Less alcohol- January 2018- one day at a time
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I hope I'm not too late to join the challenge. I am all in! I have decided to stop drinking during the weekday and only lightly on the weekends. I have a very demanding job and was in the habit of having one of the two glasses of night. I am now coming home and going to the gym. I do feel better. I miss having a glass of wine with dinner.
One day at a time!11 -
Poston1966 wrote: »I hope I'm not too late to join the challenge. I am all in! I have decided to stop drinking during the weekday and only lightly on the weekends. I have a very demanding job and was in the habit of having one of the two glasses of night. I am now coming home and going to the gym. I do feel better. I miss having a glass of wine with dinner.
One day at a time!
Welcome! You'll get a lot of support here
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springsweet wrote: »Oh! And I wanted to ask... has anyone here experienced any difficulty sleeping in the first few days after you quit drinking? It took me forever to fall asleep last night!
Hopefully that will pass after a few days. I'm usually a good sleeper and I need my good sleep!
Yes, I have. I understand it's a common symptom.
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kcn2bluesky wrote: »faithfulheart888 wrote: »Hi, I hope you don't mind me joining you! First day of getting back on the wagon with healthy eating after the Christmas indulgence and I've only managed 2 alcohol free days so far. I struggle as my hubby drinks a couple a beers and some wine every night and I tend to join in, I find it hard to say no...especially after dealing with an very demanding (and recently diagnosed autistic) 4 year old all day, along with anxiety and other stresses...I find it helps me to unwind...but then end up feeling rubbish the next day. So I'm joining you all here. I hope I won't be judged too harshly! I rarely drink to get drunk, just to 'take the edge off' but it has massively impacted on my weight, skin, and body confidence to boot so I just want to try and cut down. Maybe even just stop for 2 or 3 nights a week would be a good improvement!
Welcome! And just to put your mind at ease...this thread has been devoid of anyone judging others! Only genuine compassion and support!
No judgment at all. We are all on our own journey. Wishing you strength - you are going through very challenging times. We're here for you.3 -
springsweet wrote: »Has anybody checked out Annie Grace's youtube channel? I can't stop watching/listening to her videos while I work today.
I highly recommend! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KpBxerD_BIksjUfUT4hVw
I really like Annie Graces channel. It's like she's talk to me as a friend. I like her personality and kindness.3 -
I only just found this thread, but I think I could really use the support. I had stopped drinking regularly for over a year when one week, last November, I slid hard back into my old habits and not just previous years' habits, but more like college days habits (think 4-6 beers a night, or a bottle of wine). Now it is really starting to wear me out as well as seriously disrupting my weight-loss progress (down 125 lbs). I went both Saturday and Sunday w/o a drink, but had a beer last night when I got home from work. I guess the good news is that I only had one, rather than 3-4.
Does anyone have any tips on how to limit to once or twice a week without backsliding all the way?
I am not good at moderating, so I can't give you any tips. But I"m sure someone on this thread can. We are all at different places- some doing Damp January, some sober for months, some trying Dry January and maybe February...
Think back to what worked for you when you took a year off. Also, read some blogs by Annie Grace or others. Also, I find if I write my goals down on paper they stick better than if I just think about them in my head. Recently, I found some enlightening articles on Psychologytoday website. Good luck:)2 -
On day 23 of not drinking and doing good.12
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »I only just found this thread, but I think I could really use the support. I had stopped drinking regularly for over a year when one week, last November, I slid hard back into my old habits and not just previous years' habits, but more like college days habits (think 4-6 beers a night, or a bottle of wine). Now it is really starting to wear me out as well as seriously disrupting my weight-loss progress (down 125 lbs). I went both Saturday and Sunday w/o a drink, but had a beer last night when I got home from work. I guess the good news is that I only had one, rather than 3-4.
Does anyone have any tips on how to limit to once or twice a week without backsliding all the way?
I am not good at moderating, so I can't give you any tips. But I"m sure someone on this thread can. We are all at different places- some doing Damp January, some sober for months, some trying Dry January and maybe February...
Think back to what worked for you when you took a year off. Also, read some blogs by Annie Grace or others. Also, I find if I write my goals down on
paper they stick better than if I just think about them in my head. Recently, I found some enlightening articles on Psychologytoday website. Good luck:)
Thanks Julie, thay helps to keep it ask in perspective. Thanku for starting this awesome chellenge thread.3 -
pawprintsigns63 wrote: »Too late to join this group? I just found this today. I have been reading some of the post. I actually downloaded a free trial for Audiable, and have "The Naked Mind" ready to play while on the treadmill. I don't need to loose much weight, but I sure need to quit drinking everynight, and start working out!
Not too late.. i think we are going to have a February dry season..
Dry or moderate, don’t leave out those of us that aren’t in need of completely quitting.
And welcome to all the people just finding us! We have a great group here as you have probably seen. More people providing inspiration can only help.7 -
Day 23 in the pocket9
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springsweet wrote: »Oh! And I wanted to ask... has anyone here experienced any difficulty sleeping in the first few days after you quit drinking? It took me forever to fall asleep last night! Hopefully that will pass after a few days. I'm usually a good sleeper and I need my good sleep!
Yes...i think its a mild withdrawl for me.
Booze helps my brain shut down a bit so i can sleep. It can be hard to slow my thoughts down on nights I dont drink good luck! Just trying to find new evening rituals like tea, reading, etc... 5 -
Joined a 24 hour gym so I don't feel tempted to drink in the evenings4
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pawprintsigns63 wrote: »Too late to join this group? I just found this today. I have been reading some of the post. I actually downloaded a free trial for Audiable, and have "The Naked Mind" ready to play while on the treadmill. I don't need to loose much weight, but I sure need to quit drinking everynight, and start working out!
Not too late.. i think we are going to have a February dry season..
Dry or moderate, don’t leave out those of us that aren’t in need of completely quitting.
And welcome to all the people just finding us! We have a great group here as you have probably seen. More people providing inspiration can only help.
Yeh, sorry. Im only a passenger on here too.
Im going to try staying off it until ive got to my goal weight. Then try to keep drink in moderation. It's really hard living with heavy drinkers. Everything they do they have to drink. With or with out a reason.
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Thank you for this thread. It has been most inspiring to read every morning. Along with the book, "Drinking: A love Story" which I saw on here already, I highly recommend, "Drink: The intimate relationship between women and alcohol", by Ann Dowsett Johnston. The way alcohol has become marketed to women is truly eye opening to read about. Whole sections in the liquor store of wines called, "Mommy's Time Out, Mad Housewife, Skinny B*tch" and on and on. Ann intertwines her own struggles with alcohol along with research. It is a compelling read. This thread has helped me cut back on alcohol more than anything else I have tried. I am very grateful for it.11
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1/21: No alcohol
1/22: No alcohol
1/23:
1/24
1/25
1/26
1/27
1/28
1/29
1/30
1/316 -
To everyone who drink before bedtime to "calm your mind down", check out this awesome video explaining what alcohol actually does to the brain when you drink before you sleep: https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/pages/day_25
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Goal — January under 7 drinks a week- for my health.....my mind.....my body....Freedom from alcohol ruling my life!
1/1 =alcohol free
1/2 = 4 wine spritzers
1/3 =alcohol free
1/4 =alcohol free
1/5 =alcohol free while my husband must of drank almost 2 bottles of wine....I wasn't tempted, which was great!
1/6 =alcohol free while my husband must of drank almost 2 bottles of wine
1/7 =alcohol free while my husband must of drank almost 2 bottles of wine-I copy and paste! Rerun! I feel that now I don't even want one drink as it is never enough...I always want more! I will see how long I can be FREE from alcohol. Losing weight and feeling great!
1/8 =DITTO...I slept better last night--had an Atkins bar around 8...maybe that was it...I also had to go to my guest room again for my husbands snoring started again!
1/9 =DITTO and lost another pound---Wow! 7 days alcohol FREE!! This is the longest I have gone for years!
1/10 =8 days freedom
1/11 =9 days freedom- looking forward to reading my new books...This Naked Mind and Blackout-Remembering The Things I Drank to Forget...
1/12 =10 days clean! My hubby only drank during the day, not last night. He didn't snore last night, so I didn't have to go to our guest room to sleep. Read the first 2 1/2 chapters of This Naked Mind and finding it interesting.
1/13 =11 Days freedom! It is actually getting easier at this point...I just ordered some liver detox....
1/14 =12 Days freedom! It really helps to have all you on MFP for support! Thank you all!!
1/15 =13 days---Wow! I am finally sleeping in my own bed now because my husband cuts off his drinking at night and he doesn't snore so loud to make me go into our guest room! LOL! He didn't like me going into the guest room, so he cut down...
1/16 =14 days freedom! 2 weeks!! YAY! I have to note how yesterday was a bit interesting when my hubby just bottle a bunch of wine and said to me, "Taste this, it is better than the usual Concord that we make". I told him immediately that I was just drinking green tea and it wouldn't taste good. I was so glad that I was drinking tea, as I would have been tempted to taste it. I feel that if it happens again that I am prepared now and will decline. I am going to tell him today not even to ask me to taste.
1/17 =15th day freedom! Had another great morning of working out...ready to play some music!
1/18 =16th day freedom! I am going for a month!! I joined the "Alcohol Experiment" Super informational...I have been just reading and listening..this weekend I am going to start writing in the journal. I recommend this to you all, if just to read and listen to all the interesting information.
1/19 =17th day- my husband drank through the day until bedtime and I had to go to the guest room to sleep because he snored again. A definite pattern of loud snoring when he drinks wine at night. I caught up in the "Alcohol Experiment" yesterday and started writing in it. It really is helping me in so many ways. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be able to go through it, and I highly recommend it. There is no pressure about your alcohol intake.
1/20 =18th day of freedom from alcohol addiction. My mind and body are really loving it. Yesterday was my first social event to go to. I had no problem in saying that I wasn't having any wine, when asked twice. I said I was on a cleanse and I have to stay away from the sugar. My doctor did say that I have to stay away from sugar last year, as I have a hereditary condition called GSID-Genetic Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency. I have been following the diet fine, except for the alcohol, until now. I have even another reason to stay away from it.
1/21 =19th freedom day
1/22 =20th day...a tempting day in that I just don't feel up to doing much. Previously, this is when I drank. I am hanging in there.
1/23 =21st day...did intermittent fasting and just love it! Started a Thread on Challenges!
1/24 =
1/25 =
1/26 =
1/27 =
1/28 =
1/29 =
1/30 =
1/315 -
I started a thread on Challenges for intermittent fasting if anyone is interested here. I thought it helps me feel even more in control. I feel the subject is very interesting and yesterday I felt more energetic and focused while doing it.5
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Joined a 24 hour gym so I don't feel tempted to drink in the eveningsjenifer7teen wrote: »springsweet wrote: »Booze helps my brain shut down a bit so i can sleep. It can be hard to slow my thoughts down on nights I dont drink
@springsweet I can enthusiastically recommend an app called Insight Timer for problems getting to sleep or staying asleep. You can find it here for iPhone or here for Android. There are "meditations" for getting to sleep, which are basically someone just talking and helping you relax and drift off. If you look under "Popular" the very first one is "Yoga Nidra for Sleep," so you're not alone in having sleep problems, LOL.
Day 24 begins. For those of you who've been at this since Jan. 1 do you realize we're one week away from finishing up a successful Dry January? That is something to be proud of!5 -
pawprintsigns63 wrote: »Too late to join this group? I just found this today. I have been reading some of the post. I actually downloaded a free trial for Audiable, and have "The Naked Mind" ready to play while on the treadmill. I don't need to loose much weight, but I sure need to quit drinking everynight, and start working out!
Not too late.. i think we are going to have a February dry season..
Dry or moderate, don’t leave out those of us that aren’t in need of completely quitting.
And welcome to all the people just finding us! We have a great group here as you have probably seen. More people providing inspiration can only help.
I'm a moderator as well. I don't have any intentions or desires to quit. I'm just along for the current challenge.
That being said, I don't think I consume nearly as much as what others might based on the information shared. I get stuffed ... as in... I can't squeeze any more in me... after 2 beers. Just no more room.4 -
1/1-NADA
1/2-NADA
1/3-NADA
1/4-NADA
1/5-12 oz wine
1/6-5 oz wine
1/7-12 oz wine
1/8 NADA
1/9 3 oz wine
1/10 12 oz wine
1/11-NADA
1/12-15 oz wine and 2oz whiskey( more than planned)
1/13-16 oz wine
1/14-NADA
1/15-NADA
1/16-NADA
1/17-NADA
1/18-NADA
1/19- 8 oz wine
1/20-NADA
1/21-20 oz wine
1/22-NADA
1/23-NADA
Last night was another dry night. I actually planned to have a glass of wine with dinner and was thinking about it during my evening run. But when I got home, I decided that some tea actually sounded more appealing. This is the kind of progress I was hoping for, being able to make decisions about having a glass of wine or not and not just automatically downing half a bottle or more without giving it a thought. I am leaving tonight open for one glass of wine. I might have it and I might not.
I continue to be inspired and in awe of all of the awesome progress of everyone on this thread, particularly those who have made the choice to abstain and are keeping with it. I does make me conscious of just how much I drink and makes me want to cut back even more. That said, I have added up the amount of wine I have consumed so far this month and it comes out to right around 4 bottles of wine. That may be a lot, but I had been drinking about that much in a week, so I am still feeling pretty good about where I am at right now. I am taking steps in the right direction instead of the other way around.10 -
The Day 2 video on Alcohol Experiment about sleep was so encouraging. After my week of relapse between the 15th and 21st, I started over, and on the first night, I literally did not sleep one minute. I powered through a light workout but felt so discouraged. Last night was better but still difficult. Today I woke up to Day 2 on AE, and sure enough it was about sleep. Yay! The promise is that in a few weeks I won't believe how rested I feel. That will help me hang on until then. I guess my brain was really relying on the nightly alcohol to get me to sleep. And yes, I was waking up around 3 every night.
This is such an adventure. @MaryBethHempel I will check out the fasting thread. I'm interested in that. Not sure how that would fit during the first 30 days of abstaining.
Have a great day, everyone. It's nice to see people continuing to join.7 -
Can’t believe the month is already almost over! I am so proud of everyon on this challenge group. I get motivated by everyone and I’ve been inspired. This is the longest dry period I’ve had since my daughter was born 5 years ago! I have found out so much about myself and why I drink and feel like I have a healthier perspective and tools to move into February. I do plan to drink again but much much more moderately.10
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This thread just popped up on my account and I'm sorry I've missed out on the last 24 days! I turn 40 this year and am trying for pregnancy and will be opening my own medical practice and am carrying about 30 extra pounds. As has been said by others earlier, my food choices and consumption couldn't be any better, but the amount of calories from alcohol is astounding. (On days I don't drink, MFP won't count my log because it's too low). My husband and I are working on changing our weekday habit of come home from work, open a bottle of wine or pour a cocktail, visit, cook, and finish wine with supper, and then have a nightcap. This month we've been trying to substitute that first hour home with working out &/or decluttering, my bathtime wine has been substituted with hibiscus tea, and night cap for sleepytime tea (and a melatonin, which helps with some of the sleep problems mentioned above). A bottle of wine will now last us a few days rather than hours.
What I'm really anticipating is Lent, when I would like to cut out entirely, but every year (for 12 years so far) my husband declares that "one is actually healthy" and before the end of the second week, Lent might as well be any other time. So I'm hoping to join in for a cutting back January and Dry Lent.15 -
@TnVeggie I can so relate to what you're saying about calories in alcohol. That's been one of the joys of quitting for these past 24 days - I can actually eat enough because I'm not trying to squeeze wine into those limited calories. We'll see what happens Feb. 1. I probably will go back to drinking wine, but am right now vaguely planning to hold it to weekends.5
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Ugh mole removal surgery went bad- sutures infected and I can’t walk let alone run or work out. Feel like a lump on a log. But hey at least I’m not drinking!!14
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SanDiegofitmom wrote: »Ugh mole removal surgery went bad- sutures infected and I can’t walk let alone run or work out. Feel like a lump on a log. But hey at least I’m not drinking!!
Hey hope you are feeling better is it painful?3 -
So yeah I haven’t done great so far. But I’ve been off for a week and working on house projects. No excuse but still. Back to work tomorrow and that always curbs it for me. Positive- I have made sure I’m tracking what I’m drinking these past 7 days and it’s a huge eye opener. I’m not perfect but getting better than I was
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Day 24 - we are almost there buddies!10
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