Less Alcohol - NOVEMBER 2020 - One Day at a Time

@mw00087 - baby steps! No Friday night drink is a wonderful goal ... especially with you trying to train on Saturdays. I too am not trying to give up drinking ... just drink less

I complemented DH this evening. I've noticed that even though he has opened bottles of wine this week even though he knows I'm trying to not drink any until after my bloodwork on Wednesday ... he has not "polished them off". He is limiting his wine to 2-3 glasses (not 4-6 + whiskey & coke when the bottle is empty). He said "I'm trying" ... which is great! So last night he had a glass of white leftover from the previous night and a glass of red. Tonight he has leftover red from last night. Oh and tonight is DH's birthday 🎂 so I've cooked up crawfish étouffée and roasted broccoli as a treat. My daughter sent over lots of cookies ... which I already had one and need to pass on all the others.

AF again this evening! WHEW this week has seemed long.

Nov accountability: 10/17 days AF

Traded one evil in for another, alcohol for sugar. Today I said I wasn't going to eat or drink any sugar, no creamer in coffee, no Halloween candy. Nothing. And I got so depressed in just a few hours of thinking about it and I ate all the sugar. I really, really need to get it together.

@LoveyChar I traded evils last night too. I've noticed that when I take my edible earlier in the eve, my desire for alcohol decreases considerably. Unfortunately, however, my desire for Snickers, nachos, chips while I'm waiting for the nachos to cook 30 seconds in the microwave...skyrockets. Oh, and peanut M&M'! Seems my DH got into the M&M stash, so at least there's that calorie save. However, I'm without ho (hangover) this morning--yay! And should have enough stored calories for a half-marathon this morning, lol.

3 days down! My snacking in the evening has decreased as well. Yay!

3 days AF!! / 3 days

Goal: 5 AF days a week.

Decisions decisions ...
Finished my bloodwork and physical today! Doctor congratulated me on losing so much since I last saw her
DH went to SPECS liquor store to pick up 6 bottles of wine this evening.

I'm hosting a zoom book club this evening and would like a glass. I lived up to my high expectations for myself the past week on avoiding wine even through the challenges. Now that the goal was met and I've met my weekly goals for November ... I really shouldn't feel guilty about indulging. But I do ... go figure.

I've not yet decided ... wine or no wine for this evening. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Despite not always sharing the same point of view on many things, I do think this is a great group of women.

With that being said, I'm going to try to gain weight over this next week. My dad gives blood every two months. He'd give you the shirt off his back, literally he would. Donating blood is something I've never done. I've never taken from the pool but I've never donated to it either. And I want to. When I had my son, I lost a lot of blood. A vaginal labor with a baby who had the cord wrapped around his neck strangling him resulted in an urgency c-section. I lost so much blood and was offered a blood transfusion, took the hard way because I felt guilty for not donating. Then when I could, I never did. Bottom line is that I want to and I will, at least I hope so. I want to give, I want to help. I'm healthy; I'm just too small to donate blood but I'm not far from where I need to be to donate.

My husband can be a butthead sometimes but he agreed to donate for me if I don't gain the weight. I've gone to the doctor in heavy boots and clothes and I can up the scale and I'm not afraid to try but husband said reason for the weight rule is that they don't want anyone passing out. I'm going to try to let myself gain at least a few pounds or more over the next few weeks in a healthy way. I don't calorie count. But I'm definitely going to let loose on eating or eat more fatty foods. Maybe I could gain muscle weight. Closer to training I lose like crazy. Got down to 99 pounds earlier this year without trying, gained everything and more back in the taper off weeks leading up to it and in the months afterwards.

Point is I'm going to use this upcoming holiday week and subsequent week to gain. This is a weird game changer but Lord knows I can do it. I've never gone this direction before...

I'm still remaining alcohol free until February, 25 days now.

Good to hear from you @forestdweller1 and yes that chocolate rocks!

Anyone seen our friends from Oregon and Montana?

@LoveyChar I can only imagine gaining muscle would give you speed and prevent injury, in your sport. Michael Matthews has some good books on gaining. All I have to do is eat steak and cheese and I can gain 2 lbs a week. Oh and Chinese takeout like Kung Pao Chicken works nicely too.

OK so can I vent? ...because I blew it yesterday. Husband went to work and calls me at 11 am saying that Security is sending him home because a special cleaning crew is arriving to decontaminate his floor. Turns out a contractor was working in his department who was sick and coughing AND knowing that his live in girlfriend tested positive for Covid.

So...now both he and I have to stay home and he needs to get tested for Covid on Sunday and not sooner and won't have results until Wednesday. I alert my kids who told me now they won't come over for Thanksgiving.

Super-pissed so he and I started drinking beer at home "to kill the germs". I guess it won't but it helped our anxiety.

UGH and today being stuck at home happens to be a scheduled internet provider outtage after 8am for 4 hours. That means no Netflix, Youtube etc and I am not supposed to go out.

I will shut up now, put my big-girl pants on and take some deep breaths and try to re-set my head.

@LoveyChar They've changed the weight requirement several times. It feels so good to donate--I applaud you! They've not weighed me in 20 years, so if you're a pound or 2 off, I wouldn't worry but be sure to eat well the night before and right before you donate. And if you're prone to low blood pressure like me, throw some extra salt in your diet the previous week. Oh ya, and don't be shocked when they start asking you if you've had sex for money or been in England or had sex with someone who had sex with an ox with a drug problem prior to 1995 (ok jk on that last one, but it's pretty coo-coo).

Internet is back up! So I went for a short run to diffuse. Helped a bit and trying not to be too much of a diva.

Actually made me think of all the people out there who are contractors or self-employed, who still force themselves to go to work sick because nobody gives them sick days and they have little mouths to feed at home. I am sure the sick guy at work meant no harm and he was called in because he was an expert and "the only one" who knew how to troubleshoot a problem that was critical. Still seething though because DH wore no mask and neither did the contractor yet they were a few cubes away.

@LoveyChar, my heart goes out to you. Just keep running though, so good for the heart and soul.

Thanks @mainelylisa for making me laugh, your last post was one of your best thus far. I needed that today.

Virtual 🍷 & 🧀 tasting with DH's company this afternoon. Team building + spouses They provided the cheese selection & cheese knife. Nice way to kick off our anniversary.

@Lilylady3k YUM...this looks like sweaty cheese, which I love. But my DH does not. We are not real compatible on foods...trying to make the best of this..as it's one of the things we can do/enjoy during these times. (I used to set the cheese outside for a while when living in Texas. He didn't touch it. I guess more for me! (But then a 1 pound block of Asiago is not conducive to weight loss.)