Sober September 2017

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Replies

  • jemalme
    jemalme Posts: 35 Member
    My habit has been when 8 pm rolls around, I pour a glass of wine (or 2) and catch up on my shows via Roku. Need to break this cycle. Any suggestions?
  • FredKing1
    FredKing1 Posts: 98 Member
    jemalme wrote: »
    My habit has been when 8 pm rolls around, I pour a glass of wine (or 2) and catch up on my shows via Roku. Need to break this cycle. Any suggestions?

    8 may be a bit early, but I started going to bed earlier to avoid my worst times for eating and drinking.
  • PurpleLavender77
    PurpleLavender77 Posts: 201 Member
    jemalme wrote: »
    My habit has been when 8 pm rolls around, I pour a glass of wine (or 2) and catch up on my shows via Roku. Need to break this cycle. Any suggestions?

    Oh I can relate to this. Have you thought about pouring some sparkling water in your wine glass or another beverage instead? If you like tea, make your evening ritual, some tea. It will help relax you and get to sleep.

    Maybe you can multitask while watching TV and fold laundry or something to keep your mind off drinking or go for a quick walk before watching TV?

    I know it's tricky b/c so many of the TV shows glamourize alcohol...but if you can go without , you'll sleep better and feel better eventually.

    Some of it depends on what your personal goals are, but those are some suggestions.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    jemalme wrote: »
    My habit has been when 8 pm rolls around, I pour a glass of wine (or 2) and catch up on my shows via Roku. Need to break this cycle. Any suggestions?

    A nice tea could be your new habit. Or a nice dark chocolate.

    For me 4 or 5pm is my wine time. I've started napping or meditating at that time. :smile:
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    I drink flavored sparkling water. I'm actually starting to look forward to it as I only drink it at night (at "wine time"). I bought it to replace wine and psychologically it does a pretty good job.

    And to the previous comment that was great, no, I never have woken up in the morning regretting that I didn't drink the night before!
  • jaimetgb
    jaimetgb Posts: 1 Member
    I'm in!
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    I'm in
  • jemalme
    jemalme Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks everyone for the good advice. Another issue for me is the hubby. He is currently unemployed, and I fear he is drinking too much. I know how difficult this time is for him (as well as our entire family), but when I mention how much he drinks, he says he needs it. I would love for him to join me in Sober Sept (and stop tempting me), but I don't think that is going to happen.
  • PurpleLavender77
    PurpleLavender77 Posts: 201 Member
    jemalme wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the good advice. Another issue for me is the hubby. He is currently unemployed, and I fear he is drinking too much. I know how difficult this time is for him (as well as our entire family), but when I mention how much he drinks, he says he needs it. I would love for him to join me in Sober Sept (and stop tempting me), but I don't think that is going to happen.

    Set an example. Be patient. He has to want this for himself. Start with yourself. Things will turn around!
  • theclaw900
    theclaw900 Posts: 321 Member
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Checking on Day 4! Ironically, the scale has gone up. That will change, I know.

    I found that it takes a while for it to show on the scale. Earlier this summer I did pretty good and didn't drink for a few weeks and saw my weight creep down the weeks afterward.
  • theclaw900
    theclaw900 Posts: 321 Member
    jemalme wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the good advice. Another issue for me is the hubby. He is currently unemployed, and I fear he is drinking too much. I know how difficult this time is for him (as well as our entire family), but when I mention how much he drinks, he says he needs it. I would love for him to join me in Sober Sept (and stop tempting me), but I don't think that is going to happen.

    As the hubby in our family I get a little pissed when my wife gives me grief about drinking. However I know she is right. Sometimes it backfires and I'll just drink more. She's a good example though. I know what it's like to be unemployed and the sole breadwinner in the house. VERY STRESSFULL. Depends on his prospects. I went through a big career transition recently, bought my own business. I think that's WORSE than unemployment!! Stress meter is pegged.

    Try giving your husband a little slack (as long as he's chasing a new job). Be a good example and be supportive.
  • kingleahnidas
    kingleahnidas Posts: 280 Member
    So far so good. Friends invited us to a "Paint and Sip" night later this month, but I just learned that you actually have to pay extra for the drinks anyway. It won't be too hard to say no to the wine, I think.
  • NewMeTomG
    NewMeTomG Posts: 59 Member
    edited September 2017
    I started stepping away from alcohol two years ago with breaks anywhere from 1-week to 3-months to see if I could do it. No regrets for I no longer have the urge to drink and I feel so much better every morning. I also have the energy to get in a workout and cook a healthy dinner in the evening instead of stopping at a pub after work.

    It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and found support with others who were trying to do the same online. Having a community of people who are trying to reduce their drinking made it easier to feel it was not just me. Nothing against AA, but that just wasn't where I wanted to go.

    If you are looking for a place online where you can change your relationship with alcohol or just step away for a bit, I was using my.hellosundaymorning.com out of AU but they are changing over to an app that charges a monthly fee. It worked so well that I created a community site for those who still wanted to continue supporting one another in the same manner and will always keep it free. Not interested in making money off of it.

    You can check out the New Day for Me Network at http://www.newdayforme.org

    If you do decide to join, I'd recommend making up a fake first and last name when you create your account to maintain your anonymity just like we do here.

    Good luck with your Sober September whether you decide to check out the site or not!
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    edited September 2017
    jemalme wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the good advice. Another issue for me is the hubby. He is currently unemployed, and I fear he is drinking too much. I know how difficult this time is for him (as well as our entire family), but when I mention how much he drinks, he says he needs it. I would love for him to join me in Sober Sept (and stop tempting me), but I don't think that is going to happen.

    I feel your pain,a few years ago my hubs broke his ankle on the job and they let him go so he just sat there collecting his unemployment and drinking most of the day,every day cuz he couldn't tolerate his pain meds so he drank,so I drank with him,since then we've both gotten better with the no drinking but I know I'll feel better at 100% not drinking instead of a month off here and there,I tend to take it too far when I drink and I'm not a youngster anymore so the recovery is brutal!
  • Famof72015
    Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
    JLatham325 wrote: »
    I would love to join!
    I have a terrible habit of drinking a bottle of wine to myself every Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday.
    Somehow I've fallen into this habit where any time that my husband and I are sitting down to catch up on our TV shows or watch a movie I MUST have a glass of red wine in my hand and some sort of candy. Our "Movie & treat nights" are every single weekend. And a glass turns into 3, which ends up being the whole bottle.
    I kill myself with cardio and weights at the gym, log my food all week, yet unravel my progress each weekend ughhh
    I do plan on drinking wine this Saturday night when we go to a fancy dinner for our 1 year wedding anniversary, but other than that I would love to completely cut out Fridays & Sundays.

    You got this! Give yourself maybe another treat. Just treats and movies. Use the calories from the wine and get yourself more treats or altogether a bigger dinner.

  • olive1968
    olive1968 Posts: 148 Member
    I'm totally in for this reduction plan. I'm not drinking EXCEPT for a bit on two weekends at our cabin AND the rule is I have to stay inside my calories. So if I want to drink, I have to exercise for it!
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    I'm allowing myself to go over on treats, rather than alcohol, on the weekends if I'm tempted to drink. I log my treats and stay within maintenance range for the most part. If I drink, I often don't log food or alcohol very accurately. And I also like to drink the whole bottle.
  • Niki_Fitz
    Niki_Fitz Posts: 951 Member
    edited September 2017
    We have a last minute volunteer babysitter and have already eaten dinner. All there is to do is go have a drink with my husband. But I'm going resist. Suggestions please: at a bar, what do you order when you're not drinking?
  • PurpleLavender77
    PurpleLavender77 Posts: 201 Member
    wellnesschaser wrote: »
    We have a last minute volunteer babysitter and have already eaten dinner. All there is to do is go have a drink with my husband. But I'm going resist. At a bar, what do you order when you're not drinking?

    Club soda with lime....
  • PurpleLavender77
    PurpleLavender77 Posts: 201 Member
    wellnesschaser wrote: »
    We have a last minute volunteer babysitter and have already eaten dinner. All there is to do is go have a drink with my husband. But I'm going resist. Suggestions please: at a bar, what do you order when you're not drinking?

    Club Soda with Lime
    Shirley Temple (Sprite with Grenadine)
    Diet Coke with Grenadine.
    Orange Juice (nobody needs to know it's not a screwdriver)
    Arnold Palmer (Lemonade/Ice tea) - People will assume it's a Long Island


  • RichJBenham
    RichJBenham Posts: 30 Member
    Count me in. No alcohol as yet and closest i had last month was a couple of shandies on a Friday night!
  • DCRunnerGirl78
    DCRunnerGirl78 Posts: 508 Member
    Well, I've already slipped up.

    My mom called yesterday, and that's all it took to derail me. My husband and I took custody of my nephew last year after my sister died unexpectedly. He was 17 at the time, failing school, obnoxious and ungrateful. We gave him every opportunity we have our own kids, were as patient with him as we could be, and got him through to graduation (finishing the year on the honor roll), and enlisted into the Army. However, he then went out to spend the time between the end of the school year and the start of boot camp with my mom. He told her, and all of the family out there, how we neglected him, wouldn't take him anywhere or buy him anything, and ignored him over our own kids. That entire side of the family isn't speaking to us now. Every time I talk to my mom at this point she has to bring him up in some passive aggressive sort of way that let's me know she thinks I'm selfish and he can do no wrong.

    I've gained 20 lbs over the last year. I'm exercising more (running and cycling are my therapy), but my alcohol intake has sky rocketed (craft beers are my Kryptonite). That's definitely the problem in my diet right now. Sorry to have vented, but it does feel better knowing I'm not the only one with this problem. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to make better decisions.
  • theclaw900
    theclaw900 Posts: 321 Member
    tmbg1 wrote: »
    I have a thought that helps me to not drink: I have never ever woken up and regretted that I didn't drink!!

    Great quote. I think im adding that to my toolbox.
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