Less Alcohol- April 2018- One Day at a Time
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I know I’m late coming but I’m here now. I know I need to stop drinking my calories if I’m going to lose weight. I want a healthier lifestyle than I currently do. Good place to start.8
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I quit drinking for four months, but found I had no idea what people do on Friday and Saturday night if not drinking, and have no friends that are not out drinking.
After a while I gave in and started again but realize it is not really what I want. Have recently cut down to 1x/ week. Was hoping for some suggestions on how to be social on the weekends w/o alcohol?
That really was the struggle for me, and still is kind of. For awhile I went out to bars with friends and didn’t drink - mostly to test myself. Sometimes I was still able to have a great time. Sometimes it drove me mad and I had to leave early.
Julie said it right as far as becoming a homebody. I’ve wound up watching movies that I probably wouldn’t have seen and reading more.4 -
That's a tough one. I admit that going out with friends to bars and parties isn't as fun in the beginning when you're not drinking, so for the last few months, I've become a homebody. However, I do force myself to go out with friends even if they're drinking, and I choose to just not drink. I think we have to learn how to socialize without drinking, but we don't have to sit home alone either.
And it's definitely a plus knowing that I wont be the one with a hangover the next day. That's a huge bonus for me.
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Thanks, I appreciate the advice, and no hangovers is amazing!!!6 -
Yes I have binge watched all I care to binge, and do read more, been riding my bicycle and getting back in shape and that feels great. I just want the friends, good times, and laughs without the tab... both financially and physically. I wish sober people would dance funny, sing poorly, and laugh at everything11
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Yes I have binge watched all I care to binge, and do read more, been riding my bicycle and getting back in shape and that feels great. I just want the friends, good times, and laughs without the tab... both financially and physically. I wish sober people would dance funny, sing poorly, and laugh at everything
You will probably find them. Just will take some time yet. Trying new hobbies, social events and therefore meeting new people hopefully will help. Tough at first, but worth it.4 -
I mark an X on my calendar on my AF days. I aim for at least 2 days a week - it's a visual I can look at to see where I am on any given day. Sometimes I falter and go 3-4 days the following week.
I do this too! I was AF 18 out of 31 days in March, aiming higher for April! Also, I wish I loved tea the way some of you do, I just find it boring
I am with you, I don’t get the tea thing at all. And for something I dont get it seems like a waste to spend money buying a bunch of it hoping I do like one. I LOVE coffee but I cant have that at night or I will never sleep. It’s basically just water for me on my days I dont drink
Haha
your funny, i bet if i told u a fact abt coffee , what its doing to u and u see it is.. i bet youll find a way out of it.. 
There r really nice teas that kind of has the same taste as coffee like rooibos and there's another ..Russian caravan or u could try chi tea thats * curl- a- mo* fruit tea is yum too..
Maybe, but i’m sure we could pick apart all of our diets and find things that we shouldn’t have.
What a terribly boring world it would be if we couldn’t have hardly anything we enjoyed ...
U take the cake, man. I agree with u!!2 -
I have a confession.. I've not quite let loose but im having a good drink b4 i have to quit totally tomorrow for a few months with blood test checks.. hmm... it's going to b a chellenge.
Haa, as Erick says.. life is boring so i thought id crack the bordom tonight bcoz im going to have to b mega strict.
So it'll b Aug/ Sept b4 i can drink..
but it's all for a good cause
Luv to u all..4 -
I have a confession.. I've not quite let loose but im having a good drink b4 i have to quit totally tomorrow for a few months with blood test checks.. hmm... it's going to b a chellenge.
Haa, as Erick says.. life is boring so i thought id crack the bordom tonight bcoz im going to have to b mega strict.
So it'll b Aug/ Sept b4 i can drink.. but it's all for a good cause
Luv to u all..
I found it very easy to stay away from wine when I was getting blood work. It became all about my health, and that overcame everything else. It also carried over when it was done, so I don't drink nearly as much as I did. March wasn't great, but comparatively speaking, it was better than my past.
I'm using some of the ideas here for AF drinks, there really is so much out there that is healthy...I know it's difficult to go out to bars and stay sober, but it's possible. There were several ideas here about being designated driver. Try different things and find what works for you.
https://fbcover.com/facebook/food-drink/alcohol-free-drinks.html
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Ok 2 days down again AF. Feeling great about my decision again this morning. It wasn't as hard to talk myself out of it last night as it was the night before. Why did I start the process all over again? Reminder for me and everyone else out there, the restart stinks, it's like the beginning of a new diet. It's much better once you are in the routine, keep it up and keep going it's much easier.8
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@JulieAL1969 No one here is disappointed in you! You have been such an inspiration to all of us here and probably hundreds of others silently following this thread! You had what, 3 drinking days in 103 days?! That is awesome! Besides being a "very occasional drinker" seems so much less daunting then declaring you are never going to drink again. That's what I am aspiring to anyway. XXOO4
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Good morning! I woke up severely nauseous this morning. It is awful. Could it have been that one glass of wine? Probably!
I cannot believe I feel sick after one glass. My body is not cut out for that toxin. It keeps reminding me, but I dont listen.
I'll write down how I feel like someone said in the thread, so you can remember how awful alcohol makes you feel.
@runtodayamyrun Good insight. It does stink restarting. It's simply easier to abstain and keep abstaining. It becomes a new normal.7 -
@Alzzi76 One last hurrah before you get down to business. Annie Grace (author) says that sometimes you need to do that and observe how it makes you feel. Xo3
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salleewins wrote: »Yes I have binge watched all I care to binge, and do read more, been riding my bicycle and getting back in shape and that feels great. I just want the friends, good times, and laughs without the tab... both financially and physically. I wish sober people would dance funny, sing poorly, and laugh at everything
You will probably find them. Just will take some time yet. Trying new hobbies, social events and therefore meeting new people hopefully will help. Tough at first, but worth it.
Good advice. Sometimes, I found that the friend group changes because the only thing we had in common was we like to drink.2 -
All January and February, I had incredible resolve. I have to get back to that determination.
Not crazy about the book Recovering: Intoxication and its aftermath that I brought up a few days ago. I downloaded first few chapters (sample) and she talks all about other authors who have had trouble with alcohol but that enhanced their writing. I know she's going somewhere with these first few chapters, but I am not interested in buying the rest of the book. Just sayin'3 -
So far so good. It's been hard not to have wine after a long day at work, especially since my husband is enjoying a cocktail. Proud I haven't caved even though it's been a stressful day at work.8
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So last night I slept terribly- my one dog had stomach issues so jumping out of bed almost every hour or two for an emergency trip outside. I have a crazy busy day today pretty much nonstop until 9pm. I am tired but thinking this type of tired is so much more manageable and less painful than if I had drank last night AND had to get up every hour or so. Just little reminders here and there of the benefits of cutting back.7
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Good morning, friends. I have to smile at the conversation about blood work. I do that, too. I'm super good leading up to it, but then I realize that the blood is in me all the time, so why am I trying to "clean it up" for a test? It's like my sister who says she has to "cram" for her teeth cleaning.
Anyway . . . I learned yesterday that as of May 31 I will not have a job. This is a big deal. I am so glad I didn't know this before I went to Italy. I probably wouldn't have gone. I got the news. I drank. Some. Too much (but not what too much would have been last year). Decisions to make. Things to cut (Goodbye, personal trainer and manicures. First World Problems . . . I don't foresee trips to the food bank, so shut up). I would like to go through this sober.10 -
There are so many comments I want to make on this thread that sometimes I end up not posting at all...
@JulieAL1969- Nobody is disappointed in you! We continue to be inspired. I think it is great that you are able to go out and have one drink and call it a night. That takes a lot of self control. I am sorry to hear that you did not feel well this morning. Although that's never enjoyable, I am sure it will help solidify the decision that you have made for positive changes in your life.
@donimfp- That is terrible news. So sorry to hear that. Hopefully this will end up turning into an opportunity to start something new and positive. All the more reason to stay sober. Wishing you the best . *hugs*
@Cir3- I completely understand. Trying to cut back or eliminate alcohol has made me realize how many of my friendships revolve around alcohol and also just how much my friends drink. I also tend to avoid these situations rather than deal with them head on, but I think Julie's approach and the approach of many others is a good one. Being in these situations and staying sober can be eye opening and also serve as a helpful reminder of why we chose not to drink. I feel like over time I will end up forming new relationships and maybe spend less time with my current friends, but I think it needs to be a gradual process. Cutting them from my life entirely is not a good option.
Currently I have been spending more time with my running group friends and friends that I volunteer with at a church food pantry. Many of these people drink alcohol. Some, I suspect, even drink excessively, based on comments that have been made here and there. However, due to dynamic of the groups (health and service), everyone tends to be on their best behavior in situations where alcohol is involved. This makes it a lot easier to enjoy drinks in moderation because everyone around you is doing so. Just an observation.
Today is day 4 AF for me. It hasn't been particularly difficult, but it does seem like a lot longer than 3 days! Good or bad, it seems like there are more hours in the day when you are not drinking.4 -
Last night hubby wanted to have a drink and he was like, 'are you sure you don't want a glass?'. I bought these just to try them out on these occasions. 'Almost' like a real glass of wine. It was nice and floral. The bottle says 'delicate' and it was. The whole bottle is only 45 calories, so that was a win
too. And it gave my mouth and hand something 'to do' while we were enjoying the beautiful weather last night grilling our dinner. I was so happy that I stuck with it last night.
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Last night hubby wanted to have a drink and he was like, 'are you sure you don't want a glass?'. I bought these just to try them out on these occasions. 'Almost' like a real glass of wine. It was nice and floral. The bottle says 'delicate' and it was. The whole bottle is only 45 calories, so that was a win
too. And it gave my mouth and hand something 'to do' while we were enjoying the beautiful weather last night grilling our dinner. I was so happy that I stuck with it last night.
That sounds fun! Nice job! Those are no alcohol?? Wonder where he bought them. I will have to look around.
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@salleewins He was actually trying to tempt me with a real glass of wine. LOL! But that was ok. I had this in the pantry.
Correct. No alcohol. I found it at Kroger. It was in the 'health' food section where they keep all the different flavors of coconut water and such. Next time I go, I'm getting more. They had different flavors too.3 -
I'm rewatching my inspirational
Videos -
This one is by Craig Beck of Alcohol Lied to Me
https://youtu.be/AhFTib4vMPo 3 -
Good morning, friends. I have to smile at the conversation about blood work. I do that, too. I'm super good leading up to it, but then I realize that the blood is in me all the time, so why am I trying to "clean it up" for a test? It's like my sister who says she has to "cram" for her teeth cleaning.
Anyway . . . I learned yesterday that as of May 31 I will not have a job. This is a big deal. I am so glad I didn't know this before I went to Italy. I probably wouldn't have gone. I got the news. I drank. Some. Too much (but not what too much would have been last year). Decisions to make. Things to cut (Goodbye, personal trainer and manicures. First World Problems . . . I don't foresee trips to the food bank, so shut up). I would like to go through this sober.
So sorry to hear that about your job! I once heard that when you lose your job it's the perfect time to reinvent yourself. What are the dreams you've been holding back on? What else inspires you ? Don't panic however. After the shock, make a plan. You are a wise, highly capable person ! A champion and a thriver (play on the word survivor)2 -
@donimfp I am sorry to hear that news! I have been there! You will do it and you can be sober like I wasn't. You will be able to think clearly and make great decisions. I wish for you something even better. Let us know regularly how you are doing.4
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I've just discovered a delicious mocktail on the inside of the Lipton Lemon Ginger tea box. Brew a cup of this tea and refrigerate. Pour over ice and top with ginger beer and a squeeze of lime. This is very refreshing and I can picture myself sitting on the patio (if it ever warms up here) and enjoying this. I've never had/bought ginger beer and it was more expensive than I thought it would be, but still cheaper and less damaging to my organs and waistline than wine.8
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@JulieAL1969 I don’t think you have to worry about anyone here being disappointed in you. You know that this group is nothing but support for each other. I think it’s admirable you were able to only have one. I know I have been there, and that first time it feels odd, but also proud to know I could stop at one.4
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Thanks for the support re: my job. I’m looking at it as an adventure. Not drinking will definitely help the decision-making.5
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@JenT304 ---oooh that sounds great! I was just at the Aldi discount (mostly) grocery store and I spotted ginger beer just a couple of days ago. I haven't looked at the price yet. You are right on the organ damage.
@JulieAL1969--thanks for Craig Beck's videos and program. I had never heard that the liver gets scarred and the scars are permanent from alcohol. I listened to quite a few and am glad there are more.2
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