Less Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2022 ~ One Day At A Time

@ahoy_m8 wow that is so good going will power! Would have been very hard for me not to sample and enjoy. The benefits of lowering your alcohol must be strong in your mind.
@Xellercin does -34C even exist 😂 Now that really is incomprehensible for me. We reach -5C some years here but so far had a very mild winter and not dipped below freezing.
Off to work now …. Have fun all!

Covid finally got me. Ah well, it was only a matter of time I suppose. I am feeling better, but no energy right now to do my normal routine. Which stinks, because I was doing really well with pacing myself, being a good steward, etc so being sick, Covid or not, feels like a setback. Ah well. I’ll get back on track when I’m better. Now for a nap!

BTW I feel my muscles atrophying from lack of use! Weight loss from illness is not the way to go!

Drank last night and will tonight. This is OK, it's planned, sort of my weekend due to crazy shifts. Then plan AF until Tuesday.
Accountability round up (including today)
8 normal drink days
1 very much reduced drink day
4 AF

Sorry, messed that quoting thing up. @Womona I found out they renamed Cutback Coach to sunnyside.co. I did a free trial a while back. They have you establish goals then send you texts to encourage you to reach your goals. Free trial then 79 per year. Not sure it would work for me long term. I will check out the Drink Control app - thanks.

wow. so much to catch up on here.

First @Womona , so sorry you're down with Covid. I hope your vaccines do their job and keep your case mild. Health officials did say on the news last night that everyone will get it eventually. I wasn't paying attention to who was speaking, but it was a different stance and that caught my attention. You are smart to rest up. It will put you back on track much faster than if you run yourself ragged. My adhesive capsulitis ("frozen shoulder") episode last year acclimated me to the fact that setbacks are a fact of life and the important thing is taking it in stride, healing adequately, and rebuilding gradually. Apologies if I'm sounding this note too loudly but I just gave this pep talk to DH who is dealing with a small setback in his training.

@dawnbgethealthy Hearing about your glorious skates does my heart so much good. Please don't stop! And relieved you escaped whatever your tenant has, at least for the moment. whew.

@jonsek you give me too much credit. I have participated offscreen in many of these and our magnum of Christmas wine was from this vineyard, so I am acquainted with the product. And I will have some tomorrow so it is gratification delayed not denied.

I am on Day 13 AF and I just want to share something that happened. It is a little thing, but to me it is amazing.

I was on the phone with medical and they asked for my sponsor's social and I rattled it off immediately without really thinking.
I haven't been able to do that in several years, and I normally have to look it up, so I asked him to wait a min so I could check, and he said 'no it's fine you got it right, I have your account right here.'

I had thought it was just to be expected, that with age my mind was slowing (I am 56) but if it wasn't the alcohol how would I suddenly be able to do that like I did when I was young? I am blown away and happy

Fit_Happens_2021 wrote: »

I was on the phone with medical and they asked for my sponsor's social

Hey guys, I just want to make a quick clarification as someone asked what I meant above, I just meant my husband's social for my doctor appointment. Sorry, in the military was just always called it sponsor's.

Hope everyone is having a great week

LazyBlondeChef wrote: »

I've been reading "everyone will eventually get it" for a couple of weeks now. I'm still hoping not to. I already tend to have multi-month upper respiratory problems in the winter but didn't last winter and so far haven't this winter. Probably because I've been masked up all winter.

@ahoy_m8 wasn't it one of your DDs that had it twice? That actually concerns me more because I wonder what the long term ramifications of that will be.

~~~~~

As far as AF ... still there from Sunday through today. I think that makes only 3 days of a couple of drinks.

I’ve been hearing virologists say it for at least a month, but yesterday was the first time I recall an administration official say it. She was an FDA official. A bit sobering for sure.

And you’re right, DD#3 had it twice. Fall 2020 was pre-vaccine. Xmas was breakthrough. She felt really sick both times, but worse and longer duration the first time. DD#1 felt sick 7-8 days with a breakthrough infection fall 2021.

I also have an older medically vulnerable friend, cancer survivor, who was scheduled for surgery to deal with a persistent bone infection related to radiation therapy. She tested positive on intake so sadly her surgery was postponed but happily she’s asymptotic. So you never know.

My goal has been to not drink on weeknights (Sun-Thur).

After having a couple drinks every few months quickly turned into having a few every single day became a thing, and lasted two years, my husband and I decided that we were going down a road that was very much not healthy.

We've been doing it, not one drink on a weeknight, and nothing too excessive on weekends. I notice HOW MUCH BETTER I AM SLEEPING at night. No middle of the night wake-ups where I lay there for hours. Feels amazing!

And then when the weekend comes and I have two beers before bed... AWFUL night's sleep. That alone makes even weekend drinks seem a lot less appealing.

ETA: Hubby notices no difference in sleep, but has lost 10 pounds since Jan. 1. No dieting, just a LOT fewer alcohol calories. (Of course, us experts will note that this is mostly water weight and what-not, but still wild!)

10 AF / 13 days. I hope I have this right since I am losing track.

Every other meeting I've had this week with either clients, vendors or colleagues....at least HALF of them have active Covid, but they are OK enough to still work from home.

I feel like hell - joint and muscle aches and fatigue and no energy to exercise. My pharmacy doesn't have Covid test appointments for a week so if I did have Covid, by then it would be outside the optimal testing window. The places by me are out of stock of test kits too.

The positive is that if we're all going to get it, we are lucky to get the "less serious" strain. And maybe we'll get that herd immunity once and for all and be done with this saga. I'm so done with this.

Feel better @Womona !

10/13 AF days in January and dry since I started here on January 6th.

I had a sort of minor victory yesterday. My boss and I went out to lunch at a brewery and I was only minorly tempted to have a beer and burger. Instead, I told myself to order the Cobb salad and ice tea and If I still wanted a burger and beer when I was done, I would get. It. Well guess what!? I was perfectly content and Full with the salad and ice tea. Just had to tell my tantrum throwing inner child a story to get it to cooperate. I’m the end, my conscious brain knew that I wouldn’t need It.

This is a huge testament to the fear “ If I don’t drink, they won’t like me”. My boss always makes comments about how much he likes having lunch/beer with me. I secretly wondered how he would respond when I told him I wasn’t drinking a week ago. He said “oh man! now I’m gonna have to cut back!” Yesterday he told me he was down to 2 beers a day. He was drinking a 4 pack of high ABV daily pretty consistently. Victory is ours!

Also I’m down 12 lbs since the 1st so that’s cool.