LESS Alcohol ~ July 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
🌟 Do You Want to Drink LESS? 🌟
Less can mean a lot of different things. Maybe you want to:
- Cut out that one glass of wine that always turns into two (or three—no judgment).
- Save the cocktails just for weekends, special occasions, or when your in-laws visit.
- Make “Dry January” (or July, or whenever) your new tradition.
Or maybe—just maybe—this is your moment to go all in and step into a fully alcohol-free lifestyle. Imagine how good it could feel to wake up clear-headed every single morning. (No more “who did I text last night?” panic!)
The beauty is, you get to define what LESS looks like for you:
- One fewer drink a day, week, or month.
- Taking mindful breaks from drinking.
- Choosing total sobriety.
Whatever your version of “less” is, you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here—cheering you on, sharing stories, and learning together.
🎉 Join us in drinking LESS (however that looks in your life).
Because every step counts, and a little progress today can lead to big changes tomorrow.
Ready to start? Let’s do this—one mindful sip (or skip) at a time. 🍋✨
Replies
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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 -
- To follow this thread easily, bookmark it by clicking on the star or ribbon 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!
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.
- Reduction of high blood pressure
- Lower resting heart rate
- Retention of vital vitamins and minerals
- Less Acid Re-flux and improved gut health
- Significant financial savings
- Better relationships with family and friends
Life with Less Alcohol:
- It can be helpful to educate yourself with books and web research.
- 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 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.
- 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.
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.
- Celebrate the smaller victories too. Less alcohol is still less alcohol even if your goal was zero at that moment.
- Failure is not giving in and drinking. Failure is to stop trying to accomplish your goals.
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LINKS:
▪▪▪▪
•General Information/Blog Sites:
The Sober School
•Sobriety Blog:
•The Thirty Day Experiment:
•Ten Things That Helped Me Quit Booze:
•The Neuroscience Behind How We Make Decisions:
•Summary of Book on Addiction:
•Article on the Difference Between Being an Alcoholic and Really Liking to Drink:
•To the Mom questioning her drinking habits:
•Guided Meditations:
ALTERNATIVE DRINKS:
▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪
•Overnight Cold Brew Iced Tea:
•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
•Sober Time - Track your progress in the sobriety counter. Stop drinking with built-in motivation. Look at the sobriety clock when you need it most.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
•Tired of Thinking About Drinking: Take My 100-Day Sober Challenge by Belle RobertsonCredit 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 2017~2 -
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@itladyee Thanks so much for setting this up!
See you all on the first 😎
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Ok, let’s see if I can get it together for July. Went to get a bottle of wine last night and my husband decided to tell me I was up to 2 bottles a week and he is worried. To be honest, it’s more like 3… he miscounted… and I’m worried too. I’m also tired, fat, overwhelmed in all aspects of life. Wine doesn’t make it better. I know this. It just makes me numb to it for the evening. I feel a rhythm starting to happen with work, but there’s still a lot of crap happening. The boss lady needs to stop being a last-minute Lucy. Once I get past July and all these major deadlines, it should be fairly smooth until September/October when the next set of deadlines hit.
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Hi again, i feel better today!
1 day af started yesterday.
1/1 days AF!
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I'm in for July! Thank you, @itladyee for keeping us going!
This will be month 11 AF for me and I want to follow a 50 carb a day diet to reign in my sugar problem.
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Welcome! I saw that you joined the June thread at the end. Nice AF win!
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Wow, what an incredible AF streak! Your lab results are amazing, and it’s all your hard work. As for craving chocolate, well, it really is delicious. However, if you were able to cut down alcohol, you can do it for chocolate too. Good news is that your fasting blood sugar went down-even with all the chocolate! You are an inspiration.
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Hi all! I’m in for July. My stats for June are… not good. That means my weight is up.
Being on our boat means I’m having 2 High Noons while sailing, followed by two glasses of wine after we dock, while sitting on the cockpit looking at the river and relaxing.
This is one is a trigger because I’m in “vacation mode” so time to relax and enjoy! Granted, it’s 4 drinks spread out over 12 hours, but still, it really is a lot for me. So, that means 4 days per week I am drinking that much. I just realized that I just don’t want to be disciplined when I’m supposed to be relaxing. Anyone have experience with being able to enjoy discipline while vacationing? I would love some tips and help to change that mindset.
This is our first year with this boat, and we are definitely in shakedown mode. We find ourselves in a lot of stressful situations because we are learning surprise basic maintenance items, but don’t know how to fix them until we get hold of the dealership.AC doesn’t work because lo and behold, a filter is clogged or there is air in the line? All normal stuff that we just didn’t know? I need a drink to cope. Blackwater tank is overfilled because our tank monitor is faulty? You bet I needed a drink for that! We got stuck in the sand in a cove and needed a tow? Yep, crack open another High Noon.
I do better at home when I can generally stick to just one glass of wine, but my goal was always to be 3 days AF. However, it invariably goes out the window because I “need” wine to enhance the delicious dinner my husband has cooked.Anyway, my goal is to cut way back this month. I’m only home two nights per week, so they need to be AF to improve my stats. I already feel anxious about this, but I need to limit myself to two drinks on the days we are on the boat. The fact that I’m anxious about reducing alcohol while on the boat tells me something…
I hope you all have a successful month. I know we are all here to support each other, and it’s such a wonderful thing. Thank you @itlaydee for keeping us going!
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Hi everyone:
I’ll be here for July!
Thank you @itladyee for setting up this thread for us. 💕. Appreciate you.
To be honest, I’m heading to Lake Tahoe today for a few days so am planning on enjoying a bit of summertime wine while relaxing on a boat dock and soaking up beach sunsets with a bestie. Will be back home for the 4th of July!5 -
Hi @Womona Appreciate your comments today!!! Awareness is everything on this path!
You are not alone in your “vacation mode” experiences. But you are very aware of what you want to tweak too! I’m similar in that I enjoy relaxing at happy hour time or sunset time with wine on a beach or lake. As you say you don’t want to be disciplined when these times strike. I get that! For me, this LA path is flexible and it’s about living our best life. Only we/an individual can determine what that looks like, no judgment! I’m planning to make a pitcher of lemonade with sparkling waters when we go camping next week! A nice cold beverage on an hot day always tastes refreshing.
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It’s July, and halfway through the year—and halfway through my goal of drinking less each month. For July, I’m aiming for fewer than June stats (<12 A days).
This month will be a challenge. I’ve got two weeks of vacation planned, and that usually means a break from my usual AF weekends. But I’m not abandoning the goal—I’m adjusting.
I’ll allow myself some drinks during vacation, but I’m staying intentional. My plan: stick to the <12 A-Days planning ahead, and checking in with myself throughout.
It’s not about being perfect—it’s about continuing to make progress.
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Welcome everyone to July! It's going to be a good one!! I was so done with June and am very happy to see July. A new month always puts me in a good mood!
July still has some obstacles to overcome but I'm looking for the light at the end of the tunnel!
Reposting from @Michieb125
logging and tracking are great tools for keeping us in check (external), but evaluating IS our choice to drink in the moment aligned with our self-concordance (core values, and intrinsic beliefs of who I am and want to be).
My goal for July is to be more mindful of my choices and kick the "habit" mode.
- Having one glass of wine with a beautiful steak dinner - yes.
- Sipping a cold Prosecco on a picnic with friends - yes.
- Opening a bottle of wine because I’m bored or anxious - no.
- Pouring a glass while meal prepping - no.
- Pouring a glass or two out of habit just to sit in front of the TV - no.
- Finishing the bottle because it's there - no.
@globalhiker ~ Congrats on 10! And excellent health markers!! You should be proud of your accomplishments!🤩
@tmbg1 ~ You did well in June!😁
@LittleSurferGirl7 ~ Happy to see your 2 day streak which tells you YOU CAN. July is a new month…you got this!😉
@nbruns83 ~Happy Anniversary to you and your DH! 😍
@chicbuc @NonnieDoiron ~ welcome to July!! 😎
@Womona ~ I think June was tough for a few of us. Let's leave it in the rear view mirror and do "July". I struggle with "vacation" mode too. I go next month so yes, it's something to think about. I honestly don't think I've ever tried to have an AF or LA vacation!
I just had an idea….stay tuned.
July Stats
A=0
AF=17 -
Thanks @itladyee Hmmm? Now I have to stay tuned 🤔
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ok…totally optional….
I created a spreadsheet that you all should be able to access. Let me know if you can't.
If you want to track your AF days on the sheet, just add your username to the spreadsheet in column A, and then begin ticking off your days as they occur. Do not change columns B, C, D or E as those are formulas that will track your Days, Streaks, Longest Streak and Percentage AF.
We all set our own goals so it's not a competition but a quick view of how we all are doing.
👍️yea👎️nah ~ let me know what you think.
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@itladyee Very cool! Thumbs up for me!
I don't usually use Google sheets. I have the MS Office Suite on my desktop. I would like to access the spreadsheet daily. I have Google sheets on my Chromebook. But It doesn't look like I have it on my Dell (desktop). I don't seem to have Google Drive on here either. I could have sworn that I did.
Solved!
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@itladyee I'm running Chrome as my browser and on any page if I click on the checkerboard type thing in the upper right corner, it displays all the Google apps.
It's funny! As soon as I accessed Sheets from Chrome, shortcuts magically appeared for Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides on my desktop. Amazing! 🎉
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@LittleSurferGirl7 ~ I have become a slight fan of Google sheets for the "cute" things you can do (checkboxes, drop downs) that require an act of congress in Excel. I've done Excel for years…when it was really Lotus 123… LOL…I'm not fluent in Google Sheets by any means but there are some fun tools and it's easy to share as well.
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@itladyee Thanks! I'll have to check it out more. They may have some tutorials, or I imagine there's quite a bit of content on You Tube.
Anyways, I still plan on posting my AF and A days in the thread. But I think the spreadsheet is kind of cool 😎
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@LittleSurferGirl7 ~ the spreadsheet is just an optional place to track, but yes, I too will continue to update here with editorial comments! 😎
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Ooooo… Imma spreadsheet girlie! So I am LOVING this!❤️
It’s almost 10PM, and I’m tired but not sleepy. Does that make sense? I know if I go to bed, it’ll take a bit to fall asleep.
Before I went to buy a bottle of wine yesterday, I snapped at my husband. He and his BFF get on these kicks where they decide to fast (I don’t have any idea why, and don’t really care), but he doesn’t tell me. So, I make a big dinner thinking they will both eat, and then neither will eat. It really made me mad yesterday when he decided after I already finished cooking a huge pot of stroganoff to tell me he was fasting because I’ve been struggling to force myself to cook even when I feel tired. It’s been really hard to not just order Door Dash or eat eggs for the millionth time in a week.
Anyway, it’s been kind of a theme lately. I blow up at him, and I end up in tears. Unfortunately, his reactions aren’t always the best. Yesterday, he was giving me this stupid smile and kinda laughing at me. The time before that when I snapped at him about cooking dinner, he yelled at me “I DON’T WANT YOU TO BE MAD ABOUT THIS!” And, he yelled it 3 times each time getting louder. I ended up telling him I was going to be quiet because if I said anything it wouldn’t be nice. We were on the phone, and I hung up on him. I know I’m snapping at him because I’m tired. I’m also snapping at him because he is the one who demanded I needed to go back to work after he told me I didn’t have to anymore. I’m very resentful that I had to go back to work, and I still have to do all the things. Not that he can cook… he can’t. I don’t know… I’m tired. This job is kicking my butt. It’s very confusing sometimes, everyone does everything at the last minute, and I’m getting argued with about standards/policies/procedures I didn’t even implement. 🙄
Oh well… I guess I’ll try to go to bed now. Good night all.
A - 0
AF - 19 -
@NonnieDoiron I feel very sorry for your situation. It certainly doesn't sound very healthy. It almost sounds abusive. I really don't like to comment on things like this because I'm not a professional. In my home, things are very mellow. I can't imagine what you are going through. I don't recall your age, but if you're in the age group like a lot of us on here are, you shouldn't even have to be working. Maybe, there's a friend you can talk to or possibly even a therapist. You really need to bring the stress level down…but that type of advice is way above my paygrade.
Get a good night's sleep and take care!
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@itladyee I’m away at a national dance competition with my grands, but I can’t wait to check out that spreadsheet at home on my computer! Thank you!
@NonnieDoiron I’m sorry you’re dealing with so much. I pray you find some peace and comfort and that your husband learns better communication and empathy. That’s a lot to deal with without the support you deserve
Still doing well with AF. We’re staying in Orlando for dance nationals this week and there are bars everywhere in the hotel, but I’m trying to stay present with my Grands and focus on them instead of wondering when I can get a break to go grab another drink. There are dance moms walking around with their wine all day long here. I’m not really tempted because it’s a change up in my routine of drinking in front of the tv with my dog…lol…and anytime I do get an urge, I give it God.
Have a great Wednesday, everyone!!
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June - 20 AF days!
July - 1 A (planned)
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Well, July isn't going as well as I had planned. I had 2 AF days in June and then drank on the last day of June. I had a pretty bad hangover on the 1st (I never get hangovers). I had a headache, but I've been told not to take NSAID's and I don't like taking Tylenol if I've been drinking. So I decided to get a little hair of the dog. To make a long story short, I'm still not on board.
@chicbuc I'm glad you're still sticking with the plan. I will be back with you very soon. I'm planning on tomorrow. I have to do this!
Have a great day everyone!
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Hi All, I'm here for July and hope to get in and chat a bit this month. I've been in kind of a funk the past couple months and need to snap out of it.
@NonnieDoiron I'm sorry to hear you're going through so much at both work and home - that kind of double whammy will create a huge amount of stress. Nice job on the July 1st AF day despite all you're going through.
@LittleSurferGirl7 I'm so happy for you that you got in 2 days AF last month! I know 2 doesn't sound like a lot, but I also know that you've been working very hard to get there so congrats on that win.
@itladyee I love love love the spreadsheet!! Thank you for setting it up for us.
@tiff8083 Belated welcome to the group and congratulations on the AF day, I'm sure you'll have a successful July.
A big hi and happy to see you to everyone else here as well.
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July:
AF=0
A=14 -
@SparkSpringtime69 I'm glad to hear you're going to be back participating with us all this month. We do notice when you're absent. It did feel good to get those 2 AF days. It's quite amazing how just a couple of day feels. July isn't starting out good for me. But, I will be back on board very soon. Then I'm not going to stop. You'd think that I would have learned that by now!
Have a great day!
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A-0
AF-2Thanks @LittleSurferGirl7 @chicbuc and @SparkSpringtime69 for the kindness. It’s been quite a struggle the past few months. I know God hears prayers, and I think there are some changes on the wind. After a couple wine fog-free days, I’ve had a couple of thoughts:
- My stupid doctor is moving, so I’ve been assigned to a female PA at the practice. I’m going to make an appointment in August to see if she can help me. Maybe I’ll get somewhere with her.
- We have exceeded a deadline today at work and a good chunk of work has been lifted off me for now. There’s still a lot to do, but now I’m not up against stupid deadlines with things I know nothing about.
My husband’s birthday is the 4th. His twin is coming for the day, and my bff and her family are coming tomorrow for the weekend. I’m excited about everyone coming, but I will also have a lot of cooking to do.
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