. xx

Morning all

sorry to hear of your “dental event” @Seenoevil33 , hope it’s not painful

another day under my belt! I’m thrilled I have no desire to drink on a normal day … something has clicked here 😀
good luck to everyone, enjoy your day
today I will not drink!

Morning all,

Sorry I've been 'absent' since my drinking confession the other night! I ended up having a bottle of 10% wine, so 7.9 units. Not catastrophic or out of control but still. I thought I felt ok the next day but actually I was quite sluggish and not as productive as I need to be atm. I'm not going to bead myself up about it because I've only drank one day out of 12, which is a huge improvement. I'm actually more annoyed with myself that the wine witch came knocking again last night. I even hinted to DH hoping he would suggest a glass (he didn't) - how pathetic is that?! Anyway, I finished a craft project I'm working on which I'm pleased about, and I've got a long drive tomorrow then staying at a friend's house for two nights. She had a newborn so definitely no drinking at hers, so no mental gymnastics for the next few days 😅

Every one is doing so well! So sorry about your teeth @Sonnet- I hope it's not too painful and you get it sorted soon.

wishing you all a lovely day!

@paintcolourchart 1 day out of 12 is a massive achievement so well done. That's great you have plans for the next couple of days, I think it's really important to have something in place. It's difficult really because on one hand, we need to take it one day at a time, but there also needs to be some planning. In my case, a contingency plan.
@Sonnet I feel like something has clicked too. Good for you, you're back in the game.

Day 25 here and abstaining is really working. Moderating was no use for me. Anyway I was kidding myself just drinking on a Saturday. 2 bottles on a Saturday is not Moderating. Then, I'd get a desire for it through the week - always on a Wednesday, so I wasn't Moderating at all.
Feeling great, skin clear, not losing much weight but it's not my biggest concern for now. It will come.
No mental gymnastics regarding birthday weekend so yay 🥳.

@Seenoevil33 I challenge you to find the best soft food and ice cream ❤️

well done @paintcolourchart - having plans and keeping busy is the best solution - never has my garden and house been so tidy 😂

so lovely ( and motivating) to hear how well you ae feeling @Goandygo :)
I'm definitely sleeping better.
@paintcolourchart - I too felt groggy on my slip up day after - that was probably a normal feeling for me prior to giving up, its lovely to feel clear headed in the morning, hold on to that feeing :)

How are you both doing @FeelingLessTired , @Seenoevil33 ?

Thanks all.

Meant to add - for those struggling to sleep - I've been listening to a playlist on Spotify called ADHD Sleep 😴 | Calming Music. It's meant to help stop racing thoughts and it's definitely helped me go to sleep really quickly!

Hi all. Okay here too. I am trying to use side plates for my main meal in the hope I do lose some weight eventually. But it's a cold chicken salad tonight and I am REALLY looking forward to it.

I have been going a bit crazy on full sugar lemonades and cordials etc so will start to just have plain water with lemon juice. Which is one of my favourites anyway.

But tonight I am tired. I slept badly last night- I have fibromyalgia (can't recall if I mentioned that before) and my right leg was spasming really badly overnight. The schedule will be dinner then tidying for our cleaner who comes on Thursdays.

Hope everyone is well and not too hurty with teeth

@FeelingLessTired sorry to hear that you have fibromyalgia - I don't know much about it though. Hope you get a better night's sleep tonight.
My weight has plateaued too although I'm lighter than I've been in a long time. I'm drinking more sparkling water too. I've brought 6 x 2litre bottles to work as it's so easy to pick up diet cokes at work - fridges full of the stuff.
I was thinking this morning that I need to get back eating properly. Yesterday I had half a viennetta for tea. Though I have been having dental work so I'll be easy with myself.

Viennetta seems just what the doctor/dentist ordered!

Good to see everyone still here and still going.

Soft diet is tricky but lovely neighbour made dinner and brought it over for me. Also spent tonight making broccoli soup to last me for a couple of days (not really what I fancy in 35 degree heat but it will do).

@FeelingLessTired sorry to hear about your pain - lack of sleep is a killer. Hope it’s better tonight …
@Goandygo i just had salted caramel chocolate ice cream and sucked on a banana. Literally haven’t eaten ice cream for 30 years and suddenly I’m addicted to the stuff - I only allow myself 2 teaspoons as I’m diabetic (T1) and it makes me feel grim. You are doing so well - I think this sober think is gonna stick for you!

@Sonnet I’m with you on the normal feeling of hangover before I quit - thought that was just how people my age felt!

@paintcolourchart its so easy to slip back into drinking after a slip up - all I can suggest is to focus on why you wanted to stop. Feel confident in your ability to do this and lastly, really think, every morning if you can commit to just not drinking today - no matter what! That kept me going - I would promise myself that if I really wanted a drink I could have one the next day - by morning, the craving had gone and I could again decide not to drink that day.

Now it’s easy because as others have commented, I feel so good and do not want to give that up.

love to read how everyone is doing.

@Seenoevil33 thanks for your lovely words. I like the promise of having one Tomorrow as it's just a craving after all. And we all know they go away. Eventually.
I've been eating ice cream too. Yesterday I had quiche - small bites, really tasty. And filling so I felt OK. I'm not a lover of soup, but I might try some
Yes, still going strong. I admit to feeling a bit flat but I think that's partly due to the trips to the dentist and my ever dwindling savings. But, I'm remaining positive - I can get my savings back and my teeth are looking lovely.
The thought of drinking isn't appealing at all - I'm trying to feel better and all it ever did was make me feel worse.
I'm aiming for day 30 which is Monday, then I'll evaluate and plan for July.

Lovely to read how well you are all doing 😀
sorry to hear about your fibromyalgia flare @FeelingLessTired , hope you got a better nights sleep last night
super words of encouragement @Seenoevil33 ,
@Goandygo nust think how you can now contribute more to savings by not drinking 😀 if you were paying out and drinking you would be in a pickle!
have a good day everyone 😀

Another 1lb down whilst eating biscuits, chocolate BUT no alcohol!!!

two great wins this morning;
a super nights sleep
i weigh 1 less pound

😀😀

Hey ladies, I’m still here. It’s been 2 weeks and a day since I last had wine. Not missing it at all. Keeping busy. Sleep is ssooooo much better. Feeling positive. Hope you all have a fav day!