The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living
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@jhilkene yes candy is far better for you than a drink! I may have one treat then the leftover bags go off with hubby to work the next day.
I have just eaten two delicious Lindt chocolate balls. Better than a drink, like you said. Since alcohol is sugar, and chocolate is sugar, we crave it. Jen- good luck on your SouthBeach diet. You can make it through a few hard days of craving sugar and carbs! You are a strong woman. I’ll join you on this diet, too. I am going to library later to sign out the book.4 -
South Beach is really good and balanced, I get a lot of great recipes from this site: https://kalynskitchen.com/
I have followed a low carb/keto diet for most of the last 10 years. I think that's why I never craved sugar when I cut out alcohol? Who knows but it makes sense to me. Last night though, I had a delicious mexican dinner out with my family and came home and had a piece of cheesecake; it was heavenly!
Another AF weekend in the books for me! Wishing everyone a successful week! 7 -
Welcome to @hookmcrosseyed and @Jennifer1Gore and hey there @donimfp. It's great to see old and new faces here! I started the South Beach Diet yesterday, the old school, blue book one from the early 2000's, not the newer one where they send you food in the mail. Anyway I am extra cranky without my wine, and now, no sugar and carbs for the time being. I've done it in the past and it really does work. Check it out of the library and try before you buy if you are interested. I have my annual physical in December and hope all my blood work numbers are good, especially my liver. My cholesterol was through the roof last year and I feel like that was due to my heavy alcohol consumption. Hopefully everything, including my weight, will be in the normal range. So fun to be starting a diet with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in front of us.
Love the jump start for the new year!!2 -
@islandbeez thank you for that recipe site! I just looked and there are so many yummy ideas! I will be sure to try some of these!2
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It gets easier everyone!! Hang in there for the miracle!! I remember someone telling me when I had a few days, I think, that I will have a life beyond my wildest dreams and to keep going. I thanked him, but in my head I said, "yeah, right". He doesn't know what I have been through. Now I think there is at least some truth to this. I have been through hell most of my life, but I was keeping it going with the self destruction with alcohol. Why would I ever want to take myself down?? Haven't I been through enough?? I couldn't see it at the time and when I could I didn't care. It is sad when you decide you are drinking so much that you don't care if die this way. Alcohol can make you out of your mind. I didn't always drink that heavily, but I just kept going and could not stop. I just quit cold turkey once I talked to my now sponsor. I went through 2 other sponsors and dismissed them, lol. I am a tough one, I know. I drank up to the time of calling this sponsor of which she wasn't happy, lol, as she would of rathered I called before I drank. Every day is a new day and I believe I will never be out of the woods, so I can't drink again. I am so excited that it can be 9 mo. on Tuesday.8
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@salleewins great job on 9 months!!
((Hugs))2 -
Fell off the wagon this weekend & bought a bottle of vodka "to see if I can quit with booze in the house". Yeah right! Had a couple martinis and it didn't take long to realize I made a huge mistake. Poured the remaining bottle down the sink this morning! No more.8
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30 days AF on the books. This is, historically, a tough place for me (in my lengthy 4 months of attempts - ha!). I celebrated with a big crazy hike, in which I denied the peak and napped for a half hour instead. Pure bliss. Still, 2,500 elev gain in 3.5 miles (7 round trip)....yowza!
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Hello all. I've posted several times in the past but I'm not a regular so I'm just getting caught up on everyone. I'm happy to hear of those hanging in there and those struggling. To the suffering please keep trying. Don't give up.
I celebrated 6 years of sobriety in August. For me the only thing that has ever worked is the program of AA. Seeking and growing a relationship with a higher power of my understanding, working the steps as outlined in the Big Book with a sponsor and helping others. I've tried almost all other methods before surrendering to AA. AA is the LAST thing I tried and the only thing that's worked.
What I've realized that drinking was just a symptom. I have a living problem and I drank so I could live. I drank until that solution to live no longer worked. I came into sobriety not wanting to be AF for life but to learn how to drink like a lady and develop some coping skills. After several attempts of trying to do this on my own and moderate I realize that I'm not a moderate drinker and I never will be. I was at the point where it was do AA or go on to the bitter end. I chose AA. Today I still can't say that I'll be AF for life. I can say that in this moment I don't want to drink and I pray daily for my HP (higher power) to keep me sober today and at the end of the day thank my HP for another day of sobriety.
From the outside looking in I have a great life (and I really do)...loving and supporting husband, 2 kids, good job, good home, nice car, no DUI/OWI's, legal issues, etc but on the inside I was dying...I was paralized with depression, anxiety, anger and fear.
@lorainequiche59 I don't have decades of sobriety/recovery but I do have experience in this area.....to answer your question about dealing with freinds/family that just kind of stop talking to you because of your life choice to stop drinking. What you're enduring is normal, what I had to tell my family is this is my issue not yours and please don't censor yourself on my behalf. My "friends" that I had before recovery I realized were just drinking buddies and never really true friends and my new friends are in the rooms of AA. The best thing about these friends is we truly care from the bottom of our heart about the quality of our lives. Not to say my drinking friends didn't care for me but it's different. Recovery is life and death for us.
Good luck to all and if you have questions at all about AA and if you need help getting connected in your local area please reach out to me. I'm happy to help. I live to help others who struggle with addiciton, it's my life's calling.
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Hi friends! I have been here since the start of this board but I’m usually more of a lurker than a commenter (and I admit it! lol) but today is 90 days and I am so excited about it. Thanks for being around, for being honest, and for being inspiring ☺️11
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Think I need to do this... I suck at moderation, but I know how hard its going to be with Halloween and the holidays... plus I work nights in a bar. But I make such crappy choices, and all the beer does not help my waistline.
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Hi friends! I have been here since the start of this board but I’m usually more of a lurker than a commenter (and I admit it! lol) but today is 90 days and I am so excited about it. Thanks for being around, for being honest, and for being inspiring ☺️
That's incredible. Those first 90 days are the toughest! Keep up the great work6 -
Fell off the wagon this weekend & bought a bottle of vodka "to see if I can quit with booze in the house". Yeah right! Had a couple martinis and it didn't take long to realize I made a huge mistake. Poured the remaining bottle down the sink this morning! No more.
I can't have it in the house either, like certain foods.
If I buy it, I'll drink it. It won't just sit there untouched.
I could probably go out and have a drink, just can't bring it home.2 -
Hey guys, just wanted to say, that it does get easier. I , for the most haven't had a problem, matter of fact, I went for about 10 years AF, just to see if I thought it was necessary, and then for about 5 years drank off and on, I d go for months drinking and then stop for Lent, New Years, and then would have some here and there.....not much, but I guess moderate........I then took my lipids, the blood tests that the Dr takes every 3 years or so ,and noticed my liver functions increased....not a whole lot, 40 is normal for an ASGOT reading, and mine was 55, so I stopped and its back to about 44 and I am having new labs done in Feb , and Im sure Ill be at 40. I read that drinking can raise cholesterol, LDL, and can impair liver functions, and decided to stop again, so I had just a bit of wine , a glass back in April , Easter time ..with family members and haven't had any since.......it gets easier, month after month..Also, I had seen this video, and after watching it, realized how very very lucky I am to be able to drink or not, and have no problems with which ever decision. For me, in my humble opinion, I like that I don't have to worry about it. For me, and again, this applies to me, its not worth the stress, worry, planning, regrets, etc about drinking..... You all can do it, I have read many of your stories and it helps me realize that having a father, grand father, great grand father, brother who were alcoholics, that I could be predispositioned to be one.............so, I don't want to deal with it..............here is a video, if I ever think of it, which I don't , but if I do, I ll watch this and realize who fortunate I am....best wishes, Lloyd
watch this , take 44 minutes and see what eventually can happen to you if it gets out of control. You may want to fast forward the first 35 seconds, its kinda graphic, but its reality.....again, best wishes , we all can do it....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lny5u-HIwbg
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RubyRed427 wrote: »hookmcrosseyed wrote: »6 weeks tomorrow, been some hard days! All in all I'm glad I'm doing it. I was the guy that sometimes drank 3 or 4 beers, but other times I have slept in the flower garden. It's just something I don't need in my life and I find a hard workout is just so much better for my mind and my soul.
I must admit you made me smile! I once found my shoes in a flower pot after a wild night ; happy you are doing well!
lol-reminds me
once after a night that is more than fuzzy many years ago, i used my dorm phone to call my cell phone. my doritos started ringing. got excited. thought i won something.2 -
Been sober for over 35 years. Luckily I learned before my 22nd birthday that I can't tolerate alcohol in any amount. I am also lucky that my siblings never saw me at my worst. But they do agree that I'm silly enough without alcohol.
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@lloydrt What a depressing video!! An extreme example of addiction & very sad! What a waste of life. I was really hoping that he would be able to recoup his life, but sadly not. I'm actually wishing I didn't watch it.2
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@lloydrt wow that was a sad story. I have two cousins who died of alcoholism and know of two more like Ryan in the story who have passed away because they couldn't or didn't want to stop. Anyway , this type of show is beneficial because it de-glamorizes alcohol in a stark way. My heart goes out to people who are in the same situation as the boy in the video.3
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I watched the first couple minutes of it and had to turn it off. It was making me queasy and anxious. Nevertheless I appreciate why the documentary was made. We are reminded that alcohol truly is a poison and has no benefits whatsoever.3
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I couldn't bring myself to watch it I grew up with a kid named Mark, he worked at the neighborhood party store starting when we were in junior high. This was in the days when you could bring in a note from your parents for cigarettes or booze and they would send it home with you, and put it on your parent's account!
I would say Mark was an alcoholic before we left high school. I never asked, but just assumed he was allowed to drink there, or he certainly swiped quite a bit if not. He died of liver failure when he was 24. His family and mine had to watch this very young man die in a horrible manner. I didn't see him in his last months, but was spared none of details, and it has haunted me for so long. 6 -
I didn't want to pop into this thread at first; it felt a bit unfair seeing as a lot of folks here still struggle on a daily basis. But, while cleaning last night, I came across two bottles of liqueur that I'd received almost 4 years ago, and I never finished them. I tossed them out into the sink, and minutes later I saw this post pop up in the recent feed. I figured... maybe a sign.
I drank quite heavily when I was younger - somehow I had a higher tolerance level, and my friends used to make it a game to see how much alcohol they could give me. I happily played along. You'd think I'd have learned from my dad's mistake, having been the one to have to clean up after him most nights - instead it just made me feel 'more powerful' for not losing my crap when drinking like he did. Having an addictive personality, it obviously wasn't the best decision to make. It led to a few years of pretty hardcore drinking, and learning how to vomit shamelessly in public.
I'm thankful that, although I took to alcohol, I never quite got into going out / partying / etc. And when I moved away from my very encouraging friends, I was faced with the reality that I really just didn't enjoy drinking. I still tried it from time to time, but I slowly found myself transitioning over to AF living. Last night was the first time I realized that I hadn't drunk alcohol since the last time I tried to use some of that very liqueur I'd tossed out as a replacement for milk in coffee. That was 2 years ago.
Aaaand that's my little story. To everyone else still pushing and fighting every day - my respect, and more power to you!11 -
Island, I can understand as well. I had dated a girl, Bev in high school. Gorgeous, tall, smart , she had it all. I do remember that even back then, she had to have Boones Farm wine when we went out. A small liquor outlet sold to underage, never asked for ID, so we had no problem getting it being underaged. Fast forward, stayed friends wit her and her family, they moved, her dad was military. She eventually married, got divorced, her drinking put a nail in the coffin. Her abusing alcohol alienated her from her husband and family. The poor kids just dealt with it..really a sad situation. She did lose her looks . her health and ended up living in an apartment from the once beautiful home her husband and 2 children lived in. Sadly, she died while cleaning the shower about 4 years after the divorce. The police assumed she hit her head in the shower, and from what the evidence showed, she laid down in bed thinking it wasn't serious. She died in bed . Must have been a blood clot that went thru her brain. Her ex husband told me when they did the autopsy, her liver was green and hard as a rock..Her apartment had dozens of vodka bottles, some full, many empty. ........Once a beautiful striking mother and now down to this alcoholic stage in her life. . I stayed friends with her through out the years, but that was a struggle. She would call, drunk and just go on and on about her hatred for her ex husband and his new wife..I never saw her for years and when she did send a photo, my mouth dropped. Such a loss.....she had it all and lost it to alcohol...........I miss her and see how her 2 beautiful children have grown up........with out their mom.........it ruins so many lives. We all can do it, Ill keep you all in my thoughts7
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The harsh reality of what alcohol can do is eye opening,thanks for the video and the stories2
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This is some heavy stuff tonight. Thank you for your honest contributions.1
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I had a death in the family saturday ... drove 12 hours to the funeral, which was today.
I was the only sober person at the funeral.
I Guess alcoholism really does run in the family.7 -
I had a death in the family saturday ... drove 12 hours to the funeral, which was today.
I was the only sober person at the funeral.
I Guess alcoholism really does run in the family.
Oh man, that's rough. I'm sorry to hear it. ... but good on ya for keeping a clear head. Tough to do at times like those.5 -
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Today was really a horrible day at work and at life. I knew that drinking when I got home would have made it worse. So, I took a bath, watched some Netflix and ate some wings. I remind myself that there will always be a reason to drink, but just for today, I won’t. But it really does suck when you can’t escape bad situations with a few martinis. However, tomorrow I will be so relieved I didn’t bend.13
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RubyRed427 wrote: »Today was really a horrible day at work and at life. I knew that drinking when I got home would have made it worse. So, I took a bath, watched some Netflix and ate some wings. I remind myself that there will always be a reason to drink, but just for today, I won’t. But it really does suck when you can’t escape bad situations with a few martinis. However, tomorrow I will be so relieved I didn’t bend.
Hang in there, Ruby! On my toughest days I'm guilty of just going to bed early knowing it will all be better tomorrow. Good for you for taking care of yourself. ♥️3 -
RubyRed427 wrote: »Today was really a horrible day at work and at life. I knew that drinking when I got home would have made it worse. So, I took a bath, watched some Netflix and ate some wings. I remind myself that there will always be a reason to drink, but just for today, I won’t. But it really does suck when you can’t escape bad situations with a few martinis. However, tomorrow I will be so relieved I didn’t bend.
Hang in there, Ruby! On my toughest days I'm guilty of just going to bed early knowing it will all be better tomorrow. Good for you for taking care of yourself. ♥️
Thanks❤ going to bed early is also a good option. We do what it takes to stay sober. Xo4
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