Less Alcohol - JANUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time
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LOVE all this activity in here. Keep it up.
@dawnbgethealthy well done knocking that drink devil off your shoulder yesterday. Thanks for giving a shout out to some of our peeps. I was going to start listing names after I had seen looneycatblue looking for us, but thought everyone would think I was a stalker LOL.
Welcome @ajassman. Wishing you much success.
@CMB44512 that is a great NYE tale. I am not sure how I would have reacted. High five to your GF for understanding. Yes we are the LESS ALCOHOL thread and have no expectations for anyone's personal goals. Go at your own pace.
@SkinnyGirlCarrie that happens a lot in MFP. Deep breath I feel your pain on a post disappearing. Mock peach bellinis sounds awesome.
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First Saturday night of this new year AF for me.
I took a look back at my very first attempt on here with dry January(2018). I was going for a DRYER January at my very best attempt.
I found this thread way into January 2018, I think the 23rd. So I was struggling on my own for a few weeks before finding and reading in here.
I immediately felt like I was in a place others would feel and understand my trials and errors, and me theirs.
I had 10 days of alcohol with a total of 15.5 drinks for that month. (My average drinking month I was trying to escape from would have been around 120 drinks 😨)
I hope those that happen to venture in here find the same compassion. We are not trying to change the world, only trying to make our little pieces of our worlds happier with more control.
Do something wonderful for yourself today.9 -
Jan accountability: 0/2 days AF
Jan goal: at least 12 days AF
Jan 1: 2 cognac
Jan 2: 3 beers along with load of popcorn. Bingefest. Disappointed in myself even though I still made it under my calorie goal. All took place in the kitchen.
I need to get a gizmo to put in the fridge that yells at me to get outta there.
Shooting for AF day today.....
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Hello! Yes, we are LESS alcohol--whatever that means to each of us. No requirement for Dry anything.
I'm focusing more this year on what I'm trying to accomplish because I'm drinking less, rather than the drinking less. (Because I'm not one of those functioning drinkers. If I am drinking, I'm doing nothing else productive). Yesterday, I did make falafel and tahini (not recommended without a food processor), and wrote a memoir section. Was feeling kinda depressed--did not work out which of course would have made endorphins, so will force that today.
Today will be memoir organizing, chess practice, getting outside, and trying to enjoy the moments and the day and not dread work tomorrow.
2/2 AF (my Normal last year would have been 0/2 w/ prob 6 drinks by now)11 -
mainelylisa wrote: »Hello! Yes, we are LESS alcohol--whatever that means to each of us. No requirement for Dry anything.
I'm focusing more this year on what I'm trying to accomplish because I'm drinking less, rather than the drinking less.
I like your idea of finding something to focus on ... especially during that few hours in the evening that seem to drag! I think over the next week I'll get back to learning Spanish, finishing at least 1 of the 4 books I have started and decluttering my office in the evenings. Try not sitting in front of the TV on the computer after dinner LOL8 -
Happy New Year!
I went AF on Dec 13th, but mindfully decided to have a couple of glasses of wine on New Year's Eve. We decided to stay up for the first time in a decade and usher 2020 out the door!
Two aha's out of going AF in Dec. I'm finding that tv is a big cause of wine cravings for me...when I see it, I want it.
The other one was habit...I'd come home after work and pour a glass of wine to unwind. That carried over into the pandemic after I resigned from my job. 4:00 would hit and I'd still go for the wine. Once I became aware, I've been able to stop that habit. I've basically told myself the past few weeks that alcohol is not a choice today.
Now on to Dry January. (Unless I mindfully choose to have a drink, but for the most part I'm choosing not to drink. Dipping my toes into AF, but doing so in a way that I'm limiting intake greatly to stop the habit if that makes sense. It helps me to know that I can have it if I choose it. It's not off limits which would probably make me want it more.)
Saw a segment on Good Morning America about Chrissy Teigen going AF the last month and the book that helped her do it called "Quit Like a Woman." I bought the ebook and am halfway through reading it and it helpful to the mindset for sure.
Was going to investigate the books on the list of this board as well. Which book would you say was the most helpful and recommend first for those of us just starting the less alcohol journey?
•The Naked Mind by Annie Grace
•Alcohol Lied to Me by Craig Beck
•Rational Recovery by Jack Trimpey
•The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
•The Liars Club, Cherry, and Lit by Mary Karr (3 different publications)
•Kick the Drink...Easily by Jason Vale
•Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
•Being Sober: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting To, Getting Through, and Living in Recovery by Harry Haroutunian
•The Easy, Illustrated Way to Quit Drinking by Alan Carr
•Alcohol Explained by William Porter
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globalhiker wrote: »Jan accountability: 0/2 days AF
Jan goal: at least 12 days AF
Jan 1: 2 cognac
Jan 2: 3 beers along with load of popcorn. Bingefest. Disappointed in myself even though I still made it under my calorie goal. All took place in the kitchen.
I need to get a gizmo to put in the fridge that yells at me to get outta there.
Shooting for AF day today.....
These darn kitchens, what is with them tempting us like that? Mine is not the frig it is the snack cupboard with the chocolate covered pretzel TUB that we received as a gift. When you find a gizmo get me one too please. Have a better evening tonight.6 -
@mainelylisa excellent idea to re focus on what to do instead. Your wicked smart (say it with a Maine accent).
Maybe if we get a decent amount of snow this Winter we can meet up half way between us and have ourselves a snowshoe outing.
Enjoy your writing session.
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Lilylady3k wrote: »mainelylisa wrote: »Hello! Yes, we are LESS alcohol--whatever that means to each of us. No requirement for Dry anything.
I'm focusing more this year on what I'm trying to accomplish because I'm drinking less, rather than the drinking less.
I like your idea of finding something to focus on ... especially during that few hours in the evening that seem to drag! I think over the next week I'll get back to learning Spanish, finishing at least 1 of the 4 books I have started and decluttering my office in the evenings. Try not sitting in front of the TV on the computer after dinner LOL
Having that "purpose" is a powerful tool.4 -
Rough morning here. Husband came home in tears (healthcare) Covid sucks I'm so over it and my husband fighting it, but we have no choice, that's what our life is right now. I can't believe the ugly bloody things he sees every night. I feel so bad for him. He even poured himself a drink (he's not much of a drinker) I did my best to comfort him, but he still works 3 more nights before he hits his weekend.
I did not buy myself anything to drink while in town today. I honestly would love to lose myself in a bottle of wine right now but I made sure what wasn't an option.
So far 3 AF days, I really want to make 40 days in a row. Personal goal of mine.11 -
@Tygirl2016 good to see you made it to our January thread. Television is hideous for the alcohol commercial, not to mention the t.v. shows that glamorize all types of booze as well. Sitting watching a show I often comment out loud how many drinks an actor has had in a short time.
A naked mind by Annie Grace is a good place to start out.3 -
@CryingBlue so sorry to hear aout your husbands situation. Your a stronger women than I think you realise. And stronger for him while being AF.
Bravo8 -
Very excited to find this post!! My starting goal is to not drink Monday and Wednesday. I usually drink wine throughout the week... ending up drinking the bottle. I want to go back to being able to just drink a glass or two in the evening. So, i will see if i can start not having anything for 2 days and go from there. Oddly I hardly drink on the weekends... just always when i come home from work!9
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Very excited to find this post!! My starting goal is to not drink Monday and Wednesday. I usually drink wine throughout the week... ending up drinking the bottle. I want to go back to being able to just drink a glass or two in the evening. So, i will see if i can start not having anything for 2 days and go from there. Oddly I hardly drink on the weekends... just always when i come home from work!
Welcome those are some great goals to start your January with. Tons of suport here, many different levels of goals. Check in often for accountability........that is a true key.
So many benefits, can help with weight loss too.6 -
During my walk with DH this afternoon I told him I was not planning on having wine tonight. I mentioned it yesterday in the car as well about not drinking on Sunday evening. Well ... we are not cooking dinner tonight (steak did not thaw) and had cheese & crackers instead after he opened a bottle of wine.
I'm sticking to the plan though ... AF ... drinking water & might have a cup of tea later.
Jan accountability: 1/3 days AF
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So blessed my husband doesn't drink. It is a lot easier for me to abstain when no one else is drinking.
1/1 2 drinks
1/2 AF
1/3 AF
Running total since starting on 12/25/20:
Dec 6 of 7 days AF
Jan 2 of 3 days AF6 -
Hi everyone,
Great job everyone ☺️ today is 8 straight days AF, which I can't even remember the last time I went that long. Had a craving for wine earlier but managed to tell myself it wasn't an option and instead mixed some Trader Joe's Power of Purple juice with club soda and mint and it seemed to meet my need for wine (phew).
Last time I went dry for a month, Nov 2019, I didn't really want to but felt I needed to and ended up sneaking a pour of Baileys in my hot cocoa or bit of whiskey in my tea, this time around my mind set is much better and actually want the dry 30. Not sure why, but hope it lasts the whole month 😂
Like you @MissMay I am tryi g to get away from about 120 drinks a month. 2020 really did a number on me, accelerating my (too much) love of wine. And like you @Tygirl2016 every time I see someone on a TV show drinking, I always think a cocktail sounds nice, blah!9 -
SkinnyGirlCarrie wrote: »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 🙂
Oooh, I’m definitely trying your mock peach Bellinis! Sounds delicious! I need an alternative to cranberry and Pelligrino!
Glad you had a nice NYE with your family, and alcohol free to boot!4 -
Hi all! So proud of myself for not reaching for a drink the other day when I normally would- doing finances and logging things into Quicken. One of my least favorite chores, but bills gotta be paid, and a glass of wine makes it more bearable. Got aggravated about a tenant situation (we have some rental properties) and really wanted to pour myself wine, but I knew we’d be having champagne with NYE dinner, so I didn’t. Proud to have pushed through, and I got over my frustration to boot!
2 glasses of champagne last night, and mimosas today with some delicious bagels and lox. Yum! Big carby lunch but I don’t care!
Goal this week is to be AF the next few nights. Have a good week everyone!
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New month, new year.
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.
January 03 - AF - Planning on AF tomorrow too. I am trying to get rid of a couple of holiday pounds, and not having drinks makes a big difference for me in that regard.
Rolling total 3AF day out of 3 days6 -
No time to chat this morning. My first goal for Monday starts in 10 minutes. NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM for 2021
Thumbs up to all that checked in last evening👍👍👍
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Jan accountability: 1/3 days AF
Jan goal: at least 12 days AF
Jan 1: 2 cognac
Jan 2: 3 beers along with load of popcorn. Bingefest. Disappointed in myself even though I still made it under my calorie goal. All took place in the kitchen.
Jan 3: AF. About time I treated myself with respect.
1 hour Bodypump and increased the barbell weight. Got in 80 gr protein finally. Had Branzino fish for the first time, sauteed 5 min in a bit of unfiltered olive oil and it was amazingly good with just a squeeze of lemon. No spices, no herbs. Incredible flavor for a frozen fish from Turkey purchased at Trader Joes. 110 calories for 1 decent size filet. Paired with steamed french green beans and half a sweet potato seasoned with smoked paprika and red pepper.
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Tell us about your new exercise program @MissMay1
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Glad to be back on the thread!
My goal is a dry January.
Total days AF: 3/3
We had a positive covid case in the house over Christmas, and it was stressful, boring, and confining. Everyone is ok, and my son is recovering, but definitely left 2020 with some new goals and hopefully a better perspective and mindset. It takes consistent work, and I have seen first hand how easy it is to roll back into bad or worthless habits.
So I am starting simple.
My goals for the year (aside from my decrease in drinking/dry months):
1) Make my bed every morning
2) Read and/or finish a book every week (52 book goal)
3) At the minimum, walk once a day
I am giving myself some grace as I work towards these. So far, on target! I have a few professional goals as well, and those require a lot of learning and writing. Getting back into the Community threads is a great way to start writing again.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and successful 2021.
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3 Days AF here too. This morning I felt noticibly well rested, like I'd slept better, so I took advantage of the melted snow and went for a walk through the nearby woods to blow the cobwebs out from between my ears. I've spent the day feeling very light and fresh, which is something I could definitely get used to! I may have a drink in a few days but I'm going to see if I can stretch it out to a week. A solid 7 days AF will be a good thing for me to acknowledge, mentally.9
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I am enjoying focusing on different (nonalcoholic) things to drink. I bought blueberries, strawberries, bananas, oj, flax and Greek yogurt to play with making fruit smoothies which is something new to me. I don't like berries as they are...but I like the flavors...and I know they are good for us. From what I gather as I've Googled, you can just throw just about anything in a blender. This Strawberry Banana Smoothie is first up: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/strawberry-banana-smoothie/
Anyone have a favorite smoothie recipes?6 -
As we gather, new and old on this post, I could relate to a lot of the previous posts above. Some of those things that have proven to keep me AF (for now anyway) is that
1) hot tea helped change my habit from multiple after work vodka&waters to a flavored tea as I cooked dinner.
2) additional "Sleepytime" (detox or extra strength) hot tea before bedtime, helped me fall asleep as opposed to passing out /then waking up all through the nights. Last night was the first time in 3 weeks I didn't need the tea (or alcohol) to fall asleep--and I slept without waking.
3) Twice now, I provided a shot of Evan Wms Cherry in my hubs ginger beer (at his request) instead of using his single "taste treat" as a reason for me to have my usual drinks--because he wouldn't "know."
4) I am reading again. I used to read a novel every 1-2 weeks. Mid-2020, my visiting daughter asked me why I didn't read anymore. I lied by saying I didn't have time instead of saying by the time I drank through cooking & kitchen chores, my eyes were too tired. I will be finished reading the first book in, forever, yet this week.
5) I'm the opposite of not buying it so I don't drink it. I always used to stash a back-up handle. I purposefully left 1-1/2" in my last handle so I wouldn't run out. That's my back-up now.
6) "Hard to be a Rock Star when it comes to recovery times" - truth! Sadly, my tolerance protected me from knowing that I felt bad even without a headache or other traditional hangover symptoms. I found other things to blame being tired & stressed on--which meant I needed a drink! What I am focused on recovering at the moment is my ability to remember conversations, goals, etc from one day to the next--and finding joy in little things I would have previously overlooked or not attended. Once upon a thread, (likely this one) someone said they had very low tolerance, like they felt horrible if they had two or more drinks. Recently learned from a 30 y.o. that this was her situation too and her ability to recover from a few drinks kept getting worse. That is how she learned she was sensitive to gluten--so maybe others here also have celiac disease which has long term health impacts.
So we are all rock stars in our own ways... I love that we are getting in touch with ourselves in truth on this thread. Thanks @MissMay and all of you for sharing your strengths.7 -
lilann1961 wrote: »Glad to be back on the thread!
My goal is a dry January.
Total days AF: 3/3
We had a positive covid case in the house over Christmas, and it was stressful, boring, and confining. Everyone is ok, and my son is recovering, but definitely left 2020 with some new goals and hopefully a better perspective and mindset. It takes consistent work, and I have seen first hand how easy it is to roll back into bad or worthless habits.
So I am starting simple.
My goals for the year (aside from my decrease in drinking/dry months):
1) Make my bed every morning
2) Read and/or finish a book every week (52 book goal)
3) At the minimum, walk once a day
I am giving myself some grace as I work towards these. So far, on target! I have a few professional goals as well, and those require a lot of learning and writing. Getting back into the Community threads is a great way to start writing again.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and successful 2021.
Nice goals! I decided this first week of the year that I would pull myself out of bed and watch the news on my couch with a cup of coffee, instead of in bed while mostly still asleep. Then I 'got ready' for work and actually got dressed and a little makeup before logging on and making sure the kids were up and ready to log in for remote learning. What a wonder it did for my mindset, I found I was much more focused on work.
After Dry January, I definitely want to keep up with Dry Sun - Thurs nites, only having drinks on Fridays and/or Saturdays. Waking up after even just a couple glasses of wine, I am always more groggy and less focused.8 -
I am failing miserably!
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