Like minded Lushes - September

Sunday, 0 drinks
Monday, 0 drinks...it's safe to say that I will remain lush free at this point

Oldbat and Karen, you are the pillar of strength when lushness creeps it's ugly head...keep up the good work

last night I drank but it was within my calorie-goals for the day, because I ran for 30 minutes first. Still, that is 4 days in a row for me and I am looking forward to some clean living for a couple of days so my head doesn't hurt in the morning! There is a Sober October challenge but I think my own goal will be to drink less often and no more than 3 drinks per sitting and within cals. That will be challenge enough!
cjemtegaard, I am not sure I have self-control, or at least it exists in limited amounts, so I can't eat well, exercise and stick to a budget, clean the house, etc. pick two-it's really the best I can do!

Hey guys I am jumping in here, I really appreciate all of your honesty!! I have struggled on and off with alcohol. I like to drink, but my body doesn't like it. Since quitting drinking and getting pregnant and now nursing, I dropped a lot of weight not drinking. As my son is getting older though I can feel myself wanting to slip back to having a drink nightly, but I don't want the negative effects. I just wish sometimes I had an ounce of self-control! Ugh! The self-control/discipline comes into play with over-eating and not exercising as well. How have you guys worked on being disciplined and or having the self-control?? Some days I just want to throw my hands up in the air and say screw it all! LOL but I am really really trying to relearn healthier habits, for myself and my two sons.

Hey, don't beat yourself up too much; deal with things one day at a time. As I have posted earlier on this blog, my husband of 34 years died last year and there are days when I just want to shut the world out and not 'cope'. I didn't have a particular drink challenge but I was conscious that it would be very easy to disappear into a bottle when I was having a bad day and that could lead to a downward spiral of wanting to climb into a bottle more and more frequently. So, before I started my diet at the beginning of September I had already made a point of never having more than two drinks a night if I was on my own. When I started my diet I wanted to kick start my weight loss, so I decided to cut out alcohol for the first 14 days. SInce then I have tried to restrict my alcohol to one drink with dinner on Saturday and Sunday and no alcohol for the rest of the week. I am certainly seeing results in terms of weight and inch loss; I am currently on a net calorie intake of 1400 per day and am trying to take some exercise on 5 out of 7 days, even if it is only a 30 minute walk. This week my exercise (and alcohol intake) are not so well controlled as my sister-in-law is visiting, so my routine is a little different. However, I have still managed my pilates class tonight and am still only having one drink with dinner - when she has a gin and tonic, I just have a diet tonic and then I allow myself a small galss of red wine with dinner. So far that has been within my calorie count. Tomorrow we are off to London to spend the night with my son and his partner, so I suspect a little more drink will be taken!!! However, I am just going to enjoy myself and relax; if necessary I'll do some more exercising next week to compensate.

I think there are times when you just have to kick back and relax. Allow yourself a treat of an occasional drink as a reward for perhaps missing out on a drink for one, two or more nights. Just set mini goals and reward yourself for achieving them but don't set the bar so high that you almost force yourself to fail. If you do miss your goal, don't worry - you can start again with a new goal with the new day. Go for baby steps and you will suddenly find that you're ready to stride out.

DBanks - good for you; I think that is a very good reason for for downing a whole BOTTLE - Cheers :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Kim - glad to have been of help, we're all here for one another which is why this blog is sooooo good. Knowing you are all out there keeps me going.

Good luck everyone; tomorrow is Wednesday and we are half way through another week of keeping the lushness under our control instead of it controlling us!!! :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

thank you oldbat61 for all the kind words of encouragement and the advice. i really appreciate it and i will try to take it all into consideration. i am also very sorry to hear of your husband's passing i can only imagine how i would "cope" or the lack thereof. enjoy your sister-in-law and your son and his partner. that sounds like a fun time.


dindivt, i do the same and would like the learn new coping skills as well.

Sunday, 0 drinks
Monday, 0 drinks
Tuesday, pitiful drinking
Wednesday, 0 drinks...yes, I am pre-committing to soberism

Great job Kim.

Here is a photo of you while we were enjoying one of the last drinks you had.

Love, love, love it!!!! Funny about the Tecate sign over our heads... Hope you are feeling better:flowerforyou:

Hello ladies! Miss me? Trust me when I tell you I have been staying away out of respect.

Just curious how everyone is doing, not just with the drinking thing, but you know - the weight loss thing?

My biggest challenge.....giving up my drinks. Actually, I'm OK and don't drink all week long until the weekend, when my boyfriend picks up a fifth of Jager.........yeah jagerbomb and calorie galore :ohwell: . I'm going to "try" to NOT have any this weekend. I said TRY. :noway:

Tomorrow is beer Friday. My man and I go out and split a pitcher of beer. Haven't had any this week. I used to have 1-2 of the good microbrews a night. Now, nothing until Friday. It makes me a little sad. I love me a good brew.