anchorbird

Not completely sure why, maybe its because when I did drink it would be when I was preparing dinner, straightening up the house after work (crazy time of day in our house), etc. but once I eat and settle in for the night I have no desire to drink, poof, its gone.

Am I the only one?

360shoes

Nope.
Hi Anchorbird,
I found that if I put off having a drink till after 7 I was over the hump. That sure helped at first when I noticed that. Just taught me that if you hang in there long enough, the craving or thought passes. Just me anyway.

It has been a handy tip now. I'm in about 9 months and not often but every now and then a thought pops in to drink. Like a bad old habit. I just don't act on it and then try to continue on with whatever else I was doing. And low and behold, it passes.

I play the whole story out. Bad ending.
I switch into remembering why I quit in the first place and just how awful it really was along with how it is better.
And I tell myself there are lots of alternatives to handling the feelings that probably triggered in the first place other than drinking.

I know from my own experience, it passes!

Good for you!

Croissant

Yes, when I had food in my stomach it killed the desire to drink for the most part. In early sobriety, I madly planned my evening meal ahead so I could have it the minute I got home.

My drinking habit was to always load up a glass, get half cut before I'd even gotten dinner and then usually eat something fatty or snacky so it didn't take up valuable alcohol space in my tummy or bloat me.

Sexy, huh.

FourSeasons

Hi Anchorbird -

It is could that you are recognizing and are becoming more self-aware of possible triggers. Whenever I get triggered I practice H.A.L.T. and ask myself if I am feeling:

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

Any of these feelings can be a trigger for me and now I recognize that in my thought process.

Congratulations to you on your one month+ sobriety!!

zeppodog

Start of day 6, My wife and I noticed along time ago if you went out to eat and went to a restaurant, not a bar with food, that we wouldn't drink at all or have only one as it was always one or the other, same at home, if you walked in and started cooking because you had a good dinner planned we wouldn't drink. I like HALT, makes sense

Clemence

Me too Anchorbird, though when I did start drinking before dinner I would carry on after. If I can get through that meal preparation/end of the day domestic chore scene without wine then I'm safe. It's all about breaking habits for me and every time I stay sober on an occasion that would previously involve drinking, I feel stronger.

KateL

When I was trying moderation, I found that forcing food down after a couple actually created a cut-off point, so I would stop drinking. Very weird. There must be some connection with cravings for alcohol and food, I guess. Or perhaps you just feel more relaxed after the chores are done and you begin to wind down for the evening.

dreamr

I'm actually the opposite, I could make myself last all day as long as I knew I could drink sometime before I went to bed. Sometimes that's how I got myself to drink less, I would keep telling myself "later" until it was too late, or only enough time to have a little (or it backfired and I just stayed up later and made the next day worse). I got the munchies too when I drank, which is how I got fat. I'm backwards.

Clarajune

I didn't drink after dinner either. My time was between 4-6. I found the "buzz" came faster on an empty stomach and if I drank after dinner, I would have a bad case of GERDs. So, I developed no desire to drink in the evening.

zeppodog

Yes I always wanted to drink on an empty stomach. I'll have to be careful not to start packing on the weight since if I'm not drinking I know I'll eat more. Well that's a lot healthier for me.

BeerTooth

I did the exact same thing. I actually planned my drinking around dinner so I could stop and be able to go to work the next day.

In more recent years, I was able to power right through dinner and keep going. I also find that sometimes I think I'm having a craving but it turns out I'm just thirsty and haven't drank enough water.

SnowDawg

I planned my food around my drinking. Food always came last and oftentimes not at all. If I ate, buzz kill. Another joy of sobriety. Eating!

LadyBlue0527

From Sunday through Thursday (as long as I didn't plan a get together just so I could drink) I never gave it a second thought. It was a non issue. Don't think though that I wasn't already thinking about Friday coming!

advbike

Blood sugar drops in late afternoon and alcohol is a quick way to get it back up, so it is a learned behavior which many of us adopted. Simply eating something helps to reduce cravings so much. I never had bad cravings or withdrawal symptoms because I managed my meals pretty well even when drinking regularly.

firstymer

This was my M.O. as well. An empty stomach made for a quicker and stronger buzz.

Leana

That is exactly what happen to me. I don't know if it was because I was full or if the "moment" passed but I made a point to eat as soon as I got home from work for the first couple of months.

GracieLou

Mine too! Now its no big deal. I eat when I am hungry. Which is actually less then I used to eat. 38 pounds gone, baby!

But really. I have no set time of day for anything anymore other than work and meetings. I just do what I do when I do it..lol