LESS Alcohol ~ MAY 2023 ~ One Day at A Time
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Whew... 67 updates since my last check-in! This thread moves fast!! Happy Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day, Coronation, and nuptials. Plus, May the Fourth be with you all. Love the hat pic -- so lovely!
@Hopeful0087 Awesome username! I hope you do stay full of hope. Tic Nhat Han says that as long as you are alive, anything is possible. Things (and people) can always change for the better.
Long weekend celebrating DD#3's college graduation. Because of how official events were spaced, we basically had 2 full days of day drinking. I didn't drink until dinner then had a strategy of one drink per establishment, but man, it still really added up. More than 2 every day. Spaced enough that I never felt tipsy but still a lot. I also didn't track food the 2 days where every single meal was at a restaurant, especially where there is plate sharing. It's just too hard. And inaccurate. It was fun family time with DD#1 and DD#2 boyfriends, too. We played games and laughed and hung out together a lot. It cost a fortune in restaurant bills
but was worth it!
Flying out Friday to spend Mothers' Day with DD#2. We're having a mom/daughter dinner with some of the college roommates/moms. They will have pretty big drives after dinner, and they probably won't drink at all. I keep it moderate with my daughter (and vice versa, but I think she has gone out on the town with friends after I've gone in for the evening. New Yorkers. They don't go out until midnight.) So it won't be AF but better chance for less.8 -
I’m late to the party but I’d like to join! I’ve not had a drink in 4 days
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@dawnbgethealthy and @Womona finally remembered to post the hat I wore to my Kentucky Derby event last Saturday.
Did very well on my horse bet, we all have to enjoy a guilty pleasure and horse betting is mine.
On to the Preakness May 20
Oh I love it!!! You looked beautiful!
Fun fact- over 20 years ago I was infield at Preakness to celebrate a friend’s 30 th birthday. It was a bit of a mosh pit, but oh how I longed to be one of the ladies in the stands with a $4000 outfit and a hat!
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I am Dawn, I live in South Eastern British Columbia.
I joined this thread in November of 2018, a daily drinker at the time
My primary goal with drinking less is weight loss.
My usual goal is 16-20 AF days for the month,
I had 16AF days in April.
I do this diary style, I normally post the next morning.
Tuesday May 09 - AF - Planning to be AF until Friday. 6, 10, and 16 are the goals that I like to see reached. Hit 6 so far.
Wednesday May 10 - AF - Felt like drinks, but I almost always do. 2nd split shift in a row Thursday night coming up, so I didn't have any drinks. Saturday I am going to the closing night of the season at a small theatre in town. There are usually snacks and champagne that night, but it precedes Mother's Day which will be a super busy day at the restaurant so I shouldn't imbibe. Working 2 Sundays in a row is a lot for me, no real complete days off to recharge, but at this point without a second job yet, I take it when I can get it. We had a very good rain on Monday, so seeds are popping up everywhere and the grass already needs to be cut again. I have my tomato plants sitting on my covered porch, but it is a couple of weeks early still. Getting very excited to get everything into the ground : - )
Rolling total - 7AF day out of 10 days.3 -
Goals for MaySelf-care and positive vibes!
Zig-zag calorie count - Daily Average 1400
Success = No more than two glasses of wine per night.
Current Streak - AF = 0
5/10 A 🍷🍷 Another long day yesterday. The hospital is 1.5 hours away from home (he wanted a specific doctor) so another 3+ hours driving and they kept him another night. I did better with food choices but still over budget. The "all or none" in me is looking at a Sunday reset.
The Month recap to stay accountable5/1 AF ~ Yipee! 💚 - Finished April with 3 days straight AF! I changed a lot of things in the past couple of weeks - I'm not sure which one is working or if it's the combination. I lost 9lbs in April. I can't tell you the last time that happened.My 2023 Stats...
April 1 to April 15 - 3lbs, April 16 to April 30 - 6 lbs!!!
5/2 A ~ 🍷🍷🍷'eh. 1:1 for May but did string a few days in a row. I plan to be AF today and Thursday. Friday is Cinco de Mayo and my husband is already talking about Mexican so there might be a margarita or two.
5/3 AF ~ Yippee! 💚There's this window when I get home from work. About 30 minutes after my arrival for about an hour... If I get past that point, I'm usually ok. When there's nothing really stressing me, then it seems to be just habit for me.
5/4 AF ~ Yippee 💚 Today is Cinco De Mayo. Husband wants Mexican food and Margaritas. 😲😮🤭. I've already plugged planned food/drink into MFP and its going to be a tough one but I'm going to try to stay at my calorie budget. I have a salad planned for lunch which comes in at 300 calories. That leaves me plenty of room for a (one) margarita and a chicken taco meal. That leaves me with 45 calories to spare. Oops, forgot the chips and guacamole. 🤞🏽 I think I will go for an extra walk at lunch today!🙂
5/5 A 🍸🍸🍸
5/6 A 🍸🍸🍸
5/7 A 🍷🍷
5/8 A 🍷🍷 Need to get back on track today after a long, fun weekend full of drinks and food! Friday was Cinco de Mayo. Tried hard to make those calories fit within budget and have only 1 margarita #fail. Went to the Zoo on Saturday and walked around for 4 + hours with family (Grandson). It was a cool, wet and rainy day so the animals were VERY active. Usually they are just lying around asleep. After all that walking, we stopped at the Granite City Brewery. Had a burger to die for and a glass of wine. Came home to watch the Kentucky Derby and had a few cocktails. Sunday was back to a "normal" kind of day. Spent the morning cutting bushes and pulling weeds, then relaxed in the evening cooking on the grill (it was beautiful outside) and a couple glasses of wine. Today should be AF for sure and back on calorie budget! Update: Calories ok, but had wine.
5/9 A 🍷🍷Long day yesterday. Husband had knee replacement surgery and I didn't plan very well for "me". Was hungry most of the day, only remedied by snacks. Couldn't bring outside food into the waiting room and they only had snacks and I didn't want to leave the area in case their were updates.Current Month
AF = 3
A = 7
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January
AF = 53%
A = 47%
February
AF = 29%
A = 71%
March
AF = 0%
A = 100%
April
AF = 14%
A = 86%
May
AF = 30%
A = 70%6 -
Love reading all the positive ways each of you are adopting the LA lifestyle. Even when we struggle we can sit with that, then stand back up or make a new decision, and keep moving forward.
Celebrated at a birthday party last night and ate a surplus of calories (some sweets I usually avoid) but skipped the pizza and A. I will take that as a win and get back on track today. I resolve to stay within my goal range on MFP today and drink plenty of water. I’m getting close to the weight loss goal my doctor suggested for my age in November 2021.
May Accountability
A - 3
AF - 7
May goal - 22-23 AF days
Limit to 2 glasses4 -
Welcome to our thread @Hopeful0087 you have refuge here. We do not judge nor preach on how much or how often you drink.
I want you to know one very important thing YOU ARE NOT ALONE in your feelings. You may have stepped in here today hearing and reading lots of upbeat posts. It is not always that way and all of us have had bad experiences with alcohol.
Your comment about how your alcohol problem is nobody's problem but yours just took a turn for the positive. We care....all of us care.
We will help as much as we can so feel free to get comfortable.
Thank you. I have no desire to clog up your thread with my 'woe is me' feeling sorry for myself waffle. I just didn't know where else to vent. I just wish I could turn back time and have been 'nicer' to my previous friends. Then I wouldn't be in this mess. I'm in a bit of a state. I will be speaking to a nurse tomorrow about my mental state. I just seriously don't know how much more I can take. I just want all the crap to be over.
Yous have a really great thread here, and thanks for making me feel comfortable and not akward for being here. (I was under the influence when i posted and i havent checked back until now, i was cringing) you can see how this thread really helps people to drink less. I think its great and I think its great how you keep it going for everyone each month. Its a noble cause and it should be a judgement free zone, and you all manage that really well. I admire it and I can only hope to adopt those same traits myself.10 -
forestdweller1 wrote: »May is going to be an easy LA month. Eldest Daughter is up from Louisiana until June & she and her sister will be , as usual, getting up to some mischief the whole time. Gotta stay AF to keep up.
No jet black fillies in the race this year so I didn't pick a favorite...just bet on the hats...OMG!!
@Hopeful0087 ...please feel free to come in and rant at any time. Saving you a seat by the fire. Got marshmallows??
And. Saying. This. For. The. Thousandth. Time.
"FACEBOOK IS THE DEVIL !!" Get off and stay off. Those people are not your "friends". Although it must be tempting to just peek and see the current chatter....no one needs a group of 8th grade Mean Girls.
Think I'll grab a H-00 and finally start that podcast tonight. Preparing to be scared.
How did you know it was Facebook? Lol. Well, I will admit, of course it is tempting to log on and see what people are saying. But I honestly did not do that, last time I had been logged on was December 2022. That's a fact. I logged back on end of April this year. Just out of boredom and curiosity more than anything else. I had taken the advice of my mental health team and stayed away up until that point. And I intend to do that again. It was what I seen when I logged back on that horrified me. But it had nothing to do with me. I'm just afraid that they will come after me, to get to someone else. Its all just driven me back to drinking. It's such a mess.5 -
Love this. I’m 55 and finally gave up alcohol. I was able to quit on my own but the main reason is that’s counterintuitive to my health and fitness goals. It just doesn’t fit in the puzzle. I’ve been alcohol free for 16 months! Wish I did this a looong time ago!10
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@Hopeful0087 We are here.
Thank you. I hope you don't mind me mentioning, I have read in some of your posts about your current health and treatments your undertaking. I am so sorry for your situation I cannot imagine what you have had to go through. If it means anything from an Internet stranger, I think your very brave dealing with what your dealing with. I hope you make a full recovery and I wish you all the best. ❤️ I hope I'm not over stepping the mark there I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish you well.9 -
Whew... 67 updates since my last check-in! This thread moves fast!! Happy Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day, Coronation, and nuptials. Plus, May the Fourth be with you all. Love the hat pic -- so lovely!
@Hopeful0087 Awesome username! I hope you do stay full of hope. Tic Nhat Han says that as long as you are alive, anything is possible. Things (and people) can always change for the better.
Long weekend celebrating DD#3's college graduation. Because of how official events were spaced, we basically had 2 full days of day drinking. I didn't drink until dinner then had a strategy of one drink per establishment, but man, it still really added up. More than 2 every day. Spaced enough that I never felt tipsy but still a lot. I also didn't track food the 2 days where every single meal was at a restaurant, especially where there is plate sharing. It's just too hard. And inaccurate. It was fun family time with DD#1 and DD#2 boyfriends, too. We played games and laughed and hung out together a lot. It cost a fortune in restaurant bills but was worth it!
Flying out Friday to spend Mothers' Day with DD#2. We're having a mom/daughter dinner with some of the college roommates/moms. They will have pretty big drives after dinner, and they probably won't drink at all. I keep it moderate with my daughter (and vice versa, but I think she has gone out on the town with friends after I've gone in for the evening. New Yorkers. They don't go out until midnight.) So it won't be AF but better chance for less.
Thanks, I'm glad you like the username lol I honestly didn't know what to chose. It just reflects my situation I suppose. I like that quote you posted. I guess that's the problem, I'm feeling hopeless. Thanks for your kind words, I do hope that there is hope for me.
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@itladyee I hope all goes well for your OH! Please update? Also you're doing incredibly well, I love your resolve!
@Hopeful0087 "I just wish I could turn back time and have been 'nicer' to my previous friends. Then I wouldn't be in this mess." Welcome, Hopeful. Many, many people in the world, and counting, wish they could turn back time. Including Cher
The disgusting truth is we can't, we can only start NOW. You mentioned in your previous post how 'Alcohol was there for you'. Real friends don't require payment to spend time with you. Think about that.
There was some interesting bits from the Alcohol Explained website on binge drinking quoted from the Sober Squad thread,
This link doesn't work anymore, here is the new working link: https://alcoholexplained.com/why-you-drink-more-than-you-want-to/RubyRed427 wrote: »So the short answer to the question of why people so often drink more than they intend is that every drink creates a feeling of anxiety as it wears off, and you need another drink to replace this feeling of anxiety with another feeling of relaxation, and as you constantly chase this feeling of relaxation you become increasingly intoxicated.
excerpt from alcoholexplained website.
Here is the URL for the blog entry.... https://www.alcoholexplained.com/2018/08/26/why-you-drink-more-than-you-want-to/
It's nice to get a plausible answer as to why I reach for the next one (and the next one, and the next one, and the next one,) and for one of the reasons I have trouble stopping. One of the reasons not discussed there, at least not within the free bit, is hormones. I think that might be the last puzzle piece. Hormones. I don't know what it is like for anyone else here, but being drunk, for me, can put me in touch with my younger self. Evident with the music I can end up playing, I think I am grieving my younger self, and when I drink, I 'wallow' there, as if to exist. But we can't, y'know?
I didn't get back to this thread recently with weekly data, because I fudged up. I went way over the limit again and felt ashamed so didn't update, but I desperately want to remain accountable so I am making this post.
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fitness_krista wrote: »Love this. I’m 55 and finally gave up alcohol. I was able to quit on my own but the main reason is that’s counterintuitive to my health and fitness goals. It just doesn’t fit in the puzzle. I’ve been alcohol free for 16 months! Wish I did this a looong time ago!
Yay! Love it. I'm 55 too!4 -
Wow. Returned from an unexpected trip that turned out to be stressful but I made it back alive. Family insanity and all of that but I am home and kissing the ground.
Game Plan (this is me talking to myself)
1. Start the day with putting myself first. Get the rest and exercise needed. And get OUTSIDE. Start the day grounded. Cancel all non-critical meetings and get outside. Block stress where possible.
2. Make it an AF day. 24 hours and all of us can do it!
3. Mother's Day Weekend so yes planning some fun stuff BUT next 2 days will be strict diet and exercise! Upping the weights and going for a longer run in the morning.
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@Hopeful0087 100% not overstepping. I put my worries on an online public forum, so people will comment. And it’s okay. There are times I need support from internet strangers. Although this group doesn’t seem like strangers.
I quit Facebook in 2013. I was in a pretty toxic job and I was looking at it at home and seeing people from that toxic job on there and it all was just overlapping and bad. I noped out. One of the best things I ever did for my mental health!7 -
@globalhiker - Glad you made it out! May hiking can be an adventure.6
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I am Dawn, I live in South Eastern British Columbia.
I joined this thread in November of 2018, a daily drinker at the time
My primary goal with drinking less is weight loss.
My usual goal is 16-20 AF days for the month,
I had 16AF days in April.
I do this diary style, I normally post the next morning.
Thursday May 11 - 2 drinks. Going to try to be AF both Friday and Saturday - this will be a real departure for me, but I have reasons to want to be fresh for Saturday and Sunday.
Rolling total - 7AF day out of 11 days.6 -
@Hopeful0087 There *IS* hope for you. As long as you are alive, there is hope. Rest easy in that. Your comments are tender and sweet. I appreciate that. You are most welcome here anytime.
@dawnbgethealthy Thich Nhat Han rabbit hole So much wisdom, so few words.
Welcome to the new posters and welcome home to the travelers. Glad you survived, @globalhiker! I'm about to call my airport Uber for what I hope will be the last trip for a while. I would appreciate some downtime at home without scurrying for the next trip. Hope everyone has a great weekend with fun and feeling good. Take care of yourselves!
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@fitness_krista Welcome! This thread is full of wonderful people who are on a path to less alcohol and better health. I like your comment about alcohol being counterintuitive to weight loss and health, so true!globalhiker wrote: »Wow. Returned from an unexpected trip that turned out to be stressful but I made it back alive. Family insanity and all of that but I am home and kissing the ground.
Game Plan (this is me talking to myself)
1. Start the day with putting myself first. Get the rest and exercise needed. And get OUTSIDE. Start the day grounded. Cancel all non-critical meetings and get outside. Block stress where possible.
2. Make it an AF day. 24 hours and all of us can do it!
3. Mother's Day Weekend so yes planning some fun stuff BUT next 2 days will be strict diet and exercise! Upping the weights and going for a longer run in the morning.
Love this game plan / action steps to put yourself after a stressful event involving family!5 -
Had a pre Mother’s Day girls dinner with my DD and DIL last night. DIL hosted while my son was out of town and she made delicious chicken Caesar salads for us. DD brought homemade sourdough with garlic and Italian herbs, and I brought a Brie en croute. Came very close to my calorie limit, slightly over with that extra dark chocolate to end the night. We are all doing LA so I brought a bottle of sparking water to share and she offered some yummy homemade iced teas. I got home late after lots of laughs and family updates only we can appreciate. In the past, we could have drank a bottle or two of wine easily. Thankful those days are over!
May Accountability
A - 3
AF - 8
May goal - 22-23 AF days
Limit to 2 glasses4 -
@itladyee I hope all goes well for your OH! Please update? Also you're doing incredibly well, I love your resolve!
.....I didn't get back to this thread recently with weekly data, because I fudged up. I went way over the limit again and felt ashamed so didn't update, but I desperately want to remain accountable so I am making this post.
@Fursian ~ Thank you. I will update in my next post.
And kudos to you for coming back to this thread!! We are here for you, regardless. No judgment, we all fall down, but we don't stay there!!!
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Goals for MaySelf-care and positive vibes!
Zig-zag calorie count - Daily Average 1400
Success = No more than two glasses of wine per night.
Current Streak - AF = 0 ~ Sunday reset, Maybe Monday since it is Mother's day
5/11 ~🍷🍷🍷Yet another long day. So about 6 years ago, I use to commute to work 90 minutes each way, 5 days a week. After making a similar drive for three days in a row, I don't know how I managed. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do....
It was a stressful day. Husband was released🙂 but really not mobile at all. He "sort of" fell while getting into the car. I say "sort of" as the car broke his fall, he ended up sitting on the car floor. Someone eventually came out to help get him in the seat. We drove home. Took him over an hour to get from the car to inside the house. Once inside, he "thought" he was going to climb the 15 stairs to get to our bedroom. I said, nope, nadda, not going to happen. I said pick a couch or you can sleep in the recliner in the TV room and "maybe" we will try again tomorrow.
Then I cooked dinner and had wine!! Today I'm making him walk through the house every 60 to 90 minutes.
The Month recap to stay accountable5/1 AF ~ Yipee! 💚 - Finished April with 3 days straight AF! I changed a lot of things in the past couple of weeks - I'm not sure which one is working or if it's the combination. I lost 9lbs in April. I can't tell you the last time that happened.My 2023 Stats... April 1 to April 15 - 3lbs, April 16 to April 30 - 6 lbs!!!
5/2 A ~ 🍷🍷🍷'eh. 1:1 for May but did string a few days in a row. I plan to be AF today and Thursday. Friday is Cinco de Mayo and my husband is already talking about Mexican so there might be a margarita or two.
5/3 AF ~ Yippee! 💚There's this window when I get home from work. About 30 minutes after my arrival for about an hour... If I get past that point, I'm usually ok. When there's nothing really stressing me, then it seems to be just habit for me.
5/4 AF ~ Yippee 💚 Today is Cinco De Mayo. Husband wants Mexican food and Margaritas. 😲😮🤭. I've already plugged planned food/drink into MFP and its going to be a tough one but I'm going to try to stay at my calorie budget. I have a salad planned for lunch which comes in at 300 calories. That leaves me plenty of room for a (one) margarita and a chicken taco meal. That leaves me with 45 calories to spare. Oops, forgot the chips and guacamole. 🤞🏽 I think I will go for an extra walk at lunch today!🙂
5/5 A 🍸🍸🍸
5/6 A 🍸🍸🍸
5/7 A 🍷🍷
5/8 A 🍷🍷 Need to get back on track today after a long, fun weekend full of drinks and food! Friday was Cinco de Mayo. Tried hard to make those calories fit within budget and have only 1 margarita #fail. Went to the Zoo on Saturday and walked around for 4 + hours with family (Grandson). It was a cool, wet and rainy day so the animals were VERY active. Usually they are just lying around asleep. After all that walking, we stopped at the Granite City Brewery. Had a burger to die for and a glass of wine. Came home to watch the Kentucky Derby and had a few cocktails. Sunday was back to a "normal" kind of day. Spent the morning cutting bushes and pulling weeds, then relaxed in the evening cooking on the grill (it was beautiful outside) and a couple glasses of wine. Today should be AF for sure and back on calorie budget! Update: Calories ok, but had wine.
5/9 A 🍷🍷Long day yesterday. Husband had knee replacement surgery and I didn't plan very well for "me". Was hungry most of the day, only remedied by snacks. Couldn't bring outside food into the waiting room and they only had snacks and I didn't want to leave the area in case their were updates.
5/10 A 🍷🍷 Another long day yesterday. The hospital is 1.5 hours away from home (he wanted a specific doctor) so another 3+ hours driving and they kept him another night. I did better with food choices but still over budget. The "all or none" in me is looking at a Sunday reset.Current Month
AF = 3
A = 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January
AF = 53%
A = 47%
February
AF = 29%
A = 71%
March
AF = 0%
A = 100%
April
AF = 14%
A = 86%
May
AF = 27%
A = 73%7 -
@itladyee it's great your husband has a wonderful person like you to help him. Sometimes life asks us to step up and lift others. I guess that's by design.
Tomorrow is my diet and run and be AF then busy walking all around the the mall day.
Mother's day I guess I will plan an hour run / walk followed by getting in the pool before lunch. It will be my non-AF day but I will try to stop by 2pm so I feel good Monday morning. On holidays and vacations, setting time limits helps me, otherwise I can keep going and going......6 -
So as the monthly creator of LESS Alcohol every now and again I wander through our previous months/years posts to see where I was at present time compared to past. All the way back to Nov 2017 when I was nothing but a "lurker" here.
My conclusion is, THIS GROUP IS AMAZING!
All of you.....your compassion for others with the same or even different issues really moves me.
I know we all get busy with life and can not always get on here to post for accountability or just to comment on a subject or such.
If you have been here following, interacting and contributing than know this, when we don't see your profile pic and user name like usual we do get concerned.
I hope all that have been with us in the past and no longer click the "post to reply" are doing well, and healthy.
That's it 😊
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This is a quote I have posted many times. For those who wonder WHY they have trouble stopping at that ONE drink.
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@itladyee I hope your husband heals well and quickly! Cracks me up that he wanted to go up a flight a stairs after taking an hour to get into house. He is going to just love walking around the house every hour. Haha! Not!
I’ve been thinking of you all this week, your triumphs and struggles. This really is the best community on the Internet!
I won my tennis match yesterday! Woo hoo! I’m so happy!!! I have 3 matches in a row next week, plus drill. I have to keep up with stretching and mobility exercises, I’m stiffening up in my dodderage!
Only one glass of wine with dinner - took MIL out for early Mother’s Day. I would have liked a second, but had to drive. Good choice! I was doing really well with eating yesterday until I split what I thought would be a small dessert. Oh well, today is a new day.
Boat goes in the water tomorrow, I’m very excited! Today is prep day.
Enjoy the weekend everyone, and happy Mother’s Day to all you moms!
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5/1-5/2-5/3 - AF
5/4-5/5-5/6- A
5/7- 5/8 - 5/9 -5/10- AF
5/11 - 5/12 - 5/13 - A
7 AF and 6 A so far for May3
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