Drink less.

I, too, love my wine and used to drink everyday. But earlier this year I decided to really get serious about losing weight as I still had about 30 lbs of baby weight left (gained 60 total). I found I really just had to cut it out all together. The first week or two without it was really hard but after that I didn't even think about it anymore. After about 6 weeks of being sober, I started to allow myself drinks on one weekend day (usually Sat). Or if I had drinks earlier in the week with coworkers or something, then I would skip the weekend day.

But the key for me was to try to push off the drinking until after DS was asleep. Because if I started early in the day, then I'd just keep wanting to drink more. If I wait until he's asleep to get started (after 8-8:30) then I know I'll only be able to drink so much before I end up getting sleepy anyway.

Now since I'm close to my weight goal and its summer, I've eased back a little and will have drinks maybe twice a week (no more than 3). But if I do, I try to fit an extra workout in or be a little extra diligent in my diet for the next few days afterwards.

Also I love diet ginger ale. That's pretty much my go to soft drink. Perrier's good, too.

Seems like you like the ritual of drinking. Switch to non alcoholic beer. Cut your wine with la croix and make it a spritzer. Make mocktails. Drink these drinks with others.

OP you might also try pushing it by an hour at a time. So, when you feel the temptation at 6pm, tell yourself you'll wait until 7pm. Then, have it at 7pm or see if you can push until 8pm. Etc. I've found that if I can make it past the initial getting-home feeling, then I will get caught up in kid stuff, etc., for a while. Then, if I can make it through dinner, often it gets late enough that I just don't want it anymore.

FWIW I generally have successfully cut back on the weeknight "creep" that was getting me a year or two ago, and now confine my consumption to weekends, barring a special event (i.e., I'm out).

OP you might also try pushing it by an hour at a time. So, when you feel the temptation at 6pm, tell yourself you'll wait until 7pm. Then, have it at 7pm or see if you can push until 8pm. Etc. I've found that if I can make it past the initial getting-home feeling, then I will get caught up in kid stuff, etc., for a while. Then, if I can make it through dinner, often it gets late enough that I just don't want it anymore.

FWIW I generally have successfully cut back on the weeknight "creep" that was getting me a year or two ago, and now confine my consumption to weekends, barring a special event (i.e., I'm out).

My drinking was causing no problems in my life (I had two drinks most evenings but zero if I was out doing something) but I found it extremely difficult to quit when I first decided to for diet/health reasons about six years ago.

The only solution for me was to not have it in the house or available. For two weeks I was miserable. Bored and depressed and activities that I thought I enjoyed doing I realized I mostly liked doing as an excuse to drink.

Clearly I had more of a problem than I realized. After two weeks of just willing myself through it, the problems went away. For me, I had to learn with being present in the moment without alcohol to dull my thoughts or provide an escape.

Yes, get something else to drink at that time of day when you really want a glass of wine or beer.

Keep it to weekends. Sometimes I seem to convince myself that "weekends" run from Thursday-Sunday. Which, um, is 4 of the 7 days? So I have to be honest with myself and only do two days, whichever two those are.

I try to limit it mainly because of calories and sleep disruptions.

Wow. You all have drinking problems! Really. This is not normal. Get help if you can't stop.

Honestly with your family history I would be concerned that its this hard for you and would consider quitting entirely.

I realized I was having a beer or glass of wine every night more out of habit than b/c I really wanted it.

I mostly drink water, and realized that a good bit of the time I was just craving something different to drink. So I started keeping various seltzers in the house, which helped. I'm more mindful now when I go to grab something after work what exactly it is I want.

I still get a beer sometimes, but about halfway through realize I've had enough, so leave the rest in the fridge.

I'm down from a drink a night to one probably every other night, which is feeling good to me.

Anonymous wrote:Tips to reduce alcohol intake. Mind, body, spirit tips and tricks.

I drink a glass of beer or wine every night - , two a few times a week.
I very, very rarely have more than two (grew up with alcoholic parent so always keep it to two).
I want that drink every night at about 6pm. It is habit of mind and body I guess.

I decided “ok, only drink on weekends” but that was months ago. The plan works great until about 6pm when I have a drink.

I have done a no alcohol for two weeks now and again or for lent or something. But struggling here.

Please share tips.

I have been trying to go keto for a while but still love my wine.. So until I cut it out I can't really harvest any benefits from this diet. I am a 2 glass a night / 3 nights a week girl (if my husband joins me we'll go through 2 full bottles per week when my husband joins me, when I see three bottles I sort of freak out and go dry for a bit). I did well during the winter but am having a harder time now with the sun and nice weather...

Sparkling water - I love Grapefruit perrier and plain sparkling mineral water with lemon / lime.
Kombucha - not as many calories as alcohol, but really satisfies the same craving i get - it might be the sugar? I highly recommend trying this if you haven't yet. In the winter I cut wine entirely for 3 months with this and felt great.
I also think at the end of the day that I'm just thirsty, so I try to drink 2-3 glasses of water between when I leave work / pick up kids / get home. Maybe take some vitamins. I do find this helps.
I have noticed that I definitely relax in a different way with that first glass of wine, so I'm trying to find other ways to relax / mindfullness exercises and meditation, etc.

Good luck, looking forward to picking up some new tips from others!

Anonymous wrote:Tips to reduce alcohol intake. Mind, body, spirit tips and tricks.

I drink a glass of beer or wine every night - , two a few times a week.
I very, very rarely have more than two (grew up with alcoholic parent so always keep it to two).
I want that drink every night at about 6pm. It is habit of mind and body I guess.

I decided “ok, only drink on weekends” but that was months ago. The plan works great until about 6pm when I have a drink.

I have done a no alcohol for two weeks now and again or for lent or something. But struggling here.

Please share tips.

The best way to get rid of a habit is to replace it with another behavior. If you don't switch it for something else, then you have a void.

the other thing with a habit is that there is a cue. What is the cue? You need to transfer that cue to be a cue for that other something. So if your cue is being in your living room and looking up at a particular clock and seeing it on 6pm, and that visual is your cue, turn that cue into "clock says 6pm; time for my latte," or something.

Finally, I have discovered with all food/drink related things, it's easier to stop than to do something like, only have one drink, or only drink two on the weekends. Think of your body as a habit-machine and it understands day/night, but not weekends/weekdays. So every day, have that same routine.

Oh one more thing--expect it to be a bit of a struggle until your body adapts. If you are ready for that, then you won't be surprised and frustrated by that.

I'm right there with you, OP! I am now trying to save it for the weekends but I easily start Thurdsay. I choose spiked seltzer or red wine usually. In the past, I would GAIN weight over the summer from drinking almost every night and making poor alcohol choices (margaritas, etc).

You need to replace it with something else. A good piece of chocolate, scoop of ice cream, a run, yoga, video game, etc. Also don't plan for "the whole week". If I try to restrict it almost feels like my subconscious attacks me for it lol. So one day at a time. Swap one day, indulge the next (only 1). Swap as much as you can.

Tips to reduce alcohol intake. Mind, body, spirit tips and tricks.

I drink a glass of beer or wine every night - , two a few times a week.
I very, very rarely have more than two (grew up with alcoholic parent so always keep it to two).
I want that drink every night at about 6pm. It is habit of mind and body I guess.

I decided “ok, only drink on weekends” but that was months ago. The plan works great until about 6pm when I have a drink.

I have done a no alcohol for two weeks now and again or for lent or something. But struggling here.

Please share tips.