Less alcohol- February 2018- one day at a time
Replies
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Ok. Not going totally dry, but plan to cut down4
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Cardinals_3 wrote: »Anyone else have trouble sleeping after you quit or cut back? Any recommendations? I've been waking up A LOT at night. Someone at work recommended taking GABA supplements--I took one last night and I did fall asleep easily but then was up half the night. I fell asleep ok at a reasonable hour and slept until about 1:30 am but then I was wide awake and could not fall back asleep until about 5am. I'm not really a big fan of tea--I thought about trying a sleepytime tea or something like that.
YES! I'm on my 32nd day and only manage 5-7 hrs of sleep per night. I do take the magnesium citrate supplements and drink either Sleepytime or chamomile tea in the evening. Last night I downloaded 'Headspace', a meditation app. I'm anxious to try it tonight.
If Headspace doesn't work, there are "sleep songs". Moby has an entire album of them. There's also a piece called 8 hour deep sleep. It's on youtube, so it's streaming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQ6t4yPIM0
There are quite a few deep sleep pieces out there. I like "binuaural beats", personally.
This is awesome. Going to try tonight. Thanks.1 -
Thanku everyone, very helpful and supportive.
The other question is, what else other than alcohol will give that "buzz", or " let your hair down" , relaxed feel..?
This is a bit scary bcoz.. for some families this is what is their main or one of thier " hold together".
Its really sad bcoz there not that real love and respect bteen them.
Weed!!!
Has anyone tried kratom? I have heard good and bad. It has been described as very relaxing. My biggest worry is changing one addiction for another.
But since someone brought weed thought I would throw this out there.5 -
springsweet wrote: »Help.
It's gray out here, I'm about to get off work, my hubby won't be home til 8:00, I'm feeling blue and have a headache again, all I really want to do is stop at the store on the way home and get a bottle of red, then plop on the couch with it and zone out on tv... Ugh. Hate this feeling.
Hope you were able to stay strong. But if not tomorrow is a new start and we are here to listen5 -
MrsJenniferLynn wrote: »Im in how do u join sorry im new to this.
welcome
, we r a group of people that want to cut back or quit . We tell each other what our goals are and go from there. We support each other in hard times. I want to reach my ideal weight so im trying to quit till ive reach it. i am struggling but i would have given in along time ago if it wasn't for Julie and her crew.
All the best on your journey.. xo
Yes, couldn’t have said it any better. I feel like those of us that are “regulars” in this group can all say the same. No matter the differences in our goals, everyone is supportive and having this group to discuss wins and losses had made it easier to stay on track6 -
I am curious....would accountabilibuddies work? Someone you can talk to, chat, show up at the door...when you want a drink4
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No wine tonight and so happy - I ended up having a few glasses of wine last night with friiends over for dinner and had really bad anxiety and felt down all day and I really think the wine was the problem! I’m gratefully drinking water and relaxing tonight.10
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I really love the way everybody is so supportive here - coming up with solutions and suggestions, tea, relaxing bath, meditation, sleep songs. I never would have thought of the last two, so I'm learning new ways to cope.
I had another successful night and am feeling better every day. But I know the craving could hit at any time, and now I know where I'll come when it does. Thanks, everyone!6 -
First time wanting a drink since I stopped on Jan 17 - 4 weeks ago. And it was because I had a *kitten* day at work. When I realised that was why I wanted to drink, I decided not to give in to such a stupid reason. Then I didn't know how to cope with fairly "normal" feelings we all get of like *eerrggghhh* *kitten* day. So I think I've been using alcohol just to chill everyday as much job can cause a bit of stress. (we all relate to that I guess). I thought of myself as a casual / social drinker ... but I am beginning to re-think that, and wanting to do something more about it.
To those saying they want to just "cut down", still drink on weekends etc ... I'm nervous to try this, won't that open the doors again?
But then again, I don't want to say never also. So I guess I'll focus on Feb for now and decided about March in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the space here to vent/off load/process. Feel good I didn't drink but still feeling a little lousy about my stupid "*kitten* day". Ah well, that's life innit.9 -
springsweet wrote: »Help.
It's gray out here, I'm about to get off work, my hubby won't be home til 8:00, I'm feeling blue and have a headache again, all I really want to do is stop at the store on the way home and get a bottle of red, then plop on the couch with it and zone out on tv... Ugh. Hate this feeling.
Hope you were able to stay strong. But if not tomorrow is a new start and we are here to listen
Thanks for all the comments guys! Yall are the best. I did stay strong and I did take a warm bath. Although it was frustrating b/c the hot water ran out, plus my tub is pretty small so it ended up just making me more irritable lol... But I got out, put on my jammies and got in bed with my book. I was asleep by 9:00 I think.
And I woke up feeling great this morning! Something about Mondays, I tell ya...
You are exactly right. It was just a stupid habit.jenifer7teen wrote: »I mostly just imagine the wine part of that fantasy out of habit, when the truth is just sitting still on the couch and doing nothing is what i am wanting most.
Thanks again everyone. I love this place! I hope you all have a great day and feel good!
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My liver is loving this.12
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springsweet wrote: »Help.
It's gray out here, I'm about to get off work, my hubby won't be home til 8:00, I'm feeling blue and have a headache again, all I really want to do is stop at the store on the way home and get a bottle of red, then plop on the couch with it and zone out on tv... Ugh. Hate this feeling.
Do you like hot yoga? You can try that or if your gym has a jacuzzi or sauna, that could help. Stay strong
I tried hot yoga once and hated it. I do love regular yoga though! 1 -
Good morning. Thought I'd check in and lay out my plans for the week. I'm at 13, 11 days AF and 2 days of planned drinking last Friday and Saturday. I'll be out of town this weekend with early wake ups, Saturday and Sunday. I'm going to try and go 2 weeks at least maybe longer without a drink. I feel better and more clearer everyday being able to make this commitment. The week days have become easier to handle because I have been feeling so great at work in the mornings instead of miserable until about lunchtime!5
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runtodayamyrun wrote: »Good morning. Thought I'd check in and lay out my plans for the week. I'm at 13, 11 days AF and 2 days of planned drinking last Friday and Saturday. I'll be out of town this weekend with early wake ups, Saturday and Sunday. I'm going to try and go 2 weeks at least maybe longer without a drink. I feel better and more clearer everyday being able to make this commitment. The week days have become easier to handle because I have been feeling so great at work in the mornings instead of miserable until about lunchtime!
Great plan! I have a couple of drinks planned with hubs on Thursday for our late valentines. Then I also plan to go two weeks without wine. Cheers!
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Absolutely love waking up and excited to fill out my health and exercise calender for the previous day.
Since the beginning of 2018 being able to look back on what I did or more importantly did not consume practically brings tears to my eyes.
Way back when.....I recall having a horrible time in life with partying and enjoying life a little to much. I decided to count up for that week exactly what I had drank. Holy crud, how and why would I have over 28 drinks in one week? Why would I drive or walk from club to club taking advantage of cheap happy hour drinks? Why would I risk my driving license? Why would I become an unresponsible pet owner and forget if I fed my dogs or not after I woke up? Why would I risk my health and life?
I feel blessed to have this group of supportive folks. Just needed to get that all out. 15 -
Day one in Dublin complete and I felt it was a success - went out to Temple Bar, first bar had a Harp, tasted great.
Second bar ordered a different beer, didn't love it, drank about half, didn't mind leaving it unfinished on the bar. Old me would have ordered something different and drank it quickly to catch up to the others.
Third stop was for dinner, had a small glass of white wine with dinner, all of us declined to order a second.
Went back to the hotel, did a quick pass through the bar to see what colleagues were up to, decided sleep sounded better than socializing so went up to my room and was in bed by 9pm local time - great for my jet lag, my head cold and my moderation confidence.
Only real failing is I can't figure out how to work the electric tea kettle in my room to enjoy a cuppa and a biscuit (getting into the Irish groove here).
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eddie_fields wrote: »Has anyone tried kratom? I have heard good and bad. It has been described as very relaxing. My biggest worry is changing one addiction for another.
But since someone brought weed thought I would throw this out there.
I did. I never really cared for the weed buzz but my husband got me some Kratom to try when I got anxious, I kinda felt like it gave me a buzz like the vicodin I had after surgery. That kind of scared me, but I sure was relaxed and it definitely relieved pain. The FDA is trying hard to ban it, some sites say it is addictive, others say not. I figure it's best for me not to find out ;-) Also have tried CBD oil, but noticed nothing.6 -
To those saying they want to just "cut down", still drink on weekends etc ... I'm nervous to try this, won't that open the doors again?
But then again, I don't want to say never also. So I guess I'll focus on Feb for now and decided about March in a couple of weeks.
Depends on the individual. Some people are trying to quit altogether while others are cutting back. For me personally I am cutting back because I need to lose weight and alcohol always leads to bad food and usually not working out the next day. Everyone has their own reasons.
That's what is great about this group is everyone has different goals and we all try to help each other through them.
It seems like many of us have changed our goals along the way, so focusing on the now and reevaluating as you go forward is a great move.
As the title says "one day at a time"9 -
I definitely agree that it depends on the person. I have been trying to "moderate" since the beginning of January. On one hand I have been successful because I have cut back significantly on the amount of alcohol I was drinking. On the other hand, I have learned that I am not one of those people that can just enjoy a glass of wine here and there because I still have had a few days like this past Sunday where I end up drinking more than I intended. I am trying to decide if I am okay with this or not.
To those saying they want to just "cut down", still drink on weekends etc ... I'm nervous to try this, won't that open the doors again?
But then again, I don't want to say never also. So I guess I'll focus on Feb for now and decided about March in a couple of weeks.
Feb 28th is my bday, so March 1st starts a brand new year for me. I intend to do a dry March and I will see if cutting out alcohol completely makes an improvement on my life and I will take it from there.
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lporter229 wrote: »
I definitely agree that it depends on the person. I have been trying to "moderate" since the beginning of January. On one hand I have been successful because I have cut back significantly on the amount of alcohol I was drinking. On the other hand, I have learned that I am not one of those people that can just enjoy a glass of wine here and there because I still have had a few days like this past Sunday where I end up drinking more than I intended. I am trying to decide if I am okay with this or not.
To those saying they want to just "cut down", still drink on weekends etc ... I'm nervous to try this, won't that open the doors again?
But then again, I don't want to say never also. So I guess I'll focus on Feb for now and decided about March in a couple of weeks.
Feb 28th is my bday, so March 1st starts a brand new year for me. I intend to do a dry March and I will see if cutting out alcohol completely makes an improvement on my life and I will take it from there.
I have had so many thoughts about what to do. I loved doing dry January. On the one hand I don’t want to totally eliminate wine from my life but on the other hand I am still figuring out whether it’s worth it! I love a glass of wine, but I too sometimes drink more than I intend and then I feel so down on myself. Also, since dry January I can’t help but feel like drinking days (even planned) are somehow failures. Either way, a year ago I was drinking pretty much daily - now with planned weekend drinking I’m at less than half that so that’s good!! One day at a time as @erikNJ says.9 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Day one in Dublin complete and I felt it was a success - went out to Temple Bar, first bar had a Harp, tasted great.
Second bar ordered a different beer, didn't love it, drank about half, didn't mind leaving it unfinished on the bar. Old me would have ordered something different and drank it quickly to catch up to the others.
Third stop was for dinner, had a small glass of white wine with dinner, all of us declined to order a second.
Went back to the hotel, did a quick pass through the bar to see what colleagues were up to, decided sleep sounded better than socializing so went up to my room and was in bed by 9pm local time - great for my jet lag, my head cold and my moderation confidence.
Only real failing is I can't figure out how to work the electric tea kettle in my room to enjoy a cuppa and a biscuit (getting into the Irish groove here).
Wow! First of all, you have a great job that takes you to Dublin! Sounds fantastic, although I'd try to leave work early every day to go antique hunting! And a great decision to go to your room instead of socializing, especially with jet lag and a cold. I'm sure you would have felt much worse if you had made a different choice.
At the moment, I just don't want to give up any food calories for alcohol calories. But as I said before, a craving could hit at any time. For now I'll take advantage of being on a roll food-wise, being at or slightly under calories since last week. I weigh in on Monday, so I want to try very hard to have a successful week - and everyone else, too!5 -
islandbeez wrote: »eddie_fields wrote: »Has anyone tried kratom? I have heard good and bad. It has been described as very relaxing. My biggest worry is changing one addiction for another.
But since someone brought weed thought I would throw this out there.
I did. I never really cared for the weed buzz but my husband got me some Kratom to try when I got anxious, I kinda felt like it gave me a buzz like the vicodin I had after surgery. That kind of scared me, but I sure was relaxed and it definitely relieved pain. The FDA is trying hard to ban it, some sites say it is addictive, others say not. I figure it's best for me not to find out ;-) Also have tried CBD oil, but noticed nothing.
Interesting. I should also probably try to avoid anything addictive. I have heard some people swear by it but getting rid of alcohol to add something else addictive sounds tricky.
Thanks for response.2 -
I did a dry January with no problems and I felt awesome! Weight loss was steady and I had such clear thinking. This month I haven’t had any binge drinking but I still have 1 or 2 drinks several times a week. Since I’m keto those two beers or glasses of wine hit me extra hard. Also it’s slowing my weigh loss greatly even though I count the calories and mostly stay within my macros. Love this group and I’m late to February but love following everyone’s progress and reading your stories.
I also found that having a definite Dry month was easier than the mostly dry month - its psychological
I agree totally!
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day 42 AF....I am glad this thread is helping me keep track! 7
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First time wanting a drink since I stopped on Jan 17 - 4 weeks ago. And it was because I had a *kitten* day at work. When I realised that was why I wanted to drink, I decided not to give in to such a stupid reason. Then I didn't know how to cope with fairly "normal" feelings we all get of like *eerrggghhh* *kitten* day. So I think I've been using alcohol just to chill everyday as much job can cause a bit of stress. (we all relate to that I guess). I thought of myself as a casual / social drinker ... but I am beginning to re-think that, and wanting to do something more about it.
To those saying they want to just "cut down", still drink on weekends etc ... I'm nervous to try this, won't that open the doors again?
But then again, I don't want to say never also. So I guess I'll focus on Feb for now and decided about March in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the space here to vent/off load/process. Feel good I didn't drink but still feeling a little lousy about my stupid "*kitten* day". Ah well, that's life innit.
I also had a tempting craving today. I was telling my friend about a scotch tasting I went to once, and I went on and on about it. And then, I thought, mmmmmmm that would sound delicious right now! *funny thing is I dont even LIKE scotch.
I still have booze in two cupboards in our house - one is considered my cupboard and the other is my husband's. I am amazed every time I walk by the usual place I keep alcohol, I never think of pouring one. But I imagine, it would be much better if it werent even in my house!
Day 44 today- I have no doubt I will make it through a Dry February. I will then be making a big decision come St. Patrick's Day.
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@ehseeker. My liver was abnormal at one point over the last year. Even when it was back to functioning normal, it was very enlarged. So much so that I believe that it was pressing on my rib cage. I broke a rib easily on the right side, just from stretching (I also have thinner bones). There were times I had difficulty breathing when having anxiety. I was the only one to really know how these things happened. No I need to abstain. A harmless habit that turned into a monster.5
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I am struggling, suddenly its not so easy for me anymore13
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