Thanks Yogagirl - my units are a bit up and down...but I am pretty happy with my recently completed week 6!
Week 6 = 29 Units and 2 AF.

So how was week 6.
Cravings down considerably ...although there were a few days when I probably could have abstained, but chose to have a wine. Hence, not my highest number of AF days...but the amount per drinking session is down slightly each day.

When I started TSM I was drinking 1 bottle of wine every night and up to 2 bottles on a Friday and Saturday. I know everyone is counting their units differently.... I am counting a 750ml bottle of wine as 7.5 units : therefore with an average of 8 bottles of wine per week, I count my pre tsm avg units as 60 units per week (8 x 7.5)

SO....29 units this week and 2 AF is a great result. I even had one session when I had one 200ml glass of wine (2 units) and STOPPED !!!!!

Still having some side effects - Feel sluggish and a bit morose on the days after a NAL...but it's all worth the long term result. I am generally a low carb eater....and I have found that since I started NAL, I have been eating more bad food. I wonder if anyone else has found this? I hope I am not going to swap one vice for another.....I could end up as big as a house!

Anyway - Hope everyone is enjoying their high points along this long journey.

Best to all.

Kiwi x

I haven't been eating more "bad" food, just more food in general. Look at it this way, you are drinking 4 bottles of wine less per week than your body is used to. That is around 2000 calories less than normal, or like going one full day without eating per week.

I noticed that I was eating more around week 6-7 also. The good news is that I am actually loosing weight while eating more. In addition to lowering your caloric intake, lowering your alcoholic intake alters your body's chemistry and function. Your body will stop having to repair all the alcohol damage and become more efficient at all the rest of its duties.

Yeah alcohol weight is the worst. you get that bloated look where it's obvious you're a drunk. and my gut screams I'm drink tons of beer daily. please cure me TSM

I notice that when I drink less wine, I eat more sweets. Normally, I don't like sweets at all, but I think that is because I get so much sugar from wine. I discovered a major chocolate habit both times I was pregnant and not drinking for 9 months!

It makes sense to crave sweets more when reducing alcohol intake, because alcohol stimulates the liver to convert stored sugar (glycogen) into glucose (blood sugar) that gives you that "sugar high" (in addition to the regular high ) When your body is deprived of the sugar it's used to via alcohol, it just switches to another type - candy bars, say. That's been one of my problems; I've been craving chocolate much more than usual as my alcohol consumption drops. Maybe it'll come down to a choice between being a drunk or a large person.

Thanks everyone. Joe12 u crack me up. U don't mince yr words...very refreshing! (much like a beer on a hot day ).
Yoga, Lepomis and weird-oh - don't know why I didn't think of the sugar withdrawal thru alc reduction. Duh. That'll b why I'm hvg headaches too. I hope I'm like u lepomis and start to lose weight.... The carb intake is scaring me.

Thanks for everyones support and answers.

Kiwi.

Week seven 31.5 units and 3AF.
just had some really bad news about my dads health... (f$&k) I am praying for him... And hope I don't slip backwards. 2 days into week 8... Both AF so far. But I'm feeling a binge coming on, to try and cloud how I'm feeling. Anyone got any coping mechanisms I could try?

I'm an emotional drinker ... The only problem is.... It doesn't matter what emotion. happy, sad, angry, ecstatic. Lol.

I will say a prayer for all of us dealing with family with life threatening diseases.

Have a great tsm week everyone.

Kiwi.

Dear KC, I am praying for your Dad. It does make staying sober tough. I too am an emotional drinker, much like you. I've also found that on nal after only 3 glasses of wine I get a headache the entire next day. Also tha carb thing is really scaring the s--- out of me. I DON'T want to get FAT! I already could lose a good 15lbs. Am watching the scale so much I think I may be inviting case of the OCD'S.!! Before I would binge drink a bottle before I'd get the carb curse, now it rears It's ugly head after only the 3. HELP!!

Thanks for your support Jane. My dad is a trooper...so I am sure he will beat it.

Wow, sounds like we are having a similar tsm journey. The Carb thing is scaring the hell out of me too. I have put on 2kg (i think that's rougly 4.5lb) since starting TSM...and I could have lost around 15lb before I started too ! While my main motivation to stop drinking was for health...and so I can be a better mum....I was also keen to reduce the calorie intake....but MAN....I am sure I have replaced the 4 bottles of wine I have dropped....with 5 muffins, 4 pies and 15 chocolate bars per week. ARGHHHHH ! I have been "low carb" for almost 6 years now...and have had almost complete control over my weight. I know I don't want to drink...but man, I don't want to put on weight either. Wonder what the "cured" have found long term with their weight?

I might start another thread on this topic...and see if anyone has any ideas/suggestions.

All the best Jane.

Kiwichick.

PS: Day 4 of week 8 and I am 4 from 4!!!! (4 AF) Wahoo. Mind you....I didn't have any nal with me at work today (Grrr)...and I didn't finish work till 6:00pm...so by the time I got home, I felt it was too late to take a nal and wait another hour. I feel a big Friday coming on though.

Hi Kiwichick

Try not to sweat too much over the chocolate frenzy - I've found myself eating a lot more sweet things as my consumption of alcohol drops. However, it is easy to forget just how many calories are in alcohol, and also that for many people the 'beer munchies' mean they eat more when drinking. I've had a recurrence of an old injury which has meant I haven't been able to do any significant amount of exercise for a long time, but I'm still dropping weight despite eating lots more chocolate.

For example there about 500 calories in a bottle of wine - about twice what there is in a chocolate bar

My own thinking is that I'll cut back on the alcohol first and when I've that issue sorted, I can tackle the much easier one of substituting healthy food (or nothing) for the unhealthy food. Till then swapping chocolate bars for alcohol is definitely progress!