LESS Alcohol ~ MARCH 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
Replies
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Hi, I love this question. @SunnyDays930 nailed this answer. YOU can be a huge part of a gathering, party, festivity or for the moment, just like everyone else with a bit of LESS alcohol creativeness.
I personally start with the beverage holder. Go classy, elegant or extravagant (no red solo cups and no give away pint glasses from a dive bar)
Stay away from soda straws. Beautiful garnishes are always a hit.
People will comment on your fancy glass, if at all, before asking what your drinking.
Its your beverage GO FOR IT your way. Your not alone in this journey.
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@shamac35153 welcome.
Were you able to bookmark our page? If not here is the symbol you are looking for at the top of the page. It will turn blue after you click on it.
Great to have you joining us.
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@globalhiker 4 pounds since January is a sensible amount to shed. More likely for you to keep it off.
Question: do you ever hear from Dawn. I was thinking of her recently and hoped she was doing well.
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Jan AF 31
Feb AF 28
Mar AF 5/A 7
Happy Thursday
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Welcome all new LA friends!
Quick check in…..My very elderly mom tripped on a curb and fell down a few days ago and I’m managing from afar. Surprisingly, she didn’t fracture anything. I did have some internal stress over this like what if this is it?! So I had some wine last night instead of waiting for today - but stayed at my limit which comes easier these days.
My DH and I will go see her next week and do some more home assessments and help organize some.Now I’m off to the gym for a brand new class called BodyBalance - a blend of Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi.
Current:
AF - 6
A - 7
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P.S. my new habit is to make a specialty low calorie NA drink most days at dinner hour. I used to mindlessly pour a glass of wine - there really are endless options with juices, sparkling waters and fresh citrus. Also the Recess NA bev’s are good or sparkling teas at Trader Joe’s.
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March Madness! Goal 50% AF (AF=16 A=15)
Planned March Events that might include Alcohol
3/12 ~ Bookclub
3/28 ~ ConcertWith this upgrade, I'm finding it very difficult to update my post and keep the spoilers so you don't have to scroll through all my history. Seems I'm going to have to move those details to offline, otherwise it will take me hours to recreate each time.
Monthly Stats - On Target
AF = 4
A = 8
Current Streak - AF = 0
Longest Streak - AF = 8Book club was fun last night. We read the book The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. So good, I couldn't stop. Two glasses of wine, now time to get back on the AF train despite stressful events going on
Julian is still acting out. I guess he had been ok for a while, but today, while at the doctor for Julian, he threw his boot at André and hit him in the face! I don't know how I can realistically help. I can spend time with Julian, but that won't solve the issue.
Then there's my sister….. I do have my wine to escape, if only for a short while. I need to find other ways to find mental peace.
@SunnyDays930 ~ Congrats on your progress! You are doing well!
@SurferGirl1982 ~ Wishing you success on your journey!
@connor_manning ~ Great work!
@Michieb125 ~ glad your mom didn't fracture anything. Very scary I'm sure. Hope she's doing better.
Welcome new members!!
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March:
AF: 3
A: 9
@SurferGirl1982 nice job on the AF day yesterday. @SunnyDays930 is so right - focus on the hour or day.
@Michieb125 glad to hear your Mom didn't get too badly hurt.
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10 AF
3A
(A means 3+; LA means 1-2; and AF means none)
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@SurferGirl1982 that is fantastic news that you FINALLY got a couple non alcohol days to talk about.
Stay on course and agreed tell your husband your on an alcohol free mission.
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Very sad to hear your Mom had a fall. Speedy recovery wishes.
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Another day AF. Been going well so far! No major cravings so hopefully can just keep the ball rolling!
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AF 2 lost it last night not had two glasses of wine. Need to have a diversion plan. My first goal is to limit to no more than 4 drinks a week two day tops. My week will start on a Monday.
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@shamac35153 our thread title says it all
ONE DAY at a time. Your doing great. Biggest applause goes to you getting in here and being accountable.
Everything else will fall into place. 🙂
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So, great question about what to have at the end of the day "to relax". You will hate me for saying this but I am honest. Since I went all-AF, I don't have the need to relax since I am in a relax state in general and the stress (yes caused by alcohol) is gone. GONE.
Probably the best solution is to not rely on food or drink to relax (although I didn't follow that). If you look up sound frequencies, there are certain sounds that really scientifically work on the brain to relax it. I am sure you can find something on youtube and play it in your home while you prep dinner and afterwards. I swear that music puts me into a trance.
Having a mid-afternoon snack like high protein yogurt with cocoa powder or something with at least 20g protein and a banana and decaf coffee can help stabilize mood come dinner time. Hunger spikes cortisol and that is a stress hormone. Keeping blood sugar within range was very key for me.
In my earlier AF days, I used non-alcoholic beverages as a placebo to help me relax. I bought the Olly brand relax gummies but they didn't do much. Hot chocolate helped. Decaf coffee. Going to bed soon after dinner and getting up earlier helped. I've been drinking lots of seltzer mixed with pure organic lemon juice. And I eat a good apple and maybe some blackberries at night as my "wine" replacement.
@MissMay our friend Dawn now leads up a popular MFP Challenge weight loss support group focused on daily weigh-ins. You can find her by going to Challenges and you'll see her right there on the page.
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Loved the Les Mills BodyBalance 105 class I attended yesterday. I was able to do everything except will need to work on Half Moon pose. Definitely placing this class on my calendar for Thursday mornings.
Thank you so much to those who sent well wishes for my mom. Luckily we are less than two hours away of which we’ve done that drive for 20 years. The unexpected calls are the scariest.
Relax? @globalhiker you have so many great ideas for changing it up! When we intentionally change our daily habits, we do change. I can say I am no longer a person who “uses” wine to relax every night after work. It did cause me unnecessary anxiety - it’s a well known phenomenon.
I love to take an evening walk, turn on Spotify, try some calming teas, etc. without the wine. It took me some time to find a new rhythm but worth it. Just for today!
Have a good day everyone!
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Poor decisions, probably because of alcohol, probably killed this brilliant young woman. How many of us have done something so stupid because of alcohol, than when sober, felt grateful and humbled for our lives, health, safety, and everything else? I am heartbroken for her family and her friends.
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1
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10 AF
1 LA (a beer not wine since I gave that up for Lent)
3A
(A means 3+; LA means 1-2; and AF means none)
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Yes this is such a sad fact. I have read or seen more than a handful of these exact senerios. It all starts out for fun during Spring break and ends badly.
I live one hour from Panama City Beach, Florida. It is a lovely place we have enjoyed nurmourous times. But during Spring break it is a nightmare for this town.
I hope the family of the missing girl gets closure on her disappearance.
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Last evening I found out a jazz artist was singing at a near by seafood place.
So I told my husband we were going to go there and listen while having dinner.
What a wonderful venue. Here is what I LOVE about getting over that fear of going out and being alcohol free .
I observed every aspect of our evening in full. We sat at the bar because there no tables for just two people and being Spring break it was packed.
I watched the one bartender as she handled the entire making of cocktails by herself. Very talented and relaxed as she effortlessly made drink after drink.
I order an unsweetened iced tea, no ice, in a stemmed red wine glass. She never flinched as I ordered my non alcohol drink and delivered it to me graciously.
I really enjoyed watching her make the many different fancy drinks. Each time she made one I leaned over and relayed the name of the cocktail to my husband. He was amazed I suppose that I did not cave and order one. I was not tempted at all, only observing and actually praising her for her knowledge, smoothness and beautiful presentation of the cocktails and her professionalism.
I have come A LONG WAY BABY. 🍷
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@MissMay I love to watch them make cocktails too.
Today I am 2 weeks AF. Today is Mr. SunnyDays930's birthday. We are going to a lovely French restaurant with his sister and her boyfriend for dinner. They are all normal drinkers so may have 1 drink. I will continue to abstain.
I just read about a person that had quit drinking 22 years earlier but the damage had been done. His death certificate said cause of death: cirrhosis. I guess it would have been a lot sooner had he kept it up. At some point your liver throws in the towel.
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11 AF
1 LA
4A
(A means 3+; LA means 1-2; and AF means none)
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@MissMay you have come a long way! Today is a big party day over in Scottsdale and nearby towns, street parties and the St. Patrick's "Weekend" started yesterday. So, we try to stay off the road because they'll all be drinking under some degree of influence.
@SurferGirl1982 well done for 3 days AF!
@SunnyDays930 you remind me I need to ask for a re-do on my liver ultrasound to make sure the fatty liver is gone. None of my doctors know how much assault I inflicted on my insides between the ages of 46 - 58. 12 years of over the medical limit of drinking.
@Michieb125 I am a Les Mills Fanatic. Been doing their series for maybe 18-20 years now. I'll have to find BodyBalance and sign up. I used to do BodyFlow long ago, it was discontinued but it was one third tai chi, one third yoga, one third pilates and of course lots of balance thrown in. I hate pilates immensely but it's a good way to sneak it in and so good for the figure.
No drinks today for me. Going for a run and then a walk.
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We're back from the Caribbean! What a great cruise! I highly recommend Sun Princess for anyone planning a sailing. It was a beautiful ship with a great staff and entertainment and lots of fun activities!
I see a few new faces…welcome!
I see my friend @SurferGirl1982 is getting an AF streak going! One day at a time, and if you need to take a break from posting, do it! For me, I find checking in here helps and motivates me.
I drank a lot on the cruise. A lot. Mostly wine. We got back yesterday and I definitely did not drink last night! I'm planning an AF week before we visit family next weekend. I also need to jump back on the workout routine. For all of our planning to "walk the track" every morning and "free gym classes," we did exactly ZERO exercising! Now to get unpacked 😫
Current stats
A = 12 and AF = 5
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@globalhiker you will love BodyBalance 105 because at my club it’s exactly as you describe - 1/3 yoga, 1/3 Pilates, and 1/3 Tai Chi plus the instructor and music are very chill - so motivating!
@chicbuc sounds like you had a wonderful cruise! I love Princess cruise lines too - and the Caribbean so fun. You have a solid plan for a reset before the next trip - good for you!
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Stayed to my AF target last night although I sure had a craving to sit by the fire and sip wine with DH. But it was already past 9:00! Not the time to start any monkey business. Cleaned the kitchen and took my potions lol - magnesium, enzymes, melatonin and L-theanine for a deep sleep.
P.S. I sure miss Dawn as well - and Forestdweller has been quiet lately! Both are previous awesome contributors.
May your day be intentional and productive. Or provide you with rest and reset - whichever, stay well!5 -
Welcome!!
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March Madness! Goal 50% AF (AF=16 A=15)
Planned March Events that might include Alcohol
3/12 ~ Bookclub - Done
3/28 ~ ConcertMonthly Stats - On Target
AF = 4
A = 11
Current Streak - AF = 0
Longest Streak - AF = 8Ended up nursing a cold for the last few days but not bad enough to put me down. Been getting my exercise in with 2 to 3-mile walks and spending time either playing my games or listening to audiobooks or netflix binging. It's been a nice mental escape. Time to come back to the real world :)
@chicbuc ~ Welcome back, and I'm glad you had a great time on your cruise!
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