LESS Alcohol ~ SEPTEMBER 2024 ~ One Day at A Time
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AF = 7
A = 3
Canning chicken stock tonight. Have 7 quarts in the pressure canner now. And it looks like 4 more to go.
Work and life are very busy right now, and I just don’t feel like I’m getting a break. Tomorrow, I have to take my car to the shop because the check engine light is on. After work, I need to make a cheesecake, potato salad, and grill some hamburgers for a party this weekend at a my bestie’s house (they don’t have a grill). Thursday, my son has his 2-hour annual oncology follow up appointment and hubby and I are taking a retirement prep class together. And Friday we head to bestie’s for the weekend.
Maybe next week I’ll get a break?11 -
AF = 2
A = 85 -
Tip for consideration and I say this from experience (only been on here for about 6 years+), work on Confidence first. I was that person that every day at 5pm kept saying "I can't". I had zero confidence in my strength to do this. I freakin wasted a year saying "I can't". @MissMay gave me the confidence boost and told me I could do it. That was the turning point.
Plan:
1-Pick any 24 hour window. Say it's 6pm to 6pm next day for example.
2-Buy yourself a treat in advance for that day. It can be an NA drink, juice, smoothie, frozen yogurt, chocolate. Whatever can give your brain a short boost of "happy".
3-Distract yourself that day, keeping busy. Post during the difficult time of day if you need to, writing down that you will do this because you can and it's possible.
4-Tell someone in your household this is what you will do.
5-Succeed. You just didn't drink for a 24 hour period.
Repeat this again a day or two later, Succeed.
If you can do any 24 hour period, you can do a day. Now you've developed confidence you CAN do it. Pick a whole regular day and be AF. Discard all doubt (that's the alcohol talking nonsense). You can absolutely do this.
Soon you'll have the confidence to say you'll try 2 days in a row or whatever and you will be more likely to succeed because you Can and because you've developed Confidence and because you have a Plan.
If at this point, it's not working out, consider speaking to a professional maybe even online, if you need that extra support, why not. Life is too important to do all possible.
Still going AF. 10 days done. My challenge today is going without any "goodies" since my husband is AF along with me but he did a nice job of finishing my delicious black raspberry Yasso frozen yogurt bars.11 -
@globalhiker You are SO appreciated for posting your tips for consideration as each of us strive for either no alcohol or less alcohol. You have been here a long time and are a stellar example of what can be. 🌹
7 -
Current:
AF days - 3
A days - 5
LA - 2 (under 8 oz. wine)7 -
Summer has been rough and not at all LA. Working to get back into better health and better moderation - need to focus on stopping after 1-2. Goal is 12-15 AF but more focused on keeping under counts when I do drink.
So far:
5 A, but 4 over target
5 AF7 -
SurferGirl1982 wrote: »Well, I'm about to give up. Every day I plan on being AF. But then I change my mind.
I can't give up though. I need to quit drinking for my health, fitness and my weight. And I don't want to become physically dependent again.
So I'll still be checking this thread daily. But until I have 1 to 3 days AF, I may not post my monthly tally.
AF - 1
A - 8 (disgusting!)
Take care everyone!
I know I'm posting kind of late on this, but please don't give up! You had a great streak last month and I know you can do it again. There have been a lot of good suggestions here, and I hope at least one of them helps you get through this rough patch.
I just want to say, not just to you but to everyone in this forum, I'm so appreciative of the sharing that goes on here. We all have struggles, we all have down days, and we all especially have those WOW days, or even moments when we're so happy with what we've accomplished, not just AF-wise, but in every area of our lives. Those WOW moments are the ones we should be focused on, not the yuck times we sometimes feel.9 -
As a continuation to my above post:
Sorry, I need to generally rant here a little - sometimes I say the worst things to myself:
"What the he!! is wrong with you!
Why can't you just (whatever the complaint is for the day)!
You're failing miserably!
You're so weak (or pathetic, or a loser, or any one of a number of adjectives)
Or the perennial favorite: what the *f* is wrong with you!
Then I realize that these negative thoughts are just either insecurity or alcohol talking.
And when I really take the time to think about these thoughts, I realize just how counterproductive, and even destructive they are.
The truth is - if a friend said any of the above to me, they would be out of my life in a New York minute; so, why do I take the same abuse from my own self?!
Just a thought...
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8 AF
3 A8 -
@2timesacharmmfp so great to see you here!
And 5 AF days out of 10 is a super strong start towards your goal for the month.8 -
@SparkSpringtime69 Thanks...I'm not giving up! I just need a little break.
Four weeks ago, we took our cat to the vet for just a regular checkup. She had lost some weight and the vet was a bit concerned. So we had them do blood and urine tests. You're probably wondering how they collect the urine? Well, they gave her a little cup and sent her to the bathroom. How else? Silly! 😀
Anyways, she has hyperthyroidism and some problem with her kidney function. Which is normal for older cats. Tinker is almost 17. But she still looks like a kid!
I'll try to keep it short. But she hasn't been a fan of any of the medicine. We started with a compounded transdermal cream. Then tablets, coated tablets, back to transdermal cream and now a new oral solution (which we had to add to food). We thought the pills would work because she used to be a sucker for pill pockets. But I guess she could smell the uncoated tablet and wouldn't touch it. Then she got wise to us!
And the special diet food...Nope! So the vet prescribed another food that we know she loves. It's not specifically a kidney diet. But the vet is OK with it. She says the main thing she wants is for her to eat. Now, I'm waiting for Chewy to deliver it.
It's been a bit stressful. But we've done a pretty good job with her meds. She's supposed to take them twice a day. And in three weeks, we've only missed two doses.
I'll be posting positive news really soon!
Take care to everyone!7 -
TINKER..
Behave and be kind to your hooman...She haz issues you don't understand...and loves you with all her
.
Head butts and nose licks,
Catpuccino 😻7 -
5
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@Alatariel75 I think that’s a niggling thought for so many of us. We have to stay vigilant lest we go down a slippery slope. We all know just how slippery it can be, and it’s a little scary. If motivation ever fails you, relying on your good habits should help. This really resonated with me. Thanks for sharing.7
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@NonnieDorion holy cow you mean serious business with canning all that soup! Yowza! Hope your days get much less hectic very soon.
@SparkSpringtime69 its amazing what we say to ourselves. I wonder why it’s so common to beat ourselves up so hard instead of giving ourselves grace ???? I’ve struggled with that in the past, and totally understand.
@globalhiker, great ideas for a workable action plan!
I was AF today in about six weeks! I didn’t even want alcohol tonight. Absolutely no cravings. Last two nights I only had one glass of wine. It feels really great to meet and even exceed my goals.7 -
7 A
4 AF
I have been tracking my nightly heart rate using my fit bit for 11 nights.
When I have alcohol, my heart rate is 95 percent above normal all night while I sleep.
When I have an AF night, my heart rate averages 85 percent BELOW ... meaning my heart rate is not struggling at night.
Lesson learned! I have to protect my heart and clearly it is bothered by alcohol.
My husband seems to have no problem drinking and sleeping.
To each his own.
Back to AF living! I'm risking my health if I continue. (I do not have any diagnosed heart ailments; this is just my tracking and observation using the fit bit.)
9 -
@RubyRed427 alcohol absolutely kills my sleep. Guaranteed wake up at 4am with anxiety attacks. I've not measured my heart rate but I just know it goes up.6
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My resting heart rate goes up by about 10 beats per minute when I drink, and my heart rate variablity, which is a measurement of heart health, gets way worse. I know this and I still drink
AF = 2
A = 9
Planned AF tonight as we're going to watch my nephew's high school football game.8 -
Yesterday, I decided to go back and try the Kendall Jackson low calorie/low alcohol Chardonnay wine…was better than I remembered. Planning on AF today and will likely have the rest on Saturday or Sunday.
Current:
AF days - 4
A days - 5
LA - 3 (under 8 oz. wine)6 -
September:
AF=6
A=55 -
@Womona Woohoo on the AF day! Winning 🏅
@RubyRed427 thanks for sharing the info on how alcohol affects heart rate.
I know my sleep is much more restorative on AF nights - I want more too!
@NonnieDoiron love your pressure cooker for canning. I can the very old fashioned way with just a 6-quart cook pot. You are a pro! Hoping you can enjoy your upcoming social festivities and then relax.
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9 -
Hi there, thanks for the welcome back! I am glad to be here again and I recognize some of the long termers. I like this group for the support and motivation even though I feel like I've successfully cut back on my own alcohol consumption. It's still something I like to track and work on improving. I have stretches of time (usually around a holiday or a trip) where I realize I've drank everyday for a week. It's amazing how it sneaks up on us. I also struggle with moderation a bit on the days I do imbibe. It's like, well, I'm having a day with alcohol in it so I might as well enjoy ALL the alcohol! Not where I want to be going with this, LOL.
So far in September, I'm at 8/11 days AF. I'm aiming for at least 25 AF days this month.
I wanted to mention I have gotten a lot out of the book The Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness, and Change Your Life by Annie Grace. I know, a lot of promises there in the title, but I found the perspective helpful. It provides an interesting and eye opening glimpse into alcohol in our culture and what it actually does to our bodies. It made me want to drink less. I mean, I already wanted to drink less, but after I read the book I found it a little easier to turn it down.
Have a great day all!9 -
@SurferGirl1982 I hope Tinker starts eating better and gets healthier, hugs to you and her.
@RubyRed427 and others regarding heart rates: I don't track overnight, but I've taken my BP and heart rate on numerous occasions when I get up in the morning and found the same pattern. The BP doesn't seem to fluctuate much, but the heart rate sure does. I averaged out around 20 mornings after a drinking night, and about the same amount after an AF night. Average after drinking was 83.77, average after an AF night is 74.36 - almost a 10 beats per minute difference, and that was first thing in the morning upon waking up. Yikes!!7 -
Happy Friday all!
So I know my self imposed rule is that I can drink at events, and tonight I'm going out to celebrate my bestie finishing her 4 year degree! I'm so so proud of her!
But honestly... I don't think I want to drink. The thought of being hungover tomorrow gives me anxiety. So I'm going to see what happens -will I cave in the moment?8 -
@SparkSpringtime69 Thank you! Tinker got her new food today and enjoyed it. So much so that she's currently napping 😺
We gave her her first dose of the new medicine this morning with no problem. But I had to mix it in some wet food. It's honey flavored and the tech at the vet clinic showed me a video of a cat just licking it from the syringe (seemingly liking it). But that didn't work for me.
I'm still not back on a roll yet. But soon! It's hard to get started. But pretty easy after a few days AF *weird* Maybe now that things seem to be settling down with Tinker, I can relax a bit and get back on track.
I was told that drinking does increase heart rate and blood pressure. I had a fairly serious problem with my right eye this spring (major floaters that looked like the room was filled flies, later it turned to orange half-moons and very wavy vision). I saw an optometrist. She then called in one of the ophthalmologists to confirm what she was seeing. I had had a hemorrhage in the vitreous of the eye. They referred me to a retinol specialist (MD). I first saw him in an office by where I live. He had me go to his other office 60 miles away where they injected a dye in my vein and took pictures of my eye to check blood flow (I guess). He said that he wasn't positive what had caused it. But he felt it was caused by hypertension from drinking. My vision is slowly improving. I have another appointment with him next month.
Have a good night all!
5 -
8 AF
4 A6 -
AF = 8
A = 3
UGH!!! I am so far behind in reading all the posts. If I can get hubby to drive tonight, I may be able to catch up.
I did read some and @SparkSpringtime69 I used to do the same negative self-talk when I worked out years ago. I called it “my inner-Jillian”, the mean trainer from the Biggest Loser show. When I didn’t want to workout or wanted to quit early, she would tell me what a fat, lazy pig I was and that I need to get my big *kitten* moving! She’d cuss me out with f-bombs and everything. She was horrible. I told a very select few people about “my inner-Jillian”, and my bestie said, “I want to kick her *kitten*! How dare she talk to my friend like that!” I realized then I needed to find another motivator that wasn’t so nasty to me. 😂 I don’t do that anymore, but I will ask myself “Why am I being so lazy today?” I do that when I’m skipping my walk for no apparent reason. It’s not nearly as mean, and usually my response truly is because “I’m taking a lazy day. It’s ok.”5 -
Oooh...the negative self talk. I do it, too. "You're so stupid" or "You're such an idiot" are a big ones. I find myself telling myself those ones frequently. "You're such a loser" is reserved for when I buy wine or drink. I'm sure there are many more. I'm not sure how to break out of that.5
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I like this conversation. We need to stay lifted, replace any negative talk with positive talk. Put a sticker on your fridge that says positive things. All that negative crap is just malfunctioning brain programming if you ask me (my negative parents still haunt me to this day). We need positive self talk to keep our motivation going. It's like mandatory.
Still going AF. Zero cravings. Sleeping great. I have Corona zero alcohol and limes in the fridge for the just-in-case. Coronas are pretty good, tastes to me like the real thing. I am not a beer person though, but way, way better than zero alcohol wines. Husband who drank this weekend was AF Mon - Wed but his planned Thurs AF didn't work out. Stress at work was the excuse. I reminded him, it's not him, it's those brain receptors or whatever the alcohol created. He may contemplate going AF for a longer stretch to get a good brain re-set. This stuff is science. We'll see.7
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