Brave Babes Battle Bus: Sunshine, Roses and Mocktails All Round

[SweetLathyrus]

Hi, I'm SweetLathyrus, Sweet for short, and I've been on and off Gerald the Brave Babes Battle Bus since 2014. Over the years, lots of us have maintained the thread, most of all the lovely Mouse, who has been here since the early days, and still scurries onboard when she can.

The bus is a place of support, safety and occasional silliness for those of us struggling with our relationship with alcohol. Some of us are sober, some are trying to be, some are moderating and aren't ready to give up alcohol just yet.

So whatever your reason for questioning the whys and WTFs of your drinking, hop on board, make yourselves comfortable and join in. Driers and Triers, all welcome.

Summer offers all kinds of challenges for those of us trying to change our relationship to alcohol, pub gardens, summer holidays, school holidays, and apparently there's a big football tournament too. If you want to read where the bus has been so far this year here's the link to the
last thread

And in case you want to know how it all started, here is the link to JWN's original, inspiring thread

The Bus is a bit of a Mumsnet institution, but it has an open door policy, no cliques, no judgement, and the welcome is always warm. So hop on and join us.

Welcome out of lurkdom crafty, always good to see the seats filling up . Oh how I have tried to find that ONE permutation of moderation too - not on weekdays, not before 9, no more than 2 glasses, 2 nights off a week......all sorts of plans and they all went pear shaped at some point. My only real success seems to be avoiding the first glass. You are doing brilliantly, 3 months!

ma Rome wasn’t built in a day and many other little sayings but seriously, give it a bit more time, the scales are often slow to respond but your body will be thanking you.

sweet another day done, 2 magnums seems like a fitting reward!

Avocados hello Welcome on-board, reducing sounds like a good idea and as your consumption goes down your sugar cravings will probably increase at a rate of knots. (See the 2 magnums above)

Waves to FT, Hoose, Small, Trust and any other babes reading.

Not much to report here, I was complimented on my veins - apparently I am a phlebotomist’s dream. I will take any compliment offered, I am not fussy. Another day done. X

Morning all
Hi to crafty I too have “the switch”. It is much easier for me to have no drinks rather than one drink. I have managed to moderate with gin and tonic but actually find it quite boring. And tbh if I have more than about 4 of them then I start craving the wine. There is nothing like the wine for me but once I get started I’m off and running so just best not to start as it never ends well.
Welcome to evil I tend to agree from what other people have said on here in the past if you go from 90 to nil a week when you have been drinking every day you may suffer some physical problems but I think everyone is different. I’m a binge drinker so my problem is a bit different.
Ma I totally relate to what you are saying as I had the same problem when doing Dry January. It was so frustrating. I ended up having a big old binge drink in the end and totally sabotaged myself around Feb time then felt really s**t about myself which led to a bit of a vicious circle of beating myself up then drinking to feel better. You are doing so well. Just try not to get disheartened. It does get better. I have definitely noticed the difference since doing dry September and now sober October. Not so much in pounds lost but just overall well-being.
FT and Hoose how are you going?
Sweet hope you are feeling better? I have a sore throat and cold starting today. Remember seeing something on one of the threads about something you can buy to stave off the colds. Will try and find out as I can’t have a cold or flu to go on holidays.
Beaches glad to hear about your lovely veins and yes managed to get some nice bits for holiday. Quite a lot in the sale as summer clothes are on the way out which was a great bargain.
Hi to Small and every other babe.
Hope you all have a good day. I’m off to work. 3 working days left before hols! Woohoo!!

Hallo, can I climb on board? I need to stop. I can't do moderation at home, I may be able to have a cocktail on a night out because the prices are so ridiculous I never buy many! But at home I can't remember the last time I had a bottle of wine and didn't finish it the same night. I sometimes work late on the computer and I want to have it sat next to me to sip on. I also pour my first glass while I'm cooking dinner as my young DC enjoy driving me up the wall so I tell myself I need it and I deserve it. Well, it's expensive, not healthy, I'm fed up with getting up to wee in the night and I don't want to feel I have to drink any more. Day 1 today. What do I do now?

Thank you all for the lovely welcome. Hi, Googly! Ma the weight loss thing seems to take quite a while and then just ‘kick in’. People have only just started doing the head tilt and the ‘have you lost weight’ thing with me. The first AF month was just spent feeling knackered. I expected to at least have the compensatory factor of more energy, but alcohol disrupts sleep and I think my body was just catching up with itself.

And the exercise will be paying off and is definitely worth it! Also, why does ice cream suddenly become the best thing ever? I never even especially liked it then went through a phase of raiding the fridge.

thank you all. sorry about the rant!
A combination of disappointment, Menopause and worrying about my brain scan set me off.
I had one beer and went to bed.
It's a beautiful autumnal day so will walk again at lunchtime

Had to go to the shop for cat food. Got chocolate instead of wine. Then had to buy something else as not enough to pay on card - uh oh! Walked past the wine and got more cat food. Feeling ok. Glad to have chocolate for later! Taking the kids out swimming this evening so will be straight to bed with them when back, getting up again only to tidy and eat chocolate. Then sleep glorious sleep!

Damnit could have bought something other than wine to drink! Oh well, I'm not going out again now.

Hi all, room on the bus for one more? Am half way through day two, having cut down over the past month from 100+ units a week. Suffice it to say my liver is not happy right now

Hello all. I parked one butt cheek on the bus for a short time this time last year but then I hopped off.

I hit what I hope is my rock bottom 3.5 weeks ago. Since then I had 3 weeks off, drank 6 units last Sat, and been off again since then with no plans to drink until the end of the month. I’ve found it much easier than I thought given I was drinking 40/50 units a week and I think it has been opening up to people that has helped. Hope everyone is well

Hello all.

I’ve had a really good day today. Had a fab day with my babies. Had loads of energy. We went to the park.

...and tonight? I am just back from my first Couch 2 5k run 😊 I’m feeling really good.

Welcome @foxs and @bakedbeans, I'm new too we can do this!

@Hoose that sounds fab, I can't wait to have energy again! Although my toddler sleeping through would be a miracle so I'm not expecting it any time soon.

I had a lemonade this evening and see chocolate. Now off to sleep as am permanently exhausted. Glad to have made it through day 1. Onwards

Well done Googly. I’m only on day 4 and have found it hard so far. Tonight is the first time I’ve thought actually I don’t fancy it tonight.

Hi, new babes! Glad to be new together I’m just back in from a long day at work and a meal out with DH. Finding one of the difficult bits with this sobriety malarky is ignoring that ‘I’ve had a long day and I deserve a drink’ inner voice. If I can get through that feeling and accept it will pass, I’m ok. We can absolutely do this - congrats to Googly on day one of doing it.

Hello again everyone and thank you for welcomes. And well done everyone!

Google I know the feeling of not buying anything other than wine - just doesn’t seem to compute. I did buy some pink lemonade (posh stuff but cheaper than wine by a mile) which seems to be doing the trick. Maybe have a scout around and see what appeals?

I’ve had 11.5 units since Sunday (including Sunday) which I feel a bit guilty about but I was drinking approx. 90 units p/week so if I end up at 20-25 for the week I’ll be satisfied. As a lovely poster mentioned upthread it may not be the best idea for me to go AF immediately but the aim is to get there. Assuming I can’t drink ‘normally’ which is a possibility I’m getting my head round.

This evening I went for work drinks and had 2 small glasses of wine and then took myself off home. Which is unheard of. I’m really looking forward to waking up without a hangover.

Hunger has kicked in! Had no idea how much copious amounts of wine suppressed hunger, even during the day. Had to get food on the way home!

So - keeping on keeping on. Hope everyone has a good night.

Crafty the inner voice is a killer alright. And I haven't even had a hard day! But AF today and the shop is closing in exact one minute so I'll have no choice for the rest of the evening. Hoping for a decent sleep tonight...

Welcome to googly, beans and foxs and hello to the rest of you lovely lot

Not much to say about today, just keeping on x

Morning All.

Such a busy bus! Welcome new Babes, Foxs, Crafty, Googly, and welcome back, BakedBeans

Ma it sucks doesn't it, and it is so easy to say "Fuck It". Im somewhere in the 40s af, I've upped my activity, and apart from my Magnum binge the other day, I thought I'd been good, but I'm still only 1kg down. I probably need to do my fitness pal for a week or so to find the hidden calories. I've also given up the Becks Blue because it was messing with my digestive system.

Beaches, keeping on is ok .

Small, how are you doing?

FT?

Avocados, go with the hunger, it will even out, but get yourself a good multivitamin too.

I was out at the theatre last night, driving no no temptations there. The play was brilliant but the theatre was only half full. I expect because the generally rather elderly Chichester audience couldn't cope with a play called Cock. They missed out!

Stay strong babes.

Ugh. Why have I woken up feeling crapper than usual after a day AF? Not fair. I'm determined to keep going, but then I used to quit just about every morning and by 3pm would be dreaming of a glass so...

I am going to get some nice soft drinks in. I never drink them, I'm strictly a coffee, water, wine or spirits girl! But if it gives me something different to reach for at 5pm that's going to help.

@sweet I'd have been there like a shot sounds hilarious and I have no idea what it's even about!

Power to the babes

I feel awful today googly I am just trying to think how much worse I’d feel if I’d been on the booze.

Googly Hang in there! It may well feel crap for a bit - your body is adjusting to being AF and it will take time. It’s worth it. For me, it’s the things I’m definitely NOT missing that help me keep going: the 3am anxiety and sleeplessness coupled with what I term ‘the booze fidgets’; the loud and brutal inner critical voice telling me I can’t cope; the occasions where I’ve wondered what the hell I did/said the previous night. It’s taken me a bit of time to really see all of that and I found the first weeks were just about getting plenty of sleep and being as kind to myself as possible. Have a good day, you’re doing great.

Googley, Beans, your body is not just adjusting to the absence of alcohol, it's actually seeing the hangover through to the end. If we drink everyday, we constantly top up that chemical imbalance which becomes the norm, (as Corvid says). It will get better, you won't have the 3am waking, and if you do, you will get back to sleep and gradually get a better quality of sleep, but it will take time, and there may be feverish dreams along the way!

Good interesting alternatives to wine are really important, I like Fevertree Ginger beer over lots of ice, and any sort of flavoured tonic (well, fevertree or fentimen's anyway - Swcheppes, putting a gold label on it does not make it a premium product or taste any less chemically!). I also had a pink grapefruit presse (Belvoir I think) this week that was nice. Those will replace the sugar your body is craving, but I also found having a bottle of fizzy water in my hand constantly keep my hands busy and thirst at bay.

Googly the play was about a man who has to choose between his long term gay partner and his female lover. It's about the investment in identity, and coming out, and was both hilariously funny and brutally emotional.

Anyway, must get one. Hang on in there.

I think I am just fatigued to be honest and I have just got over a rotten cold type bug. I’ve had 24 days off now so I think the booze has gone

I’ve been drinking soda and lime or decaf tea. I have got substitute drinks like AF cider, beer, G n T but I’m not that fussed on having a substitute tbh

Beans, it's surprising how long a full detox takes (brain chemistry takes a long time to properly reset), but add in some of the horrid virus/bugs going around at the moment and I'm not surprised you are feeling fatigued. Lime and soda is my 'go-to 'when I'm out. Funny isn't it? It's not that special, and I could have it at home, but I 'save' it for going out!