Less Alcohol- April 2018- One Day at a Time
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Not in FL, but TX - both high heat, high humidity places. I keep saying I want snow, but I guess if I had it, I would be complaining about that, too...I never complained about the weather when I lived in the Bay Area
I miss it. 2 -
Had decided on AF April but ended up drinking this Thu. Recently there has been quite a few changes in mgmt hierarchy. Senior mgmt was visiting and we had a networking session. Decided on 1 corona light for the whole night. News broke out about another senior manager was leaving and was pushed to a shot of tequila. Kept returning it back but was ultimately guilt tripped into it. None the less, I drank a lot of water, and those were the 2 drinks in a span of 3 hours. I was sad about going off the plan but still proud to have a plan and sticking to no drinking beyond that. I tried to remain cognizant that just because I went off the plan and drank, it did not mean that I could drink as much as I want.6
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@dressagerider1020 - boy, I hear ya. You must live near me - I'm in FL. And I'm starting to sweat on my morning walks. V sorry all the rest of you who live in places that are still cold and snowy!
Woke up this morning to snow! After six months of grey , cold weather, I can easily see how people reach for something alcoholic to pick up their spirits. I know that I have been more tempted lately and feeling more depressed even though that's not usually how I feel.
I think the sun is such a mood lifter. I love FL and love the beaches. Enjoy your spring, because I know it will be sweltering soon.
I know I would have felt the same after three glasses; just a few days ago, one glass made me nauseous the whole next day.
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Earlier today, I mentioned how my relatives are big drinkers. They are such nice, loving people with this one huge flaw. I think some of us who are empathic people who feel others' pain can turn to alcohol or drugs, to numb and escape.
I came back from lunch and my mom told me that two of our twenty three year old relatives are terrible alcoholics (one had a DUI and the other is in counseling). That would make them in the fourth generation of alcoholics in my family.
I can't decide if addiction is environmental or genetic. What is it that causes generations to be addicted to alcohol? It saddens me so greatly That these young people will suffer and struggle for many years to come just like their ancestors and me.
I did stick with Diet Coke at lunch even though everyone else shared wine bottles. I almost caved but didn't. That's going to be my new motto "almost, but didn't." LOL.5 -
I think I'll borrow your new motto!3
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@JulieAL1969 and the big pores on the face, too, especially the nose. Thank God I didn't get to that point. It is very sad.
I had very dry skin from the dehydration. Peeling like on my face, too. It was sad because I cared more about the alcohol than the way I looked. It did bother me, but alcohol won. NO MORE.4 -
We sat at the bar last night and I asked the bartender if he could make me a mocktail. He looked confused. So I said, "ok well check with Sean (the other bartender) and see what you can come up with." He ended up bringing me a Shirley Temple! I don't think I have had one of those since I was about nine. But I liked having my pretty drink in a fancy glass, alcohol free and had a good time with my husband. I am slowly losing the urge to drink. Slowly. Reading the posts here and watching Craig Beck videos on you tube helps me stay the course. Happy Saturday Everyone!
Frozen lemonade is delicious - an AF margarita or daigarie. I used to drink them when pregnant.
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Went af all week and had my wine with dinner yesterday. It was great going down - tasty/ 3 glasses later - my weekly allowance - I didn't feel so great afterwards. I thought about what other people have said about feeling the influence faster since they've cut back.
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@JulieAL1969 - believe me, I feel your pain - I grew up Lakewood, OH, in your neck of the woods. Winter gets old for sure.1
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My diet went off the rails today. My cravings for sweets was really strong....my body is missing that wine sugar. So I had cake and creme brulee and a peanut butter egg left over from Easter. That definitely scratched that sweets itch and now I feel ill......but I did not have nor even want a drop of alcohol. I think I will skip my weigh in tomorrow.
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@JulieAL1969 - believe me, I feel your pain - I grew up Lakewood, OH, in your neck of the woods. Winter gets old for sure.
I used to live and work in Lakewood. Xoxo1 -
@JenT304--that is exactly my story since Valentine's Day, a lot. It doesn't help that the Easter Candy is 1/2 off at the store still, lol!3
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I have been off the rails all weekend and now I'm feeling horrible about it. I am aiming for a better week this week though. I have prepped my lunches for the entire week and have an easy meal plan this week for dinners.5
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@Orphia - such a great story. Thanks for sharing! I loved this: I want to be able to have a couple of bubblies to celebrate a special occasion, then go back to being alcohol-free till I have another special reason to celebrate.
I'm in the same camp (moderation Fri-Sun), although I must say my husband and I were out on our boat anchored offshore from a blues fest Friday night and I had three glasses of wine. I had a great time, but let me tell you, I SUFFERED Saturday. I had a gross headache, felt nauseated and had zero energy. Turned out to be a totally wasted day and I was in jammies in front of the TV by 6 p.m. I also ate wayyy too much yesterday. Excessive drinking seems to go hand in hand with excessive eating for me. There used to be days when I could have three glasses and be perfectly fine. Maybe I was just perpetually in a hungover state? Lesson learned, I hope and back to being good this morning.
@kittybenn Good point!
Yes, it seems a few of us eat too much when we drink. I think that was another reason I decided to take a break. I wasn't going over my calories, but a larger percentage of my calories were going towards alcohol.
It's good now I'm not drinking because I get to eat lots more FOOD than I used to, even if my calorie limit is the same. 4 -
@jecky74 One thing that helped me (especially when I am feeling bad in the immediate aftermath of drinking) is writing it down in a little journal; how I am feeling, why I don't want to drink etc. It helps to go back and read it when I feel tempted. Also I really like the your tube video called "50 ways sobriety rules". She's a cool young chick and I enjoy her honesty. That being said, today is a new day. Let yesterday go and focus on now. You've got this!3
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Good Monday morning to all! It's a new day and a new week.
I had my best week so far. It was not perfect, but it was still my best. My plan is AF M-Th and 1 single bottle of wine on the weekend. I had 2 beers on Thursday. I went to eat at a sports bar with a friend and she was drinking a beer when I got there, and so I really wanted one too. No self control. But I stuck to my 1 bottle on the weekend. I really wanted a glass of wine on Sunday, because hubby was having a drink, but I had already drank my bottle Fri and Sat, so I stuck it out. I was really nuttin' up so I drank a sparkling water and ate a hunk of baguette with butter slathered all over it. It didn't quite hit the spot, but it was enough to get me through.
I find that if no one else is drinking, I'm good. I don't have to drink. I don't even want it. But when I'm around someone who is drinking, it's hard for me not to.4 -
Wow! It appears I missed a lot this weekend. I usually take a break from the MFP forums on the weekends. Catching up with this thread on Mondays seems to be the real challenge here!
@Orphia- Welcome! I am glad to see you here. And what I mean by that is I am glad to know that I am not the only one in the endurance running community that questions my relationship with alcohol, and more importantly, that I always appreciate your wisdom and perspective. I liked your statement " I am not an alcoholic. I am whatever I want to be". That is exactly how I feel. Alcohol does not have control over my life because I will not allow it to. These last few months for me have been largely about that. I have been doing a lot of inward reflecting on the things in my life that I can improve to make a healthier and happier "Tomorrow Me". The journey has made me realize a lot about myself and the world around me.
I am currently through my first week of zero alcohol. It hasn't been particularly hard because I am still looking at it as something positive that I am doing for myself. I feel good. Saturday was another one of those eye opening experiences. As I mentioned earlier, I think, we attended a 25th wedding anniversary party for our good friends. Most of the people in attendance are heavy drinkers and the booze was very freely flowing at the open bar.
At first, things were a bit awkward for me. Everybody was drinking and having a good time, I felt like I was somehow standing outside of the celebration. I was drinking club soda with a lime. I eventually found myself hanging out with the bar tender, who was pregnant and resisting all of the offers for shots. I helped her out when she needed a break to eat or go to the bathroom. I realized that it was mostly the same people coming up to the bar over and over for drinks. It was actually kind of fun playing bar tender and socializing. I could see myself doing this at future events when I did not want to drink.
By the middle of the evening, most of the non-drinkers or light drinkers had left and the crowd was starting to get really drunk. It was at this point that I realized that I was glad I was not drinking. Although they appeared to be having fun, most of the people were slurring their words, stumbling around, some even falling down trying to dance, and acting generally obnoxious. Included in this crowd was my husband and our good friend, who I would be driving home. I was very ready to leave, but trying to get drunk people together to leave a party is like trying to heard cats. By the time we left, I was pretty much out of patience with the whole scene. I was ready to go to bed and wake up feeling good and ready to meet some friends at 8AM for a 16 mile run. It definitely made me realize why the people that don't drink heavily usually leave these kinds of parties early.
Another thing that I have realized by not drinking is that it does have an overall impact on my body and my performance. Last month I got an activity tracker when I upgraded my GPS running watch. I have never before tracked my resting heart rate and sleep activity. Prior to going completely alcohol free, I had noticed that on nights that I drank alcohol, my average HR was a few beats higher than on days that I didn't. I also noticed that my percentage of time in "deep sleep" was a lot less. This is a part of what motivated me to go alcohol free for a while. I was really interested to see how it would affect how I felt and functioned over all. This week, my resting heart rate (which is calculated from an algorithm that uses your average nightly HR) has dropped by 7 BMP. I also noticed that my HR while running is noticeably lower than in previous weeks for similar runs. While I don't necessarily feel like my running performance has improved, I do feel like I have been able to recover faster and stronger form my long runs. Additionally, my sleep has improved and I am feeling more alert and energized during the day. Of course, none of this is surprising, but It is motivating to me to see it in the cold, hard numbers.5 -
Hello everyone! I haven't had any alcohol since April 2nd, when I decided to begin this challenge, with the goal of not indulging until I leave for vacation on May 9th. So far, it hasn't been too bad. I had a stressful week last week, and I tend to crave a bottle of wine after days like that. I also work a second job where I get a free shift drink, and I sometimes like to use that to help fall asleep after a late shift. The weekend was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. We didn't really have any social outings or plans, and I was also not feeling the greatest, so I think that played into it.
I've been thinking a lot about what others have mentioned here, about how it is more difficult to refrain from drinking when you are with friends or a significant other who is drinking. My husband has been sober almost 7 months now. He realized his drinking was causing issues in his personal life and in our relationship, and he decided to stop. I know how hard it must be for him at times to be around me when I've had drinks or when we are out with friends and everyone is drinking. I try to keep open communication with him about things like that, but you've all helped me to be even more cognizant of the fact that it is a choice that he makes every day. And now, I can think of my AF time as being even more supportive of his goals.
In the past when I've taken breaks from drinking, I've found that the longer I go without, the less the desire is to have one. I'm sure that'll be the case as time goes on this time, too. My goal is to save drinking for special occasions/vacations and not feel like I need a drink to relax or unwind on a regular basis.
Plus, I have generally made a point to never drink my calories EXCEPT when I'm drinking alcohol, so it'll be nice to save some of those.
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