One thing that makes me realize that Nal is working is the amount of time it takes me to drink a beer or glass of wine, etc. Pre-tsm I was cognizant or aware of how long it usually took me to get through a case of beer or bottle of wine, etc. so I can compare my pace of drinking pre-TSM and on NAL.

For a single, small beer, it used to take me 30 to 40 minutes at most to drink at a relaxed pace. At a bar or in a social/party-type environment, I could do it in less time. I would speed up at times on a wild night out. On NAL, however, it often takes me an hour to drink a single, small beer!

I used to be able to get through a bottle of wine in around 2 hours. Last night it took me 4 1/2 hours and I didn't even manage to finish the last bit of the bottle!

Has anyone else notice that their pace of drinking has slowed down a lot?

The other thing I have noticed is the "pour and stare" or "pour and sit" phenomenon, by which I mean you pour that first drink and it just sits there in front of you waiting for you to drink it. At times I have waited 10 minutes or much longer before even taking the first sip. And the first drink often takes the longest to go down. To explain the context, this usually occurs when I am drinking by myself and doing something like surfing the internet, rather than going to a bar with friends. However, it could also occur when drinking a glass of wine with dinner, etc.

Has anyone experienced that phenomenon?

I think that slow drinking is a sure sign that NAL is doing its job.

I've definitely noticed my drinking pace is much slower now. On par with my "normal" friends but I will also get a drink because I think I want/need one and then once I get it I'm not really as interested in it as I thought. This has been the strangest part because in the past I never ordered a drink without drinking it. Wasting alcohol was never something I was guilty of in the past but I do it all the time now. I could never understand how my wife (STBE) could order a wine in a restaurant and then not drink it. Something must be happening.

I'm experiencing what others of you on this topic have described. I'm on week 16 (or 17? Have to check my chart) and last night, it took me about 3+ hours to finish less than two glasses of white wine. Tonight, out for dinner, I drank one cocktail and ordered a wine with dinner only because I had some time to kill. Didn't drink more than 1/3 of it, felt no desire, and left it. I just felt like I didn't want the stuff! Now I'm home, clear-headed, and glad to know that tomorrow morning I won't feel regret or hungover. What some have posted about the "subtle" effects of Nal seems to be working now. I've agonized, counted AF days, felt hope and discouragement, but I've stuck with TSM. I NEVER drink without having taken my Nal at least one hour before an anticipated drink.

I am so grateful for these signs of hope and for the posts I've been reading these past few months. I hope that others here will keep at it, as will I. I'm not going to let myself declare me "cured," but I really feel more hopeful that this alcohol nightmare of several years is a part of my life I can start to put behind me.

Happy Thanksgiving! Keep going forward, even after setbacks!
Slipstreamer

Pre nal I would always be the first to finish my drink or if not I would be consiously trying to slow down to match everyone elses pace. At a party last weekend everytime our glasses were refilled I had at least a third of a glass still to drink. I could slug a pint of beer in next to no time but now I drink glasses of beer as a pint looks so flippen big and daunting.

Yes, that 'pour and sit' is great! The other night after dinner and a movie when I was clearing up I noticed I had a glass of wine I'd poured and it was still sitting there. I think I'd had one or two sips but then got interested in the movie and forgot about it.

The next step I think is not to pour at all because it just is not appealing, or you 'forget' - that's then you know things are really changing.

But it is up and down so no one should get discouraged if these feelings are not constant!!

I have noticed that as well. Funny thing happened to me on Thanksgiving day. My mother actually said to me half way through the night, "looks like you are pretending to drink" as I had a glass of wine in my hand for over an hour and it wasn't empty, I am normally filling it up as fast as I can.

After she said that I knew something was different (she doesn't know I am on the sinclair method). 1 month in so far.