LESS Alcohol ~ JUNE 2023 ~ One Day at A Time

MissMay
MissMay Posts: 3,749 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:
▪▪▪▪
•General Information/Blog Sites:
https://thesoberschool.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~
«13456789

Replies

  • GaryM_25
    GaryM_25 Posts: 98 Member
    June goals:

    Alcohol: One day a week.
    Diet: 1,500 calories + exercised amount, six days a week.
    Weights: 3x a week, alternating between upper body days and lower body days.
    Cardio: 5x a week, with a mix of intervals, base mileage, and walking to get to around 20 miles per week.
    Results: Rather than a weight goal, I think I'd like to see my digital scale display less than 20% body fat. Mentally, I like that focus right now.

    With vacation planned the beginning of July, I'm gone to shave off my beard today and my wife and I are going to start tanning in order to have a base tan a month from now.

    I've also got some fun planned this month.

    This week, I'm hoping to hear what big game tags I got in the draw for hunting this fall. Last year was my most productive year hunting: an elk, a deer, an antelope, forty or so pheasants, a bunch of geese and ducks, and a few quail, rabbits, and doves. This weekend, I smoked kebabs including harissa antelope and peri peri pheasant for my cousin's family who was able to visit. But... after last year's success... the snowfall was so much this year that a number of animals couldn't get to food and died. As such, they've reduced the number of tags planned to be issued. I'll be happy to get anything.

    This weekend, we're hoping to take the camper camping with the dogs. Right now, there's rain in the forecast. But that means though it could be snowing up high in the mountains still. Could get in a final few turns of backcountry skiing. My wife worries I'll die (but it is a slope where one of my son's teachers did die a few years ago...).

    Next weekend, we've got a backpacking trip planned.

    The third weekend in June might just be hanging out.

    This month, I'm also hoping to stain the backyard fence, hopefully with my son's boyfriend helping me out.

    Hopefully June goes something along these lines.
  • SunnyDays930
    SunnyDays930 Posts: 1,574 Member
    edited May 2023
    Thank you @MissMay for continuing this support group!
    I don't even want to make goals. I am off red wine and hard stuff but having a hard time giving up the white even though the Wegovy I am on TOTALLY blocks any ability to get the slightest buzz. So the only reason I still indulge is purely habit. Note: I am prescribed the Wegovy for weight loss but I am noticing the side effect of being less attracted to alcohol, which is a good thing for me.

    This CNN report briefly mentions how Wegovy helps with addiction.

    https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2023/05/28/ozempic-semaglutide-wegovy-weight-loss-diabetes-fareed-gps-vpx.cnn
  • GaryM_25
    GaryM_25 Posts: 98 Member
    @GaryM_25 (and anyone else that wants to get a tan) please protect your skin! If you must tan, use a self tanner. There are so many good ones now out there that look totally real. A dear, dear friend of mine lost the battle with melanoma at age 36. It was a horrible, actually unspeakably bad way to go. Get your glow from a bottle. Hugs.

    Thank you for the concern. I'm doing a one-month before-vacation indulgence.
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    Oops, accidentally posted my last day of May wrap up here but it’s too late to edit it now. I’m just gonna leave it. Sorry!
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,893 Member
    Thanks for keeping us going @MissMay : - )

    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 18AF days in May.

    I do this diary style, I normally post the next morning.

    Thursday June 01:
  • Chickadee00
    Chickadee00 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for the welcome @itladyee 😊
  • Chickadee00
    Chickadee00 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks @Michieb125 I try my best to stay positive. I like your self care day, that sounds really good. 👌
  • Chickadee00
    Chickadee00 Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you for the welcome to your thread @MissMay 😊 and thanks for sharing what one standard drink is, I often forget that so it's good to be reminded!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,749 Member
    Thank you for the welcome to your thread @MissMay 😊 and thanks for sharing what one standard drink is, I often forget that so it's good to be reminded!

    @Chickadee00 😊😊😊 it is OUR THREAD, not my thread. Glad you are finding it helpful.
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,775 Member
    edited June 2023
    Welcome @Chickadee00 ! And hello to all my AF peeps!!!

    @cwolfman I, too, am ambivalent about this whole drinker/non drinker thing. I can moderate, but I haven’t even tried to have AF days these last few months. So do I ratchet that up or just make peace with the fact that I like my one glass of wine per day and take the win on the fact that I got it down from two?

    With sailing/ golfing/ hang out after work in the beautiful weather season upon us, there are so many more opportunities to drink than normal.

    Well, good luck to everyone on their June goals!!!!
  • Chickadee00
    Chickadee00 Posts: 10 Member
    MissMay wrote: »
    Thank you for the welcome to your thread @MissMay 😊 and thanks for sharing what one standard drink is, I often forget that so it's good to be reminded!

    @Chickadee00 😊😊😊 it is OUR THREAD, not my thread. Glad you are finding it helpful.

    Yes of course. 👍

    I've not really set any goals with my alcohol intake at the moment. I would like to try and get away from drinking daily. That would be a good start I suppose. I will just take it a day at a time.

    Wishing everyone a good day !
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,893 Member
    Thanks for keeping us going @MissMay : - )

    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 18AF days in May.

    I do this diary style, I normally post the next morning.

    Thursday June 01: AF - Planned drinks over the weekend.