LESS Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2023 ~ One Day At A Time

MissMay

Hello to our new thread participants.
So glad you are joining us.

WELLLlllllllll.........yesterday was the day from h3ll in training at the new gig.

Seriously thought about walking out. Not used to having co-workers and listening to petty shet conversations. I am more mature than that.

Will give it another go today. But if I start feeling fricken super stressed I will be honest and let them know this situation is not for me.

I spent my entire evening going over in my head the bs from the work day. It was my husbands and my only night together this week and it was ruined by work stress on day two.

Did not think about turning to alcohol for relief. Wanted a giant mug of coffee to wrap myself around and sink into the sofa.

Here we go day three of training..........🙄

joans1976

Hello! It’s Amanda, I’m back. It’s a new month and a new year! I’ve been thinking about 2022 and 2023. I’ve got some goals for the year and staying 98% AF is one of them. I love this group, I love this thread, it really works.

1/1-1/7: 7 out of 7 AF
1/8-1/14: 7 out of 7 AF
1/15: AF
1/16: AF
So you all could have almost seen me on the news last night “Woman sticks pen in her eye;driven by stress from her boss.” Seriously. I hate, hate, hate that my health insurance is connected to her.
Well, I’m just a bucket of sunshine this morning aren’t I?
Love to you all, everyone is doing so well. Have a great Tuesday 🫠
24 days AF
1/17: AF
The work stress/drama is real. Horrible boss was posting Tik Toks of herself crying last night at 10 pm. (She’s 47 years old) If I’m gonna go down with this dumpster fire of a job I’m gonna go down swinging! 💪🏼
I didn’t even think about drinking to get away from her crazy, whereas six months ago I would have been watching the clock until I could punch out and drink. Who am I?

joans1976

@Lilylady3k I can’t imagine how hard it would be to say no when your partner is right there saying yes. I live alone and it was hard enough cutting down that way. Hang in there!

Womona

Stockholm_Andy wrote: »

tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »

Stockholm_Andy wrote: »

16 days AF for January.

If anything I think it's getting easier this time around so far. It seems I'm 100% better at abstinence than moderation and both are much easier when we are both doing it LOL

I've always done much better at abstinence than moderation with everything.

I can't find an original blog post regarding abstainers vs moderators but I did find it interesting, this is a recap of it https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/abstainer-vs-moderator/

A summary of the concept https://www.pbfingers.com/abstainers-vs-moderators/

Thanks for posting these Tulips. I found them both interesting reads and I'd never have come across them otherwise.

I second this!!!!! What struck me the most is that each “side” wants to convert the other “side”. So true! I’m definitely a “moderator”, BTW. But, now that I understand Abstainers more, I won’t be annoying and try to convert them! I’ll just be annoying in other ways, I’m sure! Haha!

Womona

Welcome new peeps!

AF last night, and plan to be tonight as well.

@globalhiker being hungry will definitely put you into a mood! Being “hangry” is a thing! Ask my family. They’ll tell you!

@lmlmrn hopefully hour husband will take up golf now that he’s retired. That will keep him out from underfoot for at least 5 hours!

dawnbgethealthy

I am Dawn, I live in SE BC Canada
My ongoing goal remains, 16-20 AF days per month.
Last month I had 18AF days

I do this diary style to keep track, and post the next morning

Sunday January 15 - AF - Ankle was sore, so didn't go to the public skating. Our roads after several days of thaw are ice covered in deep puddles of water. The trails would be treacherous. I had a nice day puttering around. No split shifts scheduled for this week so far, the first time in almost 2 years, so planning on earlier dinners and catching up on a few things. Plan for this week is to have drinks on the weekend and maybe a midweek day.
Monday January 16 - AF - This morning on the radio the new alcohol consumption guideline for Canada was revealed. It went from 7 drinks per week spread across the week for females being safe, to saying that 2 drinks per week or less is recommended. Ouch.
Tuesday January 17 - 2 1/2 drinks. That was some weird psychology going on in my brain after hearing that any more than 2 drinks per week is risky. Yes, I had said that my plan was that I would have drinks on one weekday after work and then on the weekends, but not necessarily Tuesday. Hearing the new guidelines over and over on the news...gave me the opposite effect somehow.


Rolling total: 9AF days out of 17 days.

Lilylady3k

joans1976 wrote: »

@Lilylady3k I can’t imagine how hard it would be to say no when your partner is right there saying yes. I live alone and it was hard enough cutting down that way. Hang in there!

@joans1976 - I too would probably drink less if I lived alone. So very true.

Heading out tonight for book club that I run. We have 18 ladies at a Mexican food restaurant. My plan is NOT to get their yummy margarita and get one more AF day in this week. I know tomorrow DH & I are out with friends for dinner and I want a glass of wine with my Italian food.

RockinRobyn672

1/17: Drinks (2) - I had two great beers with dinner last night. Hubby and I split a Smartmouth Brewing Co. Eight Crazy Nights DIPA and then I had a New Belgium Hop Raider IPA. The plan tonight is AF. Today I'm mostly on the sofa with my left foot elevated after this morning's toe surgery - a left metatarsophalangeal dorsal cheilectomy & first proximal phalanx osteotomy. So over the next few weeks I really need to do a better job limiting calories because recuperation could last up to six weeks, and possibly several months for the full benefit (ugh). No biking/spinning/walking/running for me for a bit so I'm switching it up to whatever I can do from the floor. My right big toe is next up for the same surgery (double-ugh). I plan to be AF today.

Rolling Total: 10 AF Days out of 17

@dawnbgethealthy I hope your ankle is feeling better.

RockinRobyn672

@RubyRed427 Great job on having fun, on posting your insights, and on not bingeing while having a great time in NYC. Yay!

RockinRobyn672

@mfowler883 Thanks for being the test taster (or is it taste tester?!?)! Anyways, I found a Gruvi NA beer variety pack on Amazon that I'm going to try. I haven't been able to find Deschutes.

RockinRobyn672

@Lilylady3k Congrats on passing! I have found that once I make it past a few times "passing" on the alcohol when hubby is not, it gets easier to do that more often (... until sometimes when it doesn't)

@zensome Well said about the staying up late. I too have noticed that when I drink alcohol I sometimes also stay up late "for no good reason". Not only does it interfere with sleep but I also tend to binge on snacks and stay up even later watching whatever TV series I'm into at the time.

RockinRobyn672

@MissMay Thinking of you on day three! I hope it goes better.

@Joans1976 A 47-year-old posting herself crying on TikTok who is also your boss ... wow ... what the heck?!? Good job hanging in there!

ahoy_m8

Hello, @DawnCumm and @lloydrt. Welcome.

@globalhiker definitely being a little hungry if I'm just starting out on a deficit will make me a little cranky, too. Hopefully you will settle into the deficit and feel better soon. The alcohol abstaining around other drinkers can go either way for me. On weeknights when I'm not drinking, if family members are grousing about a short pour I can feel so thankful and liberated just not engaging with that. On the other hand, I can feel a little irritated when DH comes home late after drinking at a work event during the week. The best thing for me then is just going to bed. I think part of the irritation may be him being loud and trying to keep me up.

Lots of empathy to everyone dealing with eldercare issues. Likewise to those with job stress flareups. Both can be amazingly draining. I totally agree tying healthcare access to a job is a terrible model for lots and lots of people.

Tempted on Monday. DD#3 and her roommate are living with us through spring break for internships, and we were all watching football together after dinner. I actually had a glass in my hand and was reaching for the amaro but the bottle was empty! DH had finished it off, so that saved me from myself. AF so far this week.

tmbg1

Jan 1- AF
Jan 2 - AF
Jan 3 - AF
Jan 4 - AF
Jan 5 - 6- 7- A
Jan 8 - AF
Jan 9 - AF
Jan 10 - AF
Jan 11 - AF
Jan 12- 13- 14 - A
Jan 15 - AF
Jan 16 - AF
Jan 17 - AF
Jan 18 - AF

KacyCarpe

Health Canada's guidelines on alcohol consumption have changed dramatically. In 2011, the guidelines said that a consumption level of up to 2 drinks per day, or 10 per week, for women and up to 3 drinks per day, or 15 per week, for men was considered "low risk." The update is based on two years of research and a review of nearly 6,000 peer-reviewed studies. The new guidelines recommend two or fewer drinks per week. Anything more than that is considered a risk to health. At three to six drinks weekly, your risk is "moderate" (a 1 in 100 risk of premature death). RIsks rise sharply, especially for women, over six drinks per week. https://globalnews.ca/news/9413517/canada-alcohol-use-guidance-ccsa/

Lilylady3k

January accountability: 9 days AF
Alcohol: 9 days (24 drinks)
Goal: Limit 2 glasses per day; 20-25 AF days this month. I usually target 12-16 AF days each month which is usually a challenge … hitting 20 days since DH backed out of his dry January commitment is definitely influencing me to join him on weekdays I had not planned when setting the goal. Going for it anyway!

1/18 - AF @ 📚

Passed on $13+ margaritas was easy. Those that indulged with 1 and 2 were shocked when they received their bills.

Finally caught up my AF and A days. Tomorrow is dinner out with friends and we are planning to have wine. My goal will be no more than 2 glasses for the evening.

Womona

@RockinRobyn672 I hope your footie head well and quickly! If you have access to a gym, they probably have a cardio machine where you can sit down and “pedal” with your arms. I forgot what it’s called.

@joans1976 you have GOT to be kidding me about your boss crying on Tik Tok. WTF????? I’d course, now I’m dying to see the link! I’m going to fry in Hell!

Womona

KacyCarpe wrote: »

Health Canada's guidelines on alcohol consumption have changed dramatically. In 2011, the guidelines said that a consumption level of up to 2 drinks per day, or 10 per week, for women and up to 3 drinks per day, or 15 per week, for men was considered "low risk." The update is based on two years of research and a review of nearly 6,000 peer-reviewed studies. The new guidelines recommend two or fewer drinks per week. Anything more than that is considered a risk to health. At three to six drinks weekly, your risk is "moderate" (a 1 in 100 risk of premature death). RIsks rise sharply, especially for women, over six drinks per week. https://globalnews.ca/news/9413517/canada-alcohol-use-guidance-ccsa/

Thank you for the link!

joans1976

@RockinRobyn672 Im gonna look up your toe surgery, I love *kitten* like that! Sorry to hear about you needing to stay off your feet, I’m always inspired when I see you’ve been spinning or biking. Here’s to quick, easy healing for you!

@RubyRed427 I love hearing about your adventures!

@ahoy_m8 Good job on the AF this week!

@tmbg1 Is it me or are you racking up a lot of AF days this month?

@Womona I’ll try to post the link so you can feel my pain. She’s crying about a bad Google review (which calls her out on her antics and is 100% true but of course it’s not her fault) and actually replies to the review right there for all to see 🤦🏻‍♀️ lord help us

mfowler883

Whiskey tonight. My entire world is burning down around me once again. I hate my wife, I hate my life, I hate the way we fight over stupid crap, I hate the way a fight about something now has to turn into a fight about ancient history, I hate that although this wasn't the life I wanted, it's the life I got and I gave my everything to be best the father and husband I could be and it's never been nearly enough, I hate that I pour myself 110% into our business and our success and it is unseen and unacknowledged, I hate that I walked away from the only thing in the world that I was ever passionate about (my music) to pretend I could be something else, I hate that everything is sideways and pear shaped, I hate that I'm going to be the one totally screwed in the end, I hate that I destroyed my IT career (as miserable as it was making me) to build a life where we would never have to worry about a 9 to 5 again and now I have to figure out if I can find a way back otherwise I will be out in the cold, I hate that I have nowhere to go and nobody to lean on, I hate the things that creep into my head, oozing into my mind from the darkest corners deep in the back where we try not to venture, the self loathing and urges and black acid filled thoughts and destructive impulses and pain and hatred and anger and resentment and the way she tries to tear me down and yeah, I hate that it makes me want to drink myself into oblivion. (I won't, I have things to do in the morning.)

And who the eff is she to throw shade when I head to the store for a bottle? I'm a grown man and I handle my business, if I sit on the porch with a cigar and a drink tonight to try and decompress for a while, I will still be doing the things that need done tomorrow. I'm so over this.

So many intrusive thoughts right now.

-m