Less Alcohol - MARCH 2020 - One Day at a Time

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  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,548 Member
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    Well do not have to fret about my planned event next weekend, canceled and rescheduled in June as well. I was hoping it would be canceled anyhow.

    Yum chocolate cake served with a glass of chocolate wine. Pure evil. 😎


    Half way through our March Mindness. How are YOU doing? From everything I have read this month and compared to past March '18 and '19 on the LESS ALCOHOL thread, this has been the most impressive year for March to date. Congrats to everyone( lurkers included).

    14/14
  • helen_goldthorpe
    helen_goldthorpe Posts: 340 Member
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    Mindfulness going well here. I've realised that when I set myself a numerical target I see that as permission to drink on the other days. But by asking myself each day whether I *actually* want a drink I've kept the whole month AF so far despite a couple of stressful situations (not all coronavirus related either).
  • KrazedBemused
    KrazedBemused Posts: 129 Member
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    12/15 days AF. Yesterday was lovely to catch up with friends, enjoy some sangria and wine and try forget about work! I work in shipping and the current state of affairs is creating so much chaos! I’m learning how to meditate as a stress relief method alternative to wine!
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,553 Member
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    As usual, I am going to try for 16-20 AF days for the month.
    I had 18AF days for January
    I had a surprising (and record setting for me) 21AF days for the short month of February!

    Sunday March 01 - AF - The month kind of came in like a lamb out West.
    Monday March 02 - AF - Tomorrow is my designated drinks day, we'll see. It could have been the strategy that led to 2 AF days in a row, knowing that I have a drinks day coming up. Definitely going to stick with my newest rule to have at least 2 AF days in a row in between which will add up over the month.
    Tuesday March 03 - AF - It is my designated drink day, and I felt like having drinks but decided not to today.
    Wednesday March 04 - AF - I just read up on Kava, it is banned in Canada due to severe liver damage and deaths! Yikes. Guess that I won't be trying that as a relaxing alternative to booze. I will stick with my sugar free jello on AF days.
    Thursday March 05 - 3 drinks, started from work stress (so using it as a stress reliever still) but after the first sip I was feeling better. I have been applying for new jobs, I have known that I have to make a change in that area for quite some time. I already feel like I have made changes to drink less and am feeling pretty successful at that so far. Coming up to 60 this year and know that I need to define how that is going to be. I think that the days of daily drinking are behind me now. Posting daily on this thread gives me the impetus to keep that in check. Quitting smoking will be a big challenge, but that is on my radar too. Losing weight, cutting down drinking...well, I can't quite quit everything just yet. Baby steps.
    Friday March 06 - AF - Felt like having a few drinks, but didn't because of my recent 2AF days in a row rule.
    Saturday March 07 - 3 drinks
    Sunday March 08 - AF
    Monday March 09 - AF - Going to be AF for at least a few days, I have lots going on this week.
    Tuesday March 10 - AF - Stressful work day, my usual drinks day, maybe later in the week.
    Wednesday March 11 - AF - Early morning tomorrow, so no drinks tonight.
    Thursday March 12 - AF - Really felt like having drinks, but I have too much to do tomorrow. I still have mulled wine left in the refrigerator (this never would have happened in the past) probably a glass and a half. Perhaps tomorrow after work I will warm in back up and relax with some. We'll see.
    Friday March 13 - 3 drinks and Nachos. I enjoyed both. Forgot about the mulled wine. Maybe next planned drinks day.
    Saturday March 14 - AF. I looked at the mulled wine still sitting in the fridge, it was snowing today and after shoveling I really thought about warming it up. I had cocoa with orange extract instead, it was lovely.
    Sunday March 15 - Drinks. I finished off the mulled wine from the fridge (warmed it up) and it was delicious. After that, once I realized that this wasn't going to be an AF day I had more drinks. This is one of the downfalls of trying to rack up AF days, once one drink is consumed, it is almost a free for all. Would I be better to try to have 1 drink per day or continue on trying to have AF days and consuming more on the days that were not AF? Conundrum.


    Running tally: 11AF days out of 15 days so far.
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
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    @dawnbgethealthy I enjoy myself tremendously when I have a "self party." For me, the answer is clear and exact. I would rather have a series of alcohol free days and then consume as much as I want on non-alcohol free days. I'm like you "once one drink is consumed, it's almost a free for all," but I enjoy one super fun day as opposed to several "meh" ones.
  • helen_goldthorpe
    helen_goldthorpe Posts: 340 Member
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    15/15
  • forestdweller1
    forestdweller1 Posts: 356 Member
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    Item #1...when purchasing a tin of corned beef, double check to see if the "key" is on the can. The cabbage & 'taters were already bubbling on the stove, so, nothing to do but carry on, and break into the tin by whatever means necessary. Glad I only feed myself, and didn't have a gang of hungry kids watching my idiocy. Stayed with AF beer...and it wasn't even green.
    Item #2...Discovered Catpuccino likes corned beef. Who woulda thunk it ?? Well, maybe it mimics wet cat food ?? Be nice...

    Sounds like everyone is coping fairly well with the current situation. The higher the active exercise level for the out-of-schoolers, the higher the sanity level for the parents !!
  • MissMay
    MissMay Posts: 3,548 Member
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    forestdweller1 wrote: »
    Item #1...when purchasing a tin of corned beef, double check to see if the "key" is on the can. The cabbage & 'taters were already bubbling on the stove, so, nothing to do but carry on, and break into the tin by whatever means necessary. Glad I only feed myself, and didn't have a gang of hungry kids watching my idiocy. Stayed with AF beer...and it wasn't even green.
    Item #2...Discovered Catpuccino likes corned beef. Who woulda thunk it ?? Well, maybe it mimics wet cat food ?? Be nice...

    Sounds like everyone is coping fairly well with the current situation. The higher the active exercise level for the out-of-schoolers, the higher the sanity level for the parents !!

    Oh to be a fly on your wall! I hate when the tab or key comes off of any item. Thank goodness for screwdrivers and hammers. Persevere!
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
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    @forestdweller1 What are you cooking? I wanted to have an Irish meal of Reubens made at home and Shamrock Shakes from McDonald's tomorrow. I love Rye bread and sauerkraut but everyone else in this household thinks it's disgusting.
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,553 Member
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    As usual, I am going to try for 16-20 AF days for the month.
    I had 18AF days for January
    I had a surprising (and record setting for me) 21AF days for the short month of February!

    Sunday March 01 - AF - The month kind of came in like a lamb out West.
    Monday March 02 - AF - Tomorrow is my designated drinks day, we'll see. It could have been the strategy that led to 2 AF days in a row, knowing that I have a drinks day coming up. Definitely going to stick with my newest rule to have at least 2 AF days in a row in between which will add up over the month.
    Tuesday March 03 - AF - It is my designated drink day, and I felt like having drinks but decided not to today.
    Wednesday March 04 - AF - I just read up on Kava, it is banned in Canada due to severe liver damage and deaths! Yikes. Guess that I won't be trying that as a relaxing alternative to booze. I will stick with my sugar free jello on AF days.
    Thursday March 05 - 3 drinks, started from work stress (so using it as a stress reliever still) but after the first sip I was feeling better. I have been applying for new jobs, I have known that I have to make a change in that area for quite some time. I already feel like I have made changes to drink less and am feeling pretty successful at that so far. Coming up to 60 this year and know that I need to define how that is going to be. I think that the days of daily drinking are behind me now. Posting daily on this thread gives me the impetus to keep that in check. Quitting smoking will be a big challenge, but that is on my radar too. Losing weight, cutting down drinking...well, I can't quite quit everything just yet. Baby steps.
    Friday March 06 - AF - Felt like having a few drinks, but didn't because of my recent 2AF days in a row rule.
    Saturday March 07 - 3 drinks
    Sunday March 08 - AF
    Monday March 09 - AF - Going to be AF for at least a few days, I have lots going on this week.
    Tuesday March 10 - AF - Stressful work day, my usual drinks day, maybe later in the week.
    Wednesday March 11 - AF - Early morning tomorrow, so no drinks tonight.
    Thursday March 12 - AF - Really felt like having drinks, but I have too much to do tomorrow. I still have mulled wine left in the refrigerator (this never would have happened in the past) probably a glass and a half. Perhaps tomorrow after work I will warm in back up and relax with some. We'll see.
    Friday March 13 - 3 drinks and Nachos. I enjoyed both. Forgot about the mulled wine. Maybe next planned drinks day.
    Saturday March 14 - AF. I looked at the mulled wine still sitting in the fridge, it was snowing today and after shoveling I really thought about warming it up. I had cocoa with orange extract instead, it was lovely.
    Sunday March 15 - Drinks. I finished off the mulled wine from the fridge (warmed it up) and it was delicious. After that, once I realized that this wasn't going to be an AF day I had more drinks. This is one of the downfalls of trying to rack up AF days, once one drink is consumed, it is almost a free for all. Would I be better to try to have 1 drink per day or continue on trying to have AF days and consuming more on the days that were not AF? Conundrum.
    Monday March 16 - AF


    Running tally: 12AF days out of 16 days so far.
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,553 Member
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    LoveyChar wrote: »
    @dawnbgethealthy I enjoy myself tremendously when I have a "self party." For me, the answer is clear and exact. I would rather have a series of alcohol free days and then consume as much as I want on non-alcohol free days. I'm like you "once one drink is consumed, it's almost a free for all," but I enjoy one super fun day as opposed to several "meh" ones.

    Yes. I was thinking back to when I went to Dallas in the fall for a 2 week vacation, where I had 1-2 glasses of wine each night, slept so well, didn't have the inclination to have more than 1 or 2 because I wasn't restricting myself to only certain days. I was skating in the mornings, reading by the pool in the afternoons, going in the hot tub after dark. I actually lost weight on the trip even though I was daily drinking.

    Getting back to restricting days makes me never stop at one.

    You have much longer stretches of AF days LoveyChar, such good willpower!
  • forestdweller1
    forestdweller1 Posts: 356 Member
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    The gods are laughing !! A few months ago I ordered cases of wine on line because there was a HUGE discount and free shipping. Since then I have received e-mails offering specials...yadda-yadda...ignore. My down cellar wine rack is full enough. Almost untouched. Today I got an e-mail that all on-line and in-store wine and liquor sales will cease as of tomorrow morning. Alcohol sales are state-controlled here. Since I have been really moderate in my consumption lately, it ain't my problem. And I still have a couple cases of AF beer on my back stairs...Mountain Dew Diet is gonna keep me going... o:)

    I jokingly sent a copy of the "No more alcohol sales" e-mail to my daughter in Louisiana. She and her new hubby are non drinkers. I DID include a snarky reference to her ex , who is an active alcoholic. She sent the "no alcohol sales" e-mail to her ex, without my snarky comments. During the hour long conversation he had with her that followed that e-mail, he sent numerous nasty e-mails to the governor of our state. protesting this event.

    "O, wad some Power the giftie gie us to see oursels as ithers see us."

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