Giving Up/Cutting Down Alcohol Thread Part 17

Dexsmummy

Good morning everyone. Welcome Slowdown. Alt80 your brother in law sounds lovely (NOT). Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all perfect.🤩
2/21 for me today please Cathybird.

sukeyboo

Welcome to the thread slowdown - it is a lovely supportive place to be.

Declaring early for today on 4/10 please cathybird 

RobM99

Hi all, 7/31 here! \just 4 weeks away from a year alc' free.

Reading above, one point strikes me, why do we have to justify not drinking? "What? You don't drink?"!    No, I don't and I don't have to explain why not. I don't eat bread  pudding but I don't have to justify that, do I?

Anyroads. Morning Slowdown *wave

I think people need their reasons to cut down/give up. (Feel free to skip this if you've read it before!).
Mine are;

1. Costs money, I'd rather put that cash towards a sports car (£5 a day - after all 20p won't build up very fast).
2. Does you no good. We all know that.
3. Empty calories, no nutritional value whatsoever.
4. Curtails daily life - can't drive after a drink.
5. People do/say things out of character (Drunken text anyone?! Never done that - cough). Fights outside nightclubs don't occur because someone's had too much Perrier! 

Alcohol is Satan's bile! Yuk. Anyone fancy a pint?

AllNightDiner

Welcome @Slowdown I hope this group helps you with a reset. 

Declaring early today as well, so 3/14 please @cathybird

marahouti

Wanna_Bee_Free said:

Happy Birthday for yesterday Marahouti! I hope you had a lovely milestone birthday.

Declaring early for 4/19 please Cathybird.

I did, thank you, theatre on Saturday and a lovely celebration with family yesterday. I also now have a bus pass 😀. Not sure it's valid for this route though 😂

marahouti

Slowdown said:

Hi
Im looking for a bit of support as I try to cut down on my alcohol consumption. 

I had a drier January where I only drank on 3 nights are a rather heavy Christmas but Feb and March so far not been AF by any means. 

I think I may have tried this before many years ago but I’m ready to try cutting down again. 

This last week I had 4 days where I drank too much. Only evening drinks and about 8 units each time but maybe more on my sisters 60th birthday. 

This is too much. I’m 55 and have been a bit of a drinker all my life. Not when pregnant/feeding and when kids were little and have had AF nights often. But the rest of the time it’s like I can’t stop at 1 drink. I used to get quite drunk but now it seems to be a regular drink but not getting drunk anymore. 

Ideally I’d like to drink only at the weekend and not more than a couple. But it seems I start with good intentions  then after a week or two I give in. I am also putting on weight. 

There are 25 days left in March. I have two socials to attend where I will be drinking and a couple of other evenings out with my OH. I’d like to think I could achieve 20/25 AF days and I will try my best to stick to it. 

Do you think I could join your group please? 

Thanks. 

Welcome Slowdown, well done for your decision and realising that you need to cut down on alcohol👏. I was in my early sixties when I came to the same conclusion but I'm here to tell you that it can be done at any age and it is so worth it. X

alt80 said:

7 please. We went out with wife’s family for a meal yesterday, everyone else was drinking and one of wife’s family brought it up first asking me why I wasn’t drinking and saying he didn’t realise I had a problem with drinking too. Told him I don’t and even if I did I’m avoiding drinking now to give myself the best chance. 

Your 'family' member sounds a real charmer! Your response was exactly right. X

marahouti

I drank moderately on Saturday and Sunday. Two glasses of wine on Saturday and a glass of champagne yesterday and I enjoyed them tremendously (not "Satan's Bile" in my opinion, sorry Rob 😕). However, I'm back on the bus now so 5/25 please cathybird. Thank you. X

RobM99

marahouti said:

... (not "Satan's Bile" in my opinion, sorry Rob 😕). 

Not a great brand name, I readily agree!

pollyanna24

Mneh, I had a drink.  Nope, I'll be honest.  I had quite a few.  On Friday.  But none since then.  Had to go out and get milk and wine jumped in my basket.  And not just one bottle, but two.

Can't say I felt particularly great on Saturday, and yesterday I was still tired and I'm still not right today.  

I'm hoping it's taught me a lesson as I don't feel like drinking now!  But it did show me that I simply can't moderate. 

But, onto the plus side, although I've broken my streak, I am up to 5 for March and 60 for the year (yes please, can I join that challenge please!) and see as how we are only up to day 66 of 2022, I'm not going to completely write myself off yet.

maggiem

Happy belated birthday Marahouti, glad to read you have a good day and very moderate drinking there (unless you were using one of those joke glasses that take a whole bottle of course). 

Alt80, I can't believe that comment from someone in your wife's family, so incredibly rude. 

Pollyanna24 60 days AF this year. Brilliant 👏👏.

Declaring early for today, Monday, so 4/15 please.