Less alcohol-December 2017-one day at a time

Options
1…911131415

Replies

  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
    Options
    Well done MaryBeth! I resisted alcohol last night when hubby gave me a "cook's slurp" whilst cooking up a risotto and then tried to open a bottle for the meal. It was very hard to say no (which tells me a lot about myself) but I managed it, had a really good night's sleep and feel fine today... I need to hang on to that good feeling..
  • bdbchick
    bdbchick Posts: 2,434 Member
    Options
    Went 4 days last week with no alcohol but did drink quite a bit this past weekend as I was out of town and with friends. I don't plan on drinking for awhile. I feel as it's stumping my weight loss more because when I drink I wanna eat anything I can get my hands on and that's no good.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,192 Member
    Options
    Just came back from evening with friends. Happy with myself-
    After five hours out, just had two cocktails. I really did want one more but didn't. Feel pretty good!
    I'm really grateful for this thread and everyone's candor.
  • jeffmp29
    jeffmp29 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    That would tempt the S out of me. Stay strong
  • MaryBethHempel
    MaryBethHempel Posts: 513 Member
    Options
    jeffmp29 wrote: »
    That would tempt the S out of me. Stay strong

    It would before, but now I am in a different mindset. The funny thing is that last night, when I told him I have not had any alcohol in one week....He said, "Now I am going to have to cut down because you are shaming it into me!" He was pretty intoxicated, so we will see how that goes. LOL!! Thank you for the support!! :)
  • MaryBethHempel
    MaryBethHempel Posts: 513 Member
    Options
    lporter229 wrote: »
    crazykatlady820 wrote: »
    I'm on day 64 of being sober and I am surprised at how little I think of alcohol. Today had been a rough day emotionally. This is the sort of day where I would turn to wine or bourbon and drink until I can't think anymore. Instead I'm feeling all the feelings and I'm okay with that.

    This is very inspiring! Thanks for sharing. I have not checked in since last Wednesday, but overall, I am pleased with how I have been doing this month. So far, I have had one night of overdoing it with a bottle of wine, but other than that, I have been able to keep things in check, even with holiday parties and other social events. We had a neighborhood party on Friday and I drank moderately, got up early Saturday morning and walked the dog before meeting my running group at 8AM for a 13 mile run, baked all day, washed all of the sheets on the guest beds, cleaned the house and decorated my tree. It was about 15 hours of non-stop productivity. Definitely could not have accomplished it all had I drank heavily the night before. This is the inspiration I have been using to remind myself why I need to stop before I reach the point of no return.

    My in-laws begin arriving on Thursday of this week. I usually don't drink too heavily around them because I like to keep myself in control. I am a bit worried about what could happen after they leave on December 26th though ;)

    I like what you said here. I have done one week of being sober and I will remember what you stated about when you had a rough day emotionally, to just feel all the feelings, instead of drinking...Thank you for that. I also agree with the fact that so much more get accomplished...Thank you both and best wishes for the holidays!!! :)
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,192 Member
    Options
    MaryBethHempel wrote: »
    No alcohol yesterday...which makes my first week without alcohol in about four years....a very big step for me!!
    I feel so so much better..I even look better...I am losing weight, working out, and learning guitar...I am very pleased at my new life.

    I am so happy for you. Seven days is a long time. I told my girlfriend who I like to go out with that I am thinking of quitting drinking. She replied, "oh please, not yet." She understands, but also she feels she will miss her fun drinking buddy. I can't wait to see what the new year brings for you and all of us on this thread. I have always wanted to learn guitar. Best wishes!!
  • MaryBethHempel
    MaryBethHempel Posts: 513 Member
    Options
    I found this interesting post and thought that I would share it. :
    LCD Group
    Bookmark
    How Alcohol Interrupts Fat Burning Metabolism
    KnitOrMissKnitOrMiss
    Posts: 9,578
    Member
    So, I've always wondered about the mechanics of how alcohol interrupts ketosis, other than pausing things to process the "poison" alcohol... I found this information in the middle of a recipe post, but I thought I'd share it here. I'm just wondering if there is other information out there to support it. I've always found this author to be a great resource, but I'm just wondering, because there's a whole lot of crazy going on here.

    Alcohol Facts

    When people go on a diet, they often choose the “light” version of their favorite alcoholic beverages in order to save a few calories. However, that is only a small piece of the puzzle. Fat metabolism is reduced by as much as 73% after only two alcoholic beverages. This scary fact shows that the primary effect of alcohol on the body is not so much how many calories we consume, but how it stops the body’s ability to use your fat stores for energy.

    Alcohol in the body is converted into a substance called acetate. Unlike a car that uses one supply of fuel, the body is able to draw from carbohydrates, fats and proteins for energy. When your blood acetate levels increase, your body uses acetate instead of fat. To make matters worse, the more you drink the more you tend to eat; and unfortunately, drinking will make your liver work to convert the alcohol into acetate, which means that the foods you consume at this time will be converted into extra fat on your body.

    If that didn’t sound bad enough; alcohol stimulates appetite and decrease your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours and increases estrogen by 300%. The infamous “beer belly” is really just an “estrogen belly.” Biochemically, the higher your level of estrogen is, the more readily you absorb alcohol, but the slower you break it down.

    Muscle Tip: Drinking alcohol is the most efficient way to slash your testosterone levels; women…we don’t want this to happen either. Just a single event of serious drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting stress hormone called cortisol and decreases the levels of testosterone for up to 24 hours. If you are working out to build strong fat-burning muscles yet consuming alcohol, this actually breaks down muscle further and you end up with a slower metabolism. This is because you break down muscle as you lift weights and you repair them as you rest if you have proper hormone levels…if not, you never repair your muscles properly!

    Also, we all know that alcohol dehydrates us. In order for fat to be metabolized, it must first be released from the fat cell and then be transported by the bloodstream where it is pushed to the liver to be used as fuel. If you are dehydrated, the liver has to come to the aid of the kidneys and can’t focus on its role of releasing fat.

    Alcohol also affects every organ of the body, it’s most dramatic impact is upon the liver. The liver cells normally prefer fatty acids as fuel, and package excess fatty acids as triglycerides, which they then route to other tissues of the body. However, when alcohol is present, the liver cells are forced to first metabolize the alcohol, letting the fatty acids accumulate in huge amounts. Alcohol metabolism permanently changes liver cell structure, which impairs the liver’s ability to metabolize fats, which causes fatty liver disease.


    I thought this was interesting...and probably explains why I gained 35 lbs. when I started drinking wine every day.
  • tlatant
    tlatant Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    I haven't read all posts, but I'M IN!!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,192 Member
    Options
    Besides all the organ damage and problems you spoke of above. I've found videos on YouTube about how alcohol changes your appearance. On one video, it shows how your face looks before and after a month of no drinking. Dramatic changes. I , too, have gained weight over the years and I know it's because of alcohol. I've done nothing else differently except drinking more and more each year. Thanks for sharing this information @MaryBethHempel

Categories