LESS Alcohol ~ MARCH 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
Replies
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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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@Michieb125 It makes it difficult when your Mom doesn't live nearby you. I went through the same thing quite a few years ago. I got a call from a medical clinic which happened to be ~700 miles away. Total panic! Good thing your Mom didn't break anything. I hope she is OK!
@SunnyDays930 and @SparkSpringtime69 I'm on Day 2. So far, so good! I do enjoy drinking (at the time). But I end up being pretty nonfunctional. I cancel appointments and when I'm drinking regularly, I rarely leave the house. Even going shopping is a chore. It doesn't feel good!
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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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@MissMay Thank you for your support! My husband does know all about my AF mission. I told him the night before Day 1. He isn't a drinker, except for a very occasional beer or two. So he's completely behind me and happy for me.
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So I completed Day 2 AF.
We had an early dinner. So I went gambling for a while. I drank water. I think I may have shocked the girl working tonight because she was probably expecting me to order an AmberBock. I was fine drinking water. And, best of all, I walked out $700 ahead 😀
March (thru 3/13):
AF - 2
A - 11
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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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@globalhiker So well said, "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."
Many people don't realize that alcohol withdrawal symptoms can begin within six to 24 hours after your last drink (whether they be mild or severe). Anxiety is one of the first and more common symptoms.
Back in 2021, I was having withdrawals so bad that I would sit down for about 20 seconds, immediately jump up, pace back and forth, sit down and repeat. I eventually quit by tapering. I didn't have access to treatment at the time. I had a notebook and I would start drinking later each day (just a half an hour, at first, then a hour) and I would dump out 50ml out of a fifth (every time that I got to one hour later). I was successful (for a while).
I think it's awesome that you're remaining AF! I hope to be there myself. I'm currently starting Day 3. I haven't had many problems. A little anxiety and I had a little trouble sleeping the first night. But I slept well last night.
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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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March (thru 3/14):
AF - 3 . . . . . A - 11
I may be taking a break from posting for a while. I feel like I'm replacing one addiction for another 🤔
Have a great weekend everyone!
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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 -
Hey @chicbuc Glad to see you're back. I've missed you! Sounds like you had a great time.
I did have a small streak going on…but I blew it yesterday. And I have plans to go out to lunch at a Mexican restaurant with some friends today. It's my friend's birthday. So I plan on having a margarita (or two). I'll get back on track tomorrow.
I was going to stop posting because I find myself checking MFP to see if there's any new posts several times a day. Since I'm on the West coast, after the morning there aren't many new posts. Then I end up doing other things on the computer. And I feel that I need to cut back on my screen time. I have tons of other things to do!
@globalhiker I too have to have my liver re-checked with an ultrasound. But I would like to get a really good streak going first. I have also abused my insides with excessive drinking (somewhat on and off). My last ultrasound wasn't too bad. There was some mild damage (but not beyond repair). My liver was normal size with no ascites. I've been putting it off because I'm afraid to know. But, I'll have to have it checked someday.
Have a nice day everyone!
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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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@chicbuc glad you enjoyed the cruise!
@michieb125 sorry to hear your mom fell! Glad she didn’t break anything. Very scary when our parents get sick or injured.
@MissMay great point about our muscles atrophying- I really feel when I miss a week of workouts. Sets me all the way back!
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