Less Alcohol - APRIL 2020 - One Day at a Time

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Replies

  • Beka3695
    Beka3695 Posts: 4,126 Member
    My new go-to grownup drink. I call it the Pink Fizzy Kicker. 3g7f64j1r1h7.jpg
    2/3 diet ginger beer, 1/3 diet cranberry juice, splash of lemon. And ya, I broke out my Wine and Friends cocktail napkins. Cuz why can't I? (Or course, I was drinking with neither, but I had the ambiance while cooking jalapeno shrimp.)

    I am all about the mocktails!!! It helps keep the FOMO at bay!
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,515 Member
    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!
    18AF days for March
    Onward to April : - )

    Wednesday April 01 - AF
    Thursday April 02 - AF - Felt like having drinks, but really determined to get back to at least 2AF days in between.
    Friday April 03 - AF because I have a webinar in the morning that I want to be sharp for. Planned wine with a friend for her birthday - yes, we will stay 2 metres apart and likely outside.
    Saturday April 04 - Drinks
    Sunday April 05 - AF
    Monday April 06 - AF
    Tuesday April 07 - AF - My Tuesdays have changed, no longer working my tail off and stressed out for the first Tuesday "off". Normally my drinks day. I am really battling to get off the March weight gain, and I know that being more AF helps.
    Wednesday April 08 - 3 drinks
    Thursday April 09 - AF - I need to be AF again tomorrow so as to have at least 2AF days in between. It has been warm and beautiful here, but it is supposed to drop drastically for a week starting Saturday with more snow. I have done work in the garden hoping to get planting soon, but apparently I need to wait.
    Friday April 10 - 3 drinks, broke my own rule of always 2AF days in a row. Just didn't have the willpower today I guess.
    Saturday April 11 - AF
    Sunday April 12 - AF
    Monday April 13 - AF
    Tuesday April 14 - AF - Tuesdays no longer stress me out because I don't go out to work anymore. I have time to work out more, prepare healthy food, get out on the trails everyday. I do work on my little Amazon business at home and have a learning seminar tomorrow morning early, so AF tonight so that I hopefully absorb a bunch.
    Wednesday April 15 - AF - Planned drinks tomorrow. Hey, that was 5 AF days in a row!!
    Thursday April 16 - 3 drinks
    Friday April 17 - AF - Woke up 2 pounds heavier from having drinks. All the more reason to have lots of AF days. Having said that, I am invited for wine and cheese tomorrow afternoon on my friend's patio where we can stay 6 feet away easily. We'll see. I work very very hard at losing weight and really know that the less alcohol days the better for that.
    Saturday April 18 - AF - It was rainy and grey today, so no sitting out on my friend's deck. Tomorrow will be AF also because I have joined a weight challenge that weighs Mondays, so that is my short term motivation to not drink on Sunday. (I seem to gain like 2 pounds the morning after drinking for some reason)
    Sunday April 19 - Drinks on my friend's patio in the hot sun after turning over and weeding 2/3 of my snap pea area.
    Monday April 20 - AF - Finished the Snap Pea area, very hard work with a shovel, lots of bending, squatting, lunging. I would have enjoyed a drink (or 3), but need 2 AF days in a row at least, so tomorrow too.
    Tuesday April 21 - AF - Another afternoon digging in the garden, I really wanted a couple of drinks after that, but I have a learning Webinar tomorrow, and one the next day so I didn't, plus I wanted my 2AF days in a row. Hit the bottom half of my monthly goal today : - )
    Wednesday April 22 - AF
    Thursday April 23 - Drinks
    Friday April 24 - AF - Felt pretty crappy this morning, but weirdly enough really wanted to have drinks tonight. Keeping to my own rule of 2AF days in between.
    Saturday April 25 - 3 drinks - broke my own 2AF day rule for in between.
    Sunday April 26 - AF
    Monday April 27 - 2 drinks. Not a planned drink day at all. Glad that I stopped at 2.

    19AF days out of 27 days so far
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,515 Member
    @shorepine
    Yes. Interesting times. New reality.
    You have an internet connection and a good brain, perhaps time to think outside of the box and come up with something new.
    So many things will never be going back to the way that they were. We have to innovate and adapt.
    Healthcare is a real kicker, even for me who lives in Canada it is.
    Lots of companies have moved online and they really need employees who can work from home, answer emails and phone calls, do administrative stuff.
    I truly hope that you can find something.
    I too am guilty of just wanting that numbing feeling that alcohol provides, but I really really really don't feel well the next day, and my anxiety goes through the roof. Even days where I woke up feeling not "well" I still crave alcohol by the evening time. I get that it is a choice and all of that, but easier said than done. We just have to have resolve...and each other. Checking in here whether we drink or whether we don't really does supply so much comfort and accountability.
  • globalhiker
    globalhiker Posts: 1,511 Member
    @shorepine , since I was laid off a few months ago, I've been working with a job coach who let me know that people experienced in remote working are in demand and now is as good a time as any to find something new because too many people (me too) are holding off applying due to Covid. If your company offers free job coach support, it's worth it. Also, taking any action that benefits oneself is better than sitting and waiting for the last day. A solution exists and you will find it....
  • Beka3695
    Beka3695 Posts: 4,126 Member
    22 AF days/27 days....

    @morrisjen2014 : welcome! let's see, suggestions to deal with breaking the evening drinking that work-here are tactics I used in the beginning and I used all of them!

    1-delaying the first drink (ie: set rules to start at 6pm instead of 5pm)
    2-setting a time to stop the last drinking (ie: last call at 7pm)
    3-spacing- drinking water in between
    4-switching to lower alcohol % drinks, even if it's 11% instead of 13.5%, etc; buy smaller size cans or bottles
    5-measuring (ounces) and tracking, slowing reducing
    6-after reducing significantly, jumping to no drinking for one 24 hr period, done on a lower stress day and go to bed early
    7-drink herbal tea, cranberry juice, or any other non alcohol beverage as a substitute
    8-eating a snack, even if it has to be sugary, helps
    9-stabilizing brain chemicals by doing daily exercise to boost "feel good" hormones
    10-celebrate small successes by buying something small, nice (ie: an exercise top, a travel book, etc)....this helped me learn to reward myself
    11-put a note on the fridge stating your day's goals
    12-patience as progress can be very gradual (for me it was)...and acceptance that progress may wind up looking like 1 step forward, 2 steps back...just the way it is!
    13-reducing other stressors in the home as much as possible
    14-belief and understanding that today is our day to create the way we want it..

    This is GREAT information!!!
  • dawnbgethealthy
    dawnbgethealthy Posts: 7,515 Member
    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!
    18AF days for March
    Onward to April : - )

    Wednesday April 01 - AF
    Thursday April 02 - AF - Felt like having drinks, but really determined to get back to at least 2AF days in between.
    Friday April 03 - AF because I have a webinar in the morning that I want to be sharp for. Planned wine with a friend for her birthday - yes, we will stay 2 metres apart and likely outside.
    Saturday April 04 - Drinks
    Sunday April 05 - AF
    Monday April 06 - AF
    Tuesday April 07 - AF - My Tuesdays have changed, no longer working my tail off and stressed out for the first Tuesday "off". Normally my drinks day. I am really battling to get off the March weight gain, and I know that being more AF helps.
    Wednesday April 08 - 3 drinks
    Thursday April 09 - AF - I need to be AF again tomorrow so as to have at least 2AF days in between. It has been warm and beautiful here, but it is supposed to drop drastically for a week starting Saturday with more snow. I have done work in the garden hoping to get planting soon, but apparently I need to wait.
    Friday April 10 - 3 drinks, broke my own rule of always 2AF days in a row. Just didn't have the willpower today I guess.
    Saturday April 11 - AF
    Sunday April 12 - AF
    Monday April 13 - AF
    Tuesday April 14 - AF - Tuesdays no longer stress me out because I don't go out to work anymore. I have time to work out more, prepare healthy food, get out on the trails everyday. I do work on my little Amazon business at home and have a learning seminar tomorrow morning early, so AF tonight so that I hopefully absorb a bunch.
    Wednesday April 15 - AF - Planned drinks tomorrow. Hey, that was 5 AF days in a row!!
    Thursday April 16 - 3 drinks
    Friday April 17 - AF - Woke up 2 pounds heavier from having drinks. All the more reason to have lots of AF days. Having said that, I am invited for wine and cheese tomorrow afternoon on my friend's patio where we can stay 6 feet away easily. We'll see. I work very very hard at losing weight and really know that the less alcohol days the better for that.
    Saturday April 18 - AF - It was rainy and grey today, so no sitting out on my friend's deck. Tomorrow will be AF also because I have joined a weight challenge that weighs Mondays, so that is my short term motivation to not drink on Sunday. (I seem to gain like 2 pounds the morning after drinking for some reason)
    Sunday April 19 - Drinks on my friend's patio in the hot sun after turning over and weeding 2/3 of my snap pea area.
    Monday April 20 - AF - Finished the Snap Pea area, very hard work with a shovel, lots of bending, squatting, lunging. I would have enjoyed a drink (or 3), but need 2 AF days in a row at least, so tomorrow too.
    Tuesday April 21 - AF - Another afternoon digging in the garden, I really wanted a couple of drinks after that, but I have a learning Webinar tomorrow, and one the next day so I didn't, plus I wanted my 2AF days in a row. Hit the bottom half of my monthly goal today : - )
    Wednesday April 22 - AF
    Thursday April 23 - Drinks
    Friday April 24 - AF - Felt pretty crappy this morning, but weirdly enough really wanted to have drinks tonight. Keeping to my own rule of 2AF days in between.
    Saturday April 25 - 3 drinks - broke my own 2AF day rule for in between.
    Sunday April 26 - AF
    Monday April 27 - 2 drinks. Not a planned drink day at all. Glad that I stopped at 2.
    Tuesday April 28 - AF - Going to try for AF tomorrow also.

    20AF days out of 28 days so far