LESS Alcohol ~ July 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
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The magician performed his trick, and honestly I’m not mad at it. I’m trying to work today but so disinterested. I could literally turn off my computer and curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee or take a nap… not sure which. (Save the wine for later.)
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Stress is crazy….and I’m happy to say I get a bit of a reprieve. Got the results from my MRI and it’s completely normal. So normal….they had me coming in every 6 months, they told me I could cancel and just wait the full year. I’m going to wait until the genetic testing is done to decide if I will do 1 year or stay with the 6 months.
So now I can focus totally on my sister…and what’s crazy…while she understood in the appointment…I think she has forgotten. I overheard her telling someone that her doctor appointment went well and everything is ok…. I’m not going to “beat” it into her head…we will just move forward with what needs to be done.
@Michieb125 ~ yeah, those price tags will surely make you think twice these days!! Enjoy your Glamping (the ONLY way to camp!). Safe travels home!
@SparkSpringtime69 ~ you are 💯, other than no diagnosis, the diagnosis that she received is the best thing… We can handle this!
@globalhiker ~ thinking of your DH and the need for the spinal fusion. Prayers that it gets taken care of and he can move to a recovery state and put this all behind him.
@nbruns83 @tmbg1~ looking good!!
@Womona ~ We always expect the worst outcome….So yes, glad we discovered it when we did. Still not comfortable with having body parts removed but…. gotta do what you gotta do….and 1/2 a glass of wine is amazing!!!
@LittleSurferGirl7 ~ appreciate your thoughts. I often don’t know the words to say when someone’s world is spriraling… Like @NonnieDoiron said…sometimes just being an ear is all that is needed…oh, and lots of hugs to know you care!
@NonnieDoiron~Your work situation makes me so angry. It reminds me of a time in my life that was just god awful. I hope it gets better. Oh, and put that magic bottle on the shelf…you are doing too well!
@chicbuc ~ I hate it when I lose a post. After this last update, it happens frequently so I try to save OFTEN!! Loving your streak!!!
Well I still have half a month to right this ship. I didn’t anticipate the rocky road come July….
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4 AF
3 LA
4 A
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Crazy week here too! Catching up. No new husband news on my end but he did re-start drinking IPAs along with his nerve pain medicine because the stress level is just thru the roof. I have not had a drink, but the desire to is there. The urge is like a 4 out of 10 so I can "make it go away". If I was already drinking regularly, I would be at an 11 out of 10 and be day drinking.
I did have a check up and the doctor said that swelling in the lower legs in females my age is "very common and normal" and "it's vascular" and I need to wear compression socks and stay out of the heat. Well, it's bloody hot until Nov so that is not an option is it? And please fix me, I don't want to hear about what is typical or normal. Just fix me.
My bloodwork showed abnormally low sodium and chloride so he suggested I take in salt and electrolytes and gave me a slip to get labs done to see if my ADH hormone is off kilter. I eat healthy and drink the right amount of fluids. I'm still going to make that appt to get a vascular ultrasound soon as I get the energy.
Please prioritize yourselves during these challenging days. A green juice or smoothie provides nice comfort and replenishment. Spa day or Weekend Spa at home is in order.
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@globalhiker ~ “very common and normal” are NOT what we want to hear when we are experiencing discomfort! Yikes….sorry DH is stressed, but I totally get it. Kudos to you for sticking to NA!
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I’m not sure my primary care doctor would use those words “very common and normal” for swelling in the legs @globalhiker. It sounds like it could be heat related. I’m happy to hear further blood work is in order.
I use electrolytes often in my water bottle because I’m pretty active and you are more so!! Ultima is my favorite brand found on Amazon. It has a really good balance of minerals. Maybe try to put your feet up mid day and each evening when you can. Gosh, you have a lot on your plate with DH!! But I’m hearing you are super aware of your urges and triggers right now which is incredibly mindful. 💕6 -
Been watching the terrible tragedy unfold at Mystic camp in Texas. My heart is broken for those families of little girls and camp counselors. Praising the emergency workers for their tireless efforts to find everyone missing. 😢
Two proseccos last night and 1 regular white wine = Less.
Going to give myself a facial this morning at home since I’ve been in the sun all week and away from my daily skin care routine - even with good sunscreen my skin is in need of a moisture boost.5 -
Yes @itladyee - we still have plenty of July left to right our ships and keep going!
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@globalhiker, I can't believe doctors are still telling us that unhealthy conditions are very common and normal "in females at your age." When will they recognize that is ageism? Obesity is very common too, but nobody thinks that's "normal" or healthy. Geez. Sorry to hear that you and your DH are in such stress.
Yesterday I went to a memorial service for the father of a friend; the meal afterwards was held in a local bar/restaurant. But I made a beeline for the pink lemonade and managed to nurse that through the meal and socializing. That's a mini-victory, because I'm not naturally at ease in such gatherings. I used to rely upon a glass of wine to ease my discomfort.
Today, after working in the yard, I decided to refresh myself with a beer while I cooked dinner. Since it was a 16 ounce can, I poured half into my glass and the rest for DH since it's a low alcohol IPA that he loves. A win for us both.
July stats:
AF 8
LA 3
A 18 -
5 AF
3 LA
4 A
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Been cutting back lately too, sleep’s been better, and I don’t miss the late night snacking either. One day at a time really is the way to go. Let’s keep it up.
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@Michieb125 The tragedy in Texas is beyond words. I don't even know what else to say after that. Hugs.
@itladyee so happy to hear your MRI results were clear! What a relief for you and still many prayers as you navigate with your sister.
@globalhiker Sorry you didn't get answers, but if your sodium was low, can't that also cause swelling? Sounds like it might be a partial answer. Hope you get some relief and answers for you and your husband. Good job resisting the urge to drink. That is significant under stress!
@barabaradem I don't recall seeing you post before, so I wanted to say welcome! And, yes, one day at a time makes the task seem shorter and more "doable." Thanks for the reminder.
@nbruns83 Great job skipping the alcohol at a bar and sharing one beer! Nicely done!
@NonnieDoiron I hope you enjoyed your magical bottle…lol.
@LittleSurferGirl7 Still over here cheering you on!
@tmbg1 Keep on plugging along and getting those AF/LA days.
I made it through a minor milestone last night. I spent the day with my daughter and grandchildren. They live a little over an hour away and I don't see them nearly enough, so I decided to go over and spend some time. We had a really nice time and I need to commit to doing that more often. Then I met SO at the casino for dinner on the way home. I did sit down and gamble for about 10 minutes, but I DID NOT order a glass of wine from the cocktail server or with dinner. I had a cup of coffee and a club soda with lime. When I left to come home, I felt absolutely victorious! LOL
Have a great Sunday all!
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@chicbuc congrats on the victory!
Unfortunately, I succumbed to the full bottle Friday night. 😖 Completely hungover on Saturday and got nothing done that needed to be done.😡 It was definitely stupid on my part. My husband was upset but in a caring way. I told him to stop buying it. I can’t keep doing this to myself, and my life is just way too stressful right now to have it in the house.
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July:
AF=6
A=6Hmm, posted my numbers yesterday and they didn't show up - anyway, I'm at 50%AF at almost halfway through the month and am really going to push myself to get more AF than A during the rest of the month.
Be back to chat later.
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Welcome newbies, glad you’re here!
Skipped the wine last night. Made a mocktail while we grilled a trip tip and I made a huge tray of oven roasted vegetables. Super tasty!
This week I will end with 3 AF days which I’m super pleased about.
Planned AF day — heading to church now and then will work in my garden and get organized for the week ahead.
Also reserved a couple of gym classes for Monday and Tuesday - Yoga Flow and Barre.
July goal: 12 AF days
Current:
AF - 4
A - 5
LA - 48 -
Welcome @barabaradem , Yes, one day at a time. We implemented a simple (optional) spreadsheet this month to check off our AF days. Feel free to update it with your information if you wish.
Thank you @chicbuc Victorious for sure!!! I don't think I've ever set foot inside a casino without a cocktail, so yes, jump and shout! You deserve it.
@nbruns83 ~ Excellent job navigating the repass. I understand the uncomfortable feeling as well, especially if you were alone. I say Major Victory!
@tmbg1 ~ looking good!
@NonnieDoiron {{{hugs}}}
@Michieb125 ~ sounds like a great meal! Someone in another group mentioned grilling zucchini. I've got to try it!
@SparkSpringtime69 ~ not sure why the sheet didn't show….just read your post and you said posted so you may not have been talking about the spreadsheet. MFP is still problematic. 50% is very good!
@LittleSurferGirl7 ~ Cheering you on!! 📣
We are cooking outside today and enjoying the patio. I will have something refreshing in a few, possibly even NA, then I'm reserving a glass or two of wine for dinner. Tomorrow: it's time to get back to structure in all things. My eating hasn't been off the chart, but probably not the best choices. Exercise (mostly yard work and physical stuff), enough to meet my challenge needs. But it's time to get back to routine. I have one doctor's Appointment for my sister this week, and it's on Thursday, so my work schedule will be regular.
You are all doing so well! Keep it up!
A=11
AF=29 -
A-3
AF-10Marking today as AF. I don’t have it in the house, and I’m still not feeling totally human after Friday. Man! A hangover headache just loves to hang around. 🫤
@LittleSurferGirl7 I have no idea why we do this to ourselves. We all seem to be intelligent people, and yet here we are stupidly making ourselves feel like utter crap. 🤦🏻♀️
Anyway, son’s girlfriend’s loud-*kitten* family is on their way over for coffee table dinner and movie.
Hope everyone has a good Sunday evening.
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@itladyee I'm so happy for you that your MRI was normal!
@globalhiker I second and third what others have already said - while it may be common, it is not 'normal'. Health is normal, everything not healthy is NOT NORMAL. Hopefully further tests will give you some more productive answers.
@Michieb125 Congrats on the 3AF days this week! I generally don't plan AF vs A days, but since I've been signing up for 8am yoga classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I pretty much have to be AF on Mon and Tue or I'll end up canceling out of the next morning's class. So, planned wine tonight and planning AF tomorrow and Tuesday.
Enjoy your yoga flow and barre classes
@chicbuc Nice job avoiding the wine last night, you deserve a victory lap!
@NonnieDoiron I'm glad to hear your husband is concerned - I hope that concern will remind him to refrain from the surprise bottles for at least a while. It always helps to have a supportive partner.
@LittleSurferGirl7 You'll get another July day, whether tomorrow or the next day or next, I know you'll find a way to get more AF days in for this month - Hugs to you.
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@barabaradem Welcome to the group! I think you'll find a lot of support and inspiration here whatever your LA or AF goals are.
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6 AF
3 LA
4 A
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July:
AF=6
A=75 -
@itladyee It was MFP that didn't post, I may have just forgot to hit the post button before I shut down the page. Thanks for the spreadsheet reminder, I hadn't updated that for a few days - just did it yesterday.
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"I have no idea why we do this to ourselves. We all seem to be intelligent people, and yet here we are stupidly making ourselves feel like utter crap. 🤦🏻♀️"
This is soooo true. I know I'm a fairly intelligent person, yet here I am this morning feeling like "utter crap" due to the amount of wine I drank last night!😖
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Monday check-in; stayed AF this weekend and feeling proud of it. We attended a friend’s wedding on Saturday, and despite being offered wine over a dozen times, I stuck to my plan and stayed AF.
My husband and I danced the night away and had an absolute blast.
@barabaradem Welcome!!
@SparkSpringtime69 I really resonate with what you said. I always ask myself this when I’m recovering from an A night. I've been there too many times, and it’s this platform that’s helping me stay focused, present, and committed to my goal of breaking the cycle.
Grateful for the support and for another AF win. One day at a time.
AF = 10
A = 3
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This week, I’m going to focus moreso on hobbies, exercise, and healthful eating while continuing to plan and track everything. Sometimes I find I am so focused on the A targets, it can become an unhealthy obsession, taking away from the things I really want to take care of each day. Here’s to a new growth mindset this week!
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that posted weird, with multiple spoilers…let me try again
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This was posted in another group. Thought some might find value here…
Yes, you can unwind from work without having a drink. Here’s how!
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
GRAHAM ISADOR, HEALTHY LIVING REPORTER
PUBLISHED JUNE 20, 2025
When I was growing up, my dad always marked the transition from workday to evening with a cocktail. I got the impression this ritual was as much about the act as the alcohol – a way to signify that it was time to relax. Any more work could wait until tomorrow.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about that habit. I’m notoriously bad at turning off my work brain, reflexively checking my e-mail whenever there’s a notification and opening my notes app to scribble down any hint of a story idea after hours. I worry it’s annoying to my friends (and especially my girlfriend), making it feel like I’m less than present during our time together. The nightly highball ritual has its appeal, a wind down to show it’s time to chill. Was that something I should try to incorporate into my life?
But I’ve been trying to limit my alcohol intake to a few times a month while I work on some fitness goals. And I’m not the only one cutting back. Canadians are buying less booze. According to Statistics Canada, on a volume basis, sales of alcohol declined by 3.8 per cent in 2023/2024 – the largest volume decline since the agency started tracking sales in 1949.
A wind-down ritual can help you create boundaries between work and your life outside of it, says a registered psychotherapist.
For me, a little buzz from a postwork drink is less important than the actual act of the wind down.
“A wind-down ritual can help us create a boundary which allows for a more mindful and intentional separation between work and quote/unquote life,” said Naomi Midanik, an Ontario-based registered psychotherapist specializing in work-life balance and corporate burnout. Midanik noted that activities such as movement and stretching can be helpful to settle the nervous system. Light exercise might also work. But above all else, finding a practice you’ll actually follow is key.
“A ritual can be anything. While something like a daily cold plunge or sound bath might seem like a great idea, it’s more important that people find something they can do consistently.”
Trying to find a wind down away from alcohol, I asked a number of influential folks in the wellness, travel and tourism spaces how they might start a wind-down habit without booze.
Here are a few ideas.
Consider a foot soak
A foot bath was one of the first things I tried when looking for a wind-down exercise. A timed soak of essential oils and Epsom salts meant that I wasn’t able to move from my couch for 20 minutes. Placing my phone out of reach and settling in with a book, I was able to escape without distraction. I don’t think this counts as meditation exactly, but it’s the closest I’ve been able to get to it in months.
“You don’t need alcohol to unwind – you just need intention,” said Artanza Martínez, wellness co-ordinator at the Hotel Belmar in Costa Rica. “A botanical foot bath or herbal bath offers a range of mental and physical benefits.”
According to Martínez, the right botanical combo –herbs such as lavender and rosemary – can have powerful benefits, including a “more grounded and centred state of mind.”
A foot bath can offer a range of mental and physical benefits, wellness co-ordinator Artanza Martínez says.
Get really into brewing tea
For serious tea lovers, a perfectly steeped cup can be a meticulous, multistep process. Measuring the leaves, boiling water to the precise recommended temperature – and waiting for the perfect brew gives the practice a zen quality for enthusiasts.
Sarah Wilcox says a few minutes of focused time dedicated to making tea is a quiet daily highlight. “Part of it is the brewing of the tea is slowing down and taking a moment for myself,” said the co-founder of the Canadian-owned Genuine Tea. “It gets to be a bit of a ritual.”
Unless you’re looking for a late night, a non-caffeinated tea such as chamomile or mint is your best bet. After dinner, it’s a chance to focus and be intentional with the desire to slow down. “The habit used to be grabbing that glass of wine or a cup of whisky, but for people trying to have a healthier option, tea is such an amazing choice,” Wilcox said.
Brewing tea can be a meticulous, multistep process, offering a chance to focus.
Try nature bathing
When I first heard the term nature bathing, I was pretty skeptical. A wellness rebranding of hiking felt unnecessary. But a forest-bathing excursion during a recent Japanese vacation changed my mind. The practice, shinrin-yokuin Japanese, isn’t about physical exercise. It’s an effort to focus on your surroundings: the rustling trees and animal sounds, the smell of the forest air, the feel of the dirt under your feet.
The intentionality of the walk feels different from blasting through a trail with your headphones on. “I feel so grateful that my daily walks are through nature. It’s such a joy to focus on the surroundings and enjoy the natural gifts of fresh air and calmness,” said Rabih Maleh, who helps co-ordinate forest-bathing activities at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta. “Taking a slow walk to really focus on the beauty around you, without distractions, helps you stay in the moment.”
If you’re not close to any forests yourself, you can apply the same principles to a nearby park or ravine. While the practice seems simple, it can take a bit of getting used to. Focusing on your breath and being aware of all your senses is a great place to start.
“Just try to put all the concentration on the sounds, your breathing, what you’re seeing and smelling. We’ve found it can really reset what’s going on,” Maleh said.
Nature bathing isn't about physical exercise – it’s an effort to focus on your surroundings.
Try out some breathwork
Am I really suggesting replacing a nightly cocktail with breathing exercises? I promise I’m not full of hot air. If the point of your evening cocktail is to calm your nerves and mark the transition from work into rest, intentional breathwork – varying your breathing in depth and tempo – may do both. Best of all, it’s very easy and cost-effective.
“Breathwork is the conscious regulation of breath to influence the body’s stress response. It helps calm the nervous system and improve focus,” said Malati Mehrish, the head of yoga at Ananda in the Himalayas in India. “That can help to lower heart rate, reduce anxiety and release tension in the body.”
If you’re someone with a chaotic brain, implementing a nightly wind-down routine that takes too much time or effort can feel like another chore on your to-do list. With breathwork, something as simple as a 30-second exercise can help you reset. Box breathing is an easy way to start. “Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four and hold again for four,” said Mehrish. “Repeating this for a few minutes can help you feel grounded and calm.”
A 30-second breathwork exercise can help you reset after a work day.9 -
@BurnMode05 ~ No wine/champagne at a wedding. Major accomplishment.
Spent the morning cleaning as it had been neglected for a bit. My plan was to be AF today… got a message about meeting a group of folks from my old job (2 jobs ago) for dinner and drinks….. So I will go, limit my drinks to 2 and then tomorrow AF.
A=12
AF=25 -
Not going to drink tonight. MIL is getting sushi for dinner, so it’ll be a fairly easy night. I plan to just doom scroll until my eyes close.
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