Less alcohol- February 2018- one day at a time

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  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    Hi All,

    I'm very impressed with the strength of this group! Way to go!

    For me, dropping alcohol has been a key part of weight loss and limiting alcohol has been a key part of weight maintenance. Like many of you, my weight has been up and down many times in my life. Currently, I'm ~40lbs lighter than at my peak and I'm working hard to master maintenance.

    Many years I've entered January wanting to lose at least 10lbs. Last January (2017), I decided to lose 22lbs to get into my "recommended weight range" and to address slightly high blood pressure. This January (2018), I was only about 4lbs above my goal weight, almost all due to overindulgence between Thanksgiving and New Year's. (Ah, good times!) Currently, I'm back at my weight goal and feeling great! Time to start training for summer activities!

    For me, the problems with alcohol include: 1) Alcohol has a lot of calories (7kcals/ml) but no essential nutrients. 2) Drinking alcohol makes me hungry and lowers my resolve against junk food. 3) Drinking one glass of wine or beer seems to always make me want another (and lowers my resolve to resist). 3) As I've gotten older, alcohol increasingly upsets my stomach in the middle of the night, disturbing my sleep.

    Some of you may know that I created a Dry January challenge. I've been going dry on and off for the past several years, and I have to say, it has really helped with weight loss. (It's the major reason I've lost a few pounds this month.) It has other benefits as well, including improved alertness during the day.

    I've now created a Dry February challenge. Some of you may be brave enough to sign up. Even if this is just a short-term thing, I have found that regular dry periods help to reset habits. Also, February is a short month!

    If you are interested, post to:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10638278/dry-february-lose-weight-feel-great
  • lilann1961
    lilann1961 Posts: 131 Member
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    I am proud of myself, not because I met my goals, but because I truly, truly cut back. On to February!! Goals are the same, only on weekends, and no more than three drinks then. The weight loss was great and I did slide a little in the end, but it definitely wasn't anywhere close to what I did before. Let's keep the momentum going! Extremely grateful for these threads. :)
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    time for a drink. now.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    edited January 2018
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    donimfp wrote: »
    Day 10 for me. Yesterday was a first for me. I hardly thought about alcohol at all. Wow. I didn't think that could happen. I'm sure it was probably a blip because this is so early, but it surely was nice.

    For any of you struggling with sleep, I was getting really fed up with sleeping fitfully and having a really hard time falling asleep. I went to my wellness-oriented pharmacy on Monday, and the wellness coach there recommended a supplement called Kavinace PM Ultra by a company called NeuroScience. I've slept like a baby for 2 nights. The woman said that this supplement helps restore the sleep cycle and that I shouldn't need it after taking one bottle's worth (30). It's primarily melatonin, so I'm sure that by itself works, too. I've just been a bit afraid to try it. No more.

    I leave tomorrow morning for my "mid-term exam trip." Big 90th birthday bash for my mother-in-law, complete with a limo so as not to impede everyone's drinking, an event with a bar, lots of meet-ups around this. Basically a Thursday through Saturday night party. Blessings that my MIL AND FIL--both 90--are up for all this and will be enjoying their martinis. However, I intend to stay AF for the duration. It doesn't sound as daunting as it did a week ago, so here's hoping this will be another confidence booster.

    You will do great!! Happy bday to your MIL that is amazing 90 years old. That is a blessing! And enjoying their martinis LOL too cute!
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    @1theresamcvean -Thanks for the post on the Pear Shrub. That sounds great. Yesterday at the grocery store I was looking for exciting and different juices to mix with sparkling water for a nice treat in the evenings. I wanted something that would be nice and concentrated so that it would still add flavor when diluted. Nothing really appealed to me, so I ended up with a bottle of POM (100% pomegranate juice). It made for a tasty treat, but I like the idea of blending up my own concoctions. I can see that becoming a new hobby!
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    Well I think it's time for me to join. I started a new medication on Saturday and had like 3 glasses of wine (over like six hours) and I was completely fine Sunday... well on Sunday I had a bottle of wine and then some and was really messed up the next day.

    I think it might be a blessing in disguise. I've been trying to lose weight and it's going so slowly so cutting back on the drinking should help. And I don't want to accidentally kill myself from drinking too much on the medication...

    My goal is to have no more than 1-3 drinks on Friday and Saturday. No drinking on Sundays (except maybe this week a drink or two at a Super Bowl party). I'm hoping this helps....
  • 1theresamcvean
    1theresamcvean Posts: 927 Member
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    wigi41 wrote: »
    1theresamcvean, which Carl Jung wine do you like? I tried the red merlot, and did not like it at all. I was debating trying the cab sauv. Is that the one you would recommend?

    I have tried a number of good NA beers this month. premiumnearbeer.com offers lots of choices, much better than what you can get in the grocery store. Also a bit pricey, but a really good alternative if, like me, you enjoy the taste of a good craft beer once in awhile. I got the 12 mixed case from them and it was fun to taste them and see which ones I liked (surprisingly, quite a few!).

    I got the Carl Jung Riesling due to my love for the whites of Alsace and Baden-Württemberg. I don't drink it on its own very often but mostly cook with it. It would also be nice in a spritzer. The de-alcoholization really affects the mouth feel and aroma. That said, if I did side-by-side or blind taste tests with other de-alcoholized whites this would be my choice.

    Premiumnearbeer.com is where I ordered. I'm not a beer lover unfortunately. It sounds like you can get some very satisfying NA beers.

    Where do you live? I'm in Toronto, Canada.


  • SaltyChick3
    SaltyChick3 Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm in! I've stumbled twice in the past 24 days! I'm trying hard, but life can be pretty darn fun with my friends...but, hey, getting in shape is so much more important now. I want to be able to lead a healthy lifestyle from now on...and later, much later, have a glass of wine and not the whole bottle (or two), ha! Weekends are the HARDEST...did someone mention Super Bowl! See, I told you it's hard.
  • bdbchick
    bdbchick Posts: 2,434 Member
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    snoo61 wrote: »
    bdbchick wrote: »
    Will be joining in this challenge for Dry February. I’m trying to think of another way to say dry February though. Any suggestions?

    One member in January referred to it as freedom, how about Freedom February?

    I like that!
  • donimfp
    donimfp Posts: 795 Member
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    I'd like to second the plug for shrubs. The vinegar makes them really satisfying. Tait Farms has pricey but really good ones. I've made my own, and it's not hard (you can Google it), but I'm still too lazy.
  • wigi41
    wigi41 Posts: 42 Member
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    @1theresamcvean, I live in Burlington, Canada. :)
  • hotdogsrgreat
    hotdogsrgreat Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm in! Gunna cut out wine completely and have one beer at most each day.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,174 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Hi All,

    I'm very impressed with the strength of this group! Way to go!

    For me, dropping alcohol has been a key part of weight loss and limiting alcohol has been a key part of weight maintenance. Like many of you, my weight has been up and down many times in my life. Currently, I'm ~40lbs lighter than at my peak and I'm working hard to master maintenance.

    Many years I've entered January wanting to lose at least 10lbs. Last January (2017), I decided to lose 22lbs to get into my "recommended weight range" and to address slightly high blood pressure. This January (2018), I was only about 4lbs above my goal weight, almost all due to overindulgence between Thanksgiving and New Year's. (Ah, good times!) Currently, I'm back at my weight goal and feeling great! Time to start training for summer activities!

    For me, the problems with alcohol include: 1) Alcohol has a lot of calories (7kcals/ml) but no essential nutrients. 2) Drinking alcohol makes me hungry and lowers my resolve against junk food. 3) Drinking one glass of wine or beer seems to always make me want another (and lowers my resolve to resist). 3) As I've gotten older, alcohol increasingly upsets my stomach in the middle of the night, disturbing my sleep.

    Some of you may know that I created a Dry January challenge. I've been going dry on and off for the past several years, and I have to say, it has really helped with weight loss. (It's the major reason I've lost a few pounds this month.) It has other benefits as well, including improved alertness during the day.

    I've now created a Dry February challenge. Some of you may be brave enough to sign up. Even if this is just a short-term thing, I have found that regular dry periods help to reset habits. Also, February is a short month!

    If you are interested, post to:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10638278/dry-february-lose-weight-feel-great

    Thanks for insight and comments. Good work! I do believe that besides the toxic element of alcohol, it sure does increase the pounds over the years. I have checked out the Dry January challenge! All the comments and insights keep me inspired to continue. Been 31 days today for me free from alcohol. I sure don't want to ruin all the benefits I've gained! See you on your sight, too.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,174 Member
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    1theresamcvean wrote: »
    Hello all ~

    I love wine for the taste and ceremony, and let's face it - habit. I wondered what natural, healthy, tasty alternatives were out there and found these herbal and spice, no alcohol, no sugar, no calorie distillations: https://www.seedlipdrinks.com/

    Then I researched some recipes for natural mixers. One example is Pear Shrub which has the additional benefit of having apple cider vinegar in it (I really don't like the idea of drinking ACV but hear it's good for us in a few ways): https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/vanilla-pear-shrub-recipe

    I think a nice drink would be two parts Seedlip Spice 94, one part Pear Shrub, three parts Soda, built over ice with a slice of pear to garnish. It may have a few calories as there is 1/4 cup honey in the Pear Shrub recipe, of which 45 calories make it into the two tablespoons added to this drink. (I'm going to experiment with natural calorie free sweeteners and see if I can rejig the Pear Shrub recipe which may or may not work.)

    It's probably not okay to replace one habit with another but this seems a reasonable and healthy alternative. I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen so this may not be for some people. Also the Seedlip products are pricey, but you'd be saving the money spent (in my case) on good wine, and a bottle would last a long time.

    Also, I got some Carl Jung de-alcoholized wine for cooking. I deglaze a lot with wine and sometime up to a cup goes into a single recipe of four servings. The alcohol burns off they say, but this is also much lower calories to start out with. The process for de-alcoholizing wine is not bad for us, such as vacuum distillation or filtration. J Lohr vinyards has a de-alcoholized brand called Ariel but I prefer Carl Jung. Most likely because I like a good Alsacian white.

    Hope this helps somebody other than me :smile:

    February goals coming soon!

    Thanks for creating this challenge.


    Theresa

    Thanks Theresa! I am so happy to see that I can start making some alternative tasty drinks at minimal calories to make life more fun. I'm starting to get a little tired of club soda with a lime. Maybe one of us in the future may make a living in creating alcohol free cocktails. Who knows, Theresa, who you may have inspired. Will check out your links! Keep up the suggestions:)
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,174 Member
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    JenT304 wrote: »
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    http://thesoberschool.com/dry-january-nearly-over/

    Good article about what to do now that Dry January is over!

    Julie, Thank you for mentioning this amazing site! I have read many of the blogs on here and see myself in so many situations. Under "start here" then "most popular blogs", there is one called, "8 things normal drinkers don't do". This really hit home. I've been embarrassed enough by my recycling bin to throw wine bottles in the trash instead. Another sober day in my rear view mirror. I'm feeling strong and determined! This group is truly changing my life for the better. I cannot express my gratitude to you all for all the support and kindness shown here.

    Jen, I have been reading like crazy.. blogs, books, articles, journals. Keeps me going and motivated. I have to check out this site further. I just glanced at it; they do have a sign up for emails which is where I found the recent article about What to do when Dry January is over. My neighbor always comments to me not to look at her recycling bags on the curb. There are two big blue recycling bags of bottles every two weeks. Not judging her at all, just saying, we can relate. Stay strong. Take one day at a time. xoxo
  • teresa40b440
    teresa40b440 Posts: 3 Member
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    islandbeez wrote: »
    I'm in and looking forward to sharing this with everyone. <3
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    Please join us on this journey of consuming less alcohol. We are a supportive, non-judgmental group and welcome your input, advice, and encouragement. And of course, feel free to share when you stumble or fall. We're here to pick you up and start fresh. xo

    I was just saying this to my bff! Count me in

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