Less Alcohol - January 2019 - One Day at a Time
Replies
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springsweet wrote: »dawnbgethealthy wrote: »springsweet wrote: »Tomorrow there is a meet n greet at our local neighborhood bar. I'm looking forward to it, as I've wanted to meet people in our new hood but have had a hard time. I told myself I'd just have a sprite but now I'm wondering if I should just say f it and have a glass of wine. Especially considering the calories. They'd probably be about the same anyway. SMH...
And about the pot roast...yes, wine probably would have enhanced it.
That dreaded metabolism, tell me about it! I am 58, work out every day, keep my calories low, have vastly reduced my alcohol intake (like you, in an effort to drop some lbs) and am just not losing. December saw many big meals, parties, alcohol, yet I still lost 5 pounds. This month I am being very "good" and have put on 1/2 pound instead of losing. Crazy hard to drop the fat! I feel you, it is so frustrating. We just have to stick with it.
Good luck with the meet 'n greet at the bar. I am sure that you will play it by ear. There will likely be someone else there who isn't having alcohol. Now that you are "dry" you will recognize them.
Yes, Sprite probably does have more calories than wine. A mock Mojito has 2 tsp of sugar, the bar lime that they mix it with has a tonne of sugar, the simple syrup, ginger ale etc. If you made one at home you would use fresh stuff, but in a bar they don't. Club Soda with a tiny splash of cranberry juice? Maybe 2 calories. It will look like a cocktail, only the bartender will know.
If you have committed to a dry January then stick with it, you are halfway there!
If you committed to less alcohol than usual, then yeah, it could be the event to allow yourself some wine.
Meeting new people for the first time could be nice with a clear head, making your first impressions of the people, and them of you. A glass of wine might loosen you up. Pros and cons.
It is a nice idea to meet in a bar, so that people can come and go, no homeowner has the commitment of having a bunch of people over and then to have to entertain and clean up afterward. If you are trying to be AF it could be a tough place.
Please do let us know how it goes : - )
Great idea about the club soda with a splash of cranberry! See, I told yall I don't drink liquor so I didn't even think of that lol. Thank you! And yes to all of this. ^^ I am trying for a Dry January, so I'm pretty committed to not drinking tonight.
And thanks @MissMay & @gridirongrrl ... I really did kind of unleash there.
Thanks for letting me. He is a sweet spirited puppy, so I know he will grow into a good dog. Like you said, it's just tough right now.
I hope everyone has a good humpday!
Love the pun
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Half way through January!!! Congrats everyone who's still hanging in!! Almost there
Anyone else going to see how long they can go after this month?
I'm not sure what I'm going to do after January. I feel pretty damn good being AF. But I also have a trip to Jamaica planned at the end of February at an all-inclusive...you know what that means.
Maybe Jamaica will be my last hurrah before going AF? Maybe not? For now, it's just one day at a time.1 -
I was looking at what I wrote last year around this time. I guess I didn't find this thread until later in January last year. It was interesting to see what I wrote. I had 23 AF days last January, hoping to do 27 this year and so far I'm on the right track. My husband offered to buy me beer again last night and I found it pretty easy to say no, although last year I didn't drink on too many weeknights anyway so it's become habit.2
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Half way through January!!! Congrats everyone who's still hanging in!! Almost there Anyone else going to see how long they can go after this month?
@cathipa Yes! I really want to keep this going into February, but I'm traveling the first week of the month and I'm an anxious flier. I almost always fly with a few drinks under my belt to help calm my nerves. So I'm going to try my best to keep my streak alive but I know that is going to be a huge struggle for me. I'm still debating how I want to handle it; still have a couple weeks to figure it out!0 -
springsweet wrote: »No one ever wants to hear this reason for the scale number not dropping even if your doing all the right things such as healthy eating, exercise and cutting alcohol.
It could be a stress hormone.
I was training a woman for 6 months. 5 days a week, streangth training, HIIT workouts, boxing and kicking, etc. She was super frustrated because her scale was not moving downward.
I kept telling her that after listening to her home, work and family life stories daily that she has a high level of stress which can cause your body to hoard calories.
Luckily at the end of the 6 months I was able to make her feel better with taking her body measurements and comparing them to the measurements at the beginning of the 6 months. She had lost over all inches on her body even though the scale said the same number. Muscle weighs more than fat yet it is in a smaller mass.
My homelife has been chaotic recently due to us getting a new dog - excuse me, a puppy. We didn't mean to adopt a puppy. We wanted an adult dog, which we thought we were getting. Turns out he's more than likely under a year old and DEFINITELY acts like a puppy. He has the energy of a Jack Russell terrier but he's about 30 lbs. He's sweet as he can be, but we had to ship him off to obedience boarding school for some help with basic behavior. Add to that, I have two cats who used to be perfectly content in our quiet home but are now all in an uproar over the dog. He chases the cats any time he sees them (wants to play, not kill thank god) but that makes them hate him. IT also makes them perpetually nervous. Also, one of the cats has turned on the other for some unknown reason. Everything is just messed up and chaotic and out of order. I've had to move the litter box and feeding station for the cats to the upstairs guest bathroom (so now I no longer have a nice clean guest bathroom
). I keep telling (hoping) myself this is temporary. But I basically cannot relax at home anymore unless I barricade myself in my bedroom. But even then I sometimes have to break up a random cat fight.
And did I mention stress is a big trigger for me? I obviously drink to relieve it when I drink.
So It may be a far fetch, but stress could have something to do with my weight not dipping down as far as I had hoped?
Oh and thank you @cathipa !
I had problems with my cat and anxiety when I moved in with my boyfriend and he has a malamute (BIG doggy!). My vet recommended feliway infusers-they plug in like a glade plug-in and give off pheromones that are supposed to help soothe the cat. Seemed to work for her. I got mine on Amazon, I've seen them at Petsmart also.1 -
January accountability ~15 day so far
Me (no alcohol): 10 days
Alcohol: 5 days (11 drinks)
Jan 15 - AF - home alone and still accountable2 -
Half way through January!!! Congrats everyone who's still hanging in!! Almost there Anyone else going to see how long they can go after this month?
@cathipa Yes! I really want to keep this going into February, but I'm traveling the first week of the month and I'm an anxious flier. I almost always fly with a few drinks under my belt to help calm my nerves. So I'm going to try my best to keep my streak alive but I know that is going to be a huge struggle for me. I'm still debating how I want to handle it; still have a couple weeks to figure it out!
Have you thought about taking a natural stress reliever? One product I like that helps me sleep is called Lights Out by Key Nutrients. They also have a product called De-Stress with 4 1/2 stars on Amazon.
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@Fitness327wk I've never tried them - ordering now. Thanks for the tip!1
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MonkeyMel21 wrote: »I really wanted a drink last night with him but I knew that one wouldn't be enough
I can totally relate to this. One is never enough of anything for me, so sometimes I have to ask myself why I start at all. Same for food and alcohol. Sometimes I just ask myself, "What would it take to satisfy you?" And I have no idea.
@cathipa - I know! Congrats to all. I'm thrilled to have made it this far and feel like I can go all the way without too much sweat. Not sure about next month, but I should think about it for sure. You might want to check out the Sober Squad discussion. Those guys are counting days, months and years! Very impressive and might inspire you.
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htimpaired wrote: »springsweet wrote: »No one ever wants to hear this reason for the scale number not dropping even if your doing all the right things such as healthy eating, exercise and cutting alcohol.
It could be a stress hormone.
I was training a woman for 6 months. 5 days a week, streangth training, HIIT workouts, boxing and kicking, etc. She was super frustrated because her scale was not moving downward.
I kept telling her that after listening to her home, work and family life stories daily that she has a high level of stress which can cause your body to hoard calories.
Luckily at the end of the 6 months I was able to make her feel better with taking her body measurements and comparing them to the measurements at the beginning of the 6 months. She had lost over all inches on her body even though the scale said the same number. Muscle weighs more than fat yet it is in a smaller mass.
My homelife has been chaotic recently due to us getting a new dog - excuse me, a puppy. We didn't mean to adopt a puppy. We wanted an adult dog, which we thought we were getting. Turns out he's more than likely under a year old and DEFINITELY acts like a puppy. He has the energy of a Jack Russell terrier but he's about 30 lbs. He's sweet as he can be, but we had to ship him off to obedience boarding school for some help with basic behavior. Add to that, I have two cats who used to be perfectly content in our quiet home but are now all in an uproar over the dog. He chases the cats any time he sees them (wants to play, not kill thank god) but that makes them hate him. IT also makes them perpetually nervous. Also, one of the cats has turned on the other for some unknown reason. Everything is just messed up and chaotic and out of order. I've had to move the litter box and feeding station for the cats to the upstairs guest bathroom (so now I no longer have a nice clean guest bathroom ). I keep telling (hoping) myself this is temporary. But I basically cannot relax at home anymore unless I barricade myself in my bedroom. But even then I sometimes have to break up a random cat fight.
And did I mention stress is a big trigger for me? I obviously drink to relieve it when I drink.
So It may be a far fetch, but stress could have something to do with my weight not dipping down as far as I had hoped?
Oh and thank you @cathipa !
I had problems with my cat and anxiety when I moved in with my boyfriend and he has a malamute (BIG doggy!). My vet recommended feliway infusers-they plug in like a glade plug-in and give off pheromones that are supposed to help soothe the cat. Seemed to work for her. I got mine on Amazon, I've seen them at Petsmart also.
I've tried that before and it didn't seem to affect them. But that was before these problems. I'll give it another shot, thanks!
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Will_Run_for_Food wrote: »springsweet wrote: »dawnbgethealthy wrote: »springsweet wrote: »Tomorrow there is a meet n greet at our local neighborhood bar. I'm looking forward to it, as I've wanted to meet people in our new hood but have had a hard time. I told myself I'd just have a sprite but now I'm wondering if I should just say f it and have a glass of wine. Especially considering the calories. They'd probably be about the same anyway. SMH...
And about the pot roast...yes, wine probably would have enhanced it.
That dreaded metabolism, tell me about it! I am 58, work out every day, keep my calories low, have vastly reduced my alcohol intake (like you, in an effort to drop some lbs) and am just not losing. December saw many big meals, parties, alcohol, yet I still lost 5 pounds. This month I am being very "good" and have put on 1/2 pound instead of losing. Crazy hard to drop the fat! I feel you, it is so frustrating. We just have to stick with it.
Good luck with the meet 'n greet at the bar. I am sure that you will play it by ear. There will likely be someone else there who isn't having alcohol. Now that you are "dry" you will recognize them.
Yes, Sprite probably does have more calories than wine. A mock Mojito has 2 tsp of sugar, the bar lime that they mix it with has a tonne of sugar, the simple syrup, ginger ale etc. If you made one at home you would use fresh stuff, but in a bar they don't. Club Soda with a tiny splash of cranberry juice? Maybe 2 calories. It will look like a cocktail, only the bartender will know.
If you have committed to a dry January then stick with it, you are halfway there!
If you committed to less alcohol than usual, then yeah, it could be the event to allow yourself some wine.
Meeting new people for the first time could be nice with a clear head, making your first impressions of the people, and them of you. A glass of wine might loosen you up. Pros and cons.
It is a nice idea to meet in a bar, so that people can come and go, no homeowner has the commitment of having a bunch of people over and then to have to entertain and clean up afterward. If you are trying to be AF it could be a tough place.
Please do let us know how it goes : - )
Great idea about the club soda with a splash of cranberry! See, I told yall I don't drink liquor so I didn't even think of that lol. Thank you! And yes to all of this. ^^ I am trying for a Dry January, so I'm pretty committed to not drinking tonight.
And thanks @MissMay & @gridirongrrl ... I really did kind of unleash there. Thanks for letting me. He is a sweet spirited puppy, so I know he will grow into a good dog. Like you said, it's just tough right now.
I hope everyone has a good humpday!
Love the pun
I didn't even do that on purpose! LOL1 -
Hi all, checking in mid-way through the month. I'm so excited for everyone working so hard toward their goals, whatever they may be!
I had a pretty damp, maybe even soggy, first half of the month, but it was expected. I was on holiday in Iceland with my family, then a work trip to Scotland, and those work trips are always pretty "wet" and that's not a reference to the Scottish weather! Drinking was relatively under control, no hangovers, no regrets - happily passed on the too strong whisky at our tasting dinner to a colleague and went back to my comfortable white wine.
Since returning, and the plan for the rest of the month is to limit the drinking days to a couple of "events" including game day Sunday (go Chiefs!) and book club next week, maybe a date night with my husband. For last few nights I've thoroughly enjoyed the tea and shortbread I brought back with me, and that should last me through the month!
Although I didn't think I'd keep up the daily tally sheet, it's a habit for me, so I will probably keep track for the foreseeable future. I still haven't set specific alcohol intake goals, I'm actually kind of waiting out Jan to let the holiday weight settle, and get back into the habit of tracking food and working out again, and then am going to set some new goals overall in February - it is my 6 year anniversary on MFP!
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I keep reading about everyone's spouses who are supportive of or challenging them throughout this dry month. And I've got to say, my husband I think is pretty clueless about how difficult this is for me. He rarely drinks. I've never seen him drunk. It's to the point where I wish he drank more just so we could have that in common. (But I'm careful what I wish for b/c my first husband drank too much.) Anyway I think he's pretty oblivious to what I'm going through and just thinks it no big thing. Annoying.
Although he did ask me "why?" the other night when I asked him to get me a bottle of wine when he went to the store. Usually he just says "ok" and does it. I said, "what do you mean why?" and he said, "I thought you said you wanted to make it through the month..." So at least he is paying attention. And I didn't get that bottle that night.
Like tonight, for example, he hasn't said anything to me about going to this event at the neighborhood bar.
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~~ Day 16 ~~ Alcohol Free~~
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My husband is having a rough week at work so he has been drinking every night so far. He asked me (again) if I wanted any beer and even offered to get beer that I like and I said no. So he got a 12 pack of his favorite kind of beer. He said, "It will help my heartburn". Um. No?
Last week was much easier because he did not drink during the week. He knows that even though I'm not that big a fan of his beer that I will drink it anyway sometimes. I'm wondering if this will ever get any easier. I'm not blaming him for how much I've drank in the past, but if he always has alcohol, I always want to drink it! I'm going to drink some kombucha and play my guitar.4 -
Some days you white knuckle through AF, some days you imbibe and say “what the heck was I thinking” the next day. Wherever you are this week, good for you for keeping your radar up about your AF goals!
Crashing realization for me last night- I was at a dinner last night and planned to only drank one glass of wine, which I did.
1) you have to take the tiniest of micro-sips to make one glass last through appetizers, salad and entree! Normally I would have downed one before dinner arrives, and then a refill during the entree course.
2) I was always really good about logging food for breakfast and lunch, but always blew off logging dinner, mostly because I was getting tipsy and lazy after 2 drinks. Well, I’ve been sober and logging my dinner, and OMG the calories a dinner at a restaurant adds! Hard to see that I went over every time I went out to dinner.
For those of you with partners who are not on board with AF, or are actively trying to tempt you/guilt you, stay strong! Most people are uncomfortable with their loved ones making positive changes (happens frequently with weight loss and other life improvements). They aren’t trying to be jerks, it’s just a function of their own issues. Try to understand where they are coming from, but your ultimate commitment is to yourself. Stay strong!3 -
Day 16!!! I’m really feeling great about it. Well, right now I am, it comes and goes, lol. Same with my calorie goal. We had donuts at work and I decided to eat one, but I fit it in my goal! Now, if I would have also had alcohol tonight, I would have ended up either having a very pathetic dinner, or going over my calories.
I told a few people at work that I’ve been 16 days AF and they were very impressed and positive about it and it made me feel really good and makes me want to stick to it even more. Work party is tomorrow night and we are going to a place with alcohol but not a “traditional” bar, so I feel confident about not having a drink.
Hope everyone had a great day today!3 -
January accountability ~16 day so far
Me (no alcohol): 10 days
Alcohol: 6 days (13 drinks)
Jan 16 - Bookclub - intention was to limit 1 glass wine but after rough day at work had 2; splitting a bottle with my daughter0
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