Less Alcohol ~ APRIL 2022 ~ One Day At A Time

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  • Lilylady3k
    Lilylady3k Posts: 4,023 Member
    AF this evening!

    April accountability: 1 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.

    4/1 - 2 wine
    4/2 - 4 wine @ my sisters
    4/3 - AF

    @dawnbgethealthy - You have a lot of gardening to look forward to in the near future. Does sound a little chilly up there still!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    Womona wrote: »
    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!

    Same here 2-4 pounds makes a huge difference, mine is reflective as to how it makes my knee hurt. I heard this year is the year for weddings, more weddings planned in 2022 than ever before. Have fun.
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    KNoceros wrote: »
    KNoceros wrote: »
    Signing up for April.
    Same goals as March:

    Minimum AF days / week
    Stay under 20 UK units / week.
    .

    There’s a number missing here!
    It should read “minimum 2 AF days”…

    Welcome to our group!!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    Tempted to drink last night, so I just went to bed.

    This is a super tactic, and one I have used to also get me out of the kitchen if I keep opening the frig and cabinets looking to eat goodies I don't need.👍
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    sfharvey07 wrote: »
    At this current moment, my goal is to do better than last month; less A days, more AF days. 🙃🙂

    Awesome to see you again in April. 😁
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    twh601 wrote: »
    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?

    Hi and welcome. Yes I do believe there are people following that would like to eliminate completely. You have already done a good job testing different ways to cut back. Accountabilty is a big help.
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Exciting for you travelers! I can never "get my money's worth" at a buffet or all-inclusive. Even when I try :D

    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.

    Loved when you said you could never get enough at the buffet! 😅
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    ducky133 wrote: »
    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.

    Hi again this month! Good luck with your goals and keep checking in.
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    Once again the infamous standard drinks chart.
    BECAUSE a glass of alcohol does not mean you chose the largest glass in the house and fill it to the brim. 🤤😁😅

    u0qqcgga79i9.jpg
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,813 Member
    @dawnbgethealthy your garden is amazing, can’t wait to see pictures in full bloom! Also a little jealous of your daily view of Mt. Baker. I miss mine.

    AF last night! Very proud of myself considering we have an open bottle and I was paying bills. Haha!

    Hope everyone has a great week.
  • ducky133
    ducky133 Posts: 82 Member
    After slightly smaller drinks on Fri and Sat had a bit extra last night and what a difference. It's amazing how it affects my sleep/anxiety level. Back to my plan of reducing the portions! Hope everyone has a good week.
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,926 Member
    Posting some "before" pictures.

    Maple tree is beginning to bud:

    ptyb85nqabxk.png

    I planted it myself in 2005 at 5 feet tall

    fc5dca5as1wq.png

    Bearded Irises down the side. I don't plan on cleaning up the old stuff just yet, it is insulating them.

    4z20um8obt7j.png

    Dianthus popping out of their bed of leaves:

    evp86lfhgan6.png

    Hollyhocks coming up. Technically this is outside of my property, but I claimed the area years ago, added soil and started planting.

    bk01f79ks0c3.png

    Everything still covered. The potato area is up against my patchwork fence, the bed in the foreground is for peppers, so will remain covered until May 24th.

    2v83wsr0wlz2.png


  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,926 Member
    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.
    Sunday April 3rd - Drinks. I didn't have my Prosecco, to me that is an afternoon thing and it was 7pm by the time that I finished raking and playing in the yard.

    Rolling total: 1AF day out of 3 days.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Months flying by, which makes me feel old! First weekend of April in the books. DH & I attended a wine tasting Fri, and we discussed ahead how it was going to be more wine than normal and decided to just drink more than normal. It was fun! But, yes, I did feel the difference the next day. Sat and Sun were on plan.

    This weekend is DD#3 ZTA parents' weekend, and next is Easter with my brother+fam and DD#2 in town. I'm embarrassed at the condition of my yard. I still have freeze casualties from 2021I haven't replanted. There's only so much that can be done before Easter.

    Dawn, your planters look so nice. And a Maple tree (Oh, Canada!). <3 How many potatoes do you produce in a season? Do they harvest all at once or do you dig them up as you need them?
  • KNoceros
    KNoceros Posts: 326 Member
    Mondays are usually dry here but since the husband is working late tomorrow (until 22:00), and I worked nights at the weekend, we swapped Monday for Tuesday and went to the pub.
    I had 1.5 pints rather than the usual 2, so small victory there!

    Last week also came in on target, so that’s good. (3 days AF and 19 units).
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    @lmlmrn when it really comes down to thinking and moving forward with the retirement stages there are a lot of emotions. I know, I've had the process in action for about a year now. Ive not only had to deal with my own emotions, but also the people around me. Those who say stay here and those who wish they were us wanting to leave this area. Then there is husband who wants to leave, yet can not part with "stuff" for down sizing. YEESH!

    Do what makes you and your husband happy and comfortable. Try not to let the stress of your elderly inlaws wear you down.

    I to be honest love your idea that you and I get a traveling art🚙 RV and 🎨paint our way across America 🇺🇸

    Good for keeping to a couple of beers
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    Womona wrote: »
    Two AF days in a row for me!

    WOOT WOOT!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    @dawnbgethealthy great photos. You have a lot of variety of herbs and flowers and veggies in a small area. That is awesome. Your a real farmer! 😁
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    4 AF in April of 4 days.

    Getting in a nice array of different AF beverages.

    Still my all time two favorite bottled non alcoholic quick go to are Heineken00 and Clausthaler grapefruit malt.

    ~Do something wonderful for yourselves today ~
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,926 Member
    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.
    Sunday April 3rd - Drinks. I didn't have my Prosecco, to me that is an afternoon thing and it was 7pm by the time that I finished raking and playing in the yard.
    Monday April 4th - AF - Planned AF for Tuesday also.

    Rolling total: 2AF day out of 4 days.
  • globalhiker
    globalhiker Posts: 1,730 Member
    AF yesterday, drinking afternoon passionflower herb tea. It keeps me level-headed.

    Gardening is great. And the quality of the food grown is so much better than the stores too. All I have are a ton of rosemary bushes (no maintenance).

    @lmlmrn, curious to know which spots in those states you like. Everyone tells me Asheville NC is nice.
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,926 Member
    @ahoy_m8

    I generally pull the potatoes all at once, but I work on a row at a time for eating along the way, and sometimes pull the cover across that row once it is empty.
    I usually have like 1/3 of a big bucket left that I put back into the the ground for the following season. The one I have now is sprouting. Probably around 2 weeks before I take the cover off and begin turning it over shovel by shovel and then planting, generally a 3 day job in the spring.
    I have tried blue, purple, and low-glycemic potatoes in the past in some rows, but I didn't love them. A mix of Yukon Gold and Russet is what I have been planting the last couple of years.
    I cook like crazy when I do harvest, making containers of potato sausage stew with Mennonite sausage, Pepperoni chub, Chorizo, Honey Garlic sausage, and ham sausage. I add my peppers, onions, herbs, garlic, carrots etc. that I am harvesting around the same time to each cauldron. Lots of peeling, but last year I made 40 containers for the freezer. One of which I have pulled out for tonight's dinner since I have a very long workday ahead today.
    Looking forward to beginning the garden season : - )
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Yum! Impressive!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    Another 24 ( as @whitpauly used to say to us, miss her)

    AF 5/5

    Could I really pull off an AF month of April with a vacation thrown in???? 🤤🤔
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    MissMay wrote: »
    Another 24 ( as @whitpauly used to say to us, miss her)

    AF 5/5

    Could I really pull off an AF month of April with a vacation thrown in???? 🤤🤔

    Haven't you done it before? I could be misremembering...
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,926 Member
    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.
    Sunday April 3rd - Drinks. I didn't have my Prosecco, to me that is an afternoon thing and it was 7pm by the time that I finished raking and playing in the yard.
    Monday April 4th - AF - Planned AF for Tuesday also.
    Tuesday April 5th - AF - I might have drinks Wednesday night after my split shift

    Rolling total: 3AF day out of 5 days.
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,783 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    MissMay wrote: »
    Another 24 ( as @whitpauly used to say to us, miss her)

    AF 5/5

    Could I really pull off an AF month of April with a vacation thrown in???? 🤤🤔

    Haven't you done it before? I could be misremembering...

    You mean AF during a vacation? I HAVE done AF during a get-a-way....but never a REAL (fly on a plane for 7 hours to get there) vacation. Plus it is sin city, will be interesting to see how many places offer non-alcoholic drink options on the menus.