The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Kicking The Wine Witch Into Touch!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome to the Bus. We're a group of posters who have been on a journey to here, there and everywhere when it comes to alcohol and the abusing of it.

Some of us drink, some of us don't at all and some of us are trying to get there, really trying to just stop the cycle, break the habit and calm everything down. Some of us are desperate to not be 'that' person anymore.

One Day At A Time or ODAAT.

So what have you got to lose? Weight? Saggy, puffy eyes each morning? False friends? The risk of cancers and other fatal illnesses......... why not join us?

We have a resident MonsterCat, Wolf called Seth and Squid called Barry (best not to ask about Barry! )

And, if you want to see where we've been so far, the links below will show you. The first ever thread is the best by far, because the OP is just like you. And me.

FIRST EVER THREAD

PREVIOUS THREAD

ma!

Lo there lovely babes

Just checking in to say hi and to keep an eye on Barry
I've had a difficult few days because i've had some sober 'firsts' to deal with. The worst one by far was dealing with period pain without large quantities of red! 3 days of feeling crap. I managed ok and it din't kill me after all [bsmile]

I'm doing alright here and hope all the babes are safe and well tonight.
green ivf is miraculous as far as I'm concerned [bsmile] x
mouse poor nemo hope he's a bit comfier now.
Tired so off to bed.

Barry had better be there tomorrow, that's all I'm saying

Here is a link (which took some finding) to the horizon programme on Intermittent fasting if anyone wants a look. www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/110651/BBC_Horizon_2012_Eat_Fast_and_Live_Longer/

Interesting theories but hey it will be something else next month :) What appeals to me is the stop start nature of it as I am fecking useless at keeping a diet up for more than a few weeks.

Mouse Hope the wee man is okay x

Gugg I feel your pain my periods were hell untill I had my son - camomile tea used to be helpful if you can substitute for the wine x

Last post from me babes ... I have grown to love Barry, Purleeze don't worry about him ... I have grown to luffs him like all of you sorry for the 'boakness' xx

In and out - sorry! busy day am knackered - day 26 - will catch up tomorrow!

"Ladame* we are a lovely bunch just a bit rubbish at drinking (and dieting!)

Just checking in to say morning all, no booze for me last night but not sleeping well, think I'm anxious about going to back to work tomorrow following a week off sick due to binge last Saturday! Anyways I will be fine, what's the worst that can happen?
Hope everyone has a good Sunday
xx

Just popping in before meeting up with my friend and her brood and taking all the DC swimming so me and my friend can have an uninterrupted chin wag After that I need to find a tank top for DS1 to wear to school for his WW II Evacuation Day! Sigh!

Morning Curry Sorry about the disrupted sleeping last night. After the first 5 mins at work you'll be fine. Good luck, Sweetpea. If sleep were an exam - I'd get a 'U'!

On the dieting front and to save poor Barry's nerves can I just say - Prawns! Really low in fat and high in protein. That's it, the sum of my advice.

Happy Sunday everyone. xx

green I have just been bog standard dieting and calorie counting a bit, but have stalled. Thinking of trying the 5:2 but an rubbish at being hungry and will struggle to do dinner for Ds while fasting!

there was an 8- page spread in the RT about 5:2, and TWO interviews with the scientist who started the craze! even my husband had heard of it, said half the people at his work are doing it.

The main thing I like about it, is that if you are having a bad day, or it's too cold and you just don't feel like it, or .. you're going shopping and need to get something to eat out - it doesn't matter! Just move your fasting day to a different one. It works if you just do two days out of the 7, any days as long as they aren't consecutive. Make it as easy as possible for yourselves. I get a calorie-counted microwave meal for the evening, say 300 cals. I can't live without a cup of tea in the morning, so I count that (milk, half-tsp sugar). Then if I've made a veg soup, I'll have little cups of it in the afternoon until the evening meal. I do find (and everyone is different - just my experiences) that if I eat little throughout the day, I am starving all day. If I just have tea in the morning and leave having soup as long as poss, it's easier for me. I think you can 'turn on' your hunger by eating too early. Don't be afraid of the hunger, it doesn't build up and up, it sort of comes in waves. Drink loads of water, then drink some more. I love green tea and that is fine and it's hot. Remember, you can always eat the next day. My dh is joining me this week, so if there is a news item about someone doing away with their old man over an argument about a bowl of soup - that'll be me .

Afternoon, tis me. Mouse

So, how many of us are 5:2ing it tomorrow? Me, Dame (and her DH ), Ma?, Greeny, Joey?

I reckon there'll be a thread in General Health that will be all about the 5:2 so maybe we should pop over there or start one even? Just to have a peek for tips etc. I have that pull out from the RT too and have book marked the MN page on here.

Like Dame says, the beauty of it is, if you feck up on one day, you can try again tomorrow..... sounds familiar? Mind you, the danger with that is that tomorrow never comes!

We could all try ODAAT for those who are doing it and just see how it goes?

Anyway, I've started my last day of none 5:2 with a bacon roll , a cuppa and all of my meds. Nemo has a party at 3 so I've just changed his 'teddies' (the tape on his face that holds his tube in place) and he let me do it on my own. Normally, DH has to hold him down which he hates and the whole thing becomes a horrible event filled with tears and tantrums, and that's just me!

DH is taking him to the party as it is at one of those soft play type places and I can't get to him if he climbs up and needs help. So between 3-5 I am going to try and do my very first eBay listing

I have a phone to put on, it's less than 12 months old but the reception here is so rubbish, I've had to save up to get a new one and there's nowt wrong with this one. I feel a bit of a fraud but I need to be able to MN and actually speak to people!!

Purple - nice to see you , did you mean Clutter re work? Not curry?

How are you feeling Purple? It seems ages since you've posted. Things okay? I mean really okay?

Clutter - sorry you're not sleeping still, I can so empathise with that! Sleep deprivation is a KILLER. Have you thought about taking something to help for a while? A herbal remedy? Lavender oil on your pillow will help, just a few drops if you are okay with the smell, I know not everyone is.

I was up with the boy last night so went back to bed until 10am whilst DH fed and played with him. DD has only just surfaced. I remember those days well..... Nemo has a soft teddy bear filled with hops and lavender that you warm up, he's called Herbie and is so nice to snuggle up to! I may have to 'borrow' him

Well done Em!

Gugg - well done on not reaching for the red to help with your period pains etc.... that's a tough one if you're used to dealing with them by using red wine! But as you say, you did it!

Anywho, what are the rest of us up to this afternoon?

mouse I'm in (gulp!)

Starting then 5:2 today - had my coffee and will b drinking soft drinks and green tea with jasmine also have a 30 cal soupy thing if I get peckish that will take me up until supper tonight of king prawns and veg stir fry (no oil) at about 5pm so that will give me a fast of 15 hrs until breakfast tomorrow - I can do this. Still got horrid cold and taking DD2 back to get coach this afternoon after weekend at home - still painting so lots to keep me occupied.

I'm putting all my meals and weight target into fatsecret.co.uk - to help keep me on track and see what the cumulative calorie count / nutritiun count is over the week. Spoke to a friend who has been doing this for 2 months and she is beaming about it - looser clothes, more energy, amazing memory retention - she's feeling brilliant and finds it very easy to do - she's doing every other day fasting - Hardcore!

Havent been to AA for a week due to snow/feeling ill etc, so planning on going tomorrow lunchtime. Keep it up Babes I WILL NOT BE DRINKING TODAY.

Hi Green xx don't worry too much about your gastritis, I've got tummy probs too, an ulcer and I suffer from inflammation. Had to go to hosp last year and I was put on a drip with no food to give it chance to get better (brief history - I've got lupus which sadly I have passed on to dd), so not eating too much gives your digestion a rest and I find it beneficial. Every babe giving this a go - good luck, try it and see, don't beat yourselves up over a few cals over the 500 if it means you can have your cup of tea and you can cope better. It does get easier.

Am trying to distract myself as dd packing her things to go back to Uni . The house will be all quiet again and I always miss her so much.

Well! has this changed to the Brave Babes 5:2, we'll get through thread . I don't think I'll be joining in - just because I have totally all over the place eating habits right now and need to get back on track! DH has been, still is, poorly, and hasn;t eaten properly this week ( at all really) and when he does that I worry so much that I can't eat either so stuff my face with totally rubbish snacks all day. he is in a lot of pain with his chest and stomach and yet refuses to see the doctor, saying 'oh, I always get this..' I am actually worried about him but don't know what to do :( Maybe I'll make him an appointment. He's Mr Tough athlete who has never smoked and isn;t a massive drinker anymore but clearly somethings not right.

I didn;t get up until midday today just lounged about reading the papers Feel perfectly well, just lazy! clutter hopefully your sleeping should improve soon. My first week or when I've stopped drinking is always hell, then it suddenly all falls into place. I hope so for you..
Molly has a friend round right now so I am flopping about upstairs, have managed to do the ironing so feel justified in doing sod all for a bit!
Hope everyone is well xx

ok, I'll give it a whirl. I have made two batches of soup and frozen them so that I have lunches for work. One is orange (lentils, carrots, cumin,) and one is gree (leek, peas, beans, cauliflower, green pepper). think the green one will be lower cal as there are no lentils? it is much thinner in consistency.
My whole diet for this week will be a combination of:
homemade soups
wholemeal bread
fruit
salad greens
veggies
prawns
smoked salmon (off-cuts)
eggs
chicken
water - lots of
coffee and tea.
no-fat yoghurt
Does this sound sensible/doable?
I will try a fast day on Tuesday this week and see how it goes.

Koala - sorry to read that you are still feeling ill and YAYAYAY for the 5:2 diet. Your list sounds doable to me too. Your friend sounds awesome, not sure I could do it but I've not even started yet! Hope you feel better soon xx

Dame - you have us now , we can keep you busy and you can keep us all on track with the 5:2, we'll keep you on track with the reducing your booze intake. Sound like a deal?

I'm sorry that DD going back to uni makes you feel so lonely. I am dreading the day when my nest is empty. I love being a mum and having my babies (DD is 14 in Feb!) to look after. DH I'm afraid will be left to fend for himself although he says he has 'plans' for me once Nemo is truly settled into school with his 1 - 1

Ma - not eating cheese is going to KILL ME! But I know I eat too much of it, it plays havoc with my digestion. My week looks a lot like yours actually, will look over my scribbled list and put it up later.

I'm going to fast on a Tuesday and a Friday I think...... weekends tend to be family time so I want to eat with DD and DH. Monday is always food shopping day so no good to fast as we'll have nothing in by then!

Em - that sounds worrying, please get him to the doc. He may be Mr Tough but he's not Mr Immortal is he? Chest and tummy pains should always be checked out.

Right, off to eBay my phone, vac round, get the beef casserole in, tidy up and take DH's fresh farmhouse loaf out before it burns! It smells lush. He's taken Nemo to Crazy Knights where one of his little class mates is having a party, and it's a girl!!

Be back later lovelies xx

Yup, sorry, meant Clutter not Curry! Doing 4 things at the same time takes it toll! Hope you are OK too Clutter!!

hmmmm has anyone told mrmouse that the best plans need to be rehearsed over and over and over and to enure that they are successful? Knowing how busy you are, dear mousling i selflessly offer myself to mrmouse for practice purposes

Well the baby of the family will be 11 tomorrow. He will go to High School this year! Thank God this is the last one. The thought of the whole High School malarkey again does not thrill me one little bit. (his big sisters will be 20 and 23 this year. I feel faint.....)

ladame thank you for the info - I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and your for your DD. My gastritis is a bloody nightmare but it does control my drinking a bit (looking for a positive). I always find it flares up when I diet and exercise and the pain is relieved a little with food - will drink lots of herbal teas instead to keep something in there and may have two 100cal snacks then a 300 cal meal in the evening - my sleeping is also rubbish at the moment and don't want to go to bed hungry.

mouse cheese is also my downfall - well that and the wine that goes with it!

ma sounds doable and healthy but maybe a bit joyless-maybe need a treat or two in there to stop you feeling hard done to by the end of the week.

I'll confess to choosing Monday and Wednesday so I can drink wine at the weekend if I want to.... Sunday through Wednesday will be AF or frankly it just won't work. On fast days I don't think it would be wise to use your 500 calories on wine and I know I won't be able to do the fast if I've been drinking the night before.

Koala, report back tomorrow how you've got on. Wonder if the hunger will help the WW or have me reaching for the fags? Hope not!

green I know what you mean about the gastritis, the really stupid thing is that I know wine is the worst thing for it, and I still do it - bloody self-destructive . I just don't have a stop button once I start, last night I cooked nice steak and chips but I can't honestly remember much about eating it. Dh and dd said I was ok, but I hate not remembering. Then had awful night scritching about on my pillow having hot flushes (also worse with wine) and feeling sad and worthless. I think I slept about three hours all in all. It's always that first one, when hungry, then it's a foregone conclusion - playing the video to the end. I think the 5:2 helps me because it kind of prevents me from drinking for those four nights. I must admit though, it's a bit hard to sleep if you're hungry, but you do still feel better for it the next day. mouse yes, I do miss her so much, we are very close, she's an only. Because of my Lupus, I had many mis-c's, but I managed to keep hold of her (thank you, thank you God). Ma your list looks just right, esp liking the home-made soups, you know what goes into them and they are so good for you, though I think green is right, try and factor in a couple of treats, some squares of dark chocolate kept in the freezer to nibble, a digestive bisc, with little spread of Laughing cow light, a teaspoon of peanut butter on half a crunchy green apple? Not too many cals and nice tastes and textures.

Marking my place.

I have been knocking around in and out of the sidecar, but I've just looked at the calendar, and one good thing is, I've been not drinking half of January. I am going to count this as a positive and work to make things better next month.

I'm in, it's the only way I can think of to lose weight because I find it too hard to change our evening meals. am definitely going to do the fast on Wednesday, possibly another day as well. am also cutting out snacks, any puddings except low fat yogurt.

went put for a meal for lunch, and it never even occurred to me to order wine also spent the day with my mother and again I did not once think 'I will reward myself with a drink when she's gone' it really feels like my thought habits are changing.

em oh dear that does sound worrying about your DH, did you say he has had this problem before? is he avoiding the docs because he thinks it's not serious? (or because he thinks it IS and he'd rather not know...)

He is just one of these people [idiots?] who is 'brave' when he's ill. he does get chest infections a fair bit, but he's just been moping around the sodding house sighing and gobbing and being stoic...he had campylobactor once, refused to see the doc until he could barely stand and was told that by rights, he should have been in hospital on a drip for a week It irritates the hell out of me.