No more drinking any more .....

[nelliegemini]

Why can't I be happy with just one glass?

Well I am so impressed at all of you who have stopped smoking, and impressed with Glutton4 for the not drinking, so I'm starting a new thread for me, and any others who are panicking about their drinking. It's just red wine with me, but can easily do a bottle a night

I am trying to loose weight and there are so many empty calories in wine, not to mention the cost and the destruction to my liver. Oddly enough my drinking increased as soon as my smoking stopped - which probably explains why I found giving up smoking so easy - I had the best substitute ever - a real good feelgood!

Anyway - any words of advice and encouragement welcome - but please no dreadful pictures of diseased livers

[Finedon.Dandy]

Nell

I will join you in your quest. I have stayed off the booze for nearly two weeks as it will increase my chances of conceiving and then keeping a baby. I bf both my two so it could mean no booze for at least 18 months!

Good luck, here if you need me.

Tammy

[janeyo]

Not going to join you this time, but I have given it up in the past (at uni of allplaces when I felt I was drinking too much).

A friend of mine with diabetes has given up and is finding it hardgoing.

Good Luck, I am sure a lot of it is just habbit and you don't actually neeeed the wine!

Keep us posted about how you get on.

[nelliegemini]

Thanks Tammy.

I'm actually feeling sad, like when I gave up smoking. Red wine is a 'mate' just like the fags were so it is a bit like moving away from friends. I did consider only drinking at weekends but I realise that would be like only smoking at weekends - couldn't do it!

18 months though, that's a hell of a committment - I'm just hoping to make it to Friday!

[piskieinboots]

I am trying to loose weight and there are so many empty calories in wine, not to mention the cost and the destruction to my liver.

This one I will join in with please

I can easily drink a bottle of wine a night, if I share a bottle with SD I can start and finish the ½ bottle with vodkas either side of it and my measures are usually around 50ml of vodka

My health is being affected by drinking so it is (truly) time I woke up and smelt something or other I often lose my voice*, which is (most likely) brought about by acid reflux, which is brought about by too much alcohol

*enough of the yaaaays already

[Flummery]

I give it up for lent and during the month of December every year. I can do this easily. However, when I AM drinking I find it hard to stick to one.

I can say 'Yes' and I can say 'No' but I can't say 'Enough'!

I read a lovely quotation the other day - 'One cocktail is sufficient, two is too many, three is not enough.' It sure alters your judgement!

[piskieinboots]

'One cocktail is sufficient, two is too many, three is not enough.'

so very true - I will print that out and stick it on fridge when I get home!

I will be downing a couple of drams at the wake tomorrow tho

[SlugLobber]

Flippin eck, a bottle would render me unconscious. I seriously think I'm intolerant to the stuff, these days. Over an entire evening on Sat, starting at 6pm, I had one large glass and then later on a small glass (at 09:30ish), with a blackcurrant and lemonade in between and a two course meal. Yesterday I had a headache ALL day and finished up lay under the lamp on the sofa, with the lamp baking my head, to increase blood flow. I told OH that I'm not bothering to buy wine anymore. So, I've been alky-hol* free for 2 days, almost!

*Grand Marniére does not count, but only because I still have a little bit in the cupboard and it would be rude to waste it.

[snuffer]

I am giving up the drink for a while because I want to lose some of my bulk. AGAIN. I too cannot just have one glass of wine but must finish the bottle. I am exactly the same with sweets or chocolate, once started must empty the bag / finish the bar. The best plan is to abstane completely.

[nelliegemini]

*Grand Marniére does not count, but only because I still have a little bit in the cupboard and it would be rude to waste it.

Aaaaah yes, that's like when you're on a diet and broken biscuits, other people's chips, the kid's leftovers and pork crackling have no calories.

My only worry is that I will now become the designated driver, and I hate driving at night - mind you, if I am driving I don't even have one tiny glass of wine - one is not enough for me!

Piskie, the first bottle just disappears (how did that happen!!), one day last week we got onto the whisky at 11.30pm and then had a massive snack attack so it was a double whammy. And the acid reflux - been there - yuck.

OK, I'm off to the gym now (stop laughing the lot of you), I seem to be starting my New Year's resolutions with the Chinese New Year - so team - celebrate the year of the Ox (wasn't there/isn't there a wine called Bull's Blood).

[di]

There was an experiment done on telly a few years ago,following a group of peeps on a night out.Some of them had to acknowledge once they'd got to the "feel good"state & then switch straight to soft drinks....the others had to carry on as normal.The 1st group remained in their buzzy state for the rest of the evening...the ones that continued didn't!
Apparently()once you've gone just past that merry stage your mind tricks you into believing that you need to keep topping up to stay that way,but according to the programme you don't!
ME???...the whole bottle...not helped by the fact that Andi doesn't like red,so there's often no-one to share it with!I'm fine if there's NO alcohol in the house...but if there's just a glassful left in the bottom of the bottle I admit to entering a bit of a panic!...I'll try & join you too Nell.x

[smallblueplanet]

I feel I've got my red wine drinking 'under control' after easily drinking a bottle a night! I'm now down to 2-3 glasses a night. I'd be happier with two glasses a night but I'm damned (more than likely! ) if I'm giving up drinking as well as smoking (nearly 10 years ago for them)!!!

One thing I have noticed (in my rare forays to the pub especially) is the size of wine glasses seems to have tripled!!! Most glasses are now huge and its too easy to top them up and a bottle full has gone...so again back to 'portion control'.

I wanted some nice 'small sized' wine glasses last year to replace the Ikea big ones but its almost impossible to get any under 50cl!!!

[lynda66]

i gave up alcohol 21 years ago, when i realised how it had taken over my life (bottle for breakfast, lunch, tea and a couple for supper) was hard going, but one day i just stopped, and yep i was ill for about 3 months ...... but i stuck with it.

the hardest thing for me was to not fill my trolley with bottles before i put food in..... and to actually start eating food instead of drinking (i always take things to extremes lol)

so now the rule is no drinking alcohol unless it's a special occasion, so basically i get plastered on my birthday,and occasionally when i go out (don't go out much) but it costs far less to get drunk lol .... and i only drink at home if we're having a party.

no words of wisdom really, like any addiction though, if you want to give it up you will ....... i am now addicted to tea and choccie ....... but i'm not joining you giving them up

good luck and stay positive ..... you will feel so much better xxxxxxxxxxxx

[nelliegemini]

I feel I've got my red wine drinking 'under control' after easily drinking a bottle a night! I'm now down to 2-3 glasses a night. I'd be happier with two glasses a night but I'm damned (more than likely! ) if I'm giving up drinking as well as smoking (nearly 10 years ago for them)!!!

One thing I have noticed (in my rare forays to the pub especially) is the size of wine glasses seems to have tripled!!! Most glasses are now huge and its too easy to top them up and a bottle full has gone...so again back to 'portion control'.

This is my problem, I only drink two/three glasses a night, but that's a whole bottle.

Anyway, part one of the plan. I have just worked out lunches and dinners for the whole week, written a shopping list and after the gym (when I eventually get there) I will do the whole weeks' shopping. Then I have no excuse to drop into the supermarket and just drift down the wine aisle.

I am looking forward to saving about £6 a day - it's frightening when you realize how much it does cost, because OH will often help me out !? when a bottle is open. Smoking was cheaper. Aaargh.

Di, I too panic near the bottom of the bottle - used to be the same when I smoked, already thinking of the next one when I was halfway down the first!.

Thanks all for all your support, it's lovely knowing I'm not alone - if I manage without a glass tonight I will be thrilled. Let me know how you're going to avoid the temptation ....

[Flummery]

I sahll be out all evening singing - our Choral Society has a concert. It's at a local Methodist church!