Less alcohol- January 2018- one day at a time

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  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,170 Member
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    springsweet wrote: »
    Went out with my hubby and some new friends Sat night. Drank higher-alcohol (9%) craft beers. Blacked out. Spent all day yesterday hungover. :( I hate it. Guess I'm starting fresh today.
    Still reading The Naked Mind and enjoying it.

    That's how it goes sometimes. We are all just one sip away from doing that! Fresh start, new week, new possibilities. At least you won't have a taste for alcohol for a few days, after that hangover:)
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,170 Member
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    KendraS74 wrote: »
    I cut back yesterday and will keep it up. I know wine is derailing my weight loss and would like to be part of this group. All your stories are so encouraging. <3

    Welcome! We are all in this together. We help, motivate, support, and even send hugs!
  • BuffMom84
    BuffMom84 Posts: 180 Member
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    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/venas-fizz-house-maine/index.html

    Saw this travel video about a place that opened successfully with mocktails. Delicious, complex, tasty mocktails!
    The owner said, "I had this whole vision," she said. "A bar with bartenders, and they're mixing and muddling and shaking. But there's no alcohol. It's seltzer-based, but they're using really good, healthy ingredients."

    *After a few years in business, they did eventually offer alcohol with their established mocktails.

    This sounds awesome! But I could imagine how well a place like that would go over where I live. The place would be out of business in a week. Unfortunately where I live (Wisconsin), every social function ever features some type of alcohol. Things like Painting & Wine and Yoga & Beer are very popular.
  • justlog
    justlog Posts: 125 Member
    edited January 2018
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    BuffMom84 wrote: »
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/venas-fizz-house-maine/index.html

    Saw this travel video about a place that opened successfully with mocktails. Delicious, complex, tasty mocktails!
    The owner said, "I had this whole vision," she said. "A bar with bartenders, and they're mixing and muddling and shaking. But there's no alcohol. It's seltzer-based, but they're using really good, healthy ingredients."

    *After a few years in business, they did eventually offer alcohol with their established mocktails.

    This sounds awesome! But I could imagine how well a place like that would go over where I live. The place would be out of business in a week. Unfortunately where I live (Wisconsin), every social function ever features some type of alcohol. Things like Painting & Wine and Yoga & Beer are very popular.

    Same here... It's wine or beer... attached to almost everything. It would fold in a week here. We seem to have a new brewery sprouting every few months.
  • Skyweigh
    Skyweigh Posts: 113 Member
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    There is a fitness thing, started in New York, called DDPP --Dance, Dance, Party, Party, and the tagline was "No Booze, No Boys, No Judgement" --- (although I'm not down with the "no boys" part).

    Maybe, as sobriety becomes more popular, there will be more clubs, serving delicious non-alcoholic drinks and playing dance music, and maybe a karaoke night, too. There are probably a few visionary entrepreneurs who are working on it --- who knows? Maybe someone from this group!

    (I love the blog, hipsobriety.com --- Thank you, thank you to original poster who referred this site ---
    @JulieAL1969 I love reading about sobriety, too!
  • Skyweigh
    Skyweigh Posts: 113 Member
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    gypsysoul0317 wrote: »
    I have no reason to drink. I just do. Every day I have wine. It's just a habit I guess. I'm over it. It makes me feel like crap. I think this is a good of a time as any to just stop. I'm hoping that it won't be as difficult as I think that it may be...

    This was me; I realized, too, that much of my drinking was out of habit and it was boring me. Now on 22nd day of no alcohol, I can say it's not hard at all. Possibly I had a slightly antsy feeling on the first night breaking the habit, but there have been very few and insignificant triggers to drink since, and these passed very easily, for me.

  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    1/1-NADA
    1/2-NADA
    1/3-NADA
    1/4-NADA
    1/5-12 oz wine
    1/6-5 oz wine
    1/7-12 oz wine
    1/8 NADA
    1/9 3 oz wine
    1/10 12 oz wine
    1/11-NADA
    1/12-15 oz wine and 2oz whiskey( more than planned)
    1/13-16 oz wine
    1/14-NADA
    1/15-NADA
    1/16-NADA
    1/17-NADA
    1/18-NADA
    1/19- 8 oz wine
    1/20-NADA
    1/21-20 oz wine

    Just checking in after the weekend. The weekend was a bit of a mixed bag. Friday night I went to dinner and a movie with my husband and mother. I had planned to have 2 glasses of wine at dinner, but I only had one and I opted for the 6 oz glass instead of the 9 oz. Since I only had one glass at dinner, I thought I would have another when we got home. I had some in an open bottle in the fridge, but when I poured it into my glass, it was only about 2 oz. Instead of opening another bottle. I just finished it and called it a night. On Saturday I did not drink. We went to a funeral for my aunt and some of the family went for a bite to eat afterwards. Half of the crowd was drinking, but I refrained. On Sunday, after a long drive home from Pittsburgh, I opened a bottle of wine and had two glasses. That was supposed to be it for the day, but my husband and I went out for dinner later and I had another 2 glasses of wine. So I pretty much over did it on Sunday. I wasn't drunk or hungover because it was spread out over the day, but I still went over my planned limit :(
  • dbhDeb
    dbhDeb Posts: 200 Member
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    I think I need this group. I think it has stalled me and I would like to stop and just for health issues. I've never had significant issues personally related to alcohol but have blacked out several times in my lifetime. I have a problem with sugars I know. My son is an alcoholic. My dad was for part of my life until he quit cold turkey. My problem is my hubby enjoys social drinking and I think it might be a problem. How does anyone handle if their significant other continues to drink?
  • dbhDeb
    dbhDeb Posts: 200 Member
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    kittybenn wrote: »
    Went out to favorite beach bar with husband last night and met three people from Belgium. We had a great time getting to know them, but there was a copious amount of drinking going on between the four of them (I stuck to Diet Coke). Wow, the drunker everybody got the more sort of annoyed I got with all of them. The bar got our tab mixed up with another person who had the exact same name. By the time my husband got it straightened out he felt compelled, in his fairly drunken state, to buy the other person and his entire party a round of drinks. The expense of that annoyed me even more.

    I'm thinking two things this morning: 1. Can I actually have fun with people who are drinking anymore? 2. Was I one of those annoying people who was slurring her speech and talking to people with my face four inches from theirs and making little sense when I was drinking? The answer to #1 is probably. The answer for #2 is most definitely, unfortunately.

    The good thing about last night is that I was thrilled to be the DD and not worry a bit about the potential of a DUI, something I've worried about before - even after just a couple of glasses of wine. We had a friend who got a DUI and, believe me, you don't ever want to have to go through that. You will be court mandated into AA, you will not drive for a year, minimum, and it will cost 1000s of $ in attorney fees, fines, your insurance rates will go up astronomically, etc. So it was a great feeling not worrying about that.

    Day 22 begins!

    How do you deal with your husband drinking and you not? I am wanting to try this but still want to "have fun" with a social group.
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
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    An inspiring read: The Ultimate Free Life Hack? I Quit Drinking for Three Months
    From the article: "For me, it’s a life hack that requires no purchases, improves my health, and saves me money."
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
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    @ZDeb16 It doesn't bother me at all that my husband drinks, but I'm not sure why. He doesn't drink tons, and only drinks beer, so maybe that's why, because I like wine and never drink beer. He typically doesn't overdo it, although last night he did. If he had a drinking problem I think it would bother me, but he's pretty moderate about the whole thing.
  • slimbyjune18
    slimbyjune18 Posts: 101 Member
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    Does anyone feel more tired from not drinking? I find I need earlier nights... and wake refreshed, despite somehow needing to be in bed earlier! Not a complaint, just an observation.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    kittybenn wrote: »
    Went out to favorite beach bar with husband last night and met three people from Belgium. We had a great time getting to know them, but there was a copious amount of drinking going on between the four of them (I stuck to Diet Coke). Wow, the drunker everybody got the more sort of annoyed I got with all of them. The bar got our tab mixed up with another person who had the exact same name. By the time my husband got it straightened out he felt compelled, in his fairly drunken state, to buy the other person and his entire party a round of drinks. The expense of that annoyed me even more.

    I'm thinking two things this morning: 1. Can I actually have fun with people who are drinking anymore? 2. Was I one of those annoying people who was slurring her speech and talking to people with my face four inches from theirs and making little sense when I was drinking? The answer to #1 is probably. The answer for #2 is most definitely, unfortunately.

    The good thing about last night is that I was thrilled to be the DD and not worry a bit about the potential of a DUI, something I've worried about before - even after just a couple of glasses of wine. We had a friend who got a DUI and, believe me, you don't ever want to have to go through that. You will be court mandated into AA, you will not drive for a year, minimum, and it will cost 1000s of $ in attorney fees, fines, your insurance rates will go up astronomically, etc. So it was a great feeling not worrying about that.

    Day 22 begins!

    Wow you did really good. I think i would have broke down and drank. I know I am annoying when I am drunk. Thankfully I am a lovable drunk. But I can only imagine how annoying I am to sober people. I cringe thinking about it.
  • Skyweigh
    Skyweigh Posts: 113 Member
    edited January 2018
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    slimbyjune18 wrote: »
    Does anyone feel more tired from not drinking? I find I need earlier nights... and wake refreshed, despite somehow needing to be in bed earlier! Not a complaint, just an observation.

    In previous experiments with not drinking, I did feel markedly more tired. This time, I have fewer commitments so it has not come up for me --- I feel great, but I do notice having to adhere to an earlier bedtime, too.

    Possibly it is due to our getting a taste of better, deeper sleep, and our bodies saying, more, please! Whatever it is, hope you will pamper yourself a bit!
  • BuffMom84
    BuffMom84 Posts: 180 Member
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    My husband had a rough day at work and usually on Mondays he comes home with a 12 pack of beer. Which he will drink mostly himself if I have my own bottle of wine. Good thing I don't have any wine right now. If I help him drink his beer then usually one of us runs to the store to get more. I do NOT want to start this week off with one drink let alone six or seven!
  • MaryBethHempel
    MaryBethHempel Posts: 513 Member
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    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    islandbeez wrote: »
    Today is the day! It was going to be tomorrow, but I feel great because I have cut back so much so why drink more wine? I have one baby bottle of Pinot Grigio left and I can use that for a dinner I commonly make. I just joined the Alcohol Experiment site and it's very encouraging. @JulieAL1969 THANK YOU SO MUCH for starting this and to everyone else who has been so helpful!

    I would like to join the Alcohol Experiment. I looked it up and saw it's Annie Grace's program. I'm so happy you feel great. I love being on this deeply personal journey with you and the others. I don't think I would have done so well all on my own. I also love the people who come on and tell us how it feels months later without alcohol, or years later. Like John Mayer said, "Alcohol is a great con man."

    It is a great program and it has so much information, including some videos from some professionals; doctors, nutritionists, psychiatrists, and writers.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,170 Member
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    ZDeb16 wrote: »
    I think I need this group. I think it has stalled me and I would like to stop and just for health issues. I've never had significant issues personally related to alcohol but have blacked out several times in my lifetime. I have a problem with sugars I know. My son is an alcoholic. My dad was for part of my life until he quit cold turkey. My problem is my hubby enjoys social drinking and I think it might be a problem. How does anyone handle if their significant other continues to drink?

    I have a partner who drinks steadily all evening. For example, he'll have a beer when he gets home, wine with dinner, and two-three scotches late in the evening. Now that I've quit , I am seeing that he drinks a lot! He is never drunk, but must always be buzzed. Who knows.

    It's really bugging me at times, because I feel like I'm being punished by not drinking. I get jealous.
    I've been chugging tea like crazy. I also drinking lots of sparkling water with flavors. I love social drinking, too. But for me and my body, alcohol is not good. So, I'm just putting up with others around me drinking, and doing a lot of positive self talk. Reminding myself that it is a poison and hard on my organs. It's just a habit; I can change any habit. Look how great I am feeling every morning with no headache or hangover or lethargy when I wake up.

    I think you'll have to decide for yourself if you want to continue drinking despite everyone around you. Listen to your intuition and heart. It isn't easy when everyone around me is drinking, but I am on a streak now 22 days without, and I don't want to break it:)
    Keep reading the thread. Try some nights without alcohol and after awhile, you'll know if it's time to quit or not.

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