So I've decided to give up the booze...

[LucyJones]

And so far my skin has broken out, I feel knackered all the time and grumpy

it's only been since Friday so this is the third day

tell me I'll feel healthily etc etc < eyes up corkscrew>

Hey all. It's good to catch up with you and am so pleased you are all doing well.

Have been at Mum's for the past week with the DC's for a break. Only had a couple whilst there (but felt like I needed a couple of bottles!!).

Did manage to polish off a bottle last night though ........I blame Irish Ferries for a 2 hour delay. 4 hours stuck on a ferry with 2 very tired DC's. That bottle didn't stand a chance once I got home!

Anyway like most of us has said this is about cutting down, not cutting out completely, so will keep on trying.

oh bugger, well and truly off the wagon these last few days and doubt weekend will be any better. Will start again on MOnday........

I had a bottle of red over three days this week - the footie semi finals were my excuse ;)
soback to it tonight - no alcohol , tomorrow going out with a friend but Sunday back to it for the week hopefully
good luck over the weekend xx

I hope everyone is getting on ok over the weekend.

From joining this thread, I didn't have anything Wed, Thursday and had on glass on Friday as an end of the week 'reward', but all Saturday I had a headache.

Got loads of juices for the fridge on Saturday, and drank no wine Saturday night.

I wanted to try the tonic water and grapefruit juice that was suggested but the tonic waters in my supermarket have either saccharine or aspartame, so didn't fancy that.

Am drinking the san pellegrino sparkling spring water (that one poster mentioned), mixed with fruit juices - all in a wine glass - it's working quite well.

I think joining this thread is a great step in the right direction. Putting it in writing and letting others know (via this forum) you are cutting down really does seem to help with motivation.

Early days yet, but I really want to see how I feel a month down the line and whether I'm feeling healthier and happier.

Good luck to everyone over this next week.

well done jojo
I didn't have anything friday night or last night
drinking in the hot weather just gives me a headache anyway which is a good thing I guess but I was a bit envious of people sat around the summer fair in the beer tent - why don't they get ill drinking beer in 30 degrees heat?!!

Lucyjones: "why don't they get ill drinking beer in 30 degrees heat?!!"

Alcohol can make you think you feel fine through anything. It's the next morning that the pain comes.

Thanks for the encouragement. Hope your Sunday went ok? I had a glass of wine with my dinner on Sunday, and at the same time drank the san pellegrino sparkling water separately, which worked really well to make the glass last. Then stopped and had various juices, so feeling good.

I want to be able to have the occasional glass of wine and stop after it. I know if I can't do this, then I will have to stop altogether and I don't want this as it is a pleasure.

Anyway, good luck everyone this week.

Hello all!

I'm still making good tracks, more so with no wine on weekdays than at the weekend, but much better that before I joined this thread/group. Glad to see everyone is keeping with it too.

Got a cracking headache from 3 glasses of wine on Friday - so bad I didn't finish the bottle off!

May eventually get back on the scales to see if any weight has dropped off (being optimistic )

I doubt if this will be helpful..but you never know.

I haven't had a drink for over 10 years. It's for medical reasons. I had/have a permanent bladder condition which means my bladder is super-senstive and alcohol sends it crazy and it hurts. So, the booze had to go. I simply had to stop and that was that.
My family still drink- DH and my son ( adult) have a glass of wine most evenings with dinner, but I just can't.
It can be a bind socially ut these days most people know that someone is driving, so I say it's me.

I can empathise with you though; many years back when I first started working in a stressful job, I used to drink G&Ts most evenings and actually NEED a drink. I had to stop buying it, as I knew it was a slippery slope.

If you really want to stop then I do think that cold turkey for a good while is the better way, otherwise you are simply thinking about when you will allow yourself a drink.

I've also given up drinking until possibly Christmas, after a huge bender 10 days ago. Feeling good but a bit resentful that I have to do this - I'm an all or nothing type of person which means when I drink (and that was becoming fairly often) I drink to get drunk.

However, I've survived our work's summer party a few days ago without touching a single drop - miraculous!

Next challenges are two 40th birthday parties this weekend But am going to try and enjoy them without alcohol...

I think that's where I'm going to struggle the most - I don't mind giving up my glasses of red wine in the evening - not missing that at all, but I struggle to feel relaxed and happy at parties without a few gins in me...

Dh and I went to an all day party at the weekend and I managed to put away rather a lot (drinking slowly through the afternoon). We are going to cut alcohol out of our budget since we are pretty broke at the moment and it's an easy thing to lose I hope I have found elderflower champagne a fantastic substitute for beer. v refreshing and hits the spot. I don't think I need alcohol to feel bad!

Read Allan Carr's the easy way to control alcohol if you want to give up forever. I stopped at the beg of June and it's been easy, honestly. Now I think it's forever I don't ever think that I am missing out because alcohol is not an option. ie I don't think that an occasion is boring because I'm not drinking.

Oh it's so dull watching people getting drunk, unless you are studying them! This week there has been nothing in the house apart from horrible cheap beer, which to be frank is hardly worth drinking. I expect we may have some wine tonight, first day of the hols and all that! I feel better for drinking less, although I still have pretty serious blips!

Well I still haven't had any alcohol since the beginning of July and have been to quite a few 40th birthday parties - doing OK so far!

Big work do next Friday which will be 'interesting' when completely sober and then a big group summer camping holiday in August, which at the moment I'm reckoning will be impossible pretty tricky not to drink at! But hey, doing OK so far and will have been a month alcohol-free...

Well done everyone in cutting down, or stopping. Keep trying those that are reading and not succeeding at first.

I've cut down dramatically and feeling better for it.

Thanks for the tip on the Allan Carr book, Supergluemum. It's got great reviews on Amazon.

Found a lovely 0.5% low alcohol wine (most wines are 13.5%) at Morrisons which actually tastes great and is helping me to replace a bad habit with a good habit - Green Ridge Chardonnay Spring. You can also buy it online at thewinesociety.com

Severely hungover today so going to face reality and setting myself a goal of going 30 days without alcohol starting today (not that I could face a drink

Hope you are feeling better today desireforchange. You're in good company here. Putting your goal in writing gives extra motivation to keep to it.

Ok guys help me out??!!

I seem to have a problem with telling myself "no you can't have any wine tonight". Can't change my evening routine as such and just don't seem able to get past that witching hour of 7pm.

Have cut down on the amount that I drink but have only managed a couple of nights in the past month tee total. I just get so bored....

I think half the problem is that I am spending too much time thinking that I am not going to have a drink tonight that by the time evening is here I'm totally fed up with it.

Sorry for the rant but it helps to talk!

Newbie here Chabli if you can't change your evening routine, can you try to put off first glass of wine till maybe 7.30 and then each evening extend your opening bottle time
Know I totally overdid it on Sunday but it's more the few glasses of wine I have gotten used to drinking every evening that scares me. Have a weight problem as it is and the drinking is only adding to it.

Ooops . . did I kill the thread??

No desire you couldn't kill this thread!!

Considering what you and everybody else has mentioned regarding weight - I'm skinny enough as it is so if I gave up the booze god knows what I would look like

Anyway I know I will do it eventually - just not right now. The timing isn't right and something I believe is that you have to be positive about giving up/cutting down, not negative.

Thanks Chablis

Hi Chablis - Here's one thing that is working for me - have your one glass on wine at the time you normally do, enjoy it and have it along side a glass of sparkling water.

After that go onto sparkling water mixed with juices or try chilled, low alcohol 'Green Ridge Chardonnay Spring', v. yummy!

So if your norm is two or more glasses a night, straight away you are cutting down dramatically.

HTH

hi everyone!
Haven't been doing as well as went on holiday so need to get back to it!!

Hello
I am a lurker, and newbie.
I wish the supermarkets would supply more non alcohol, or low Alcohol wine.
I did find some Ebony Vale white wine in Waitrose's. A wine with 0.05% alcohol.
And instead of super deals on booze, why don't they cut the price of fruit and vegetables.
I am allergic to lots of healthy foods, but juicing is a great way to get your '5 a day'.
I hope you are all having feeling better today.
Lucy, you were so helpful starting this thread.
Good luck to you and everyone else.

Thanks JoJo I might just give that a go!

Had none at all last night, was doing really well, until DP came home around 9.30 with a shitty head on (yes I'd upset him - again)! anyway had nothing near the norm volume wise.

Have to get my act together this week anyway as Mum is due over Friday and I promised her I'd stop drinking during the week

Anyway welcome back Lucy and hi to Kirsi.