Daily check in (think I should do a daily check in, to keep me accountable!) 🙈
Okay so I done my weekly food shop today as I usually do on a Thursday.....I goofed around with my partner, joking about wanting to pick up wine for the weekend (gotta be honest, the way that work is, busy, full on and never ending work load working in mental health while being understaffed ) I have been fantasizing recently about sipping a glass of vino to de stress and zone out but I also don't want to fall back into my old habit of using alcohol for that. I joked to him about what he would do if I took a toddler style temper tantrum in front of the wine isle shouting "I want wine waaaaa!" He said he would end the relationship so I settled with just picking up some nice food ! Think I just had to vocalise my thoughts about wine this weekend, and get it off my chest! It helped.
1st Oct ~ AF 👍(not a challenge for me, I don't tend to drink during the working week)
A nice little, unexpected win tonight. My partner came home from his dad's, they had watched a football game and their team won, so he had came home very happy and had X2 cans of beer his dad gave him away with him. He offered me 1 and I easily said no thanks.
(The old me would have grabbed it, these little wins bolster my confidence I have made real sustained changes in my drinking habits. Happy days) 😊😄
Hello Everyone.
I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.
I do it kind of diary style:
Thursday October 01 - AF - I did manage 17AF days for September even though I drank every single day (moderately) of my birthday week while away. I had to wean myself off of that path.
A lovely day to start out to a pumpkin patch farm.
Welcome to all our new people interested in drinking less alcohol OR we are running a "special" this month try a sober October
.
AF stands for alcohol free @imgwendolyn2015
2nd Oct ~ AF 👍 (I kinda thought about drinking tonight, but decided I didn't actually want to, which is a good sign as it's a Friday evening & I could have drank tonight, if I had really wanted to)
I had pre planned to watch some tv series I have been enjoying, and I dont really enjoy watching tv while drinking. I don't know why, just never been my thing. I prefer music when having a drink i guess. So as i knew it was gona be a Friday evening, I pre planned to sit down and watch some good telly. It worked!
Hello Everyone.
I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.
I do it kind of diary style:
Thursday October 01 - AF - I did manage 17AF days for September even though I drank every single day (moderately) of my birthday week while away. I have to wean myself off of that path.
Friday October 02 - AF - I really felt like having drinks though.
It's taken me a couple of days of feeling lousy during the past few weeks to connect the dots....If I drink 3 (or more) glasses of wine in an evening, I will feel lethargic and headachy the next day (i.e., hungover). I used to think of hangover as that college-inspired time, tossing my cookies and room spinning and requiring really crappy fast food the next day. Now, it's just a headache and feeling like I'm in a fog. I'm sure there were days in the past years that I just thought I had a headache when I woke up and blamed it on sinus or something else. FINALLY, since I've cut back on my drinking, I have been able to see this connection.
@imgwendolyn2015, I'm not in the Alcohol-Free camp. My goal is to just drink a bit less and to make a real choice when and what I decide to drink. I was intimidated by all the AF comments when I first started following this about 6 months ago. Don't worry about it...Stick around for a while.
An example of the progress I've made: Last night I knew I wanted something to drink while I was hanging in the kitchen and fixing roasted beets gratin. Instead of just reaching for the first thing I saw (red wine), I pondered it for a good 10 minutes. I decided on a gin and tonic, with a fresh lime from our key lime tree in the backyard and the last of my bottle of locally produced gin (took a chance on a local distillery and Loved It). So mindless drinking became a wonderful, tasty, concoction that even makes me smile while I'm typing this. Hope you all have a good weekend!
3rd Oct ~ AF 👌(Feeling quite happy I have made it through the weekend AF as the weekend tends to be my Achilles heel!)
Since I am on a AF streak of 15 days, I can really notice the difference in my skin. It looks much plumper / fresher. And my eyes look brighter and clearer. Its providing good motivation to keep me on track for my sober October!
I need this thread right now! This covid has me in a depression. I have been drinking a bottle of wine a day for the past 3 weeks and have gained weight but have not stepped on the scale. It's Saturday, October 3rd and will try to not drink a bottle. Wish me luck!
My primary concern is not so much the number of times I drink but not drinking to excess!!
If I can keep it to 1-2 drinks each time I do drink I'll be happier than if I make my 4 AF days per week / 16 AF days per month!
No all-or-nothing mentality. If not perfect and not have an AF day then that doesn't give me permission to just go overboard and drink as much as I want. That whole deal ... if you've fallen off the wagon might as well go full blown and get it out of your system ... is not an option.
Yes, it's the drink to excess for me as well, that's the most important. I heard a great saying a few years ago, " instead of it's all or nothing... try it's all or something"
Something that helps me if I'm having a little 'I'm bored, it's Saturday', moments.......
I don't necessarily need or want alcohol to cure this....but that thought pattern is still active, albeit getting lesser...
Pop in my ear phones and have a boogie. I always used to think I needed alcohol to enjoy music. Not so ! I love how music can transport me to my happy place, even sober. Pretty sure I must have atleast burnt a few calories too. I hope I did anyway 😁💃🏼
Hello Everyone.
I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.
I do it kind of diary style:
Thursday October 01 - AF - I did manage 17AF days for September even though I drank every single day (moderately) of my birthday week while away. I have to wean myself off of that path.
Friday October 02 - AF - I really felt like having drinks though.
Saturday October 03 - Drinks. I did flirt with the idea of an AF October...for a minute. Not yet, and not sure if ever I will want to be joining the sober squad.
@Samand303
I grow Beets, I make Harvard, Borscht, Roasted with Thyme from my garden, plain boiled with butter...but I would never think of putting cheese on Beets! Well.. you go girl : - )
You have a Key Lime Tree!!!!!????? I didn't even think that Key Limes were even real except for some sort of weird hybrid from like Monsanto or something. Completely impressed that you can pick limes from your yard! You must live somewhere Tropical/Hot. Kind of jelly over here.
So far I am 1/4 days AF for October. I drank heavily on Friday but only had one hard seltzer yesterday. Today I am going to get out and hike and just reset my mind. I need to get ready for another long week at work and a stressful Saturday with the third anniversary of my step sons death. Thinking about it as moderation and being able to allow it for myself a few days a month makes it easier to avoid it. I log all my calories too and am devoted to losing the weight so that helps keep me on track too.
Replies
Okay so I done my weekly food shop today as I usually do on a Thursday.....I goofed around with my partner, joking about wanting to pick up wine for the weekend (gotta be honest, the way that work is, busy, full on and never ending work load working in mental health while being understaffed ) I have been fantasizing recently about sipping a glass of vino to de stress and zone out but I also don't want to fall back into my old habit of using alcohol for that. I joked to him about what he would do if I took a toddler style temper tantrum in front of the wine isle shouting "I want wine waaaaa!" He said he would end the relationship so I settled with just picking up some nice food ! Think I just had to vocalise my thoughts about wine this weekend, and get it off my chest! It helped.
1st Oct ~ AF 👍(not a challenge for me, I don't tend to drink during the working week)
(The old me would have grabbed it, these little wins bolster my confidence I have made real sustained changes in my drinking habits. Happy days) 😊😄
I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.
I do it kind of diary style:
Thursday October 01 - AF - I did manage 17AF days for September even though I drank every single day (moderately) of my birthday week while away. I had to wean myself off of that path.
Rolling total: 1 AF day out of 1 day so far.
@imgwendolyn2015
AF = Alcohol Free
This week: 2 AF Days
A lovely day to start out to a pumpkin patch farm.
Welcome to all our new people interested in drinking less alcohol OR we are running a "special" this month try a sober October
.
AF stands for alcohol free @imgwendolyn2015
2nd Oct ~ AF 👍 (I kinda thought about drinking tonight, but decided I didn't actually want to, which is a good sign as it's a Friday evening & I could have drank tonight, if I had really wanted to)
I had pre planned to watch some tv series I have been enjoying, and I dont really enjoy watching tv while drinking. I don't know why, just never been my thing. I prefer music when having a drink i guess. So as i knew it was gona be a Friday evening, I pre planned to sit down and watch some good telly. It worked!
I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.
I do it kind of diary style:
Thursday October 01 - AF - I did manage 17AF days for September even though I drank every single day (moderately) of my birthday week while away. I have to wean myself off of that path.
Friday October 02 - AF - I really felt like having drinks though.
Rolling total: 1 AF day out of 1 day so far.
Oct accountability: 0/2 days AF
@imgwendolyn2015, I'm not in the Alcohol-Free camp. My goal is to just drink a bit less and to make a real choice when and what I decide to drink. I was intimidated by all the AF comments when I first started following this about 6 months ago. Don't worry about it...Stick around for a while.
An example of the progress I've made: Last night I knew I wanted something to drink while I was hanging in the kitchen and fixing roasted beets gratin. Instead of just reaching for the first thing I saw (red wine), I pondered it for a good 10 minutes. I decided on a gin and tonic, with a fresh lime from our key lime tree in the backyard and the last of my bottle of locally produced gin (took a chance on a local distillery and Loved It). So mindless drinking became a wonderful, tasty, concoction that even makes me smile while I'm typing this. Hope you all have a good weekend!
3rd Oct ~ AF 👌(Feeling quite happy I have made it through the weekend AF as the weekend tends to be my Achilles heel!)
Since I am on a AF streak of 15 days, I can really notice the difference in my skin. It looks much plumper / fresher. And my eyes look brighter and clearer. Its providing good motivation to keep me on track for my sober October!
Yes, it's the drink to excess for me as well, that's the most important. I heard a great saying a few years ago, " instead of it's all or nothing... try it's all or something"
I don't necessarily need or want alcohol to cure this....but that thought pattern is still active, albeit getting lesser...
Pop in my ear phones and have a boogie. I always used to think I needed alcohol to enjoy music. Not so ! I love how music can transport me to my happy place, even sober. Pretty sure I must have atleast burnt a few calories too. I hope I did anyway 😁💃🏼
I am Dawn and live in South East British Columbia. I am 60.
My goal remains the same as it has been for quite some time, 16-20 AF days per month.
I do it kind of diary style:
Thursday October 01 - AF - I did manage 17AF days for September even though I drank every single day (moderately) of my birthday week while away. I have to wean myself off of that path.
Friday October 02 - AF - I really felt like having drinks though.
Saturday October 03 - Drinks. I did flirt with the idea of an AF October...for a minute. Not yet, and not sure if ever I will want to be joining the sober squad.
Rolling total: 2 AF days out of 3 days so far.
I grow Beets, I make Harvard, Borscht, Roasted with Thyme from my garden, plain boiled with butter...but I would never think of putting cheese on Beets! Well.. you go girl : - )
You have a Key Lime Tree!!!!!????? I didn't even think that Key Limes were even real except for some sort of weird hybrid from like Monsanto or something. Completely impressed that you can pick limes from your yard! You must live somewhere Tropical/Hot. Kind of jelly over here.
Day #4 of Sober October. Let's see how long that lasts...