Less Alcohol- June 2018- One Day at a Time
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Good Morning Everyone: Another sober day in the neighborhood. According to the EasyQuitDrinking App I installed on my phone I have been sober 21 days & 7 hours, passed 76 drinks & saved $121.60 so far. It is the 76 drinks I saved that really stands out to me & translates into how many bottles of wine???? 15.2 @ the standard 5 oz glass!! WOOHOO!!! PLUS all the health benefits that increase the longer I abstain.
I really like this app cause it really helps gauge my progress & supplies more incentive to keep on track. Hope everyone is able to stick to their resolve whatever that may be as the weekend approaches.7 -
lorrainequiche59 wrote: »Good Morning Everyone: Another sober day in the neighborhood. According to the EasyQuitDrinking App I installed on my phone I have been sober 21 days & 7 hours, passed 76 drinks & saved $121.60 so far. It is the 76 drinks I saved that really stands out to me & translates into how many bottles of wine???? 15.2 @ the standard 5 oz glass!! WOOHOO!!! PLUS all the health benefits that increase the longer I abstain.
I really like this app cause it really helps gauge my progress & supplies more incentive to keep on track. Hope everyone is able to stick to their resolve whatever that may be as the weekend approaches.
I need a quick one line summary of that app for the resource recap post. Can you or someone give me one? Here is that section:
APPS:
Dry January & Beyond - The Dry January & Beyond app is for those who want to cut down or cut out the booze throughout the year, while seeing the impact it has on your health and wallet.
EasyQuitDrinking -
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Ok, you definitely got my attention with those stats. Wowzer. Congrats on all your success!lorrainequiche59 wrote: »It is the 76 drinks I saved that really stands out to me & translates into how many bottles of wine???? 15.2 @ the standard 5 oz glass!! WOOHOO!!! PLUS all the health benefits that increase the longer I abstain.
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Thanks to everybody. @kittybenn said it perfectly. You guys have become an extension of my family. The fact thought I could even open up about that is a huuuuge step for me.
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Hello from Sunny Florida! I been moderating to the extreme if that's possible. Had two drinks yesterday and none today and it's 5 o'clock somewhere but no taste for alcohol.
I swear it all comes down to who you travel with. Last night, at a fancy dinner out, my friend ordered (yet again) water, so that's what i did.
*I did think to myself- what the heck? Why is she only ordering water. Haha. Then, i realized not everyone is like me and CRAVES alcohol.
This is all good learning. Hope you're all well.
Happy to hear Erik's wife had good test results. I'm not to active on MFP because of the trip. But keep the thread hopping for me.9 -
@JulieAL1969 - separated at birth. I can get so caught up in what others I'm with are doing. I would've done exactly the same. Hope you're enjoying your vacation. I live in FL and it's hideously hot here right now, so stay cooooool. Going to my summer boat home in Seattle soon and I can't wait to get out of this place!5
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151 days AF today AND tomorrow is 5 MONTHS!! It hasn't been completely easy. Ha ha! But it can be done! Since it hasn't been easy, means for me, that I am doing the right thing! I work more now than I used to and am able to do it easier. Another benefit. So not only am I saving money not drinking, but I am able to work more and make even more money. Who would have guessed? Not me!9
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Can't find any app called EasyQuitDrinking.kcn2bluesky wrote: »I haven't drunk since January 31. Before then, I drank pretty much every day.
(I ran 50 km on June 10 2018, and I didn't sleep well due to endorphins lately, so ignore the last blip.)
When drinking, (before Jan 31) I used to need a lot more sleep than I do now. I used to wake up at least 3 times a night needing the toilet, and have much more restless sleep. I used to always take at least an hour to get to sleep, and Garmin counts that as light sleep.
Now, I need to get up less during the night. My body doesn't need as much repair from, or filtering of the alcohol.
Now, I fall asleep within about 10 minutes. I have deeper sleep, and wake refreshed.
I need to spend less time in bed, but it's more restful when I do, and I'm much more productive during the day.
Hi, Orphia!
Your sleep graph, and insights into your sleep quality since quitting alcohol, is really interesting! I do find that I fall asleep easier and generally feel more rested in the morning as well. Congrats on the 50km run! Are you training for a race? I've been running avidly for ~10 years, have raced primarily half-marathons, but now finally feel physically and mentally ready to tackle the marathon distance.
Karen
@kcn2bluesky Awesome! Good luck!
Here's my thread about my 50 km run:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10673530/i-ran-my-first-50-km-run-31-miles#latest
I didn't race, I just wanted to do 50 km on my own.
I just downloaded "Nomo - sobriety clocks", the top Apple app for sobriety.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/days-sobriety-clocks/id566975787
The app lets you check in and do a sobriety exercise if you're tempted, and connect with accountability partners. Haven't tried that stuff yet though.
I set up an alcohol clock, and it says I'm on 142 days AF (last drink Jan 31), and have saved $815.60, and 286 hours of time.
I calculated I'd spend $40 per week, and wasted 2 hours a day.
Looking at my sleep helped me work out how much time I've wasted.
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@Orphia Amazing! All the time saved not drinking is eye-opening.
@salleewins 5 months- WOW! It can be done, and you're proving that! Congratulations!
@kittybenn Seattle is gorgeous! I went there for a visit last summer. Yes, the Florida heat is almost too much; but I am having such fun anyway. I'm in Naples. We saw a few dolphins on a boat ride. I'm enjoying being away and with sober people. My liver thanks me every night! Xo5 -
@Orphia and @salleewins You two are very inspirational!
@Orphia Thanks for looking for the easyquitdrinking app. I can't find it either. I don't like removing things but I am getting anxious to finish this for next month's thread.
I have added nomo to the recap.
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Here is the resource recap draft again. July's thread is right around the corner and when I hand this off to @JulieAL1969 I intend to be done with it. I am open to any suggestions or corrections. Remember this belongs to you not me. Also, remember that when things like the tips were typed up they were done informally not realizing I was going to do this so any changes there to clean them up or add to them I think is appropriate.
If you have any corrections please try and only quote the part of this post to which they apply and not the whole thing.THE MFP LESS ALCOHOL ONE DAY AT A TIME RESOURCE RECAP LIST
TIPS:
Credit to @JulieAL1969 for this general tip list:- Make it through ten days Alcohol Free and you will be feeling so good!
- Annie Grace (This Naked Mind author) has a free 30 day program on her website (https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/) called the 30 day experiment. You can join even anonymously and you get a Facebook type page for you to post on your wall. But the whole site is only for people who join (and it's not on Facebook).
- Arm yourself with alternatives: tea, find some mocktails, for those cravings. They say cravings last for 6 minutes so you need to find something to do for that six minutes.
- For the die hard who really wants to quit, go to YouTube and check out the videos by Craig Beck; he scares you straight about alcohol. He also has a program you can join.
- Find some books to read; treat this like a college class. (Some suggested book titles listed below) You will put in a lot of work but you can do it.
We are here for you; we care about you. Check in with us when you have time and let us know what you need!
- We drink to ease the stress of the working day, to avoid it.
- We drink to avoid anxiety in social situations.
- We drink to avoid making decisions about not drinking.
- Our problems don't go away if we avoid them. We need to learn to face them.
- I've learned that not drinking makes the problems often go away (e.g. drinking out of worry about drinking).
- Having a clear head makes our problems seem much smaller.
- Having a clear head makes problems easier to solve.
Credit to @Orphia for "Tomorrow You"Be Kind to "Tomorrow You"
Instead of lumbering myself with guilt, headaches, and poor nutrition hangovers in the morning, I think of think how nice it would be not to feel that way tomorrow.
I worry about "me" and don't want "Tomorrow Me" to feel awful.
Instead of thinking alcohol is something nice to have *now*, think of *NOT drinking* as something nice we can do for the person we are when we awaken in the morning.
Do you bank calories for a festive occasion? (Handy tactic, I might add.)
We can bank a good mood for when we wake up.
We need to have sympathy for "Tomorrow You" and be kind to her/him.
Don't look at a day without alcohol as a punishment for being bad or having no willpower.
Not drinking is a lovely, sympathetic gesture towards the person we are now, and whom we will wake up as.
You’d be kind to a stranger. Be kind to Tomorrow You.
LINKS:
A Sharing Site for Women:
http://www.drinkingdiaries.com/about/
General Information/Blog Sites:
https://thesoberschool.com/
http://www.hipsobriety.com/
https://joinclubsoda.co.uk/
https://thisnakedmind.com/blog/
The Thirty Day Experiment:
https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/
Ten Things That Helped Me Quit Booze:
https://unpickledblog.com/2017/01/04/replacement-behaviours-ten-things-that-helped-me-kick-booze/?wref=tp
The Neuroscience Behind How We Make Decisions:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201505/the-neuroscience-making-decision
Summary of Book on Addiction:
https://drgabormate.com/book/in-the-realm-of-hungry-ghosts/
To the Mom questioning her drinking habits:
http://www.scarymommy.com/questioning-drinking-habits/
Guided Meditations:
http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations
ALTERNATIVE DRINKS:
Overnight Cold Brew Iced Tea:
https://www.splendidtable.org/story/you-can-cold-brew-iced-tea-while-you-sleep
Mocktail Recipes:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/1822/drinks/mocktails/
https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/mocktails
APPS:
Dry January & Beyond - The Dry January & Beyond app is for those who want to cut down or cut out the booze throughout the year, while seeing the impact it has on your health and wallet.
EasyQuitDrinking -
nomo - Sobriety Clocks - In addition to an alcohol clock and monetary savings this app lets you check in and do a sobriety exercise if you're tempted, and connect with accountability partners.
BOOKS:
The Naked Mind by Annie Grace
Alcohol Lied to Me by Craig Beck
Rational Recovery by Jack Trimpey
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
The Liars Club, Cherry, and Lit by Mary Karr (3 publications)
Kick the Drink...Easily by Jason Vale
VIDEOS:
https://youtu.be/T3eIiS-Rl4k
https://youtu.be/Qiueo1nVyF8
https://youtu.be/VB5WyBeFc8U 6 - Make it through ten days Alcohol Free and you will be feeling so good!
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@NovusDies Thank you so much! This took a ton of work for you. And you are so smart to put it all together. I am amazed! I am also so thankful for each one of you; we all play an important role in keeping each other motivated, encouraged and supported. Thank you from the bottom of my heart @NovusDies for putting this all together. When we start the July thread, please copy and paste this to it. It will be extremely helpful for our new friends and old ones, too.
When we get to July, the year is half done. I expect we will have an upswing on new friends. It just feels so much better facing life, problems, stress and even good times, with a clear head and healthier body. We've all come a long way, I think.
Xoxo6 -
How do I find the July group? Or is this it? I have a few trips lined up and I’m going to try and just don’t drink until those trips and really really try only drink a couple days during them.
Why do I make it a habit of drinking daily.
5 kids summer break I guess it helps break up my evenings, gives me something to look forward to something for me.
I’ve put on a good 15 lbs needs to come off. Thanks everyone. I can’t wait. I’ll really need the encouragement and friends.6 -
Famof72015 wrote: »How do I find the July group? Or is this it? I have a few trips lined up and I’m going to try and just don’t drink until those trips and really really try only drink a couple days during them.
Why do I make it a habit of drinking daily.
5 kids summer break I guess it helps break up my evenings, gives me something to look forward to something for me.
I’ve put on a good 15 lbs needs to come off. Thanks everyone. I can’t wait. I’ll really need the encouragement and friends.
We are here for you! each month I make a new thread. Next month , it will be called Less Alcohol- July 2018- One day at a time. Someone will post the link to this thread when July comes.
Your brain is complicated. Look at NovusDies posts for some book or video suggestions. It will take time to rewire the brain. We get dopamine from alcohol like sugar and sex. So, our brain craves alcohol to get that lift. But we also know it causes weight gain and depression. It doesn't help a thing , just harms our brain and body. You can make changes.3 -
Has anyone bought the book The Mindful Drink Workbook by Rachel Hart?0
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Thank you, @NovusDies, for keeping that list together. I've been with this group since January, so have heard about these resources before, but to have them gathered in one place is just excellent.2
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NovusDies: Just saw your request for a summary of the EasyQuitDrinking App. Aside from keeping track of health stats re: total good health effects (like how long it takes your liver to regenerate, brain regeneration, weight loss effects etc, etc), money saved, drinks passed, it has help to "beat an urge" with a game to distract you from acting on a craving (by the time you play the game the urge has passed) & a motivation & tips section that you can personalize to keep on track, plus some other features that I can't list cause I'm already way over on my one line you requested. I'm not sure why you can't find it, cause I am a TECHNO-TARD & If I can find it anyone can....keep looking!!!
And BIG thanks for your time & effort to supply that list of resources.1 -
Famof72015 wrote: »How do I find the July group? Or is this it? I have a few trips lined up and I’m going to try and just don’t drink until those trips and really really try only drink a couple days during them.
Why do I make it a habit of drinking daily.
5 kids summer break I guess it helps break up my evenings, gives me something to look forward to something for me.
I’ve put on a good 15 lbs needs to come off. Thanks everyone. I can’t wait. I’ll really need the encouragement and friends.
Welcome! Happy you're joining us
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I want to share with you my struggle and what has worked for me the last week or so. I was adamant on going dry because I have made up my mind that I cant do moderation. So I kept failing and it was depressing and I was disheartened....but then I got this idea from some place that since I am struggling maybe I just cut back. So I was able to cut back quite well. As I feel more in control of my urges I am quite sure I can go dry again. Just another data point6
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