Less Alcohol - March 2019 - One Day at a Time
Replies
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nvasquez41 wrote: »I've already failed my March goal of only having 4 drinking days but I'm not too mad at myself. I bought a bottle of bubbly rose at the farmers market and used the wine saver attachment on my food saver to keep it fresh. I drank the bottle across the span of 5 days and was pleasantly surprised at how well the food saver worked and at my ability to moderate. Normally I buy a bottle of wine with the intention of drinking the whole thing, being satisfied with my little 5 oz pours felt new and exciting. The bottle is now gone and I'm going to focus on racking up some more AF days .
Nice job!! That is awesome! I chucked though when you said you'd buy it with the intention of drinking it all. Most often I said to myself....only half....haha that never worked. I haven't bought wine to bring home much lately. I'm not ready to go mild on it. But I feel a lot of progress not drinking it every night anymore
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FeelinFooFoo wrote: »Well I'm out today and will be having some drinks. One thing though. I won't be drinking in moderation. I have never mastered that and it's something for me to work on in the future.
Still I'm very happy with my progress. I now only drink on 'special occasions' so it works out I'm drinking once, maybe twice a month......instead of once or twice a week.
Now that's progress! I feel that the new habit is firmly in place and I'm comfortable with it. Drinking in moderation I think will be a challenge but if I remember the 'small steps' and 'one day at a time' I think I could possibly manage it!
How ya feeling today girl?
Hopefully you had a good time!
Moderation is definitely something I will be working on this year.
I think you're doing great!1 -
FeelinFooFoo wrote: »I drank far too much when I was out. I was even sick when I got home. Not a great end to the night ! I can't believe how easily the first couple glasses of wine go down! I made sure I had lunch to line my stomach, I'v made the mistake in the past of drinking on an empty stomach and it's not pretty ! So I'm glad I did eat something. But all in all I had about 5 -6 large glasses of white wine and a pint of beer. I then bought 4 cans of beer at shop before returning home! I drank about half a can then I was unwell! 🤢 I really have to start setting a limit, or swapping for soft drinks in between rounds.
Wine is actually a very strong alcohol, it looks harmless in the glass. I might think about swapping alcohol, maybe switch to beer or something.
Eeewww in a previous comment I said "how do you feel"....oohhhh worse then I was razzing you for.
So sorry.
I have changed my drinking habits when out also. Mainly I can't handle it and so embarrassing. But I do drink two wines then switch to beer. Not always that easy but improving.
I haven't been sick in a while....yuck.... hopeyour feeling better. Xxxx2 -
March accountability ~10 days so far
No Alcohol: 4 days
Alcohol: 6 days (11 drinks)
Goal: AF days 4 per week / 16 per month
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. - John C. MaxwellIncluding the last few days of February to monitor my weekly goal which I missed this time around.Mar 10 - AF
Feb 25 - AF
Feb 26 - 2 glasses of wine
Feb 27 - AF
Feb 28 - AF - @ fishing camp for long weekend which is always a challenge!
Mar 1 - 2 glasses of wine
Mar 2 - 2 glasses of wine
Mar 3 - 2 glasses of wine - driving this evening 5 hrs but then unexpected dinner at my sisters afterwards for spaghetti & wine
Mar 4 - 2 glasses of wine - DH picked up a bottle for dinner
Mar 5 - AF: Don’t order alcohol on plane even though you have free drink tickets! DH did but I ordered bloody mary mix instead. Then at dinner after we landed I drank water while he had wine.
Mar 6 - 2 glasses of Albariño (white spanish wine). San Francisco: One glass at each restaurant we explored (Hog Island Oyster Co & Coqueta 5 Spanish tapas) and NO nightcap back at the hotel!
Mar 7 - 1 beer - DH's sales rep had a beer waiting for me when I joined them after I strolled through the San Fran MOMA for 4 hours. No will power to turn it away when sitting in 3rd Street Tap Room.
DH & I made a pact no alcohol for the rest of Lent which will commence for us Friday! This will be very challenging for the both of us.
Mar 8 - AF
Mar 9 - AF
It was a rough week of challenges but managed to pull together 4 of 7 days AF!5 -
I have got to do better!!!4
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Why do I ruin all of my hard work for the week when the weekend comes? I didnt drink at all this week and as soon as the weekend comes I get sloppy. And when I drink I munch, and at late hours. Ugh
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Why do I ruin all of my hard work for the week when the weekend comes? I didnt drink at all this week and as soon as the weekend comes I get sloppy. And when I drink I munch, and at late hours. Ugh
I have absolutely been there. Best thing to do is forgive yourself, and go into next weekend with a plan. You can do it!3 -
Had one glass Friday night after a 5 hour drive home. Saturday I only had one, but it was on an empty stomach before take out dinner arrived. I felt myself getting wasted so I stopped, and glad I did. Two Sunday night and I honestly didn’t need the 2nd glass, because I overate. But not the disaster it’s been in the past so that’s good!
I have to say, I’m not even enjoying wine as much as I used to, and I’m not a beer drinker. My husband is trying to cut back as well, so it’s nice to not be the only one!5 -
today’s plan. Don't buy a bottle.
3/7 – well its been 34 hours without my whiskey. Not really an accomplishment for some but after failing at Less I am attempting cold turkey. I do have a couple cheat days planned for social events but no bottles in my house for a long while. I have no confidence that I will succeed.
3/8 – 58 hours AF – long story – delete delete delete. I am regretting cold turkey. To anyone that drinks 1/5th or more of 80 proof a day alcohol. Get medical support or taper off before quitting cold turkey. Read up. I have every symptom besides death so far and I do not feel cleansed of alcohol yet. Going to be a hard weekend!
3/9 – I have not slept well or felt good since Tuesday nights normal binge drinking. Oh Well I didn’t die or drink. I am quite sure I had night tremors or mild seizures the last few nights.
3/10 – one of the hardest days yet but I am sticking to my plan.
3/11 - I debated and debated about not drinking even though the written plan says celebrate on Sundays. Well I eneded up picking up a bottle before going to a party. Bottle sat in the car for the first hour. Then when I opened it I didn’t stop till it was gone. good by 1/5th see you next Sunday. Slept like a baby.
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So very happy it's Monday and last week is finally over.....yesterday was the first night I didn't need to obsessively drink herbal teas to calm my nerves. Sleeping like a baby, headache gone, no palpitations. Finally feel as though, YES, WE HAVE THE POWER TO DO THIS!7
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I'm joining because I want to drink no more than 3x per week, and as I had a big race this month I've started off quite well!
March started not so great because I had a couple of nights out, but from the 2nd until yesterday I didn't have any alcohol.
March 10th: 1.5 pints of "blanche" and 2 glasses of white wine5 -
Are any of you readers?
I found this book which is a memoir a very good read. Some of it definitely resonated. Great point ... about reinventing yourself without alcohol and getting yourself back in return. It is an interesting satirical reflection of Sarah's memoir from alcoholism to sobriety. What happen last night can be a terrible thing to not remember. You can truly get an understanding of an addict's trials and tribulations as well as an understanding of how some people might seem to be there but not when they drink and blackout. Blackout is not passing out ... it is almost the opposite
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget
by Sarah Hepola
Alcohol was "the gasoline of all adventure" for Sarah Hepola. She spent her evenings at cocktail parties and dark bars where she proudly stayed till last call. Drinking felt like freedom, part of her birthright as a strong, enlightened twenty-first-century woman.
But there was a price. She often blacked out, waking up with a blank space where four hours should have been. Mornings became detective work on her own life. What did I say last night? How did I meet that guy? She apologized for things she couldn't remember doing, as though she were cleaning up after an evil twin. Publicly, she covered her shame with self-deprecating jokes, and her career flourished, but as the blackouts accumulated, she could no longer avoid a sinking truth. The fuel she thought she needed was draining her spirit instead.
A memoir of unblinking honesty and poignant, laugh-out-loud humor, Blackout is the story of a woman stumbling into a new kind of adventure--the sober life she never wanted. Shining a light into her blackouts, she discovers the person she buried, as well as the confidence, intimacy, and creativity she once believed came only from a bottle. Her tale will resonate with anyone who has been forced to reinvent or struggled in the face of necessary change. It's about giving up the thing you cherish most--but getting yourself back in return.7 -
I started off really strong, was going into weekend number 2 AF. Friday was a breeze, saturday we even went out to eat and i didnt order booze, order seltzer water! YESTERDAY however, girls came over and I cooked and drank a half bottle of pinot by myself and two shots of tequila. Woke up beating myself up cos i was going to SO WELL with AF weekends. BUT reading thru here i decided NOT to beat myself up any more, its LESS alcohol... and I am doing REALLY well with that ... ((SIGH)) here is to a good week8
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Hi Everyone,
I'd like to join you all in less alcohol for the rest of March. I've just re-joined MFP and my goal for what's left of this month is to cut out weekday drinking -- Sunday - Thursday.
Good luck to all of you who are trying to do better like myself, this seems like a supportive and caring group.7 -
My goals for March will be the same as the previous months - 4 AF days per week. I have found it to be a realistic goal for me. I hit my goal in February (and surpassed it a little). Daily accountability is good. I was a daily drinker before making this resolve.
I log the next morning usually.
March 01 - 3 drinks - yes, chose to do that because I have a free Saturday to sleep in, basically no responsibilities or commitments. I had a very busy week and it was so nice to finally kick back, have a great dinner and a few drinks.
March 02 - AF
March 03 - AF
March 04 - AF
March 05 - AF - technically my goal of 4AF for the week.
March 06 - AF
March 07 - 3 drinks
March 08 - 3 drinks - time to rack up some more AF days. I think that I broke that good advice on here not to have drinks 2 days in a row. It too quickly can fall back into a habit that I don't want to go back to.
March 09 - AF
March 10 - AF
7 AF days out of 10 days so far3 -
I'm so thankful to have found this challenge. I have been alcohol free for 6 days. Today was the worst craving so far. The Alcohol Experiment and the FB group is what's helping me so far...https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/ I'm also reading books about how to be alcohol free.
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This is how I survived not drinking like a fish while raising kids. It's not possible!! There is a reason to have children when your young lol. At 57 it was tough keeping up with a sick 7 month old and a wired for sound 3 year old. But we survived. Both kids are happy and healthy now. The best part, I was able to keep my drinking in check.
Thursday night out with a few girls, not that kind of "out"
No alcohol involved. Even though these are wine loving ladies also. However when I got home, had to have my two before going to bed.
Friday.....I think I had two???
Saturday, 3
Sunday 4......huh ohhh I see a trend there LOL
But, it is better then my plan I set out at the beginning of the month.
Now, suppose to be 3 per night during the week...…..gonna be hard tonight once those kiddos head home. I will have to stay focused and remember how good it feels without that morning after sluggish feeling from a little buzz.
@beebva4 I totally agree! We work hard during the week, then blow it on the weekend, especially late out night ravishing through the cupboards. Ugghhh
#movingatourpace4 -
I started something new to help me be more "aware" and keep me on top of my tapering plan- I have one of those refrigerator magnet notepads used for shopping lists, where instead I write down my drinking target goal for the day - the day before. My husband sees it, my kids see it. It's out there in plain site - and it seems to be keeping me honest with myself.5
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My goals for March will be the same as the previous months - 4 AF days per week. I have found it to be a realistic goal for me. I hit my goal in February (and surpassed it a little). Daily accountability is good. I was a daily drinker before making this resolve.
I log the next morning usually.
March 01 - 3 drinks - yes, chose to do that because I have a free Saturday to sleep in, basically no responsibilities or commitments. I had a very busy week and it was so nice to finally kick back, have a great dinner and a few drinks.
March 02 - AF
March 03 - AF
March 04 - AF
March 05 - AF - technically my goal of 4AF for the week.
March 06 - AF
March 07 - 3 drinks
March 08 - 3 drinks - time to rack up some more AF days. I think that I broke that good advice on here not to have drinks 2 days in a row. It too quickly can fall back into a habit that I don't want to go back to.
March 09 - AF
March 10 - AF
March 11 - AF - now to get the scale to move!
8 AF days out of 11 days so far5 -
2019 - day 70
ALcohol Free days - 69
Alcohol - 016 -
today’s plan. Don't buy a bottle.
3/7 – well its been 34 hours without my whiskey. Not really an accomplishment for some but after failing at Less I am attempting cold turkey. I do have a couple cheat days planned for social events but no bottles in my house for a long while. I have no confidence that I will succeed.
3/8 – 58 hours AF – long story – delete delete delete. I am regretting cold turkey. To anyone that drinks 1/5th or more of 80 proof a day alcohol. Get medical support or taper off before quitting cold turkey. Read up. I have every symptom besides death so far and I do not feel cleansed of alcohol yet. Going to be a hard weekend!
3/9 – I have not slept well or felt good since Tuesday nights normal binge drinking. Oh Well I didn’t die or drink. I am quite sure I had night tremors or mild seizures the last few nights.
3/10 – one of the hardest days yet but I am sticking to my plan.
3/11 - I debated and debated about not drinking even though the written plan says celebrate on Sundays. Well I eneded up picking up a bottle before going to a party. Bottle sat in the car for the first hour. Then when I opened it I didn’t stop till it was gone. good by 1/5th see you next Sunday. Slept like a baby.
3/12 - AF yesterday but probably still some alcohol in system from Sunday. Slept okay and don’t feel entirely horrible like last week.
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March accountability ~11 days so far
No Alcohol: 5 days
Alcohol: 6 days (11 drinks)
Goal: AF days 4 per week / 16 per month
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. - John C. MaxwellIncluding the last few days of February to monitor my weekly goal which I missed this time around.Mar 11 - AF
Feb 25 - AF
Feb 26 - 2 glasses of wine
Feb 27 - AF
Feb 28 - AF - @ fishing camp for long weekend which is always a challenge!
Mar 1 - 2 glasses of wine
Mar 2 - 2 glasses of wine
Mar 3 - 2 glasses of wine - driving this evening 5 hrs but then unexpected dinner at my sisters afterwards for spaghetti & wine
Mar 4 - 2 glasses of wine - DH picked up a bottle for dinner
Mar 5 - AF: Don’t order alcohol on plane even though you have free drink tickets! DH did but I ordered bloody mary mix instead. Then at dinner after we landed I drank water while he had wine.
Mar 6 - 2 glasses of Albariño (white spanish wine). San Francisco: One glass at each restaurant we explored (Hog Island Oyster Co & Coqueta 5 Spanish tapas) and NO nightcap back at the hotel!
Mar 7 - 1 beer - DH's sales rep had a beer waiting for me when I joined them after I strolled through the San Fran MOMA for 4 hours. No will power to turn it away when sitting in 3rd Street Tap Room.
DH & I made a pact no alcohol for the rest of Lent which will commence for us Friday! This will be very challenging for the both of us.
Mar 8 - AF
Mar 9 - AF
Mar 10 - AF
It was a rough week of challenges but managed to pull together 4 of 7 days AF!2 -
gladys0919 wrote: »I started off really strong, was going into weekend number 2 AF. Friday was a breeze, saturday we even went out to eat and i didnt order booze, order seltzer water! YESTERDAY however, girls came over and I cooked and drank a half bottle of pinot by myself and two shots of tequila. Woke up beating myself up cos i was going to SO WELL with AF weekends. BUT reading thru here i decided NOT to beat myself up any more, its LESS alcohol... and I am doing REALLY well with that ... ((SIGH)) here is to a good week
Exactly, don’t beat yourself up! You have made huge changes and have been doing great! I feel the same way that I have been doing really strong. I had a few planned nights of drinking in Feb and drank too much. I was frustrated with myself and then took a look back of all the progress I have made compared to last year!!! Woo HOO!!! I feel so much better!3 -
@marchvi86 Good work on pushing yourself. Keep it up, you'll see progress!
@gladys0919 Yep, just like you keep telling me. I am so proud of you!! I think you're doing great. Let's keep making these improvements
Yes, I do need to come to this group every day. It keeps me motivated to focus on Less Alcohol
My weekday goal is 3 per night. Close last night...…..but went for the 4th. I almost fell asleep after two and should have gone to bed! But it was only 8 pm and my innerself wouldn't let me. So two more beers.
I feel more confident tonight I can keep to the 3 per night.
Have a great Less Alcohol Tuesday everyone!3 -
Hi guys!
I know it's half way through the month but if it's okay I'd like to join you. Annie Grace, Mr Beck and Alan Carr are all great reads and I followed Annie Grace's 30 day alcohol experiment last year heading into the summer and was super hyped. I had decided my decision was to try and moderate after the challenge, I had a holiday coming and planned to drink then but moderate once it was over. That was the 17th Aug 2018..... I've drank everyday since right up until last Sat 9th. I'm not sure if moderation is an option for me, I'm it seems an all out nothing kind of guy. So anyway I'm here now, I have planned to make some changes and if I'm honest I'm not sure what the end game looks like but something has to change. So it's 3 days AF, it's my daughters 21st bday party on Sat so if penciled that in but the plan is continue AF for the rest of the month after that.
Wish me luck
And good luck to everyone.
I hope I haven't rambled too long
Bless x6 -
pramason38 wrote: »Hi guys!
I know it's half way through the month but if it's okay I'd like to join you. Annie Grace, Mr Beck and Alan Carr are all great reads and I followed Annie Grace's 30 day alcohol experiment last year heading into the summer and was super hyped. I had decided my decision was to try and moderate after the challenge, I had a holiday coming and planned to drink then but moderate once it was over. That was the 17th Aug 2018..... I've drank everyday since right up until last Sat 9th. I'm not sure if moderation is an option for me, I'm it seems an all out nothing kind of guy. So anyway I'm here now, I have planned to make some changes and if I'm honest I'm not sure what the end game looks like but something has to change. So it's 3 days AF, it's my daughters 21st bday party on Sat so if penciled that in but the plan is continue AF for the rest of the month after that.
Wish me luck
And good luck to everyone.
I hope I haven't rambled too long
Bless x
WELCOME! and it is never too late to join us! Glad you are here !4 -
Heavy over the weekend, was disappointed. Nothing yesterday, so that's good. Today going to a cookout for dinner and I really don't want to drink anything. I know I feel sooo much better not drinking and I can't afford to get sloppy again if I want to keep up my really good gradual weight loss. Wish me luck!
I must stay strong!
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Heavy over the weekend, was disappointed. Nothing yesterday, so that's good. Today going to a cookout for dinner and I really don't want to drink anything. I know I feel sooo much better not drinking and I can't afford to get sloppy again if I want to keep up my really good gradual weight loss. Wish me luck!
I must stay strong!
good luck!🤞
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Oh wow Im so glad I found this board! I have been trying so hard to go AF for a while now and its been a real struggle. My problem is wine I love to come home every night and have a few glasses or bottle of wine and then on the weekend my bf and I will drink tequila. I know that drinking makes me feel like crap every morning when I get up. I know its made me gain so much weight has had an effect on my life I've been lazy I dont go out and do things that i use to I would much rather sit on the couch with my wine. I haven't been able to go more then 2-3 days with out it.
Yesterday I did good I came home made dinner, exercised on my gazelle, relaxed and went to bed. I want to be able to keep this up all week every week. I get so stressed at work on my way home I think about how nice it will be to have that glass of wine and I really want to change this way of thinking. I want to be able to replace alcohol with exercise and getting out enjoying life and experiences on the weekend not being drunk then nursing a hangover the next day.
Im looking forward to the support i can get from this thread and you all! ANd to support you all in return So heres to day 2 of being AF wish me luck!8 -
Hi all. My husband and I made an agreement that we would still drink in restaurants or social occasions. But no more just the two of us, sitting around the house. We are having... mixed success sticking to that, but overall we are on a positive trend.
Next week, I am going on a six-day backpacking trip. No temptation--there is no alcohol to be had in the back-country. And the sponsoring organization (Campfire USA) doesn't permit alcohol on their trips even if I wanted to pack some in or something. I would just die of shame if I got busted sipping on a flask in my tent. So for six days, I am "safe" from temptation.5
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