Less Alcohol ~ JUNE 2021 ~ One Day At A Time
Replies
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Hi : - )
My goal is 16-20 AF days per month.
Diary Style.
Friday June 11 - AF - I have been experiencing legs cramps in the night for 3+months and Thursday night it kept waking me up. Friday was a very tired day operating on fumes. A drink might have been nice, but I resisted.
Saturday June 12 - 2 1/4 drinks. Census plus my yard/garden, I put in a good day. Sunday will be the same script.
Saturday June 13 - AF, reluctantly, but I had drinks only yesterday. Census work and yard work on a very hot day made me want to have a bit of the Gin Smash. I had an AF beer, and I am not a beer drinker.
Monday June 14 - 2 3/4 drinks, finished off the can of Gin Smash. I had a productive day, but at the end of it cut 2 areas of grass in blazing heat and when I came in practically guzzled the Gin Smash (after putting a fancy glass in the freezer for 5 minutes). Fairly light day tomorrow, the first time in 6 years that I don't have to get up at 4:30am on a Tuesday. Just Census and a 4 hour shift at the restaurant, so no more than 8 hours.
Tuesday June 15 - AF - Planning to be until Saturday eve, working split shifts the rest of the week plus doing Census before and in between, so want to make sure to be clear headed and energetic.
Wednesday June 16 - AF - Pretty long day, really felt like having a drink, but I have quite a few long days ahead so need to make sure that I feel healthy.
Thursday June 17 - AF - I really really wanted to have a couple of drinks tonight, but the next 2 workdays start early and end late and I don't want to risk not feeling well. I had one of those AF IPAs, but I didn't really like it as much as the Blonde Lager that i had the other night. Well, I did like that it was only 10 calories, but too hoppy and citrus-y for me (not being a beer drinker). Planning on drinks for Saturday night after work. I can totally relate to everyone that really feels like having a drink after a long day at work. I can wait a couple of more days.
Friday June 18 - AF - Planning on drinks tomorrow eve, dependent on my Sunday schedule which I will get tomorrow. If I have only Census to do on Sunday I will sleep in.
Saturday June 19 - AF - I was quite looking forward to a couple of drinks, but finally got my new schedule as I was finishing the evening portion of my split shift at the restaurant and I have another split tomorrow, so no drinkies for me.
Sunday June 20 - AF - Planning to have a couple of drinks tomorrow night.
Rolling Total - 14AF days out of 20 days.5 -
Survived another weekend.
15 days (in a row) AF. 
@dawnbgethealthy I hear you! I count every calorie and most drinking days, I do swap the alcohol for food to stay in my calorie budget but I still somehow either don't lose or gain even doing low carb mixers. I remember when I was younger, I would actually lose weight after drinking nights. And that was with real sugar mixers. My metabolism is probably shot from dieting since my teens.
@globalhiker Wise Words!
Great job! @GiveHerGrace
Extra props to @ItsAJourny for making margaritas and not imbibing. I don't know how y'all do that! I can't even have it in the house.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
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HELLO MONDAY!
Well that weekend flew by fast. Working for clients both Saturday and Sunday to try and catch up. I believe I am a hair ahead of my game now. If only I could learn to say NO I haven't available time.
Frozen strawberry rum thingie last night with dinner. New young bartender who I highly recommend because there was barely and I mean BARELY any rum in there at all. LOL more like a fair slushy. YUM
@globalhiker very sorry to hear of your fires. I have asthma and know what you are going through with your inhaler. Please take extreme care
OMG...... @mainelylisa you have been missed hun! You have tried so very hard, we all know this from your posts. But if you can't moderate for safety reasons, which it clearly has come down to. You need to stop drinking alcohol. I won't sugar coat it. I would rather have you as a completely non drinking friend alive, than a moderating friend, always wondering if you are ok or not. For those who are new here, Lisa and I live an hour from each other and have gotten together several times. We want you to keep posting with us and letting us know your journey from now on, AF everyday. Love ya girl.❤❤❤❤8 -
This is the sign hung in my kitchen:
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Fun party dinner yesterday with drinks, drinks, drinks. Today breakfast is alka-seltzer. This makes event #4 for the month. My plan to only drink on holidays and vacation is not working out well.
Let's give it all we've got this week!7 -
Book Club this evening in person. My plan is to drink water and stay AF. Yep ... I need to prep for my Girls Trip with my mom & sis which will be 3-4 nights of drinks I'm sure. Leaving early Tuesday morning and returning either Friday or Saturday.
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Hi,
I drink wine at night to numb the stress in my life. This is a bad habit, and I am committing to reducing on some nights and eliminating on others. Tonight we have 2 spiked selzers left- and I will drink those. Then eliminate for the rest of the week. I'm tired of waking up hung over. Thanks for listening. I will post every day.
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Thanks for the welcome-back's, y'all. I do still want to come here for and to support, but want everyone to be comfortable and know I'm certainly not preaching sobriety to anyone (but myself, lol--but I prefer to call it soburrito--because I love Mexican food and I hate the word sober. It's just *NOT* a fun word.)
Great to see old friends and newbies. As I told DH, who actually had given me mixed signals about my drinking--turns out because he didn't believe I was really stopping--ANY alcohol I want to consume and don't is a WIN. Whether it's one fewer drinks on one day....or 700 drinks fewer in a year. Just by being mindful of drinking, you're likely drinking less, and having and sticking to a plan, you're definitely drinking less. And you're learning along the way what works and doesn't for you. So cheers to your progress on your journey to feeling great and enjoying life!
Here was my soburrito scene Friday night. (One of 3 dancefloors at Bubba's--which you MUST check out if you come to Maine!) As it got more crowded and alcohol fueled, it actually became a game of "Dodge the Bridesmaid's Beer Bottles and Butts."
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Weekly Update: Day 57 of the 75 day challenge.. So far its been pretty good with certain down moments. I still hangout with friends who drink and they no longer ask, but they do ask when my challenge ends. I give a vague answer as I dont know if I am still ready to pick up a drink yet. The struggles on the homefront are still there and alcohol has only made them worse. So until I know I can control my drinks and not let them control me, I plan to abstain.
Also accomplished something this past weekend that I would like to share. I ran my first official 10K charity run at nearly 44 years old. I have never ran in my life and started in March at which time I could barely complete a 0.25 miles so from there to get to 6.22 miles is a major accomplishment for me and wanted to share it with y'all.
Its been great seeing the updates from everyone and as usual continues to inspire and motivate me.8 -
@dethstar77 - Congrats on your 10k run!! That is amazing! Hang in there day 75 or day 100 or day 125 or day 365 ... it is your choice when you break you AF streak. And also if you want to try limitations when you do. It is hard I will say. It took me longer than I expected to stop at 2 drinks in an evening ... sometimes I feel it is easier to make up my mind to be AF than my rules LOL Water between drinks has always been one of my rules but it too is hard. Proud that you've done so well.
@vvlucky - Welcome! Glad to have you join us.
@mainelylisa - Sober is not a fun word. Try dry or teetotal ... what ever makes you comfortable when choosing to abstinence from alcohol. I like the idea of targeting to be clearheaded! Glad you are talking to your DH about your goals.
Has anyone read "Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget" by Sarah Hepola. It is an interesting satirical reflection of Sarah's memoir from alcoholism to sobriety. What happen last night can be a terrible thing to not remember. You can truly get an understanding of an addict's trials and tribulations as well as an understanding of how some people might seem to be there but not when they drink and blackout. Blackout is not passing out ... it is almost the opposite.
Waving to everyone else speaking up on the thread or lurking!7 -
Checking in for accountability:
6/16 AF
6/17 AF
6/18 AF
6/19 AF
6/20 AF
6/21 3 drinks. Likely 2 tomorrow after golf. Happy that I have refrained from daily drinking this last week.6 -
Lilylady3k wrote: »Stressful day after all. Morning funeral for a friend's husband + when my mom (84) drove in Thursday late afternoon we realized that she needed to go to the doc after her fall Wednesday morning (stubborn woman) so Friday morning talked her out of getting her nails done and going to the doc instead ... she ended up with surgery last night for a broken wrist + the party for DD and her husband.
Ended up with 2 margaritas ... 1 when I arrived and 1 with dinner then switched to water.
June accountability: 8/30 days AF
Alcohol: 10 days (24 drinks)
Goal: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month. Aim to drink no more than 2 nights in a row.
6/1 - AF
6/2 - 2 wine
6/3 - 5 … 1 beer + 3 wine + 1 Benedictine @ New Orleans
6/4 - 4 … 3 wine + 1 Whiskey Diet Coke @ New Orleans
6/5 - 4 … 1 whiskey sour + 3 wine @ Wedding in Natchez
6/6 - 2 wine
6/7 - AF
6/8 - AF
6/9 - AF
6/10 - AF
6/11 - 1 wine @ 1 year anniversary party for goddaughter
6/12 - 1 wine
6/13 - AF
6/14 - AF
6/15 - 1 wine
6/16 - AF @ Book Club
6/17 - 2 wine (SKIPPED ZTA Sisters Unwine'd @ Unwine’d Wine & Cheese Lounge)
6/18 - 2 margaritas @ Another celebration for DD. Fiesta planned in 2020 before her wedding that had to be postponed. The 9 couples (friends of my son in law’s mom) hosting are insisting on a party to celebrate their wedding as well as an excuse to party and get together after a year of the pandemic.
Oh your poor mom! Hope she recovery well and quickly. She’s lucky she had you to drag her to the doctors!!4 -
@Womona - Thank you ... she is one tough cookie
My sister & I were thinking of canceling our trip this week but she insists. So bundling her in the car Tuesday morning and off we go our our Girls Trip to Hot Springs AR.4 -
dethstar77 wrote: »Weekly Update: Day 57 of the 75 day challenge.. So far its been pretty good with certain down moments. I still hangout with friends who drink and they no longer ask, but they do ask when my challenge ends. I give a vague answer as I dont know if I am still ready to pick up a drink yet. The struggles on the homefront are still there and alcohol has only made them worse. So until I know I can control my drinks and not let them control me, I plan to abstain.
Also accomplished something this past weekend that I would like to share. I ran my first official 10K charity run at nearly 44 years old. I have never ran in my life and started in March at which time I could barely complete a 0.25 miles so from there to get to 6.22 miles is a major accomplishment for me and wanted to share it with y'all.
Its been great seeing the updates from everyone and as usual continues to inspire and motivate me.
OMG that’s amazing! Congratulations!!! That is such a huge accomplishment- especially starting from zero!
Also great job keeping to your challenge. I know I struggle most with being around other people who are drinking, and you’ve been so strong. Very inspiring.6 -
@mainelylisa wow thats really scary. I’m glad you are ok. It’s amazing how quickly those drinks go down and how fast time passes when you drink in an empty stomach. So glad you are all right, and reached the point where you’re just done. Really insightful that you can moderate until you can’t.
I have a friend who had a similar story, except she fell flat on her face and looked like she went a few rounds with Mike Tyson. She just stopped drinking after that night, and feels amazing. She looks clear eyed and 15 years younger!!! Plus she is so much happier. I hope the same goes for you too on this next section of your journey.
Honestly it sounds easier to just not drink than it is to hem and haw about how many to have, how much is too much, did I or didn’t I meet my AF or moderation goals. It’s a lot of mental effort! You just made your life easier!!8 -
I did well this weekend, didn’t overdo. But, had a High Noon on the boat and it gave me a headache the rest of the afternoon. After a little nap, I didn’t want a drink with dinner last night! I didn’t want one today after work!
I also want the my weight to go down a few pounds. My resolve to not drink is great in the morning but usually crumbles by dinner time. Tonight I didn’t even want it! Yay!
It had BETTER be reflected on the scale tomorrow morning! Haha!6 -
My resolve to not drink is great in the morning but usually crumbles by dinner time
Thank you for mentioning this. I had totally forgot how I used to struggle with this everyday. All good intention to "be good" after work would always fail.
The heat seems to be keeping me feeling bloated and puffy to no matter how much water I drink. Hope the scale was kind to you today.
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June 21 days~ accountability
15 days dry
6 days alcohol
Not bad coming off a dry May.
*Keeping to no consecutive days of drinks
*I allowed a 2 day max per week which I have also kept.
*Estimated max 9 days/18 drinks alcohol for June
*Screwed up one day having 4 glasses(UGH) goal was set at 2 max
😎 love reading everyones checkins.
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My resolve to not drink is great in the morning but usually crumbles by dinner time
Thank you for mentioning this. I had totally forgot how I used to struggle with this everyday. All good intention to "be good" after work would always fail.
The heat seems to be keeping me feeling bloated and puffy to no matter how much water I drink. Hope the scale was kind to you today.
It was! Now to prevent the old backslide-“oh my weight is on a downward trend, I’m 2.5 lbs away from my goal weight, surely a drink after work for no reason won’t affect this weight loss” and it goes right back up again. Wash rinse repeat. Need to stop this cycle so my pants fit better!7 -
AF yesterday. After reading stories about folks blacking out and not remembering, I thought, gee, glad that's never happened to me. Then I went to take out the garbage last night and there was an empty bottle of whisky. Umm, the one my husband and I opened on Sunday. Well, I didn't remember finishing it....thinking, did we really drink the whole thing?? ...seems impossible....and I tried to think how much of it I had and guess what...I can't remember.....!
So AF today. Back to living life the right way....!7 -
mainelylisa wrote: »Hi Everyone! I had to take a break from social media and the computer when not working. I had another incident 2 weeks ago, which led me to the first time to completely admit I CANNOT moderate. I mean I can most of the time...and then I can't. I'm choosing to look at it as almost comical. Because I know, as my therapist has been saying, that it is a brain chemistry thing that I've been fighting for at least 10 years, but I was too stubborn to admit I couldn't always have control. As @MissMay has posted many times, "First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." I'll share my story in case there is anyone else here who also can moderate...until they can't.
I've realized I'm spending way too much time alone--WFH for 5 years and not many local friends and DH now back in the office out all week. So Monday before last I took my self out to eat. I was going to be responsible and Uber and eat a fattening dinner of lobster mac & cheese to soak up my drink. They sat me at the bar to eat around 6:30. Then I called my son who I don't get to talk to often, but knew was available. He was out-of-character chatty, so I waited until we were done to order food. By the time we were off, they said the kitchen had closed. Next thing I knew I was intensely staring into the eyes of a cute young cop. And then I woke up the next morning, luckily in my bed and not the E.R. I have no idea what happened that night, but with a $100 bill and no food, I'm guessing I had 4? 5? yummy cosmos & left a hefty tip and stumbled across the giant parking lot probably looking for food, and fell. I had a big bruise on my butt and a little knot on my head. No Uber home, so guessing the city footed that bill at around 12:30 a.m., according to Google Map history. I had to take the day off work because I might as well have walked in front of a train.
The other scary thing is that I've been "feeling" my kidneys. Pretty sure we're not supposed to feel our organs. Now I'm feeling all my damn feelings, lol, because I'm not smishing them with alcohol. I've caught up a little bit here, and seems most of us drink from several buckets of motivation--probably Dull the Feelings and Social are the two biggest. I want to share that feeling my feelings is starting to give me a voice for the first time. I'm shedding the Nice Girl persona I put on to and growing a pair. I'm speaking up for what I want. What I need. I'm cutting people out who aren't good for me out. I'm racking up more steps than ever. I cry at the end of almost every run. I danced Sober in a real nightclub Friday night. (It wasn't quite as fun as dancing tipsy, but the next morning sure made it worth it!) It's scary and uncomfortable at times. But life is short. I'm turning 60 this year. I don't want to compromise and dull my senses. I want to live fully.
Happy Sunday!
You are very brave to share your story. IT helps people like me who lurk here and many others. You know the old saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results." I am proud of you for analyzing and not just shoving issues under the rug. I had a similar experience this past weekend; don't remember much and made some weird decisions that I would not have made if I wasn't drunk. You did make me smile when you mentioned the cop. Best wishes for a new journey- improvement not perfection is the goal. Thanks for sharing.8 -
Thinking out loud here....if there is one thing we can control it's our thinking. Maybe we have more self control capability that we think if we can stop bad thinking. Today I will work on being aware of thoughts that come to me that don't serve me well -or ones that just stress me out. And consciously replace them with a positive thought.9
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Hi : - )
My goal is 16-20 AF days per month.
Diary Style.
Monday June 21 - Drinks. I had a quarter of the second can of Gin Smash to start, didn't like it as much as the other variety, it was a bit too sweet, couldn't taste the Gin enough. Planned drinks for Friday.
Rolling Total - 14AF days out of 21 days.6 -
Hello all I have been a bit MIA
@mainelylisa I do have to thank you for sharing your story. Before starting this journey I would black out most nights before going to bed. The next morning I could not remember when I went to bed, how I got my contacts out etc. My only saving grace was/is I very seldom have a drink when we are out to dinner. If we go to a bar my limit is 2 beers or one hard liquor.
@Lilylady3k have fun in Hot Springs (my daughter lives there) it is such a nice town.
I have not been doing well on the AF days these past few. Last night after working in the 90+ degree weather on our yard all I wanted was a quick dinner out. I was so tired I just could not face cooking when it was this hot and I was that tired. Drove to local Olive Garden -- mind you this is 4:30 in the afternoon. The line out the door was long. Long story short ended up driving home and me being in a pissy mood cooking the dinner I was too tired to make. I opened the wine. enough said.
Rolling 14 of 21 AF. Hopefully I got that out of my system.
Back to my fun in the sun
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I, too, am reflecting on @mainelylisa's wisdom that moderation works until it doesn't. I feel this way about food, too. I can go several weeks happily eating my normal stuff without being tempted by others' chips and snacks in our pantry. I have my own snacks and I like them. But then out of the blue I have a "snackcident" and eat way more than intended. Sometimes this is after drinking, but honestly, sometimes it is just a regular weekday late afternoon.
My moderation with respect to alcohol has much greater room for improvement than that with respect to food. With food, I'm "on track" enough that maintaining my desired weight isn't a problem. The snackcidents are sporadic enough to average out to not-a-problem. Over-drinking has worse health impacts than over-eating, for one thing. And I do it more often, regrettably. I'm trying to figure out how to "stack" new alcohol habits on my good-enough food habits. Have not cracked that code.
I had more than two drinks Father's Day. Not a big deal but not what I planned.8 -
@Womona and @Lilylady3k Thank you so much. This group has been helpful and inspiring to keep me moving forward. I am glad to have the support from all of you and happy to hear that my story does inspire some of you.6
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Checking in for accountability:
6/16 AF
6/17 AF
6/18 AF
6/19 AF
6/20 AF
6/21 3 drinks on date with hubby
6/22 2 Michelob Ultra after golf
Plan to rack up next several days AF.
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AF again tonight! I only gave having a drink a passing thought. I also was really good about logging all my food and exercise today. I have a wedding out of town this weekend and want to look good! Plus of course I know I’ll have wine this weekend but need to limit to two per day with all the festivities. I just can’t handle more than that, despite being on vacation.
Have a good week everyone!
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Hi : - )
My goal is 16-20 AF days per month.
Diary Style.
Monday June 21 - Drinks. I had a quarter of the second can of Gin Smash to start, didn't like it as much as the other variety, it was a bit too sweet, couldn't taste the Gin enough. Planned drinks for Friday.
Tuesday June 22 - AF - Felt a bit fuzzy this morning after having a few drinks last night.
Rolling Total - 15AF days out of 22 days.5 -
A few photos.
I have shown photos from this back deck before. My guitar player Fred's house in Kimberley.
Here is our selfie:
A chipmunk with full cheeks:
A Stellar Jay that hangs around the back deck quite often:
Kind of blurry, it was sort of hard to get a photo
And here was the other variety of Gin Smash that I tried that I found too sweet. I had it after working in the yard in like 100 degree heat. I covered the rest of it and put it in the fridge anyway.
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