The Giving Up/ Cutting Down alcohol support thread - number 13

cathybird

Honey_Bear wrote: »

Nowhere near as long as I thought it might Cuppa Tea once I'd worked out a system for how to do it. It was a useful exercise in reflecting on the year, too.

Flipping through the little notebook I use to record my weight and measurements this morning I found an entry in July 2012 that said I'd given up drinking. Weird, I thought, I'd no idea I'd been AF for four and a half years, I thought it was two and a half. So I double-checked and it was 2014. But it just goes to show, I'd been trying to stop for at least two years before I actually managed it, and I'd forgotten that. That mantra, never give up giving up is absolutely true because I'm absolutely certain that I couldn't have succeeded the final time if I hadn't tried and failed at least a couple of times that I know about now, first, to learn that I needed to stack up some support to keep me going, like this thread.

Honey Bear, me too, I have been pegging away at trying to drink less for some years, and in some years did succeed in keeping it down for a while - I once took three months off, which at the time felt pretty major. It soon built back up again after that though. But it just goes to show that even what felt like failed efforts at the time did lead eventually to something that feels much more under control.

Not an AFD for me as I have a small quantity of mulled wine left over from Christmas that I will be finishing off tonight. In fact it's not very alcoholic because it had to be simmered with the spices for half an hour at least and that does burn some of the alcohol off, but obviously has to be counted anyway.

Good luck from me also to everyone going for a dry January - in some ways I feel as though I'll be getting off to a late start!

Baileysonice

Hello everyone.

Decided to have another go at posting regularly on the thread as in the past I have found it be inspirational and pushes me to do a little bit more. It also focuses me on the days I do have a drink to be conscious of how much.

I found target free didn't really work for me personally last year as you can see from the abysmal totals so its back to target setting every month

So no dry January for me so I am going to start with a target of 10 starting on Tuesday

Looking forward to a bit healthier 2017

Rolandtheroadie

Back again folks, I've had a couple of (unsuccessful) attempts over the past year, but new year and all that.

I'm hoping to quit altogether, but we'll start with small steps and go for 30/31 AF days for January.

I've signed up for a weight loss challenge as well, AF should save £300 a month and the old style weight loss challenge should save money as well as I'm planning to stop buying junk food at work and taking everything I eat with me, so it's all very MSE.

Barny1979

Going for 25 AFDs this month, 1/25 for today

debjay

1/31 for tonight please.

scatterbrain109

Hello all

I popped a Cork just after midnight last night so can I reset my January target to 30/31. Still aiming for circa 10th April and 100 AFD'S.
Gaining home tomorrow after a fab new year in Newcastle.

Jo x

Honey_Bear

Welcome to So Worried! :wave: and all Returners, particularly Baileys on Ice. Posting really does work, so please stay in touch.

Rolandtheroadie wrote: »

Back again folks, I've had a couple of (unsuccessful) attempts over the past year, but new year and all that.

I'm hoping to quit altogether, but we'll start with small steps and go for 30/31 AF days for January.

I've signed up for a weight loss challenge as well, AF should save £300 a month and the old style weight loss challenge should save money as well as I'm planning to stop buying junk food at work and taking everything I eat with me, so it's all very MSE.

Good luck with it, Roland, and lovely to see you back. Research has shown that we are often more successful if we focus on one change at a time, so if you find your weight stays the same or you put on a pound or two while you're knocking the drinking on the head please don't be too downhearted. It does all fall into place but sometimes it takes a bit longer than we'd first anticipated to turn the juggernaut around - just slowing it down would be a great start, wouldn't it?

2/31 please, Shaggy.

maggiem

1/31 please. Horrid day here weather wise yesterday, we got back from our walk and were absolutely soaked so quite tempted to broach the mulled wine but resisted.

Good to see others joining / returning. It feels like a community here and it's so helpful to read posts.

[Deleted User]

Good morning, I would like to join you again this year please for Dry January, like Roland I would also like to stop altogether but for now it's 1/31

Thanks all

Munchin

1/31 yesterday please