Hi HFA, the presence or absence of AV is neither good nor bad.
Congratulations on your Big Plan!
But, the BP has shook the Beast to its core, never say never says the Beast and you've violated ITs cardinal rule, by imposing your own, to counter it's perverse logic.
So, the Beast has a common ploy in the early days, which you must be watchful for as you practice AVRT. After the BP, the AV may quieten, if not disappear altogether. Next, as you feel the benefits of abstinence, physically and mentally........the AV may start up again. "You've done so well, haven't had a drink in X days/weeks (the Beast counts days) you probably weren't an alcoholic, just drank a bit too much, you can probably have a couple of glasses of wine with a meal, or a couple of beers watching the game or after playing a sport, or to unwind, you've had a stressful day, but you've been so good. You stopped a few weeks ago, completely, so you can have a few drinks this weekend and stop again on Monday" on and on, says the Beast through the AV.
The AV is also images, so after a strenuous day gardening for instance, on a hot day, it will send images of a cold glass of beer and you sitting and relaxing with your feet up, drinking.
In my own perverse way, in the early days, as the AV congratulated me on abstinence and suggested a drink to 'celebrate' my abstinence, I'd almost welcome the AV as an opportunity to practice AVRT and thereby:
1. Recognise the thought, feeling or imagery as AV (not me with the BP) and,
2. Dismiss the AV