Less Alcohol - DECEMBER 2020 - One Day At A Time
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At my son's last night for dinner (50 miles away other side of Houston). 1 glass of a nice small pour red wine with steak & shredded brussels sprouts dinner. Did not indulge in the beer, scotch and wine pouring freely before dinner. I grabbed the keys to drive home ... DH was ok with that decision though he said he was fine.
I'm not getting my AF days this month but I really am enjoying the "LESS" concept. Over the past 4 months I'm proving to myself that I enjoy my wine more stopping at 1-2 glasses when it is a nice wine much more than drinking 4-6 glasses and not remembering how nice the wine was or drinking crap.
Found this in an idiom dictionary:
Less is more - The notion that a smaller amount of something can be much more effective than a large or excessive amount.
Thanks again for being here for accountability!6 -
New home for the thread, but the same goals for me, 16-20 AF days per month.
Friday December 11 - AF - Felt like having a brandy when I came in from skating on a lake, but I had drinks yesterday, so thought better of it.
Saturday December 12 - Drinks after skating.
Rolling total: 8AF days out of 12 days6 -
Thanks for the nice comments on my quilts. I am working on a brain buster that kept me AF last night.
I have come to realize that I just continue to drink, moderation doesn’t work well for me either, like some of you said.
@MissMay - I sure can identify with your post this morning about waking up to all of that. It’s weird to have an AF night and not automatically wake up with guilt.2 -
2 glasses of wine with dinner & playing cards with DH. Drank hot tea while cooking dinner and afterward.
Keeping it reasonable! 5 -
New home for the thread, but the same goals for me, 16-20 AF days per month.
Friday December 11 - AF - Felt like having a brandy when I came in from skating on a lake, but I had drinks yesterday, so thought better of it.
Saturday December 12 - Drinks after skating.
Sunday December 13 - AF - Felt like having drinks after skating. I usually feel like having drinks actually, sometimes more than others. Planning AF tomorrow too.
Rolling total: 9AF days out of 13 days5 -
My girlfriend did not verbalize her anger with me the other day. Instead she texted me the pictures she took of me after I got home. She asked if the pics reminded me of anyone? Hard pill to swallow. Yes I told her, my Mom.
Back to my path of drinking less than my friends.
Thank you for having this place to come. I get inspiration from reading all the posts.11 -
Sometimes it's good when the solution doesn't come to you right away, or it's not yet clear (I feel like that often), to just change one behavior, one thing you do....
Today busy with Santa work here, lotsa online shopping. Trying not to feel down about Christmas being different with nobody visiting. But that down feeling is hitting me. Nervous about family in healthcare getting the Covid vaccine this week.
Decision time. Who runs my life? Wine devil or me?
Tomorrow I lift weights and run, I have to, to get my psyche strong and feel lifted. It's all I can do.
Option B is drinking and eating and getting fat, not so good. Plus I give into the "wine devil" and I am still quite pissed at him.
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@mainelylisa Yep, don't give up your "lerberties", no matter what
@MissMay Moderation Brewing? I'm hooked on Athletic Brewing's Run Wild N/A IPA. I have a monthly subscription. It is as good as any alcoholic IPA I've had (w/ the possible exceptions of Dirt Church and NE Hazy). They are out of Stratford, CT. High-quality N/A beer must be a northeast thing.
@mainelylisa I see a Run Wild logo in your pic. What do you think?
@globalhiker If the border ever opens, I'm in for the hiking out of Cranbrook w/ @dawnbgethealthy.
On nothing in particular: the virus rages on in Montana too. DH and I will be spending Xmas w/ each other. We both recently tested negative (must be doing something right) but negative tests (these were PCR, the most accurate) are still no guarantee of a non-infectious state. Only serial tests and no symptoms provide any kind of assurances.
The ski hill opened 4 days ago. Most of the terrain is not open yet, unfortunately. With some more snow it will be soon and with that my mental health will improve exponentially.
Doxmum is baaaack!
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Good morning! I think everyone could use a giggle on a Monday. Remember I said that I'm a little friskier when drinking? Well I decided to try to spice things up with a purchase. Now when posting here, I see this ad every other time.
(On a related note, I virtually dated the founder of this company a few decades ago, but was in the dark about his company. I remember asking him what he was doing for Bring Your Daughter to Work day.)
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LISA!!!!!!!!!!!! That is too funny.
@globalhiker you run your life. Kick that wine devil in da balls!
@cmb44512 that dies not sound like a pleasant text. I hope things are smoother between you two by now. Keep up on putting one up in that cupboard every other day.
@Lilylady3k shredded brussel sprouts? Wow that sounds delish. Good job keeping it reasonable.
MONDAYS more glitter today. Toss it as far as it is needed!5 -
@mainelylisa ... That is hilarious!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂 The only ad I get is for sheets that are good for night sweats.🙄
On another note, I was AF Fri-Sunday. I can’t remember the last time I did that. I got a lot done over the weekend, and hopped right out of bed each morning.
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Doesn't it feel good, @AR10at50 ?
I was shocked to find I dropped another pound this week even with massive (for me) oatmeal cookie dough consumption. Reminds me that alcohol screws big-time not only with cravings, but metabolism as well. https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol-and-weight-loss#alcohol-and-weight-loss8 -
Helps so much when DH doesn't open a second bottle of wine! Only 1 bottle per night over the weekend. AND absolutely nothing this evening Baby steps for him which definitely keep me on track as well.
AF this evening.
Dec accountability: 2/13 days AF4 -
New home for the thread, but the same goals for me, 16-20 AF days per month.
Friday December 11 - AF - Felt like having a brandy when I came in from skating on a lake, but I had drinks yesterday, so thought better of it.
Saturday December 12 - Drinks after skating.
Sunday December 13 - AF - Felt like having drinks after skating. I usually feel like having drinks actually, sometimes more than others. Planning AF tomorrow too.
Monday December 14 - AF - Kind of a low energy day for me today. Early morning and long day tomorrow, so best to be AF.
Rolling total: 11AF days out of 14 days4 -
@Doxmum
The Kimberley ski hill here opened on Friday.
Too bad that we can't cross the border, you could have gotten some skiing in here this weekend.
Have you skiied Kimberley before?
@globalhiker
Hang in there, you have been AF for so long! Is it getting easier?
Kudos to your resolve.
@mainelylisa
So funny that you dated that guy and now his company pops up on your computer all of these years later!!
@MissMay
Dang, I missed the glitter bomb today : - (
Maybe I will get glitter dreams tonight : - )5 -
@AR10at50 that is great progress, even better, you're over the hardest part, IMO
Yes @dawnbgethealthy it is WAY easier to be AF for a stretch. Usually for me the first few days are the worst, then it's easy. It does make one want to eat more but this go-around I am focusing on the protein and adding in a 15gr serving of a protein early afternoon, like small piece of chicken or meat or even some peanuts in the shell.
It's working to keep the sweet tooth in check. I'm also not doing any stringent diets now because I tend to fail if I try to chase too many goals all at once. I've also increased my calcium intake as I think @Lilylady3k once suggested to me, and my hormones feel quite balanced (I take liquid calcium citrate/mag/D). No cravings!
@Doxmum hey welcome back !! Send us ski pix when you have them please....
@MissMay and @mainelylisa you both are my inspiration and keep me going, good AF leadership!
Yesterday I ran 11 miles, all hills, and spent the afternoon in bed in repair mode trying not to move. So far all body parts are still operational. I'm crazy.
9 AF days until Christmas Eve non-AF party for me. Just 9 days more. My biggest concern at this point is if I have more than 2 drinks that day, I will have a 3 day monster hangover at least. That's my fear. Hope that will motivate me to go easy.5 -
Take-aways from my online readings about dopamine:
1. drinkers crave drinks because they run low on dopamine
2. tyrosine, found in protein foods and seeds, makes dopamine in the body
3. diet rich in tyrosine resulted in higher dopamine levels in alcoholics and addicts
4. this diet helped stabilize their moods, reduce sugar cravings and have better self control
Food for thought!
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It just dawned on me that in a few weeks I will be AF for a full calendar year. I was trying to think how far back I would have to go to find another calendar year. My best guess about 33 years.
I can't really say it is an accomplishment though because it was never a goal. If Covid had not cancelled my cruise I believe I would have had some drinks but that ship didn't sail. There was a time that I might have thought in terms of paying myself back for not drinking but that is not me anymore, or at least not right now... I try not to get too cocky. I am not sure what day count AF I am now but I am in my 19th month which is also bizarre since that wasn't a goal either.
I do think it is time to cull my alcohol "stash". This might sound weird but my reluctance to get rid of any of it is partly because I am afraid I will feel compelled to replace it. I have this weird OCD thing about being out of stuff I might want. I have not needed to buy anything since my later attempts at moderation which is about 2.5 years ago. If I got rid of too much and I end up going to the liquor store I am slightly concerned that it will be a habit trigger. I prefer to stay out of that version of me's shoes as much as possible. While I prefer to not try to wake a sleeping dog I am also irritated by how much valuable storage space it consumes. I have 6 or 7 large bottles and probably 5 small/medium ones and that doesn't count wine. I usually purchased my staple items in cases because of discounts.
What probably makes the most sense is getting rid of it slowly and leaving a minimal amount.
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Geez, I just went to grab a bottle to add to the trash and I put it back. I might have to ask my wife to do it. I am so weird with some things...8
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Late day check in for me.
@NovusDies it is good to have you back in here with us. Here is what I truely admire in your postings. You have what most would consider a phenomenal dry streak for the amount of months you have been at this AF streak. YET you have never to my account, claimed you were abstaining for life. One month, 6 months or one year of an AF streak should NOT EVER be considered a fail for anyone if you have not preached sober for the rest of your life.
You are a very great influence for the LESS ALCOHOL thread.
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globalhiker wrote: »Take-aways from my online readings about dopamine:
1. drinkers crave drinks because they run low on dopamine
2. tyrosine, found in protein foods and seeds, makes dopamine in the body
3. diet rich in tyrosine resulted in higher dopamine levels in alcoholics and addicts
4. this diet helped stabilize their moods, reduce sugar cravings and have better self control
Food for thought!
Thank you very interesting4 -
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Late day check in for me.
@NovusDies it is good to have you back in here with us. Here is what I truely admire in your postings. You have what most would consider a phenomenal dry streak for the amount of months you have been at this AF streak. YET you have never to my account, claimed you were abstaining for life. One month, 6 months or one year of an AF streak should NOT EVER be considered a fail for anyone if you have not preached sober for the rest of your life.
You are a very great influence for the LESS ALCOHOL thread.
Total abstinence is not my goal nor does it need to be. I moderated my alcohol for years. Many years ago I moved from once a week drinking to mostly daily. I wasn't sure I could go back to moderating but I didn't see any reason to label myself until I gave it a try. I knew I needed to be prepared to give it up completely but no reason to start there (for me). It was not a smooth transition and my concern level began to grow when I kept failing to adhere to my initial cutback plan. It definitely had a grip on me but it was not THE grip. I think I did need my first long AF streak (3 or 4 months) to cut the cravings. After that first dry period I was able to drink on my terms with the ability to pick it up and then put it back down for 2 weeks, a month, or, as it turns out, several months.
Alcohol, like food, has a smaller place in my life now. A more appropriate place. However, this whole streak has gotten kind of out of hand. It started with my new normal plan of abstaining over the summer, then it ran into a surgery that required no drinking for almost another 4 months, and then it just snowballed.
I have every intention of drinking again. I am just not sure what that looks like at the moment. I do not have any rules for drinking other never 2 days in a row again and I think it best to avoid patterns. For instance if I started drinking every Friday night again, I might form a habit and then I might feel compelled to satisfy the habit instead of it being something I really want to do. I want make sure I stay in charge completely.
I do not pretend any of this will work or will be necessary for someone else. This is solo journey. It requires a person to define what is true for them, what works for them, and what doesn't work for them. A person is not likely to know everything they need to know when they start trying to drink less. They just have to be open to learning. I am still learning.7 -
And we are learning from you @NovusDies3
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New home for the thread, but the same goals for me, 16-20 AF days per month.
Friday December 11 - AF - Felt like having a brandy when I came in from skating on a lake, but I had drinks yesterday, so thought better of it.
Saturday December 12 - Drinks after skating.
Sunday December 13 - AF - Felt like having drinks after skating. I usually feel like having drinks actually, sometimes more than others. Planning AF tomorrow too.
Monday December 14 - AF - Kind of a low energy day for me today. Early morning and long day tomorrow, so best to be AF.
Tuesday December 15 - Drinks. My guitar player from Kimberley came into my town to skate a lake with me at 9am, which mitigated my work day : - ) Drank a bunch of water after my few drinks tonight. I will get 2 AF days in a row after this, as taught by @NovusDies
Rolling total: 11AF days out of 15 days4 -
I CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF THIS QUOTE
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Dinner at my sister's. She had wine. DH stopped and bought wine which we now have in our wine rack at home. We had plenty of wine. 3 glasses for me ... I could have had much more but stopped drank water and insisted on being the driver home afterwards (<5miles). DH had 1 bottle plus another glass (so 6 glasses) + 2 bourbon & cokes when we got home.
Dec accountability: 2/15 days AF6 -
8 more AF days to Christmas Eve countdown...you know what I miss about being a kid at Christmas?
Sledding...we used to have a basic sled and race other kids going down a steep hill in our neighborhood. Of course we often crashed into one another too. What fun it was.....
As adults, I think we just don't play enough. Leisure time is way, way too focused on restaurants and drinking to get one's "happy" going. We could benefit from more games and outdoor activities in our lives, in my opinion.8 -
@globalhiker - We used a very large upside down round metal coke sign as our sled ... nothing to hang on to but the rim and it could spin if you we're careful. We ran into stands of baby pine trees to slow down before stopping at the lake's edge (that was not frozen). My little brother once ran into a bigger tree riding by himself ... I still remember explaining to my mom and she was not happy ... he was spitting up blood.
Currently I live where there are no hills or snow ... Houston. Miss those fun activities too!
DH & I are both AF this evening. I had book club over Zoom and drank water in my festive Christmas wine glass.
Dec accountability: 3/16 days AF4
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