Less Alcohol - APRIL 2021 - One Day At A Time
MissMay
Posts: 3,747 Member
~THIS IS A MONTHLY CONTINUING THREAD THAT HAS BEEN ACTIVE SINCE AS FAR BACK AS 2017. ALL WELCOME ~
Do you want to drink LESS?
Do it because it's a lovely thing to do for yourself!
I bet that thinking a day off is a sort of punishment and hasn't been working.
Be kind to the person you will wake up as.
Join us in drinking LESS (whatever that means for you) one day at a time, as we continue to support and learn from each other.
▪MFP LESS ALCOHOL ONE DAY AT A TIME RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LIST▪
USING THIS THREAD:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Join us at any time - this is a day to day challenge.
•Set your own goal - this thread is about drinking less and you decide what that means to you.
•There are no scheduled check-ins - post as often or as little as you want or need.
•AF is an acronym for Alcohol Free. For others commonly used on this site see - https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1069278/acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6/p1
•To follow this thread easily, bookmark it by clicking on the star at the top right of this thread.
•Remember that we are here for you and care about you. Check in with us when you have time and let us know what you need!
TIPS & OBSERVATIONS FROM OUR USERS:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Getting Started or Starting Over - The Early Days
•Some people find it easier to set small attainable goals at the beginning to help boost confidence.
•If you have been drinking daily the first days will be some of the hardest and drinking again will feel like a cure but it delays the relief that only time can provide.
•There will always be a reason to delay the start/restart of your journey.
•For those ready to commit to being alcohol-free permanently, the videos on YouTube by Craig Beck will help. He also has a program you can join.
•You may experience mood swings and anxiety during your first two weeks. It is suggested you try and focus on the benefits of your goal.
•Cravings are said to last only 6 minutes, so find something to distract you like arming yourself with alternatives: tea, mock-tails, activities, etc.
•You may find that filling the time you drink with other activities like exercise or hobbies can be a helpful distraction.
•If you find them tempting try and avoid events/outings that will have drinking for a time.
•Don't let pride or shame keep you from asking for the help you need.
•Sometimes talking it out or posting your thoughts/feelings/struggles may help you work things out for yourself.
•It is okay that you don't always have all the answers.
•Some days will be easier than others.
•You may have initial/increased sugar cravings.
•You should never take a day that you have lived up to your goals for granted.
•Celebrate the smaller victories too. Less alcohol is still less alcohol even if your goal was zero at that moment.
•Once you begin sticking to your goals for one day to many days you should believe you are capable of the same and more because you are.
•Failure is not giving in and drinking. Failure is to stop trying to accomplish your goals.
•Annie Grace (This Naked Mind author) has a free program on her website (https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/) called the 30 day experiment which can be joined anonymously.
Life with Less Alcohol:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•It can be helpful to educate yourself with books and web research (Some suggested books and links listed below).
•There is no benefit to comparing yourself to others because this is a personal journey.
•You may often feel conflicted. You will know that there are numerous real benefits to sticking to your goal while at the same time think that alcohol is an important part of stress relief, relaxation, celebration, etc.
•You may feel punished by not drinking or drinking less but that feeling usually fades with time.
•Sometimes drinking less or quitting will strain friendships that centered around alcohol.
•Having a list of reasons to stick to your goals handy for yourself can be helpful. Some lists have included remembering how bad it feels to have a hangover, excess/unwanted calories, having a racing heart during the night, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.
•It is a good idea to have a plan for how you might deal with various tempting scenarios before engaging in a social situation.
•Self-Reflection is an important part of the journey. Once we figure out why we drink we can hopefully use that information to form new habits and make better and more mindful decisions.
•Sometimes doing something nice for yourself like a little reward for a success makes the journey easier.
•You will see many helpful suggestions and ideas that work for some people. However, finding what tactics work for you may involve some trial and error.
•It is not uncommon for certain activities that were once combined with alcohol to trigger temptation. Many have said that outdoor activities in warmer weather made alcohol very tempting.
•Many that have spent time with no alcohol after drinking again realized that it doesn't enhance experiences like they once believed it did. Some have said they no longer like the taste.
•Don't forget how sticking to your goal has made your life better and remember it to motivate you again if you fall off your path.
•If you begin drinking daily again whether planned like a vacation or unplanned you may once again face a struggle to get it under control.
•For some people it is easier to not drink than it is to moderate drinking. Others have found moderating impossible.
Reported Benefits of Less or No Drinking: (Results may be incremental, and/or they may vary)
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Improved sleep after 2,4,7,10,& 60 days
•Improved skin/complexion after 10 days
•Improved ease in weight loss. Not only from the savings of alcohol calories but some report making poor food choices after drinking.
•Increased energy after as few as 2 days
•Increase in other fun activities. Some have found that daily drinking became their main recreational activity and their world was decreased in size.
•Increased productivity
•Reduction of high blood pressure
•Lower resting heart rate
•Less Acid Re-flux
•Significant financial savings
•More creativity
•More productivity
•Better relationships with family
When Alcohol Is Used for Avoidance:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•We drink to ease the stress of the working day, to avoid it.
•We drink to avoid anxiety in social situations.
•We drink to avoid making decisions about not drinking.
•The Takeaway on Avoidance, our problems don't go away if we avoid them. We need to learn to face them.
•Having a clear head makes our problems seem much smaller.
•Having a clear head makes problems easier to solve.
How to Be Kind to "Tomorrow You":
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Instead of lumbering with guilt, headaches, and poor nutrition hangovers in the morning, Think of think how nice it would be not to feel that way tomorrow.
•Worry about "me" and don't let "tomorrow Me" feel awful.
•Instead of thinking alcohol is something nice to have *now*, think of *NOT drinking* as something nice we can do for the person we are when we awaken in the morning.
•Do you bank calories for a festive occasion? (Handy tactic) We can bank a good mood for when we wake up.
•We need to have sympathy for "Tomorrow You" and be kind to her/him.
•Don't look at a day without alcohol as a punishment for being bad or having no willpower.
•Not drinking is a lovely, sympathetic gesture towards the person we are now, and whom we will wake up as.
•You’d be kind to a stranger. Be kind to "Tomorrow You".
LINKS:
▪▪▪▪
•Mydrinkaware:
https://www.mydrinkaware.co.uk
•A Sharing Site for Women:
http://www.drinkingdiaries.com/about/
•General Information/Blog Sites:
https://thesoberschool.com/
http://www.hipsobriety.com/
https://joinclubsoda.co.uk/
https://thisnakedmind.com/blog/
https://alcoholmastery.com/blog/
•Sobriety Blog:
http://mummywasasecretdrinker.blogspot.com/
•The Thirty Day Experiment:
https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/
•Ten Things That Helped Me Quit Booze:
https://unpickledblog.com/2017/01/04/replacement-behaviours-ten-things-that-helped-me-kick-booze/?wref=tp
•The Neuroscience Behind How We Make Decisions:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201505/the-neuroscience-making-decision
•Summary of Book on Addiction:
https://drgabormate.com/book/in-the-realm-of-hungry-ghosts/
•Article on the Difference Between Being an Alcoholic and Really Liking to Drink:
https://www.self.com/story/alcoholic-or-just-really-like-to-drink
•To the Mom questioning her drinking habits:
http://www.scarymommy.com/questioning-drinking-habits/
•Guided Meditations:
http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations
ALTERNATIVE DRINKS:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Overnight Cold Brew Iced Tea:
https://www.splendidtable.org/story/you-can-cold-brew-iced-tea-while-you-sleep
•Mocktail Recipes:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/1822/drinks/mocktails/
https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/mocktails
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/how-to/g785/best-mocktail-recipes/
APPS:
▪▪▪▪
•Daybreak iOS link. A Deakin University study of hundreds of health apps found that Daybreak is one of only four that have proven effective and provide quality assistance.
•Dry Days by AlcoChange iOS is for those who want to cut down or cut out the booze throughout the year, while seeing the impact it has on your health and wallet.
•nomo - Sobriety Clocks iOS - In addition to an alcohol clock and monetary savings this app lets you check in and do a sobriety exercise if you're tempted, and connect with accountability partners.
•Sobriety Counter - Stop Drinking (Sobriety Counter - EasyQuit pro version) Android- Provides health stats, money saved, games to distract you, motivational tips, and several other features
BOOKS:
▪▪▪▪
•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
Credit and thanks to the MFP Less Alcohol One Day at a Time participants
For their willingness to share their insights and resourcefulness in finding this information
Do you want to drink LESS?
Do it because it's a lovely thing to do for yourself!
I bet that thinking a day off is a sort of punishment and hasn't been working.
Be kind to the person you will wake up as.
Join us in drinking LESS (whatever that means for you) one day at a time, as we continue to support and learn from each other.
▪MFP LESS ALCOHOL ONE DAY AT A TIME RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LIST▪
USING THIS THREAD:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Join us at any time - this is a day to day challenge.
•Set your own goal - this thread is about drinking less and you decide what that means to you.
•There are no scheduled check-ins - post as often or as little as you want or need.
•AF is an acronym for Alcohol Free. For others commonly used on this site see - https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1069278/acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6/p1
•To follow this thread easily, bookmark it by clicking on the star at the top right of this thread.
•Remember that we are here for you and care about you. Check in with us when you have time and let us know what you need!
TIPS & OBSERVATIONS FROM OUR USERS:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Getting Started or Starting Over - The Early Days
•Some people find it easier to set small attainable goals at the beginning to help boost confidence.
•If you have been drinking daily the first days will be some of the hardest and drinking again will feel like a cure but it delays the relief that only time can provide.
•There will always be a reason to delay the start/restart of your journey.
•For those ready to commit to being alcohol-free permanently, the videos on YouTube by Craig Beck will help. He also has a program you can join.
•You may experience mood swings and anxiety during your first two weeks. It is suggested you try and focus on the benefits of your goal.
•Cravings are said to last only 6 minutes, so find something to distract you like arming yourself with alternatives: tea, mock-tails, activities, etc.
•You may find that filling the time you drink with other activities like exercise or hobbies can be a helpful distraction.
•If you find them tempting try and avoid events/outings that will have drinking for a time.
•Don't let pride or shame keep you from asking for the help you need.
•Sometimes talking it out or posting your thoughts/feelings/struggles may help you work things out for yourself.
•It is okay that you don't always have all the answers.
•Some days will be easier than others.
•You may have initial/increased sugar cravings.
•You should never take a day that you have lived up to your goals for granted.
•Celebrate the smaller victories too. Less alcohol is still less alcohol even if your goal was zero at that moment.
•Once you begin sticking to your goals for one day to many days you should believe you are capable of the same and more because you are.
•Failure is not giving in and drinking. Failure is to stop trying to accomplish your goals.
•Annie Grace (This Naked Mind author) has a free program on her website (https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/) called the 30 day experiment which can be joined anonymously.
Life with Less Alcohol:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•It can be helpful to educate yourself with books and web research (Some suggested books and links listed below).
•There is no benefit to comparing yourself to others because this is a personal journey.
•You may often feel conflicted. You will know that there are numerous real benefits to sticking to your goal while at the same time think that alcohol is an important part of stress relief, relaxation, celebration, etc.
•You may feel punished by not drinking or drinking less but that feeling usually fades with time.
•Sometimes drinking less or quitting will strain friendships that centered around alcohol.
•Having a list of reasons to stick to your goals handy for yourself can be helpful. Some lists have included remembering how bad it feels to have a hangover, excess/unwanted calories, having a racing heart during the night, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.
•It is a good idea to have a plan for how you might deal with various tempting scenarios before engaging in a social situation.
•Self-Reflection is an important part of the journey. Once we figure out why we drink we can hopefully use that information to form new habits and make better and more mindful decisions.
•Sometimes doing something nice for yourself like a little reward for a success makes the journey easier.
•You will see many helpful suggestions and ideas that work for some people. However, finding what tactics work for you may involve some trial and error.
•It is not uncommon for certain activities that were once combined with alcohol to trigger temptation. Many have said that outdoor activities in warmer weather made alcohol very tempting.
•Many that have spent time with no alcohol after drinking again realized that it doesn't enhance experiences like they once believed it did. Some have said they no longer like the taste.
•Don't forget how sticking to your goal has made your life better and remember it to motivate you again if you fall off your path.
•If you begin drinking daily again whether planned like a vacation or unplanned you may once again face a struggle to get it under control.
•For some people it is easier to not drink than it is to moderate drinking. Others have found moderating impossible.
Reported Benefits of Less or No Drinking: (Results may be incremental, and/or they may vary)
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Improved sleep after 2,4,7,10,& 60 days
•Improved skin/complexion after 10 days
•Improved ease in weight loss. Not only from the savings of alcohol calories but some report making poor food choices after drinking.
•Increased energy after as few as 2 days
•Increase in other fun activities. Some have found that daily drinking became their main recreational activity and their world was decreased in size.
•Increased productivity
•Reduction of high blood pressure
•Lower resting heart rate
•Less Acid Re-flux
•Significant financial savings
•More creativity
•More productivity
•Better relationships with family
When Alcohol Is Used for Avoidance:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•We drink to ease the stress of the working day, to avoid it.
•We drink to avoid anxiety in social situations.
•We drink to avoid making decisions about not drinking.
•The Takeaway on Avoidance, our problems don't go away if we avoid them. We need to learn to face them.
•Having a clear head makes our problems seem much smaller.
•Having a clear head makes problems easier to solve.
How to Be Kind to "Tomorrow You":
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Instead of lumbering with guilt, headaches, and poor nutrition hangovers in the morning, Think of think how nice it would be not to feel that way tomorrow.
•Worry about "me" and don't let "tomorrow Me" feel awful.
•Instead of thinking alcohol is something nice to have *now*, think of *NOT drinking* as something nice we can do for the person we are when we awaken in the morning.
•Do you bank calories for a festive occasion? (Handy tactic) We can bank a good mood for when we wake up.
•We need to have sympathy for "Tomorrow You" and be kind to her/him.
•Don't look at a day without alcohol as a punishment for being bad or having no willpower.
•Not drinking is a lovely, sympathetic gesture towards the person we are now, and whom we will wake up as.
•You’d be kind to a stranger. Be kind to "Tomorrow You".
LINKS:
▪▪▪▪
•Mydrinkaware:
https://www.mydrinkaware.co.uk
•A Sharing Site for Women:
http://www.drinkingdiaries.com/about/
•General Information/Blog Sites:
https://thesoberschool.com/
http://www.hipsobriety.com/
https://joinclubsoda.co.uk/
https://thisnakedmind.com/blog/
https://alcoholmastery.com/blog/
•Sobriety Blog:
http://mummywasasecretdrinker.blogspot.com/
•The Thirty Day Experiment:
https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/
•Ten Things That Helped Me Quit Booze:
https://unpickledblog.com/2017/01/04/replacement-behaviours-ten-things-that-helped-me-kick-booze/?wref=tp
•The Neuroscience Behind How We Make Decisions:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201505/the-neuroscience-making-decision
•Summary of Book on Addiction:
https://drgabormate.com/book/in-the-realm-of-hungry-ghosts/
•Article on the Difference Between Being an Alcoholic and Really Liking to Drink:
https://www.self.com/story/alcoholic-or-just-really-like-to-drink
•To the Mom questioning her drinking habits:
http://www.scarymommy.com/questioning-drinking-habits/
•Guided Meditations:
http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations
ALTERNATIVE DRINKS:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Overnight Cold Brew Iced Tea:
https://www.splendidtable.org/story/you-can-cold-brew-iced-tea-while-you-sleep
•Mocktail Recipes:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/1822/drinks/mocktails/
https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/mocktails
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/how-to/g785/best-mocktail-recipes/
APPS:
▪▪▪▪
•Daybreak iOS link. A Deakin University study of hundreds of health apps found that Daybreak is one of only four that have proven effective and provide quality assistance.
•Dry Days by AlcoChange iOS is for those who want to cut down or cut out the booze throughout the year, while seeing the impact it has on your health and wallet.
•nomo - Sobriety Clocks iOS - In addition to an alcohol clock and monetary savings this app lets you check in and do a sobriety exercise if you're tempted, and connect with accountability partners.
•Sobriety Counter - Stop Drinking (Sobriety Counter - EasyQuit pro version) Android- Provides health stats, money saved, games to distract you, motivational tips, and several other features
BOOKS:
▪▪▪▪
•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
Credit and thanks to the MFP Less Alcohol One Day at a Time participants
For their willingness to share their insights and resourcefulness in finding this information
4
Replies
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April brings more than showers and 1st day pranksters. The entire month is dedicated to alcohol awareness. "THINK before you drink"
Let's pull our resources and strengths together for a successful month.
Enjoy the day, don't be fooled by booze.
6 -
Thanks for setting up the April thread @MissMay !
Today marks day 60 AF for me.....thanks to everyone in this group who helped push me along
Goals for April:
1. limit drinking to 2 separate occasions, practicing slow sipping and spacing with water
2. continue devoting a few minutes each night to reading about the science of behavior change and alcohol
3. introduce yoga once a week
4. post here each morning, focusing on continued improvement and solutioning
5. continue the thinking practice of no guilt, no fear, no excuses, no blaming and losing thoughts that don't serve me well
6. focus on enjoying the day as much as possible
What are your April goals? What will you be doing differently this month?6 -
Congratulations @globalhiker for reaching your 60th day of no alcohol. This is a great accomplishment. I am very proud of your dedicated success and huge support for the group.
Thanks again for helping out this month to meet and greet with new comers. And to bring forth that rallying spirt in your posts.
60th 🎊8 -
@StephieHockeyGirl I just type the "@" symbol and follow it up with the person's name. Perhaps someone knows a better way. Oh and great that you are into hockey...my experience was limited to table hockey games LOL.
5 -
@Lilylady3k it's good to see your last March post. Lots of introspection and honesty and being real with your significant others. This is how positive change begins......6
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Thank you @MissMay for kicking us off again ... the accountability and support that I get here is precious to me.
@globalhiker - You are a wonderful inspiration for 2021! Thank you for sharing and being here often!
@dawnbgethealthy - Thank you my friend! Sending ((HUGS)) your way about the lockdown that was triggered this week around you. Make the most of your final days skating and I hope that you'll get the chance to garden soon.
I'm still here and hanging in there by a thread ... but I've not disappeared which amazes me. Still holding myself accountable to track my alcohol no matter how ugly it might be ... because if I can track it then I'm not spiraling out of control.
Okay this month is fresh & new! I have the opportunity to meet goals that I set out and feel good about myself. So I'm going back to basics to help my weight loss.
Food: Journaling my food intake ... preplanning meals!
Exercise Goal for April: Get on the darn Bike! 100 miles Walking! Daily Plank. Picking up the hand weights again to get rid of the bat wings.
Water: 80oz per day and always at least 1 glass of water between alcoholic drinks ... no excuses
Alcohol: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month; aim to drink no more than 2 nights in a row6 -
Thanks @MissMay for getting us started! Hope you have more free time to hang around this month
Congratulations @globalhiker on day 60 AF!
@Lilylady3k April will definitely be a better month. I really like the idea of 100 miles! I might steal that, it gives me something bigger to aim for.
This is going to be quite a month for me! Kicking it off with my 32nd birthday today (yes, really), then having my first social event in OVER A YEAR when my friends come over for dinner on Saturday to celebrate. Next week I get my second vaccine shot and will spend a long weekend with my mom. On April 23 I'll be at full strength on the vaccine and ready for things like a haircut, maybe joining a gym, seeing friends in public places... Wow. It feels like so much after a year of being more or less housebound.
Goals: 7 drinks or less per week, 15 days AF. Let's keep it simple.8 -
@chocolate_owl - HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!!!! I love your "keep it simple" goals for this month!
100 miles ... I had success losing weight in August-November hitting that target. There was the constant reminder to get my miles in so I didn't have an overwhelming number to accomplish the last couple of days of the month. AF days could be the same ... I should not leave them to the final days of the month (too much temptation to just throw in the towel). Enjoy getting back out in the world.6 -
Wow what a great send off for March and new beginning of April.
@globalhiker congrats on the big 6..0... You have done such a great job posting and being honest with the struggle.
@MissMay got to see that you popped in and that you got this lifeline of a thread going. @globalhiker you will do a wonderful job keeping things going.
@chocolate_owl happy birthday to you....LOL sorry I have daughters older than you, in my mind you are still a spring chick! And way more fun.
I am starting the month off with a big goal, medium goal and short term. Something new you know....1. long term stay AF for the month of April (may or may not happen it will be a stretch and that is what goals are for). 2. Medium goal, Formal exercise or 6,000 steps per day which ever will apply. 3. short term. Get through this Weekend AF.
I think we all are a wonderful group and such different backgrounds yet all with a common goal...xxx006 -
@chocolate_owl happiest of birthday wishes to you.
Girl...you are a youngster. If only I were 32 again to be able to find a group like this and be able to get my drinking under control at that age.
Keep it up. Stay on this less drinking path, the path that works for you.
Confettie, balloons and all that jazz. ENJOY!5 -
Happy April! I'm doing a BIG RESET.
Happy Birthday, @chocolate_owl !
Thanks for setting up the thread, Miss May!
Congrats, @globalhiker on 2 AFmonths--fabulous!
Kudos to @Lilylady3k for truly documenting accountability even when in the red. I did not last month out of...well if I have more than 2 drinks I'd rather forget it...and I do.
But promised my therapist this morning that I WILL RECORD EVERY DRINK. And I'll call one drink one drink (not 2 drinks one drink in a big glass). And I'll remember that my brain has formed all these receptors that open like flowers at the first sip and then just want more and more which means vigilance.
Goal: 5 tracked drinks max per week6 -
You guys ALL rock - all of you....I like how those diet and exercise goals keep slipping in there as well LOL.
Happy Birthday @chocolate_owl !
32 is beyond wonderful. May this month and year be an extra special happy one! 5 -
DH asked what kind of wine I wanted this evening as he was picking up 6 bottles at SPECS (discount for cash and 6). I said I'm not drinking any tonight but I will have some on Friday and Saturday night. He said ... good for you on skipping tonight
On the right road for a better month.6 -
Hi : - )
I am going to sound like a broken record, but my goals are the same as they have been since January 2020:
16-20 AF days per month
NO drinking 2 days in a row
Keep 2 AF days in between drinks.
I joined this thread in November of 2018. At that time I was having drinks every day. My first week goal was to have ONE AF day. It was very hard. The same for the second week. Once I proved it to myself that I could have an AF day I dipped my toes into 2 AF days per week, then 3.
I have come to a place with drinks that I am very comfortable with.
Honestly, my main goal in drinking less was to lose weight. When I don't drink I lose weight. When I do drink I don't lose weight. Pretty simple right?
I am choosing my drink days in advance.
For those who just want to drink less, like me, it is good to say on a Sunday when you feel like having drinks that you will have to wait until Tuesday because that is the day that you scheduled to have a couple of drinks. Same for food. those who know me here know that I love Ribs. The way that I like to eat them (a whole rack) is 2600 calories. I went from having them once per week to once per month. Coffee Cream: I went from 8 tbsp in 2 cups of coffee to 2 or 3 tbsp in my coffee - when I did the math I saved 2 whole pounds of fat on my body in a year. Small steps. For me alcohol is the same. Cut back, drink less.
Here goes my diary style:
Thursday April 1st - Planned drinks (yeah, I know that it is the first day of a new month). Bittersweet day, the last day of skating until October. It was so awesome. I went from there to a trail, I was feeling kind of sad that skating was over, but also very grateful that I got to do it at all. The lake where I posted photos skating upon is all water now, but...there is a mated pair of swans!!!!
Rolling total: 0 AF days out of 1 day7 -
AF yesterday.
Planned mall trip day has arrived. Yeeeessssss! It's been over a year.....
In fact, it's been over a year I've been living in my PJs with no makeup on.
My hair is a wild disaster with haphazard patches of white hair. Not a nice silver, just the brightest of white.
I suppose it's time for a haircut and color and some work clothes (do they even sell them anymore?).
Ever watch Queer Eye show - the group of guys who do full free makeovers on people? I really need them.....in fact they are casting now in Austin....not my area yet but if any of you Texans are interested....??
@dawnbgethealthy with Spring's arrival, is the season for gardening arriving over in your neck of the woods? Growing anything new this year?
Happy Friday! And happy holiday weekend planning too.....!
7 -
As always with a new start in a new month it is wonderful to see our check ins.
@mainelylisa I was just about to give you a call out. WE BOTH will be checking in more often this month. Thanks for putting it out there with your honesty.
@dawnbgethealthy the picture you took in your tunic definitely showed that less alcohol equals less weight. You are a knock out. Curves in all the right places. A combination of skating and hiking thrown in is a bonus. This goes to prove you can still have a weight deficit and still have drinks.
@Lilylady3k that was a lovely response from your husband when you answered his question. 👍👍👍
@lmlmrn lovin your three levels of goals for April. You are doing great.
@globalhiker have a fantastic mall excursion you deserve it.
I try very hard at the beginning of a new month to have several AF days first. Yesterday was AF and not difficult. Looking back last year UGH. A younger female friend stopped by April 1st 2020 and unleashed for 3 hours a flurry of personal infomation I was not counting on hearing.
YES after she left I took a drink, than that drink had a drink and well 5 drinks later I was very unhappy with myself. That is how easily it can snowball. I was making sure this year I stayed clear of triggers. I did YAY.
Have a positive and mindful Friday. Hopefully the sun will pop out sometime today. 🌞8 -
Happy Friday! Eastering in isolation and hope it's the last isolated holiday. We got an invite, but I'm not doing anything to screw up chances to visit my boys next week!
0 drinks for April
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@mainelylisa Just a quick thank you for stating how that first one drink opens up all these receptors in our brain like a flower....that flower wants sun in the form of more alcohol. I am not good with plants and you would think I could kill this one...guess not LOL
Well already did not get my mid sized goal of steps or formal exercise in yesterday. But this virus I have been harboring for a full 30 days has really really kicked me. The only being able to breath through my nose 50% of the time. My energy is zapped. So today I am going to make a better effort to get those steps in. I am not ready to go back to the gym with my mask on, it is just too hard to breath. ...... But was AF last night so April is..
AF 1 day out of 1 for April whoop whoop7 -
New here! What a welcoming thread. Your goals are really inspiring! Thanks, all. And happy Birthday, @chocolate_owl. It sounds like it will be really fun!
I'm a weekend drinker, but it's easy to drink a week's worth crammed into a weekend. So I would like to find more enjoyment with fewer drinks on weekends. Many years ago when my kids were little, we ate Mexican a lot. They always filled up on chips then didn't eat their meals.
Getting "your fair share" of chips became a bit of a competition, at times. At one point, I realized that I actually enjoyed the meal more when I ate fewer chips (didn't start the meal already full, paid attention to the meal itself). I like chips a lot. Genuinely. You can tell a lot about a kitchen just by the chips and salsa. So I learned to start the meal with 3 chips. It's an arbitrary number, but it works for me because it's enough to really get a taste for them and I don't lose count when I'm super engaged in conversation with my table mates. And I don't get full. If I want more chips with my meal or at the end, I have them. But I don't eat more before. When I started doing this, I told my kids, partly to model easing off on the chips and partly for accountability. Hard at first, especially when hungry, but I convinced myself I would enjoy the whole experience more this way. And I truly do.
So I would like to learn the "enjoy more with less" lesson I learned with chips with adult beverages.6 -
@globalhiker
I hope that you will post some pics of your shopping spree finds : - )3 -
The lake where I was skating this year is all back to water now. It is a bird sanctuary actually and quite shallow.
These are a pair of mated swans that live there, kind of hard to see.
Still snow up on the hill - this is the hill that we use to tell when the tomatoes and peppers can go in - when the snow is all off of it.
Hoping to get the sugar snap pea garden uncovered, tilled up, and planted over the next few days. Peas like it cold. I have to arrange netting around because when the seeds pop birds think that they are worms.
Spring has sprung : - )
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Hi : - )
I am going to sound like a broken record, but my goals are the same as they have been since January 2020:
16-20 AF days per month
NO drinking 2 days in a row
Keep 2 AF days in between drinks.
3 is my max or I throw up.
I joined this thread in November of 2018. At that time I was having drinks every day. My first week goal was to have ONE AF day. It was very hard. The same for the second week. Once I proved it to myself that I could have an AF day I dipped my toes into 2 AF days per week, then 3.
I have come to a place with drinks that I am very comfortable with.
Honestly, my main goal in drinking less was to lose weight. When I don't drink I lose weight. When I do drink I don't lose weight. Pretty simple right?
I am choosing my drink days in advance.
For those who just want to drink less, like me, it is good to say on a Sunday when you feel like having drinks that you will have to wait until Tuesday because that is the day that you scheduled to have a couple of drinks. Same for food. those who know me here know that I love Ribs. The way that I like to eat them (a whole rack) is 2600 calories. I went from having them once per week to once per month. Coffee Cream: I went from 8 tbsp in 2 cups of coffee to 2 or 3 tbsp in my coffee - when I did the math I saved 2 whole pounds of fat on my body in a year. Small steps. For me alcohol is the same. Cut back, drink less.
Here goes my diary style:
Thursday April 1st - Planned drinks (yeah, I know that it is the first day of a new month). Bittersweet day, the last day of skating until October. It was so awesome. I went from there to a trail, I was feeling kind of sad that skating was over, but also very grateful that I got to do it at all. The lake where I posted photos skating upon is all water now, but...there is a mated pair of swans!!!!
Friday April 2nd - AF - tomorrow will be too so as to get my 2AF in a row.
Rolling total: 1 AF days out of 2 days
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AF yesterday. Got a pair of new balance running shoes and will continue shopping into next week (declaring mall week)..will share pix then. So get this, at 10:15 am, it was a MOB SCENE everywhere. Everyone was out shopping and the traffic challenging. I got hungry and hit my "stress limit" so got back home to save myself from buying wine.
Welcome @ahoy_m8.....! I love chips too...the tortilla kind and especially those made locally....so for some reason I decide to actually weigh 1 oz of chips to see if in fact 1 oz equals 10 chips as stated on the label. Well, 6 chips equaled 1 oz. AHA! Mislabeling alert! I did the same with another brand and yup, same result!
I ate 6 chips and told myself well, is 6 chips worth 140 calories? I could've eaten something way more filling. Now I know! Back to homemade popcorn it is
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True Story...
Last night my daughter calls and says "Mom, I am stopping at the store on my way to your house on Sunday, want me to pick up the wine?"
Me (tired and without thinking): "Yes! get me the German dry sparkling rose I like please and get a bottle of red also for the others".
Husband walks in the room: "What did your daughter ask?"
Me: Oh the kids are bringing over the rose and a bottle of red.
Him: Call her right back, we already discussed that rose is not good for you". You know what happens....
Me: Oh crap! You're right! It's my most addictive drink on the planet.
I texted her and canceled the "order". LOL. Sometimes it's good to have a spouse to keep me in check. We'll still drink on Easter, it just won't be the particular beverage that is hands down my most addictive beverage
Moral of the story is- can't hurt to tell someone what you game plan is in advance....and if you just begin to deviate because you were distracted or tired or stressed or just not thinking, ask them to alert you.....!7 -
My mistake last night was to pour a glass of wine while cooking instead of waiting for dinner. But I was trying out a recipe we learned to cook in Spain ... Paella and my sister was over for dinner and wanted wine as well as DH. So I gave in earlier than I wanted. But the good news is that I stopped at 3 glasses out of 3 bottles that were polished off.
April accountability: 1/30 days AF
Alcohol: 1 days (3 drinks)
Goal: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month
4/1 - AF
4/2 - 3 wine
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Insomnia is bad these days. I planned-ish a beer and a movie around 2a, knowing I'd be waking up around 1:30. Well, only Corona Lights here--not worth a drink ticket. So Mr. Kitty and I shared some nachos while watching Sliver.
0 out of 5 drinks this week7 -
hello to all
Well so far this months goals (short, med and long) have been blown out of the water before the month has hardly started
1. short term, get through this WE without alcohol ---- 3 drinks last night, 2 vodka, 1 scotch- see goal 2.
2. walk or formal exercise, either way get 6,000 steps per day--in defense I have had a virus that has lasted over 30 days. I finally went back to to the DR yesterday. I am now on antibiotics, steroids and a nasal spray. A whooper of a case of sinusitis. hence no energy and with the drugs knew I could not drink at least for 10 days...
3. AF for entire month of April---see above
I know these are really really poor excuses to have a drink. but ....
proud of this
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@ahoy_m8 welcome! can't wait to get to know you
@dawnbgethealthy the pictures are so pretty and not at all what I expected when the snow and ice was gone.
@globalhiker good catch by DH and the wine. the fact he knew your triggers and had your back!
@mainelylisa I think skipping a lite beer or two was a great choice. I mean if you are going to have one let it be one you really enjoy
@Lilylady3k three glasses out of 3 bottles was a win, you did not 'hog' a bottle to yourself and you dragged it out to enjoy
xxoo to everyone!
April week 1-4
April 1 AF
April 2, 3 drinks (1.5 oz each)
April 3...
April week 5-11
April week 12-18
April week 19-25
April week 26-306 -
Hey gang pre Easter wishes.
We celebrated with our home cooked Easter dinner today. Because we have other plans tomorrow for an Easter brunch out. At dinner tonight I popped a single serve prosseco. Poured it in a lovely stemmed glass. Dinner was delish and I sipped my drink. Finished dinner, was clearing the table and looked to see probably 2+ sips left in my glass. Walked over picked it up and dumped it. Just did not want the rest. That was not expected nor planned. Surprised myself to say the least.
(Last alcoholic drink was March 21st. 12 day streak)
April day 3
2 AF
1 A7
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