Less Alcohol - APRIL 2021 - One Day At A Time
Replies
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This was today's notice in the MYDRINKAWARE app.
You consumed
0.8 units
less than this time last Month.
Your risk level:
Low Risk
😊
6 -
Hi : - )
I am going to sound like a broken record, but my goals are the same as they have been since January 2020:
16-20 AF days per month
NO drinking 2 days in a row
Keep 2 AF days in between drinks days.
3 is my max or I throw up.
Here goes my diary style:
Friday April 2nd - AF - tomorrow will be too so as to get my 2AF in a row.
Saturday April 3rd - AF - just trying to stay consistent with my goals.
Sunday April 4th - Drinks. April showers bring May flowers and all of that. The trails were just...wet. I worked out indoors, got a bunch of little stuff done around the house, then had a few drinks several hours ago followed by water.
Monday April 5th - AF - easy one to do, busy early workday tomorrow.
Rolling total: 3 AF days out of 5 days6 -
2 glasses of red wine with eggplant parmigiana & caprese salad then gin (card game that is) with DH
April accountability: 2/30 days AF
Alcohol: 3 days (7 drinks)
Goal: Limit 1-2 glasses per day; 12-16 AF days per month. Aim to drink no more than 2 nights in a row.
4/1 - AF
4/2 - 3 wine
4/3 - 2 wine
4/4 - AF
4/5 - 2 wine
6 -
Whoop Whoop, isn't it fun to get these 'feel good' awards
YES! this is a wonderful accountability tool. The thing that drives me nuts is that it is from the U.K. and they measure a bit heavier than the U.S.. there is no way to convert to our standard size units in the app.
Other than that, seeing my entire week or month front and center in shades of green, yellow or red (stay away from the red
) is extremely motivating.
6 -
GOOD MORNING @Lilylady3k
I hope some of the burden of those upcoming events has lifted for you.
Are you getting party planner wages for all this
? 6 -
AF yesterday....and no cravings last night. Thank goodness I picked up where I left off in my progress journey. I was afraid I'd be back at square 1 with the typical 5pm wine cravings.
Speaking of vegetable juice, have you ever had Gazpacho? That is really delicious and energizing. Never made it but now I want it. I need to get a mini-blender and try to make an organic/gluten free/lower sodium version. Oh and spicy please
Make it a great - AF- day!8 -
GOOD MORNING @Lilylady3k
I hope some of the burden of those upcoming events has lifted for you.
Are you getting party planner wages for all this ?
@MissMay
Party Planner wages LOL ... it is part of the retirement gig to organize it all. Lots to plan which can be overwhelming with all the "to do list", contracts and deadlines. I do though have a day of event planner that is handling the schedule for all the vendors and us for the day as well as coordinating the setup and cleanup! She will be the go to for issues. I'm planning to get my nails and hair done the day before and just relax.
Did I mention that I'm also hosting a wedding shower in May at my home that was suppose to happen last year? I just scratched off the date and replaced it with the new one ... going with my plans and everything I pulled together last year! I even have the grocery list to make brunch for 40.
Praying for good weather for both events since they are both indoor/outdoor venues.5 -
globalhiker wrote: »On Easter, I broke my AF "fast" for the day along with my DH. Really enjoyed "microsipping" a delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I sipped the bottle away in a span of maybe 6-7 hours.
The first 3 hours or so were absolutely glorious and we celebrated being together. My wine devil was doing the dance of joy. BUT it all comes with a price......my guests left by the 4th hour, when it all went downhill:
at the 4th hour: DH who drank too quickly, fell asleep (passed out?) in his chair, snoring away very loudly...Made me mad and sad and I had nobody to chat with!
at the 5th hour: DH still snoring, I felt my blood sugar go low and the snack attack set in...my face was in the Haagen Daz ice cream. I went through 2 half containers. 990 calories? How can that be...went down so smooth
15 min later: throwing up.....my hyper-healthy system was pissed as hell at me and let me know it
at the 7th-10th hours: skipped dinner, not hungry, had stopped drinking and we watched a movie....I though if I sobered up before bed I'd be fine..
hours 11-18: slept horribly, felt hot, got up to pee every hour, then I'd drink water to rehydrate only to pee again
this morning: woke up with stuffy sinuses (I'm allergic to wine sulfites) and feel too tired to exercise.
So if I do the math, it cost me about 20 hours of "Unhappy" to indulge in 3 hours of "Happy".
Not worth it, so back to AF I go.....
Wow, “happy vs unhappy hours” cost/benefit analysis is really, really brilliant. The math doesn’t lie. Sorry the day went downhill for you- but on the bright side, you (and the rest of us) got a great tool out of it.7 -
@Lmlmr thank goodness you are getting relief from that horrible sinus ordeal. What did they give you the ZPak? That was long how many weeks you suffered. Feel better
You poor thing, having had a sinus infection this whole time. I feel your pain, I used to get them chronically and they are the worst. Glad to hear you are on the mend, and can breathe better!3 -
AF last night. My usual late day at work and I didn’t even want it, which was nice.
Talking about spouses drinking..... my DH uses a few BIG pours of whiskey to relax after his really tough job. He really thinks he cannot fall asleep without alcohol, which is a large part of why he drinks. Yet, if you read any Research, alcohol actually impedes good sleep.
I’m very lucky that things don’t get ugly when either of us drink. If anything it makes us sleepy.
Every few weeks he goes on a “I’m going to go AF this week, please don’t offer me any if you are having something”. I respect it, he doesn’t feel tempted when I drink, but it lasts a day or two and he’s back to his old habit. But that’s where I started so I can’t judge harshly for that.
Men get the spare tire around the middle, and he is working out a lot to try to get rid of it. If he would only cut way way back on alcohol, it would go away a lot faster. Plus I’m concerned for his health- I don’t want him to get diabetes.7 -
Followed along last month and love the supportiveness here!
I’m just taking it a few days at a time
Easter - didn’t finish the wine bottle 🤪
Monday - AF
Today I also plan to be AF 🤞🏻8 -
hello to everyone
AF again last night, it is do or die with meds and I plan to do, and do and do so no alcohol at least until April 13th my 25th Wedding Anniversary!.....The energy I feel now that the symptoms from the 30 day sinus infection (sheesh I will never wait that long again to seek medical attention) are slipping away very quickly
@globalhiker I was super worried that after the pro's and con's of an alcohol day you would have to start over with the cravings etc. The fact your brain is not going back to ground zero is even more reason for me to continue to try and stay AF for longer and longer periods of time. I have noticed now that the day sometimes two, after a night of moderate/heavy drinking (no longer the heavier end) the craving was much less the next day but.....I could feel if I had another alcohol night close to the last I would be back at square one.
@MissMay I am not sure what the z-pac is, they gave me a 'triple' antibiotic (10 days of a horse sized pills) , a steroid pill (5 days of a moderate sized pill) and some allergy nasal spray
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Good luck to everyone here, the stress of 2020 caused me to backslide hard, but now that the sun is out and the temps are up a little getting back to 1 sixer max on the weekends is the new plan, so far so good.9
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Hello Ladies. I read the entire thread and feel there is a close knit group of people supporting each other. I wasn't going to reply until I read @Womona 's last reply. I am a DH on the verge of diabetes. Just got my lab results back from Doc and got a good talking to. I have carried this app on my phone for lord knows how long and have decided to use it. I like this group because I think they have some of the same struggles I do. I don't have a real plan yet, just know that I need one and am working on it. I had to look up what AF meant!!! LOL, then it dawned on me. Anyhow, since I got my lab results, I have 2 AF days under my belt. Haven't done that in quite some time. I am going to allow myself drinks on Friday. I think it is easier when you know you have a planned day for it. Great advice earlier in the thread. Also - 2 days in a row with exercise!! Previous record was 1. Ha. 100% improvement. I know my personality type and if I can get this to stick, I will be a force to be reckoned with. Anyway, thanks to everyone who shares, wins and losses. It provides inspiration to untold numbers of people.11
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Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone. I had three days in a row of lovely dinners and celebrations. Kinda blew out my weekly drink limit, but hey, birthday weekend and seeing people for the first time in forever. Waffling about drinks tonight because I'm tired and in a mood, but Wed-Sat are AF for sure. Getting my 2nd Covid shot on Thursday and staying with my mom Thurs-Sat. Her husband is extremely anti-alcohol and doesn't want it around, so we respect that.
4/1 - 4 drinks
4/2 - 3 drinks
4/3 - 3 drinks
4/4 - 4 drinks
4/5 - AF9 -
Happy Tuesday! It's a new week.
1 out of 5 drinks this week (yahhhh...hair of the dog IPA)8 -
I was on this thread religiously back in 2018/2019. 2020 was a complete disaster for me. I managed to pack on the Covid-19 and the bulk of that was from uninhibitedly drinking almost every day. And of course when one does that, your tolerance increases. When your tolerance increases you drink more. Furthermore, I suffer from panic disorder/anxiety and was using alcohol (wine) to medicate myself and attempt to shut my brain off. I became a hamster on a wheel, running and running, unable to get out. Since December, I’ve been trying to stop. I finally have gotten ahold of the beast. The good weather is helping me tremendously.
So far...
3/31: AF
4/1: AF
4/2: AF
4/3: AF
4/4: parents came over with a bottle of Prosecco.... i told them I wasn’t drinking and mom told me they got it specifically for me, plus it was Easter lol - I had 2 glasses. (Ended up having a panic attack later that evening
)
4/5: AF
4/6: parents came over, had 1 glass of red wine
My goal is to remain as AF as possible but I’m making allowances for social affairs. A lot of my friends and family drink, especially wine. My goal is to have no more than 2 glasses if I’m socializing. Otherwise, none.
Anyone else suffer from anxiety/panic disorder? Do you also find there is a relationship between your anxiety and drinking? Let me know your thoughts! Have a great evening everyone
8 -
ChristyB1117 wrote: »Followed along last month and love the supportiveness here!
I’m just taking it a few days at a time
Easter - didn’t finish the wine bottle 🤪
Monday - AF
Today I also plan to be AF 🤞🏻
Great start to your month!5 -
Hi : - )
I am going to sound like a broken record, but my goals are the same as they have been since January 2020:
16-20 AF days per month
NO drinking 2 days in a row
Keep 2 AF days in between drinks days.
3 is my max or I throw up.
Here goes my diary style:
Friday April 2nd - AF - tomorrow will be too so as to get my 2AF in a row.
Saturday April 3rd - AF - just trying to stay consistent with my goals.
Sunday April 4th - Drinks. April showers bring May flowers and all of that. The trails were just...wet. I worked out indoors, got a bunch of little stuff done around the house, then had a few drinks several hours ago followed by water.
Monday April 5th - AF - easy one to do, busy early workday tomorrow.
Tuesday April 6th - AF - I got hired for 2 jobs today that I had previously interviewed for. I turned down the one, and I start training on the one that I did pick tomorrow, so AF tonight for sure. It will be a fun job at an East Indian restaurant where I will become a server once the lockdown is lifted. I will learn the ropes and take phone calls for take-out and things like that until then. Less than half of the money of the other job prospects that I had a few weeks ago, but I think that it will be great and it will supplement my other jobs well financially. Good thing that it will be an active job because I love Indian food a little too much : - )
Rolling total: 4 AF days out of 6 days8 -
@kelagurl
2020 was hard on everyone I think. I am pretty sure that I drank 10 days straight in late March.
I don't know if alcohol exacerbates anxiety or not. The Google machine could probably give answers on both sides lol.5 -
Every few months I like putting out this comparison of what one standard size drink REALLY is:
7 -
Hello Ladies. I read the entire thread and feel there is a close knit group of people supporting each other. I wasn't going to reply until I read @Womona 's last reply. I am a DH on the verge of diabetes. Just got my lab results back from Doc and got a good talking to. I have carried this app on my phone for lord knows how long and have decided to use it. I like this group because I think they have some of the same struggles I do. I don't have a real plan yet, just know that I need one and am working on it. I had to look up what AF meant!!! LOL, then it dawned on me. Anyhow, since I got my lab results, I have 2 AF days under my belt. Haven't done that in quite some time. I am going to allow myself drinks on Friday. I think it is easier when you know you have a planned day for it. Great advice earlier in the thread. Also - 2 days in a row with exercise!! Previous record was 1. Ha. 100% improvement. I know my personality type and if I can get this to stick, I will be a force to be reckoned with. Anyway, thanks to everyone who shares, wins and losses. It provides inspiration to untold numbers of people.
So glad you joined in!!! And your words are nice to hear. Yes, we all struggle trying to cut down (whatever cutting down means to us) and it’s definitely not always easy. But it is worth it. The successes are pretty wonderful. So is the support when we trip up!4 -
Congratulations on the job @globalhiker ! Mmm, Indian food is delicious. I’m sure you’ll enjoy working there.
Started Dragon Boat paddle practice last night, and it was great to be back on the water. We went to dinner after practice. I was proud I microsipped my 5oz glass of wine, but I shouldn’t have had that 2nd taco! The portions were huge. Ugh too much food too late at night. Ever get that overstuffed feeling? Should have just packed it to go.
How nice to have regrets over food rather than alcohol!7 -
@kelagurl Wow, sounds like you are getting yourself back on track! That is great for recognizing it, it is a slippery slope and the pandemic has not been easy on anyone. One of my friends was just talking about Easter and prosecco!! It goes down too easy. I am totally new to the group and agree, it is a great space and great people here
I have had anxiety all my life, was diagnosed at 30 with generalized anxiety disorder although, as a child and adult I am pretty shy, I always thought I had social anxiety. I took french conversation in college and didn't say a peep all semester due to fear of speaking! For me, exercise has helped me a ton with it. But that gets thrown out the window when I drink cause then I feel like *kitten*. When I started binge drinking in college I barely got through school. It severely impacted my grades in a negative way because I was useless on the weekends I had to sleep for hours to recover. I am 52 now. Took me a long time to really see the problem - although I stopped binging after college due to no $$$
If I drink now it leads to heightened anxiety - even small amounts. I got a garmin watch for working out. When I drink I now have the data that shows me why I feel like *kitten*! Terrible sleep (no deep sleep/or rem, lots of wakefulness) resting heart rate increases etc. and it tells me I need more rest cause my heart rate fluctuates. Getting that feedback has really been an eye opener for me.
Keep up the good work
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Hello Newcomers! Welcome!!
You'll come to find our main mission is really is all about becoming happier and healthier.....! Blood sugar issues, anxiety, all of that improves with drinking less over time. Weights, cardio and yoga/relaxation helps a ton as does getting one's lifestyle in balance so body and mind operates in sync.
Congrats to @dawnbgethealthy for landing such a cool job. I love Indian food too.....!!
AF here and that's the game plan for rest of April.
Do you know what feels better than drinking? Wanna know the truth?
It's hitting your goals AND no longer having cravings.....now that's a great feeling to wake up to.....!!!!!.
Make it a great day!!!!
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2 glasses of wine last night with pizza dinner. Wanted a glass of the 2nd bottle DH opened but instead drank 2 large glasses of water while we watched a movie. It was hard but I didn't want to post another "red" day going over my personal limit.6
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@dawnbgethealthy congrats on the job. I also adore Indian food. @kelagurl I have low level depression/anxiety and when I drink more than I should (like last night) I wake up around 2 or 3 am feeling extremely anxious and my thoughts cycle through every negative memory I can conjure up. When I drink less the anxiety is not bad like that although I am still a terrible sleeper. I should learn my lesson. I am trying to do that and this thread is very inspiring.5
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Back to @kelagurl 's inquiry about alcohol and anxiety.... yaaass. I do notice this.
There were younger years when I drank more than I do now, and I did not notice the anxiety connection. Maybe alcohol is affecting me differently as I age, or maybe I just didn't notice when I was drinking every day. Regardless, I definitely notice now. DH is pretty attuned to his anxiety and alcohol affects him the same way. It's a thing. 4
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