Less Alcohol ~ FEBRUARY 2022 ~ One Day At A Time

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  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,782 Member
    Xellercin wrote: »
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    OMG LOVE THE BABY AND BIG SIS PHOTOS! Adorable!

    Catching up and , truly, best wishes to all who are coming back from health stuff - earaches, heart attacks, COVID... serious stuff. A good reminder to be kind to your one and only amazing body.

    @globalhiker , I am pondering the exact same things about the "reward" psychology. I kind of am of two minds. On the one hand, I think there is merit to the little voice that says one drink (or sweet treat) in an overall healthy diet/exercise regimen truly is ok if the goal is balance and enjoyment. No great harm if it truly brings a spec of enjoyment. On the other hand, the feeling of "deserving" or entitlement may not exactly be in harmony with enjoying a treat. But it might. Does feeling entitled to it lead to less enjoyment? I think for me that is the key as I look for ways to consume less WHILE enjoying more. I'm interested in others' thoughts on this.

    Been away a week. An old friend asked me to come help her deal with some estate issues in central Mexico on Friday, and I hopped on a plane Monday to give her a hand. Long story, but I couldn't imagine tackling what she is dealing with alone. She was really grateful. I'm back now and ready to get back to my routine. I generally don't log when traveling, especially foreign travel. It's just impossible to know and too difficult to guess. Plus we drank during the week. Maybe every day? Or at least close to that. I wasn't keeping track but it seemed like a glass of something here and there on weeknights which is not my usual mode. Nothing crazy but nothing I really enjoyed either. The "We deserve a glass of wine" thinking at the end of the day was in full force. I would benefit from a good think about that.

    The problem isn't the moderate consumption of "treats" the problem is compulsive, repetitive behaviours that you don't want to be continuing, but you do because you feel an intense urge/craving to do so.

    When that's the case, it's not a treat, it's giving in to an addiction.

    If you have compulsive cravings, giving in feels like a "treat" but it's actually a self destructive behavior.

    Something is a "treat" when it's just a nice-to-have add-on to your normal day-to-day routine. A pedicure might be a nice treat, or some flowers. But if you spent your day thinking about pedicures, constantly thinking "I need to cut back on pedicures," promising yourself "only X number of pedicures this month," but then giving in and getting more pedicures than you intended, feeling guilty when you get too many pedicures, and justifying it as a "treat"???

    Yeah, that's not a treat, that's a problem.

    It's not how much you use something that dictates that you have problems with it, it's how you feel about using it that really matters.

    If you're managing to limit yourself to only 1-2 drinks at a time, or only gambling $20, or only eating one cookie, or only doing a few lines of cocaine and only at parties, but you need to white knuckle the hell out of limiting it to that "acceptable" level, then you don't actually have a healthy relationship with the thing you are addicted to.

    At that point, it's not a treat because the whole dynamic isn't healthy.

    Freaking brilliant. The pedicure analogy really brought it home for me!!!!!!
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,897 Member
    @Womona

    What a fabulous excursion you are off to!
    I used to spend lots of time in Florida when I still lived in the East. My parents lived there for 15 years.
    I believe that Tom Petty is from Jacksonville...or maybe Gainesville.

    Have fun!
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,897 Member
    I am in, with my usual goal: 16-20AF days per month. I had 18 last month.

    Diary Style is how I roll.

    Feb 13 - AF - Busy day Monday working out of town, so AF decision. Expecting to have drinks with my departing friend Monday and Tuesday, she leaves for good on Wednesday.
    Feb 14 - 2 drinks
    Feb 15 - AF - said goodbye to my friend on Monday night, she is enroute now to Calgary and flies out of there in the wee hours Thursday morning. Time to get back to a normal routine for myself and to rack up some AF days.
    Wednesday Feb 16 - AF - Felt like having a couple of drinks, but also am trying to get back into some sort of routine after so much packing and cleaning at my friend's over the last couple of weeks. It was nice to be at home watching the Olympics.

    Rolling total: 9AF days out of 16 days
  • luciebrucie
    luciebrucie Posts: 119 Member
    Managed another night AF
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    lmlmrn wrote: »
    Oh my @Lilylady3k The pictures are so cute I want to pinch some cheeks!

    Well it is now confirmed both DH and I tested positive for covid :|
    I started with a low fever and headache a few days ago, DH has been super fatigued and has a cough. So our symptoms are very mild. I have had colds that made me feel much worse.

    So AF, it really just lost it's appeal the last few days, even though I don't have much of a problem during the week any longer. 11/16 days dry.

    Now I have this 13lb turkey in my frig thawing out for the dinner party I WAS going to have on Saturday. So if I cooked it say Sunday or Monday then put it in the freezer until the following Saturday do you think it will be ok?

    A friend gave me a Lilly Pulitzer cookbook that I love. Evidently, she was constantly entertaining large groups of family & a steady stream of visitors. Anyhoo, she had an unconventional Thanksgiving approach that I have deployed twice with marvelous results.
    1) cook & carve turkey 2 weeks before event
    2) make stock with carcass
    3) place sliced turkey in aluminum pan, cover with stock & freeze
    4) defrost in fridge 24 hrs before event
    5) drain (and save!) defrosted stock and reheat in 350F oven with a little stock until steamy

    She says "Who wants to spend all day Thanksgiving carving turkeys?" She has to cook multiple turkeys for her crowd, but I do appreciate her point. It makes the turkey you serve so hot and moist, and it is such a breeze to serve, it's really hard to go back.

    Good luck! And I'm really sorry about COVID but glad it's mild for you.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    CDC guidance is to isolate 5 days after positive test without going into public THEN to mask 5 more days while in public. Is there any way to get delivery with Instacart or curbside pickup so you don't actually have to go in?
  • Xellercin
    Xellercin Posts: 924 Member
    Womona wrote: »

    Freaking brilliant. The pedicure analogy really brought it home for me!!!!!!

    I do love a good analogy. When it comes to explaining human behaviour, I really don't think there's a better way to ensure that an idea is understood.
  • Lilylady3k
    Lilylady3k Posts: 4,011 Member
    @lmlmrn - I hope that you and your DH find covid a breeze and the symptoms continue to reside quickly. I got word this morning a young man (healthy and fit) friend of my kids past away after struggling for 2 months with it. Seems there is the light version and the still deadly version out there. Take care!

    ahoy_m8 - Brilliant idea on solving her turkey issue!
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,782 Member
    @lmlmrn sorry to hear you guys have Covid! Feel better.

    I love the make-ahead turkey idea! So easy. We usually deep fry the turkey, but this works just as well. All so know is I refuse to host Thanksgiving this year! Two years in a row is enough.

    A little bit less than a glass of wine last night, and I passed on the mimosas at lunch for a co-worker’s going away party. I feel pretty good this morning, so I’m going to get ready to leave for my trip, which involves cleaning the house. I hate coming home to a dirty house. Meanwhile…. Another cup of code to clear the cobwebs! Have a great day everyone!
  • lmlmrn
    lmlmrn Posts: 788 Member
    @BobLoblaw1991 Last year we had to keep whiskey out of the house because of the temptation for me. We tried several things actually. Putting the alcohol in the garage, then that began the running joke of going to the bar in the garage. Then we would put it in a closet or cabinet....DH would then bring it out once I was not in the room. Yes I avoided it, and he would make sure he poured his drink and put the bottle out of sight. This helped too.
    These days it does not matter if it is out or tucked away. It has been baby steps and I have a lot more to go but seeing the bottle no longer triggers the 'urge'. One temptation down, 1,000 more to work through.
    @Lilylady3k I am sure DH and I have a light version

    Not going to lie even though my fever has been gone basically 24 hours, sleeping has been awful. I just can't get comfortable. My hips ache, so today I am going to see if I can go for a short walk outside for some exercise and see if that helps. Still tired and so is DH. Still waiting on the appetite to come back but that can hold off a bit too. (can you say weight loss :blush: )

    Thank you for the wonderful tips on the Turkey debacle. So I will wait until Sat or Sun eve to cook the turkey. I don't know why I am kinda worried about cooking then freezing then thawing in such a short time.

    Ok off for now, btw AF last night 12/18 AF
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,897 Member
    I am in, with my usual goal: 16-20AF days per month. I had 18 last month.

    Diary Style is how I roll.

    Feb 13 - AF - Busy day Monday working out of town, so AF decision. Expecting to have drinks with my departing friend Monday and Tuesday, she leaves for good on Wednesday.
    Feb 14 - 2 drinks
    Feb 15 - AF - said goodbye to my friend on Monday night, she is enroute now to Calgary and flies out of there in the wee hours Thursday morning. Time to get back to a normal routine for myself and to rack up some AF days.
    Wednesday Feb 16 - AF - Felt like having a couple of drinks, but also am trying to get back into some sort of routine after so much packing and cleaning at my friend's over the last couple of weeks. It was nice to be at home watching the Olympics.
    Thursday Feb 17 - AF - Planned drinks Friday and Saturday.

    Rolling total: 10AF days out of 17 days
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Laughing at myself when I caught myself thinking about the weekend and doing a little mental back-patting for getting back on track with diet and exercise this week when actually on Valentines DH and I shared a bottle of bubbly and I ate a lot of sweets. Not "on track" in either respect. So it's been a whopping 3 days back in the routine. Squats always give me a little DOMS when I take a week off. :/

    Tonight we go to a musical with DD+friend and plan to have dinner at the mezcaleria by the theater. Last time we went was a weeknight, and I stayed AF knowing I'd have fun with or without the alcohol although DH & DD had a couple rounds. This time I plan to have a mezcal cocktail. I'm going to be thinking of @Womona and trying to remember microsips so that I'm good with one.

    We plan to get Shingrix#2 tomorrow, so we may or may not feel like doing much thereafter. Time will tell. Have fun, everybody!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,755 Member
    @lmlmrn you forgot to tell @BobLoblaw1991 about your bottle covers 🤣

    Welcome @BobLoblaw1991 and @tracy042.

    @AR10at50 good to see you again. I also started Quit Like A Woman. Mostly because I heard she had a blunt, in your face approach to writing ( my kinda girl) It was only the short version through my free Nook read.. it was really powerful.
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,434 Member

    Feb 1-2 - AF
    Feb 3-5 - stuck with 2 drink limit
    Feb 6-9 - AF
    Feb 10 - 12 - 2 drink limit
    Feb 13-15 AF
    Feb 16 - 2 drinks
    Feb 17- AF
    Feb 18-19- went a little off the rails oops
    Feb 20 - AF back on track
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,755 Member
    Yikes I thought I posted in here yesterday. I checked in, then got distracted.

    @globalhiker I cringed when I read your experience with your house guests 🤤 You were more under control than I would have been with trying to get to bed early and not able to.
    Good for you keeping it all together and dumping out the alcohol they left.
    🏆

    @lmlmrn Uncle is very cute. The beauty I am admiring is that new mandala in the background on your wall. STUNNING work!

    @ahoy_m8 what was the name of the musical you attended the other evening? Our favorite playhouses are getting back to normal now and we really hope the musical line up are ones we are interested in.

    ***A note about the hard coffee I drank on Thursday evening around 7:30 PM. This was a new brand I had never tried before REBEL mocha latte. 5% alcohol.

    Now I have been drinking coffee of all sorts since I was 15 years of age. Even drinking straight black freshly perked off the stove top.

    The REBEL hard coffee snuck up on me like no caffine I had ever had. I wondered why I was still awake watching painting videos in bed at 11:00PM definitely a note to self moment🤣

    19 AF
    3 A


  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,897 Member
    I am in, with my usual goal: 16-20AF days per month. I had 18 last month.

    Diary Style is how I roll.

    Feb 13 - AF - Busy day Monday working out of town, so AF decision. Expecting to have drinks with my departing friend Monday and Tuesday, she leaves for good on Wednesday.
    Feb 14 - 2 drinks
    Feb 15 - AF - said goodbye to my friend on Monday night, she is enroute now to Calgary and flies out of there in the wee hours Thursday morning. Time to get back to a normal routine for myself and to rack up some AF days.
    Wednesday Feb 16 - AF - Felt like having a couple of drinks, but also am trying to get back into some sort of routine after so much packing and cleaning at my friend's over the last couple of weeks. It was nice to be at home watching the Olympics.
    Thursday Feb 17 - AF - Planned drinks Friday and Saturday.
    Friday Feb 18 - 2 drinks - (Seem to have lost that post)
    Saturday Feb 19 - 3 drinks all together, I had a piccolo of Freixenet with cheese for lunch (one flute) and then 2 drinks in the evening. Planned AF for Sunday

    Rolling total: 10AF days out of 19 days
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    @MissMay We saw Rent, and it was a sell out crowd. People around us were singing along. Very much a creation of it's time.

    The most fun part of the evening was meeting DD's co-worker friend. What a delightful person. We had a blast. Sipping my one mezcal drink at dinner worked (and I really enjoyed it), but DH decided he wanted to go bar-hopping with the 20-somethings afterward. Sheesh. We went to bed at 2AM. I drank 2 light beers. I might have enjoyed club soda more, but the bar wasn't set up that way and I didn't feel like being the squeaky wheel. Saturday AM we got Shingrix#2. I got my strength training, garden & kitchen tasks out of the way early in case I started feeling bad. I felt fine, maybe a touch of fatigue before dinner, but it started kicking my butt around 1AM. I can't remember ever shaking that hard. Almost convulsing. I had chills after shot #1 but much less intense than this. Advil is helping. It's a beautiful day so I might venture out for an easy walk. Or maybe just sit outside. You know that feeling of being tired of lying in bed but not really feeling up to doing anything either?
  • lmlmrn
    lmlmrn Posts: 788 Member
    Hello everyone,
    Happy to report signs of covid are gone. Just a little lingering cough and stuffy nose while I try to sleep.
    Re-tested today.(approx day 9 from exposed)..drats still says positive, which begs me to think how accurate are the home tests that I ordered from US government
    Do you have to wait the entire 10 days to no longer be positive?
    CDC says to isolate for 5 then mask up for 5 days. Do does this mean you can take you mask off at the end of the last 5 days?
    Do you retest at day 10? What if it still shows positive, are you reinfected?
    No where can I find answers to these questions.
    If any of you have a link or information please let me know.
    Should I go to one the testing sites?

    Bright side hanging with the AF crowd right now but may treat myself to a beer later this evening.
    I did get the turkey cooked yesterday and made the stock today, so all are in the freezer until friday when I will thaw them out for next Saturday.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    From this website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html

    “If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test1 towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10. Follow additional recommendations for masking and avoiding travel as described above.”

    My understanding is false positives are pretty rare. False negatives are the bigger problem. I haven’t read up on the US issued tests, though. Glad you’re feeling better !

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