LESS Alcohol ~ JUNE 2023 ~ One Day at A Time
Replies
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Out watering some of my plants. It's so hot, feel like turning the hose on myself. Enjoying the weather with a few beers and no shame in that.
And yeah @GaryM_25 , I'm looking forward to hopefully experiencing some of the benefits of moving away from daily drinking. I don't drink 1 or 2 in which case I wouldn't be so interested in monitoring my drinking, for me personally. But yeah, it's an individual thing.5 -
Goals for JuneSelf-care and positive vibes ~ One day at a time
Zig-zag calorie count - Daily Average 1400
Success = No more than two glasses of wine per night. Bonus Points for ZERO!
Current Streak - AF = 0 ~
6/1 A ~ Husband was excited as he had been off pain meds long enough to have a cocktails. He made pomegranate sours. Tasted really strong and really sweet to me since I had not had one in quite a while.
Success Days # 0
Bonus Days # 0
I've got to get it through my thick head....alcohol ruins weight loss....maybe I need to get out my paper and write it 500 times...
@MissMay ~ Congrats on standing your ground! Just awesome!
The Month recap to stay accountable
My 2023 Stats...Current Month
AF = 0
A = 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January
AF = 53%
A = 47%
February
AF = 29%
A = 71%
March
AF = 0%
A = 100%
April
AF = 14%
A = 86%
May
AF = 23%
A = 77%
June
AF = 0%
A = 100%4 -
@MissMay thanks for the great reminder about serving sizes and that a huge glass of red wine isn’t really one drink. This made me think about the hysterical amount of red wine that actress Kristen Bell drinks nightly in the dark comedy, thriller movie called The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window!
The scale is down another lb. which tells me my focus on calorie deficit (activity over consumption) is working. And, I could never have done this without giving up all the liquid calories of my past. I’m also not missing out on enjoying all foods within moderation.
Before my decision to embrace Less Alcohol I used to measure exact ounces but that only made me obsessed with measuring ounces and too great a focus on that. My mind was on overload unnecessarily. Now that I am AF most of each week, I do allow myself to enjoy a glass or two of wine now and then and yes, I buy only tiny bottles now which is helpful as they are measured amounts. Whatever works, right? New habits are slowly forming and right now, for me, I prefer occasional imbibing for a dozen reasons.
Not to offend anyone at all and I have the highest respect for her as well. I heard Oprah Winfrey on a podcast several years back state that having one glass of wine was ‘just getting started.’ It was all in fun of course but I think many of us might be able to identify with that (or used to).
June stats:
AF - 1
A - 0
Personal Goals:
AF - 20-22 days
A - 8-10 days
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Thank you @MissMay. Much appreciated!
Ditto to everything @globalhiker said and safe travels to you. I hope you get one or two beautiful hikes in!
@joans1976 I enjoyed your May post here
Way to go in May! I feel ya' re: figuring out a drinking "style." If I'm honest, I'm a weeknight abstainer and on weekends drink more than is "healthy." I admire people like @womona who have success with one/day and @dawnbgethealthy & @cwolfman13 who are so considerate to their tomorrow-selves. I appreciate and learn from all those examples.
Kind of a rocky start to the month.
Had drinks Memorial Day evening. Had drinks Wednesday celebrating dad & stepmom anniversary. Painters finished my house interior last night and I REALLY felt like cracking into champagne over that (it's been a mess here). So much for being a weeknight abstainer! I waited it out last night and used the champagne calories on leftover graham crackers & marshmallows instead.
Goal:
M-Th AF
F-Su <2
Sunday is my danger night. For whatever mindgame reasons, that is the night I am most likely to feel IDGAF and ditch the plan. Maybe it's depleted willpower from a week adhering to plan? Not that I am having any kind of sustained success with weekend moderation, but if I were going to cut back, converting Sunday to AF could be a logical step. Maybe I'll mention it to DH since he is also looking to cut back on alcohol.6 -
I aim to check in daily the next morning for my own accountability. This keeps me on track and I also learn so much from others’ experiences on this thread.
@Chickadee00 love the pic of your azaleas - there are gardening lovers here too. Myself and @dawnbgethealthy and I’m sure many others.
@GaryM_25 I would say you found your mojo and a big congratulations on all your successes this spring!
@MissMay your June goals are admirable and you are off to a strong start.
@itladyee sounds like your husband is doing well! Off the pain meds is a good sign.
@ahoy_m8 I like how you mentioned our ‘tomorrow selves’ again. A good reminder. That darn IDGAF is real too. That was me on Memorial Day as well.
Make it a great day!
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Hello LA Friends! I am jumping back in for June. I am not a lurker, as I have posted here in the past but it has been a while because I came down with pneumonia at the end of March and spent the first 10 days of April in hospital, 6 in ICU. I am slowly recovering and getting back to myself but still have a way to go. Once I was back home, I slowly caught up with all the posts I missed here and have been, not lurking, but “following along” since then.
This is a very inspiring group and it has helped me to keep things in perspective as I heal. I have a renewed appreciation for my good health and healthy habits that I have practiced for many years. I know that being active and eating a mostly clean diet (few processed foods, lots of fruits & vegetables) helped me to survive my ordeal.
It has been frustrating to not be able to go hiking, running, gardening, even grocery shopping, but there are other people on this thread who have posted about their recovery from cancer, injuries, surgeries etc and I have been inspired by their tenacity so I am just trying to be patient with the process.
I have been AF since March 22 so that is a total of 72 days! I haven’t gone that long without alcohol since I was pregnant 18 years ago! For the most part, I have not really wanted any but there have been times that it has crossed my mind. Most mornings I was waking up feeling like I had a hangover without any alcohol and I haven’t wanted to exacerbate that. The last few mornings have been better but most days it is pretty unpredictable how any activity will affect me, making me too tired, or causing a headache etc. I’m not sure what adding alcohol to the mix will do. I might try to have a beer tonight or tomorrow and just see what happens but it will depend on how I’m feeling later.
I'm not setting a specific goal for June, I am just going to see what happens.
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@Michieb125 Are they alzaleas?? I thought it was a rhododendrons bush ! That's what it says on the label, anyway. I am a novice gardener. We spend a small fortune on plants, if only we knew what we were doing !4
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@Chickadee00 I was wrong with my quick opinion! And, I’m sure you have a rhododendron which I would love to grow. I just checked and found both azaleas and rhododendron are in the same family so to speak! They look quite similar but rhododendron normally stay evergreen year round.
https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/azalea-care-guide-how-to-grow-azaleas.html4 -
Michieb125 wrote: »@Chickadee00 I was wrong with my quick opinion! And, I’m sure you have a rhododendron which I would love to grow. I just checked and found both azaleas and rhododendron are in the same family so to speak! They look quite similar but rhododendron normally stay evergreen year round.
https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/azalea-care-guide-how-to-grow-azaleas.html
Oh good ! We were wanting an evergreen. It's for the front door.
You find that with plants, many are from the one family. We bought a variation of a mountain fire. I think they are quite sturdy. They would have to be with our gardening knowledge lol thanks for the link.
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@zensome I am glad you are on the road to recovery. That experience must have been scary.5
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@Chickadee00 - I'll tell you I am sooo glad I got away from daily drinking a couple months ago! My headed is clearer, mental positive feedback cycles are at play instead of negative feedback cycles, I sleep better and more.
Yesterday, the scale said 185 which I haven't been at for about six or seven years. Ten years ago, I was at 175.
Last night, I had a (as in one) beer with my wife while watching the basketball game.
This morning, I seriously realized I need to do some shopping. With one of my belts notched up to the tightest hole, I pulled my shorts and belt down over my hips!
I know I've been wearing 36" waist pants for about seven years. This week, my wife bought me a pair of 34" shorts. I put them on and proceeded to pull them down over my hips.
Greatly reduced alcohol intake + calorie counting + lift-till-failure weights + cardio intervals is working.
Oh man, that is the BEST reason to go clothes shopping! Well done!4 -
@zensome so sorry to hear you were ill!!! Glad you’re healthy again. Great to see you back.
Yesterday was the PERFECT day to sail!!! The wind and waves were right in our sweet spot. DH and I enjoyed an amazing 4 hour sail (10 nautical miles!) and getting re-acquainted with the boat. Amazing how much we forget from last season! It was just amazing. I only had one drink on the boat, and nothing with dinner when we got home. A win for me!
Today if I drink, I’m having only one glass of wine. We’ll see if I even have it. My club soda with a splash of sangria mix and a Luxardo cherry in a stemless glass is a nice substitute for wine. I had that last night instead of automatically reaching for a glass of white wine. I had a sip of my husband’s and just said “nah”.5 -
@Chickadee00
Thank you for posting that photo.
I love seeing photos on here : - )
You must be in a warm climate. Here in Canada there are only a few places that are warm enough for Rhodos and Azaleas. Victoria has them everywhere, they are trees.6 -
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.
Friday June 02 - 2 drinks - Worked in the garden after work, but it was very hot and once the sweat started dripping into my eyes I had enough. Saturday and Sunday off this week, so I will be out much earlier in the garden : - ) Planned drinks for today, I still have quite a few of the tiny prosecco bottles in the pack in the fridge, but on a hot day I love a gin cocktail. We'll see. I bought myself a sweat band for my forehead last night to hopefully keep the sweat out of my eyes. I will give it a try today later.
Rolling total: 1AF day out of 2 days.6 -
@zensome glad to see you back. And so sorry to hear you have had an awful illness. Glad you are well on your way to recovering and may you continue to get stronger each day.
@Womona your sail sounds wonderful followed by the sangria mocktail - sounds refreshing, I must try.
Our temps have been mild and sunny. I will do some gardening this am and plant some red, white, and blue petunias I bought over Memorial Day weekend. They will be ready for the 4th of July and last through the summer.
My summer veggie garden is coming in strong. Probably because I used my homemade compost and added all new soil and amendments this year. I also picked some rainbow chard last night and sautéed it with mushrooms as a side for dinner.
Had a Stella 0,0 NA beer on the patio last night.
Will consider white wine either today or tomorrow but haven’t decided which day yet, lol. This is definitely a first for me.
June stats:
AF - 2
A - 0
Personal Goals:
AF - 20-22 days
A - 8-10 days5 -
Barely escaped the drink delivery again while trying to enjoy the serine back porch.
I took it in the house, covered it and stuck in the back of the frig.
Day two of June AF8 -
Goals for JuneSelf-care and positive vibes ~ One day at a time
Zig-zag calorie count - Daily Average 1400
Success = No more than two glasses of wine per night. Bonus Points for ZERO!
Current Streak - AF = 0 ~
6/2 A ~ I got nothing!
Success Days # 0
Bonus Days # 0Michieb125 wrote: »Not to offend anyone at all and I have the highest respect for her as well. I heard Oprah Winfrey on a podcast several years back state that having one glass of wine was ‘just getting started.’ It was all in fun of course but I think many of us might be able to identify with that (or used to).
I find this to be sadly true for me. The idea of one glass *5oz* of wine...just leaves me wanting more so my goal is to limit it to 2. I'm not wildly successful yet, but I keep trying. Two is just enough to feel like I've had a treat but not overdone it.
@zensome ~ welcome back and glad you're feeling better. I know how anxious you must be to get back out there, but take it easy and make sure that you've fully recovered!
The Month recap to stay accountable
6/1 A ~ Husband was excited as he had been off pain meds long enough to have a cocktails. He made pomegranate sours. Tasted really strong and really sweet to me since I had not had one in quite a while.
I've got to get it through my thick head....alcohol ruins weight loss....maybe I need to get out my paper and write it 500 times...
My 2023 Stats...Current Month
AF = 0
A = 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January
AF = 53%
A = 47%
February
AF = 29%
A = 71%
March
AF = 0%
A = 100%
April
AF = 14%
A = 86%
May
AF = 23%
A = 77%
June
AF = 0%
A = 100%4 -
@SunnyDays930: Thank you, there was definitely a few scary days at the beginning.
@Womona Thank you, it is good to be back.
@MissMay: Thank you, and thank you for keeping this thread going!
@itladyee: Thank you, I am trying to do the most important things each day like meals & laundry before any other more strenuous activities. I have added daily walks with increasing distance/time every few days. Mentally I need this and physically it is helping me build more stamina so I can eventually get back to the other things I love.
June Stats: 2/2 AF
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Today was probably the hardest day in my alcohol-free two weeks. We celebrated a friend's birthday, and the plan was to go to one brewery and one restaurant. We also ended up going to one more brewery after.
The first brewery was fine, as they had hop water that I wanted to try. The restaurant was a Mexican place, and I had soda water. I was so full from the Mexican food that I didn't have anything at the last place.
It was interesting, as if I did this again, but was drinking, I would skip beer at the Mexican restaurant, as it's really not the kind of beer I prefer. Also, at the first brewery, I'd have one beer (or a flight), plus a hop water. That would help me to stick to two beers total.8 -
Dif'rent strokes for dif'rent folks....Drink only weekends...just one [ & 1/2 ? ] every night...only on holidays & high holy days...NEVER, until I can't resist the temptation any longer....
Been almost AF in May while Eldest Daughter has been visiting from Louisiana. Too much to do, including zoo-ing, dining at all our old haunts, catching up with neighbors & all that. Today, Saturday, was her last day in Da'Burgh so we celebrated in the shade of my apple trees with an early morning tasting with omNom Icelandic chocolate [ one vote for spiced white chocolate, and two OMG-OMG-OMG votes for "coffee milk" ] Tanzania 65 % came in 2nd altogether.
Then off to the airport for the ritual x-rays, bag searches, pat downs, before the 4 pm lift off to the Southland....oooppppsss..."one hour delay"....uuuuhhhhh..."another one hour delay".... Hmmm....ah, a " one hour
delay" ..."technical issues with the airplane" ...getting a new plane....need a new crew because the 1st crew's time has expired ...$15 meal voucher is offered. ED is a coffee addict so Cinnabon coffee is first choice. Anyone who is familiar with airports knows that the Cinnabon smell is borderline illegal [LOL]...
OOH KAY...Houston airport cannot send plane to Pittsburgh because of lightning in Texas... further delay...liftoff from Texas to Da'Burgh will be at "9 whatever pm"....arriving 3 hours later...voucher offered for $150+...Middle Daughter & SIL picking up ED from airport to spend night in real bed as opposed to airport carpet...liftoff at 7 am Sunday....maybe ??????????
As soon as ED is settled in her sister's guest bed I'll open a bottle of Chianti...or should I wait til the United tailfeathers are en route to Texas ?? TBA.8 -
@forestdweller1 This post makes me stressed out for you and ED.6
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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.
Friday June 02 - 2 drinks - Worked in the garden after work, but it was very hot and once the sweat started dripping into my eyes I had enough. Saturday and Sunday off this week, so I will be out much earlier in the garden : - ) Planned drinks for today, I still have quite a few of the tiny prosecco bottles in the pack in the fridge, but on a hot day I love a gin cocktail. We'll see. I bought myself a sweat band for my forehead last night to hopefully keep the sweat out of my eyes. I will give it a try today later.
Saturday June 03 - 3 drinks altogether. At 2pm to get out of the heat for a minute I made myself a blended iced coffee. I make coffee cubes in the freezer and added that to my leftover coffee from the morning. Not enough liquid, so I had to splash in some Almond Milk which I don't normally like.
At 4pm I went for an actual gin cocktail
I then went and did some more time in the garden and had 2 drinks a few hours later.
Rolling total: 1AF day out of 3 days.5 -
@dawnbgethealthy it is almost British summer time, so it's much warmer than usual. Your drinks / cocktails look lovely.
I'm a beer drinker. Recently I drank around 8-10 beers in the one day. To be honest I lost count but around that amount. I would like to try and reduce this.6 -
@WestCoastCyclist wow never heard of hop water, thanks for the tid bit. I will now be on the look out, or ask.
You did super on your weekend sorry it stressed you.5 -
@forestdweller1 there us nothing more agitating than not knowing if or when your flight will take off.
Oh and Pitts International is no easy airport to have to be delayed for any length of time. Not even with vouchers.
Hope they landed safely. UGH and I would have probably uncorked prosecco once home myself.
Hugs to you.5 -
@dawnbgethealthy those drinks(esp the coffee one) look amazing.
Can't wait to see more garden pics during your process.4 -
@dawnbgethealthy Love the photos! What makes your gin cocktail that pretty color? I love anything in a coupe.
@WestCoastCyclist you did great in a challenging setting. The way you describe it makes it sound like you had it well in hand all along. I'm not a beer drinker but I will be on the lookout for hop water, too. Something interesting to try.
@forestdweller1 Ugh. The joys of summer travel. May the Force be with you.
@itladyee & @MissMay I'm in for pomegranate anything too. It livens anything to which it is added.
ETA: quiet weekend at home so far. 2 glasses wine Fri and 2 last night.5 -
@Chickadee00 setting realistic small obtainable goals is a good way to start.
I used to drink daily prior to 2018. And it would be high numbers, up about 5-8 daily, if not more. I can say this now without trying to hide it.
I have the rules or tools to know my pours were way to full and that the recommended drink count WEEKLY for a woman is anywhere from 7-10 max.
Boy....did I even go over that weekly count with the absurd number I would drink. But I now know. I would drink what I saw everyone else drinking. I thought it was normal and right. I thought well if everyone else drinks this amount it must be ok.
Find your own path for cutting back slowly. We are not in a race here. 🙂6
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