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

gien

Good morning. Yesterday I had 1 glass of wine - ordered without even thinking in a meeting at thd pub last night. So I am on 1/22 still.

Honey_Bear

Thank you Wanna Bee Free, much appreciated.

2/30 please Shaggy.


One of the biggest challenges when I was thinking about giving up drinking was socialising, and I'm still feeling my way through this aspect.


We went to see the film Chef last night and both absolutely loved it - well worth the price and if you like a tender family film it's perfect. It was at a local arts cinema so we were free to take a drink in and in the olden days we'd both have had a red wine or a G&T, which is always my shout - OH gets the tickets. I simply couldn't see anything I wanted to drink while waiting at the bar. (About 20 years ago I cut sugar out of my diet for three months completely and have never let myself go back to eating as much as I did before and I simply can't face the thought of two fruit juices or softies in one evening.) He'd invited another couple and we all went to Wevverspoons afterwards for the steak deal, and in the olden days that would be a bottle of wine between OH and I with our steaks.


So, it turns out, this is my new strategy. I bought him a glass of wine, and didn't bother with anything for myself because I didn't feel thirsty. At W'spoons I had a JTooO - goodness, they're sweet - and that was that. The other woman was driving, so she had a lime and soda. No-one batted an eyelid, and it felt okay.


We socialise about once a month with this particular couple. He's a bore after a couple of drinks (he's not exactly interesting when he's sober and by the third he was his normal tedious, repetitious self) and she's great fun, and a total pleasure to be around at every stage of every evening. She has admitted (in her cups) that she knows the fact that once she starts drinking she doesn't want to stop so she has to be very disciplined about it and she is.


I also realised that on at least three occasions we've spent an evening with them over the last six moths, I haven't drunk any alcohol at all and that wasn't too much of a hardship. My thought process was 'I'm going to be as bored as it's possible to be by A without wanting to stab myself in the eyes, so I'm not wasting a hangover on getting drunk with him.'


I'm just wondering if that thinking, and abstaining when socialising, was actually helpful in making the decision to stop boozing. Possibly - the fact that I avoided drinking at three parties and I survived and enjoyed them, might have helped me make the decision to knock it on the head once and for all.


I was in two minds as to whether to post about that, but I thought I would, because if I'd read it when I was thinking about my drinking, I'd have thought, Hmm, I might give that a try. I'm not being evangelical about not drinking, just conscious that there are some people who are struggling with avoiding alcohol sometimes.

maman

Good post HB. Sound like you might have a good potential AF buddy in the woman of that couple. Certainly no need for you to consider drinking in that foursome again. I'd steer clear of J2O if were you. I've only ever sipped one and it was so sickly sweet it made me shudder. When I'm out and AF I prefer either fizzy water or diet tonic.


Good to see you back wbf. We kept you a seat.:)


3 AFDs please Shaggy.

shaggydoo

Afternoon :hello:

Still on a duck but my social life looks completely dead for the next week and a bit so hopefully I can start clocking up a goodly number.



Shaggyx

shaggydoo

debjay wrote: »

Well done to everyone on their August successes. Seems a long time since I started this with Dry January.

The months just keep on passing by. I have been posting on this thread for 5 years in October! (Plenty of others have been on here longer Maman, Gien & Pricey I think)

shaggydoo

August:

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF

= 28 days AF

= 31 days AF

= target achieved



Alex 9/TF
Barny1979 26/26
BlueDaisy 16/16
Chardonnay 18/16
DebJay 17/20

Dprovan 3/12

FlatEric /10
Fruball 9/TF
Gien 15/21
Honey Bear 31/31

HopefulJoy 1/17

Macpep /20
Maman 12/10

MillieMoll 1/14
Pricey 19/20
RedemptionSong 10/14
Satchmo 17/20
Shaggy 18/17

Strandedinaber /31

Stupotstu 2/TF

Sukeyboo 4/12
TopGirl 19/20

Wanna Bee Free 4/14


Everyone Welcome! It's never too late to join....

Please highlight your AFDs in Red

Don't hesitate to let me know if I've made a mistake!

shaggydoo

September:

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF

= 28 days AF

= 30 days AF

= target achieved



Alex 1/TF

Barny1979 2/26

BlueDaisy 1/18

Chardonnay /18

DebJay 2/20

Dprovan

FlatEric

Fruball

Gien 1/22

Honey Bear 2/30

HopefulJoy

Macpep

Maman 3/10

MillieMoll

Pricey 1/20

Puzzcat 2/14

RedemptionSong

Satchmo 2/20

Shaggy /17

Strandedinaber

Stupotstu

Sukeyboo

TopGirl /30

Wanna Bee Free /14


Everyone Welcome! It's never too late to join....

Please highlight your AFDs in Red

Don't hesitate to let me know if I've made a mistake!

shaggydoo

Roll up, Roll up. A New Month, A New Challenge.

SET YOUR

28 days up for grabs!

Everyone Welcome!!!

PinkPoppies

I would like to join please! I am forever trying to cut down on my vino consumption but it's oh so easy to rely on a few glasses of wine to unwind in the evening. Dread to think how much money we have wasted on wine over the years!

Please could you put me down for 22 AF days for September! Will be so proud of myself if I hit my target!

Have managed 1/22 AF so far, tonight is going to be number 2!

gien

shaggydoo wrote: »

The months just keep on passing by. I have been posting on this thread for 5 years in October! (Plenty of others have been on here longer Maman, Gien & Pricey I think)

I feel like I've been here forever! And even before I was Gien I was a couple of other people who posted here too.:rotfl:

Today is AF, so I'm declaring 2/22 for tonight