Less Alcohol - MARCH 2021
Replies
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For me, I'd have to say the toughest part of this AF journey so far is not that first week or two where it was mostly insomnia and tummy troubles. You know, mostly physical symptoms. At least weeks 3 and 4 were euphoric and the cravings gone so the world was a wonderful place.
But month 2 AF kinda sucks for me. I know it would've been perfect if I lived alone and had 100% control over everything, but I don't. Seems like every other day there is a "challenge": pain, muscle soreness, aching, irritability, fatigue, or just one of those moments where you feel like you're blood pressure is going through the roof because someone else is really pushing your buttons. I guess it was all these occasions where I would "remedy" quick with a couple of glasses of wine, thus masking that feeling. Or did I bottle it up?
The pros say to "exercise" facing one's feelings and over time the intensity is supposed to minimize and the brain adapts. I believe them, so I will keep following the plan and keep at it.
On a positive note, Happy Spring! Time for new beginnings and better weather and trip planning......oh crap and Spring cleaning!6 -
globalhiker wrote: »For me, I'd have to say the toughest part of this AF journey so far is not that first week or two where it was mostly insomnia and tummy troubles. You know, mostly physical symptoms. At least weeks 3 and 4 were euphoric and the cravings gone so the world was a wonderful place.
But month 2 AF kinda sucks for me. I know it would've been perfect if I lived alone and had 100% control over everything, but I don't. Seems like every other day there is a "challenge": pain, muscle soreness, aching, irritability, fatigue, or just one of those moments where you feel like you're blood pressure is going through the roof because someone else is really pushing your buttons. I guess it was all these occasions where I would "remedy" quick with a couple of glasses of wine, thus masking that feeling. Or did I bottle it up?
The pros say to "exercise" facing one's feelings and over time the intensity is supposed to minimize and the brain adapts. I believe them, so I will keep following the plan and keep at it.
On a positive note, Happy Spring! Time for new beginnings and better weather and trip planning......oh crap and Spring cleaning!
You are doing so well, Kudo's! Everyone's journey has it's ups, downs and roundabouts. Give yourself a huge pat on the back for me. I am in your corner.7 -
mainelylisa wrote: »Happy Sunday! It's great to see so much discussion and support and accountability! I have not been good. I've been so bad that I lost track of AF days, but I def am going to try to be AF free the rest of the month and beyond if I can get a grip. I've realized some triggers related to basically growing up in a very dysfunctional situation (mentally ill mother, drinking father) and also learned from my therapist that one cannot completely heal from some traumas...only learn to deal with them. For decades I've been telling myself that if I try hard enough I can fix myself. Well, alcohol is my choice for dealing and of course it only makes depression worse.
A GREAT thing about racking up AF days or even months is that if you fall back into a bad pattern, you KNOW you can do it again. I went almost 5 months AF last year so I know I can do it and not even miss it very much after a few weeks.
Thank you for sharing that. Trauma is a hell of a thing to have to work through. Amazing how deep seated trauma is, and how easily those memories and ingrained responses come up. Hugs to you!
Great attitude about knowing you can reverse course and go back to AF for as long as you need to.6 -
AF tonight, after getting my butt kicked in a tennis match. I made some Pomegranate juice mixed with a wee bit of simple syrup, topped with club soda and a garnish of orange. Yum! I used my Zero Proof book for inspiration. I haven’t yet made any of the specialty simple syrups or shrubs yet, so I’m just winging it.5
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1 glass of white wine before dinner and 1 glass of red wine with steak dinner last night.
No more want down here at the camp for the rest of the week ... not planning to check my mom's stash.6 -
Day 50 AF is upon me. Yesterday I managed a social event with family over pretty well. I did "prep" by cleaning the house (I always feel good after), taking an epsom salt bath (my first and it did eliminate my body aches), and making myself a tart lemonade. I also "prepped" my visiting kids and their partners by letting them know in advance I wasn't drinking but if they needed to, they could bring over their own drink of choice. They were fine with it.
That simple. We had a lovely lunch of BBQ Chicken Shwarma, grilled veggies and roasted potatoes, sweet and regular, cooked on a sheet pan with olive oil and hot paprika. Dessert was marinated organic strawberries. Yum. Everyone drank seltzer or water and then we had coffee. My first relaxed alcohol-free social event with no thoughts or discussion of drinking.
I could not have gotten this far without ALL of your encouraging words and support, you guys are the best, and especially @mainelylisa for being my inspiration and showing me it could be done.7 -
Wow @globalhiker Congrats to a 50-day break--whooop! I was reflecting this morning how I did so well starting about a year ago with my long break, and then went downhill throughout Covid winter. So I feel honored that I've somehow been an inspiration. And the beautiful cycle of support (should I trademark that? ;-)) is that when I'm low on morale and inspiration, you and our gang here lift me up.
I bought fresh flowers for the first time in many months. Before, my attitude was...what's the point? They're just gonna die anyway--like so many people are doing. I'm feeling so hopeful again.
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Happy March!
I am continuing with my goals that I have mostly been following for a year:
16-20 AF days per month
Don't drink 2 days in a row
Try to keep 2 AF days in between drinks days
I choose the diary style so that I check in every day, keep myself accountable, and can see at a glance where I am at.
Thursday March 18 - AF - Of course. Job interview tomorrow, plus was not feeling great all day today at work after throwing up and then not sleeping well last night.
Friday March 19 - Drinks.
Saturday March 20 - AF - because I had drinks last night.
Sunday March 21 - AF - Planned AF for Monday also.
Rolling total: 14AF days out of 21 days.6 -
@dawnbgethealthy When are you supposed to hear about your job interview?2
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3/1-3/7: Very bad, lots of drinks
3/8-3/14: 4 AF days, 8 drinks
3/15: AF
3/16: AF
3/17: 1 drink
3/18: AF
3/19: AF
3/20: AF
3/21: 3...4? Ok, 4 drinks
I started coming down with a cold on Thursday ( @lmlmrn Are you better? Any time I'm sick that long I end up needing a steroid pack), so I laid in bed for a couple of days and stayed away from the alcohol until my throat stopped bothering me. We made an amazing Chilean sea bass last night and opened a rosé to go with it. Should have stopped after the bottle, but then husband poured some port for us. Looking back now, the pour sizes were a little...generous. I am MISERABLY hung over today, like the swearing-off-alcohol-forever kind of hung over that I'm sure we've all felt at some point or another and then we forget how bad it really was. I so rarely get hangovers, and the amount was something I can usually tolerate. More water, always more water. Happy I didn't throw up, I guess? To add to the misery, my cat was sick and yowling in the early hours of the morning while my head was pounding. Poor husband, getting to deal with both of us. Definitely AF Mon-Th this week, and will assess this weekend how I feel about drinking.7 -
Hope you're feeling on the upswing, @chocolate_owl . Been there so many times because I ALWAYS get hangovers. Maybe this could be a sign to your hubby to get a little less generous with the pours.
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hello all, late to the party today
AF last night after a good run with beer and whiskey on Saturday. Will be AF I hope for the rest of the month
@chocolate_owl I am about the same, cough (not as much) runny stuffy nose that just does not seem to get any better. I was taking some 'allergy medicine' to dry me up and suppose to help with breathing. All it is doing is drying the inside of my nose so bad that it is painful, dry and just plain awful. I was using some saline spray to keep it moist and I have gone through a whole bottle. Today I bought some nasocort? at Costco ....geeze it is expensive. I thought I would give that a day or two if not I am returning it.
So I finally get an email saying I am eligible for my covid shot(s). Only to try and make an appointment and you have to fill out another questionnaire....which says I am not eligible. I think I don't qualify until the end of the month. The tricky part is I have to take the shot two weeks after my cosentyx injection. So I will have to be super picky when I can go. The cosentyx is once every 4 weeks.
I have to be honest today as I am writing this I really want a drink of something cool down my throat that will dull me up some so I can sleep. Last night I had a little makeup pad with Vaseline + eucalyptus oil on it. Can;t put that directly on your skin/under nose, the burn is incredible (yes I did that, getting desperate)7 -
@lmlmrn Hope you feel better, too. I'm sure you've tried everything--but I remember how Vick's on my chest used to clear me up. Maybe if you're desperate, you could have a hot toddy--very light on ingesting, but heavy on the inhaling? I've read that science confirms it can help if not overdone (I had not realized the importance of the other ingredients or the hot aspect--ya so I just chugged whiskey--what a surprise. it can also disrupt sleep, so tough call. Here's a short article (not medical) I found interesting. https://www.mic.com/p/the-truth-about-drinking-whiskey-to-fight-a-cold-according-to-science-166131834
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Out of wine at the camp and didn't pick any up when I ran into town earlier today.
AF this evening!6 -
I feel like crap today. But it's a good crap. Which I couldn't have done when I originally tried to get an appt--Sat morning. Because I felt like bad crap then. And pretty sure they couldn't have squeezed a pint of of me. Ya, I'm saying that from experience.4
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AF again tonight, but I was tempted after a long day at work chock full of computer/internet problems. Glad I didn’t. Holding out until at least Thursday.4
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@mainelylisa
Thanks for asking about the job prospect! I don't know how many more interviews that they had to do, but they expect to have made a decision by this coming Friday, and the headhunter that found my resume on Indeed will be the one to tell me yes or no on that day. Good thing that I have a busy week so that I don't get to anxious waiting to hear.
@Lilylady3k
Good job getting your sister to delay opening that wine until 5pm : - )5 -
Happy March!
I am continuing with my goals that I have mostly been following for a year:
16-20 AF days per month
Don't drink 2 days in a row
Try to keep 2 AF days in between drinks days
I choose the diary style so that I check in every day, keep myself accountable, and can see at a glance where I am at.
Friday March 19 - Drinks.
Saturday March 20 - AF - because I had drinks last night.
Sunday March 21 - AF - Planned AF for Monday also.
Monday March 22 - AF - because early morning and a long day tomorrow. I might have a few drinks Tuesday night.
Rolling total: 15AF days out of 22 days.5 -
mainelylisa wrote: »@lmlmrn Hope you feel better, too. I'm sure you've tried everything--but I remember how Vick's on my chest used to clear me up. Maybe if you're desperate, you could have a hot toddy--very light on ingesting, but heavy on the inhaling? I've read that science confirms it can help if not overdone (I had not realized the importance of the other ingredients or the hot aspect--ya so I just chugged whiskey--what a surprise. it can also disrupt sleep, so tough call. Here's a short article (not medical) I found interesting. https://www.mic.com/p/the-truth-about-drinking-whiskey-to-fight-a-cold-according-to-science-16613183
Thank you for the link, I have always known that but never put it into practice. I am up for anything at this point so I may heat up some water and seep it with a few cloves then add lemon, honey and a tablespoon of whiskey.4 -
@lmlmrn - If you can drink on your meds, Hennessey cognac may help. Works for my DH all the time. Me, I'd go for a humidifier (or long steamy shower), stay indoors for a day or two (away from possible allergens)...and short term fasting but only for maybe a 3-4 hour period (like skip breakfast and have a later brunch instead). During the fasting period, drink a cup of hot water with 1 lemon squeezed into it. Repeat on the hour for the next 3 hours. The idea is to flush the germs out and let the body work on the clean up job. If anything, this is supposed to be good for beauty and anti-aging
Still AF here. I really love the feeling of being in control of me and being in control of my reactions, this keeps me going.
My Easter holiday drinking strategy: I will take my own advice and skip buying the planned bottle of fizzy German rose, because it is the most addictive drink for me and I will drink it all. Then I will feel yukky and down the following day and (like last time) turn myself into Off-AF mode and buy another bottle of rose to nurse a hangover. YUP. Maybe a glass of Hennessey after dinner instead will do just fine instead. Or Baileys. Easier to control myself if I have a single-serving liqueur compared to a bottle of wine for sure.
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Sauna, steam room, hot tub or steamy bathroom is good for decongesting. Also organic chicken broth (I add hot sauce to it)...this helps open up air passages.4
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@chocolate_owl hope you feel better...electrolyte drops in water helps and well, Alka Seltzer..
I do appreciate your post as it was a good reminder for me to not go the rose route. For some reason only some types of drinks are addictive for me while others are not and so I need to accept this.
@mainelylisa feel better too!
Seems we could all use a spa get-away.....
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managed 2 AF nights in a row because boy did we go to town for my birthday. Mindless drinking is bad. Plan had been to split 1 bottle of champagne with DH. We managed to polish off 4 additional bottles of wine. Not good. When the world was open I was religious about at least drinking a pint of water between glasses of wine. Somehow I don't do that at home.
Hoping I can stay AF 'til Friday. Maybe if I can keep it to weekends only. At this point it's not even about the alcohol, although it probably should be. Summer's coming & I need to drop 15 pounds!8 -
@Trish1c Yep, mindless drinking bad. I did it Fri night because I didn't have a plan.
@globalhiker Spa???!!! Yes, please!
Gawwwwwd, it's hard enough to not be tempted during the day, but having insomnia throws a whole bunch of extra tempting hours in there. I tried reading, watching The Affair, deep breathing, hot oat milk, more reading...all the while thinking there is some Rye Bullet in the cabinet (some...mind you--because...it is in MY house). I opted for my pink bullet instead. . Then a grilled cheese about 5am. But as tired as I am I'm DAMN PROUD I didn't drink to sleep. 7 -
Well grilled cheese sounds good at any hour of the day @mainelylisa. Good job resisting. I resisted topping off my martini last night, first time in a bit, so feeling much more clear today.8
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Crawling out from the dark to say hello and give my late March accountability.
There was SO MUCH TO READ from my last check in. Good to see everyone here and still pushing forward. No time to comment on individual posts.
MARCH- thus far
AF - 15 days
Alcohol - 8 days (having some fun)
Will be back end of March for a completed tally.
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Well all I did try the hot toddy last night, actually 2 of them. It helped me get about 4 hours of rest/sleep but then it was back at lots of mucus to get out and then over dry on the inside. I put some petroleum jelly and eucalyptus oil on my chest so I could breath in the vapors.
After talking with DH last night we are trying to pinpoint just what has been causing this reaction these past almost 4 weeks since it came on pretty sudden and this is really not the time of year for pollen yet. I think it may be something in my home or something I am eating/drinking. The only new thing I have introduced to my diet is the bitters in diet tonic water. I am going to stop using the bitters for a few days, continue with the allergy meds and see what happens.
@MissMay thanks for checking in see you at the end of the month.
@mainelylisa the insomnia has to be the worst, being so tired and sleep will not come. Hang in there I feel your pain
@globalhiker I have been standing in the shower with hot hot water, and using a defuser with eucalyptus in my home office. I think I have tried all home remedies LOL. But if I don't get relief in the next week I will see my Dr. again
back later6 -
globalhiker wrote: »@lmlmrn - If you can drink on your meds, Hennessey cognac may help. Works for my DH all the time. Me, I'd go for a humidifier (or long steamy shower), stay indoors for a day or two (away from possible allergens)...and short term fasting but only for maybe a 3-4 hour period (like skip breakfast and have a later brunch instead). During the fasting period, drink a cup of hot water with 1 lemon squeezed into it. Repeat on the hour for the next 3 hours. The idea is to flush the germs out and let the body work on the clean up job. If anything, this is supposed to be good for beauty and anti-aging
Still AF here. I really love the feeling of being in control of me and being in control of my reactions, this keeps me going.
My Easter holiday drinking strategy: I will take my own advice and skip buying the planned bottle of fizzy German rose, because it is the most addictive drink for me and I will drink it all. Then I will feel yukky and down the following day and (like last time) turn myself into Off-AF mode and buy another bottle of rose to nurse a hangover. YUP. Maybe a glass of Hennessey after dinner instead will do just fine instead. Or Baileys. Easier to control myself if I have a single-serving liqueur compared to a bottle of wine for sure.
Oh, anti-aging?? Lol, I'm in, but I think that it is inevitable.
So, I have had problems with my nose and sinuses since I have to work with a mask on all day. My friend told me to put some vaseline up my nose (apparently I will try anything), I put some on a q-tip and...it works!!!
So you are going to break your AF streak for Easter? Why not just have some chocolate? Bite the ears off of bunnies?
Surprised to hear you contemplating breaking your streak, you have been balancing out so nicely.5 -
@mainelylisa
Sorry to hear about your insomnia.
I have had sleep problems since I was 7 years old.
Sometimes I feel like I have spent my life feeling tired.
I actually take a sleeping pill once per week (narcotic, can't take it more than that) so that I at least get one full night of sleep per week.
I did try the Tylenol PM suggested here on this thread, but it did nothing for me.
I also tried something that I saw on YouTube, repeating "don't think" over and over silently. Meh.
I don't drink much alcohol any more, but it does put me to sleep....briefly.
Falling asleep is usually my issue, be it FOMO or whatever. Busy busy brain.
Pink bullet over Rye bullet has me LMFAO
You are so funny!!!4 -
Happy March!
I am continuing with my goals that I have mostly been following for a year:
16-20 AF days per month
Don't drink 2 days in a row
Try to keep 2 AF days in between drinks days
I choose the diary style so that I check in every day, keep myself accountable, and can see at a glance where I am at.
Friday March 19 - Drinks.
Saturday March 20 - AF - because I had drinks last night.
Sunday March 21 - AF - Planned AF for Monday also.
Monday March 22 - AF - because early morning and a long day tomorrow. I might have a few drinks Tuesday night.
Tuesday March 23 - Drinks - 2, because I didn't want to hurl. Ready to catch that 16th AF day.
Rolling total: 15AF days out of 23 days.4
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