Sober September buddies?

[Autumnbeaches]

Hello, I’m going to try sober September if anyone fancies coming along too? Whether you’re an abstainer, cutting downer, or giving yourself a break before the Christmas onslaught (I might do October too, or most of it!)

Day three conveniently still mid week so going well!

Oh yes please! I’m on day 4 and could really do with the encouragement and I like the thought of getting in shape for Decembers onslaught 😆

Hellooooo! Anybody there?

Here to check in. Day 5 and doing ok so far, no real cravings but then I do only drink once a week, but, it’s a whole bottle in one hit 😬. So I’m sure my liver will enjoy this much needed break!

It will be Sunday that my cravings start to kick in, so would be great to have so company and a bit of support 😁

Oh sorry I thought no one had posted!

I’m doing well so far, a very quiet month ahead which helps though might pop out for a non alcoholic G&T later.

Last year I did dry Jan and feb then sober sept which felt really easy and meant I did a quarter of the year teetotal! Generally trying to instill habits of drinking much less after a reasonably mis spent youth and find a few weeks off here and there really helps.

good luck this weekend!

I’m aiming for a sober September although I have a 1 week holiday in the middle of it. It’s a Lake District, fresh air and lots of hiking break, so I’m hoping it will be easier to abstain, unlike our normal week in Tenerife.

Day 6 and feeling pretty good about this challenge. I desperately need to lose half a stone and had a truthful look at myself in the mirror today, no sucking my stomach in or standing in flattering poses 😁 and it’s half a stone caused by alcohol and the crap I consume the next day. So feeling motivated and looking forward to the gains over the next month.

@LibraRising I find it easier to abstain when I’m away. For me it’s so routine, end of the week and out comes the bottle of wine, when I’m not at home, I find it easier and it’s not the whole focus of the weekend.

Sounds like you’re doing really well @Autumnbeaches and quite practised in having the month off, and I would love to get to the stage where having a month off becomes easy!

@Frenchfiends you’re definitely right about the routine thing. We always meet friends at the pub on Friday and Saturdays are generally spent hungover, eating crap and usually drinking again by late afternoon. We still did the pub last night but I stuck to soft drinks and a coffee.

I woke up feeling fresh this morning after a great sleep, I’ve done a PT session first thing, DH (who isn’t abstaining but as a result of me not drinking, is drinking significantly less himself) walked the dog, all before 10am which is unheard of in our house, and we’ve just had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for brunch.

I’ve got to be honest, and I said this on another thread, I’m finding not drinking quite boring, I was bored at the pub last night after a couple of hours. So much of our social life is based around drinking. I need to find some wholesome hobbies and/or different friends 😂.

Checking in on day 7. Still feeling in control at the moment and the thought of wine, or the hangover that follows doesn’t seem very appealing.

I am also determined to lose this weight (so I can regain it all at Xmas!), so hopefully that will keep me on the straight and narrow!

As my weekly bottle was usually drank on the sofa, socialising without drinking isn’t too much of a problem, but then I’m not a great pub goer anyway, so expensive!

more than welcome to join us on the starting again thread, but I completely understand if you all want a fresh new thread, well done!

@pinkclouds26 aw thank you I didn’t realise there was another thread! I will prob pop over there now.

feel great apart from being slightly ill due to non alcohol related issues! Love how much TIME there seems to be in a teetotal life, even though like pp I only drink on the weekends anyway.

Thanks @pinkclouds26

Sorry just to add my brain didn't register that some people might not be at the same level as myself and might simply just be taking a small break so sorry if I offended anyone! But anyone who does want to join, definitely pop over, the group seems to be helping us all keep accountability and help each other along ❤️

Hello! I'm also doing sober Sept. I started on the 30th August so just finished day #8. This weekend was surprisingly easy...but having said that, it was quiet. We are seeing friends next weekend so that might not be as easy.
I totally agree that the weekend felt much longer (in a good way), and I was so much more productive than my usual weekends would be.

I’m taking a break - goal is more like prove to myself I can do a month and then revisit whether I want o continue or not

if I do then I want it to never be in the house for no reason anymore - just if I’m going out to soemthing I feel is worth having a few drinks at

my husband has already down a full month ahead of me on August so my joining him now

this week been easy as I’ve had no plans or been out - but we’d normally have some drinks on a Friday and Saturday and as I didn’t I slept so much better and had my 2 year old woke me at 5.30
and I handled it way better than I usually can

we have tickets for 3 things coming up the next 2 weeks so that will be interesting to have big nights out sober

im actually driving to the first one on Saturday night and it will be a help to know I can’t actually drink as need to drive us home!!

Day 8 and had a very productive weekend; cleaned, cleared, sorted and even did a bit of glossing! Now I’m shattered 🤪, but it felt good and sets the week off to a good start.

Still no cravings as yet and I feel quite excited about the thought of completing this challenge, and who knows, maybe extend once it’s done.. but for now, I’m committed to having a month off and giving my body and brain a much needed rest!

I'm the same as you Fupoff. Giving a month and try and will see how it goes, but if I do back I don't want to drink in the house. My real aim is to not drink at all during term time (weekends included). I think that's manageable. But taking it one step at a time.
I was out this eve (even though it's Monday) and others were drinking bubbles, but I didn't really miss it. It helped that I drove so I couldn't have had a drink anyhow.

Woo-hoo! 2Lb down this morning- amazing how much weight you can gain just on a bottle a week. Definitely feeling less bloated too and my skin already looks brighter, less dry - enough to keep spurring me on!

That's amazing Frenchfiends! I've not weighted myself.....but I'm eating loads - I am worried I'm going the other way! Have you found yourself eating more/less, or just the same as when you were drinking.

I do think my skin is looking a bit brighter.

@unicornsandchocolate Crazy thing is that I look after my body generally, exercise daily, eat well, little upf but then sabotage it one night a week with alcohol and junk food!

I guess when you add up the calories of a bottle of wine, about 700 and then the extra 400 - 600 calories I consume in hangover food, not consuming that over the week has resulted in the weight loss, which has been a nice added bonus, but I’m sure I won’t keep losing at this rate and do intend to have a treat if the alcohol cravings kick in. So I really wouldn’t worry at the moment about your eating, I think the main thing is concentrating on staying AF.

Day 10 for me and feeling good - I’m almost frightened of saying that because I know how those cravings can just kick in and take over 😬 but for today I’m determined to get through the month!

Congrats all! @Fupoffyagrasshole and others, I agree re not having it in my house. Interestingly my dad who I adore but is definitely an enabler has brought me a half bottle of port (random, he doesn’t like it) and a box with several bottle of wine in it. Wine is going to go to school tombola.

And yes, yesterday I was thinking wow my skin looks the best it has in ages!

We ate out last night at our favourite steak restaurant, I love a large glass of red wine with a steak but strangely I didn’t even crave one at all.

I’m finding myself looking forward to this second weekend of the month alcohol free, I feel like 2 weekends in a row will be a milestone for me and something I haven’t managed in a loooong time!

I went to a leaving do at work last night in the pub and I was able to hop on my bike and cycle home at the end of the evening cus I was sober instead of walking 15 mins to the train and then waiting and walking home - I got home in 20’mins instead of 50
for free and right to my door!

my husband and I are at a gig Saturday and we might just take like bikes to the venue and grab some for getting home too as the queues for the bus after are always nuts so wel be nice and speedy

It’s a good feeling isn’t it @LibraRising - I had a momentary wobble today, suddenly had a longing for a drink out of nowhere, but what helped was the thought that I like how I’m feeling already and really want to see the month through.

Well done @Fupoffyagrasshole at staying AF at the pub and riding to the gig sounds like a good plan.

I was out tonight with drinkers. My first real challenge. But it was fine! I drank alcohol free beer. No one really questioned or cared that I wasn't drinking. I will be tired tomorrow, but not alcohol-groggy tired!

I am going to say something maybe really wanky and trite but was just reading a reddit thread about someone reaching sobriety young after heavy addiction. I was thinking that all the people cutting down a bit and doing dry months and changing the way they drink has the potential to have such a positive effect on society, in that a world where lots of people drink less or not at all is so much easier for people fighting to maintain sobriety to go out and about in. And just for all of us, to be able to socialise without booze and without that being weird!

Alcoholism has been rife on both sides of my family, especially amongst women (one of the reasons I have a conflicted relationship with alcohol, I don’t actually drink that much but I freak out if I really ‘want’ a drink) but neither of my grandmothers drank at all because where I am from it was just not the accepted thing that women would drink (bar a festive sherry maybe). But they had very full sociable lives!