Less alcohol- January 2018- one day at a time

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Replies

  • justlog
    justlog Posts: 125 Member
    What the heck.. I'm in for this month... Goal is to reduce to 2 beers total between Friday and Saturday.
  • gpwalling
    gpwalling Posts: 22 Member
    Yep, alcohol reduction and/or elimination will make you feel better and help you lose weight. I echo other posters' thoughts that consumption negatively affects one's sleep pattern. I try to limit my intake to 2 beers or drinks per day when I do drink and take pleasure in having days where I consume no alcohol whatsoever. My body seems to be able to take care of 2 drinks but gets overloaded with more. When I drink 4 or more it is hangover time the next day. I really hate feeling like that and despise wasting an entire additional day hungover. One more thing: I lose control of my eating when I drink to excess.
  • slimbyjune18
    slimbyjune18 Posts: 101 Member
    Day 2 for me. Feels like I’ve got through when I’d be most likely to have a glass when cooking dinner. I usually do Mon-thurs clear & then have wine Fri-Sun. My aim this month is to be dry apart from Fri & Sat & then keep to just a couple. I’ll read naked mind too, it sounds v interesting.
  • MichelleRenee_76
    MichelleRenee_76 Posts: 155 Member
    I’m curious about people’s thoughts on the Naked Mind. I read it yesterday on a 7 hour drive. I skimmed a lot of it because it was very repetitive - these are my thoughts.
    - I liked her focus on everything you Gain by not drinking. So much of abstinence is about the “battle” instead of it being something joyful or good. its easier to think about what we’re losing instead of gaining. I will take that to heart.
    - The discussion around alcohol as progressively addictive is also insightful. I’ve seen the slow progression in my own life. She writes about getting to a point where you are no longer able to be a light drinker because of brain chemistry changes. It made me wonder about myself and where I’m at.
    - Lots of discussion about alcohol being poison, terrible for your body.

    Overall I thought it was good, it made me think and it made me excited and think super positive about Dry January as a fun reset instead of a drag and horrible deprivation. Just for that alone I think it was worth the read.

    Thanks. I think I will order this and read also.
  • Beka3695
    Beka3695 Posts: 4,126 Member
    I’m curious about people’s thoughts on the Naked Mind. I read it yesterday on a 7 hour drive. I skimmed a lot of it because it was very repetitive - these are my thoughts.
    - I liked her focus on everything you Gain by not drinking. So much of abstinence is about the “battle” instead of it being something joyful or good. its easier to think about what we’re losing instead of gaining. I will take that to heart.
    - The discussion around alcohol as progressively addictive is also insightful. I’ve seen the slow progression in my own life. She writes about getting to a point where you are no longer able to be a light drinker because of brain chemistry changes. It made me wonder about myself and where I’m at.
    - Lots of discussion about alcohol being poison, terrible for your body.

    Overall I thought it was good, it made me think and it made me excited and think super positive about Dry January as a fun reset instead of a drag and horrible deprivation. Just for that alone I think it was worth the read.

    Thanks. I think I will order this and read also.

    Michelle, can you just sum it up for me... I hate to read :D:D:D
    Thank you in advance. LOL
  • islandbeez
    islandbeez Posts: 162 Member
    I’m curious about people’s thoughts on the Naked Mind. I read it yesterday on a 7 hour drive. I skimmed a lot of it because it was very repetitive - these are my thoughts.
    - I liked her focus on everything you Gain by not drinking. So much of abstinence is about the “battle” instead of it being something joyful or good. its easier to think about what we’re losing instead of gaining. I will take that to heart.
    - The discussion around alcohol as progressively addictive is also insightful. I’ve seen the slow progression in my own life. She writes about getting to a point where you are no longer able to be a light drinker because of brain chemistry changes. It made me wonder about myself and where I’m at.
    - Lots of discussion about alcohol being poison, terrible for your body.

    Overall I thought it was good, it made me think and it made me excited and think super positive about Dry January as a fun reset instead of a drag and horrible deprivation. Just for that alone I think it was worth the read.

    I downloaded this from Audible this morning. I am only on Chapter 5 but her positive mind set is already established and that is making me so hopeful! I kind of wish I had just bought the Kindle version, as I do like to read, but now I can listen as I try to make dinner...and avoid my usual glass(es) of wine.

    I am very grateful for this thread!

  • springsweet
    springsweet Posts: 184 Member
    donimfp wrote: »
    I had what turned out to be a great experience last night. For the first time, I made Julia Child's French Onion Soup. Watched her make it on YouTube and did it. It was great! But you know what goes really well with French Onion soup? Red wine! Julia herself says so. So, I poured myself a glass, sat down to eat the soup with my husband, raised the glass to my mouth, . . . said, "What am I doing. I don't really want this," and poured it in the sink. Whoa. That would NEVER have happened before reading This Naked Mind. I promise I'll shut up about this book now; you'd think I'm getting royalties. But I truly knew that I myself (the real me) did NOT want to drink. But my unconscious mind sure thought it sounded awesome. For the first time, I saw the difference.

    Like others, I tend toward anxiety and depression. But I'm convinced alcohol increases both despite the temporary relief I get from drinking. Ms. Grace claims that it's a lie that drinking makes us feel good. In fact, drinking simply gives us relief from the discomfort IT (alcohol) created in the first place. If I'd never had a drink in my life, that discomfort at throwing the wine down the sink wouldn't have existed.

    For me, it's a big motivator to know that I do not want to drink during January. Otherwise I wouldn't be in this group. So I refuse to let ingrained, unconscious thoughts about how lovely drinking is make me do what I have clearly said I don't want to do.

    Sleeping without alcohol is awesome for me. GETTING to sleep is another story. I hope that gets better. Have a great Day 3, everybody!

    Ok, I have to get this book!
  • AmyOutOfControl
    AmyOutOfControl Posts: 1,425 Member
    lporter229 wrote: »
    Am I the odd man out here in that I feel like alcohol helps me to sleep? I rarely wake up during the night when I have had a few glasses of wine, but I almost always do without it.

    @lporter229 Alcohol helps me get to sleep faster, however, I find I wake up more during the night.

    @lporter229 @SanDiegofitmom @crazykatlady_ I am glad I am not the only one that uses a few glasses of wine as a life bull*kitten* filter. My anxiety is very situational right now. I am currently trapped in this middle-age family caretaker role (on top of working 2 jobs). I have a daughter who is going through some hard times, my parents are needing more and more care, and a series of family tragedies that struck all at once this year. I feel like I spent 2017 constantly putting out fires and taking care of everyone in my immediate and extended family.

    One of my 2018 goals is to find some more me-time and do a little more self-care.
  • springsweet
    springsweet Posts: 184 Member
    Just curious, does anyone here have any experience with AA?
  • trchristy
    trchristy Posts: 155 Member
    lporter229 wrote: »
    Am I the odd man out here in that I feel like alcohol helps me to sleep? I rarely wake up during the night when I have had a few glasses of wine, but I almost always do without it.

    I sleep really good when I drink but, I dont seem to sleep all through the night Im up thirsty, in the bathroom, or simply I just wake up after a while. :wink:
  • MichelleRenee_76
    MichelleRenee_76 Posts: 155 Member
    becky3695 wrote: »
    I’m curious about people’s thoughts on the Naked Mind. I read it yesterday on a 7 hour drive. I skimmed a lot of it because it was very repetitive - these are my thoughts.
    - I liked her focus on everything you Gain by not drinking. So much of abstinence is about the “battle” instead of it being something joyful or good. its easier to think about what we’re losing instead of gaining. I will take that to heart.
    - The discussion around alcohol as progressively addictive is also insightful. I’ve seen the slow progression in my own life. She writes about getting to a point where you are no longer able to be a light drinker because of brain chemistry changes. It made me wonder about myself and where I’m at.
    - Lots of discussion about alcohol being poison, terrible for your body.

    Overall I thought it was good, it made me think and it made me excited and think super positive about Dry January as a fun reset instead of a drag and horrible deprivation. Just for that alone I think it was worth the read.

    Thanks. I think I will order this and read also.

    Michelle, can you just sum it up for me... I hate to read :D:D:D
    Thank you in advance. LOL

    Lol, you got it Becky. :)
  • daddio66in2000
    daddio66in2000 Posts: 33 Member
    Opps, I'm out
  • MichelleRenee_76
    MichelleRenee_76 Posts: 155 Member
    Just curious, does anyone here have any experience with AA?

    Me and my husband recently went to a meeting. However, we found it to be too focused on religion and we really weren't so excited about that. So, we haven't went back.
  • springsweet
    springsweet Posts: 184 Member
    Just curious, does anyone here have any experience with AA?

    Me and my husband recently went to a meeting. However, we found it to be too focused on religion and we really weren't so excited about that. So, we haven't went back.

    The religious aspect is what finally turned me off as well. Although I have a better understanding of it now. I still firmly believe it wasn't right for me, even though it's right for a lot of people.
  • MaryBethHempel
    MaryBethHempel Posts: 513 Member
    Goal — January under 7 drinks a week- for my health.....my mind.....my body....

    1/1 =alcohol free
    1/2 = 4 wine spritzers
    1/3 =alcohol free
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  • crazykatlady820
    crazykatlady820 Posts: 301 Member
    Just curious, does anyone here have any experience with AA?

    Me and my husband recently went to a meeting. However, we found it to be too focused on religion and we really weren't so excited about that. So, we haven't went back.

    The religious aspect is what finally turned me off as well. Although I have a better understanding of it now. I still firmly believe it wasn't right for me, even though it's right for a lot of people.

    I haven't been to a meeting, but I researched AA and the 12 steps and all of that. I can't wrap my head on the religious/higher power aspect of it. It seems to help so many people, but it's not for me. I think that because I have such a rock solid support system I am able to do this without meetings.