Less alcohol- January 2018- one day at a time
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On day 7 of Dry January and I feel so much better in everyday possible. Won't be drinking again until further notice.7
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »I love that app Dry January. I wonder what the app is that keeps track of hours. I love seeing that count. I Love reading all your posts. Everyday, i wake up and grab my phone to read. I read it in the evening to keep away from the wine. I am so happy to be part of this journey with all of you.
I found this app called Sober Time, you can have it count in breaths, heartbeats, seconds...etc. I like it so far. The counter feels so motivating! I am also listening to This Naked Mind and almost finished reading Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah Hepola....both are really hitting home.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
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Ok I'm new to MFP. I love this challenge. I'm in. Reading your stories have inspired me. Starting today.7
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It's a snow covered, cold winter day. Drinking coffee in bed and reading This Naked Mind. I am on the chapter that discusses all the harm the poison alcohol does to our heart, brain and liver. And more. If this chapter doesnt scare me straight, nothing will. I want to write my body a heartfelt apology letter for the 25 years of slow poisoning:) I want to thank it for getting me this far relatively healthy. I want to do better for it. Xo7
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I was not as successful at yesterday’s dinner party. I had a bottle of wine.... starting over again!!!
Progress.... not perfection!!!8 -
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@donimfpdonimfp Ha ha, good point. I had cut down to the point where I was usually measuring out half a cup of wine per night, in two, 1/4 cup increments. But the problem is that I would lose my mind and drink a ton, usually on social occasions. On New Year's Eve, I'm sure I drank a bottle of wine and probably some prosecco as well. It doesn't help when someone else keeps refilling your glass, because you just don't notice. Crazy! So, my $20 was based on fairly low weekly consumption WITHOUT the crazy binges. Today is day 7 and things are going well. I did go out last night and have two drinks: a club soda and lime and a diet Coke and lime. I was perfectly fine, and felt good about driving home, especially since my husband had had two beers. I'm feeling good, sleeping well, and have lost just about three pounds since Monday -- an unexpected bonus. On to week 2!6
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@donimfpdonimfp One other thing about the sleeping. I have an app called Insight Timer, and it's a lifesaver when I can't sleep. I just put my phone under my pillow, plug the headphones in and pick a meditation. You can look for them by issue, such as sleep problems. Just about any will work. I can almost guarantee you will be sawing logs before the thing ends.4
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »It's a snow covered, cold winter day. Drinking coffee in bed and reading This Naked Mind. I am on the chapter that discusses all the harm the poison alcohol does to our heart, brain and liver. And more. If this chapter doesnt scare me straight, nothing will. I want to write my body a heartfelt apology letter for the 25 years of slow poisoning:) I want to thank it for getting me this far relatively healthy. I want to do better for it. Xo
I’m reading that chapter this morning while I have my coffee. It’s an intense one to read and absorb.3 -
Well my Saturday wasn’t too bad! I didn’t overdo it at all. I had one Bellini, then my husband and I went to the movies and I had 2 glasses of wine during the movie. No biggie, felt barely buzzed by the time the movie was over and we were headed home.4
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From the jump I claimed that I was gonna stick to only Saturday drinking, not Dry January.
I did just that and I made it even better than I thought. Usually I binge drink on craft beer and shots in Fri and Sat - and eat garbage along with it.
I didnt drink Fri. On Sat I had a Guinness, a few light beers and two shots. Even better was the cheat meal. I had sautéed veggies and brown rice instead of the usual pizza or burgers.
So I was over my calories just one day but I still made a lot of better decisions than my old self!7 -
islandbeez wrote: »JulieAL1969 wrote: »I love that app Dry January. I wonder what the app is that keeps track of hours. I love seeing that count. I Love reading all your posts. Everyday, i wake up and grab my phone to read. I read it in the evening to keep away from the wine. I am so happy to be part of this journey with all of you.
I found this app called Sober Time, you can have it count in breaths, heartbeats, seconds...etc. I like it so far. The counter feels so motivating! I am also listening to This Naked Mind and almost finished reading Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah Hepola....both are really hitting home.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
I have this app too, though I use it for smoking! I'm at 75ish days or so for that. As far as drinking goes, I used to be an every-day drinker, but since the turn of the year I've had alcohol 2 days out of 7, which for me is ASTOUNDING. I've really enjoyed getting a full night's rest!6 -
From the jump I claimed that I was gonna stick to only Saturday drinking, not Dry January.
I did just that and I made it even better than I thought. Usually I binge drink on craft beer and shots in Fri and Sat - and eat garbage along with it.
I didnt drink Fri. On Sat I had a Guinness, a few light beers and two shots. Even better was the cheat meal. I had sautéed veggies and brown rice instead of the usual pizza or burgers.
So I was over my calories just one day but I still made a lot of better decisions than my old self!
Me too! I’m not a big drinker in general, only on Saturdays typically, so I don’t need a dry January, just tempering my Saturday drinking habits lol!4 -
I had a belated birthday dinner at home last night and knew I was going to drink some wine. That was fine. It was a decision I consciously made and I was happy with it. . I also got a tall peroni glass that holds a pint of liquid and filled it with water and drank from that too. When hubby suggested a second bottle of wine “as it was my belated birthday due to me having been ill with a bug and I deserved it”, I found that I genuinely did not want it. The meal was home cooked unbreaded scampi with potatoes and a crab starter. Delicious and filling....a nice evening...6
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Well, this is Day 7, but it's 2:35 a.m. and I have not been able to get to sleep. In the past, good sleep has been a great perk of abstaining from alcohol. This time, for some weird reason, my brain will not turn off. I've finally given up, gotten out of bed, read posts here, and will now do the Sunday NYT crossword on my computer. Any hints or advice would be MOST welcome. I'm drinking herbal tea at bedtime, but you can't know how tempting it is to knock myself out with wine when I lie in bed from 11:30 to 2:30 without sleep. Well, I guess most of you can know. I am celebrating 7 days, but this sleep stuff has got to get fixed! I'm kind of afraid to take melatonin or anything else because I tend to have paradoxical reactions to stuff. For example, I once took Nyquil and was up literally all night. Didn't sleep one minute and had to go teach the next morning. Never again. I mentioned in an earlier post that I do have a prescription for Xanax that I only take when I fly. I think that would knock me out, but I'm resisting subbing one drug for another. I'm grateful for this group so I have somewhere to moan and groan if needed.
Melatonin might help. It’s not a medication it’s actually a hormone your body naturally produces. I too can’t take NyQuil. Just take 3 mg about 30 minutes before bed. Sleep is all about expectation, you’ll definitely get back on track- do some meditation / relaxation before bed too that helps! (I suffered with really bad insomnia for a year so I know) - my favorite thing to do when I can’t sleep is either make up a story, or redecorate my house in my head. Taking my mind off “I can’t sleep” is what helps me nod off. But truly don’t worry, periods of insomnia are soooo common. You’ll be back to good sleep in no time.4 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »I made it today! Day 1,2,3,4,5, and 6. I am amazed but something about not breaking my hard earned streak keeps me motivated. We buried my father-in-law today. The whole week was very stressful but he led a beautiful , LONG life. I wanted to turn to alcohol many times throughout the week. Today, there was plenty of wine and alcohol at the luncheon. But I didn't drink any. I fluctuate a little from being angry that I can't drink because I really cant handle stopping at one and being very proud and motivated. I took a long bath this evening to relax. But had tea and not the usual wine. I am having a little problem doing things I love without the alcohol. I know it will take time for me to reprogram my mind. But I miss the wine sometimes. I love that app Dry January. I wonder what the app is that keeps track of hours. I love seeing that count. I Love reading all your posts. Everyday, i wake up and grab my phone to read. I read it in the evening to keep away from the wine. I am so happy to be part of this journey with all of you.
You are an inspiration, especially going through many difficult challenges at once....Great reflections and strengths. I will have to check the app out and I have been noticing that many things I used to do, I did with wine also....It takes about a month to develop new habits. I always drank wine when I did my gardening and yard work, so I know that will be another one to add to my list when the time comes!!
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Freedom again yesterday... I choose these words to remind me of how my life was being taken over by alcohol. My husband is still drinking and keeps saying he is going to decrease....which he hasn't done. He snores bad when he drinks and I have to go into our guest room to sleep now during the night because he wakes me with his snoring. We will see where this all goes...?4
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Goal — January under 7 drinks a week- for my health.....my mind.....my body....Freedom from alcohol ruling my life!
1/1 =alcohol free
1/2 = 4 wine spritzers
1/3 =alcohol free
1/4 =alcohol free
1/5 =alcohol free while my husband must of drank almost 2 bottles of wine....I wasn't tempted, which was great!
1/6 =alcohol free while my husband must of drank almost 2 bottles of wine
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Losing weight so much easier....4
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@MaryBethHempel thanks for your kind words above.
Bravo to you! Despite temptation of your hubby drinking , you didn't budge from your resolve. Freedom is a perfect word. In fact, instead of writing any resolutions the year I chose one word to sum up my goals- it is FREEDOM. What a coincidence you used that word today in your post. I want to be free from addiction , people pleasing and so much more. Xoxo4 -
https://youtu.be/1SwPEe0a-bY
For anyone who needs some motivation today, this guy says some sound truths. It's 18 minutes long, but it may be good to listen to while you exercise. It's more for someone who wants to quit, rather than someone who is moderating.1 -
MaryBethHempel wrote: »Losing weight so much easier....
It really is3 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »Does anyone have a motivating book title, website, or YouTube videos that inspire them?
Yes!! Read "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace... it's all about controlling alcohol intake. SO good and motivational!2 -
ccdillavou wrote: »JulieAL1969 wrote: »Does anyone have a motivating book title, website, or YouTube videos that inspire them?
Yes!! Read "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace... it's all about controlling alcohol intake. SO good and motivational!
Thank you so much! I have started it and it is truly eye opening! Thanks for sharing !1 -
@kittybenn and @SanDiegofitmom, thanks so much for the advice. I will act on both suggestions--the meditation app and the melatonin. I'm glad I'm not alone in this! I slept until 11:45. Thank goodness it's Sunday.
On the Naked Mind book. I'm now rereading it slowly and absorbing it better than I did the first time. I still love the book. One thing she says that strikes me this time as a bit illogical: She says something like, "If a little alcohol really makes you happy, then doesn't it follow that a lot of alcohol would make you even happier?" I'm not getting that reasoning. That's like saying, "If a scoop of ice cream makes you happy, wouldn't eating a whole gallon making you happier?" Well, no, because a whole gallon would be unhealthful, disgusting, and sickening. If watching the Ellen show makes you happy, doesn't it follow that watching it all day for 8 hours straight would make you happier? No, you'd be sitting in a chair getting nothing accomplished and feel terrible. My goal is to abstain completely for January. However, toward the end of that book, she becomes pretty adamant that moderation is impossible for people who have drunk enough that they are reading her book. I'm trying to be objective and open-minded about this as I decide what my future relationship to alcohol needs to be.
On to a great week and hopefully blissful sleep!5 -
@MaryBethHempel, I am so impressed! I don't think I could avoid drinking wine if my husband were drinking two bottles right next to me. My own husband, the bourbon drinker, stopped drinking on Jan. 2 just because he saw me abstaining. That has helped but made me a bit jealous because he does not seem to be struggling with it as I am. He is a heavy drinker when he drinks, but apparently he can take it or leave it pretty effortlessly. Are you getting any insights about your own drinking as you observe someone right next to you drinking heavily? Again, I'm amazed that you are being so successful in that situation. Congratulations!3
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Day 6, barely thought about it today & not even tempted. The naked mind has focused me more, I fully intended having the odd glass on Friday & Saturdays but a little longer abstaining feels good. Certainly a benefit to exercising and recovery after long training sessions. This will give me the freedom to opt in & out as time goes on. Well done everyone!5
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Sober since Jan 1st 2010, if I can do it anyone can do it.16
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Went to a bday yesterday. Immediately I was bullied into having a glass of wine. I declined. But i did have small glass of Sangria and one shot of Titos for the bday guy. I am proud of the fact I stopped at that and just had water for the rest of the night. That is a big step for me!!!9
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