Less Alcohol- July 2018- One Day at a Time
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Ok I did pretty well and was AF for 6 days. Then another birthday lunch happened, and I had a few drinks. So, I'm starting at day 1 again. BUT I have promised myself to keep trying and never stop trying. So, if I have to have one hundred "day 1"s until it sticks, I will.
I also started a new hobby: knitting. So, I have been using that to keep my mind occupied and hands busy. After several hours this week, I am not farther than the casting off stage. But once again, I will keep at it. My plan WAS to make all of you hats for winter:) I'll settle for knitting a washcloth at this point.
I'm happy to see our new friends are doing well. Yes, I agree that day 10 is a magical day when you feel like you can continue without too many issues.
@Orphia Congrats on day 170. Bravo!
@ErynVee It's a win-win. You're losing weight and staying sober.
@imfitasacello I like your username:) Made me smile. I'm happy you found us and we found you. Sounds like you're meeting your goals.
@trishfit2014 So happy to know you are doing well! And staying on course with your own goals. Yes, social occasions are difficult- I can relate.6 -
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andysport1 wrote: »Day 9
It’s tough
It’s easier than I thought
I want a drink
I don’t want to drink
Last night I went out with 30 people they were mainly drinking I didn’t
I think I felt good
Afterwards I felt really good
Welcome to my roller coaster ride of alcohol addiction
Well, you said it perfectly. The mental back and forth is crazy. So happy you're on day 9. Buy yourself something little to represent day 10's success. You can look at it as a symbol of your hard work and dedication to your health. Xo4 -
I drew us a picture.
It's called "Sufficient".
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »Ok I did pretty well and was AF for 6 days. Then another birthday lunch happened, and I had a few drinks. So, I'm starting at day 1 again. BUT I have promised myself to keep trying and never stop trying. So, if I have to have one hundred "day 1"s until it sticks, I will.
I also started a new hobby: knitting. So, I have been using that to keep my mind occupied and hands busy. After several hours this week, I am not farther than the casting off stage. But once again, I will keep at it. My plan WAS to make all of you hats for winter:) I'll settle for knitting a washcloth at this point.
I'm happy to see our new friends are doing well. Yes, I agree that day 10 is a magical day when you feel like you can continue without too many issues.
@Orphia Congrats on day 170. Bravo!
@ErynVee It's a win-win. You're losing weight and staying sober.
@imfitasacello I like your username:) Made me smile. I'm happy you found us and we found you. Sounds like you're meeting your goals.
@trishfit2014 So happy to know you are doing well! And staying on course with your own goals. Yes, social occasions are difficult- I can relate.
Knitting keeps your hands and mind occupied. Making something small is a good idea at first because it takes longer to knit something than crochet. If you get bored with knitting, try crochet. I do both and will help if you have questions. Also, you should check out ravelry.com. it's free, and there are free patterns for every level.2 -
imfitasacello wrote: »I’m so inspired and encouraged by all of your words. I’ve been at this since Monday, so I’m just figuring things out (technology wise) so I haven’t been commenting as much as I’d like on individual posts. Takes me so long! I’m so grateful to have this fairly anonymous source of support. I’ve limited myself to one drink a day four four days, which is huge. It seems that if I pass the one drink threshold, all bets are off and I’ll keep going. Evening boredom and social situations are challenges for me. My weight is down and I’m feeling good about my progress so far. Thank you all for your support.
Well done you,
Ask yourself why one drink?
Today take just a small sip and then sit back.
Now, have a think “do you really like the taste?”
I don’t want to know the answer, I just want you to know why you drink.
The reason alcohol makes people feel relaxed is because it blocks your brain from working correctly.
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »Ok I did pretty well and was AF for 6 days. Then another birthday lunch happened, and I had a few drinks. So, I'm starting at day 1 again. BUT I have promised myself to keep trying and never stop trying. So, if I have to have one hundred "day 1"s until it sticks, I will.
I also started a new hobby: knitting. So, I have been using that to keep my mind occupied and hands busy. After several hours this week, I am not farther than the casting off stage. But once again, I will keep at it. My plan WAS to make all of you hats for winter:) I'll settle for knitting a washcloth at this point.
I'm happy to see our new friends are doing well. Yes, I agree that day 10 is a magical day when you feel like you can continue without too many issues.
Good on you,
I read an ebook called “quit drinking the easy way”
It made perfect sense to me.
Maybe read the book
Good luck today
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So this is the big day
The magical day
Why ?
Is it a 10 day myth?3 -
andysport1 wrote: »imfitasacello wrote: »I’m so inspired and encouraged by all of your words. I’ve been at this since Monday, so I’m just figuring things out (technology wise) so I haven’t been commenting as much as I’d like on individual posts. Takes me so long! I’m so grateful to have this fairly anonymous source of support. I’ve limited myself to one drink a day four four days, which is huge. It seems that if I pass the one drink threshold, all bets are off and I’ll keep going. Evening boredom and social situations are challenges for me. My weight is down and I’m feeling good about my progress so far. Thank you all for your support.
Well done you,
Ask yourself why one drink?
Today take just a small sip and then sit back.
Now, have a think “do you really like the taste?”
I don’t want to know the answer, I just want you to know why you drink.
The reason alcohol makes people feel relaxed is because it blocks your brain from working correctly.
This might come across as pushing instead of just supporting. Her goal was one drink per day and she seems happy with it. This thread can be kind of tricky because less for some means moderation which can have countless definitions and for others means none or working towards none.
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JulieAL1969 wrote: »Ok I did pretty well and was AF for 6 days. Then another birthday lunch happened, and I had a few drinks. So, I'm starting at day 1 again. BUT I have promised myself to keep trying and never stop trying. So, if I have to have one hundred "day 1"s until it sticks, I will.
I also started a new hobby: knitting. So, I have been using that to keep my mind occupied and hands busy. After several hours this week, I am not farther than the casting off stage. But once again, I will keep at it. My plan WAS to make all of you hats for winter:) I'll settle for knitting a washcloth at this point.
I'm happy to see our new friends are doing well. Yes, I agree that day 10 is a magical day when you feel like you can continue without too many issues.
Orphia Congrats on day 170. Bravo!
ErynVee It's a win-win. You're losing weight and staying sober.
imfitasacello I like your username:) Made me smile. I'm happy you found us and we found you. Sounds like you're meeting your goals.
trishfit2014 So happy to know you are doing well! And staying on course with your own goals. Yes, social occasions are difficult- I can relate.
I am not even sure the queen has this many birthday affairs. Are you like the most loved person in the world? Understandable if true.
Good call on ditching the hats. It would take you all your free time to get one done for my gigantic head.
Hoping this is your last day one for awhile...6 -
Good morning all I have been on vacation for the last wo weeks and reading the posts but not really responding or posting because with just my phone it takes me forever. I want to relate a few things
for those here fairly recently I am AF it was 10 years May 22 and have lost over 175 pounds and for me vacations are opportunity to run and swim more as well as relax in a different setting.
I swam every morning for between 70 and 90 minutes and it seems people near the pool always have questions one being How OLD are you anyway? I am 70 and the thought that an OLD man is doing this strikes them as strange. However one conversation that was interesting and caused me to reflect was with the daughter of an 80 year old who told me that her father also was heavier, drank and ate much differently when he was younger and then changed and lost the weight and didn't drink and improved his fitness and when he became ill with cancer his fitness and otherwise health might have saved his life fighting the disease. His doctors credited his recovery on his physical condition.
This brought to mind a friend of ours that rode his bike well into his 80s and became ill and when he saw us after he recovered and was riding again he said his bike saved his life.
What we are doing are investing in our future as good health will possibly come to our aid if we become ill.
When I am running and its really hot or I am tiring I say to myself " Like your life depends on it" to help me keep going.
All of the posts that talk about hang overs and mental fog and a general feeling of "UGGGGHHHH after we drink does suggest that alcohol is a detriment to good health in larger quantities
For those who don't know with me, my idea of moderation was once every 3 to4 years if an occasion arose.
I have dropped my resting pulse from 80 to 45 my BP was 220/110 when drinking now it runs 116/ 68
I drank over a pint of gin every day to me that was only about 4 drinks but I had a big glass.
So if you ask yourself why am I trying to be AF is it worth the effort, after all its so much easier to give up and just drink think about " Like your life depends on it" to help keep you going16 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »Westschmeis wrote: »Interesting side effect for me is lower resting pulse rate, and lower average pulse rate. Really did not expect that, plus a new low on the scale this morning, and this is only a little over a week AF!
HooRaw!!
Great points! Our friend @NormInv posted his significant resting pulse rate change dramatically lowered over the time he has been AF. So, you are so right about noticing that. So happy for your 8 days of AF! Awesome!
I was on medication for tachycardia because my resting pulse rate was in the 120 area. Guess what? It's in the mid 80s now. SMDH4 -
andysport1 wrote: »
I don’t want to know the answer, I just want you to know why you drink.
The reason alcohol makes people feel relaxed is because it blocks your brain from working correctly.
I like this. Self awareness is a very important tool. Thank you @andysport11 -
So if you ask yourself why am I trying to be AF is it worth the effort, after all its so much easier to give up and just drink think about " Like your life depends on it" to help keep you going
Interesting that you should make this comment about peoples' perception that "drinking" is easier than quitting. I recently watched an Annie Grace segment about moderating & she made some very interesting points about our decision making capabilities & that our brain uses the same energy whether we are making large or small decisions & how trying to moderate means we are constantly making smaller decisions around drinking: when to drink, how much etc that our brain becomes tired & that can set us up to not make the best decisions around drinking, whereas deciding not to drink, although a HUGE decision, is only one decision and is freeing...once we get past the withdrawal process of course.
It really is a mindset. At the same time, I know personally that it took me a lot of attempts at moderating before I came to the conclusion that I cannot moderate!! And that is because I had developed a "problem" with alcohol and from everything I've learned once you have a problem with alcohol you cannot NOT have a problem with alcohol.
Anyway, she said it way better than I am, but I suppose the point I got from her is that trying to moderate alcohol consumption is a lot of work. For me, it just kept me preoccupied with alcohol...ALWAYS thinking about the drinking. I CAN drink anytime I want...I just do not WANT to!!! It is liberating.
As a reminder, this is MY personal journey & I am not attempting to impose my way as anyone else's way. It is just that when I watch Craig Beck & Annie Grace they make SO much sense to me. But I am hearing what I need to hear.
My hope for everyone on this thread is that whatever their goal is with regard to alcohol that they find peace within. But for those who are working toward remaining AF I find these videos very helpful.7 -
Good morning all I have been on vacation for the last wo weeks and reading the posts but not really responding or posting because with just my phone it takes me forever. I want to relate a few things
for those here fairly recently I am AF it was 10 years May 22 and have lost over 175 pounds and for me vacations are opportunity to run and swim more as well as relax in a different setting.
I swam every morning for between 70 and 90 minutes and it seems people near the pool always have questions one being How OLD are you anyway? I am 70 and the thought that an OLD man is doing this strikes them as strange. However one conversation that was interesting and caused me to reflect was with the daughter of an 80 year old who told me that her father also was heavier, drank and ate much differently when he was younger and then changed and lost the weight and didn't drink and improved his fitness and when he became ill with cancer his fitness and otherwise health might have saved his life fighting the disease. His doctors credited his recovery on his physical condition.
This brought to mind a friend of ours that rode his bike well into his 80s and became ill and when he saw us after he recovered and was riding again he said his bike saved his life.
What we are doing are investing in our future as good health will possibly come to our aid if we become ill.
When I am running and its really hot or I am tiring I say to myself " Like your life depends on it" to help me keep going.
All of the posts that talk about hang overs and mental fog and a general feeling of "UGGGGHHHH after we drink does suggest that alcohol is a detriment to good health in larger quantities
For those who don't know with me, my idea of moderation was once every 3 to4 years if an occasion arose.
I have dropped my resting pulse from 80 to 45 my BP was 220/110 when drinking now it runs 116/ 68
I drank over a pint of gin every day to me that was only about 4 drinks but I had a big glass.
So if you ask yourself why am I trying to be AF is it worth the effort, after all its so much easier to give up and just drink think about " Like your life depends on it" to help keep you going
Thank you for taking the time to tell us this inspiring message!!! Time is passing quickly and I needed to hear this as well as all us. I congratulate you on this success!!! I hear the gym calling me once again this am. I drank at least that much a day and only quit a day when I was so sick that I had to recover enough to be able to drink again. I have seen my blood pressure in the 220s over 100s a few times. I have seen my pulse on the treadmill jump up and down like a true roller coaster REGULARLY day in and day out. I don't want the end years--whenever they are---could be right now, lol, to not be garbage years and I know that I caused them to be garbage. Thank you!!!6 -
Thanks for everyone for sharing! I woke up and went to this I thread and am so inspired. I love how we all take nuggets from each comment and let it sink in. I love hearing from @Ke22yB because like @orphia says we are not drinking for the Tomorrow You/Me. I also know that I am emotionally still hanging on to the idea that I am close to committing to quit but just not there yet. I really dont know why I have that mind block.
@NovusDies My birthday is at a good time - summertime! Everyone likes a summer celebration:) I laughed when you said I'd have to knit a big cap for your head. Funny!
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andysport1 wrote: »So this is the big day
The magical day
Why ?
Is it a 10 day myth?
I'm not sure why day 10 BUT I believe it takes 10 days for the alcohol to leave your system. So,maybe today you will have zero residue. I love your writing style.3 -
Went for a long bike ride and the temptation to get a cold one after was so strong....that used to be the norm for me...getting a beer or 6 (always 6) after a long day outside....just said to myself, make your way home and it will be ok....so got home without beer11
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Went for a long bike ride and the temptation to get a cold one after was so strong....that used to be the norm for me...getting a beer or 6 (always 6) after a long day outside....just said to myself, make your way home and it will be ok....so got home without beer
Great going! I do the same. Once I am home I am ok.3 -
Sorry I couldn’t remember how to delete0
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