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

Barny1979

2/28 AFDs today

Honey_Bear

2/31 please Shaggy.

satchmo1

2/20 AFDs today.


DH and I felt like we were on rations tonight (food-wise). Mum was asked to chop a pile of vegetables for roasting with sausages (peppers, celery, cauliflower and leeks). I found she'd done half the amount and only put 4 sausages in (between 3 people). DH's face was a picture (he loves his food to be large portions).


As soon as mum went for her bath I cooked the remaining 4 sausages and we had them as sausage butties.


No wonder I've lost 5lbs since she came to live with us, lol.

AlexLK

2/21 for this evening.

Chardonnay

Honey_Bear wrote: »

I've found that once I got into the swing of it, it stopped feeling strange and started feeling liberating. It's just a huge relief now, and I can't understand why I carried on sloshing it back for over 20 years like there was no tomorrow. I do remember, though, being worried and wanting to stop on and off for three years and trying the 100 Day Challenge and failing earlier this year.

Lovely to know that at least a couple of other people are finding Belle's blog Tired of Thinking About Drinking interesting enough to read. I've listened to a couple of Bubble Hour podcasts and after a while the 'Isn't being sober marvellous' becomes a bit repetitive, but all in all, the sheer amount of stuff she puts out on the internet to help anyone who happens by her blog blows me away. I couldn't have embarked on this without the 100 Day Challenge - it was the single most important thing that changed my position from 'I can't do this' to 'I can do this.' (She's moving right now, so there's a slight hiatus for a couple of days.)

It's good to hear that once you got into the swing of not drinking in the pub it stopped feeling strange HB! I have to agree that I did find it quite liberating in a way. OH had a pint of cider and I asked him if he wanted another one but he said he didn't feel right about drinking while I wasn't! I said that I didn't mind at all and was quite happy with my pint of Coke (and I honestly was OK with it!). I was the one lingering over my drink too, I wasn't in a rush to get out of the pub so I guess that's a good start.

I love Belle's blog. Like Muser, I'm reading it from the start...(it sounds like you're doing really well Muser! ) She has made me think about a lot of things. I like that she runs too - I went out for a run on Wednesday morning and realised it was the first time for nearly 3 weeks! I know why it's been that long. I was training for a 10k and everything was going great until we went away for the weekend and ended up having a few drinks every day for 5 days in a row. I ended up not doing the 10k. I went to watch instead and it was an amazing atmosphere (in my home town). I wished so much that I hadn't bailed out. I do know why I didn't do it, it was because of alcohol, simple as that. My body can't cope with drinking a lot and running (not at the same time obviously! ) I love running, it is important to me. It makes me feel good in myself. Alcohol doesn't. I need to remember that.

2/31 please Shaggy!

Honey_Bear

Chardonnay, your post echoes what a number of people are saying regarding our partner's drinking. OH has cut down to about one third of the amount he used to drink and I know he's really, really happy with that. However, there are partners who find themselves feeling uncomfortable with the change in behaviour and that can become problematic. I'm choosing to spend a bit of time spoiling my OH while we make the transition as a thank you for being supportive and I honestly think that's the best way forward for us.

However, there's another blog I'm dipping into called A Dappled Path by Annie who agreed to stop drinking for 30 days and blog daily about it. She's made it to 30 days (yay!) and on that day had an incredibly revealing conversation with her husband. I'd guess she's in the same position as a select few of us on this thread - she has recognised she can't always stop when she should, so has decided she's better off being realistic. I don't think her husband has, which means there is a problem they haven't begun to address. It must be incredibly tempting to just have one to keep the partner company and I, for one, know where that goes.

Linky here, if anyone's interested in reading her 30 Day AF Blog from Day 1. Her posts are fairly short and easy on the eye.
http://annieuk101.wordpress.com/2014/08/


Minor achievement for me last night - we had pasta with pesto and a few other goodies and it wasn't until I sat down next to OH to actually begin eating that I remembered I used to round the flavours off with a glass (a?) of red and hadn't given it a second thought. That might have had something to do with finishing defrosting the fridge while I was cooking, but who cares - I didn't give it a second thought, didn't experience any cravings, didn't mind not drinking. And having pasta was a huge part of thinking I couldn't stop drinking. Today is Day 70, so that's 10 weeks AF.

jake2

70 days is fantastic well done honeybear
you are coping with the hurdles head on dealing with them better then I did I just hid away didn't even go to shops at 1st incase I bought booze
I was full blown alcoholic every thing was a trigger well done girl
xx

Muser1

Thanks Chardonnay lets hope the enthusiasm I feel lasts.

Honeybear thanks for the link and congratulations on your progress.

Gym again in a minute. Work tonight so definitely af.

I'm declaring 3/31

PennySaving

Hi, I would like to declare 3/31 days AF so far for October. We are going to the cinema tonight so that I stay away from booze as I start a new job tomorrow. very excited. I have started reading Belle's blog as well. Thank you for the link. Well done everyone so far!

Barny1979

3/28 AFDs today