Less Alcohol - OCTOBER 2020 - One Day at a Time (Try a Sober October)

LoveyChar · October 2020

I'm grateful for the support I find here. Thirty six consecutive alcohol free days but I'm going camping over the weekend and I don't foresee Sober October existing for me after that point...I am doing well, no pity party or excuses. I just want to be honest about change of plans and I also wanted to say thank you!

Lilylady3k · October 2020

I read an article this evening and thought of all of you. To sum it up I believe we are all pursuing the same thing ... "seeking moderation and balance".

eatingwell.com/article/292004/i-quit-alcohol-for-30-days-and-it-was-pretty-much-amazing/?utm_campaign=cookinglight&utm_content=internalcrosspromotion&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=5f7b574bd3b5930001bb1482&fbclid=IwAR18WbdCMoto6r40prmd-qehgezCoSv69NzzLLjFpIuU2D-h-EFweVloN-o

dawnbgethealthy · October 2020

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.
Sunday October 04 - AF - Really going to try to get back to having at least 2AF days in a row this month.
Monday October 05 - AF - Planned Mojitos Tuesday or Wednesday before the Mint is finished for the year.
Tuesday October 06 - AF - No Mojitos for me today, I was exhausted when I got in from work.

Rolling total: 5 AF days out of 6 days so far.

dawnbgethealthy · October 2020

LoveyChar wrote: »

I'm grateful for the support I find here. Thirty six consecutive alcohol free days but I'm going camping over the weekend and I don't foresee Sober October existing for me after that point...I am doing well, no pity party or excuses. I just want to be honest about change of plans and I also wanted to say thank you!

It will be nice for you to have a couple of drinks while camping.
We are the "less" thread after all.

I would think that it would be freezing cold for camping for you and @shorepine
I know that she is in Oregon, pretty cold at nights there right now. I forget where you are.
Maybe y'all have trailers to camp in : - )

globalhiker · October 2020

Okay. I'm in for 20 days AF for October..! Bring it on.....even if I am not ready...even if it's Covid year....and all the one million excuses why not (politics, unemployed, life sucks and you name it)....hard as it is sometimes it's just really good for me to stop, get tough and just do it.....

imgwendolyn2015 · October 2020

My drink of choice lately has been hard seltzers, so instead, I am drinking LaCroix when I feel like I need something. It's a tricky trick, but works! Yesterday, when I heard that Eddie Van Halen died, I could have drank myself into oblivion but I resisted. He is my idol, Mr. Magic Hands. RIP Eddie!

shorepine · October 2020

Nice @LoveyChar, I see you are a fall camper too! @dawnbgethealthy the weather right now is a little unpredictable in Oregon but we just had a spat of seasonally warm, pretty much summer weather. That is what prompted the camping last weekend. I even went swimming in a lake! Granted it was a brief swim, but it was still a swim. Where I live over on the coast, it is more of a rainy maritime climate. It doesn't get cold in the winter or warm in the summer, it just rains in the winter. We usually don't go camping in the winter because it is so rainy.

I was AF again yesterday. One thing I have successfully done this year is avoid drinking out of habit. For the past few years I'd been drinking every night. I may have taken a day off here or there, but it was a big deal when that happened. I'm glad I've been taking this time to keep track of my drinking.

Oct 1: 2 drinks
Oct 2: 6 drinks
Oct 3: 4 drinks
Oct 4: AF
Oct 5: AF
Oct 6: AF

So far in Oct: 3/6 days AF

LoveyChar · October 2020

@dawnbgethealthy & @shorepine I'm in central Texas and it's only now cool enough to camp (in my opinion). It's still in the high 80's and low 90's here! It never really feels like fall here but I was raised in PA so I do appreciate a beautiful, chilly fall.

chocolate_owl · October 2020

@flossyruby1 It's never too late to join! This challenge is what you make of it; set your own goals and post as often as you need to to stay on track.

I fell victim to @looneycatblue 's 3rd day craving last night. Work was physically brutal, and by the end I was craving a whole pizza and a whole bottle of rich red wine while lying in bed watching trashy TV. I compromised and stuck to my healthy dinner with 2 glasses of lower-alcohol white. So not AF, but not as much as I normally would drink. Partial win.

Tonight will definitely be AF because I've got a minor procedure tomorrow and alcohol 24 hours before is a no-no.

Oct 1: 7 drinks (last day in Colorado, drank everything we had left...)
Oct 2: AF
Oct 3: 3 drinks? 4? We opened 2 bottles of wine, but husband was drinking a lot faster than I was, and he was doing the pouring.
Oct 4: AF
Oct 5: AF
Oct 6: 2 drinks
Oct 7: AF

Week 1: 4 AF days, 12ish drinks. Doctor would scold me. Next week will be better.

@LoveyChar Why is Texas so stubborn about the heat breaking?! I'm ready to plant my flowers for fall, but it's supposed to be 90 again this weekend

globalhiker · October 2020

Today is my Day 1 AF for Oct. Armed and ready with a case of Pellegrino and organic 100% Cranberry juice.

my new mantra: I Expect Success and Nothing Less.

globalhiker · October 2020

@chocolate_owl, today marks the 4th day I am back from vacation and my "allergies" turned into what I think is a full blown sinus infection/cold. Out of caution, I went for a Covid test this morning. Now I sit and wait. Crap!

I do think restaurant dining is too risky. Even if the place is empty, just opened, just cleaned etc. It's too easy for the place to sudden fill up, someone near you start coughing, the waiter start to handle other people's dirty dishes and napkins then use those same hands to serve your food. Then the free chips and salsa arrive and you find yourself using your bare hands to pick up the chips. The diners sitting down to eat are not the Covid-free locals, they are the tourists from mainly California, Texas, and Florida (in our case)....states where Covid was high. There's just a dozen ways to pick up germs inside a restaurant. No more eating out for us until the vaccine.

looneycatblue · October 2020

I almost gave into the 3rd day cravings... sometimes I want to drink just to drown out the complaints, stomping around, slamming doors, moody teenager / "25" y/o step daughter... just puts me into a bad mood, but the drinking really doesn't help, the issues are still there!

4 AF / 6 days

MissMay · October 2020

Hi ya everyone!!!

Nope did not fall off the face of the Earth. I can only take writing my posts so many times just to have them disappear. So I had to "step away from the computer" before it became a mooring block in the water.

Hello to all our new joiners. Come on in and start drinking YOUR amount of less today.

I had wrote that the word SOBER has a few different meanings to different people.
I can mean total abstinence from alcohol. "I am never drinking again, I am going to be SOBER."
OR
It can also mean that you have drank alcohol but are in total control and have no ill after effects. "Do you think your SOBER enough to drive, you have had some drinks?"

I myself use it in the second example. If I wake up from drinking some alcohol the night before and I have no headache and did not barf then it was a sober drinking night for me.

Use it as you see fit. I wrote this to let everyone know that if you want a SOBER OCTOBER then maybe your already having one by the second example.

I am having some drinks, yet keeping it at a SOBER level.

Lilylady3k · October 2020

globalhiker wrote: »

@chocolate_owl, today marks the 4th day I am back from vacation and my "allergies" turned into what I think is a full blown sinus infection/cold. Out of caution, I went for a Covid test this morning. Now I sit and wait. Crap!

@globalhiker - Yes even those things we think are sinus infections have to be investigated these days. My DIL was at work with 2 bosses ... they were the only 3 there. The bosses refused to wear masks. One said he had a sinus infection. She got sick , got tested positive ... called them and said guys you need to check it out ... that is not a sinus infection. SIGH She is doing better now but had runny nose then breathing issues.
The new norm

Lilylady3k · October 2020

DH is once again helping me stay AF at home (primarily for my weight loss)! Nothing in the house which makes it easier for both of us. This evening on our walk after dinner he mentioned that when he drinks he is getting night sweats (like when I had hot flashes during menopause). He says he notices that he sleeps better when not drinking and that is an incentive.

Here is to more regular AF days in October!

Oct accountability: 2/7 days AF
This week: 2 AF days
Goal: AF days 4 per week / 16 per month; limit 1-2 glasses per day

Lilylady3k · October 2020

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month!!! All you girls go out and get your mammogram! My Mom & sister both had it and survived (sister 43 stage 4 given 3 years to live and she is now 58, my mom was 50 when she discovered it and now 83). My best friend is a 4 year survivor too.
Guys it is important for you too to check in with your doctors (I have a guy friend that is a 3x breast cancer survivor).
We can beat this with early detection!

MissMay · October 2020

A QUOTE FROM: BREAKING THE BOOZE HABIT, EVEN BRIEFLY, HAS IT'S BENEFITS ~

"You know, alcohol is the only drug in which you have to give a reason for why you don't do it"

globalhiker · October 2020

Day 1 AF done. Slept well too.

Expect Success and Nothing Less

shorepine · October 2020

@Lilylady3k thanks for the mammogram reminder. I am late getting mine and missed last year. I'll make an appointment with my doctor today!

@MissMay thanks for your thoughts on the word "sober". They really resonate with me, I want to be sober in life, meaning spending more of my days with a clear head and under the influence. But the thought of truly being "sober", meaning, never having any alcohol at all, always made me feel like I wasn't eligible for that club.

@globalhiker sorry about your illness. I hope your covid test is neg!

shorepine · October 2020

Annnnnnd, my daily log. Doing good. 4 days in a row of no alcohol, a nice refreshing break after my somewhat boozey camping trip last weekend. I've also been eating really well this week too and the scale has come down a smidge for the first time in a long time.

This thread is focused on alcohol, but I am carrying around 45 extra pounds, and I would REALLY like to get rid of some of them. I was doing well with my weight loss early in the year (Jan-March) and had dropped 10 lbs, but then gained it all back and then some in the initial covid quarantine era. As a result, I've been feeling sluggish and tired, despite the fact that I've been exercising regularly and drinking a lot less. I am sure that I will feel better without some of this extra weight, so I am really going to focus on my food and logging for the rest of 2020. My goal is to lose 15 pounds by the end of the year.

Oct 1: 2 drinks
Oct 2: 6 drinks
Oct 3: 4 drinks
Oct 4: AF
Oct 5: AF
Oct 6: AF
Oct 7: AF

So far in Oct: 4/7 days AF

Lilylady3k · October 2020

@globalhiker I do hope your results are negative for COVID19!

Yes restaurants are tough these days. My DIL that was a waitress a few years back said that between washing your utensils to getting them to your table it is likely that 4 employees have touched them. YIKES! I guess that goes for your water glass and plate too. hmmmmm

dawnbgethealthy · October 2020

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.
Sunday October 04 - AF - Really going to try to get back to having at least 2AF days in a row this month.
Monday October 05 - AF - Planned Mojitos Tuesday or Wednesday before the Mint is finished for the year.
Tuesday October 06 - AF - No Mojitos for me today, I was exhausted when I got in from work.
Wednesday October 07 - Various Mojitos, Strawberry Mint, Orange Mint, Chocolate Mint, and mixtures of them.

Rolling total: 5 AF days out of 7 days so far.

Lilylady3k · October 2020

Kitchen is closed this evening at 6:15 ... and so is the bar

Another evening AF!

Oct accountability: 3/8 days AF
This week: 3 AF days
Goal: AF days 4 per week / 16 per month; limit 1-2 glasses per day

dawnbgethealthy · October 2020

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.
Sunday October 04 - AF - Really going to try to get back to having at least 2AF days in a row this month.
Monday October 05 - AF - Planned Mojitos Tuesday or Wednesday before the Mint is finished for the year.
Tuesday October 06 - AF - No Mojitos for me today, I was exhausted when I got in from work.
Wednesday October 07 - Various Mojitos, Strawberry Mint, Orange Mint, Chocolate Mint, and mixtures of them.
Thursday October 08 - AF - Aiming for 2 in a row.

Rolling total: 6 AF days out of 8 days so far.

Samand303 · October 2020

DH made fresh salsa verde, which required a beer. Glad to open my Dogfish lo-cal and follow it with a Brooklyn AF beer. I will need to get my 6-pack if October beers though, before they disappear.

Thanks the the thoughts on “sober”. I too always thought I would not ever belong to that club. But sober-ish, a drink sometimes with a focus on moderation, that fits me.

globalhiker · October 2020

Day 2 AF done, 18 more to go. Slept great last night and even got in 10 hours of sleep. Dreamy.

Dawn, chocolate mint mojitos sounds divine right now. Being on my AF diet, I will likely plan for Chocolate Mint Halo ice cream as my Friday night treat.

Expect Success and Nothing Less

chocolate_owl · October 2020

Oct 1-7: 12ish drinks, 4 AF days
Oct 8: AF

There's something mentally challenging about NEEDING to not drink instead of CHOOSING to not drink. There was a 12-hour ban on alcohol after my procedure, so the earliest I could have had a drink was 11pm (bedtime). The procedure was diagnostic, and the hope was it would temporarily relieve my pain, but instead it triggered a lot more pain than I usually have. Bad pain makes me want to drink, and I wasn't supposed to, and I basically stewed about it the whole night even though this was a planned AF day.

On a positive note, 3 of my 4 vacation pounds have already fallen off, and I'm feeling like losing 4 more pounds by the end of October is doable. That will be 10 lbs down, and I get to buy a new kitchen knife after losing 10 lbs, so I want to get there ASAP

Gotta keep that goal in mind when I consider alcohol tonight. Planned food is over calories already so I have no room for alcohol, even if my week has been really rough...

@globalhiker I hope that test comes back negative! I haven't been out to eat since March, and I miss it terribly, but it's terrifying to think that the one time you step out of your bubble a bit you might end up sick

shorepine · October 2020

Good morning! Well, it's morning for me anyway.

@FeelinFooFoo that sounds like a day of total hell at work. I am so sorry! I'd have wine too if I were you. I hope it gets better at work soon. I like the idea of 'soberish' October. That is a bit more my speed right now.
@Samand303 I agree that homemade fresh salsa almost requires a beer, and I'm not even really much of a beer drinker.
Also, now I want mojitos too @dawnbgethealthy !

However, I did have 3 glasses of wine last night (unplanned) so I think I'm going to have to lay off the mojitos this weekend. I may take a page from @globalhiker and look into that mint chocolate ice cream. I LOVE mint chocolate, in almost any form.

My 3 glasses of wine happened because my father and his GF packed up their car yesterday and informed me they were headed home. YAY! He also said they would come over with some wine as a last hurrah last night. Given that we are on opposite ends of the political spectrum and the last month with them here has been riddled with anxiety, I pretty much can't be around them without having a glass of wine, so I happily indulged with them. I wish I didn't have THREE glasses, but what's done is done. Before that I was toying with the idea of joining the sober October people for the rest of the month at least, but that's not going to happen now. Also, a friend is coming over tomorrow for a socially distanced get together, and we'll probably have some wine.

Oct 1: 2 drinks
Oct 2: 6 drinks
Oct 3: 4 drinks
Oct 4: AF
Oct 5: AF
Oct 6: AF
Oct 7: AF
Oct 8: 3 drinks

So far in Oct: 4/8 days AF

Lilylady3k · October 2020

Thought we were having 1 bottle of wine with dinner but DH came home with 2 bottles ... a red and a white. Both beautiful Spanish wines that I love. I did not drink any of the red Ribera del Duero. Had 2 glasses of the Albariño as planned with the fish. Stuck with my plan.

Oct accountability: 3/9 days AF
This week: 3 AF days
Goal: AF days 4 per week / 16 per month; limit 1-2 glasses per day

Lilylady3k · October 2020

Oh wow!!! DH had 2 glasses of red and 1 glass of white this evening. He left the bottles recorked for another evening. It is a first! Neither bottle is empty.

Less Alcohol - OCTOBER 2020 - One Day at a Time (Try a Sober October)

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