Staying DRY

[MrsSippie]

This is a continuation of the last thread DRY We are all doing our best to abstain completely from alcohol.

I think that's the one thing about stopping drinking lovesardines, it makes you stand and take stock of all this free time you now have. Makes you realise too how much time you used to waste on thinking about drinking/drinking/being hungover. I don't get much time to myself with the 2dc but when I do I usually exercise either by going for a run or doing exercises in the house, a spot of jewellery making or embroidery, baking, some online courses, volunteer the odd day - oh and I finally signed up to Netflix so I can catch up on all the series I've missed that everyone goes on about.

I have to say I LOVE all the hours of my life I've got back. Still wish I had more, though, as so much I want to do. I am a big reader (novels, newspapers, history - whatever). Am also studying for a postgrad degree. And love learning languages, trying out new recipes, listening to Radio 4. God how rock & roll do I sound (not!)…. I love writing too and am trying to write a play at the moment - will almost certainly go nowhere and have no experience/agent or anything, but I love the process of writing and that is enough for me at the moment. Dealing with house, kids, freelance work on top of all that maxes me out. Also I love yoga and try my damnedest to cram that in there somewhere. I am a school governor too, which is fascinating. My life had got SO narrow and blinkered when I was drinking. All I had time for was drinking/regretting drinking (that old merry go round) and trying to hold down a job/family. I love the way it is now.

I still have not found anything that really grabs me in the evenings. I am doing some cross stitch. Reading. Menu planning. I started reading a different country's newspaper each evening so I could know more about the world..... have gone through Norway, Estonia, Finland, Malaysia, New Zealand. Just pick a country at random each night. But I feel like I need something that inspires me. DS's school is advertising French cooking classes run by a real live French cook (!)- that appealed very much, but will have to wait a few weeks.

I am finding today hard. I really feel like white wine. But cannot get to the shops for various reasons. Thankfully my new alcohol book has arrived from Amazon so I will read that and sip tea instead.

Hi all. Just checking in. Not been posting much, but always lurking.
Been off the wine, um..4 days I think.
I have felt a bit floaty, and restless, and can relate to that sense of boredom.
I have been reading in bed though, which I had totally stopped doing (not easy to do after a bottle of wine!) and that has been relaxing.
Downloaded an app to tune my acoustic guitar, which has been gathering dust, but it doesn't sound quite right! Might have to enlist a friend(a male one)to do it properly. In my youth I always had a boy handy to tune my geetar. Ah youth!
merce check this out
especially the top tips at the bottom. Should get you inspired!

Oh, allhail I meant to say too- do write lots about your mum and get it all out. I will be doing similar very often I think!

x post no chips
Your International newspaper reading sounds very worthy! Impressed that you are using your time for self improvement
Cooking sounds good. Don't crave white wine. Crave cheesecake instead. Mmmm, cheesecake.

I could murder some cheescake.

Thanks, Sunday!! Useful -and main message is 'get off arse and DO IT'. So easy to procrastinate and find excuses/wait for 'inspiration'. Glad you are doing some reading in bed. That was total revelation for me when I put down the bottle; hadn't been able to manage it for years (ahem - decades).

Oh.Cheesecake.

Hmmm.

It's working...

evening all.... now craving cheesecake too LOL

sunday well done on 4 days. Id love to learn to play the guitar.
nochips also impressed by newspaper reading. French cooking sounds great too.

I have to admit that I LOVE going up to bed that bit earlier with my kindle and a good book on the go... am between books at the moment and I need to get a new one started asap.
Must say though that with 6 dc and 2 dogs I dont find I have much time to get bored! I am finding I can be more productive with my time though now I don't lose 4 evenings a week to being drunk and countless mornings being slightly hungover!
I am also managing to do some gardening again which I haven't done for years.

I am on day 12 here. Feeling quite positive. Managed a couple of difficult situations this week that would normally have had me reaching straight for the bottle!
I am feeling a bit physically rubbish though...have horrible sore throat and just a bit yucky...but hey ho!

oh I REALLY want cheesecake now! May have to get some when I take dd1 out later....

dh came home with an amazing chocolate cheesecake last night it was sooooo nice!

I am feeling so fed up tonight. leg still killing me, so i can't run, children being irritating as hell and I'm generally tearful for some reason.

I need to run and can't.
sorry for the misery. I will try to come back with some positivity soon, great to see so many people being so brilliant to everyone x

biggles sorry you're having a bad night. Can you get dc to bed early(not sure how old they are) and do anything else to "treat" yourself? Long bath (if you do baths...I hate them!) , early night with a good book? a good film? Hope you wake up feeling a bit brighter tomorrow.

Chin up Biggles. Tomorrow is a new day.
Now I want cheescake! I will make do with the half a Snickers I have hidden in the fridge.
hyperhops..woah! Six kids? Six? And two dogs! No wonder you used to drink!
Just kidding. Sort of. I find one small boy quite wearing at times!

Sunday you are right really I think! My life is so full on sometimes that I used drink as a sort of way to just blot out some of the mayhem and chaos! But what I am beginning to learn is that I actually I can function better and therefore be more organised and so reduce the chaos slightly when not drinking! Generally though it was always around 5pm when I would need a drink most - the chaos of them all back in from school, tea to do, stuff to sort for next day, all of them wanting something/needing me/shouting/arguing etc...but of course then I would have one glass...then 2...then be finishing the bottle and their went another evening!
Anyway rambling here ...I'm meant to be sorting some paperwork for work but appear to be putting it off quite successfully!

Morning all.

Well, hopefully, the sugar cravings have alleviated a bit and the weight loss is starting. 3 pounds down this week. Hurrah! (Mind you, I have put ON 3 pounds since going AF).

I have 2 stone to lose, so it is a start. :)

I feel like now the insane blood sugar swings have stopped that I can start really taking notice of my health- not just AF, but everything else as well. It is all good.

Wishing you all a glorious and sober day.

hyperhops - "My life is so full on sometimes that I used drink as a sort of way to just blot out some of the mayhem and chaos! " - know the feeling. It's a "can't beat 'em, join 'em" thing - everything round me is messy so I'm gonna get messy and sloppy too just so I am less on edge. I don't have anything like 6 kids to cope with but I used to live alone as a neat freak introvert and sometimes, especially around dinner time, I just think "AAAAAAAAAARGH"
DP took a week off this week and attacked the house and I feel a lot better for it.

I am only on day 5 but had a very frightening and regretful booze dream last night! I think that is my subconscious recognising that sobriety is precious - I hope - and a good thing.

I had cheesecake yesterday! I don't usually like it but I work with someone who makes the most incredible cakes and anything she makes I know I will like. It was someone's birthday. It was delicious. Sorry to gloat.

Have a good day all.

afternoon all

nochips well done on the weight loss, that is a great start! I'm hoping eventually to be able to put my mind to losing weight.
allhail well done on 5 days. The constant mess really does get me down here...but sitting round drinking aint going to make it any better I suppose LOL!

I have a day off paid work today and for once I have been quite productive as I didn't end up overdoing the wine last night as I have been known to do before a day off !! I've been and done a big weeks food shop and have been blitzing the house which was in desperate need of attention! Still loads to do, but I've made a start at least!
Oh and have got pizza and CHEESECAKE for dinner tonight, and some raspberry lemonade to ensure I don't get swayed by the fact it's Friday!

Hope you're all having good dry days.

biggles how are you today? How is your leg? Are you feeling any brighter? hope you're OK.

hello! sorry about that I managed to get out and run a couple of k last nightwhich made me feel much better. had my hair cut today which is my only extravagance and love it as ever the only downish part was going to see my mum and listen to her twittering - for some reason she decided to put me down in front of her physio but I ignored it until she backtracked. She should be home next week, not sure if that will be better......

leg OK today - I haven't taken any painkillers today so fingers x'd. going to catch up on posts now. xx

oh, would just kill for large glass of wine now. Kids driving me mad, loads still to sort round house and DH being just horrible

I find this time of evening soooo hard

Just managed to go shopping without buying any wine! I'm so chuffed with myself - this is day 7 for me and I'm feeling great. Don't get me wrong, I'm still spending way too much time trying to justify drinking/not drinking in my head but the relief I felt driving home from the supermarket was a real shock to me.

I'm also doing the low carb bootcamp at the moment which has helped focus the mind rather (no alcohol allowed for another week). Good luck folks this weekend!

Going to the pub tonight, first time on a friday since I stopped. My friend knows I have given up and is not a big drinker but still it's going to be interesting. I am determined to keep AF. One is too many etc I know this and I can do it. If I get this under my belt it will be a huge step, I've spent my entire adult life boozing it up in the pub. Would say fingers crossed but it's not luck it's what I'm just going to do

STEP AWAY FROM THE BAD THOUGHTS EVERYONE!!! . No drinking tonight!!

To coin a very well used phrase on these threads 'watch the film to the end'. Imagine the first glass, mm, yummy eh? Will you just put the glass away and drink soft juices or coffee after that one glass? NO, of course not. Fast forward tothe last drink and yourself being a) sick b) abusive c) in a sobbing heap on the floor d) staggering around lost e) frightening your children. Not good images any of them.

Now, get that idea of 'a' drink out of your heads and watch Coronation Street

x

Great advice Biggles, that just helped me a lot. Tomorrow will be the big challenge as I don't have work Sunday, perfect excuse. Will keep reminding myself to "watch the film to the end".