Less Alcohol ~ APRIL 2022 ~ One Day At A Time
MissMay
Posts: 3,738 Member
Do you want to drink LESS? Then join us in drinking LESS (whatever that means for you) as we continue to support and learn from each other.
■ LESS ALCOHOL RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LIST ■
USING THIS THREAD:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Join us at any time.
•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.
•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:
▪▪▪▪
•Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol
by Holly Whitaker
•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
~Established 2017~
■ LESS ALCOHOL RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LIST ■
USING THIS THREAD:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Join us at any time.
•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.
•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:
▪▪▪▪
•Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol
by Holly Whitaker
•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
~Established 2017~
2
Replies
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This is no April Fools joke. We support each other daily here with their goal to drink LESS alcohol.
Been thinking about how much your consuming and not happy about it? Then feel feel to join us in your quest.4 -
A peek into my personal less alcohol journeyIt is a work in progress since Dec 28, 2018 (FIRST AF day in 2018) when I decided to be accountable and not just drink mindlessly & excessively. Concerned about the label of alcoholic that I did not want to acquire like my grandmother that died of cirrhosis of the liver. Not only was drinking not good for my health but it derailed my weight loss efforts too.2022 Summary
2018 Summary
Dec - AF 4/31 (? drinks) Dec 28-31 when I started reporting in here
2019 Summary
Jan - AF 19/31 (27 drinks)
Feb - AF 16/28 (23 drinks)
Mar - AF 17/31 (27 drinks)
Apr - AF 9/30 (45 drinks)
May - AF 5/14 (17 drinks did not count drinks after 14th)
Jun - AF 1/9 (20 drinks then did not finish tracking after the 9th)
Jul-Aug - SKIPPED TRACKING
Sept - AF 3/8 (12 drinks stopped tracking after the 8th)
Oct-Dec SKIPPED TRACKING
2020 Summary
Jan - AF 22/31 (16 drinks)
Feb - AF 12/29 (45 drinks)
Mar - AF 6/18 (20+ drinks) then quit counting days & drinks
Apr-July - SKIPPED COUNTING ALL TOGETHER … Few if any AF days
Aug - AF 27/31 (9 drinks)
Sept - AF 16/30 (30 drinks)
Oct - AF 9/31 (41 drinks) Don't give up!
Nov - AF 16/30 (35 drinks)
Dec - AF 10/31 (44 drinks)
DH joined me in Jan & Aug
2021 Summary
Jan - AF 9/31 days (37 drinks)
Feb - AF 9/23 days (44 drinks)
Mar - AF 4/31 days (54 drinks)
Apr - AF 7/30 days (47 drinks)
May - AF 13/31 days (43 drinks)
June - AF 12/30 days ( 42 drinks)
July - AF 13/31 (43 drinks)
Aug - AF 18/31 (27 drinks)
Sept - AF 13/30 (34 drinks)
Oct - AF 8/31 (63 drinks) At least I didn’t give up and skip tracking while on 16 day road trip vacation
Nov - AF 13/30 (38 drinks)
Dec - AF 14/31 (38 drinks) … this is allowing for 2 glasses of wine on New Years Eve Dec 31st
Jan - AF 11/31 days (42 drinks)
Feb - AF 8/28 days (38 drinks)
Mar - AF 17/31 days (29 drinks)
DH joined me in Mar
Looking forward to APRIL!!! Thank you @MissMay for getting us started on another month of accountability.
Remember how hard it used to be? It's easier today than it was a year ago, and it will be a lot easier a year from today as long as I keep practicing my skills and don't give up.
* Primary goal in 2022: Do not drink to excess when drinking. This is most important to me personally … don’t go over 2 drinks in a night.
* Secondary goal this year: Strive for 12-16 AF days per month.
* Monitoring: Aim to drink no more than 2 nights in a row.
4 -
Welcome to another month @ lilylady3k, you were so wonderful to support your DH during lent. And you kept being accountable despite him going back to old habits. KUDOS!
For this month I will keep with my same accountability of (fingers crossed) no more than two standard size drinks at any time.
I just passed up the opportunity to go to an all-inclusive resort on a gey a way. At first I was excited about the idea when presented to me. I then watched several gorgeous videos of the resorts.
I was shocked at the amount of endless amounts of food and drink 24/7 they offer up as included. That is NOT why I go away to have fun or relax. So I ditched that idea and made reservations some place else. Husband not so happy, but now my $$ will be put towards seeing and doing activities and not towards glutinous food or drink I don't want to consume. 21 days count down...can't wait. ✈💃5 -
@MissMay - I checked out a couple of River Cruises in Europe this week looking for a new adventure. I noticed that some are now advertising cocktails & mocktails in addition to the regular beer and wine!4
-
Thanks for the thread @MissMay. Happy to start a new month here. My goal is to reduce my drink portions and work some AF days into the mix this month. I would not want to pay the extra $$ for unlimited food and drink either. I would either feel like I should get my money's worth or like I wasted a lot of money. Good plan to find another place.4
-
Exciting for you travelers! I can never "get my money's worth" at a buffet or all-inclusive. Even when I try
Same goal
M-Th: AF
F-Su: 2 max
In March I drank more than planned one night each of the first 2 weekends then got myself on track the last 2 weekends. It feels like this is what I say month after month. From a weekend perspective I'm batting .500 which does not feel very successful. From a monthly perspective, I'm going off plan 2/31 days which sounds a little better. @Lilylady3k is right, it IS easier than it was a couple years ago (and also substantially less quantity) but it continues to be a challenge and that IDGAF gremlin on my shoulder does get the better of me when I'm not paying attention. Work in progress...
This is a Texas meme:
Be like I35~ Keep working on yourself no matter how inconvenient it is for anyone else.6 -
thank you @MissMay for starting all of our monthly threads. Thank you to all for the support with the MIL saga. I am so surprised I did not/have not turned to alcohol for 'support/comfort/hugs' the usual list. I stayed 22 of 31 days AF in March.
We went out for a late lunch early dinner yesterday and I had two beers instead of splitting a pitcher. Not much less but ...less. And I did not continue on the drink train as I did last year. I am noticing I no longer feel the need to keep going if we have a drink out at our late lunches/early dinners. We have never been ones to go out in the evening just to 'drink' and socialize.
Tomorrow we (as in DH, and 2 brothers) are taking our mother out for her 'birthday' lunch then back to our home for cards and games.
Still no information on MIL and I have still remained in the background. My emotional and mental well being needs to be good to help DH and his stress/journey when it comes to family and care.8 -
Great to find you guys. I’d like to completely cut alcohol calories. Over Covid, I’ve noticed I’m drinking more (2-3 a day). Last summer I switched from wine to spiked seltzers but even these leave me feeling bloated and lethargic from interrupted sleep the next day. Any others looking to completely eliminate?5
-
At this current moment, my goal is to do better than last month; less A days, more AF days. 🙃🙂7
-
Signing up for April.
Same goals as March:
Minimum AF days / week
Stay under 20 UK units / week.
Last week managed 4 AF days and 18 units.
This week not finished but I can’t drink at the weekend for work reasons, so it’s looking like 3 days AF and 19 units.
Not too shabby.4 -
I'm in for April.
My goal is to log it ALL...even alcohol calories and be 6 lbs. less by end of April. My tracker is a spreadsheet I've hung on my fridge door. It's in my face this way.
It's in our power to make our goals a reality. Here's to a successful month!5 -
@twh601 welcome and I want to say many of us set goals of going AF for long stretches. It was the easiest way for me. I am leaning towards being mostly AF this month except for 4-5 days around the Easter holiday.4
-
-
Sat out in a common area of our neighborhood drinking wine and watching the sunset. I've not chatted with some for quite a while due to our bunco group folding during the pandemic and not restarting.
April accountability: 0 days AF
Alcohol: 1 days (2 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.
4/1 - 2 wine5 -
Tempted to drink last night, so I just went to bed.5
-
The last time I went to an all-inclusive it was Mexico. $700 per week including all food and beverages, 24/7. Good deal, fabulous room, ah-mazing food, lots of colourful cocktails, ridiculously good nightly shows, all sorts of fun fitness and salsa classes, and cultural things like learn Spanish .
The hotel price list on the door was $423 per night! Fresh blended juices at breakfast (which would cost 10 bucks a pop if not on the all-inclusive. Honestly Mexican breakfast I feel like is the best breakfast.
@MissMay
Whatever you save in $$ by not going all-inclusive your DH will rack up by having to pay for drinks. Just saying.
Looking forward to hearing about everybody's travel plans. Mine are on hold for now.4 -
dawnbgethealthy wrote: »The last time I went to an all-inclusive it was Mexico. $700 per week including all food and beverages, 24/7. Good deal, fabulous room, ah-mazing food, lots of colourful cocktails, ridiculously good nightly shows, all sorts of fun fitness and salsa classes, and cultural things like learn Spanish .
The hotel price list on the door was $423 per night! Fresh blended juices at breakfast (which would cost 10 bucks a pop if not on the all-inclusive. Honestly Mexican breakfast I feel like is the best breakfast.
@MissMay
Whatever you save in $$ by not going all-inclusive your DH will rack up by having to pay for drinks. Just saying.
Looking forward to hearing about everybody's travel plans. Mine are on hold for now.
I'm traveling out to a remote part of Canada this summer where drinking is very much part of the culture.
Between the pandemic and living in a very mocktail-friendly city, it's now been 2 years since I was surrounded by drinking culture, so this will be interesting.3 -
My usual goal, 16-20AF days for the month. Diary style.
I had 21AF days for March, but it was a longer month.
Friday April 1st - Drinks. I hadn't planned on having any on the first day of the month. A friend that I hadn't seen since Covid was driving by as I was arriving home from work to start my days off. He said "let's go for a drink", so we did. I jumped in his car and we went to a place like 150 steps from my house lol. It was good to catch up, but honestly I had been having some work stress that after I jogged home came slamming back to me, alcohol may have exacerbated it, not sure. Contemplating a change. Saturday was my planned day with a small bottle of prosecco chilled in the fridge and a flute in the freezer to be frosty. We'll see whether I do or not.4 -
I see we all made it through April's Fools Day, I only got fooled once and it was harmless.
Awe......yes, vacation planning.
Good thing is @dawnbgethealthy I won't feel as if I am being responsible and supportive of my husband going over board with his drinking because I booked an all-inclusive. That is how my mind works.
Plus separate charge cards and seperate bank accounts allow him to spend his $$ on booze if he wishes and me....well I will be spending my $$ on kayaking the Colorado River, helicopter tours through the Grand Canyon, Vegas shows, Fremont Street zipline, etc.
Day one of any month is important for me to "attempt" to keep it AF
AF - 1
4 -
Completely blew it at my sisters last night ... 4 glasses of wine. It is tough starting the month on the weekend! Hope for better resolve during the week days.
April accountability: 0 days AF
Alcohol: 2 days (6 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.
4 -
@dawnbgethealthy - I'm sorry for your stress and hope that everything rights itself in your world.
When will you be able to start digging in the dirt??? Since it really doesn't get that cold here in Houston I had to pull weeds out of my veggie beds, then hoe up more weeds, then turn the soil and get rid of more weeds as well as a ton of acorns from the neighbor's oak tree. But I accomplished it! I lost everything but my 30+ year old garlic chives in the 2021 freeze including my 15 year old rosemary. I was bummed out last year and just let the beds rest for the most part. This year I've reestablished the beds as MINE and not the squirrels I planted Greek and Sicilian oregano, sweet and Thai basil, Moroccan mint, Italian flat leaf parsley, lemon thyme ... and then a bunch of additional Gerber's in my perennial garden. Also potted flowers in the 2 pots at my back door that I've had empty since last summer. Really helped with my stress. But then I had drinks with my sister and DH so probably blew all the good I did gardening. Maybe I'll get back out there today and weed & turn another flower bed. 5 -
Happy April! I am going away to a wedding this weekend, so for this week I want to be AF today-Wednesday. The first day is always the hardest for me. So far I’ve had two drinks each day Friday and Saturday. Not horrible, but all this daily alcohol is making my skin look old, despite all the water I drink in a day!
I’ve also been porking out these last few days, so I need to rein that in as well. Amazing how just 2-4 pounds makes a huge difference in how my clothes fit!4 -
@Lilylady3k 🤗🤗🤗 these hugs are for you.
I could almost see myself in your story above. A great day prepping gardens, getting fresh air, the feeling of accomplishment, plenty of exercise for body and mind. Then, the drinking brain speaks up and says " You deserve to treat yourself with alcohol"
Remember this phrase:
Restart, think fresh, you have 28 more days in April to get back on track.4 -
@MissMay - yes I remember posting that ... and it is so true. The drink definitely took me away last night ... When the 3rd bottle opened I wanted a drink but really didn't need it. Refreshed and heading out to Enchanted Forest to buy more plants and work on my front flower beds today. No wine for me tonight!
4 -
@MissMay
Ziplining! My you are an adventurous and brave one!
I hope that you take lots of pictures for us : - )
That totally makes sense about the $$ on booze.
Also, I am thinking with my Canadian brain, booze is cheap in the States, not $12 per drink.
And yes, I usually gain at least 7 pounds at the all-inclusives because the food is so good. That would be Mexico. I went to one in Cuba and the food was terrible. Just thinking about all of that is making me crave a Mexican breakfast. I wouldn't know where to begin if I were to try to replicate it. I am not much of a cook.4 -
@Lilylady3k
So sorry that you lost all of that stuff in your garden : - (
As for mine. My bearded Irises have been up for about a month, I have them in the front, the back, the side. I haven't cleaned their beds of last year's leaves yet. I leave them in the fall to keep the soil from blowing away or becoming full of weeds in the spring. We were at minus 2 Celsius this morning (around 30F) even though it has been +15 in the afternoons. Not quite time yet to clean up the irises.
First for me will be the potato garden, which usually takes me about 3 days. I cover it in the late fall. I expect that in 2 weeks from now I will begin that, turning it over shovel by shovel. Carrot and Beet seeds will also go in around the last week of April.
My garlic I planted in the fall, and put 4 inches of mulch over, which I likely will remove around the beginning or mid of May.
Tomatoes and peppers don't go in here until the snow is all gone from nearby Mt. Baker mountain, which I can see from my porch. Usually the 3rd week of May.
My dianthus have been up for about a month, but I have left the leaves surrounding them for now to prevent early spring weeds. I will take those off in a few weeks, and put coffee grounds in their place. I think that I have around 20 Crimson/Ruby dianthas all together. Sometimes I lose a couple and put new ones in their place. It looks like they are all there this year.
Tulips are up. They will flower fairly early. The bearded irises vary depending on where they sit, the ones in full sun flower earlier.
I had cut back my lilac bush in the fall and put the branches in places as mulch/fill. Those dead branches laying on the ground are budding!! WTF.
My hollyhocks have been coming up and greening for about a month. They don't usually flower until August.
I smush the sunflower heads into the ground, so they should come up on their own.
I only found out a couple of weeks ago all of the medicinal uses for sunflowers, leaves, flowers, stems and seeds. Who knew? I don't usually do anything with them, they are outside of my fence so the deer eat them and hopefully poop the seeds all over the neighbourhood : - ) I don't eat sunflower seeds, too much work. I do fill like one jar with the seeds in the fall in case I have any gaps to fill.
The plan was to have the black hollyhocks and yellow sunflowers together. Only one hollyhock down that side flowered last year, the rest are still going to be too young yet to flower, but the greenery is lovely. Kind of a long term thing, in a couple of years that side of the fence will be coloured like bumble bees : - )4 -
My usual goal, 16-20AF days for the month. Diary style.
I had 21AF days for March, but it was a longer month.
Friday April 1st - Drinks. I hadn't planned on having any on the first day of the month. A friend that I hadn't seen since Covid was driving by as I was arriving home from work to start my days off. He said "let's go for a drink", so we did. I jumped in his car and we went to a place like 150 steps from my house lol. It was good to catch up, but honestly I had been having some work stress that after I jogged home came slamming back to me, alcohol may have exacerbated it, not sure. Contemplating a change. Saturday was my planned day with a small bottle of prosecco chilled in the fridge and a flute in the freezer to be frosty. We'll see whether I do or not.
Saturday April 2nd - AF - Turns out I lost my Monday shift to my Manager at the restaurant that decided that she wanted it, so I am off on Monday too. Prosecco is still in the fridge, it is not going anywhere. May or may not have it Sunday afternoon.
Rolling total: 1AF day out of 2 days.3 -
Saturday night no drinks but I did have 2 small "red" grapefruits that hit the spot and I put myself to bed super-early - 7:30! (thank you to the person who said this before because it was a good idea). Result: Sunday morning 6 a.m. hill run, 5 miles in an hour. Feeling less old! Weight is down a bit -2 lbs. I'll take it and keep going.
Cost of living sure is going up. In my part of the "States" restaurants got VERY expensive. Lunch menu looks like dinner menu prices. Drinks went up too. A glass of wine is $12-16. Oh well, guess we'll just drink and eat less and get healthier.
Weather is getting hot and I am thinking of making healthy smoothies for those times when I feel overheated and drained and achy which is often. Instead of drinking wine to settle that "discomfort", I can make myself a low sugar, anti-inflammatory smoothie that is refreshing. A "superfood" smoothie for me is more appealing that an mocktail since it's got more substance to it. If anyone has recipes for ones that are on the lower-calorie side and super-easy to make, let me know. I can also use a low-cal gazpacho recipe.
4 -
Not going to lie, this month has started off rough. Super stressed at work and have been hitting the wine in the evening but not to excess.
April 1-3 wine 2 glasses6
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