Less Alcohol - FEBRUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time
Replies
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MFP needs to FIX the issues regarding posts that disappear. 😠😠😠
Be careful those who have winter weather that are not used to dealing with it.
AF last night.8 -
Lilylady3k wrote: »Snow on the ground in Houston! I covered the plants outside. Loving all the flowers I placed all over the house for the party Saturday night. Here is a peak at a few pics I took of some of them.
Oh how pretty!!!!!5 -
I see the creep of that extra half glass and even alcohol every day. Must. Stop. Must. Resist.
Oh, I found my specific wine headache! Someone posted a day or two ago about this same thing (sorry, forgot who!). Feels like someone is stabbing the top of my head with an ice pick.5 -
@Tesha231 if you decide to keep AF for the 40 days of Lent, I can do it with you.....
Today is Day 16 AF for me, Day 8 AF for hubs. Yesterday was awesome, went on a 3 hour hike nearby, 717 calorie burn. I'm like in the only place where the weather is 68 F and sunny no wind, blue sky, so feeling guilty about it because everyone else seems to have miserable cold and snow.
@lisamestiza2021 From your meditation links, I like your "OM Chanting" sounds. I can play it in the background when I am on my PC and I can play it when one day I make time to do some Yin Yoga at home.
@MissMay super-cute cakes! Both your pix and @Lilylady3k belong on a magazine cover!
On our hike yesterday, husband and I chatted about our drinking past and goals. We agreed we are so happy and calm now with how we feel now so we'd like to continue AF for a longer stretch. Me, for at least 2 more months.
We agreed, when we re-introduce drinking, given our prior attempts, that it would be best if moving forward we don't fall back into a "regular" drinking pattern and drink "just because" it's Friday, or the Weekend or "just because" it's 5 o'clock, or "just because" the boss made me mad, or we're bored, or we're in the yard working, or in the garage cleaning, or feeling down or disappointed, or hungry or thirsty, or we're cooking, or the wine was on sale, etc.
We agreed that making a 1 drink rule will NEVER work given our personalities. It didn't on prior attempts.
That said, we'd like our long term goal to be one where we allow ourselves the pleasure of drinking during a "special occasion" to enjoy a celebration (a holiday, a wedding) and on vacation (but limit it to evening only and never for a consecutive day stretch).
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7 Days AF for February
Have a fun and relaxing weekend and then back to AF yesterday.
Lovely weather over the weekend and my wife and I went out walking in the snow both days.
While we were out on Sunday we saw a man out running with a tiny horse and a guy out walking in just shorts and gloves.... Just you're average day in Stockholm
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@globalhiker YAY! Glad to have you as a 40 Days of Lent partner. I also really appreciate you sharing the strategy you and the hubs talked about not falling into a regular drinking pattern. Made me realize it is that type of "pattern" that scares me into staying AF for now. Unlike many on this thread, I do not (or can not?) stop at one...or two. I need to get my head right with normal social drinking or drinking for enjoyment before I tackle the moderation monster. Long term goal is mid-May, when my daughter and I will go back to our place in FL. We have a couple places we enjoy girl time with our fav beverages. She will support my attempt at just going for "one" which may save her a headache, too!
@Stockholm_Andy Lovely snow pics!!7 -
AF last night
Power has been out for 24 hours in our neighborhood, but it just came up, hoping to get the house heated a bit before it cuts out again.
Still love snow, don't love that the wind turbines froze
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Stockholm_Andy wrote: »7 Days AF for February
Have a fun and relaxing weekend and then back to AF yesterday.
Lovely weather over the weekend and my wife and I went out walking in the snow both days.
While we were out on Sunday we saw a man out running with a tiny horse and a guy out walking in just shorts and gloves.... Just you're average day in Stockholm
hahaha awesome! 8 -
@Stockholm_Andy Got to love this humor!
Had a great night last night, AF now 11 out of 15 days this month which is an improvement over last month. This weekend is DH 65th birthday and we will be celebrating with family. Since it will be during the day I am hoping I can remain AF into the evening.
I know me and the 1 drink rule will not work, never has for me. One drink leads to 3+ and usually until blackout.
I am a bit frustrated over the lack of weight loss it seems I can not even go down .4lbs...grr. I am doing all the right things however my evening snacking, while within my budget of calories consists of usually some type of salty element and sweet.
I am looking for alternatives to microwave popcorn and sugar free baking chips. I have switched to diet tonic water with a few drops of bitters to 'fool' my mind into thinking I am drinking.
suggestions?6 -
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This last weekend I didn't do great with being AF I think this month I am 13/16 (counting today) days AF. Does anyone else struggle with a bit of an all or nothing mindset? It sabotages me every time because then I just throw a whole day or two away since I "Already messed up". Wondering if moderation is possible for me...8
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@Stockholm_Andy Got to love this humor!
Had a great night last night, AF now 11 out of 15 days this month which is an improvement over last month. This weekend is DH 65th birthday and we will be celebrating with family. Since it will be during the day I am hoping I can remain AF into the evening.
I know me and the 1 drink rule will not work, never has for me. One drink leads to 3+ and usually until blackout.
I am a bit frustrated over the lack of weight loss it seems I can not even go down .4lbs...grr. I am doing all the right things however my evening snacking, while within my budget of calories consists of usually some type of salty element and sweet.
I am looking for alternatives to microwave popcorn and sugar free baking chips. I have switched to diet tonic water with a few drops of bitters to 'fool' my mind into thinking I am drinking.
suggestions?
I hit the salt and sweet too! I prefer to keep the snack and just exercise more. Have you tried to keep the snacks and eat the same but "add on" exercise, just 15-20 in the afternoon, high intensity or weights? This sometimes shocks my system. I may gain the first week but then start dropping. My appetite goes down around dinner if I exercised hard just prior.6 -
@Stockholm_Andy OK, I can see myself running with a little pony, that is very cute. And he needs exercise. But, why is the guy wearing no shirt in subzero weather? I hear the news saying moving outside in the cold increases metabolism and helps burn stubborn fat, but that's with a jacket. The guy will get frostbite
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Intentional_Me wrote: »This last weekend I didn't do great with being AF I think this month I am 13/16 (counting today) days AF. Does anyone else struggle with a bit of an all or nothing mindset? It sabotages me every time because then I just throw a whole day or two away since I "Already messed up". Wondering if moderation is possible for me...
Yes, the past 2 years I had 2 switches: On the AF diet or Off AF. Anytime I messed up more than 2 days in a row, my brain would convince me to restart next Monday, next Month, etc. This is pretty typical.
The solution for me, is to fix the thinking process, which is the root cause. Doing this by reading and practicing cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques. And by a long AF stretch. This all makes the frontal lobe (higher level thinking) stronger and more controlling over the central part of the brain tasked with pleasure-seeking/survival etc. The communication between these two parts of the brain is off kilter thanks to the alcohol alterations. Once all this addressed, the logical part of the brain should be strong enough to better control our behaviors as well as call BS on the illogical thoughts that our primitive brain produces because it erroneously thinks it needs more alcohol for survival.9 -
it was 25 years today my mom passed away of ALS. she'd just celebrated her 60th birthday. oddly enough, we were both diagnosed at 55. i will be 60 in november. i can't help but wonder ....
anyone here - have you had a parent die relatively young, and now you are also sick and wonder if you'll die at the same age they did?
i'm grateful i can't go to the liquor store. i'd be *kitten* bombed by now...7 -
@globalhiker I do workout in the morning. Mostly M-F at the gym. Typical day will be push hard on elliptical 10-40 min depending on my mood, then hit the weights for 15-25 min (free weights with little break between exercises and sets) But overall I try to get 45 min total cardio with either elliptical, treadmill, stationary rowing in some combination. I am still at the same weight...before AF I would at least see a drop on Sat or Sun a rest day....but have not been that lucky this round. My calorie intake is between 1200-1500 (this would be a high day).....so grr at my crazy body4
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@Stockholm_Andy Got to love this humor!
Had a great night last night, AF now 11 out of 15 days this month which is an improvement over last month. This weekend is DH 65th birthday and we will be celebrating with family. Since it will be during the day I am hoping I can remain AF into the evening.
I know me and the 1 drink rule will not work, never has for me. One drink leads to 3+ and usually until blackout.
I am a bit frustrated over the lack of weight loss it seems I can not even go down .4lbs...grr. I am doing all the right things however my evening snacking, while within my budget of calories consists of usually some type of salty element and sweet.
I am looking for alternatives to microwave popcorn and sugar free baking chips. I have switched to diet tonic water with a few drops of bitters to 'fool' my mind into thinking I am drinking.
suggestions?
Salty snacks or foods always show up on the scale the next day as water weight for me. Even if I have a pickle with my sandwich for lunch, it takes a day or two to get out of my system. Same thing with salt on my fries, especially if paired with a delicious Reuben sandwich....
If you go without for a few days you may see the scale finally move! It may be “just” water weight, but hey, every little bit helps! Haha!
Also drink a lot of water to flush out the salt.5 -
lisamestiza2021 wrote: »it was 25 years today my mom passed away of ALS. she'd just celebrated her 60th birthday. oddly enough, we were both diagnosed at 55. i will be 60 in november. i can't help but wonder ....
anyone here - have you had a parent die relatively young, and now you are also sick and wonder if you'll die at the same age they did?
i'm grateful i can't go to the liquor store. i'd be *kitten* bombed by now...
Oh man, that must be so scary for you. I can only hope that treatments have improved in the last 25 years, giving you a a much longer time with less symptoms.5 -
Hubby and I talked about our drinking this morning, and we both agreed to work toward not reaching for a drink as our default setting. We were both AF tonight! Feels great. Oddly I didn’t crave it tonight!6
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lisamestiza2021 wrote: »it was 25 years today my mom passed away of ALS. she'd just celebrated her 60th birthday. oddly enough, we were both diagnosed at 55. i will be 60 in november. i can't help but wonder ....
anyone here - have you had a parent die relatively young, and now you are also sick and wonder if you'll die at the same age they did?
i'm grateful i can't go to the liquor store. i'd be *kitten* bombed by now...lisamestiza2021 wrote: »it was 25 years today my mom passed away of ALS. she'd just celebrated her 60th birthday. oddly enough, we were both diagnosed at 55. i will be 60 in november. i can't help but wonder ....
anyone here - have you had a parent die relatively young, and now you are also sick and wonder if you'll die at the same age they did?
i'm grateful i can't go to the liquor store. i'd be *kitten* bombed by now...
Oh man, that must be so scary for you. I can only hope that treatments have improved in the last 25 years, giving you a a much longer time with less symptoms.
she had ALS. i have cancer. i wasn't clear...sorry for the misunderstanding.5 -
globalhiker wrote: »@Stockholm_Andy OK, I can see myself running with a little pony, that is very cute. And he needs exercise. But, why is the guy wearing no shirt in subzero weather? I hear the news saying moving outside in the cold increases metabolism and helps burn stubborn fat, but that's with a jacket. The guy will get frostbite
But he is keeping his tan by wearing shorts and no shirt all year long : - )
I have known a bunch of Scandinavian people in my life, all of them that I knew loved to sit in the sauna and then either roll in the snow or jump in a very cold lake. Hearty and Hardy bunch!!
Post more pictures @Stockholm_Andy , none of us will be traveling any time soon.6 -
Hi
I originally decided to drink less in order to lose weight.
I have been on this thread since Nov 28.18
Thank you to @MissMay for keeping us going.
I am going to post with my usual diary style to keep track of my AF days.
I will be keeping to my usual goal of 16-20 AF days per month. It is manageable for me and doesn't put too much pressure on me. So far I have been able to keep with it. One month I raised the goal and failed miserably, so I learned from that. I think this is my sweet spot.
My rule for myself: No drinking 2 days in a row, strive for 2AF days in a row in between at minimum.
Friday Feb 12 - AF - I stayed in the house almost all day, it is cold here for another day or two. I have a half of a can of Spicy Caesar wrapped up in the fridge from the other day that was staring at me, I resisted.
Saturday Feb 13 - AF - Had to get 2 in a row. Not sure about tomorrow.
Sunday Feb 14 - Drinks
Monday Feb 15 - AF - Going to try my best to be AF tomorrow too although Tuesdays are my trigger days.
Tuesday Feb 16 - AF - Felt like having a couple of drinks, but wanted my 2 AF days in a row more. Not to mention I like the way that my belly and face look in the mornings when I haven't had drinks the night before! I take motivation wherever I can find it.
Rolling total 11AF days out of 16 days6 -
@globalhiker I do workout in the morning. Mostly M-F at the gym. Typical day will be push hard on elliptical 10-40 min depending on my mood, then hit the weights for 15-25 min (free weights with little break between exercises and sets) But overall I try to get 45 min total cardio with either elliptical, treadmill, stationary rowing in some combination. I am still at the same weight...before AF I would at least see a drop on Sat or Sun a rest day....but have not been that lucky this round. My calorie intake is between 1200-1500 (this would be a high day).....so grr at my crazy body
Maybe there is just one thing in your diet that is preventing weight loss? Have you tried to eliminate certain things one at a time to see if it makes a difference? For some it is gluten, or dairy, or sugar, or salt.
How frustrating for you!! I hope that you figure it out.5 -
@lisamestiza2021
I am so sorry about your diagnosis and about your Mom.
I, like @Womona , also hope that medical treatments have greatly improved in 25 years.
Good on you for not trying to drink it away. Being present is probably better, and alcohol is a depressant anyway.
Stay strong and healthy, and fight.6 -
Good morning L.A. group. Reading about not seeing the scale move for some of you. Winter it's self is a culprit. Then there is menopause, stress, sodium, medications, building muscle mass, age, the list is endless. Feeling your frustration.
@Stockholm_Andy I have a relative that is Scandinavian. She tells me folks out that way will walk out to their mail boxes to get the mail or paper completely nude. Wave to neighbors and go about their business. The pony pic is so darn cute. Needed to see that thanks.
@lisamestiza2021 I lost my Mother young also, at 60 she had a massive stroke. Both my Sister(9 years older than myself) and I were so scared as we approached our 60 year mark. A lot has changed in all those decades from when we lost our parent. Our awareness and self care alone is a large benefit. Don't put any more stress on yourself as you get closer to 60. You'll breeze through it. Very sorry about your own diagnosis. Be strong.
@globalhiker your entire household is kicking butt at that alcohol devil. I am so happy you can have those open conversations about drinking with each other. Actually anyone out there that can have a calm conversation with their spouse or partner about drinking, without them blowing up and becoming defensive, I envy you.
Another AF ( @whitpauly saying )
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lisamestiza2021 wrote: »lisamestiza2021 wrote: »it was 25 years today my mom passed away of ALS. she'd just celebrated her 60th birthday. oddly enough, we were both diagnosed at 55. i will be 60 in november. i can't help but wonder ....
anyone here - have you had a parent die relatively young, and now you are also sick and wonder if you'll die at the same age they did?
i'm grateful i can't go to the liquor store. i'd be *kitten* bombed by now...lisamestiza2021 wrote: »it was 25 years today my mom passed away of ALS. she'd just celebrated her 60th birthday. oddly enough, we were both diagnosed at 55. i will be 60 in november. i can't help but wonder ....
anyone here - have you had a parent die relatively young, and now you are also sick and wonder if you'll die at the same age they did?
i'm grateful i can't go to the liquor store. i'd be *kitten* bombed by now...
Oh man, that must be so scary for you. I can only hope that treatments have improved in the last 25 years, giving you a a much longer time with less symptoms.
she had ALS. i have cancer. i wasn't clear...sorry for the misunderstanding.
Cancer is no picnic either.
My grandfather died suddenly at age 52. My father (his son) was convinced he was also going to die at 52, so never bothered to take care of his health. Lo and behold, he lived almost another 30 years with poor health. (Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, emphysema).
I imagine fear of meeting our parent’s fate can push a person either into saying “screw it, I’m toast anyway” , or double down on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I wish my dad did the latter.
But you facing the age you lost your mom still has to be pretty scary and fill you with questions and concerns. Big hugs to you!
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@Womona - i could see how your father would feel - absolutely. for me i've lived a pretty healthy life and have always been physically active. we are a very nuclear family so i have no death wish - believe me. it just hit me hard yesterday. today is a new day - thank you for sharing what happened within your family...
I'm sorry for your loss....
@MissMay - we were prepared for my mom's death, as she declined quite quickly. i would think losing your mother so unexpectedly would have been such a horrible shock for you and your sister. Winter is always so hard as it is to contend with, and i got a little overwhelmed yesterday. i will keep pushing... So sorry for your loss....
@dawnbgethealthy - being present IS better. i meditated last night and slept well. today is a new day.
thank you all for your kind words. upward and onward... for us all...
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Day 17 AF here, day 9 AF for husband. It's week 3 for me and the insomnia is back so is the fussy tummy. Tried to fall asleep at 4am and was fighting thoughts of wanting to go to IHOP for a stack of pancakes with whipped cream and syrup (I haven't been to IHOP since I was like 8 years old!).
@lisamestiza2021 I am sorry for your loss. My mom died from cancer when I was a child. So all my life going to the doctor stirs up anxiety. She became sick in her 30s. I did not get it but at 53 was labeled by docs as high-risk, 60-75% chance. I go to a cancer hospital 2x a year since I am part of a high-risk group. They put me on chemoprevention (tamoxifen) which was horrific and I went off it. Now it's just me creating my destiny, so I want to stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, hitting the needed nutrient profile, lower stress lifestyle, exercise etc because I believe it and in it's powers to keep me as healthy as possible. I wish you well on your journey towards improved wellbeing and optimal health. BTW your picture looks amazing, I thought you were about 20 years younger really.4 -
@lisamestiza2021 - My thoughts are with you as you remember your mother’s passing. I hope you are able to get the necessary care for your cancer. My mom passed away 7 years ago and had dementia, she was 72. I try to keep my brain healthy, I know AF days help, along with supplements. February is rough for me, so is Mother’s Day and her birthday in September.
February 7 AF out of 17 total.6 -
@lmlmrn I used to sound like you when I'd speak to my former trainer; a huge intimidating football player looking type. He also had a MSW degree and did counseling in addition to personal training.
He would typically tell me this with a very stern face:
1) promise me not to get on the scale for 1 month (me: are you crazy, women don't do that)
2) ok so you exercise about the same time every day in the mornings; your body is smart and knows that so it's storing your dinners for the morning exercise and nothing is getting burned off at night. You have to change up the routine and psych it out, exercise differently at different times (we agreed on a 15 min step workout mid-afternoon)
3) don't complain to me if you are not eating 80g-100g protein (me: ok, you got me there, the most I could do is about 40 gr because well, I love my carbs, and heck I am petite)
4) I want you to take 3-4 days off and just go for casual walks (me: ok he is crazy because runners don't walk).
Long story short, I did the no scale thing, the 15min in the afternoon exercise in addition to the morning jog and the 2x a week weight session with him, upped the protein to 60-70gr the most I could do, and added on boring walking on weekends (hills, about 1.5 hr).
I went from 151 to 141 in a few months, not counting any calories.7
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