Less Alcohol - February 2019 - One Day at a Time

After having so many people walking through my house the past few days and desperately trying to keep it clean, I feel like having a few beers tonight. And if I do, it'll be okay because I've been doing so well lately. We're getting our 4th (or 5th?) winter storm in 3 weeks tomorrow so I'm sure there will be yet another snow day for the kids. If I don't drink, that would be great too. I'm glad that I can drink in moderation now instead of passing out blackout drunk which I would sometimes do on the weeknights.

I had quite a weekend. It inspired me to write my first blog post here on MFP. It's long, so just want to share a part of it here in case it provides inspiration to someone who has been struggling a long time with alcohol and weight and wonders if there's hope, or for someone who may feel like they need to take a long break, but wonders how they will have fun.
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Fourth,I spent 6 hours in a bar not drinking. I was hosting a Meetup to have dinner and then listen to a wonderful Blues band at a swanky bowling alley that evening. It's an interesting twist to hear a strike in between every song.

The night started out with some anxiety. First, I’m not a great passenger sober. I have an imaginary brake pedal and use it often. Cindy was holding her phone, even as I offered to hold it or pull up directions on my phone. Additionally two women I’d not met before were driving an hour or more for this event. To an extent, as a host, I feel responsible for everyone having a good time. Oh, and I forgot that I had collected money for the tickets. I’m probably the least organized Meetup organizer in existence. I once showed up to Trivia night and was cursing my team for not showing, when I checked for messages and noticed the date was 7 days into the future. Um, Howie, you can release this booth now--there’s been a little snafu. (But my heart is in the right place. I love to bring people together.)

Back to the bar. I had a salad and a St. Paulie N.A. for dinner, followed by a club soda/cranberry juice, a mocktail built around bitters, and another NA beer near the end of the night. Midway into the night I did something I hadn’t done in 15 years. I danced sober. It was 80% fun and 20% self-conscious. I felt 5% sexy. I suppose, if I were to lose this wine weight, I might get my Sexy back. There were 2 women dancing beside us dancing like spazzes. Apparently, they had taken the slogan, “Dance like no one’s watching” to heart. I asked Cindy, “Do I dance THAT bad when I’m drinking?” She said, “Yep,” and roared a laugh as I shot her the finger. When we danced a little later and one of those women was doing a dance roll (like, literally throwing herself onto the floor and rolling). At that point, I was having 90% fun (because 10% of that was at her expense).

Everyone had a great time. I was present enough to try to pair up people with similar interests, so they could jump into a conversation on a shared interest like hiking. I know this because I remember. Cindy dropped me off and got home safely, which was a relief because she’d had a few. My feet were tired from dancing. And braking. I came home to dog poop and pee (bladders and colons are old--I can relate). I cleaned it up. I watched 2 shows, drank some tea, and went to bed at 2 to experience glorious sleep and vivid dreams.

beebva4 wrote: »

I haven't posted in here yet but do follow it. I want to make my goal for this month to be 4 days AF of the week and save the weekend. Unfortunately tonight I had two drinks and I'm honestly disappointed in myself. I decided to do 4 days AF and 2 free days so this will just be one of those two, but still wish I had decided to pass simply because I had so many extra cals. I just know it is of no benefit to me and if anything holds me back from the maximum progress
This is a newer lifestyle for me, tracking food and working out daily, so it feels like such a big deal. I have been super strict with myself lately, days I dont run I feel are wasted. If I have a drink it feels like a huge deal. Anyone else experience this in their weightloss journey?

Welcome! My 2 cents is that you're being really mindful which is a huge component of success. You are being reflective, but I would caution to not be too hard on yourself if you slip up. It happens to almost all of us because we're human. And learning. Do you enjoy your husband's company? If so, I'd think you could enjoy them as much sober. If not, that's a whole other ball game.