(Mostly) Soberistas - heavier drinkers trying to moderate

[Springadorable]

We did Sober October. It helped. We tried really hard, reduced our alcohol intake, and want to continue to not drink relentlessly. A few drinks at an event or meal out - fine. A bottle or more a night for no reason other than habit and we like being drunk - trying to avoid. We try, we improve, sometimes we cock it up and start again. Join us!

Thanks Springadorable, for this thread. What a great title! I’m definitely in.

Watching Strictly with a hot chocolate. Had a non alcoholic Prosecco earlier - so sweet. I’ve yet to find my ideal non alcoholic evening beverage.

Hope folk find us and enjoy the new thread.

I’d love to join! Trying so hard to not drink during the week and not binge at weekend! Hoping to find some solidarity and support here!

I had less days of not drinking then drinking last month, so I’m trying to start this month with none!

Checking in

Welcome!! Super friendly, super supportive, and all new to trying to reduce alcohol intake. Most days are hard, wine is nice, but we are trying!!

Hi!
I’m here too!
Just went out for a meal and had a glass and a half of wine (so impressed that I left half)!

Checking in. Thanks @Springadorable and looking forward to staying accountable with everyone who wants to ❤

Love this, thank you for starting the thread.

Happy Sunday! I had a crazy few days in work and I'm so glad for the next 3 days off. Any nice plans today? I'm going to start making the house look christmassy - my fave time of the year 🎅🏻

Forecast here isn't great so we went out early to a country park with the kids...but we are all low level ill and grumpy and to be honest we just weren't feeling it. Home now and with a long Sunday afternoon ahead - wine alarm bells ringing! Just had an early hot chocolate to stave it off! @KK1983 I also love Xmas, once bonfire night is done it will be all things festive!

The wine I had last night has given me a headache and I’m so tired. I really think I should totally abstain, but at the same time, I don’t want to say I’ll never have a drink again.
Has anyone else found that even a small amount of alcohol made them feel horrible as they went into perimenopause?

I find even a glass or so can give me a headache and make me irritable. I don't even realise I'm being grumpy, I think other people are being annoying, but when I look back I definitely have a lower tolerance than I usually would for mildly annoying behaviour. Don't think I'm peri yet, but maybe approaching?! I'm the same - don't really want to say never again, but finding it harder and harder to see why I keep drinking. But also don't seem to be able to remember that at 5pm...

Thanks for the new thread! I’ve not had a great start to NOvember (It’s been more like YESvember, pour me another one 🙄). Anyway, I drank a lot less in October than I have in any month since I was last pregnant so I’m taking that as a positive and trying to make sure November is at least as good if not better. The 18 (eighteen, wtf) units I drank yesterday has not been an ideal start but it is what it is. I am still religiously logging which I think does help me not hit the ‘fuck it’ button. At least it’s Monday tomorrow! I hope you’re all doing well xx

@nowinetimeforme good to see you! You're not alone - I was a bit too smug after Stoptober and also started November with a bit too much yes and sank a bottle of wine. But, I'm keen to have a good few clear weeks in the middle at least so over the month my average units will get lower by the day. I find logging it helpful, going to do more of that I think.

Good to be back!

Logging is definitely good for me. I’ve not got much on in November so I’m hoping to have a good month ahead of December which will inevitably be tricky. I have a load of Christmas lunches and dinners in December for work so it’s hard not to let things escalate but I am determined to keep things reasonable sensible. I’m definitely doing dry Jan this year (I used to do it every year but stopped when I had kids and my drinking escalated).
I hope you enjoyed the wine. I drank about 10 of my units last night out with my DP as we had childcare (which basically never happens) so I don’t begrudge those units, we had a lovely time. The 8 units I semi-secretly drank before we went out on the other hand…. Well, clearly that was silly. 🙄 more work to do for sure.

Hi can I join? I’m a weekend wine binger. It’s been a boozy few weeks with lots of birthdays. Want to rein it in before Christmas.

Absolutely! More the merrier. Ahhhh wine, promises so much, but so often delivers so little!

You’ll find lots of solidarity here! Welcome 😊

Happy Monday everyone!

I like Mondays - a new week and a new opportunity to make good choices. My rather disastrous weekend puts me on 28 units for November already so that's basically 2 weeks of drinking (using the government guidelines) in 2 days. I am determined to still make November a good month though so I'm putting my best foot forward today. Been out for a run this morning. Enjoy Monday everyone x

Morning.

Interesting re the counting the dry days on an app or similar type of recorder. That doesn’t work for me, as I get a bit demoralised going back to day one, so I don’t count my dry days, but totally understand why folk do. It just shows how we are all different and that’s brilliant!

I too haven’t gotten to the place where I say ‘I am never drinking again’. That said, I like ‘I am going to be sober today’, it feels achievable and actionable.

And like others I’m finding fewer and fewer reasons why I want to drink or how it serves me in any way really. Even one drink now my tolerance is so much lower affects my sleep and increases my anxiety.

Haven’t had a drink in November so far, which isn’t saying all that much given it’s the 3rd 🤣.

Its lovely to have this thread to keep us going, with some familiar names and some new ones too.

Well done on the run @nowinetimeforme. You are right - Monday is the opportunity for a fresh start. You’ve done well in October and December may be tricky, so maybe that could be motivation for you for November. 😊

Hello, can I join please? I have wanted to reduce intake for a long time but never manage it. I know I’m addicted to the nightly wine habit. Fed up of feeling sick and tired. To start, I am going to try to lay off this week as I’ve got lots of commitments.

I'm currently sat in the car watching the wind blow an absolute gale and psyching myself up to get out and actually start my run, so well done on getting yours done nice and early @nowinetimeforme . @needastrongoneagain got to admit I find the same re going back to zero, but I like it when they start to add up. I sort of cheat by not logging days 1-3 initially and then backdating them. The mad things we do 😂 @Grandmashorty great to have you along!

Joining for support as I enter week 2 of cutting down!

Hello, I'd like to join you. I did reasonably well in September with 17 days AF, less well in October with only 10 days AF and terrible in November with only 1 day AF, that being today. I can do no wine at all, some of the time so my mission for November is no drinking in the week and to try not to binge as much at the weekend.

@JustReacher I really struggle with the not binging element - after a "sensible" glass the logic gloves are off and the waheyyyy button seems to get pushed! So also trying to increase alcohol free days and hoping the not binging falls into place?! Unfortunately I do still seem to enjoy being drunk at the time 🙈