Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

[KundaliniGirl]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

I would say that my January was successful. Don't have a lot of time this morning, but just wanted to say I'll be checking in more regularly now that company is gone.

My discovery so far is a feeling of freedom in being able to have AF days and moderate days. I really like not drinking every single day (which is what I used to do). And, I'm now able to drink slower, and fewer drinks. I haven't had a hangover since my 2.5 months AF, so I think that's a real accomplishment!

Hope we all have a Fab February.............

KG

[KevFromCanberra]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi guys and gals,

I think I am on target for a good February after a pretty successful January.

Started with a blip. Had to go to Brisbane to support my son in court. (he was there on an alcohol related issue). I feel guilty about that, as my drinking probably set a bad example for him growing up.

After the court case we met up with friends some his some of my old work mates from when i worked in Brisbane and had several beers. Ended up the evening in the casino at about 1AM.

Had 10 beers but over an extended period of time. Started on mid strengths (ave 3.3 alcohol) but as the night wore on, they were replaced with the full strength ones. It was worthwhile though because I met his friends and got some insights into how he is living at the moment and what his plans are for the future. If I had been on full abstinence and turned up not drinking and refused to join him, I may have struggled to connect with him. Drinking is his life, and I will struggle to sell abstinence to him, so I need to demonstrate the alternative of moderation.

The day did not really get out of control, possibly due to me coming into it stone cold sober and dry from months of moderating.

Immediately back on schedule into moderating after that. No falling off the wagon and beating myself up.

Moderating is really working for me.

My diet is going well too. Down from 108 kilos (17 stone) on 13 December 2010 to 93 Kilos today (under 15 stone). Could not have done that drinking!

Cheers,
Kev

[mylife]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hello All. I am newly here from the Abstainers threads after deciding I was miserable abstaining and wanted to see if I could try and drink moderately.

So, here I go. I did not drink for 27 days in January, for about 26 days in December and now I've been AF for all but 2 days in February. My plan is to allow myself to drink 1/2 bottle of wine or 2 drinks on a weekend night or a social occasion and be AF the rest of the time. So far last weekend I had one beer on Sunday night at a superbowl party and that was it.

I'm hoping I can do this, but I'm fully prepared to go back to abstaining if I feel I'm slipping back into nightly wine drinking. (My old problem). So, here goes!

Hope you're all doing well, and I'll be looking around and reading lots looking for tips!

[KevFromCanberra]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi Mylife,
Just curious here, would you be able to stop the wine drinking? I have found that the biggest win for me with my moderation was to stop drinking wine. Its just too powerful, and the fact that it comes in bottles is dangerous. I doubt that I could resist a half bottle of wine.

Quitting wine is not easy, but at least its a black and white, yes / no decision.

Beer is so much easier to manage. You can get brands of low alcohol beer that are as good if not better than the full strength. And it comes in manageble containers like the small bottles or cans so you know EXACTLY how much you have drank.

With wine or spirits its easy to lose track of how much you have had.

Thats, my view anyway. We are all different so maybe would not apply to everyone.

Cheers, and good luck with the moderating.
Kevin

[KundaliniGirl]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Kev, I think this is a great idea - beer is so much easier on the system. Wine at 14.5% AC has much more of a punch.

[mylife]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Good morning guys.

Hi Kev. You have a good point. Wine is my drink of choice -- I like the taste -- I like it with dinner etc. They do sell wines here in the 1/2 bottle size. In addition, I'm really not planning to just sit home and drink wine. I would only want to have it with dinner (have two glasses or split a bottle with my husband when we're out).

The other thing I would do if I was in a situation where I was concerned about the whole bottle thing -- is pour. I have done that in the past and I would do it again if necessary. Pour the first glass, and then pour the remainder down the drain while pouring the second glass.

Anyway, I'm going to give it a try. I'm fully prepared to go back to AF if necessary. So far my cravings for any AL have vanished the moment I decided I could Mod. And I did have a beer at a superbowl party on Sunday -- just the one lite beer and it was fine.

Thanks for the advice and I will keep it in mind. Have a great day!

[mylife]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi KG. Cross Post! Good morning!

[KundaliniGirl]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi Everyone - just popping in to say that I had a successful week and obtained my goals. I was AF most nights. I drank during a nice dinner out and that was it. I'm happy with my new situation and am having no problem abstaining on the nights I choose to. Quite different from where I was before I went AF for 2.5 months. That period of abstaining seems to have given me the ability now to really control my drinking days. Before I drank daily, now drinking is the exception, not the rule!

KG

[Peacefull]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi everyone,
New to the modding board. I went AF for almost 4 months and started back in late December, over did it a couple of times and decided rather than AF to really give moderating a concerted effort.

I love wine, but it is what gets me into trouble, that and hard liquor. So my plan is to stick to light beer. The only time I will allow myself wine is if we are on holidays or at a restaurant where I would only have one. I am not going to have it or liquor in the house.

Have a great weekend all..:thanks:

[KundaliniGirl]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi Everyone,

Sounds like a good plan, Peace.

I've had a good AF week, and will be going on a short vacation. I've logged in my drinking goals for my trip (Drink Tracker), and then after that I'll string a good chunk of AF days together before drinking again.

I've been really happy with my modding and thankful that I'm feeling in control and able to do this.

KG

[Gidget]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hello All : )
It really does sound like things are going pretty well for all of the regular forum modders. Great to hear. How am I? Well, I am very happy with how my holiday modding went but I am back in the real world now and a little concerned how that will play out. I am going to pick my ' testing' situations out very carefully and go in with baby steps.
KG- Sorry I forgot to answer previously- NLP is Neuro Linguistic Programming- Big words for: Basically retraining the way your brain naturally thinks/acts/reacts. Changing the neural pathways, we have such innate ( or even say ' learnt' ) beliefs that are so deep seeded that we are quite unaware they even, perhaps, exist. So you meddle around with that, scratching the old record, in order to move forward to a new belief system and natural way of thinking and perceiving the world around you and yourself.
I wanted to let people know that I do check out other peoples drink trackers, to see how you are all getting along. I like the idea that someone may check my DT occasionally cos it motivates me to keep a nice record ; }
All the best for the upcoming month of March!
Keep on Keeping on xx SJ

[KundaliniGirl]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Gidget;1044655 wrote: Hello Again : )
I am wondering if my current chocolate addiction will subside/become more moderate when I start to moderate my drinking! I did not lose weight during abstinence I darn well put it on!
I have a similar relationship with my beloved Cadbury's as with drink...Once I start.......

So, Where am I at ?
This week, the week leading up my nlp and hypnotherapy session, my plan is to keep up my daily nlp practise and evening hypnotherapy.

My head space does feel different, small changes, but not insignificant.
One thing I have noticed is my honest desire not to want to get drunk. I really feel that I have no desire to feel that lack of control anymore. I am not sure if this is a false sense but I have never really felt this during previous periods of sobriety...where I would usually romanticise alcohol and the 'fun' I had.

Ah well, here's hoping!

Hope your all well
SJ xx

Gidget, are you having luck with the hypnotherapy in addition to the NLP? Thanks for these explanations. You really are trying some interesting things -- would love to hear more if you make it back to this thread.

KG

[Eve11]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

I am always so grateful that there are so many supportive people here. The AFers who have been visiting the monthly mod site have been so supportive and therapeutic to those that are really struggling as this mod site truly can be an area where a lot of self reflection occurs and it often ends up being the stepping stone before some realize moderating is not for them.

Anyway, so happy that the AFers posting are not shoving their decisions down struggling modder's throats but sharing their experiences and being open to whatever way struggling modders decide their way needs to be. All of this really is so subjective isn't it?

I've had a good week. Only 4 drinks this week and absolutely no desire to have one tonight or tomorrow or the next night. I like the thought of Friday and Saturday when I can enjoy 1 or 2 glasses each night but at this point don't feel compulsive about that. Not like I'm DYING for Friday night. So, I feel very peaceful about that. I am posting on the drinktracker again and hope to stay on task with that this month.

Please share how you are doing. Maybe we can help.
Hugs,
:l
Bonnie

[Ringing Cedars]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Hi Eve, I am not around much these days as life is really requiring all my attention. I am still modding successfully in that I drink 1 or 2 times a week. Saturday was my last evening to drink and did not go over my limit. I think I am changing that neuro-network. ) I just find I am not really benefiting anyone around here by reading and posting everyday and it is very time consuming, a luxury I don't have atm.
Hope you're having a good week. )

[rebirth]

Ruby Tuesday weekly meeting

Eve11- I have taken your advice and have joined this thread as it is very important to support each other.
We may not be abstaining but we still need to stay in check with our drinking. I look forward to getting to know you guys!

I will keep checking in.