Brave Babes Battle Bus

[Halleberry]

New thread girlies as the other was about to run out ... Hope you all find this one xxx

I know Halle. It's my biggest problem. I eat pretty healthily otherwise then down vast amounts of sugary calories every evening. I know I will lose weight quickly if I stop fucking drinking....

Even though it's empty calories, after drinking your body is trying to rid itself from the toxins, therefore leaving not much room to rid your body from actual fat, and calories. Not only does dribk make U wanna smack it also stops you from burning "fat" calories xxx

Ma have you tried Becks Blue? It might do in a push?

Well done on the weight loss halle. I'm really struggling with it, my bmi is supposedly fine but I feel flabby. I'd like to lose about half a stone. My problem is I can't eat well, exercise and not drink. I can manage two of them (this week exercising and not drinking) but not three. I over compensate with eating when I dont 'drink, and then when my weight goes up I think I might as well drink as at least there's less calories in the wine I have than the chocolate. It's really messed up...Monday I'll try again

Well your average bottle wine has between 700 and 900 cals a bottle. That's massive. A bar of chocolate is actually less. I know what you mean tho and it takes a lot
Of will power. I mean im not drinking nor am I snacking and im eating chicken and fruit only. Im forcing it. But I drink loads of tea and smoke like a chimney so that suppresses my appetite xxx

Argh so nearly managed day 3! It wasn't even cravings that made me cave, more the constant internal dialogue over whether or not to drink. I know I'll be frustrated tomorrow, but for now I'm just trying to vaguely moderate as I can't be too hungover tomorrow.

Pink good to hear from you, how are you doing? Yes the sweats etc were not a good sign, but I was actually ok (and went to work) the next morning! I'm sure it was from the huge amount I put away in the previous 48 hours, which would usually of been followed by a bottle of wine to take the edge off. I don't need medically supervised detox (...yet...) but it felt like a bit of a warning shot.

baby as always your post has summed up what I struggle to articulate. Not drinking would just leave such a huge gap and it's terrifying, and I have no idea what to replace it with. I do hope you are ok, you are such an inspiration, and just so bloody lovely!

Writing this mainly so I will read and remember this feeling tomorrow (and maybe others can relate), it would of been so much easier to not start....my off switch is nonexistent. Same fucking internal dialogue about the second bottle of wine which is now open. And feeling more and more shit about myself and my lack of willpower, genuinely wish I'd never started drinking tonight. I've been here so many times before but never learn.

Morning babes, back from a boozy holiday where I think I learnt a thing or two about how unhealthy my habits have become.

My mil made it clear she worries about my sil drinking and I've seen this week it's not a patch on what I drink. I mean seriously not even close. I swear her comments were pointed.

Anyway. I'm right with you ladies healthy eating, af day-ing. Feel utterly retched after such an unhealthy week.

Sorry not to nc, lacking energy this morning! Love to all though

So healthy eating is starting today. I got weighed and I've put on about five pounds since January and I'm at the top end of what I'm happy with. It's totally my own fault, I found out I was being made redundant in January and it's been a combination of comfort eating and drinking since then. I have too much time in the day with nothing really to do and I eat through terminal boredom!

fading I'm right there with you babe!!! I'm constantly nibbling on my dd's leftovers...her snacks....then add alcohol into that and well. It's not pretty.

So let's do this. Let's turn ourselves into the goddesses we deserve to be

Haha I don't think I'll ever be a goddess Claret but I've got off to a good start. I've done 90 minutes of cardio at the gym and had tuna salad for lunch. But - there's always a but - I find it easier to be controlled during the day, come tonight it'll be alot harder. Seriously if I didn't eat or drink after 8pm I'd have no issue with my weight or alcohol [hmn]

I'm with you claret and blonde, day 1 of my 28 day plan to my holiday. Not long enough for what I need to lose but it's a start. I always thought I'd lose tons of weight when I kicked the booze but sugar took its place and I feel like I'm wearing a fat suit!!! Not good xxx

Sounds like you've got off to a great start fading - perhaps an early nights in order if you struggle in the evenings?

baby stick with it and the amount you can loose in 28 days will be fab!! I am right by your side so can hand hold if you need it. I would sincerely love to ditch this last stone of baby weight, I too feel like I'm wearing a fat suit. It's gross.

I think that knowing we will be tempted (be it food or alcohol) means that we can prepare for it and put plans into place now so that we're ready when the craving strikes.

Having a 'go to' drink is a good start. So we have to train our brains to give the message, 'before I have that drink/pastry I'll just have a cup of tea'.

Then, whilst we're drinking the tea we think about a healthy snack 'just to put me on'. That takes care of hunger and thirst, two major sugar triggers.

Then we need to remind ourselves why we're doing it. Writing it down somewhere handy is a good strategy. Getting on the scales/trying on an outfit, watching the film through to the end, are all good strategies too.

Most importantly we have to remember that it's just for today, just for now. However hard it seems, we can get through it.

Once of my greatest pleasures is going to bed early with a book. There are so many others things I get distracted with that I have to make myself put a time limit and go to bed. It's safe there, it's comfortable, it's calming and I can lose myself in a page turner. What could be more self-caring or self-soothing, it's so lovely

A very lovely Mouse Lady once told me that my ticket was forever, so, I'm waving Gerald down, and wearily throwing myself into the sidecar.

I've not been AF today, but I'm trying for day one tomorrow. Will name check once Ive finished reading back. Love you all, Babes

People like us can't moderate Elba - if we could drink normally we wouldn't be posting on these boards. But somewhere along the line the Off button has become faulty and it becomes a struggle which we can't win.

Trying to moderate as you rightly say just fills your head with stupid endless mind chatter about drinking and self loathing when we give in and lose the battle.

Why not give it a break, one day at a time, you aren't saying Forever.

Just keep at it, one day at a time. Yes you will probably feel shit for a few days - your hangover is running to the end for the first time in years.

But unlike alcohol, feeling really shit with a hangover isn't going to kill you, neither will a sore head, too little sleep, too much chocolate, loads of Blue Becks, too much kids Netflix, too many bad thoughts.... Let it run, let them go. You're taking care of yourself. It isn't long before this bit is over and you've dealt with it.

Not saying your life will be perfect then, you still have the same old shit to deal with, but I promise you, without alcohol, everything will become a lot easier to handle.

Sorry to proselytise (sp??) Babes , many of you do appear to moderate successfully, but some of us can't.

That's true Strange, we have a lot in common but we are also all different and individual. That's why it's important to find out what works for us. And part of that starts with finding out what doesn't work first.

Sweet lovely to see you

sweet !!! Awesome to see you babe! ,
So, have low carbed like a dream,done my plank and core exercises....and am drinking. I actually really can't do it! I can't . So pathetic.

sweets !

ma well done on those exercises

Morning All,

Ma, Faire, Joey thanks. You're all still so strong and supportive.

I haven't been having a bad time, but my drinking has been out of control; sometimes I've been drinking mindlessly, just because, and sometimes because I wanted to get to the bottom of the bottle. Elba some of your posts where you have talked about setting out to get drunk felt so raw, and familiar, I hope you're ok today.

Wry, your knicker story made me giggle, and I completely get the zen of mucking out - I have the same with turning compost, I love to empty the bins, give it a good old mix, then fork it back in! Your little terrorist is gorgeous, SweetPup (who is now almost 18 months old) really does have a curl on his forehead - from beautiful about turns on the whistle, to red-misted, 'up yours', Spaniel-brain, chasing swallows .

Hope, the family will survive, perhaps it is exactly what they need to appreciate you more.

It was my birthday over the weekend, and I just felt fat, frumpy, moremiddle aged, I need to grow up. I know I will be in for a tough first week, but I have some plans, and a bit of determination; today I'm doing some training at work that will keep me busy, tomorrow I'm going to the theatre, so I'll offer to drive, Thursday I'm going to use the spa vouchers I got for my birthday to try to get into the habit of being nice to myself.

Have a good day everyone.

Hi sweet and happy birthday for last week!

It's so easy to let the drinking habit slide isn't it?? I'm in a similar boat and am determined to have a good run of af days now. Fed up of feeling fat and off par. I need to do as faire says and do one day at a time.

Anyway, just wanted to stress that you are not alone sweet, in a week or so you (and I) could feel so much better with a little tlc.

Hope the training goes ok today.

Hi Claret, I'm with you, fit and fab by the weekend then! (or at least a few days closer to it!

Right, Dog has had a good run, sopping wet and covered in grass seeds, I've fridged lots of individual bottles of fizzy water to keep me hydrated, and M&S salads so I don't have to cook and be tempted.

Hey babes,

managed to no carb all day yesterday quite easily then woke at at 2am and ate 2 slices of toast and jam, it was like a physical need!!!

I've also switched to caffeine free coffee as I drink gallons of coffee, if I'm honest to suppress my appetite. So now I have a splitting headache due to caffeine withdrawal!!!

I'm trying to force myself to do exercise, I know I'll feel better after it but I'm just so bloody tired all the time. If I do it I actually feel thinner afterwards just because my self loathing diminishes a little and it makes me want to eat clean AND YET I make excuses and have an internal conversation that lasts longer the bloody class In question!!!!

Sound familiar, why oh why do we have to complicate every goddam thing in our lives??? Sigh sigh

elba I've been thinking of you a lot and I'm really really worried about you. You remind me of a wounded bird in a cage with an open door, and yet your too frightened to escape. I have been through so much myself and truly believe I was months from death at my final drinking levels so I'm not patronising you and I was way down the line from where you are but I sense the same loneliness, hopelessness and the underlying "I don't deserve to be happy" theme.

It was utterly horrible for me and I'm just so so sad that you feel any or all of that pain. I so want to help you but I don't know how and it frustrates me every day. You are a truly lovely, kind, smart lady and I cannot think why think you don't deserve nutrition a kind life and happiness. Whoever or whatever made you feel this way is the problem and you need to find a way to love yourself and heal.

Also I thought I'd lost all my friends and family, especially the love and trust of my dd's, and I really really fucked up every good thing in my life AND YET with time, courage and hope I've reached out to all of these people and every single relationship is stronger than before and I have met new friends through pushing myself to try new things.

Also I had my second baby at 40, your life is far from over, happiness will not come to your door whilst you are sat drinking but who knows what could be out there if you could trust me and try to love yourself because we love you sooo much and I really want to reach out my hand to you and pull you out of the darkness into the light xxxx

There is no part of recovery that hurts any more than the pain your in now xxx

Great post, baby. So many powerful statements, I found myself nodding along as I read

sweet I envy your m&s salads...I might get some myself! baby completely agree about exercise...I so wish I could get my enthusiasm for it back...I'm just so bloody tired.

ma I hope you are ok - don't knock yourself down, you did so well with your diet and exercise yesterday...so that's 2 out of 3 of your goals done.

I'm ok, day 2 here but trying not to focus on it too much - instead trying to really focus on weight loss, which wine is not a friend of!

Hope everyone else is doing ok xx