The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living

Jennifer1Gore

What an awesome thread! I am AF for 1 year and 20 days. I was diagnosed with a tumor last year on October 1st, and swore to cut out alcohol and get my life and health back on track. I am vegetarian, slowly cutting out dairy.

RubyRed427

Jennifer1Gore wrote: »

What an awesome thread! I am AF for 1 year and 20 days. I was diagnosed with a tumor last year on October 1st, and swore to cut out alcohol and get my life and health back on track. I am vegetarian, slowly cutting out dairy.

Happy to hear from you. Congrats on 1 year and 20 days! Xo Hope you’re doing much better this year healthwise.

hookmcrosseyed

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.

joha5603

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.

Lol! I may have found myself in a flower garden or two myself. Thanks for the laugh and the reminder of why I'm on this journey.

donimfp

Hi Guys. It’s been a while. My job in juvie is totally my calling. It’s a ministry. And I’m still not drinking. Love you all and especially Julie for starting this up in January. Got to sign off because I barely have time to brush my teeth but I wanted to say goodbye and thanks to all. Xoxoxoxo.

RubyRed427

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!

RubyRed427

donimfp wrote: »

Hi Guys. It’s been a while. My job in juvie is totally my calling. It’s a ministry. And I’m still not drinking. Love you all and especially Julie for starting this up in January. Got to sign off because I barely have time to brush my teeth but I wanted to say goodbye and thanks to all. Xoxoxoxo.

You are amazing and inspiring. It is your calling to work with this population. Your heart must be so fulfilled and exhausted too.

SunnyDays930

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.

jhilkene

@JenT304 I hope your blood work comes back OK too!
I recall having to retake a test or two because of drinking the night before.

All the temptation everywhere with the holidays sure is tough.
I almost considered having a drink on Halloween. Instead, I keep reminding myself of all the negatives that come with drinking.. and there are waaay too many of those than positives. I'll stick with a piece of candy corn, and maybe an M&M.

SunnyDays930

@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.

RubyRed427

JenT304 wrote: »

@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.

islandbeez

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!

salleewins

JenT304 wrote: »

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!!

SunnyDays930

@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!

salleewins

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.

jhilkene

@salleewins great job on 9 months!!
((Hugs))

fdhunt1

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.

joha5603

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!

tifano

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.

LC0924

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 ☺️