Less Alcohol ~ NOVEMBER 2021 ~ One Day At A Time

ducky133

Good Monday morning. I am having a bit of trouble getting used to the new format. I feel like the site is blinding with the stark white background. Making just a bit of progress here with a few AF days in November and several days where I reduced the size of my drink and definitely noticed a difference in terms of sleep, anxiety, etc. I agree @womona it does sometimes feel like deprivation. The days I was AF I tried to focus on the fact that I knew I would feel great in the morning and that helped.

LazyBlondeChef

I also can't get used to the new format. I still hate it even after days of trying to get used to it. It literally hurts my eyes. I'm on an iMac. I tried on my phone and iPad which is a little better because of the smaller screens but I don't like writing on small screens. Makes me want to leave MFP completely. This is poor design. Our eyes need contrast especially those of us who don't have the best eyesight.

lmlmrn

@MissMay I am excited about the new art exhibit, but please don't let it stress you out. Thank you for all the extra work you have to do on my behalf.

Still doing ok with my AF days although last night I did have a little nip which was ok.

Now for those frozen veggies. I did try to roast them in the oven with olive oil and sprinkled with everything bagel spices. They were ok, I think this next time I am going to try my air fryer and see what happens or maybe broil??

I too am in a cooking rut but I did just started to look into mass meal prepping. I am not working so I really don't have a need to do this but when I know what our menu's are I relax and have fun. It is always that planning that drags me down.

ok back later

looneycatblue

11/1 - 11/7: 1 / 7 days AF, 10 drinks

11/8 - 11/14: 6 / 7 days AF, 6 drinks, better, but the 1 drink day was a doosy! Took a full day to recover, and ate way too much in the process.

New Week -
11/15 - I will be AF today/tonight

Lilylady3k

@ducky133 and @LazyBlondeChef - I dimmed my screen just a bit so that it is not so bright stark white. It helps (a little).

Womona

AF tonight after a long day of work. I was able to quickly move past a fleeting moment of considering some wine- only because I saw an open bottle in the fridge. Shut the door, problem solved!

globalhiker

The screen seems to get a bit better when I reset zoom to -67% on my browser and darken the settings on my monitor.

AF feels really good now. My tummy flattened out fast, like I dropped a size in a few days and clothes are so loose. Now I know all that belly bloat I was feeling was inflammation from wine. Maybe I developed a wine intolerance? Body was trying to communicate with me.

Days in which I'm tempted to take "a day off" are not worth it. This is not like dieting I tell myself. I don't earn points for being good all week to just blow it badly on certain days because that is just self-harming.

dawnbgethealthy

@Womona

Yeah, I guess that we should feel like cutting back is empowerment. Fool ourselves into thinking that it is?
I agree that it has to be sustainable. I know a few people who are celiac, so they have had to change their eating habits or they don't feel well. Empowering for them that they make choices to feel better.
I see people do Keto with some quick results, they slip, have to start the 7 days to get back into ketogenesis all over again after one cookie, and ultimately gain much more than they started with.
I have a friend who has a glass of wine every day after work. She is neither overweight nor unhealthy, she is active. Not only is it a bit of a trigger for me when we get together, but also makes me a little sad that I will be on a lifelong path of drinking less and counting calories when others can maintain weight and vitality without having to do so.
I do substitute rice cakes for toast from time to time, but really would rather have toast!

dawnbgethealthy

I ended with 16AF days for October. My ongoing goal is 16-20 AF days.
November 28th 2018 was when I started on this thread. My late Dad's birthday.
I have learned to drink less over the past 3 years, although it was very tough at first weaning myself off of being a daily drinker.

Diary style is how I roll and keep track.


Sunday November 14 - Drinks. No real day off until next Saturday, but finished at 3:15 today, and will be on straight days at the restaurant from here on in now that we got new staff : - ) Monday to Friday for me once everyone of the new 3 are trained. Very short day tomorrow and then smoking busy with work for the rest of the week, so am planning to relax with a few cocktails and probably watch HGTV from my tub : - ) I see that I had 3 AF days from the last day that I had drinks, good pace for me.
Monday November 15 - AF - Next planned drinks day will be Friday. I will be full time dayshift at the restaurant from now on, although will have a few later nights doing my other job after I leave there. I feel that this will be a great new schedule for me. Looking like weekends off so far.

Rolling total: 12AF days out of 15 days.

dawnbgethealthy

@lmlmrn

I have always been into the mass meal prepping. Especially in the fall when I am harvesting so many goodies from my garden. I have more than 100 packed up and in the freezer to take out in the morning before work for dinner later.
Mostly because I don't feel like cooking in the evenings other than throwing a slab on meat on the George Foreman grill to have with some veggies that I throw in the microwave.

@MissMay
Jambalaya!! Oh yum! That will be next for me to make a big pot of and freeze into calorie counted containers : - ) Maybe next weekend.

looneycatblue

11/1 - 11/7: 1 / 7 days AF, 10 drinks

11/8 - 11/14: 6 / 7 days AF, 6 drinks, better, but the 1 drink day was a doosy! Took a full day to recover, and ate way too much in the process.

New Week -
11/15 - AF but too many sweets last night , overcompensating maybe?

lmlmrn

@dawnbgethealthy , the more and more I look into meal prepping and for me a week at a time the more I like it. There are many things I already know freeze well so now it will be a matter of planning. My least favorite thing to decide lol. But tonight I prepped all the vegetables in my frig. So chopped the Romain, iceberg, nappa cabbage, celery, peppers, spinach and peppers. whew

I had to clean out our upright freezer tonight, we are having a new one delivered tomorrow. I hate this transitioning all my frozen food but our 'old' freezer is about 40 years old and breeds more ice than anything.

Tonight just a little home made Kahlua. Then up early to the gym so I am home for the delivery!

dawnbgethealthy

I ended with 16AF days for October. My ongoing goal is 16-20 AF days.
November 28th 2018 was when I started on this thread. My late Dad's birthday.
I have learned to drink less over the past 3 years, although it was very tough at first weaning myself off of being a daily drinker.

Diary style is how I roll and keep track.

Sunday November 14 - Drinks. No real day off until next Saturday, but finished at 3:15 today, and will be on straight days at the restaurant from here on in now that we got new staff : - ) Monday to Friday for me once everyone of the new 3 are trained. Very short day tomorrow and then smoking busy with work for the rest of the week, so am planning to relax with a few cocktails and probably watch HGTV from my tub : - ) I see that I had 3 AF days from the last day that I had drinks, good pace for me.
Monday November 15 - AF - Next planned drinks day will be Friday. I will be full time dayshift at the restaurant from now on, although will have a few later nights doing my other job after I leave there. I feel that this will be a great new schedule for me. Looking like weekends off so far.
Tuesday November 16 - AF - Reluctantly. I worked hours later than I was scheduled to at the restaurant, so I couldn't get any of my Foster Grant jobs done. Very tired, definitely felt like having a couple of drinks, but I have some very busy days ahead, so won't.

Rolling total: 13AF days out of 16 days.

Womona

globalhiker wrote: »

AF feels really good now. My tummy flattened out fast, like I dropped a size in a few days and clothes are so loose. Now I know all that belly bloat I was feeling was inflammation from wine. Maybe I developed a wine intolerance? Body was trying to communicate with me.

Isn’t that the best???? I love when that bloat goes away. Happy for you!

Womona

Glad I was AF last night, though sorely tempted. My weight is down again this morning! I think I need to re-read this post later if I am tempted later.

MissMay

GOOD MORNING group.

Yes I agree meal plannng helps keep me on a healthy path rather than standing looking into a frig wondering what to make after a long hard day at work.

So Monday night around 9:30PM I am going through some emails from last week I had over looked. YIKES.... last day for art delivery for the new show is the next morning from 9-noon ONLY. I originally read we had up to Thursday for delivery. This was not good, I still had 4 new canvases to back, tag, paperwork UGH plus yesterday I was scheduled to work from 8:30 - 4:00.

Got up super early Tuesday morning at 5:30AM(sorry that is why I didnt post) had coffee and got right to working on my canvases. Was going great until I was going to attach the hangers. LOOKING LOOKING LOOKING where the "bleep" were they? I had just bought 2 packs last Friday morning and knew I had exactly 4 left.

Drove into town at 7:55AM, first place NO HANGERS, second place YES got them. Raced back home, attached them, packed up art and sent a text off to my client I was running an hour behind(thank goodness they love me) Got to my parking spot in front of art gallery at 8:57AM, woman comes to open door. I'M IN, ART DELIVERED. Phew what a hectic time that was.

Turned out all good for the rest of the day.
In the past, I would have come straight home from work and done the "reward" thing with drinking because it was a glitch in my scheduled day. Nope, came home made hot cocoa in my favorite giant mug, added whipped cream with chocolate bitters sprinkled on top. That was my reward for pulling off an unplanned glitch.

(BTW husband moved my hangers from where I left them, over into a drawer I would never have ever put them, in a million years😲)

AF last night and happy.

Redordeadhead

Does anyone find that their sleep gets worse when moving to AF?

I know that seems to be the opposite effect many people experience, but I'm finding myself waking up a lot during the night and wondering if there is any connection.

Mouse_Potato

Redordeadhead wrote: »

Does anyone find that their sleep gets worse when moving to AF?

I know that seems to be the opposite effect many people experience, but I'm finding myself waking up a lot during the night and wondering if there is any connection.

I've been lurking on this thread for the last two weeks, but your post inspired me to speak up. My answer is YES!! In the interest of full disclosure, I've always had trouble falling asleep, but now I find I cannot *stay* asleep. I am on day 10 AF and every night I sleep for maybe 3 hours and then I wake up and then it's every 45-60 minutes after that. Then I wake up an hour or so before my alarm goes off and can't go back to sleep. I have been a complete zombie for the last week and a half.

ahoy_m8

Honestly, I do not notice a huge sleep difference. Conventional wisdom says drinking may make falling asleep seem quicker, but it disrupts normal sleep cycles so you are more apt to wake a couple hours later. Well, that kind of describes my normal AF night, too. Plus, DH snores (worse when he drinks) and I actually sleep through that better when I drink, too. Kind of a vicious circle. He now wears a mouth guard that helps, but it's not foolproof. Congestion, drinking, and weight gain all lead to "breakthrough snoring" despite the mouth guard. When he does a father-daughter trip, DD's all ask incredulously how I survive it.

Very exciting about the art show! Eager to hear how the whole thing goes. It does sound nerve wracking but it also sounds like the gallery wants to do a good job (controlling variables). Hope it's sensational!

Meal prep vs. meal planning... I'm a planner for sure but less a prepper. Breakfasts & lunches have less variety and are pretty routine, so I don't so much plan those as just stock the normal ingredients. Dinner is more of an effort with greater variety, and I do plan the week out Thursday & shop Friday. (regimented much?)

While I don't chop vegetables for the week, I do have some meal shortcuts. There are 3 or four dinners I make regularly- not every week necessarily but every couple weeks- that involve a sauce. When I make one, I make 8 servings, use 2 and freeze the rest in 2-serving increments. So I have these recipe starter nuggets in the freezer that vastly reduce my cook time. They are:

• tomatillo sauce (enchiladas or casserole)
• hatch chile sauce (usually stew but awesome on anything)
• garam masala butter sauce (butter chicken or chana masala)
• ancho sauce (posole or enchiladas)

We normally smoke a whole chicken on Sunday and from the carcass I make a gallon of stock so you could consider that prepping, too. Meals come together pretty fast when the meat and sauce are ready to go. Just having a plan seems to make things go faster, even when there is chopping to do.

LazyBlondeChef

I've not noticed alcohol making a difference in my sleep but I can see where it could if you were a daily drinker and then stopped. I'm a heavy sleeper. My partner gets up at 5am and I don't hear his alarm nor his morning routine. I don't hear my alarm either if I've slept less than about seven hours. Makes no difference whether or not I've had any alcohol. Unfortunately for him he's a light sleeper and wakes up after 5-6 hours of sleep regardless of AF or not. He tends to have trouble sleeping if he has alcohol close to bedtime. So it could be an individual thing or related to timing and possibly amount of alcohol consumed.

When I was overweight I snored but now that I'm at a normal weight I'm told my snoring has mostly stopped. When I do snore it is likely related to my allergies being worse than normal. Alcohol doesn't impact it.