Less Alcohol - JANUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time

Fit_Happens_2021

I have noticed a few people mention that sleep improves with less alcohol and I just wanted to share how much better mine is looking since I cut down the amount I drink and started including more AF days. It is very motivating to see it like this:
(don't pay much attention to the start and end times, the sleep is monitored to include all the times I was waking up in the night and unable to go back to sleep, which is shown on a different screen. This just shows the totals after calculating how much sleep I got in total that night.)

Fit_Happens_2021

lmlmrn wrote: »

Yeah another AF night so 11 out of 19 and plan to be 12 out of 20 by tomorrow morning.

Finding the substitute for evening has really been a challenge for me as well as some others here. I have been experimenting. I tried flavored carbonated water that was meh. Right now I am sipping on diet grapefruit and pink grapefruit soda BUT I put it in the same glass I would use for whiskey and water. It is doing ok, plus the snacking I need to reign in on while I am sipping the bubbly fun. Pretzels right now are my downfall.

Anyone have any ideas for those evening munchys? I am not much of a tea person or hot beverage in the evening.

Evening munchies are my problem time too. I have started going to an aquafit class in the evenings that helps to cut down the amount of time I spend sat watching tv and wanting to snack, that is helping a lot. Maybe there is an evening activity you could do a couple of nights a week. I also find keeping my hands and brain busy make me forget about snacking, so I play video games more than watch tv lately. Others use knitting, sewing, and other craft type hobbies to keep the hands busy while watching tv.
I always make sure to keep some fruit in so that when I really want to snack they are my go-to - Grapes, blueberries, and pears are my favourites. I love the salty snacks, crisps are my nemesis!! and pretzels too.

brittgreenlikethecolor88

Another AF day yesterday Adjusting my day count to monthly instead of weekly!

12 AF / 20 days

Goal- 20 AF/31 days.

Trish1c

teigansdad wrote: »

You guys have any drink tips as nice place holders?

My husband is a beer lover. He's doing Dry January to appease me but he enjoying his AF beers. Most big brewers / labels make them from Heineken & Becks to Coors Cutter & the new Bud Zero.

Another friend of mine started drinking them when she rejoined our social circle after joining AA & getting 6 months sober under her belt. She says it makes her feel included, like she's not missing out. Around her I refrain from alcohol; I just make myself the designated driver. That's a line I won't cross. If I'm driving I won't even have one. Then again I never mastered the art of one. Once I have a drink the inhibition I lose 1st is the ability to say no thanks to a 2nd drink. By then I'm over the legal limit.

I have been snacking to overcome my cravings. I really wonder if it's possible to diet & stop drinking simultaneously. I don't think I'm cut out for it. When I last tried to lose weight I would only allow myself to drink on weekends. If I cheated mid-week I'd console myself with a vodka & club (a drink I don't really like) or a vodka & a diet juice (5 cal in the juice, 100 in 1.5 oz of vodka) but I'd work it into my calories for the day which isn't easy on a 1200 cal diet. I would also push myself on the elliptical that day to earn extra calories. With Covid, no gym for me. It's too cold to work up a sweat outdoors for me in part because I hate going out & the house doesn't have space to work out so I'm not getting much exercise.

I was doing OK until that bag of Cheetos came in the house. Damn those tasty little buggers are fattening: 22 = 150 calories & unlike other snacks I was unable to limit myself to a "serving." I can actually eat 1 serving of potato chips which is about 12.

Still AF 19/20 we drank on New Years day but haven't since. Wondering how long after 1/31 we can resist going to the liquor store.

Lilylady3k

Met a wine buddy but we drank hot tea as we chatted this afternoon! Then for book club over zoom I had water by my side. Racking up an AF day.

Jan accountability: 6/20 days AF
Alcohol: 14 days (23.5 drinks)
Goal: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month

MissMay

lmlmrn

globalhiker wrote: »

@lmlmrn when I was going to a dietitian she taught me the secret to dealing with evening munchies was to not have them in the first place. I thought, WHAT? how is that possible?

She said when I am cooking, microwave a bowl of broccoli florets or whatever favorite vegetable and snack on it. Then, at dinner make sure half the plate is vegetable or fiber based and there's some decent amount of protein there along with a healthy fat serving. She said then there is no way physiologically I could possibly get hungry for at least another 4-5 hour period.

She also taught me to front-load fiber-rich foods, meaning making sure to consume foods like salads, peas, beans, lentil soup, things like that early on in the day, so the "gut" fills up with fiber and it absorbs water, making one feel more full and blood sugar to remain more steady resulting in no/fewer cravings.

She was 1000% right. When I follow her rules, it always works.

This sounds like a great place to start! Thank you so much

dawnbgethealthy

@Womona
Were you on the Cranberry Coast in WA?
I just saw an episode on HGTV of that area and I knew that you lived over there somewhere.

dawnbgethealthy

I am Dawn, I live in SE BC

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.

Friday Jan 15 - Drinks. That was a no-no, 2 days in a row. Hoping that I got it out of my system.
Saturday Jan 16 - AF - Planning AF at least until Tuesday. I had a really great few days, pictures to follow.
Sunday Jan 17 - AF - Another great day out skating on a lake : - )
Monday Jan 18 - AF - I was too busy to even get out for a hike or a skate today : - (
Busy day tomorrow, so AF for me tonight.
Tuesday Jan 19 - Drinks. Stress induced which I have been pretty successful at avoiding drinking for. That was hours ago, and it really did take the "edge" off. Hating wasting a drinks day on alleviating stress, but I did. I am fine with it, but needing to change employment 100%. Working on that...
Wednesday Jan 20 - AF - Managed to get out for a little hike and a little skate after work today. After getting in from the out of doors I really really wanted a Peppermint Schnapps in Cocoa, but I had drinks only yesterday, so talked myself out of it. Hit my 16 today : - )

Rolling total 16AF days out of 20 days

MissMay

Last year in January we had a weekend away with friends. It was stressful leading up to meeting with them. They are heavy drinkers in my opinion(even though I heard the wife claim one time "Oh we dont drink much")
*Arrived in town to meet them at 3:00pm, they were out bar hopping already.
*Finally met up at hotel in their room, they already had a full bar set up on the desk.
*They needed to pre load before we went out for dinner(I was keeping count of her drinks by now)
*This is how the evening went- walk around town, stop in bar, one or two drinks leave, repeat..
*Made it to dinner, more drinks.
*Back to hotel, their room, more drinks.

I had taken kombucha and there was a free coffee service counter in hotel lobby so I only ended up having my one glass of prosseco all day/night. Woke up the next morning and worked out in the hotel fitness center. By then my husband and the other couple were awake(kinda). Breakfast consisted of me trying to talk about our evening before and I noticed their brains had a lot of voided areas.

It reminded me of why I am on this journey. I was like that and at times worse in the past.

The couple contacted us just recently this month to say too bad with this pandemic we can not get together. I took a big sigh of relief and was thankful not to be going on another one of those trips.

Need more like minded people to hang with...that "get me".

LESS is MORE😊👍

Womona

@Amanda_Brit_Expat oh the heat would get to me for sure! Totally hear you on that one.

There is a phenomenon called the “Seattle Freeze “ that I learned about when I lived Washington. If you’re not born and raised there, Everyone is really nice, down to earth, friendly, etc. However, if you try to take the friendship to the next level by suggesting going out for lunch or coffee, they get panicked look in their eye and make an excuse to beg off the invitation.

Now, I personally did not experience this, but saw it happen to a friend of mine, who, like me, came from elsewhere to live in the area for our husband’s work. And for those of you from Seattle, I mean no disrespect! It may even be an urban legend. Or maybe it doesn’t extend all the way up to Bellingham, where I lived.

My point is maybe that’s the phenomenon you are experiencing, and if so, it’s hard to break through. Don’t give up hope. Your people are out there. You can’t possibly be the only lonely transplant looking for deeper connections.

Or, ya know, just put the house up for sale now and take advantage of a sellers market! Haha!

Womona

Worked until 9:00 last night, super late, busy shift, so went out to dinner with bosses for a late dinner. Had one delicious glass of wine. Totally worth it! I wanted to order a second but glad I didn’t.

Does anyone know if PMS causes alcohol cravings? I’ve been dying for a glass all week, whereas last week I wasn’t craving it at all!

Tesha231

@MissMay said, "It reminded me of why I am on this journey. I was like that and at times worse in the past."
Loved your story. I hated that "void" when others told stories after each night of my own drinking. I actually was sad for your friends as I read it. At 37 AF days currently, I think about if I would be able to do what you did in that same weekend outing--only have one when drinking was the main theme for all the rest? In my heart I know the answer, which is why it is easier for me to be AF right now.
@Amanda_Brit_Expat I can't imagine people behaving so unfriendly. Also tougher in this COVID environment I'm guessing. Keep getting out and reaching out when you can. There are decent people out there who are just as lonely. Keep the faith.

DancingMoosie

Instead of alcohol at night, I like hot/spicy tea(like ginger or cinnamon) or if I want something cold, cran raspberry la croix.

lmlmrn

hello all, just shouting out that I am proud of myself 12 out of 20 days AF

Last night was tough for me and I can't pinpoint the reason I felt the overwhelming urge for alcohol. But I kept with my diet Shasta grapefruit soda. I just need to find something to fight the boredom that makes me want to snack. I have tried playing games on my phone while listening to Hulu. That helps but sheesh you can only do this so log.
I do enjoy painting but many times in the evening I am too tired to see detail and lamp light is not really bright enough.

ok back later

lilann1961

I am a little late, as last week my son ended up in the hospital due to headaches stemming from Covid. It is atypical for kiddos (he is 10) to get the prolonged, constant headache, but alas he was one of the ones. In fact, he is the first documented case at the Children's hospital here. He is out, and home, and functioning, but the headache persists and no medicine touches it. I had put my foster dog down earlier in the week, as stated in my previous post, so it was a very long, stressful, sad week. And Covid sucks. It sounds like I am down in the dumps, but we are managing fairly well.

Yearly Goals:
1) Make my bed everyday. - EVERYDAY, except the two days he was in the hospital...we left for the ER at 11pm. Aside from that, every single day so far!!
2) Walk at the minimum once a day. - This one has been hit or miss, as I have been trying desperately to catch up on everything and manage my kiddo when he isn't able to go to school.
3) Dry January - definitely not dry, but definitely significantly less than I have in the past.
4) Stay close to calorie goals. - Still tracking! A few days were not completed, but it has been pretty consistent.
5) Read/Finish one book a week (52 book goal for year) - Three books down, #4 started! Actually ahead of my goal for this one and it is keeping me sane.

Total for January: 15/21 days AF

globalhiker

Jan: stuck at 6 days AF/20 days.

Realization: I ditched the running for a bit over a week and noticed my consumption of both wine and food go up. I went into "I don't care" mode. @Womona coincidentally it was PMS week which doesn't help.

There is a direct correlation (with me) between getting in cardio (ideally outside) in the morning and having a successful lower-alcohol/no alcohol day. I need to make the exercise non-negotiable and mandatory.

Today I went for a hill run and now enjoying a hot cup of low sodium lentil veg soup with added curry powder and a bit of sambal paste for heat and flavor. Very comforting on a rainy day.

MissMay

Amanda_Brit_Expat wrote: »

I have noticed a few people mention that sleep improves with less alcohol and I just wanted to share how much better mine is looking since I cut down the amount I drink and started including more AF days. It is very motivating to see it like this:
(don't pay much attention to the start and end times, the sleep is monitored to include all the times I was waking up in the night and unable to go back to sleep, which is shown on a different screen. This just shows the totals after calculating how much sleep I got in total that night.)

Wow a sleep calculator. I have never seen one. Sleep is so very important to our bodies. So wonderful that you are having great results.

MissMay

DancingMoosie wrote: »

Instead of alcohol at night, I like hot/spicy tea(like ginger or cinnamon) or if I want something cold, cran raspberry la croix.

Cinnamon is a soothing spice no matter what. I like it in hot non alcoholic cider.

MissMay

lilann1961 wrote: »

I am a little late, as last week my son ended up in the hospital due to headaches stemming from Covid. It is atypical for kiddos (he is 10) to get the prolonged, constant headache, but alas he was one of the ones. In fact, he is the first documented case at the Children's hospital here. He is out, and home, and functioning, but the headache persists and no medicine touches it. I had put my foster dog down earlier in the week, as stated in my previous post, so it was a very long, stressful, sad week. And Covid sucks. It sounds like I am down in the dumps, but we are managing fairly well.

Yearly Goals:
1) Make my bed everyday. - EVERYDAY, except the two days he was in the hospital...we left for the ER at 11pm. Aside from that, every single day so far!!
2) Walk at the minimum once a day. - This one has been hit or miss, as I have been trying desperately to catch up on everything and manage my kiddo when he isn't able to go to school.
3) Dry January - definitely not dry, but definitely significantly less than I have in the past.
4) Stay close to calorie goals. - Still tracking! A few days were not completed, but it has been pretty consistent.
5) Read/Finish one book a week (52 book goal for year) - Three books down, #4 started! Actually ahead of my goal for this one and it is keeping me sane.

Total for January: 15/21 days AF

Sad to hear that is a nagging result of covid for your little guy. Big hugs to you all. And he is adorable there sitting on your lap in the profile pic. You have a wonderful additude through this.