Less Alcohol - JANUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time

MissMay · January 2021

CryingBlue wrote: »

Totally fell off the wagon the last 2 days. Feeling really depressed and defeated about it. I also have gone crazy with the eating and carbs. I wish I had a middle ground. It's either all or nothing 😭

@cryingblue you have had a rough time in the past few days with your Mom falling....UNDERSTANDABLE that you would be stressed out and need a release. NEW DAY right here right now.
I do hope your Mom is doing ok and is out of the hospital.
We got your back!!!!

MissMay · January 2021

After a long day yesterday at work with no sleep the previous night, I went home and took another look at my checking account. I totally knew it would be a dumb mistake on my end and not the banks and I was right. And I can recall the stupid moment I made the mistake. While fuming over an over charged leaf clean up, I was paying a bill via phone and FORGOT to write that debit in my records.
Exhausted I napped for a well deserved hour.
Today fresh as a cucumber.

AF last night.

Have an incredible day.

Womona · January 2021

@CryingBlue we have all been there! Don’t be too hard on yourself, today is a new day, new opportunity to meet your goals.

@brittgreenlikethecolor88, sorry to hear you’re feeling blah. Hope you’re able to make some plans soon, it does lift the spirits!

3 nights in a row AF. between that and eliminating food in the bread family (3 week challenge at work), the weight is falling off me! I’m sure it’s just water weight but Jimmy crack corn, and I don’t care! Haha! Now to build muscle and reduce fat... means I have to start doing strength training again for the first time in years.

Hope you’re all having a good week!

Womona · January 2021

MissMay wrote: »

After a long day yesterday at work with no sleep the previous night, I went home and took another look at my checking account. I totally knew it would be a dumb mistake on my end and not the banks and I was right. And I can recall the stupid moment I made the mistake. While fuming over an over charged leaf clean up, I was paying a bill via phone and FORGOT to write that debit in my records.
Exhausted I napped for a well deserved hour.
Today fresh as a cucumber.

AF last night.

Have an incredible day.

Doing the bills always puts me in a bad mood!!! Especially when I have to chase down an errant charge, always seems to take forever. Glad you’re having a better day already!

Lilylady3k · January 2021

Darn it. I planned AF last night but then a nice bottle of wine was opened. I poured 2 glasses for myself ... but only a few sips into the 2nd glass I was done and drank no more. Handed it to DH when he finished his wine since he was thinking about opening a 2nd bottle.

Calling it 1.5 glasses LOL

brittgreenlikethecolor88 · January 2021

Caved lastnight and had a couple drinks after spending 2 HOURS in traffic after work. My usual commute time is 30 mins, which includes picking the kids up from daycare. Not the best night. Counting my blessings though, I would much rather be stuck in traffic than in the wreck that caused it. Thank you, Lord! Today is a new day!!

2 AF days / 3 Days.

Goal- 5 AF Days/ 7 days. (AF Sun-Thurs)

Jeeplet18 · January 2021

I love this! I was an alcoholic. After many years of addiction and being hospitalized twice with alcohol induced pancreatitis I was finally able to make a change. I have been sober for 2 years now.
I am looking for some other people who are AF or for people looking to make that change and to be a support system.
Please friend me ♥ Good luck to everyone looking to make a change.

Fit_Happens_2021 · January 2021

My original plan was to cut out drinking 5 days out of 7 to aim for 20 AF days per month, but a series of upsets, false starts, and mental challenges got in the way. Not making excuses, it is all down to my own choices in the end.

I thought of giving up and starting in February, but then I realized that was just wasting time, so I gave myself a good talking to and I'm going to continue with my original plan just a new goal number. There is more than half of the month left and I had no alcohol yesterday.
I won't get the 20 days I had hoped for unless I abstain completely for the rest of the month, but I should get 14 AF days by the end of the month on my original plan.

New Goal 14 AF/20
Today 1/14

mainelylisa · January 2021

Welcome, @Jeeplet18 ! Sounds like you're doing amazing! This group has people who are drinking less (which means different things for different people). There is also a thread called The Sober Squad where you might find and share inspiration as well. I hop back and forth as I realize I'm becoming less and less tolerant of alcohol.

@Amanda_Brit_Expat Great decision. It's so easy for some of us to have an All or None mentality which usually just a stupid construct in our heads that's counterproductive. You Go Girl with whatever goal is going to be an improvement for you!

@brittgreenlikethecolor88 At least you weren't drinking IN traffic! You're not in Maine, are you? We had a fatality accident that caused huge backup last night.

@MissMay I never have balancing headaches. Cuz I don't try to balance

. (Except on ice skates.)

globalhiker · January 2021

January: 4 AF days/12

Insomnia and nervous stomach was me yesterday. Hit my stress max capacity. At 99% stress load and my energy battery feels like I am operating at 20%.

All the bottled-up stress wine was suppressing is coming out and I have to put my big girl pants on and deal with it. At least try.

I tell myself- I can't control everything all the time, nobody can, and it's OK.
I need to learn to quit carrying that feeling of worry and just give it to the universe to deal with.

Also came to the conclusion that I am chasing too many goals at once and so, inflicting extra stress upon myself.
I am coming to agreement with myself that I will focus on less drinking and regular exercise and revisit calorie restriction in a few months. I need to practice being kind and gentle to myself.

globalhiker · January 2021

@Jeeplet18 welcome and congratulations - wow 2 years is a major accomplishment and you deserve applause....curious to hear more on what you did to achieve this success.

lmlmrn · January 2021

Good day to all!
AF last night so this makes 8 out of 12 days, and tonight I plan to be AF again (no booze in the house helps LOL)
I am planning a nice walk this afternoon at the local park. I can get a good 1.5-2 miles in to meet my step goal for the day.
@Jeeplet18 for being sober for 2 years. give yourself some well deserved kudos.
@globalhiker I too had to re-evaluate my goals and I am letting go of such strickness as my calories. Instead of a hard and fast number I am keeping them in a 'range'. It is difficult enough going AF --so one day at a time eh?
@Amanda_Brit_Expat I believe you can do this 14 days is a great number to aim for!
@Lilylady3k give yourself a pat on the back for stopping with just one plus a sip or two...that is some willpower

MissMay · January 2021

Amanda_Brit_Expat wrote: »

My original plan was to cut out drinking 5 days out of 7 to aim for 20 AF days per month, but a series of upsets, false starts, and mental challenges got in the way. Not making excuses, it is all down to my own choices in the end.

I thought of giving up and starting in February, but then I realized that was just wasting time, so I gave myself a good talking to and I'm going to continue with my original plan just a new goal number. There is more than half of the month left and I had no alcohol yesterday.
I won't get the 20 days I had hoped for unless I abstain completely for the rest of the month, but I should get 14 AF days by the end of the month on my original plan.

New Goal 14 AF/20
Today 1/14

Thank you for pushing forward and not throwing out Janauary.
14 DAYS is amazing. Most folks could not go 14 minutes 😊😊😊

MissMay · January 2021

globalhiker wrote: »

January: 4 AF days/12

Insomnia and nervous stomach was me yesterday. Hit my stress max capacity. At 99% stress load and my energy battery feels like I am operating at 20%.

All the bottled-up stress wine was suppressing is coming out and I have to put my big girl pants on and deal with it. At least try.

I tell myself- I can't control everything all the time, nobody can, and it's OK.
I need to learn to quit carrying that feeling of worry and just give it to the universe to deal with.

Also came to the conclusion that I am chasing too many goals at once and so, inflicting extra stress upon myself.
I am coming to agreement with myself that I will focus on less drinking and regular exercise and revisit calorie restriction in a few months. I need to practice being kind and gentle to myself.

Stress can make us all nuts. Pick a small number of things to chase this week let the others go until next week.
Mole hills not mountains.💙

Trish1c · January 2021

Hi

I'm late to this thread. I've been trying for Dry January. We finished the last bottle of champagne on New Year's Day. There is no alcohol in the house. If it was there I know I would have caved already, especially with the state of the world. It's so depressing.

I'm disheartened by my lack of weight loss, though. Food was never really my problem but I did gain the "covid-15" because I stress baked & had no meaningful, consistent exercise outlets. My favorite gym exercises have always been elliptical & swimming. I'm unwilling to enter a gym at this point. There isn't a good space in my house for a work out but I'm trying to figure that out, doing deep knee bends & some other stretches in the kitchen.

DH is participating but he is drinking near beer -- alcohol free beer substitutes. I haven't found a good substitute. Water & tea just don't cut it. I actually feel jealous which isn't good.

Since going 12 days without all the booze, I was hoping for some movement on the scale. Not drinking has reduced my calorie count significantly, so I'm blue that the scale isn't moving. Last time I was super active on MFP, the weight melted off once I reduced the booze.

How's everybody else doing? (I kind of skipped from page 2 to here, without reading).

Tesha231 · January 2021

@trish1c I was surprised as well that the scale did not automatically drop during this dry streak. It did during the March 2020 dry streak, but I was also walking 3-4 miles a day which I am not now. That is likely the difference for me as I am still on the same calorie deficit.
@Jeeplet18 Good for you taking action and being successfully AF for 2 years. I am currently AF, but only for 30ish days. I've toyed with the idea of total AF permanently but hard to mentally make that commitment. Seems easier now that most social establishments are shut down and the hubs doesn't drink at home. I suspect my streak will end when the world re-opens. Not sure I will know how to say no in the bar-type environment. Maybe you can share some tips with this group?

Lilylady3k · January 2021

Plans to be AF this evening.

I'm planning to sort Christmas stuff that I've not decided how to put away and other things in my home office (it has a walk in door to the attic so there is a lot to cull in there). DH is planning an activity as well that will keep him from indulging.

Jan accountability: 3/13 days AF
Alcohol: 10 days (15.5 drinks)
Goal: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month

MissMay · January 2021

Throwing in some points to ponder:🤔

Tolerance to alcohol
It’s important not to assume that, even if you aren’t regularly ‘getting drunk’, that you are drinking within the low risk guidelines. People who drink regularly build up a tolerance. This might mean that you notice the effects of alcohol less but the fact is that the more you drink the greater the risk to your health. If you are building up tolerance that could be an early sign of alcohol dependence. If you think you might be dependent on alcohol, or if you have physical withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, nausea before you have your first drink of the day) then you should seek medical advice from your GP before you stop drinking.

What's a standard unit of alcohol?
It's not as simple as one drink, one unit.
The size and strength of your drink will determine the number of units it contains. A glass of wine can range between just over one unit and more than three units depending on the size of the glass and type of wine. And people who choose to drink at home tend to pour measures that are larger than you get at a pub, bar or restaurant. So you could be regularly drinking far more than you think.
Weekly drink recommendations not more than 14 standard drinks/ not more than 2 standard drinks per day.

lmlmrn · January 2021

@MissMay Thank you for the visual! It's an eye opener

Womona · January 2021

Another day AF. I kind of wanted one after work but didn’t imbibe. I will this weekend though.

So we have this no carb challenge at work. I ate a light dinner, am still a little peckish but but don’t want to pork out right before bed, so none of my usual carby snacks. What’s on TV? All the food shows! My husband constantly flips between Man vs food, Guy Fieri, Alton Brown, etc. etc. all these delicious foods on screen! Ugh! Had to go into our room to read. And my son and his friends are making homemade pizza at the house tonight. Temptation everywhere! It’s worse than being tempted by alcohol!

Less Alcohol - JANUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time

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