Less Alcohol- June 2018- One Day at a Time
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salleewins wrote: »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!
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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.
[snip]
@JulieAL1969
I think @NovusDies (and I) would like it if you posted the resources in the OP of the new threads.
Here's the direct link to the resources post:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/42203076/#Comment_42203076
Bookmark that link, so you can find it each month.
Sorry, hope you don't think I'm being bossy. Just don't want the info to get lost, and want to help others find it.3 -
I was thinking the second post but yeah I was planning on handing it off because otherwise we would have to coordinate each month when next thread is started or it might not end up on the first page.
Please don't use the post @orphia linked though because it is not the final version.1 -
There doesn't seem to be a final version.2
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I haven't posted it yet.
ETA: I was working on it again earlier with my wife to clean it up a bit more and I added the info for that other app.
EATA: Everything is done except the Tomorrow You section. I am trying to figure out how to have it take up less space. I may add bullet points to it, I dunno. I will figure it out tomorrow. The final version is coming soon though.4 -
I am happy to do it. It wasn't that much work really and if it helps just one person it was worth doing.6
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I realized I haven’t actually checked in on the thread topic in awhile cause I was wrapped up in personal things. And since I am coming up on 6 months with this group I figure I’ll give a progress report.
Those that have been around since Jan know weight loss is my goal here. And maybe you remember my extreme anxiety back then about going out in public. It seemed I was terrified to go anywhere that booze might be. I can honestly say I have that beat now. I really have moderation down. And my health really is my obsession now. I still allow one weekend night to enjoy drinks and an unhealthy meal. But it is very easy for me to just say no if a drink is offered, and easy to go into a bar and order water. Or if I feel like some drinks an extra night one week, I am extra prepared with my diet and make sure I hit the gym to fight off the extra calories. Yes I have had two weeks that seemed like I was losing it, but I really learned from those weeks rather than used them as an excuse to give up.
I hope I am not coming off like I am bragging. I know many can’t moderate. But for those that might be able to, I hope this might encourage that it is a possibility.
Also, I am down 25 lbs and am 1/2 lb away from being out of the 250s for the first time since 2016! Of course that last 1/2 lb is being stubborn, haha9 -
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Great work Erik.
I joined this thread with the focus on weight loss. I have done well with the weight loss but learned a lot about how alcohol effects me. I still have not decided what to do post June. May try moderation, may continue AF. I watched a video by Annie Grace on moderation and she does not believe it is doable. Made me frustrated and I really wanted to drink last night. I was going to hit the grocery store last night but feared if I went wine would have been in my basket. So I did not go to the grocery store until this morning. The feeling has passed. Wednesday makes 2 months AF for me and I refuse to not get that.5 -
@trishfit2014 everyone’s journey is different. I think you will know what is right for you.
I have no idea who Annie Grace is but I am proof that moderation is possible. And so are a lot of people I know. If her info helps alcoholics get straight then I applause that. But I hate people like that telling me what isn’t possible for the whole world. If that makes any sense.
I have never been a problem drinker my whole life. My problem was the empty calories from alcohol combined with the fact that I usually ate greasy food when I did drink.5 -
Today marks day 1. I was going to wait until July 1. But after last night, nope!!! I’m having next day regrets, I’m going over and over what I did what I said. It was a small town festivities stayed out too late. And I’m feeling it today. Not worth it. Now tomorrow is going to be a challenge. Right around 3-4 pm when I have been starting to have one. I’m going to drink maybe a diet pop or more lemon water, something to form a healthier habit. It’s time.4
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Famof72015 wrote: »Today marks day 1. I was going to wait until July 1. But after last night, nope!!! I’m having next day regrets, I’m going over and over what I did what I said. It was a small town festivities stayed out too late. And I’m feeling it today. Not worth it. Now tomorrow is going to be a challenge. Right around 3-4 pm when I have been starting to have one. I’m going to drink maybe a diet pop or more lemon water, something to form a healthier habit. It’s time.
Anything is possible. And it sounds like you are ready. The past is the past. And I agree, have a plan when those cravings will hit. It takes time to break the mindset. Xo Cheering for you!3 -
I was a very heavy drinker who was dry for nearly 4 months. I even managed to get off my BP meds by not drinking - so stoked! So last weekend I thought I could start drinking casually again. So I tried one beer on Friday...OK. Then I tried 2 shots of bourbon on Saturday...OK. Then another beer on Sunday...still OK. Bammo - I have this under control!
Last night I had a little more since I was so "under control" and ...- I woke up on the couch at 3 AM - TV blasting.
- Felt like crap in the morning shower - again.
- Disappointed my wife again.
- Etc.
BTW - I never liked sweets much when I was drinking all the time - probably because I didn't want to use up my bourbon calories. When I quit drinking, I found that ice cream is so freaking awesome ;-)
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Sorry Ed. You know you can do it.2
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Famof72015 wrote: »Today marks day 1. I was going to wait until July 1. But after last night, nope!!! I’m having next day regrets, I’m going over and over what I did what I said. It was a small town festivities stayed out too late. And I’m feeling it today. Not worth it. Now tomorrow is going to be a challenge. Right around 3-4 pm when I have been starting to have one. I’m going to drink maybe a diet pop or more lemon water, something to form a healthier habit. It’s time.
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I would like to apologize in advance for those sick of seeing me post this resource list over and over again. Hopefully this is the last 2 times. One to show how it should look and the other to make it easy to copy and paste for @julieal1969 in future threads.1
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MFP LESS ALCOHOL ONE DAY AT A TIME
RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LISTAlways remember that we are here for you; we care about you. Check in with us when you have time and let us know what you need!
TIPS:
General Tips to Get Started by @JulieAL1969:- After ten days remaining Alcohol Free you will feel a sense of accomplishment and feel more healthy!
- Annie Grace (This Naked Mind author) has a free program on her website (https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/) called the 30 day experiment. You can join anonymously and get a Facebook-type page for posting on your wall (exclusive to members).
- Cravings are said to last only 6 minutes, so find something to distract you like arming yourself with alternatives: tea, mocktails, activities, etc.
- For those ready to commit to being alcohol-free permanently, the videos on YouTube by Craig Beck will help. He also has a program you can join.
- Educate yourself with books and web research (Some suggested books and links listed below).
- You will put in a lot of work but you can do it.
- To follow this thread easily, bookmark it by clicking on the star at the top right of this thread.
When Alcohol Is Used for Avoidance by @Orphia:- 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.
How to Be Kind to "Tomorrow You" by @Orphia- 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.
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 - Provides health stats, money saved, games to distract you, motivational tips, and several other features
- 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 different publications)
- Kick the Drink...Easily by Jason Vale
VIDEOS:
https://youtu.be/T3eIiS-Rl4k
https://youtu.be/Qiueo1nVyF8
https://youtu.be/VB5WyBeFc8U
Credit and Thanks to the MFP Less Alcohol One Day at a Time participants for their resourcefulness in finding and sharing this information.MFPLARD 06.24.18 Version 1.06 -
@julieal1969 If you copy and paste this it should show up like it does above.
[center][b][u]MFP LESS ALCOHOL ONE DAY AT A TIME RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LIST[/u][/b][/center] [center][i]Always remember that we are here for you; we care about you. Check in with us when you have time and let us know what you need![/i][/center] [b]TIPS:[/b] [u]General Tips to Get Started by @JulieAL1969:[/u] [list] [*]After ten days remaining Alcohol Free you will feel a sense of accomplishment and feel more healthy! [*]Annie Grace (This Naked Mind author) has a free program on her website (https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/) called the 30 day experiment. You can join anonymously and get a Facebook-type page for posting on your wall (exclusive to members). [*]Cravings are said to last only 6 minutes, so find something to distract you like arming yourself with alternatives: tea, mocktails, activities, etc. [*]For those ready to commit to being alcohol-free permanently, the videos on YouTube by Craig Beck will help. He also has a program you can join. [*]Educate yourself with books and web research (Some suggested books and links listed below). [*]You will put in a lot of work but you can do it. [*]To follow this thread easily, bookmark it by clicking on the star at the top right of this thread. [/list] [u]When Alcohol Is Used for Avoidance by @Orphia:[/u] [list] [*] 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. [/list] The Takeaway on Avoidance: [list] [*] 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. [/list] [u]How to Be Kind to "Tomorrow You" by @Orphia[/u] [list] [*]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. [/list] [b]LINKS:[/b] 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 [b]ALTERNATIVE DRINKS:[/b] 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 [b]APPS:[/b] [list] [*]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 - Provides health stats, money saved, games to distract you, motivational tips, and several other features [*]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.[/list] [b]BOOKS:[/b][list] [*]The Naked Mind [i]by Annie Grace[/i] [*]Alcohol Lied to Me [i]by Craig Beck[/i] [*]Rational Recovery [i]by Jack Trimpey[/i] [*]The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober [i]by Catherine Gray[/i] [*]The Liars Club, Cherry, and Lit [i]by Mary Karr[/i] (3 different publications) [*]Kick the Drink...Easily [i]by Jason Vale[/i][/list] [b]VIDEOS:[/b] https://youtu.be/T3eIiS-Rl4k https://youtu.be/Qiueo1nVyF8 https://youtu.be/VB5WyBeFc8U [i]Credit and Thanks to the MFP Less Alcohol One Day at a Time participants for their resourcefulness in finding and sharing this information.[/i] [right][i]MFPLARD 06.24.18 Version 1.0[/i][/right]
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