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

shaggydoo

November:

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF
= 28 days AF

= 30 days AF

= target achieved


Alcohol Free Days

Alex 11/28
Barny1979 8/20

Chardonnay 5/17

Charmed 2/22

Dansmam 2/30
DebJay 10/22
Doshwaster 10/24

Gien 5/15
Honey Bear 12/30
Maman 7/10

Milky 4/10

MissingMum /10
Piggles 8/15
Pricey 9/20

RolandTheRoadie /27
Satchmo 10/20
SandyPan 8/28
SmallHoldingSister 11/29

Tee /15

WBF 3/10

Alcohol Low Days

DizzyImp 6/23
Shaggy 11/22




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!

PriceySOS

10 please, Shaggy, ta

Should be able to manage another one tonight - DD3 coming home from uni for the weekend :j and 'Park Run Eve' :cool:

Honey_Bear

maman wrote: »

I've got into the (bad) of answering emails and spending time on here late at night.

I had no idea that, apparently, computer screens keep us awake, rev up the phyche so we need time to wind down after we've switched it off and are generally not a good idea close to bedtime. Like you, I was completely addicted to using my laptop in bed for a while and would surf for hours, read Debt Free Diaries and play computer games.

Nowadays I'm training myself not to use it after 9.00pm and make myself read proper paperbacks or hardbacks instead of buying a kindle. I find the local libraries brilliant for finding new writers; I'm a bit addicted to the Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow at the moment. I love, love, love reading but because I enjoy it so much I don't allow myself to read novels during the day so that precious time in bed is the only time I indulge myself. (Even when I was doing my literature degree I couldn't give myself permission to read the set novels during the day!)

debjay wrote: »

I'm hoping next year to be AF from Jan 1st until my birthday in March which will be 68 days I think.

Oooh good oh, another person going for a longish stretch to play with.

piggles1 wrote: »

I do have lavender in the garden but it's stopped flowering.

This little post took me two hours with more typos than actual words and lots of tempers. Without the booze I'm just left with myself, which is just as bad as when I was drinking. I'll press on with it but three days AF seems to be my limit at the moment. Or I'm making excuses.

I bought some lavendar from the market. It's not as expensive as I thought it would be and there's loads on E.b@y as well. Well worth a couple of quid imho if it helps you drop off.

I still have to take huge amounts of time to get anything right and sobered-up I'm more likely to be careful than when I was !!!!!! or hungover. What I'm saying is that our performance improves but it's quite likely we feel as though it's really hard work just keeping up with what we have to do. You're not alone in struggling with it, Piggles, you're not making excuses and three days without booze is still three days without booze - a success in my book.

Sandypan

Declaring 11/28 for tonight.

Bought some of the AF wine from Aldi and tried it last night. If you're expecting wine flavour it isn't, more of a grown up Ribena (the red one that is) Unsure of sugar content and therefore calories so won't be buying anymore!

On sleep front, last night slept from 10pm till 6.15am, best nights sleep in along time!!

Just as some inspitartion to keep you all going. Was reading an old copy somebody gave me of "Look" magazine and it gives the beauty boosting side effects of going booze free:-
2 days later - When your bodies dehydrated and full of alcohol it suspends 'non essential' things like fat burning. Now it's had chance to recover, you'll feel more energetic and your gym workouts will be more effective.
1 week later - Your concealer and foundation will be redundant! Alchohol deprives your skin of vitamins and nutrients, so after a week of booze free you'll notice clearer brighter skin.
2 weeks later - You'll see fewer lumps and bumps, as your body will be free of boozy toxins that contribute to cellulite.
3 weeks later - Alcholol hinders deep sleep, so giving up the booze means you can get better quality beauty sleep and should wake up looking like you've just had a relaxing facial.
1 month later - Thank the teetotal Gods for your trimmer waisteline - if you've cut out just four glasses of wine a week you'll be 1,000 calories better off.
6 months later - As well as skin, alcohol also dehydrates your hair, leaving it thinner and fragile. After six months your hair will be your crowning glory.

I have posted this before but thought some of the new comers might not have seen it!

debjay

11/22 for tonight please. Friday is usually not an AF night but don't fancy a drink tonight

satchmo1

11/20 AFDs on this park-run-eve. The weather report for our inaugural run, starting at 9am, is for winds of 35 k/hr gusting to 46 k/hr with a 37% chance of rain at 9am rising to 45% chance of rain by 10am. Eek. We run alongside the River Mersey, and the last kilometre is on the beach, turning at one of the Anthony Gormley "other place" statues who we've christened Bing (as the run is at Crosby, lol).

Barny1979

9/20 AFDs Today

smallholdingsister

14/29 please Shaggy.

piggles1

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

Well I like you just fine, OCD, warts and all

aw thanks Dizzy I don't think I've heard anyone say that since whenever.. and good luck with a beginning AFD target. When you get to that point I'll be willing you along.

Chardonnay wrote: »

5/17 please Shaggy.

Piggles, really sympathise with you about your OCD - not surprised you're tired, it sounds so debilitating!

I have OCD too, to a lesser extent and realised recently that I'd been using alcohol to relax. I thought it was the only thing that could just quieten my mind, stop the obsessing and give me a break! I've recently had a couple of complete breaks from alcohol and it was really hard at first to really feel my anxiety and not be able to numb it with drink. I'm now taking a low dose of AD and also have started CBT which I am finding so helpful. There's no easy solution as I'm sure you know, but I do feel that I am making progress now. I am back to drinking now, but mostly only at weekends and drink a lot less than I used to.

I think I might have read that you've tried these methods, and am so sorry if they didn't work for you. OCD is such a horrible condition - people make jokes about it but the reality of it isn't funny at all for the sufferer. It's blighted my daughter's life too, although thankfully she is a lot better at the moment.

Just wanted to empathise really - it's such a hard thing to deal with but keep at it as you're doing brilliantly with the cutting down! :T

Thanks Chardonnay. It is a hard thing to deal with yes, and makes nothing simple. Mine's to do with trying to keep myself safe, and that rumbles into my entire life because really nothing is 100% risk free, but a small normal risk for someone would be a huge one for me. I never get that 'oh hey it'll be fine' and it was only calmed by tablets plus drinking sitting in my own home. I've tried all sorts of things but it's to do with my upbringing I'm sure. It's all hardwired in totally the wrong places and I think it needs picking apart piece by piece.

I hope your daughter stays on an even keel. The earlier it's caught the better I reckon.

Honey_Bear wrote: »

I had no idea that, apparently, computer screens keep us awake, rev up the phyche so we need time to wind down after we've switched it off and are generally not a good idea close to bedtime. Like you, I was completely addicted to using my laptop in bed for a while and would surf for hours, read Debt Free Diaries and play computer games.


I still have to take huge amounts of time to get anything right and sobered-up I'm more likely to be careful than when I was !!!!!! or hungover. What I'm saying is that our performance improves but it's quite likely we feel as though it's really hard work just keeping up with what we have to do. You're not alone in struggling with it, Piggles, you're not making excuses and three days without booze is still three days without booze - a success in my book.

I think computer sceens emit a light that makes our eyes think it's daytime so we stay awake. I have to stick to the 9pm rule as well to quiet my brain.

Yes three days is an achievement isn't it, perhaps I'm rushing myself. It was only last month I drank daily. My upbringing says must do better and better and achieve the impossible, and my adult self says must stop drinking to get rid of my childhood. Ha, caught at every turn.

nowakee

Avoiding alcoholic beverages has been crucial for me in losing weight, over six stone.