Less Alcohol - JANUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time
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Checking in, Happy New Year everyone! 😊
Rather like @mainelylisa I only had a few glasses of champagne last night and I've spent the day feeling sluggish, I'm looking forward to waking up with a little more energy tomorrow and over the next few days. I think these things have a cumulative effect; less alcohol leads to more energy, which tends to result in better mood and self-discipline, and so better eating habits (for me, anyway)8 -
Hi, everyone! My sister and I decided to take on a dry January this year and I had been dreading it for the past few days. I'm usually a daily wine drinker and look forward to dinnertime so I can enjoy a few glasses. I have to say, I've felt such freedom today not watching the clock for wine-time, since I know that it's not on the agenda today (we'll see how long that lasts, though!). So glad I found this thread and look forward to drinking less in 2021 with all of you!8
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What a day
I love ❤love❤ love all the holidays with their seperate decorating. It seems as if I had been decorating heavy from September - December FALL, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The house would flow from one theme to anpther without a blink of an eye.
This morning, bright and early(ok not so early for me, it was a late start at 7:30am) I began disassembling the house of the holidays. It had been 5 weeks since all the Christmas stuff went up including the tree.
Now, here I sit in my house that is totally put away. Not even an evergreen needle to be found on the rug.
Fresh look for a fresh year. Uncluttered with a clean slate.8 -
In case you indulged a bit to much New Years Eve. This may explain why you have HANGXIETY
Why Does Alcohol Cause “Hangover Anxiety?”
The brain’s effort to rebalance itself chemically post-drinking is a major factor in hangxiety. Like many substances, alcohol disrupts neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. Initially, this can cause a short-lived rush of euphoria. But as these “feel-good” chemicals recede, you may remember all the problems you temporarily forgot about, causing you to feel depressed or anxious.
Alcohol also stimulates the production of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that slows and calms the brain. Often, medication prescribed to reduce anxiety or improve sleep is designed to increase this brain chemical. If you’ve ever felt more relaxed and cheerful after a few drinks, it’s probably the result of GABA.
After a couple more drinks, your brain also begins to block an excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate, which studies have linked to anxiety. This generally makes you feel even more relaxed, especially if you already struggle with general anxiety or social anxiety. It can feel as though the chatter in your brain has finally quieted. And for a while, this feels wonderful.
But then, your well-meaning brain embarks on a mission to rebalance these chemicals. It begins to block GABA and produce higher levels of glutamate. Sometimes, this prompts a rapid swing from blissful calm to anxiety and dread.
Making matters worse, you may begin to recall embarrassing or unpleasant moments from the night before. Alternatively, you may recall nothing at all, which can also be alarming. The resulting fear or guilt can multiply the anxiety you’re already feeling.12 -
Started off the year with drinks. Met a couple on the golf course and stayed for the 19th hole. Drinks weren't planned but are in line with my desire not to drink alone. Plan to go the next 5 or 6 days AF.
1/1 2 drinks9 -
3oz champagne toast with DH, my mom & her friends that joined us for a late lunch. I did not join in the bourbon & cokes or the beers. Felt good.6
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New month, new year.
I amassed 19 AF days for December, I am happy with that.
I will post with my usual diary style to keep track of my AF days.
Keeping to my usual goal of 16-20 AF days per month, which is manageable for me and doesn't put too much pressure on me.
January 1 - AF - Had champagne last night, a bit fuzzy this morning but then went for a skate and felt better. Couldn't start off the new month with a drinks day.
Rolling total 1AF day out of 1 day7 -
globalhiker wrote: »Lilylady3k wrote: »Thank you @MissMay for the opportunity to be accountable!
My personal plan for 2021
Note to self --- Remember how hard it used to be? It's easier today than it was a year ago, and it will be a lot easier a year from today as long as I keep practicing my skills and don't give up.
* Primary goal in 2021: Do not drink to excess when drinking. This is most important to me personally … don’t go over 2 drinks in a night.
* Secondary goal this year: Strive for 12-16 AF days per month.
* Monitoring:
* Aim for drinking no more than 3 nights in a row.
* Make sure drinks fit into available calories.
* Don’t let drinking lead to snacking.
I really like your plan and would like to follow it also for January. Maybe I will designate set days to always be AF days, like Tues, Thurs, Sunday so it becomes a new household routine for us. Also including my dear husband.
Now, sticking to 1 or 2 drinks is impossible for me unless I only buy the amount I will consume that day. So I will be limited to those little mini bottles. And maybe that is OK.
@globalhiker - I like your idea of designated set days to always be AF. Previously I would target Mon-Thurs as my AF days and then strive for Fri-Sat as the days I let myself indulge. Sunday was a toggle depending on if I consumed alcohol on a week day I would use Sunday as the make up for an earlier slip. This worked great except DH likes wine most nights and would not keep to my AF free Mon-Thurs evenings with me. This might have been just too strict for him to support. I'll try out your Tues, Thurs, Sunday target and see if that works.
Last year I really worked on the 1-2 drinks very very hard. Once that 3-4 drinks were in hand there is no telling how many I consumed after the 3rd. It was just too easy to continue. That is my primary focus this year ... no more than 2 when I indulge. DH will never be able to support this from his front but I continue to try ... the less I drink the more there is in the bottle of wine for him and I'm trying really hard for the 2nd or 3rd bottle of wine not be uncorked. When my sister is involved it is usually 3-4 bottles of wine for the 3 of us. If the hard liquor is in the house we usually consume it as well. She makes these awesome orange cosmos and keeps them in her fridge which I avoided Aug-Dec last year ... not sure how I accomplished that feat!
So YEP ... out of sight out of mind really does work. Good luck!6 -
Welcome @NalaBellyFIT what a great idea you and your Sister teaming up to cut back. IF a complete dry January seems overwhelming don't be discouraged. You can still keep going with less drinks recorded then you would normally consume.
My very first attempt at dry January three years ago was better than the past, but not completely dry. Small steps grasshopper.7 -
Jan 1: Friday had 2 shots (leftover Hennessey) while cooking dinner. Didn't care for more after. Consumed 1 large bottle of Pellegrino after.
What I did right:
1.did not buy white wine, my usual go-to. I would've convinced myself that it's a "holiday" so OK to slip in one more indulgence.
2. New house rule is moving into the living room after dinner and no eating/drinking allowed after dinner. Except water.
3. Record calories and drinks into tracker at "kitchen close" time - 6:30pm
4. Telling myself that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting better results". Reminds me that if I repeat behaviors from 2020, that is what I get. Behavior change is where it's at.11 -
JANUARY DAY ONE DONE~ No alcoholic drinks
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@Lilylady3k so far I only have "buy in" from my DH for Tues and Thurs AF, and I will accept that. For me, I want to add in Sunday AF for sure.
Weekends he starts beer drinking early like at 1pm and continues until 6pm and this happens because he is working on house projects or in the yard and he's conditioned to drink while doing these activities. So this Sunday I am planning a hike outing that will cut into his drinking schedule because we won't get home until 5pm or so. He will likely drink much less than his Sunday usual because we'll be dead tired after dinner.
Sneaky me
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Good morning! Spent most of the day yesterday recuperating from the 3 glasses of bubbly on NYE. I'm a lightweight, but don't regret drinking NYE because it was intentional, and I remember everything. But yesterday was a good reminder of the price I pay even when drinking responsibly.
This weekend hope to hit my HiiT, make falafel and tahini sauce, play a Queen's Gambit, and write a short story from random words.
For anyone looking for more reads on women conquering drinking, I highly recommend Girl Walks out of a Bar. (I'm assuming she conquers in the end--she must have or I don't think she'd be alive to write the book).10 -
Like @Womona, the political hate in social media was killing me so I dropped. Currently 3 weeks AF and going for a dry January. Weird, but an unbelievable resolve to not drink hit me in Dec. Last time I felt this way was 2004 when I quit smoking cold turkey. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes. We’ll see where this “dry” spell goes. Happy 2020 all!8
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I'm back. I need 0 drinking days this month. Wish me luck.8
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I am seeing some very familiar user names in here. (That really brings a smile to my face.)
Welcome back @CryingBlue and @Tesha231 I totally agree there are designated set up threads to go and spew negativity about touchy subjects. @CryingBlue I think you and I were on the 2018 Less Alcohol thread way back when.
Good week to jump start the year. And if you already have multiple AF days in a row all the more of a celebration.
@mainelylisa I thought for sure I would surely down my 2 drink limit that I set on myself NYE. But that one prosseco had me swirling and I KNEW that if I had number 2 that I would go looking for more, that was not even in the house. Those single serve bottles are my savior instead of a 750ml bottle. I wil definitely check out Girl Walks Out Of A Bar. Thanks for the recommendation.
@globalhiker bravo to your husband for even talking about doing some AF days. Wish he would speak to my husband and convince him to do at least one AF a week. No miracles happening in my house.7 -
Hello, everyone! Hope your New Year is off to a wonderful start!
I'm one day AF down and who knows how many more to go! ... just got an alert on my watch that I had better quality sleep detected last night -- that's victory #1! 7 -
Like @Womona, the political hate in social media was killing me so I dropped. Currently 3 weeks AF and going for a dry January. Weird, but an unbelievable resolve to not drink hit me in Dec. Last time I felt this way was 2004 when I quit smoking cold turkey. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes. We’ll see where this “dry” spell goes. Happy 2020 all!
I forgot to mention fantastic record for quitting cigs. My late husband was a heavy smoker from the day I met him. We had been together probably 15 years. One weekend he got the flu and it had him flat in bed for three days. When he was well enough to make it into the lvingroom to sit, he lit up a cig took one small drag off and snuffed it out. He quit there and then and never had another.
So huge bravo to you for your 15 plus years of no smoking.7 -
NalaBellyFIT wrote: »Hello, everyone! Hope your New Year is off to a wonderful start!
I'm one day AF down and who knows how many more to go! ... just got an alert on my watch that I had better quality sleep detected last night -- that's victory #1!
One day AF is better than no days AF. We kinda go day to day anyhow so that a month, or a week or even a weekend does not seem like to much to handle.
NICE JOB👍7 -
@looneycatblue
follow our bread crumb trail. Get in here.4 -
Sorry I am late getting in here. I am in for January. I can not guarantee I will do a dry January., hope that is alright. I will how ever put my best effort into having less drinks. That is what this thread is all about, right?
New years eve I let my friends and girlfriend in on my secret less drinking adventure. My pals laughed and rolled hysterically. Until I told them I was being mentored by a group of cougars. Then they wanted details. My girlfriend on the other hand was not impressed. So later that night after she cooled off I let her read some of the thread from a month or so ago.
Gee if I knew she was going to react like she did I would have told her weeks ago. In her eyes I am evolving and trying to shake the bad memories of my alcoholic Mom.
Thanks ladies happy new year.
Carl
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Sipping my cranberry diet 5 and Pellegrino again.
Jan 1 2 drinks
Jan 2 AF
Running total since starting on 12/25/20:
Dec 6 of 7 days AF
Jan 1 of 2 days AF8 -
2 glasses of wine. Feeling like a wonderful Saturday evening with a couple of movies under my belt and a lovely dinner. DH did not open a 2nd bottle so we are both on board at this point. We'll see how the month goes.
Jan accountability: 0/2 days AF
Alcohol: 2 days (3 drinks)
Goal: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month
1/1 - 1 (3oz champagne toast)
1/2 - 2 wine
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@CMB44512 Glad you spilled the beans! I'm there with you in that I've stated my goals but I'm still challenged by those around me. But it is my challenge not theirs. Yours too will look differently and I'm sure that the success will be found in your attitude along the way. Keep that wonderful sense of humor!8
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Hi all! Replied on NYE and then hit done and it disappeared 😭 anywho, made it fine with no alcohol on New Year's and dare to say I didn't even really miss it. I tried Mingle's cosmo that I found in the grocery store and blah it was weirdly bitter. Mostly stuck to my mock peach bellinis (peach nectar and club soda) and the husband, kids and I rang in midnight with sparkling cider. It was a nice night and I felt great waking up yesterday 🙂9
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New month, new year.
I amassed 19 AF days for December, I am happy with that.
I will post with my usual diary style to keep track of my AF days.
Keeping to my usual goal of 16-20 AF days per month, which is manageable for me and doesn't put too much pressure on me.
January 01 - AF - Had champagne last night, a bit fuzzy this morning but then went for a skate and felt better. Couldn't start off the new month with a drinks day.
January 02 - AF - Kind of felt like continuing the holiday drinks for a couple more days, had to use willpower lol.
Rolling total 2AF day out of 2 days8 -
Hi all, I’m back! Took a nice long break from social media since before the election and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Nasty remarks were creeping into literally every conversation and thread (including MFP) and I just couldn’t stand all the negativity any more. So, I’m ready to dip my toe back into social media, and ready to get back to a drinking plan that worked for me in the past -which, admittedly, I’ve completely abandoned these last few months!
Great to see you all here, and thank you MissMay for continuing this thread!
Good to see you back : - )5 -
I am in. I am doing Dry January. 11
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@MissMay yes I was probably on the thread back in 2018. I have had an on again, off again love affair with drinking for a long time. I got pregnant that year, so that easily cured me for a while. It's been seducing me lately so I really want to do a dry January. Many back and forth years of doing well with control and not. I think my worst years were 2014/2015. 2020 has been a bit rough and my habbits got worse.
Those of you with husbands who drink I don't know how you do it. My husband rarely drinks and I know it would send me off the deep end if I had a daily drinking buddy. Prayers for your strength and health goals.
@CMB44512 I hope your girlfriend isn't too upset anymore and is supportive of you.9
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