Less Alcohol - JANUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time
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@MissMay before covid I was at the gym every morning at 5:15 am and worked out for an hour then shower at the gym then to work. My routine was 30min on elliptical then 30 min of strength training using dumbells
@Womona I will be honest with you I have never tried bitters, I am not even sure what it is?
This evening has been hard to not go into our garage and get the open bottle of whiskey. DH and I though said we were going to make it to 19 AF days this month (revised from 20 LOL).....I am trying5 -
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HerNameIsMischief wrote: »@HerNameIsMischief
True WE ALL have things we do not like about ourselves.
In fact I will share mine if that helps in any small way.
Rheumatoid arthritis fingers since I was in my early 30's. Not pleasant to watch someone eyes follow your hand movements while your talking to them just so they can get a better look at your crooked swelled up finger joints.
Try living with these every day.......but I do, and life goes on.
I understand, but what makes my situation different is that people feel very comfortable making rude remarks to my face. A boss meeting me for the first time and saying, "Oh my God, you're enormous." Someone at the train station asking me if I ever played football before. A guy in my building asking if I ever worked as a bouncer. All stuff to remind me that everyone sees me in the exact way I don't want to be seen. And if I complain to anyone, I'm dismissed as ridiculous because "lots of men would love to be your size/height."
I say mess with them and tell them you are a ballet dancer! Watch their faces try to process.
Seriously, I don’t even think 6’3” is unreasonably tall. Maybe because I have friends who are 6’5” and one whose son is 6’8”. We’re talking ducking through doorways. Regardless, its no fun having people comment on your physique.
On another note, your step fathers comment was so hurtful. I felt that like a punch in the gut. I can only imagine how hurt you feel when he (or anyone) talks to you like that. The fact that you didn’t use it to launch into drinking too much is just amazing.
PS. We need a picture of your cat, Mischief!!!!!3 -
Dropped my youngest back to college. I miss my kids!
Went to a sports bar last night for dinner. Note to self: don’t order wine at a “beer and a shot” place. What a waste of a night that could have been AF. Had a small glass tonight. Wanted to pour more but didn’t. I guess that’s my big accomplishment this month, only having one when I drank. More AF days than I’ve had in months!7 -
I am Dawn, I live in SE BC
I will post with my usual diary style to keep track of my AF days.
Keeping to my usual goal of 16-20 AF days per month, which is manageable for me and doesn't put too much pressure on me.
Friday Jan 29 - AF - Just watched a program on the Patio Garden (courtyards) 2 week festival in Cordoba Spain. I want to go some day, has anyone been there? Canadians are now not flying anywhere until at least the end of April. The virus doesn't travel, people do, so I get it.
Nice to at least daydream of all of the places that I want to go. (I watch way too many travel shows).
Planned drinks tomorrow with a friend who drinks one or two glasses of wine every day. Once in awhile it triggers me to also want a drink, but I am mostly over that and will enjoy a cocktail with her when I have it planned.
Rolling total 22AF days out of 29 days7 -
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So many of us on here work out.
I sillily (my first invented word for @mainelylisa ) imagine some day when some of us will be able to travel, get together and have a non-alcohol dance party.
The moves are going to be hilarious after all of our workout moves being ingrained into our bodies!
Heehee, through almost a year of Fitness Marshall I am right into the body rolls, booty popping, twerking and stuff : - ).5 -
I too use my 'whiskey' glass in the evenings and fill it (lately) with diet grapefruit soda. I like the slightly bitter taste, but I wish I knew of a flavor I could add that was not carbonated. Until, gee, these past few weeks I had not had any soda in years. I will take any suggestions for that bitter/tang flavor that is AF from anyone to try out
Would a dash or two of actual bitters do the trick?
I agree. It is a small bottle @ImImrn I think @Womona is right for what you are describing as wanting. You just need a couple of drops. Ask around, you should be able to find some. That you hadn't heard of it before will make it even more fun!
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@MissMay before covid I was at the gym every morning at 5:15 am and worked out for an hour then shower at the gym then to work. My routine was 30min on elliptical then 30 min of strength training using dumbells
@Womona I will be honest with you I have never tried bitters, I am not even sure what it is?
This evening has been hard to not go into our garage and get the open bottle of whiskey. DH and I though said we were going to make it to 19 AF days this month (revised from 20 LOL).....I am trying
Bitters comes in a small bottle that’s used in some mixed drinks. I use 2 shakes worth of Angastora Bitters when I make an Old Fashioned. May give that tart taste you’re looking for. You can get it at the liquor store or maybe even the market. To my knowledge there is no alcohol in it.2 -
Bitters comes in a small bottle that’s used in some mixed drinks. I use 2 shakes worth of Angastora Bitters when I make an Old Fashioned. May give that tart taste you’re looking for. You can get it at the liquor store or maybe even the market. To my knowledge there is no alcohol in it.
@Womona Angostura Bitters are 44.7% alcohol
However, as you only add 2 drops or so of it to the drinks I don't think it'll make your beverage alcoholic
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2 glasses of wine over dinner and discussing new ideas of how we could remodel our kitchen/laundry/den/dining with our daughter. She is a commercial interior designer and she is spending the weekend with us since her husband is hunting & fishing with friends.
After the first shot of COVID vaccine I've had a dull headache just under the surface with the exact same consistency & fatigue for the past few days all day and while trying to sleep or even when out walking. Tylenol & Motrin will not help reduce it. Hoping I can shake it ... they say the 3rd day is usually better.6 -
@davemcv6730 thanks for the comic relief. Does that pertain to only Irish tea? Hahaha5
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Ah......learning new workouts. I was killing my old workout vids, like @dawnbgethealthy, knowing every one of the little bump and grinds, kick and punch combos.
THEN my new workout program showed up. I like it tons, but I am like a giraffe on roller skates trying to learn it. I suppose the unintended falls, leans, wrong direction can all be accountable for extra abdominal work.
I thought after doing workout vids for over 15 years now I would get this one that was advertised as intermittent. For heck sakes I have done INSANITY by BeachBody, how hard could this new workout be?
I am looking at it as another challange, during a pandemic when you can't go and have your regular life routine. Agree though that it would be fun to get together and and make that workout video someone had suggested at one time. Oh wait......that was a band Lisa wanted us to start.
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@Stockholm_Andy that pic you put up of the bitters in the wrapper was cool. So I looked it up and the history of bitters is really interesting how it started out, produced aromatic bitters as a medicinal tincture designed to alleviate stomach ailments for soldiers in Simon Bolivar’s army.
Neat stuff. Would put down a little money to see anyone consume more than a tablespoon at a time.😆
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@Lilylady3k UGH I have heard there are some folks having different reactions to the shot. My Sister who is 70, had both hers in Dec/Jan and was lucky to not have any side effects.
I hope the dull headache does not stay with you too much longer.6 -
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So the cold won out, as did the recommendation for cocoa. My calories were through the roof but stayed AF. May make it all the way through January after all
Looking forward to travelling too. We are heading to our house in Florida for President's week. At least we can go outside there.
Haven't really come up with a workout routine in Covid. Need to find something
Happy Saturday everyone6 -
Another rough night. Was in a black mood after the comments at my mom's friends (see last post) and I guarantee if I had a car up here, I would have picked up. Going out with my cousin and her family later, I thought of asking them to stop at the grocery store so I could at least get some beer (I was more in the mood for hard liquor, a sign of my mood), but they went to two fast food restaurants for their kids and I didn't want to ask.
Talked with my cousin a bit about my drinking and while she was understanding, like every time I tell someone about my drinking or insecurities, I later told myself, "Dammit, why didn't you keep your fckn mouth SHUT? What kind of advice do you think she's going to give you? 'Get therapy.' 'Learn to love how you look.' 'You're not alone.' Jesus! And now she's going to look down on you even more than before, even though she'll deny it forever."
The desire to pick up was there, but even with my ultra-grim mode, the impulse wasn't that strong. Still, if I had had use of a car....
Still debating if I want to pick up today, if I can. All the damn bars are closed, and there are no places to buy booze within walking distance. We may go to Walmart (they go every other day it seems) and I could probably get a bottle and say it's to share with my cousins later today, but it still will leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth since my mom is an alcoholic. I figured I could get something to mix with pop, though drinking in my mom's house would be a real risk.
And, as always, I tell myself, "I'm just going to get ONE MORE BOTTLE. After that, I'm going to quit for good." I say that virtually every time I buy booze. Anyone else know what I mean?
At least the moderate alcohol consumption (5 Miller Lites yesterday) has been mitigated by my eating. Yesterday I had a chicken salad sandwich, a glass of orange juice, a can of cream soda, a bottle of root beer, half a hot dog, and two bites of a terrible Burger King garden chicken salad (three bites of chicken, a few limp tomato slices, and a bunch of cheap iceberg lettuce).3 -
Seriously, I don’t even think 6’3” is unreasonably tall. Maybe because I have friends who are 6’5” and one whose son is 6’8”. We’re talking ducking through doorways. Regardless, its no fun having people comment on your physique.
PS. We need a picture of your cat, Mischief!!!!!
I don't think it's that tall, either, and I tried doing the "God, I'm not even really that tall" shtick, but my brother told me in his usual histrionic manner: "Yes! You're tall! You're half a foot taller than the average American! That's why people point it out! They think it's a good thing! Learn to deal with it! God!" I guess I'm obsessed with all those before/after pics where they show someone go from being big and unattractive to small and desirable. I'm never impressed by the pics of guys who get big beefy muscles, but every damn trainer I ever talked to said, "Use your size to your advantage. You'll never be an average sized guy. You'd be better off building a muscular body than trying to get thin." Which makes me even more depressed.
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@HerNameIsMischief sincere apologies for the female reference...I need to pay closer attention!
Stuck at 8 AF days for the month. Had a bottle of lower alcohol wine and that went down like a diet soda. So I chased it up with 2 beers to finally feel an effect. This is insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting better results.
It's time for me to go ALL AF at least until Mid-March. That's when I have medical tests scheduled, and heck, I need a good score.....
Super happy - for those of you able to travel or get a Covid shot! JEALOUS
!!
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3 AF days this week! Will try for today as well. Reading the posts is really keeping me going. Thank you!8
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Thank you to all about the bitters, I will be looking for that and some sparkling grapefruit water when I go shopping this weekend.
@HerNameIsMischief love the kitty! of course she had to be black right?
AF now for 17 days this month. I am really amazed after the first two week of (almost) no drinking M-F it was not that hard to resist. Tonight and tomorrow will be my test, however my DH has committed with me and he is a stubborn man and if he says he won't drink, he won't do it. He also does not have the same mindset as I do towards alcohol, my (notso) comforting friend who stabs you in the back with you least expect it.
So I have managed 2 days at the gym going on off peak times. I even watched them lift up all the treadmills and clean under them while I was there. This made my heart sing and my DH happy knowing they are taking sanitizing and cleaning very seriously. After all we are just 1 governor speech away from them all being closed for the 3 rd time. They have only been allowed to open in the last 3 weeks.
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She's a torty and she's full of "tortitude."4
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Thanks for the congratulations.
I didnt talk it over with Jason to find out his strategy. I decided to go for it. Enough talk I told myself. I had been making enough excuses(that is really all they are IS EXCUSES)
Jason came over to hang out and do some lifting with me. The first thing I know he noticed was there was no beer sitting around. I was the one that had to bring up the fact I was having a dry night. SWEET he says. And we went about our night.
That was the best part, he treated it very normal for me not to be having some beers.
My GF was excited because she knows the past history with my Mom being an alcoholic and my Sister and I doing everything we can not to follow suit.
Haven't mentioned it to my Sister yet about the AF night. I can already hear her screams of joy.
We're making a video??🤤??
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Video....well the way this group has been evolving, who knows we may be solid material for a Netflix documentary!
I just think the content is ideal, I would totally watch a Netflix documentary about let's say 10+ MFP individuals from different backgrounds and different parts of the globe, who were determined to join this group on MFP and improved their lives as well as the lives of others.
Personally, I'd need to get in at least 45 AF days straight before I'd sign up on this Working on it....
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No booze today until now. A few times, I found myself wondering if I could go with my parents to the store and sneak-buy a bottle of hard stuff, but I don't want it now. Hadn't had anything for about 28 hours. I won't be drinking tomorrow because I'll be with family until my flight. I'll only have an hour stop in O'Hare, so I wouldn't be able to do any real damage at the airport bar. The true test will be seeing if I can keep it up once I got home. I have a little pot left, but no booze. I don't get in till past 9 pm, so I'll probably be tired and that's way too late to start drinking if you plan to get drunk, like I would. If I were to continue the ugly lifestyle I was leading before this trip, I'd probably nip out the next morning at 7 am after my dad goes back to bed and pick up three tallboys of Steel Reserve, 8% malt liquor that's actually not bad when you get used to it.
My stepdad caught my mom drinking today. She wasn't drunk, but she went and laid down for an hour or two. She won't go to rehab and didn't even want to tell her doctor about it, even though she was on Ambien and other meds that don't do well combined with booze. He set her up, letting her lie about not drinking, and then did a blood test on her that came back dirty. Smart doctor; I hope maybe he can help. She also won't go back to AA.
About 15 minutes ago, they left for Walmart and I checked under the daybed in the sewing room where I had found a bottle of vodka years before. Nothing there, but a search of her closet yielded four fifths of cheap vodka (Jesus, Mom, you can afford better than Five O'Clock). Three empty, one two-thirds full. Feeling like a huge degenerate, and laughing at myself at this ridiculous situation, I poured a third into a water glass and grabbed a Diet Coke for a mixer.
My mood has lightened up some, compared to the grim and sometimes even violent posts in the community and on my wall. While I am very skeptical about therapy, especially any that involves "learning to love yourself," I'm starting to think maybe I should check what help is available, if only for meds. These black moods come over me and I get irrational about myself, calling myself "ugly" and my body "repulsive" and telling myself what an utter loser I am. If I drink, it gets three times as bad. Maybe medication is an answer.10 -
AF evening for me!! DH had a bottle of wine and I wasn't even tempted. Still dull headache from the vaccine ... hoping this doesn't persist through tomorrow.7
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It's here, the very last day of January 2021
How is everyone feeling with where they are today compared to the very first day you decided to drink less this month?
I have read some extremely helpful, supportive and at times educational responses from a majority of you. It is not only about getting in here to voice our own obstacles that are in our way.
It is about giving back from what you have experienced and gone through to encourage those who really want to change and make a difference in their own lives.
Thank you all.
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@Stockholm_Andy that pic you put up of the bitters in the wrapper was cool. So I looked it up and the history of bitters is really interesting how it started out, produced aromatic bitters as a medicinal tincture designed to alleviate stomach ailments for soldiers in Simon Bolivar’s army.
Neat stuff. Would put down a little money to see anyone consume more than a tablespoon at a time.😆
@Stockholm_Andy I had no idea! Of course I could have just walked to the fridge and looked at the label.
@MissMay Ugh. I cannot imagine drinking an entire teaspoon of the stuff. It would have to be for a LOT of money!4
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