The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Springing Into Spring Like Super Spingy Springs On A Springy Day!

[Mouseface]

Hello everyone, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to the Bus, Gerald. Of course it's an imaginary Bus, and we're all aware of that, but we've been on this Bus for a bloomin' long time now so this place kinda feels like home.

See, the thing is, we're a mix of drinkers, non drinkers, total abstainers, and also posters that are or have been, somewhere in between, around the block and back again!

There are no hard and fast rules here, just No judging, No bitching about others and most certainly No expectations of YOURSELF.

No-one can say what will or will not happen whilst you're posting here. You just have to take the ride, One Day At A Time.

There are two sayings that we have painted down either side of the Bus :-

1. • The Vulnerable Need Our Support, Not Our Judgement
2. • Alcohol Fosters Inertia

You've started to read this thread for a reason, and you'll either carry on and maybe Name Change (or not) and post, walk away, or realise that this is all about YOU, cry for a bit, and then come and take a seat :)

For those who would like a bit of our almost 4 year history, have a read of THIS TRULY INSPIRING THREAD

- AND THIS IS OUR PREVIOUS THREAD TO THIS ONE

We're not a quiche or a clicky group, four years is a long time and longer when you're pissed for some of it, so whilst the threads may look 'clicky', I can promise you, it's just that we all 'know' one another because we've been here for a bit but you'll soon get to know us all, who loves what (CHEEEEEEEESE), but we were all 'new posters' at one time, weren't we? :)

70 I'm with you girlfriend, day 5 and feeling liberated, can't drink won't drink xxxx

Hi,I am long distance lurking

Day 5 here too baby, Saturday proved too difficult and so Sunday was a peracetamol breakfast. Managing to fight her off this week but it seems the low carb diet is suffering as a result. It's like my willpower only has so much restraint right now.

Well done isinde from hiding from the WW last night.
Good luck 70 with day 3, I always find it a white knuckle day but worth it when you wake up tomorrow.
Im always a delight to see you post! hope things are ok there.
Spanna just sending you a little wave peanut.

Hi to all other babes xxxx

Well I have been shopping and bought no wine :) so so far so good - Hi Baby:Beaches I really hope I can make it to day 5 this week - day 5 is fab - Isinde I admire your strength last well done. I have discovered Alphas on net flicks so hoping that will keep me amused tonight - will be back later - hopefully sober - thanks to all for giving me strength - I know you don't know me but posting on here and knowing others 'get it' is a big help :)

day 3 and am going out for dinner with DP tonight. I've picked a noodle bar where I can easily drink green tea, no alcohol in the house. Wish me luck! Well done 70 for abstinent shopping :)

Well done everyone, and just keep on keeping on, and keep on posting.

Use every tactic you can that helps.

Because the whole shopping, cooking, eating cycle has strong alcohol connections for me I try to do as much as I can early in the day before the old wine witch starts whispering to me....

So instead of waiting until the end of the day when I'm hungry and tired, and wandering aimlessly round the supermarket feeling tempted by unhealthy food and wine, I plan dinner early on, as soon as I wake up. If I can, I go shopping early in the day (when strangely I don't feel tempted to buy wine or gin) - often before I even start work. I work from home on many days, so sometimes I cook dinner before I've eaten my lunch. Then if I'm out later in the day, I either don't take any money with me, or I take only enough to buy what I need.

I find that having really firm tactics like this make such a difference, and many time when I would have given in, I've just not had alcohol in the house, or been out in the shop and not had the money. All much more effective for me that 'hoping' I won't have a drink. As our old friend MIFLAW used to say "willpower is about as effective on alcoholism as it is on diarrhoea"

about the diarrhoea!

I agree with you Venus that good preparation gives us more of a fighting chance when the WW comes calling. Luckily cooking is not a big trigger for me but pre/batch cooking is a great way to reduce kitchen temptation, as is eating a small snack before rampant hunger drives us to the wine. Tonight I have made a fresh bed because I hate wasting a super fresh bed on a drunken night (this may be a highly personal and odd/unusual motivator!!)

70 early shopping is another great strategy, hope you are immersed in Alphas (no idea what that is but will google!)

nef now that is forward planning! Green tea and noodles sounds like a really appealing night out.

Love to everyone xx

Hi isinde, I love google earth and I am quite envious of your trip to Aus. After a long cold Canadian winter, Bondi beach sounds perfect! Will you be there for a while and will you have enough breaks from work to do some exploring? If you can tempt Soc out, she may have some insider tips for your trip

Lol beaches. Wish I was in Sydney.

I'm still here battling away. But determined to win xx

hmmm one cider awoke the WW. Only one bottle between us, but still not necessary. So I am back to square one. And have been up since 3.30am with my toddler, which just makes me especially aware that I need to get a grip. Hope you all have a good day today x

Morning babes just lost my whole post, day 5 and feel great, mostly relief at not being hungover or the tiresome will I won't I question about drinking tonight. Thank you inside for your lovely hug, it felt amazing, I love this bus and all who ride on her!!! Oooh errr xxxxx

Nefnaf - I failed too - major anxiety here -DONT ASK - going to docs today aa think I may be perimenapausal (sp). - anyway determined not to drink tonight :). - Baby - well done - I will get to day 5 - I will - please tell me if you have noticed any differences yet - when does sleep get better???

I can't quite believe this but I'm on day 7! I've been on holiday to Thailand where I drank every day but 'only' beer and I think that may have helped put the WW off a little bit. On getting home I did my usual and drank a bottle of wine in the evening - suffice to say I felt truly awful the next morning and told myself no more alcohol in the house. Later that week I went to a party which was a beery night till 2am. That was last Friday!

Since Monday I've been doing the low carb bootcamp - no alcohol allowed for two weeks. I've been thinking about wine all week, and doing that self justification thing in my head that 'just' one glass would be OK - it is Friday after all ... anyway - went shopping just now and forced myself past the wine aisle!

Driving home I felt elated. I really must remember this feeling! I feel so much better in myself, so much more energy, sleeping hugely better, losing weight - the works.

Bring on an AF weekend! Good luck babes!

Hi all
Doing great on everything except the drink but I will deal with it and I will get to where I want to be x
Waves to beaches. Ma. Isindie. Mouse. Why. Nuff. Venus. Soc. baby. Spanna and all...........

Still here still safe xx

Well - I have been to docs today and diagnosed with perimenapausal :(. I knew it !!!!!!! So have def got to take better care of myself now

Hi babes, 70 I have noticed loads of changes in 5 days, most obvious of which is the slow return of my self respect. I have also went from no make up, hair scraped back dressed like a not Merry Widow to doing my hair and make up, wearing my new clothes bought with my money saved and my skin is getting better each day. I'm taking lots of vitamins and my councillor recommended bach's rescue remedy for anxiety which you just use drop on your tongue or pastilles, it's designed as a herbal anti anxiety product and between that, the vitamins, gallons of water and nice fresh food, I am really starting to feel better. I've a long way to go but as the song says things can only get better. Big hugs to all my fellow sisters in arms tonight. Xxx

Thanks for that Baby :)

First sober Friday in, well a very very long time. Newly washed bedding and got new earplugs for dh's snoring. Rock n roll babes, happy days xxxx

Hi babes, all quiet today, hope that means your all whipping the Ww's ass. I'm in uncharted territory here, sat night without wine and for the first time this week I have a real craving!!! I've been to the gym and engineered a busy today but I'm restless and irritable and anxious and as the sun is shining every fibre of my being tells me it's wine o'clock. I can't and won't drink but I'm struggling and feeling sore from the gym, triggers galore and sat night looms long ahead of me. Send me strength my lovely friends, this will be my ultimate test. Big hugs to all of you xxx

I did it, I did it, a small victory but a victory none the less, tomorrow is day 7. I'm sorry I'm hogging the thread but this is more of a way of me reading back and I'm all alone here today, was it something I said??? Xxx

Nice Saturday swerve baby! Especially well done under the pressure of all those triggers. Hope you wake up fresh as a daisy and proud.

I have gone off the rails a little but back to it tomorrow. xx

baby just posting to let you know that you are not alone - either in your struggle or your victory.

Maybe everyone else is engrossed in Eurovision - well now that would drive me to drink

Well done Baby you are fantastic :). back to day 1 for me - blooming health anxiety determined not to let it beat me!!!!

Evening All
Day 1 done for me. Really feel like 1 step forward and 2 steps back at the moment. Need to try and get a few weeks done and then I start enjoying sobriety again.
Hope you're all well.
xx