Less Alcohol - AUGUST 2020 - One Day at a Time

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

I too felt like having some prosecco (I call it champagne) but I have moved my schedule so that I can go to the lake tomorrow and I don't want to be "fogggy" I really want to enjoy it.

I had this:

It was really good. I chilled the champagne flute first of course, I am fancy like that lol

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

This is the lake that I went to today. Glorious, nice and hot. This lake actually has a few cabins with docks on it, most of the lakes that I go to don't have any houses. It was nice floating by them on my mat dreaming of living there. I could never keep up with the upkeep on something like that, but dreaming is nice to do.

Blue skies, no wind, not a cloud. So lovely.

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

Interesting comment on the wine @MissMay. I used to be able to have a glass of it without it bothering me. I had a glass or two of it every night in Dallas last fall on my vacation, and felt completely fine the next day. This is something new.
Gin, Vodka, Rum don't do that to me at all strangely.
If we wine tour in Osoyoos Okanagan wineries I will have to be prepared to have a slow day after. Hah, or maybe I will taste and spit it out. Do people do that?

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

I am Dawn. 59 (for one more month), I live in SE BC
My goal has remained the same, one that I feel comfortable with: 16-20AF days each month.

Saturday August 01 - Drinks, fancy fruity ones that I concocted.
Sunday August 02 - AF - Didn't really want to be AF, but did.
Monday August 03 - AF - Too windy to go to a lake today (I float on a mat) so I did some stuff around the garden. It is still going to be 100 degrees for a couple of more days, I am going to try to only work in the mornings so that I can get to the lake while it is super hot and not windy. Motivation to not drink is how my belly swells up so big the day after having drinks. Planning on AF again tomorrow.
Tuesday August 04 - AF - Long stressful workday when I should have been at the lake, second to last really hot day. So badly wanted a few cocktails, but fought through it with my newfound "don't drink when you are stressed" tactic. Those cocktails won't be going anywhere, I will have a few on a happy day. Lake time Wednesday no matter what.
Wednesday August 05 - Drinks. Last hot day here, so went to the lake and had some yummy cocktails when I got home.
Thursday August 06 - AF - I will try to be AF tomorrow also to get 2 in a row.
Friday August 07 - AF - Might have drinks with a friend this weekend.
Saturday August 08 - Bunch of drinks with a girlfriend. I was making them, so put half of the alcohol in mine. We had a nice visit.
Sunday August 09 - AF - planning on racking up a few of those.
Monday August 10 - AF - This didn't post for some reason, probably human error : - )
Tuesday August 11 - AF - I really have myself convinced now to not numb myself with alcohol when stressed out. If I have a few drinks when I am happy I enjoy/savour them more. I will probably be making Mojitos again before the mint is finished. When it is almost done I make a giant vat of mint tea, strain it, then freeze it into containers to later put in the blender for a nice minty frozen iced tea drink (no alcohol).
Wednesday August 12 - AF - I have a long hard workday ahead tomorrow, so no drinks tonight.
Thursday August 13 - AF - Very long hard workday today, I really really wanted drinks, but hanging tough.
Friday August 14 - 2 wine and 1 cocktail, feeling woozy, out of the habit of the alcohol, but have a Mojito date with a gf for Sunday, one day to recuperate beforehand.
Saturday August 15 - AF - I didn't feel well all day today. A few weeks ago I had 3 ounces of wine and it was the same the next day. Wine just doesn't agree with me anymore. Even though I like the taste, it is definitely not worth basically missing the whole day after.
Sunday August 16 - AF - Following @MissMay 's sage words from page one and looking after my tomorrow feeling today. Postponed my Mojito get together for today with my friend, told her yesterday when I was feeling so yucky that I just couldn't.

Rolling total 12AF days out of 16 days

MissMay · August 2020

@dawnbgethealthy so glad your foggy brain is lifting....that was a good choice to have your beautiful chilled mock champagne in the tall fluted glass.
Your lake pictures are so intriguing. I want to be on lake water. This salty, yucky, nasty filled ocean water around here is horrible....oh and now the shark attack that killed a woman the next peninsula over, YIKES!
Thank you for bringing us into your world 💜

Darn goldenrod and queen annes lace are doing a number on my all ready sensitive allergies. Wearing my contacts is like having 120grit sand paper rubbing in my eyes. When I meet up with people I know what they are thinking. Rough night last night huh, with too many drinks? Nope.....just slept with the window up and the pollen sifted in.

I have now turned the corner on being more than half way AF for my August goal of a dry month. 16 days down, 15 to go.
😎

MissMay · August 2020

IMPRESS YOURSELF not others

whitpauly · August 2020

6:48 another 24,hope everyone has a fab day! 💖

Lilylady3k · August 2020

Checking back in since I disappeared in March.
My goal drink less alcohol (4 AF days per week; ~16 AF days per month; limit 1-2 glasses per day) worked fine January and February then mid March I slipped.

My daughter's wedding we planned in mid April for 150 people kept changing to 50, then 20, then limited to 10 including the priest ... but we finally were able to include the parents and all the siblings so 13 was the final number of family including the bride and groom. Of course messages out to guest, changing all the bookings for venue, food, drink, flowers, cake, photographer, etc etc. They were married!! And it was lovely.

But my better habits and goals flew out the window. I've had drinks almost daily since then and many times up to 4-5 in an evening. I can count on both hands the number of AF days in April-July.

Fast forward to August. Put on the brakes!!! Started focusing again on myself, my needs, diet, exercise (walking 3 miles per day) and increased my AF days!

August 2020
Aug accountability ~ 16
No Alcohol: 14 days
Alcohol: 2 days (6 drinks)
Goal: AF days 4 per week / 16 per month; limit 1-2 glasses per day

Lilylady3k · August 2020

@dawnbgethealthy Thanks for sharing your band days and lake days pictures! I enjoyed remembering the 70s ... and on the lake is my dream location to live ... one day!

globalhiker · August 2020

18 drinks/16 days...this is what happens when I decide to host a party and there is alcohol left in the house the next day. The good news is I did buy the lowest alcohol I could find that was drinkable, but the bad news is I drank one bottle Friday night and drank the second on Saturday. Barefoot spritzer crisp white. No hangover maybe because of the lower alcohol, but dangerously too drinkable. Still, I counted serving size the same as regular wine because portion control is my issue.

No drinks on Sunday and I really want to stay AF now until my vacation late September, hiking trip in Utah. Plan is to grill our own food. Figured southern Utah should be relatively easy to socially distance and looks to be more AF friendly compared to Arizona.

shorepine · August 2020

Hey all, nice to read your check ins. I hadn't planned on drinking this weekend, but Saturday there was a crazy heat wave here and I just couldn't do anything I had planned. I went for a ride with my daughter early but it was already getting hot. It almost reached 100 at our house, which is unheard of on the Oregon coast. We filled up our big inflatable kiddie pool with cool water, and spent the afternoon lounging. I had made some blueberry lemonade with the kids earlier that day- with our fresh picked blueberries and some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. It was so good, and as I lounged in the kiddie pool I thought, WOW this would be good with vodka. Well, I couldn't resist that temptation and so I enjoyed 2 cocktails that afternoon while relaxing in the kiddie pool during the heat wave. I can't say I am too sorry about it, it was very enjoyable. What I am sorry about is having a THIRD cocktail later that evening- I didn't need it and honestly didn't really enjoy it.

This week we are going camping for 4 nights, starting tomorrow. I really want to not get into my usual habit while camping of drinking an entire bottle of wine a night, every night. My goal is to only enjoy alcohol TWO of the four nights we are camping. I do not know if this is possible for me, but I really want it to be.

Aug 1: 2 drinks
Aug 2: AF
Aug 3: AF
Aug 4: AF
Aug 5: AF
Aug 6: AF
Aug 7: 2 drinks
Aug 8: AF
Aug 9: 2 drinks
Aug 10: 3/4 of a bottle of wine
Aug 11: 3/4 of a bottle of wine
Aug 12: AF
Aug 13: AF
Aug 14: AF
Aug 15: 3 drinks
Aug 16: AF

So far in Aug: 10/16 days AF

Lilylady3k · August 2020

Good luck everyone with any challenges you might be facing as we head into a new week!

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

I am Dawn. 59 (for one more month), I live in SE BC
My goal has remained the same, one that I feel comfortable with: 16-20AF days each month.

Saturday August 01 - Drinks, fancy fruity ones that I concocted.
Sunday August 02 - AF - Didn't really want to be AF, but did.
Monday August 03 - AF - Too windy to go to a lake today (I float on a mat) so I did some stuff around the garden. It is still going to be 100 degrees for a couple of more days, I am going to try to only work in the mornings so that I can get to the lake while it is super hot and not windy. Motivation to not drink is how my belly swells up so big the day after having drinks. Planning on AF again tomorrow.
Tuesday August 04 - AF - Long stressful workday when I should have been at the lake, second to last really hot day. So badly wanted a few cocktails, but fought through it with my newfound "don't drink when you are stressed" tactic. Those cocktails won't be going anywhere, I will have a few on a happy day. Lake time Wednesday no matter what.
Wednesday August 05 - Drinks. Last hot day here, so went to the lake and had some yummy cocktails when I got home.
Thursday August 06 - AF - I will try to be AF tomorrow also to get 2 in a row.
Friday August 07 - AF - Might have drinks with a friend this weekend.
Saturday August 08 - Bunch of drinks with a girlfriend. I was making them, so put half of the alcohol in mine. We had a nice visit.
Sunday August 09 - AF - planning on racking up a few of those.
Monday August 10 - AF - This didn't post for some reason, probably human error : - )
Tuesday August 11 - AF - I really have myself convinced now to not numb myself with alcohol when stressed out. If I have a few drinks when I am happy I enjoy/savour them more. I will probably be making Mojitos again before the mint is finished. When it is almost done I make a giant vat of mint tea, strain it, then freeze it into containers to later put in the blender for a nice minty frozen iced tea drink (no alcohol).
Wednesday August 12 - AF - I have a long hard workday ahead tomorrow, so no drinks tonight.
Thursday August 13 - AF - Very long hard workday today, I really really wanted drinks, but hanging tough.
Friday August 14 - 2 wine and 1 cocktail, feeling woozy, out of the habit of the alcohol, but have a Mojito date with a gf for Sunday, one day to recuperate beforehand.
Saturday August 15 - AF - I didn't feel well all day today. A few weeks ago I had 3 ounces of wine and it was the same the next day. Wine just doesn't agree with me anymore. Even though I like the taste, it is definitely not worth basically missing the whole day after.
Sunday August 16 - AF - Following @MissMay 's sage words from page one and looking after my tomorrow feeling today. Postponed my Mojito get together for today with my friend, told her yesterday when I was feeling so yucky that I just couldn't.
Monday August 17 - Another nice hot day here, a quick trip to a lake. I felt like having drinks, but was so thirsty I settled for another of those Club Sodas (otherwise i would have downed drinks too fast)

Rolling total 13AF days out of 17 days

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

Yet another flavour, this one is Cranberry. I also have some Cucumber Club Sodas in the fridge. Same setting again, my front porch.

Very refreshing.

Lilylady3k · August 2020

2 weeks alcohol free!!! 🚫🍷🥂🍾🍻🍹🍸

whitpauly · August 2020

6:50 am in Vegas another 24,hope everyone has a great day!

looneycatblue · August 2020

Before I loose track!

10.5 AF / 17

MissMay · August 2020

HELLO all

And so awesome to see you again @Lilylady3k! YES those months were hard for us all. Congrats on your recent 2 week AF streak. Always nice to read your posts.

I bet you it is hot in Vegas right now, huh @whitpauly??

We all need to meet up at the lake with @dawnbgethealthy and she will provide us with refreshing cranberry spritzers, in fluted glasses of course.

My day sucked big time.
Rain got into my rain coat pocket, not much, but enough to send my smart phone into a LSD type crazy freak show. I hate how our phones run our lives. I need to slip back to the '70s when life was easy peasy.

Surprised the hell out of myself that I DID NOT break down and guzzle a bottle of bubbles. The old me would be a mess right about now years ago.
Proud of new me.

18 days in August AF

globalhiker · August 2020

To be honest, it's been a challenge week for me...I did not stick to my rules and made excuses because of the extreme heat. It is really bad and my hormones are not happy.

What I see is that I really need to be able to run an hour in the mornings, to socialize at work, to be doing something meaningful for the world, and to breathe clean, cool air. How difficult could that be?

These are my basic needs. I have not been able to do any of these things this past week.

I am not able to open up our windows for 10 min in the early morning because it's insanely hot. I did force myself to take an early walk but the air was smokey from a fire. Ugh. Hot weather at age "almost 55" with hot flashes feels like hell..

dawnbgethealthy · August 2020

Sorry to hear that @globalhiker
I must say that I am really glad to be on the other side of the menopause.

Fires are scary, and the smoke is choking. I live in BC (nothing but trees) where there are usually a lot of fires, and August you can barely see the sky. We have been lucky this year, we had rain in June and the beginning of July - we rarely get rain where I live. Some plants in the garden love the ash, others just die (like petunias, it is too heavy and choking for them).
You might have noticed in my most recent photo of a lake that the hill/mountain looked fairly barren. Fire came through there and actually jumped the lake so some of those cabins are brand new because the old ones burned to the ground. People live there year round because town is only about 15 minutes away.

Less Alcohol - AUGUST 2020 - One Day at a Time

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