Less Alcohol- April 2018- One Day at a Time

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Replies

  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
    @NovusDies - thanks so much for the great thoughts.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    @kittybenn Ahhh, I'm so sorry you feel badly. We all do this kind of thing one time or another. All of us. It can happen when we least expect it. You were in pain emotionally and I think when we are hurting so badly, we have to numb ourselves, so you did. One bad day doesn't discount months of hard work and great progress.
    I know it's easy to feel guilty and even mad at yourself, but like you would say to us, it's time to look froward til tomorrow. You will feel so much better. Sending you a big hug. Now, you know your triggers, in a way, you are better for it. Live and learn:) xo
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    dbanks80 wrote: »
    Hi everyone!!! I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy. I have been staying pretty good with one slip up this month. I am trying to see if I can just stick to drinking one day out of the week like a Friday or Saturday and limit to just 2-3 drinks in that one evening. Looks like everyone is doing well.

    Good to hear from you! Sounds like all is well. One slip up is not bad at all. Xo
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    MaryBethHempel wrote: »
    Hi you all!
    I haven't been here on this thread for quite a while. I have been busy with learning to play the guitar and gardening. I enjoy exercise and lost 36 lbs. I am enjoying life so much more these days; these sober days. It has been since last Christmas that I have had a drink; which was most likely about a bottle and a half, or more, of wine.
    This thread was definitely part of my recovery process, it was so supportive. I also should give some credit to The books; This Naked Mind, Blackout, and The Alcoholism & Addiction Cure....in that order...I was deciding to just slow down at first, but found out that my body was addicted to alcohol. I haven't had a drink since Christmas and I am so so grateful for my new life. What a wonderful new life I have.....I pray that this message somehow encourages one of you on a new path in your life also. Blessings. :)

    You are inspiring! I love hearing how much better life is for you. That's a lot of weight loss! I'm so happy for you! Xo
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    @kittybenn Between the alcohol and the salty snacks you are retaining extra water weight not fat so you can let that one go. In about 4 days you will be leveled out again especially if you eat potassium rich foods.

    I do this thing, and it is probably stupid, but I don't get mad at myself. I get disappointed at past me for making bad choices as though it were another person. I don't want his mistakes to be my mistakes. In a way it is true because we all start the new day with fresh possibilities and sometimes headaches and fresh possibilities. I think it kind of helps me from being too hard on myself which never really helps. That is why I chose this screen name to remind myself that it is always a new day.

    I didn't know what your screen name meant. That's wonderful! I love that.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    I didn't know what your screen name meant. That's wonderful! I love that.

    If your name means what I think it does we are neighboring states and close to the same age. I am not sure what the "Julie" part stands for. Do you like to julienne vegetables?
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    I didn't know what your screen name meant. That's wonderful! I love that.

    If your name means what I think it does we are neighboring states and close to the same age. I am not sure what the "Julie" part stands for. Do you like to julienne vegetables?

    Yes born in '69. Julie is my name and A is middle initial. L is last initial. I chose the username long ago, but I wish I chose a better one like yours. That's so creative. Xo
  • 23wife
    23wife Posts: 57 Member
    edited April 2018
    I'm in! I've come to realize that I have a drink after a stressful day ... during a fun afternoon ...at the end of a hard day ... etc. You get the idea. It's become a crutch for me. It's something I need to work on and I want to cut back. A few months ago, I had a 30 day no-alcohol personal challenge and the first few days were harder than I thought they would be. By the end of it, I felt so much better and I had lost more weight than I previously had in a 30 day time frame, so it was a double-plus! It's become a habit to have a drink after a long day at work...so I think it's a good thing to do every once in awhile to "reset' myself - not only physically, but mentally and emotionally too.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    @JulieAL1969 I guessed wrong and my joke was lame but I got to use a culinary term. We are close in age though.

    It is not my original. I changed it to this before entering the forums. Thanks though.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    Hi Friends, Just sat down after a productive day. At work today , I thought back to last fall. I remember feeling incredibly nauseous one morning at work, and asking the lady in the next room if she had some mints or something. I said to her "Yeah, I think I may have a touch of the flu." But , I knew deep down it was the wine flu! I've taught several time with severe headaches and nausea and would live for lunch to get a cheeseburger to chase the hangover away. I am so grateful not to have had that for the last few months.

    @donimfp That January thread was hot. We were all very motivated and determined. I remember that momentum was great. And yes, the 10 days reward bracelet I bought myself is still on my wrist every day. I remember how hard it was to get to day 10! I love your idea of marking on your calendar motivational words on those significant days. You're so right about how good you'll look- skin bright and not puffy, tummy flatter, etc. I know you can do it! You did before and you can do it again. Just work through those cravings.

    I think some advice for all the beginners on our thread is that the first few weeks of abstaining are very hard. You feel like you are being punished. You feel anxious, depressed, left out of letting yourself go to happy hour or have your favorite drinks on the weekends, but then magically after about a few weeks, you start to notice, how happy you feel. How refreshed you wake up in the morning. How less anxious and deprived you feel.

    The brain and body are getting back to your old self before you had alcohol. Those toxins are being cleared and your brain chemistry is changing for the good. We all know that alcohol makes us more anxious, not less. One way to view it is that you're doing a 21 day cleanse. Just like you would for your diet, do a 21 days alcohol cleanse. And then you can decide if you want to moderate or drink less than you used to. I'm just rambling right now..... sending all of your courage to meet your individual goals if abstaining , moderating or just changing your normal routine. xo
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    looneycatblue wrote: »
    It's 5:30early here in California, and happy to be awake in time to get an early start on this beautiful day! I am not taking this wonderful feeling for granted. I want to thank you all for your unselfish shares, your thoughts and stories. We are on this journey together to a better life, still with its struggles, but comforting to know that we can come here everyday to talk about it, without judgement. <3

    Happy you got up and enjoyed the day! Love sharing this journey with you.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    Last night I decided to add AF beer to my evening. I drank 4, then switched to my regular brand (my plan). While it wasn't a news breaking event, I did drink less than my daily goal. I think next time I will start with my beer and switch after a set number. Victory. :)

    Less alcohol is less alcohol in your body. That's great progress and you saved calories in the form of sugar. Small victories are wonderful!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,374 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    @JulieAL1969 I guessed wrong and my joke was lame but I got to use a culinary term. We are close in age though.

    It is not my original. I changed it to this before entering the forums. Thanks though.

    I liked your joke! Made me smile!
  • SunnyDays930
    SunnyDays930 Posts: 1,574 Member
    @julie you are awesome. Thank you for these wise words tonight. <3
  • lstamour79
    lstamour79 Posts: 2 Member
    Girl you’re a rockstar
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    So my drink allowance day is 3 days away. I have been ill since last Sunday night and I am not even sure of the cause anymore. I have not eaten enough all week and I am extremely irritated. There is a part of me that definitely wants to skip and wait for May 6th there is another justifying the drink in spades because I can easily afford the calories and it is "allowed".

    I don't expect any replies. I am the only one who can make this decision based on what I know or hope I know about myself. I am just throwing it out there to see if it helps me somehow.

    The one thing I definitely know about myself is that I only have to hold out until Sunday night at 9:00 PM if I don't want to drink. After that the allowance expires. It is a hard and fast rule that I never break. In fact, each night at 9:00 that I don't indulge and I notice it on the clock I sigh a bit of relief.
  • snoo61
    snoo61 Posts: 549 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    So my drink allowance day is 3 days away. I have been ill since last Sunday night and I am not even sure of the cause anymore. I have not eaten enough all week and I am extremely irritated. There is a part of me that definitely wants to skip and wait for May 6th there is another justifying the drink in spades because I can easily afford the calories and it is "allowed".

    I don't expect any replies. I am the only one who can make this decision based on what I know or hope I know about myself. I am just throwing it out there to see if it helps me somehow.

    The one thing I definitely know about myself is that I only have to hold out until Sunday night at 9:00 PM if I don't want to drink. After that the allowance expires. It is a hard and fast rule that I never break. In fact, each night at 9:00 that I don't indulge and I notice it on the clock I sigh a bit of relief.

    Insightful, I hope it helped.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    kittybenn wrote: »
    A friend brought this to my attention today. Really good read. 'Binge drinking has become completely normalized': Has boozy mom culture gone too far?
    “Mommy’s wine has become a pop culture trend, a marketer’s dream and a hashtag,” said Dr. Crystal Tennille Clark, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine who specializes in women’s health. “I do think we’re losing sight of what a problem (drinking) could be. Many people, whether they’re men or women, don’t appreciate the risks of drinking.”

    This was a good read. I think that moms have always drank in the 50s 60s and 70s they just did it in the closet. Social media puts it out there in the open so now it seems to be more acceptable.
  • runtodayamyrun
    runtodayamyrun Posts: 59 Member
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    kittybenn wrote: »
    A friend brought this to my attention today. Really good read. 'Binge drinking has become completely normalized': Has boozy mom culture gone too far?
    “Mommy’s wine has become a pop culture trend, a marketer’s dream and a hashtag,” said Dr. Crystal Tennille Clark, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine who specializes in women’s health. “I do think we’re losing sight of what a problem (drinking) could be. Many people, whether they’re men or women, don’t appreciate the risks of drinking.”

    Good article. I think that by normalizing it now, there are women who probably drink more than they would if they were home alone. Now, there are painting wine parties at local bars and events like that to get women's business. I also think back to the shows like Mad Men and see that this toxin was just as popular. I dont know what to think.

    I had a dream last night. I ordered a vodka at a bar in the dream, Drank it straight and then said "oh no, I forgot I wasnt drinking."

    Tonight, I took myself out for mexican food and watched the women at the bar drinking margaritas. All I could think of was how many calories are in those. And they weren't the good margs, they were the ones made with a mix and tequila premade. Now, I did consider for a brief moment ordering a shot of Tequila. LOL But I stuck with water. I'm feeling alittle depressed this evening. I feel like I have not outlet for stress besides long walks and tea. It's just one of those evenings, it will pass. I need to pick up a new hobby I think like our friend Mary Beth who started to learn guitar.

    It also doesn't help that my husband has been drinking more lately. He never did that before but it is escalating for some reason. We don't talk about it , but I am observing tonight: two beers, two scotches so far.. and that doesnt count what he probably drank while I went for a long walk. To each his own. Like someone said on the thread earlier, I'm not going to preach to him.

    Same here too Julie with my spouse. I keep hoping to be leading by example, and he will finally come around. I hope the same for you as well.

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