Less alcohol- January 2018- one day at a time

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  • springsweet
    springsweet Posts: 184 Member
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    crazykatlady820 wrote: »

    Wow! Great job!! Did you do anything besides cut out the alcohol? You look so much healthier and happier![/quote]

    Absolutely! I'm also eating at a sustainable calorie deficit and weighing/logging all my food. Now that I don't binge on alcohol I also don't binge on food. And without being hungover and exhausted every day I have tons of energy that I use to go on walks.
    [/quote]

    Very inspirational, thanks! I am on day 9 of being AF and I've already dropped 6 pounds. Unbelievable, honestly. I know it's probably "water weight" or whatever, but I've had so much trouble losing ANY amount of weight these past couple of years. I finally realized it was probably my daily wine habit, so I figured I'd stop and see (of course, this is the 5th or 6th try and finally it stuck). But I really can't believe it.
    The only changes I've made in addition to cutting out all alcohol is I'm working out more and I'm tracking what I eat (during the week most days)... I've been so fed up with stressing about various diets that didn't work, I decided to focus all my energy on Just Not Drinking... I even ate a donut and a cinnamon bun in those 9 days. BUT... you're totally right, hangover eating is terrible and I've done none of that. :)
    Anyway, I figure my weight loss will slow down some now, so I should probably focus more on eating less calories and actively try to lost more weight. And continue to not drink! :smiley:
  • Skyweigh
    Skyweigh Posts: 113 Member
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    crazykatlady820 wrote: »
    I had a dream the other night that I forgot I was living sober now and I drank alcohol. Once I started drinking I realized I had just ruined my sobriety and I was so upset at myself for forgetting and drinking. I woke up in a panic until I realized I dreamed the whole thing.

    I quit smoking over a decade ago and I still have weekly dreams where I forget and smoke a cigarette. I really hope the drinking dreams don't occur as often as the smoking ones.

    I have had similar experiences since quitting smoking for good in 1990 -- still have dreams, but not very often. In daily life, though, I have zero desire for cigarettes. With being AF only this January, it is too soon to tell.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,818 Member
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    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10638088/less-alcohol-february-2018-one-day-at-a-time/p1?new=1

    Our new thread has been created for February. Looking forward to more self-discovery and new goals for the new month.

    Thanks @JulieAL1969 !
  • crazykatlady820
    crazykatlady820 Posts: 301 Member
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    Skyweigh wrote: »
    crazykatlady820 wrote: »
    I had a dream the other night that I forgot I was living sober now and I drank alcohol. Once I started drinking I realized I had just ruined my sobriety and I was so upset at myself for forgetting and drinking. I woke up in a panic until I realized I dreamed the whole thing.

    I quit smoking over a decade ago and I still have weekly dreams where I forget and smoke a cigarette. I really hope the drinking dreams don't occur as often as the smoking ones.

    I have had similar experiences since quitting smoking for good in 1990 -- still have dreams, but not very often. In daily life, though, I have zero desire for cigarettes. With being AF only this January, it is too soon to tell.

    Same here! I have absolutely no desire to ever smoke again and I cannot stand the smell of cigarettes at all, but I dream about them often. I am prone to reoccurring dreams so I'm sure that is why. I hope that the alcohol dreams don't occur as often as the smoking ones because that one actually upset me.
  • jenifer7teen
    jenifer7teen Posts: 205 Member
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    lporter229 wrote: »
    For some reason I can't find my last post where I was tracking my drinks. Oh well. I have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to add to the list. I stuck to my plan and drank moderately all weekend. No headaches and no hangovers. It feels good to be in conscious control of my drinking, but at the same time, there is a part of me that still feels like I could (should?) do more.

    I am right with you girl. I still overdid it a bit on the weekend but spaced it out during a number of social things so i didnt feel any consequenses. Its a bit hard to participate in this thread where there seem to be a) so many people who drank far less, far regularly than i dud in the first place anf b) who have quit completely....
    Truly i am proud that i had more sober days than days involving alcohol...but i guess i feel i have such a warped perspective on normal that i dont know if i am doing okay or need to do more. So much depends on your experience and social circle i suppose. I dont have a single friend who doesnt drink... only my old/religious in-laws. And honestly they might abstain from alcohol but also seem unhappy and boring in many ways haha

    Anyway where is the balance!? Am i just trying to justify my habit? Or am i flawed in being part of a thread where everyone seems to barely drink now when thats never even been my goal?! Haha ahhh
  • machchic
    machchic Posts: 229 Member
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    Bry_Lander wrote: »
    Have you ever wondered how drinking alcohol affects you HR? I wear a tracker with continuous HR monitoring, and I went out Saturday night and had a number of drinks. Per the chart, check out how high my resting HR was in comparison to my general HR (there was no exercise Saturday or Sunday):

    3feh8e1kn2ly.png

    I also noticed a drop, end of December my Resting heart rate was 74, today I am hitting 62.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,175 Member
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    jenifer7teen wrote: »
    lporter229 wrote: »
    For some reason I can't find my last post where I was tracking my drinks. Oh well. I have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to add to the list. I stuck to my plan and drank moderately all weekend. No headaches and no hangovers. It feels good to be in conscious control of my drinking, but at the same time, there is a part of me that still feels like I could (should?) do more.

    I am right with you girl. I still overdid it a bit on the weekend but spaced it out during a number of social things so i didnt feel any consequenses. Its a bit hard to participate in this thread where there seem to be a) so many people who drank far less, far regularly than i dud in the first place anf b) who have quit completely....
    Truly i am proud that i had more sober days than days involving alcohol...but i guess i feel i have such a warped perspective on normal that i dont know if i am doing okay or need to do more. So much depends on your experience and social circle i suppose. I dont have a single friend who doesnt drink... only my old/religious in-laws. And honestly they might abstain from alcohol but also seem unhappy and boring in many ways haha

    Anyway where is the balance!? Am i just trying to justify my habit? Or am i flawed in being part of a thread where everyone seems to barely drink now when thats never even been my goal?! Haha ahhh

    Everyone does what is best for them. Sounds like things are under control. Just continue to be aware if you think you are slowly slipping to more and more drinks. Otherwise, you're intuition tells you all you need to know:) If things are manageable and you enjoy it, then that may work for you. Xo
    I have a drinking social circle. Big time! But for me, it is clear I cannot just have one or two. Sounds like you don't have that issue.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,175 Member
    edited January 2018
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    @Bry_Lander What device do you have that records heart rate?
    I do know that when I drink several drinks, then that night's sleep is awful. And my heart is beating so fast I can hear it during the night. So, for me, I am sure my heart rate is negatively affected by many drinks.
  • xcjumper
    xcjumper Posts: 207 Member
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    Julie I have a Fitbit
  • donimfp
    donimfp Posts: 795 Member
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    @JulieAL1969, I never even associated my racing heart at night with alcohol until you brought that up. Duh! Since not drinking, it hasn't happened once, even though I do wake occasionally through the night. Still looking for that magic sleep bullet.

    I'm learning that I tend to mistake hunger for a drink craving. Today I was at a conference and didn't get lunch. Headed home at 4, I felt such an intense craving for a drink. But when I got home, I quickly ate 4 Triscuits with peanut butter on them and a small glass of milk. "Alcohol craving" disappeared. I think when I feel "empty," my brain just goes to alcohol when something else will probably satisfy me.

    I guess I'll move over to the Feb. thread now. It looks like it's already hopping.
  • SanDiegofitmom
    SanDiegofitmom Posts: 303 Member
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    jenifer7teen wrote: »
    lporter229 wrote: »
    For some reason I can't find my last post where I was tracking my drinks. Oh well. I have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to add to the list. I stuck to my plan and drank moderately all weekend. No headaches and no hangovers. It feels good to be in conscious control of my drinking, but at the same time, there is a part of me that still feels like I could (should?) do more.

    I am right with you girl. I still overdid it a bit on the weekend but spaced it out during a number of social things so i didnt feel any consequenses. Its a bit hard to participate in this thread where there seem to be a) so many people who drank far less, far regularly than i dud in the first place anf b) who have quit completely....
    Truly i am proud that i had more sober days than days involving alcohol...but i guess i feel i have such a warped perspective on normal that i dont know if i am doing okay or need to do more. So much depends on your experience and social circle i suppose. I dont have a single friend who doesnt drink... only my old/religious in-laws. And honestly they might abstain from alcohol but also seem unhappy and boring in many ways haha

    Anyway where is the balance!? Am i just trying to justify my habit? Or am i flawed in being part of a thread where everyone seems to barely drink now when thats never even been my goal?! Haha ahhh

    I plan to start drinking again in Feb but much more moderately. I never have wanted to quit entirely, but just felt like alcohol was taking up too much headspace, too many nights vowing to not drink the next day (but drinking anyway) and feeling like a fraud when I portray this active, super healthy life, when I’m drinking technically heavily (according to guidelines) I’m also in my 30’s and recently found a breast lump. It turned out benign but the alcohol and cancer link is strong. It kind of freaked me out and made me more serious about my relationship with wine. Anyway, all that to say, it’s good to know your goal and what you want. There is also sooo much out there about mom-drinking and wine-o’clock and it’s such a part of our culture that as you said it becomes normal. But then it’s not. I think that’s where I’m at. It became normal, but at a certain point a realized that’s not who I want to be. I value my body and my health but haven’t really been taking care of it. Anyway rambling. But I understand how hard it is to balance. As February approaches I’m a little nervous quite frankly.
  • snoo61
    snoo61 Posts: 549 Member
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    jenifer7teen wrote: »
    lporter229 wrote: »
    For some reason I can't find my last post where I was tracking my drinks. Oh well. I have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to add to the list. I stuck to my plan and drank moderately all weekend. No headaches and no hangovers. It feels good to be in conscious control of my drinking, but at the same time, there is a part of me that still feels like I could (should?) do more.

    I am right with you girl. I still overdid it a bit on the weekend but spaced it out during a number of social things so i didnt feel any consequenses. Its a bit hard to participate in this thread where there seem to be a) so many people who drank far less, far regularly than i dud in the first place anf b) who have quit completely....
    Truly i am proud that i had more sober days than days involving alcohol...but i guess i feel i have such a warped perspective on normal that i dont know if i am doing okay or need to do more. So much depends on your experience and social circle i suppose. I dont have a single friend who doesnt drink... only my old/religious in-laws. And honestly they might abstain from alcohol but also seem unhappy and boring in many ways haha

    Anyway where is the balance!? Am i just trying to justify my habit? Or am i flawed in being part of a thread where everyone seems to barely drink now when thats never even been my goal?! Haha ahhh

    I drink every night, and not just one or two. My goal has been to cut back 1 beer a night. That means 6 beers is my goal. I've been successful about 50% of the time. Not great, but better than no success. We are all here to support each other, whatever our goal is. What you decide is best for you, I support.

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