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Less alcohol- January 2018- one day at a time
Replies
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So I live in the northeast and a major snow storm is headed my way tonight. Usually, I am leaving work and hitting the liquor store in anticipation of a snow day tomorrow. Nothing sounds better than a hearty glass (or more) of red wine, sitting on the couch in my flannel pj's in front of a fire, knowing I will not have work tomorrow.
BUT... this time, I am substituting that red wine with my "calming" decaf tea. (the rest of the plan with the pj's, couch, and fire will remain the same!)
Trust me when I say this is a first. I do have my wine in the house. It will take willpower to not open it. I credit this post to give me strength and inspiration.
One of my goals in 2018 is to work my anxiety and stress through on the treadmill, not the bottle. I will seek comfort in relaxation, not the bottle. I will think about those mornings where my head feels cloudy and I have no energy. I will choose to live from now on.
Bring on the snow! My hot tea is waiting!!!12 -
What the heck.. I'm in for this month... Goal is to reduce to 2 beers total between Friday and Saturday.3
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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.1
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Have had a read through the posts today and see so much of myself in these. So I’m effectively on evening 4. Slightly tempted but ok today but know that could all change tomorrow. I’ve been thinking I should write down my reasons for not drinking and my reasons why I should. After reading your posts, they are fresh in my mind, so I’m going to put them here..because it’s private (you know what I mean!) and I can refer back to it when needed..so
Reasons why I shouldn’t:
It makes my anxiety so much worse
It is not good for my health
I struggle to limit it to ‘just one / two glasses’ so makes me miserable trying to.
It’s expensive, and have better things to spend that money on
I need to lose weight - there’s no way I can with that sabotage
I can’t keep functioning on a hangover
Probably loads of other reasons that will come to me!
Reasons I should:
...?
I know this isn’t everyone’s aim (alcohol free) so this post won’t appeal to everyone, as we’re all different in our aims..but I just wanted to make myself extra accountable and maybe it appeals to someone else.
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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.1
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Day 3 nearly done. Although I only joined this challenge yesterday I started on the 1st. As someone else said - going to bed early helps avoid temptation!
Hope everyone is doing well x5 -
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.5 -
SanDiegofitmom 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.1 -
MichelleRenee_76 wrote: »SanDiegofitmom 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
Thank you in advance. LOL1 -
SanDiegofitmom 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.
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!
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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!2 -
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.2 -
Just curious, does anyone here have any experience with AA?0
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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.1 -
MichelleRenee_76 wrote: »SanDiegofitmom 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
Thank you in advance. LOL
Lol, you got it Becky.0 -
Opps, I'm out1
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springsweet wrote: »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.1 -
MichelleRenee_76 wrote: »springsweet wrote: »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.3 -
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
1/4 =
1/5 =
1/6 =
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1/10 =
1/11 =
1/12 =
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1/17 =
1/18 =
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1/20 =
1/21 =
1/22 =
1/23 =
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springsweet wrote: »MichelleRenee_76 wrote: »springsweet wrote: »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.2
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