The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Travelling Far And Wide, With Sobriety In Mind.

[Mouseface]

Welcome to the Bus one and all! I'm Mouse, one of the Brave Babes :)

We have a new line that we're taking with us on every journey, thanks to one of our wonderful Babes, Curry -

Alcohol Fosters Inertia.

So when you're drinking excessively, nothing changes, or improves, the sharp edges of our lives just becomes that little bit less in focus, blurred and all you feel is numb. Then like shit (emotionally, as well as physically) if you're honest! Who wants that?

You are only ever better/pacified/happy whilst the alcohol is in your system. And that doesn't last........... it's not a cure, it's a quick fix. A sticking plaster.

So, if you think you're drinking too much, and want some friendly advice, or just to come and have a chat, get to know others who are just like you, who won't judge or criticise you, then hop on board! :)

We're a really mixed bunch and all at different stages of our journey to find sobriety or certainly drinking in a more controlled, less dangerous way.

And, if you'd like to see where we've been so far, have a look at the links below :)

LAST THREAD

THE STARTING POINT AND WHY WE'RE ALL HERE

Thanks OMG - and well done on going for a bath, PJs and bed! You will have completed the first weekend in a long time no doubt AF, to ruin that now would crush you tomorrow and you'd feel pretty fecked off. So, I'm loving your plan and with a bit of luck, the shop you are near to will be shut soon enough so temptation lessened even more?

You want to try living in a village with 3 pubs!

I'm going to have something simple to eat in a bit, small and as plain as I can make it.

Ma - I hope you are still there and haven't made for the hills! Re the soups, if you make your own using canned tomatoes as a base and add the allowed veg, then you should be okay. Heinz oxtail soup has something like 7.3g of carbs in per 100g and 1/2 a can is 14.8g IIRC so making your own, freezing batches of meals you make for YOU as well as the family is easier.

You can have spag bol, just not with pasta or have shredded courgette, celeriac chips or mash with dishes, as long as it's tasty and on the list, you can mix most things. There's loads of allowed foods that I hate so I have to get creative, chilli flakes, garlic and the like, spices are all good things that I bet you have anyway....

Do you make more than one meal a night now? For DS, the DD's when there and you, DH? If so then all you're doing is changing what you eat. Anyone starts moaning, they can feed themselves!!

Look for meats that are on offer, buy, cook into something and freeze. Or buy and freeze ready to use. I found it torturous to watch DH eating pizza etc but with a little imagination, you can make all sorts of yummy dishes! It's a case of planning but once you get to grips with it, you'll be flying.

I started at 10st 6lb and am at 9st 11lbs at my last weigh in. That's from the end of July and with not really trying at first! I also didn't do uber camp either!

Thx mouse I had lovely bath and now having virtuous bowl of fruit with chocolate mousse. Hopefully this will get easier by the day!

ma you will be starving, need to add some fat to lunch and some protein with tea.

mouse i feel your pain, just been out to an italian for tea had a glass of wine and pizza, feel sick, sick sick.

Thanks mouse

Just checking in to say day one completed.

Greeny - NEVER AGAIN!! It's the wheat apparently. Hugs xxx

I'm going to bed my gorgeous Babes

I've managed to eat a small chicken salad with mayo.

Greeny - if you feel anything, anything like I did at 2.30am, the shame of cleaning myself up because I thought I'd be 'okay' and then rushing to the bathroom this afternoon to throw away all my hard work and water..... It's NOT WORTH IT!

So, if you do have tummy cramps and feel sick, it should only last about 12 hours sweetie, massive hugs to you xxx

Ma - see you tomorrow for the weigh in, at Bootcamp! :) xxx

Night all xxx

Well done to all AF and low carbers

sausage are you ok? Never mind about the house or the weight, you can tackle them another day. The head and the alcohol? Well you are beginning to tackle them right now by joining the bus.

It will all be ok but you need to be kind to yourself too.
Are you going for af tomorrow? good luck.

Ok I'm reading back through the thread and have just found faire's make everything ok button- love it!

mouse you poor thing. Going to bed now my stomach is growling! Back to clean food and AF tomorrow. I know it makes me feel better. Last time I had bread plus wine I was up all night.

mouse hope your feeling better tomorrow, sausage, things will look better soon, one day at a time!! and all great first day, love your determination to change, night to all my other lovely babes, love this bus xxx

Ok so I've fucked up again surprise surprise ended up drinking yesterday what I stupid cow I am I've come to the realisation I just can't drink at all :(

So another painful day one ahead great!

This you certainly sound much happier when not drinking. It's just a blip. You can do it today, you know you can. Don't think any further than that. Today is just one day x

Hi all babes Well, sausage a very famous honorary babe once said 'deal with what is killing you first' - so the house and everything else can wait as guggs said. Then you might find you can tackle the other problems when you are feeling stronger anyway - good luck sweetie x

Day 2/7 pour moi

Mouse, Ma and Greeny Joining you on the low carbing. Did it yesterday and going shopping today. One of my fave things is making a packet out of foil and putting in a piece of fish and lots of chopped veg (frozen will do, some lemon juice and coriander, salt and pepper and a bit of butter. 20ish mins in hot oven must stop now so as not to bore other babes.

Guggs It's autumn and the spides in my house are unbef**kinglieveably enormous!!! In fact, when the floorboards start creaking, it could well be one making its way up the stairs - must start checking holes in crocs for hairy legs ....

Faire Love the ok button !!

I'm going to try for 5/7 this week. Got a huge 50th party to go to on Sat and I have offered to drive. I find I can do it a little easier if I've got something else going on, i.e a diet of some kind. It's like a few things aren't allowed and ww is only one of them iyswim?

Well waffled on as per. All babes have a great Monday x

Faire I am much happier when I don't drink. It's so annoying I hate alcohol it's poison. I just want to be the old me happy care free, so day one again this is it now make or break just can't keep goin round in circles this is not living its just existing

hmmm, that's going to take some work mouse as cant do cooked breakfast before work, or once in work. soup is home made.will stop boring on now.

Hi to all dieters/non-dieters.drinkers/non-drinkers. Whatever it takes to get through the day...

Hello everyone, I have been reading your bus threads for 3 days now so I wanted to say hello. I have been drinking heavily for just over a year now. I don't really get hangovers and have a big tolerance so I was concerned but also feeling a bit meh about the whole thing. Last week my Dr revealed I would have to have liver and blood tests every 6 months (due to long term medicine) so I've stopped drinking. I can't face the embarrassment of a crap liver test and all the resulting questions. Last liver test was 3 years ago and was very good so I'm hoping I can rescue the situation. I'm going to be having the tests mid October so I've started on a major program of vitamins and minerals, early nights and exercise. DH is joining me. I was last drunk 9 days ago, last drank wine 6 days ago and I am AF for 3 days. We look 5 years younger than we did last week. I just need to deal with the irritability - a couple of people have regretted messing with me in the last few days... But honestly, they were asking for it and the only reason I hadn't taken them to task before was because I'm usually so laid back from drinking. I'm quite excited about giving up drinking, although I was always very on the ball with the house and everything (for a big lush) I'm now feeling much more on the ball and energetic.

Thanks for making this thread - its really helping me through this big change x x

Hi art I love that your looking at sobriety as an exciting opportunity rather than a sacrifice, doing it with your dh I also a really good idea as you can encourage each other and boost each other when it gets tough. Sounds to me you've got this nailed. ma good luck with bootcamp, please let us know how you get on. sausage after a few days AF, you can start to prioritise what you need to tackle, my house is now tidy (well as tidy as a toddler will permit) as I've became more productive over time, your weight will drop if you cut out wine and fill your body with nice clean foods that will improve your general well being. Believe me, it can all be fixed and fairly quickly too, just slam the door on the ww and open the door to the new life that lies ahead, hi to every babe, every where x x x

Can I join you :-) Its so true alcohol only blocks out the stress for a while. I need to cut it out of my life.

Day one again....had a bottle of lager last night. Had a lousy night's sleep, feeling pretty vile now. I don't know that it's connected but it can't have helped.

Both dds started back at school today so I'm determined not to drink during the week so that I can do the school run. Dh usually does it - partly because I finish work late most nights but also because I 'wind down' with a glass of wine and can't get up before 9 The dc's have already got two party invites for saturday and sunday so I'm going to see that as an opportunity to curtail drinking this weekend - in the past I would have resented it.

Welcome art and balancing, hello to all babes :)

Annie I'm on day one u should buddy me I'm struggling today also:( just can't understand why the wine has a clutch on me when if makes me feel terrible anxious for days on end was going to try controlled drinking but think I'm just going to try to give up for as long as I can. Welcome newbies take a seat this bus moves fast at times hold on there will be bumps along the way

Count me on thisis :) I really think I need to try not to drink for as lpn as possible. I think I can do controlled drinking but I also think it means you're constantly thinking about wine, units, etc so your stoll on the grip off the ww...

Still in the grip of the ww that should say

Thanks for the welcome. Hope you all achieve your goal today, be that to just drink a little or to not drink at all. My strategy today was take DS straight out to lunch from kindergarten, run errands and shop. Now we have got in, DS can do an hour of snacking on fruit, watching TV etc. I will cook dinner now to avoid stressy dinnertime which leads to wine. Then it should be reasonably plain sailing. I will try not to shout at anyone :)

Sounds like lots of resolve on the bus today and some good planning

Welcome to Art and Balancing two of the best bits of advice to remember are 1) recognise and anticipate your triggers so that you are prepared for them and 2) the craving will pass, no matter how strong it feels, it will go away.

Try to post, even if you can't keep up with everyone at first. It helps to feel like you belong if you join in as much as you can

Purple How are you doing? Tomorrow is the last day of week 1. I can't believe how fast it's gone but I will be weighing in for the first time on Wednesday morning. It's not too late. It is possible to lose 1lb in a couple of days if you're careful. You with me? If not, start the next week with me?