Less Alcohol - NOVEMBER 2020 - One Day at a Time

dawnbgethealthy

I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.

I check in diary style.

Sunday November 01 - AF - I have been working like crazy in the yard and really wanted to have a couple drinks this evening, but just didn't want to start the month out that way. I have moved my Monday jobs to later in the week so that I can get as much as possible done in putting my gardens to bed before the rain and colder weather comes on Wednesday.
Monday November 02 - AF - Finally finished digging up the rest of the potato garden, pulling every weed and it is now covered until Spring. Hard physical labour, but the good kind. I definitely felt like having a drink, but I have to work very early tomorrow so didn't.
Tuesday November 03 - Drinks. Broke my rule and drank from long day work stress instead of saving my drinks days for happy days. I have been pretty good about this, just kind of failed on it today. I did feel better immediately though, left the stupid workday behind!
Wednesday November 04 - AF - A really good day working for my favourite company, and then home in time to get more work done in my yard while we are in a warm spell. Would have been a nice day for a drink, but of course I "used up" a drinking day for stress relief already.

Rolling total. 3AF day our of 4 days

dawnbgethealthy

My drink triggers (other than work stress, which I have been mostly successful at not drinking because of)
are usually to do with having the next day off. If I know that I don't have anything pressing or any responsibilities the next day is when I figure that I will have a couple of drinks.
I am also triggered when I am around others that are drinking. Not quite strong enough yet to avoid joining in, although I do try. Sometimes I just pass on get togethers for that reason. Now that things have moved inside there are less opportunities for get togethers that I might attend anyway. Indoor gatherings - I don't feel safe at this time of the second wave of Covid hitting us here.

MissMay

NOvember

NO holiday excuses that I need to chime in and drink everytime I run into someone during the holidays that are coming up.

NO stress from the hubs because he is layed off now and can not keep himself entertained.

NO slacking in my committed 90 day workout program.

NO over processing information I read or hear.

Well this is a good list for my month of No's.

MissMay

~~News flash~~
Coming for December this thread is moving. Stay tuned

globalhiker

@Lilylady3k hugs and prayers for your family. Really really hope he wakes up today and starts to improve.....

@dawnbgethealthy I have been following in your footsteps all along and your level of commitment keeps me going, really!

@MissMay you won't believe this but my DDH (dear drinking husband) announced to me today that it may be a good idea for him to take one day a week "off" from drinking. Like wow. Today is the day and let's hope it happens.

If it does, I will believe in miracles.

MissMay

@globalhiker huge WOW you lucky woman. I hope your DDH follows through on his words. 👍

mainelylisa

Hi my Less Alc family! I've been hiding at the bottom of a can of Rose. Ok, and sometimes at the bottom of a bag of gummies. But I'm starting to feel ALIVE and HOPEFUL again! I'll have to catch up this wknd, but hope everyone is doing well and for those struggling, may you find strength in this community and in yourself.

LoveyChar

My evening beverage of choice, high fat and lots of sugar but I like it like that! I'll try all the seasonal creamers this month, peppermint mocha next, and then get it together for the new year, of course, and Marathon training. No coffee after 6:00...Sober November so far + 7days

dawnbgethealthy

I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.

I check in diary style.

Sunday November 01 - AF - I have been working like crazy in the yard and really wanted to have a couple drinks this evening, but just didn't want to start the month out that way. I have moved my Monday jobs to later in the week so that I can get as much as possible done in putting my gardens to bed before the rain and colder weather comes on Wednesday.
Monday November 02 - AF - Finally finished digging up the rest of the potato garden, pulling every weed and it is now covered until Spring. Hard physical labour, but the good kind. I definitely felt like having a drink, but I have to work very early tomorrow so didn't.
Tuesday November 03 - Drinks. Broke my rule and drank from long day work stress instead of saving my drinks days for happy days. I have been pretty good about this, just kind of failed on it today. I did feel better immediately though, left the stupid workday behind!
Wednesday November 04 - AF - A really good day working for my favourite company, and then home in time to get more work done in my yard while we are in a warm spell. Would have been a nice day for a drink, but of course I "used up" a drinking day for stress relief already.
Thursday November 05 - AF - Had to get my 2AF in a row.

Rolling total. 4AF day our of 5 days

dawnbgethealthy

Nice to see you @mainelylisa : - )

Lilylady3k

Mom made the decision today to move Mom's husband into a private room (out of ICU) and place him on hospice. His brother, his daughter, his granddaughter and great granddaughter are all in (16 hr drive). Fed the lot of them and helped my mom through this difficult time. Tucked her into bed this evening. My son is getting in around midnight going directly to the hospital to say goodbye (6hr). My sister is coming in again (she was here Sun-Wed) in the morning as well (5hr) ... oh and my sister said she made a big batch of orange cosmos (think uses the entire bottles to fill a jug) and she is bringing that with her.

2 glasses of wine (3rd poured but did not drink so DH has it). Drinking water now.
The guys ... that are around are sitting out on the porch drinking my Mom's husband's Johnny Walker Blue and swapping stories.

Oh I did get a 3 mile walk in this morning before all this started rolling downhill.

Nov accountability: 3/5 days AF

ambonds

Hi all, new here! Wanting to break some habits developed during 2020... So this November I’m attempting to be AF 4 days a week.

Generally this will be M-Th. If I have a weekday where I do drink, I plan to “swap” it out for one of my weekend days so that I maintain 4 AF days/week.

This week has been the first time in quite a while that I’ve done 4 consecutive days AF, so I’m pretty proud right now! Bought some AF “wine” and beer as a placebo, and it actually really helped me. Definitely looking forward to a glass or two of wine tomorrow though!

Nov 5: 4 days AF

Jaybo37

@Lilylady3k - my sympathies to you, this is a hard time, my sister in law passed earlier this year after nearly a month in a hospice. It’s a strange twilight world even more so in this weird pandemic world. I think you’re showing great restraint with the wine - well done you. I think sometimes alcohol is a crutch the night before that comes back to beat you up the next day, or at least that’s what my head feels like! Great you got a walk in, don’t forget you in the midst of everything, you matter too.
Reporting my first victory. I survived my elderly dads dinner visit with no alcohol, just slimline tonic for drinks. I had some snacks but even managed to stick to a calorie deficit. That’s now 5 days AF.
Tonight might be tricky but it’s in my hands how to deal with it. We’re having a takeaway (I think that’s take out for you USA folk😉) and Friday would normally be a bottle + night but I’ve alcohol free wine and beef if a Coke Zero doesn’t cut it.

globalhiker

My DDH (dear drinking husband) was successful last night in pulling off his own AF day. Yay. I survived with my latest treat: Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, the kind used for baking. No real chemicals in them and 70 calories for about 30 little chips. Love it.

Here's what my DDH told me:

Pulling an "AF" night is easier than you think. I don't know why you (meaning me) make such a big deal about it. It's only a 2.5 hour window from the time I get home to the time I go to bed anyway".

He did down 2 mega-large glasses of cranberry mixed with OJ before dinner. Maybe the sugar high helped?


Anyway, I will sit back quietly and hope we can do this again together, maybe Tues and Thurs, or something like that. Baby steps. And I need to keep my mouth shut because it has to be his idea of course.

globalhiker

Hola @mainelylisa you were missed!
I find Rose having some otherworldly super-addictive effect on me that other wine types do not do - no clue why! I could drink the sparkling kind endlessly. It's like having fresh gelato in the house. Just impossible to leave alone.

I had to ditch it and just allow myself to have it on Christmas and New Years.

MissMay

What an amazing sunrise this morning. I attempted to take a photo to share but my camera could not capture the beauty as my eyes witnessed it.
Welcome @ambonds you have found tge right place to support you on breaking bad habits of drinking. Great to have you. Congrats on your AF streak. And for the purchase of substitute beverages.

MissMay

Welcome back @mainelylisa. You have been missed as you can see from all our excitement to read your post. I had faith you would pop back in.....just saying! 😉

MissMay

@globalhiker 👍👍👍 for your husband last night.
I see you know how to play the game ( make it seem like his idea) I hear ya.

MissMay

@Jaybo37 your correct, it is take out for us in the USA. So now that you mention it, I want to pick up some tonight for myself.

LoveyChar

@Lilylady3k Even though I was a child when my grandma passed, I remember the siblings, her children squabbling over nothing significant and her death was nothing less than traumatizing because she had suffered for such a long time. I've taken care of thousands of people and I can honestly, wholeheartedly say that hospice care is my favorite care. You're essentially taking care of the whole family. One of the last patients I took care of was this elderly man with two adult daughters who could not get along with each other. He was comatose but one daughter would not grant him rest and the other was at her wit's end with it. Straw that almost broke the camel's back was the prayers said over father's body by annoying sister and other sister was furious, saying that dad would have told her to shut up if he could speak. My job for them, silence and just listen non- arbitrarily while focusing on dad. Sister was able to remain so calm under such a stressful time and not further rock the boat. The longer it goes on, the more agitated and anxious families get. It is nice, very nice, that you're all reminiscing about good times because in the end, it's one of the few things we've got left.