No More Chardonnay for me! My booze-free Diary

Honey_Bear

flanno wrote: »

I was trying to find your page, do you have a forum page yourself?

I don't have one. I find the support on the threads where I post so amazingly helpful that I've never really felt the need, to be honest. I might, at some point, if there were anything I particularly needed to focus on, though, so I'd never say I wouldn't have one.

flanno wrote: »

Day to day it should be OK but Saturday will be a test as my brother in law has a big birthday with an 0 in it so there is a party to go to and all that entails. But I will prevail.

It's an issue for everyone who decides to go alcohol-free - the 'event' occasions when everyone drinks and it's part of the celebration. It's a mindset, and getting past the first one is a Big Deal. Walking away (or being the designated driver) sober at the end of the evenings when everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves and had a shedload to drink always feels great to me now but looking ahead was a real test in the early days.

Reading about stopping drinking, pretty much everyone who writes about it acknowledges that there will never be a perfect time - there's always a birthday, holiday, Christmas, wedding, whatever coming up. Having strategies ready, such as knowing what you can enjoy drinking instead of booze, got me through and once I'd had several of those evenings and thoroughly enjoyed them I stopped fretting about 'Events.'

Completely co-incidentally I went to a wedding on my very first AF day, and other than OH, no-one knew. In fact, the bride and groom still don't, so I may tell them on their first anniversary!

Good luck with it.

Chardonnay wrote: »

Feeling good today. No drinking and very little thinking about drinking. I actually feel a little lost now as I was spending a lot of my time reading books and blogs about alcohol but haven't been doing that since my decision to moderate. I need to find something else to read I think! Or maybe I should carry on?

Hoping to run 8k this morning - beautiful day so looking forward to that. Don't you find that the sunshine makes such a difference to your mood? :cool:

If you think you might one day toy with the idea of going AF, now that the pressure is off, is it worth hunting around to find some reading material that might help next time around? Now that the pressure's off it might give you a different perspective which could be useful.

I do know what you mean though - I've made it one of my goals to find three new-to-me authors whose work I enjoy this year, as I can't go back to reading the trash I used to with any appetite. It's an age thing, I think, our tastes change and we mature and stuff that used to keep me entertained no longer does.

flanno_2

Hi Honey Bear and Chardonnay

Day 4 alcohol free:

HB thanks for the comments on not having a blog, I was wondering as I was trying to find you in the search area !! I know what you mean about anxiety about 'event's as there are always going to be such events going on in life. I am not drinking on Saturday but I will not say it to anyone in advance in the event that I do have a drink, if I tell OH in advance he will be looking at me on the day iykwim.

I have taken down some names of blogs and books from Chardonnay's thread, thanks Chardonnay, and will be investigating them forthwith.

Since my 1st AF day I have walked for 30 mins each day either outside or on the treadmill conveniently situated in my bedroom so getting exercise is a priority and have begun to start sleeping a little better and looking a little better too. I am also drinking more water to hydrate myself. All good Stuff. Onwards and upwards and continued good vibes to all who are going AF or moderating.

Namaste
Marie.

flanno_2

Originally Posted by Chardonnay
Feeling good today. No drinking and very little thinking about drinking. I actually feel a little lost now as I was spending a lot of my time reading books and blogs about alcohol but haven't been doing that since my decision to moderate. I need to find something else to read I think! Or maybe I should carry on?

Hoping to run 8k this morning - beautiful day so looking forward to that. Don't you find that the sunshine makes such a difference to your mood?

HI Chardonnay

Yes the sunshine is definitely a mood booster, enjoy your walk and well done on the not drinking and not even thinking about it. I am going to start trying to meditate, as you say it is just a matter of doing it, saying I don't have time to do it is rediculous as we waste time during the day in so many ways............

Have a good day AF and looking after yourself.

Namaste
Marie.

flanno_2

Hi Chardonnay

I hope you are well and had a nice 8K run yesterday.
Day 5 of the AF 28 day challenge for me and tonight I have a friend coming over for tea and cake so no alcohol. Had a restful day today as hubby off at the races and as I hardly slept last night I took the opportunity to get some zzzs this afternoon.

Hope all going well in the AF challenges.

Namaste
Marie.

MarylandCookie_2

Hi Chardonnay and hi to everyone else who posts Hope you're all ok and enjoying the sunshine.

How did the run go Chardonnay? I've been to the gym tonight, twice so far this week, need to work off my holiday excesses - the food in the hotel was amazing!

How are you feeling about moderating? I really fancy a drink tonight, OH had a glass of wine with tea, but I've resisted so far. Not feeling easy or relaxed about it tonight for some reason.

I know what you mean about the mind chatter when your meditating, sometimes it's worse than others. I do guided meditations with a CD which is easier I think than without.

Have a lovely evening everyone x

Honey_Bear

Well done, Flanno. Keep going - the first few days are habit-busting and that's always a toughie. After that, once you start to develop the new habits that work for you it gets easier but what works for one person won't necessarily work for another.

I was completely cream-crackered for the first fortnight and had a hard time hauling my sorry self around. Sugar withdrawal, apparently, according to the good people on the Giving Up / Cutting Down thread, and it didn't help that I didn't sleep any better, or feel any better for those 14 days. After that things started looking up, so if it's feeling a bit tough, I can promise you it gets easier fairly quickly.

MarylandCookie_2

Hey Chardonnay, how are you? Hope things are okay with you x

Chardonnay

Hello! Sorry I've been a bit quiet, had a busy couple of days. Everything is good - no drinking and feeling good about everything. The last time I had a drink was a week yesterday and I am hoping I have really got out of the habit of drinking for the sake of it. I do feel different this time. I have an idea in my head of how I'd like to be - to live a balanced life, healthy eating (with treats!), exercise, meditation and a couple of glasses of wine with a meal out if I really fancy it.

I did my 8k - found the first 5k very hard for some reason, but once I hit 5k I suddenly felt really strong and the last 3k were really good! I am doing parkrun tomorrow and then hoping to run 10k on Monday. I've only done it once before, last year, so that will be interesting and I'd quite like to do a 10k race this year.

How are you doing flanno? You look like you're doing really well! :T I would definitely recommend meditation. It really helped me a lot when I wasn't drinking and I am getting more and more benefits from it as time goes on. As you say, not being able to take 15 or 20 minutes a day to devote to our wellbeing is ridiculous!

How are you MC? Did you have a drink in the end? I've had nights like that - I do sympathise! I guess your OH having a glass of wine is what triggered the craving!

Well done for going to the gym! I do guided meditation too and find it is definitely easier than trying to do it on my own. It's such a great thing to do for ourselves I think.

Hope you're OK HB!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Honey_Bear

Thank you Chardonnay, I'm absolutely fine.

flanno_2

Hi to Chardonnay, Honey Bear et al.

Thank you HB for the kind helpful comments. I am now on day 8 but did have some vino last night as was out for dinner with OH so decided that I would have a few glasses. However despite eating two courses, and drinking a large bottle of water with the meal and vino - this morning (Saturday) I awoke at 6am feeling rather the worse for wear. Today we were going to my brother in laws 70th birthday and I had already decided that I would drive so wouldn't drink. Feeling unwell certainly helped me to keep that although by the time we went to the party I felt a lot better so it wasn't a case of only not drinking because I felt unwell. I relearned a valuable lesson last night, myself and vino dont mix well so I am now back on track. I am not saying I will never drink vino again, but I am certainly not going to drink at home any more, and will only have 1-2 glasses when out and only with a meal so food is consumed.

I know its not going to be easy but I am glad I have re learned this valuable lesson.

Best of luck to everyone in their own challenges and day to day ways of coping. Starting meditation tomorrow.

Namaste
Marie.