Less Alcohol - September 2018 - One Day at a Time
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Great thread, I am happy to say I finally have started my nearly-free alcohol journey. Cheers to us all for our efforts!!3
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OMG I found you guys! I have not been on this thread since May.
June, July and August are my travel, party, drinking, do it all before Winter months. I've picked up some weight. I don't regret it. I am back on track, I haven't had a desire to drink. But it feels good being back. I will have to catch up and do some reading.
Holy smokes....look who's in da house -> @dbanks80 welcome back.
Being aware of where you now stand with alcohol and wanting to cut back is a huge achievement for you @FeelinFooFoo. It truly foes take baby steps for the majority of us doing this. More power to those who can quit cold turkey ( what ever the vise may be that they are trying to control)
It sounds as though you plan is well thought out and having your partner on your level makes it a heck of a lot easier. Cheering for you.
😆winnerinky wrote: »Great thread, I am happy to say I finally have started my nearly-free alcohol journey. Cheers to us all for our efforts!!
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I read today that the UK have a new campaign called "Drink Free Days".
https://www.drinkfreedays.co.uk/
The site has a calculator that converts your glasses of alcohol to standard units.
Woah, I was drinking a lot!
I recommend doing the check.
PLUS, the site has an app!
Orphia, I have belonged to this site since this past Spring. EXCELLENT tools and references for cutting back or quiting. I love the daily calender to keep track of either no drinking day or how many and what type you did have.
The only thing is I am SHOCKED that the UK has higher drinking standards ratios. Women are allotted 14 drinks per week there compared to the 7 for the USA standard.( I will stick to the USA standard thank you! )
@viceam yes I am finally feeling better as of yesterday. That darn goldenrod going in my field was getting the best of me.
No, the UK standard drink is only 0.564 of a US standard drink.1 -
I hate to say that, for me, it's all about La Croix or club soda.
We're attempting two different themed months: September to Remember (only one or two days where drinks are allowed) and Sober October (cold turkey, baby).4 -
@MissMay - The only thing is I am SHOCKED that the UK has higher drinking standards ratios. Women are allotted 14 drinks per week there compared to the 7 for the USA standard.( I will stick to the USA standard thank you! )
Ok I see now.
The UK uses the term UNITS. Women are suggested to stick to 14 UNITS or less per week which would be equivalent to 7.89 US drinks by measure.
Makes my head hurt "to do the math".
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I went to Italy couple weeks ago. I have to say the wine there is phenomenal. I did overindulge but what was great is that I did not have a hangover not once. It is to the point that I really dont want to drink wine here because I am so turned off by the hangovers and lethargy. Maybe that is a good thing. What is in our wine that makes it so different from theirs.2
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Really enjoying everyone ‘s comments. I have managed 9 out of 11 AF days this month so far. I decided to allow myself 1 bottle over the weekend and that worked out fine. I managed to return to AF on the Sunday and sticking with it. I feel much more in control5
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@dbanks80, I remember you looking forward to Italy! It’s funny because just today I reread the journal I kept on my March trip. Such wonderful memories! Lots of mentions of vino and yes, no hangovers. I think it was the travel and the fact that my consumption was really more moderate than I realized because every experience there was just so rich. No need to drink crazy volume like I used to at home. Today is Day 42 AF and I’m loving it a lot.5
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This was very helpful to read! Thank you!4
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@MissMay - The only thing is I am SHOCKED that the UK has higher drinking standards ratios. Women are allotted 14 drinks per week there compared to the 7 for the USA standard.( I will stick to the USA standard thank you! )
Ok I see now.
The UK uses the term UNITS. Women are suggested to stick to 14 UNITS or less per week which would be equivalent to 7.89 US drinks by measure.
Makes my head hurt "to do the math".
Sorry, I replied very briefly earlier. I totally agree about the maths!
It's so confusing all the differences in standard units between countries, and I assumed the UK and Australia and the US were all the same.
I haven't got my head around it at all!
All I know is, the calculator said I was drinking more than 95% of women, and I'm so glad I've quit!
I should add, that I'm pretty sure that the women they're comparing me to all probably lied about how much they drink!
I wonder what the real percentage of people who drink more than the Australian 5 drinks a week is. I would guess 80%3 -
This was very helpful to read! Thank you!
Read all you want...we have plenty to say and lots of great inspirationalists on here.thesnackmonster wrote: »Really enjoying everyone ‘s comments. I have managed 9 out of 11 AF days this month so far. I decided to allow myself 1 bottle over the weekend and that worked out fine. I managed to return to AF on the Sunday and sticking with it. I feel much more in control
9 out of 11....that is so FANTASTIC. And at the same time you felt in control enough to have some alcohol and then resume your mission. Great job.
@Orphia Good to know I was not the only one scratching my head to make sense of the different standards for different countries. I did the drinking evaluation with my present life and my past life. I was in the severe red flag zone before. Now I am in the below average zone which is my happy place.
Thanks to you again for taking over this thread and giving us a new place every month to continue our journey. 😊
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I wanted to share a recent conversation with a former co-worker:
Me: we should get together for lunch again and invite Sue
Lisa: Sue says she can't do lunch, she can only do "happy hours"
Me: I don't do happy hours anymore (this really rolled off my tongue without thinking!)
Lisa: WHY? WHAT'S WRONG??? (she had a mortified look)
Me: (thinking geez, are all my friends alcoholics?) Nothing's wrong, it's just that I find it doesn't make me feel well. I drink wine on an empty stomach, wind up eating chips, go home to find myself eating dinner and drinking more because my blood sugar took a nosedive. Then I get on the scale next day to find I gained weight. Done with that!
Lisa: (smiling) I know what you mean
Me: Brunch on a Saturday would be great, let me know if Sue wants to come
Learning moment: This is a lifestyle change. Don't be afraid to re-direct your friends. For all you know, they may look up to you and be inspired to change as well
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Still taking baby steps. Blew my day 7 on Monday. Now on Day 2 again. Anniversary celebration today. Can I skip the champagne? Or, if I do not, can I stop at 2 glasses? We’ll see. I do not like how I woke up feeling yesterday. Headachy. Nauseous. Exhausted. Regretful. Work tomorrow will be torture if I do a rerun of Monday night.
I like what you said viceam... so true... Learning moment: This is a lifestyle change. Don't be afraid to re-direct your friends. For all you know, they may look up to you and be inspired to change as well 3 -
Are you really on your way if you quit counting the individual days, and just count the months ?? Friday will be the end of my 3rd AF month. Or the beginning of the 4th month
Not many cravings til last weekend, when I thought that it might not be a bad idea to curl up with a good book and a glass of Chianti. Or two.
Thankful that I drank my wine cellar dry when I started this, and that my area is flooded, so it would be a tough job to get to a wine shop.
Vintage 2018 Agua in my glass.
Keep on keeping on, everybody !!6 -
I too blow it sometimes but not too badly and it's becoming less and less frequent. This is helping - Starting the day with 1) a positive intention, 2) declaration of what my plan is for the day, and 3) being prepared and expecting to deal with thoughts that don't benefit me. Can we stop at 2 glasses? Absolutely, if we plan for it. Maybe drink 1-2 glasses of flavored sparkling water in between to fill up. Maybe keep bite size candy to help work through a craving, or maybe just not have anymore drinks on hand in the house. Drink an herbal tea a few hours before, eat a few hard boiled eggs, you name it, whatever helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel. Plan and prepare for success. The questions we ask ourselves need to change from "can I" to "I will". When a negative thought comes to mind, I tell myself I am the boss of me - nobody else- and certainly not alcohol. Time to get tough!8
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It’s so good to see that moderation is working for many of you. It’s all about self awareness.... What you can or cannot handle or live with. I think this thread is so helpful because it let’s us process our thoughts about alcohol with each word we type. For some, you may find moderation is too difficult to deal with and you may want to try a 30 days fast from alcohol-Just to see if you can and how you feel without it.
@forestdweller1 Congrats on 3 months AF.2 -
Great learning moment @viceam. I wish all conversations were that easy when discussing cutting back on alcohol. When I was seen drinking iced tea out this past Winter a person took my husband aside and wanted to know if I were pregnant because I was having iced tea. BHAhahahaha...really???? At my age?
Weather it be baby steps or a few steps backward. they are all steps in the right direction. I have started over with day one many many times. But at least I can say I have to start over. Drinking in access or heavily or what ever you want to call it did not start all in on day or night. And sometimes it takes a few restarts to have it click. No one is in the wrong in any of this.
I am proud to say my other new challenge is going well to. No late night snacking after my dinner. So far, day four and I have 4 stars on my side!!!
Great day to all.8 -
Just wanted to pop in and say good job to those making strides in moderating, abstaining, and/or supporting others in their individual goals. This thread and group were a great support to me early on in the year.5
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WinoGelato wrote: »Just wanted to pop in and say good job to those making strides in moderating, abstaining, and/or supporting others in their individual goals. This thread and group were a great support to me early on in the year.
WineGelato I have been thinking of you wondering how you are. I always loved your posts and informative input. Don't stay away so long. 2 -
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I was fine having lunch in a pub today. My son had a pint of beer, I had Bitters, Lime and Lemon.
Didn't feel any urges to drink at all. All the bottles behind the bar just looked like pretty ornaments.6 -
Still taking baby steps. Blew my day 7 on Monday. Now on Day 2 again. Anniversary celebration today. Can I skip the champagne? Or, if I do not, can I stop at 2 glasses? We’ll see. I do not like how I woke up feeling yesterday. Headachy. Nauseous. Exhausted. Regretful. Work tomorrow will be torture if I do a rerun of Monday night.
I like what you said viceam... so true... Learning moment: This is a lifestyle change. Don't be afraid to re-direct your friends. For all you know, they may look up to you and be inspired to change as well
Good morning all! Happy Friday i had a great anniversary, enjoyed dinner out and 2 glasses of champagne. And then i quit! Too frequently in the past, I'd get home and say hmmmmm, wouldn't an after dinner drink be nice and then proceed to drink til drunk, munch on whatever i had in the pantry.... chips, nuts, cookies.... and feel like crap in the morning. Felt good to enjoy the bubbly and still wake up yesterday feeling great. 8 -
SO inspiring to hear everyone's progress! Reflecting on this week, noticing good changes - I can run faster and more effortlessly, whites of my eyes are bright & sparkly, skin looks way less dry, lost 2 inches off my waistline, creative ideas come to me at work, & I feel generally calmer and more confident than before. Feeling way more grounded & think I am past that "physical" dependence stage and now need to work on "mindfulness". Trying out some free online mindfulness meditation apps and will see what it does....:)6
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You all ROCK!!!! Keep it going because I still love hearing/reading everyone's post. Each one has a special message.1
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I'm new here and so thankful to have found this!
A little about me...I'm 46 and married for 10 years. We have 5 kids, 26, 24, 23, 22 and 20(our only girl). We have 6 grandkids, 4 girls and the youngest 2 are boys. I live in Texas.
I have drank all of my life. I've gone for years not drinking and I've gone for years binge drinking. I'm currently on an 8 year streak where I drink at least a 12 pack a night. I've wanted to quit or cut down for years now. Last Friday, I went to the doctor and found out that my cholesterol is 3 times what it should be. I have never been more motivated than I am right now to change my life. Friday night I didn't drink anything. Saturday I had a bottle of wine and 3 beers(I would usually drink 2 bottles then have a few beers). Sunday was not a good day and I ended up close to my usual count. I've done better this week and can say that I have cut my usual in half. I realize that I am still drinking my weekly allotment in one day but I was drinking my monthly allotment in 2 days so I'm already encouraged by my progress. I started back on MFP because it always helps me to see that I destroy what was otherwise a healthy day with alcohol consumption every evening.
I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments and hope to be able to change more each week.11 -
Baby steps...baby steps. Try drinking several glasses of water before you start on your alcohol to ensure you aren't drinking more because you are thirsty \ dehydrated.
Try actually tasting \ savoring each sip. [okay, in my case, gulp]. If you find that you aren't enjoying the taste of each mouthful, you might as well save the calories & cholesterol bomb and go back to water.
Sooooooo much easier to say than do, isn't it ??
I actually lowered my stats enough that my doctor stopped yammering at me about being "pre-diabetic".6 -
@txmoonstar WELCOME. We all have different goals, levels and ideas of how we as individuals need to control our consumption. You are not alone in the things you have listed of ups and downs. It is never to late to get back in the level of control you want. It may be tough...real tough in the beginning. But you can get there. Thank you for sharing your intro. We are all here to listen at anytime you need.
@feelingFooFoo I hate to say it is normal. But it is to have unexpected bumps in this rocky road we are traveling on. But you did a good job on stretching out the S.O.B. cocktail and now you are seriously considering small glasses of wine VS large glasses. ALL GOOD in my eyes. And as you put it, another lesson learned.
I too was confronted with a friends husband wanting to buy a round at a place we went the other night. I was having lemonade and nachos. The friend and her husband arrived later at our seats as we were almost done with our beverages and food. As they talked more to us they ordered more alcohol for them. Then the next time around they wanted to treat us. Beer? he said to me. No thank you I said. Oh what was in your glass? Lemonade I said. He asked, REALLY??? Yup I replied. Another one of those then he asked? No I said seriously I can't drink any more fluids of any kind. Odd look from him....OK then he said. The end.
Everyone strive for your goals today what ever they are.6 -
Today I am committed to not drinking for one week. I have stopped drinking completely several other times in my life, but have never been able to fully quit. The longest I've gone is 7 months. I just came back from a 3 day conference where there were big fancy receptions and dinners each night so planned this week beforehand. I'm looking forward to feeling better and to using my calories for actual food instead of 2-3 glasses of wine.7
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