Less Alcohol - JULY 2020 - One Day at a Time
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5 drinks/20 days....my plan is to not drink rest of the month ideally...but my brain is saying I am ok with slipping in one more day. Hmmmm.....
Truth be told, the day I do drink this month would be for a temporary "escape".
I honestly have zero interest in 1 or 2 drinks these days. It likely would be the whole bottle of wine. At drink 3, high energy kicks in and I can keep going.
For me, over-doing it 1-2 days a month still medically poses a big risk to my health. I need to be logical about this and not fall on rationalization excuses.
I have to think about this more in-depth. In the meantime, goal for today- and everyday- is to make it a good one........10 -
I've never heard anyone say drinking made their problems get better.
It nearly destroyed me. 15 years sober and I can tell you my only regret is that I didn't stop sooner.
I encourage anyone interested in ending their relationship with alcohol to do so. If I could do it, anyone can.9 -
Sounds like the weekend was a bit rough for many. Well, count me in. I got a call Friday evening from the brother-I-never-had (intentional family), 26yr professional colleague, and just a very close friend. He was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. He lives in Washington DC and has already been referred to NIH for treatment. He starts a grueling chemo regimen next week lasting for 16 weeks. I was wracked with grief and fear. So I had a couple days of drinks before pulling back. Apparently I have learned to drink right up to my limit without feeling like crap the next day. Not something to be proud of, I know. But I did escape a punishing hangover on Sunday. Listening to several Rachel Hart podcasts since then. Although I have not heard her address grief yet, hmmm.
@dawnbgethealthy Your flowers and veggies are gorgeous. You can see all the work you have put into them. I want some black petunias next year! First year for growing flowers for me. Also I'm the only person I know who has flunked geraniums. Must be operator error.
@globalhiker Love the list of healthy, planned activities. I am much less tempted to drink when I'm busy. Thank you.
@Carp614: I agree. Alcohol NEVER solved anyone's problems. Unfortunately, it does a great job of anesthetising emotional pain. Which is exactly what I was using it for last weekend, with intention. And congratulations on 15 years AF! No small accomplishment.
Glad everyone is feeling better!
Take Care10 -
Made the Absolute worst choice yesterday. Thought I'd make a cranberry drink using 100% cranberries, no sugar or concentrate ingredients. Added a smidgen (or two) of "vodka" and a bit of ginger beer. Then I tasted it (YUCK! hack-poo!), followed by my best choice of the day: I dumped it out and went back to water! lol9
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18/21 AF days this month. Surprised as *kitten* (I love working the kitty in!) that I'm perfectly fine not having a drink yesterday or today. Prior to my break, esp with my partner being gone for a few days, I would have been 3/4 through a bottle by now. I chalk it up to breaking that old habit of drinking whether I or my body felt like it. Of course, my body didn't feel like doing my HIIT workout either. But I did it (half-arsedly but still...)
Ya know, my partner and I discovered a new hobby together at the cabin. Crossword puzzles. I never in a million years would have guessed that either of us would enjoy doing them. But we do. Together. I've had several surprises during my 4+ month alcohol break. I now say "Never say never" and mean it because I keep getting surprised by new things I'm liking.
@dawnbgethealthy Lovely garden babies! Is it too late to develop a green thumb at my age (which is essentially your age)??? All I can grow and not kill is catnip (Mr. Kitty and Pancake are grateful).
@globalhiker Great list. I just signed up on a volunteer site. Hope I can find the right work which helps me and helps others. It's been missing in my life (other than donating blood).
@Carp614 Indeed. But we all have our own paths. Luckily while we walk them alone, it's kinda like we are all connected with a rope.
@Doxmum Hugs...can't imagine dealing with this under "normal" circumstances. Be gentle with yourself for sure.
Hugs everyone!
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@mainelylisa
Never too old to begin gardening, it is a very zen-like experience.
Catnip is a good thing to grow!
Especially if you like seeing your cats be silly : - )6 -
Hi. I am Dawn. Turning 60 in September.
I live in SE BC, Canada.
I started on this thread November 28.18 - at that time I was having drinks every day. That first AF day was very hard! I vowed to have 1AF day per week to start, then progressed to 2AF days per week etc.
My goal now (that is working for me) is 16-20 AF days per month. I have been keeping within that since last October. I am comfortable and happy with that goal. If I exceed that, then great.
I have never ever been able to exceed 3 drinks or I throw up. Moderation is thrust upon me.Wednesday July 01 - AF - Happy Canada Day.Friday July 17 - Drinks. I was making most of them, so I poured my own as a half shot each.
Thursday July 02 - AF - Super long day at work. I kept thinking about having drinks tonight if I could ever get through the day. I used the delay tactic when I finally did arrive home so hungry and tired. I'm sure tomorrow will be better for having abstained.
Friday July 03 - AF - Scheduled Mojitos with a gf tomorrow after garage Sale-ing and the farmer's market. Would have liked to have a couple today after being up a ladder painting in the hot sun, but saving it up.
Saturday July 04 - Mojitos and stuff.
Sunday July 05 - AF - Felt like having drinks though.
Monday July 06 - AF - I might have drinks at band practice tomorrow, we'll see.
Tuesday July 07 - AF - I was going to have drinks if the guys were drinking beer at practice, but they drank water today, my super water : - )
Wednesday July 08 - 3 drinks. I have been trying to not have drinks unless I am happy and celebrating, or on a nice sunny day when I have spent many hours working in my yard. Now that I am back to working long stupid days my will power just went out the window. I didn't get home until 10pm and hadn't eaten since the morning. I was hungry, tired, stressed. The first sip of a drink felt really nice.
Thursday July 09 - AF - Another late night getting home, I didn't finish dinner until 11:30. I worked for Foster Grant today, and they require us to wear masks and gloves when servicing stores. Not comfortable. I peeled the mask and gloves off outside the store into a garbage bin, really thinking about having a drink when I got home. I could too easily slip back into daily drinks after work, I will have to work at not doing that.
Friday July 10 - AF - I have a friend in town staying with another friend. I was invited for drinks on the outdoor deck. They are not heavy drinkers, but drinkers nonetheless. I wanted to at least get my 2AF days in a row. I am getting together with them tomorrow afternoon. I may have drinks. I avoided going tonight because I can't always resist when others are drinking around me and getting giggly.
Saturday July 11 - A bunch of drinks in the hot sun on my friends patio.
Sunday July 12 - AF - Slept early and awoke early (4am). I didn't feel fantastic, but after lemon water and some coffee I went for a nice 2 hour hike and felt back to normal after that.
Monday July 13 - AF
Tuesday July 14 - AF - Time to trim this long post down. I do like to look at it when I log on, but I can do that with reducing it to a spoiler.
Wednesday July 15 - AF - that was a real test of willpower, my morning started out with the flusher arm on the toilet snapping argh. My workday was ridiculous, and a bunch of other crappy things today. I am trying very hard to not have drinks when I am stressed, only when I am happy. Today was a test, I know that some numbing would have been lovely, but I also want tomorrow to be a better day, and I don't want to jeopardize that with possibly not feeling well.
Thursday July 16 - AF - I just plum didn't go out into the field for one of the companies that I work for today, I was so stressed out from working for them yesterday. It was only to be 2 small merchandising jobs at 2 grocery stores today, but as long as I get there, build the displayers and do their signage and stuff by the 24th it will be okay. I got spoiled being on lay-off from some jobs, and taking a leave of absence from the one that I hate working for so much. It was the happiest that I had been in many years, puttering around the house and the garden, listening to music, playing in my garden, waking up when I felt like it. I love being alone, so self-isolation suited me perfectly. I posted my best AF totals during that time. It would have been easy to slip back into having drinks at the end of a long stressful workday, really trying not to. Expecting to have drinks with friends over the weekend - socially distancing outside of course.
Saturday July 18 - Ditto to Friday. No regrets. Fun beach day and socially distanced visits.
Sunday July 19 - AF - Time to rack up some more AF days. I got lots of drinks out of my system over the weekend: Mojitos, Cosmos, wine, rum punch, beer, pisco sours. I had very moderate servings of all. I felt fine today, not so fine Saturday morning, thinking it was the 2 ounces of wine, because I didn't have any wine yesterday.
Monday July 20 - AF - Got out to "my" lake today for the first time this season, I was at a different lake over the weekend. How nice it was to float on my floatie, stay cool, and tan. (Well, I have a tan from my garden, but being in the water gives a better tan lol). I carry a Frozen Mike's Hard Lemonade in my little water cooler, sort of an adult slushie. I use it like ice to keep my water cold only, then back into the freezer. I am sure that I will drink it eventually, but until I locate my other ice packs (packed with more summer stuff?) it will do nicely.
Tuesday July 21 - AF - Always happy to hit 16AF days, some months it has been right down to the wire. Nice to have a buffer of days.
Rolling total: 16AF days out of 21 days.5 -
Good morning crew. Such wonderful reads on here.
The lake sounds refreshing both @mainelylisa and @dawnbgethealthy. Even though I live on the ocean, I am a true lake water girl at heart.
@forestdweller1 I agree, you have a way with words. Keep it up.
@docmum 💜
I have to keep telling myself I AM doing good with drinking less. I suppose there is a little part of my brain that "thinks" we are going to never have alcohol again. I just know that is not the case, yet sometimes I get anxious about number of drinking days verses number of drinks. Two totally different counts and two totally different less drinking approaches.
So that being said out loud for accountability:
Day 21 of July
6A days
15AF days
Hope everyone has a fantastic day.😎
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Made the Absolute worst choice yesterday. Thought I'd make a cranberry drink using 100% cranberries, no sugar or concentrate ingredients. Added a smidgen (or two) of "vodka" and a bit of ginger beer. Then I tasted it (YUCK! hack-poo!), followed by my best choice of the day: I dumped it out and went back to water! lol
Ugh, nothing worse than unsweetened cranberries! Hack-poo is right, and hilarious!5 -
Book club tonight, so it’s planned drinking. But I cut off at 1.5. I need to drive home, after all!
@dawnbgethealthy what a beautiful lake! I’m a huge fan of that view! Enjoy floating on it.5 -
6:35 am in Vegas another 24 💖4
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5 drinks/21 days...time to kick it in high gear and power through the rest of the month...6
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@Doxmum : sad to hear about your friend, that is a heavy challenge...HUGS and wishes for a better than expected outcome......5
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Well I found a new reason to not drink over the past few nights-I’ve been trying to see the comet here in the NE about an hour or two after sunset. Which means driving out of our suburb at 10pm to go to the community garden. Finally had clear skies...and discovered we still can’t see it bc of the local area lights. It was worth trying though. Did any of you live in a place to see it?
Not sure if AF did the trick, but the scales finally moved down after 3 weeks!9 -
We saw it! It was pretty cool, I have to say!8
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Hi. I am Dawn. Turning 60 in September.
I live in SE BC, Canada.
I started on this thread November 28.18 - at that time I was having drinks every day. That first AF day was very hard! I vowed to have 1AF day per week to start, then progressed to 2AF days per week etc.
My goal now (that is working for me) is 16-20 AF days per month. I have been keeping within that since last October. I am comfortable and happy with that goal. If I exceed that, then great.
I have never ever been able to exceed 3 drinks or I throw up. Moderation is thrust upon me.Wednesday July 01 - AF - Happy Canada Day.Tuesday July 21 - AF - Always happy to hit 16AF days, some months it has been right down to the wire. Nice to have a buffer of days.
Thursday July 02 - AF - Super long day at work. I kept thinking about having drinks tonight if I could ever get through the day. I used the delay tactic when I finally did arrive home so hungry and tired. I'm sure tomorrow will be better for having abstained.
Friday July 03 - AF - Scheduled Mojitos with a gf tomorrow after garage Sale-ing and the farmer's market. Would have liked to have a couple today after being up a ladder painting in the hot sun, but saving it up.
Saturday July 04 - Mojitos and stuff.
Sunday July 05 - AF - Felt like having drinks though.
Monday July 06 - AF - I might have drinks at band practice tomorrow, we'll see.
Tuesday July 07 - AF - I was going to have drinks if the guys were drinking beer at practice, but they drank water today, my super water : - )
Wednesday July 08 - 3 drinks. I have been trying to not have drinks unless I am happy and celebrating, or on a nice sunny day when I have spent many hours working in my yard. Now that I am back to working long stupid days my will power just went out the window. I didn't get home until 10pm and hadn't eaten since the morning. I was hungry, tired, stressed. The first sip of a drink felt really nice.
Thursday July 09 - AF - Another late night getting home, I didn't finish dinner until 11:30. I worked for Foster Grant today, and they require us to wear masks and gloves when servicing stores. Not comfortable. I peeled the mask and gloves off outside the store into a garbage bin, really thinking about having a drink when I got home. I could too easily slip back into daily drinks after work, I will have to work at not doing that.
Friday July 10 - AF - I have a friend in town staying with another friend. I was invited for drinks on the outdoor deck. They are not heavy drinkers, but drinkers nonetheless. I wanted to at least get my 2AF days in a row. I am getting together with them tomorrow afternoon. I may have drinks. I avoided going tonight because I can't always resist when others are drinking around me and getting giggly.
Saturday July 11 - A bunch of drinks in the hot sun on my friends patio.
Sunday July 12 - AF - Slept early and awoke early (4am). I didn't feel fantastic, but after lemon water and some coffee I went for a nice 2 hour hike and felt back to normal after that.
Monday July 13 - AF
Tuesday July 14 - AF - Time to trim this long post down. I do like to look at it when I log on, but I can do that with reducing it to a spoiler.
Wednesday July 15 - AF - that was a real test of willpower, my morning started out with the flusher arm on the toilet snapping argh. My workday was ridiculous, and a bunch of other crappy things today. I am trying very hard to not have drinks when I am stressed, only when I am happy. Today was a test, I know that some numbing would have been lovely, but I also want tomorrow to be a better day, and I don't want to jeopardize that with possibly not feeling well.
Thursday July 16 - AF - I just plum didn't go out into the field for one of the companies that I work for today, I was so stressed out from working for them yesterday. It was only to be 2 small merchandising jobs at 2 grocery stores today, but as long as I get there, build the displayers and do their signage and stuff by the 24th it will be okay. I got spoiled being on lay-off from some jobs, and taking a leave of absence from the one that I hate working for so much. It was the happiest that I had been in many years, puttering around the house and the garden, listening to music, playing in my garden, waking up when I felt like it. I love being alone, so self-isolation suited me perfectly. I posted my best AF totals during that time. It would have been easy to slip back into having drinks at the end of a long stressful workday, really trying not to. Expecting to have drinks with friends over the weekend - socially distancing outside of course.
Friday July 17 - Drinks. I was making most of them, so I poured my own as a half shot each.
Saturday July 18 - Ditto to Friday. No regrets. Fun beach day and socially distanced visits.
Sunday July 19 - AF - Time to rack up some more AF days. I got lots of drinks out of my system over the weekend: Mojitos, Cosmos, wine, rum punch, beer, pisco sours. I had very moderate servings of all. I felt fine today, not so fine Saturday morning, thinking it was the 2 ounces of wine, because I didn't have any wine yesterday.
Monday July 20 - AF - Got out to "my" lake today for the first time this season, I was at a different lake over the weekend. How nice it was to float on my floatie, stay cool, and tan. (Well, I have a tan from my garden, but being in the water gives a better tan lol). I carry a Frozen Mike's Hard Lemonade in my little water cooler, sort of an adult slushie. I use it like ice to keep my water cold only, then back into the freezer. I am sure that I will drink it eventually, but until I locate my other ice packs (packed with more summer stuff?) it will do nicely.
Wednesday July 22 - AF - A stressful workday when I would rather have been at a lake. I wanted drinks, but am really trying to not drink to reduce stress and numb me out. Plus, I am basically finished field work for the week, just paperwork to do from home so I should be able to get to some lakes during our heatwave here before the Albertans arrive for the weekend.
Rolling total: 17AF days out of 21 days.5 -
@Samand303 I had forgot about the comet. But a GF of mine saw it and took pictures with her fancy high power camera. It looked amazing and had a shooting star going through it had that moment.
Congrats on seeing that scale move down from your less alcohol awareness.
@globalhiker and @Womona good job on your accountabilities.
Ugh, wish this humidity would lighten up were I live. Seems it has been non stop for weeks. The thing I do know is that many cold iced down alcoholic drinks do not pair well with me during a heat wave from my past experiences. So yesterday I stopped and bought a giants iced coffee to dip on the way home. WAYYYYYY better and then had the energy to go out into my jungle gardens.
22nd day of JULY
16 days AF
Would like to finish out the month with no more drink days. (My husband is trying to sabotage my hard efforts by buying things I used to like to drink that he does not😡)
Have a successful day.
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@MissMay what is wrong with the hubs...enabling you, really? I guess my hubs does that too on $beer night at the Legion, lol. He likes for me to go with him but knows if I go I am not drinking beer so he better open up the wallet. His thing is that he doesn't drink at home anymore and I still/used to like to.
GREAT NEWS from my camp! My non-household families have all recovered from COVID-19 and are off the quarantine list. My parents are still tired and doubt they will go anywhere anyway but they are happy to be clear. Their cleaning service dropped off hospital grade cleaner to use before their next scheduled appointment, even though they said the virus does not live long on hard surfaces. Also, my COVID antibody test (as part of my blood donation) came back negative which means I have likely NOT been exposed to the virus. Key word: "likely". One more week of self-prescribed quarantine and I can hold my 4 mo old grandson again.
@Samand303 I am super-excited to be down 15+ since starting this thread. Can't credit it all to the lack of drinking calories, but I think it all ladders up to making better decisions and being more motivated to eat right and exercise because I'm not drinking (much). I hope the scale drop can be a great motivation for you as well!7 -
5 drinks/22 days.....Applause to you folks who are losing weight from mostly being AF!
9 days left to the month. What do I want instead of wine? One more lb. gone.....! I have to JUST.DO.IT.5 -
GREAT NEWS from my camp! My non-household families have all recovered from COVID-19 and are off the quarantine list. My parents are still tired and doubt they will go anywhere anyway but they are happy to be clear. Their cleaning service dropped off hospital grade cleaner to use before their next scheduled appointment, even though they said the virus does not live long on hard surfaces. Also, my COVID antibody test (as part of my blood donation) came back negative which means I have likely NOT been exposed to the virus. Key word: "likely". One more week of self-prescribed quarantine and I can hold my 4 mo old grandson again.
Actually, it is opposite, it can live on hard surfaces for 14 days, soft surfaces less.
So glad to hear that your family is out of the weeds! It can take months for people to recover, we have an athlete here in Canada who was super healthy before contracting and is just going into month 4, thinking that she would be over it in 2 weeks and is not.
Our "super-spreader" here in Canada now are people in their 20s - obviously they are selfish and don't care - they might think that they are invincible, or don't love their elders or respect that they can infect others. A 27 year old died here of Covid19, don't they listen?
Do we really need to lockdown in order for people to be careful??? Aren't we adults? Don't we want to keep our communities safe?
Argh. Sorry for the rant, just...4
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