Less Alcohol ~ FEBRUARY 2022 ~ One Day At A Time
Replies
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Feb 1-2 - AF
Feb 3-5 - stuck with 2 drink limit
Feb 6-9 - AF
Feb 10 - 12 - 2 drink limit
Feb 13-15 AF
Feb 16-17 - 2 drinks
Feb 18-19- went a little off the rails oops
Feb 20- 21 - AF back on track4 -
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@lmlmrn glad you are feeling better...and I do find your Uncle Sock amusing.
I think I have myself back together. My motivating is coming back! You know, I think I went into a slight depression for awhile and that is why my motivation had gone out the door.
Went on a long hike yesterday and now remember how good it makes me feel....like new. I had 1 can of lower-alcohol "bubbles" wine (10%) and it went to my head fast.
This reminds me, I should opt for wine spritzers instead of wine, to cut the alcohol (and the toxicity that goes with it). Plus it is more hydrating.4 -
The gal on my workout DVD said something notable this morning-
Working out in the morning sets your whole mood for the entire day.
Today was the beginning of my 8th consecutive week doing this 3 month workout routine. Half way through.
AF yesterday7 -
Good morning everyone,
I’m bummed that I haven’t seen the scale tip down more since cutting out my two glasses of wine Thursday-Saturdays, & sometimes Sunday’s🤭 I thought for sure it was the excess and empty wine calories….but obviously I need to focus on what I’m eating (in addition to less alcohol)😒🙂🙃
So far:
AF days: 20 (started 1/31)
A days: 2
Have a great day! 🙋🏻♀️5 -
@lmlmrn Hope you are all better soon. Sound like it wasn’t too terrible of a case. But I’m sure terrifying on some level.
@lililylady3k Beautiful baby!
@JustDan_71 Happy Birthday!
Hello everyone!
Last week was not my best. After wine on Valentine’s Day, I was AF for two days. On Thursday I hosted my book club. Not a huge group- just 7 of our 10-12 ladies came. Everyone had a little wine, not a lot, including me. Does anyone else feel nervous and a little intimidated by these types of gatherings? Like, is my food going to be bad, not saying the right things during book discussion, etc? Didn’t drink at my last one but really wanted a little because of nerves and I wasn’t driving.
Friday night was a fashion show and AIDS benefit. Great fun. Kind of raunchy. Went with my daughter and had 3 glasses of wine and some cocktail they gave out over the course of the evening. Wasn’t driving and had a blast and honestly don’t regret that at all.
Saturday- had wine with Italian takeout for no real reason- just kind of easing back into the habit. Still had a decent run Sunday but gained 2.5 pounds after my days of eating and drinking whatever. Also, most of these people I’m going to run with are MUCH faster than me (we all share our runs on STRAVA). I’m “middle of the pack” distance wise. Also intimidating.
Honestly, it was easy NOT to drink last night. Completed my food diary too.
This weight loss is slow and frustrating sometimes. Alcohol seems to be a deal killer for me and the scale. I do think I’m learning a bit about myself even as I write this. I drink for several reasons- I enjoy the taste of wine, it feels celebratory, but also a bit out of insecurity. I live in a place where everyone is extremely athletic, most quite wealthy, all very educated… The beautiful people so to speak. Sometimes it makes me feel like a fraud for trying to run with this crowd. My husband honestly doesn’t give a crap and does his own thing. I wish I cared a little less.
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I am in, with my usual goal: 16-20AF days per month. I had 18 last month.
Diary Style is how I roll.
Feb 13 - AF - Busy day Monday working out of town, so AF decision. Expecting to have drinks with my departing friend Monday and Tuesday, she leaves for good on Wednesday.
Feb 14 - 2 drinks
Feb 15 - AF - said goodbye to my friend on Monday night, she is enroute now to Calgary and flies out of there in the wee hours Thursday morning. Time to get back to a normal routine for myself and to rack up some AF days.
Wednesday Feb 16 - AF - Felt like having a couple of drinks, but also am trying to get back into some sort of routine after so much packing and cleaning at my friend's over the last couple of weeks. It was nice to be at home watching the Olympics.
Thursday Feb 17 - AF - Planned drinks Friday and Saturday.
Friday Feb 18 - 2 drinks - (Seem to have lost that post)
Saturday Feb 19 - 3 drinks all together, I had a piccolo of Freixenet with cheese for lunch (one flute) and then 2 drinks in the evening. Planned AF for Sunday
Sunday Feb 20 - AF - Running out of month already! We are getting an Arctic Cold front coming through here over the next few days.
Rolling total: 11AF days out of 20 days3 -
Yes, alcohol derails weight loss, not just from the calories. I believe that our fat burning turns off as soon as we add alcohol into our systems. Our bodies need to concentrate on metabolizing the alcohol, not burning fat.
@MissMay
Yes to the exercising first thing in the morning. Oxygen to the brain, loosening up of the joints and warming the muscles, releasing endorphins.
On days off I grab little bursts of dance cardio songs here and there throughout the day also. I have to concentrate on the movements, so it is almost like a little break and reset for the mind.6 -
@SavageMrsMoose I know what you mean about "imposter syndrome." FWIW, my book club, of all social gatherings, is the easiest in which to abstain. Half don't drink at all. Half drink with eyebrow raising gusto. I think there's only one who actually has one glass. It's easy because no one honestly cares whether anyone drinks or not. I love book clubs because they get you reading stuff you wouldn't pick for yourself.
Interestingly, the 2nd easiest setting for abstaining is my yacht club. Sailors are not light drinkers. And they honestly, truly do not care or notice what anyone else is having.
While I was flat on my back this weekend, I did a little reading up on AF spirits. I had been meaning to ever since I went into that NYC AF wine & spirits shop in the fall. It was a dizzying array of product that left me unsure where to start. I learned that some AF spirits are made by the same process as alcoholic spirits plus a step to evaporate off the ethanol. So they as just as expensive as regular spirits. There was a time I would have felt that was totally not worth it. Now, though, I truly enjoy the creative aspect of mocktails. Many nights after dinner I make myself a citrussy soda as a sort of "kitchen closed" ritual. So maybe I will incorporate the AF spirits into my "after dinner drink." The initial thought, though, was to intersperse mocktails with cocktails to trim weekend intake. My intent isn't necessarily to get to a zero proof result. E.g. with a Nigroni, it would cut ethanol and calories to substitute out the gin while keeping the amaro & vermouth. Or the opposite - substitute out the amaro & vermouth but keep the gin. Some AF spirits get great reviews "neat," and some are made to be mixed. It will take a little experimenting.
I bought: Monday "gin," Lyres Italian Orange (amaro alternative) and Lyres Aperitif Rosso (sweet vermouth alternative). AF wine and beer is a whole other frontier.5 -
@ahoy_m8 ...as far as alcohol-free wine goes...IMHO it should go down the drain. @MissMay is the alcohol-free beer whisperer. I've found her 00 very good, also Coors Edge. I can't be too choosey, have to take what maybe is in stock at the "Beer Store". Da'Burgh is not kind to those who want to abstain
Haven't been to a grocery in a couple years now...Instacart is a lifesaver !! Any "whoops" are refunded immediately, and have had NO crushed bread or broken eggs.
Who was it who put tonic water in coffee liquor ?? Shame. Straight or with a little cream, please. It's stupid easy to make...but OH the calories. Don't think using Stevia would work well??
@MissMay .....The antique wine rack was lonely for a year, but got a workout when I started drinking again for my last birthday. No wine since my last post, until last night, when I merrily & mindlessly polished off a bottle of Chianti.
I've got these exotic cheeses, and some olives, and sausage, and nice crackers, and an unwatched season of a reality show on my DVR....Catpuccino simply sat across the table and gave me his best disapproving look. Swatting the glass off the table would have been more effective. [ Note to Cat - Don't even THINK about it ]
No ill effects, and have climbed back on the wagon again. Covid sucks...socially distant hugs to all who are affected.
Ciao/Meow5 -
trying to send a photo...no working....I'm too old for tech.
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EXERCISE (this goes for AF too)The gal on my workout DVD said something notable this morning-
Working out in the morning sets your whole mood for the entire day.
Today was the beginning of my 8th consecutive week doing this 3 month workout routine. Half way through.
AF yesterday
I can't tell you how proud I am and you should be of YOU. I know how hard it is to stick to a 4-8-12 week commitment program. I have only had success with up to 8 weeks. So I bow down to the queen.
DH and I are feeling great but I still have not had a negative covid test. So I am retesting on Wednesday at a drive through rapid test site. I need to be sure before I have family over for the rescheduled turkey dinner.
Alcohol and weight loss, when I first started this journey it was to lose the weight. I was so proud of myself when I went 4 days AF and still saw no change on the scale and even a gain. Then a bit later in the journey I went for a much longer period AF and started to see some changes. But I also reflect that to replace the hand to mouth motion that will suck you in every time. I replaced it with a snack....I would be so proud of being AF, but then self sabotaged with chips, chocolate, etc......
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Ah, that first step onto the scale after a long weekend vacation. Not pretty!!!! I was at my upper threshold drink-wise, but spread out over long days meant it didn’t hit me hard, so that was good. Restaurant meals and salty snacks means I’m puffy today!
Daytona 500 was fun. I had no idea it was such a festival atmosphere! We were blessed with good weather, no rain delays, so we got out of there at a reasonable time. But we were all starving by the time we got home at 10:30PM, and a big juicy cheeseburger on the grill was a perfect late dinner. I only had two High Noons at the race, and a glass of wine with dinner that night.
So, back to how I normally eat, and I’m ready to ramp up exercise, finally!5 -
@SavageMrsMoose sometimes I wonder how much of any sudden weight gain is just water. I do the math and the calories just don't add up to the lbs. Anyways, I am still avoiding the scale until my pants get loose.
There is half bottle of a good Spanish white wine in my fridge for 2 days and it was not consumed last night (definitely b/c I had a low-stress day). Miracle! So today I continue to work on my stress reduction.
Exercise is the best stress prevention measure I can do for myself so off I go for a run now. I don't worry about my speed (slow!) because I know I am going faster than all those people sitting at home and not getting their butts moving.5 -
The gal on my workout DVD said something notable this morning-
Working out in the morning sets your whole mood for the entire day.
DH and I are feeling great but I still have not had a negative covid test. So I am retesting on Wednesday at a drive through rapid test site. I need to be sure before I have family over for the rescheduled turkey dinner.
Alcohol and weight loss, when I first started this journey it was to lose the weight. I was so proud of myself when I went 4 days AF and still saw no change on the scale and even a gain. Then a bit later in the journey I went for a much longer period AF and started to see some changes. But I also reflect that to replace the hand to mouth motion that will suck you in every time. I replaced it with a snack....I would be so proud of being AF, but then self sabotaged with chips, chocolate, etc......
I’m a huge proponent of morning workouts. Get it done!
Sorry about the positive Covid test. My son and his girlfriend went to Cayman Islands for New Years and stayed at her parents condo. (We found out after the fact the parents bailed last minute). She tested positive day two and for 14 days. They were confined to the condo (even my son, who never tested positive) and could not leave the country until until she received a negative PCR. He missed the first week of school. Ironically- she never had symptoms. He got a positive test two weeks after coming home! So the positive tests can last a really long time.
I stayed AF last night, but wasn’t easy. Stressed about this Ukraine invasion. My daughter and I are supposed to go to Italy in May and my husband is very reluctant to let us go if there is actual war so close. I really wanted a drink but DH was good, so I ate goldfish crackers and nuts instead. Who knows how many snack calories??? Still a win though, as far as I am concerned.
@ahoy_m8 I think the sailing crowd and the skiing crowd are the same people! I’ve never tried the AF cocktails as I mostly drink wine. Interesting though! I might try!4 -
I am in, with my usual goal: 16-20AF days per month. I had 18 last month.
Diary Style is how I roll.
Feb 13 - AF - Busy day Monday working out of town, so AF decision. Expecting to have drinks with my departing friend Monday and Tuesday, she leaves for good on Wednesday.
Feb 14 - 2 drinks
Feb 15 - AF - said goodbye to my friend on Monday night, she is enroute now to Calgary and flies out of there in the wee hours Thursday morning. Time to get back to a normal routine for myself and to rack up some AF days.
Wednesday Feb 16 - AF - Felt like having a couple of drinks, but also am trying to get back into some sort of routine after so much packing and cleaning at my friend's over the last couple of weeks. It was nice to be at home watching the Olympics.
Thursday Feb 17 - AF - Planned drinks Friday and Saturday.
Friday Feb 18 - 2 drinks - (Seem to have lost that post)
Saturday Feb 19 - 3 drinks all together, I had a piccolo of Freixenet with cheese for lunch (one flute) and then 2 drinks in the evening. Planned AF for Sunday
Sunday Feb 20 - AF - Running out of month already! We are getting an Arctic Cold front coming through here over the next few days.
Monday Feb 21 - AF - The temperature dropped 30 degrees overnight. Hard on the joints when that happens.
Rolling total: 12AF days out of 21 days4 -
@ahoy_m8 I have never seen that show. The one I am waiting to come to our area is BEAUTIFUL. The story of Carol King.
YES amen to morning workouts.
Thanks @lmlmrn. I have this go to free weight workout that I absolutely love by BeachBody. I do it for recommended weeks, then take a break from it for a while, then do it again. It is 3 days a week, then every other day throwing in an ab or short kick boxing w/o.
@forestdweller1 gosh it is great to have your hysterical self back on here. Now how can we assist you with attaching that photo?
Believe me nothing much going on out there in Pitts-town. .My two Nephews work there and keep me up on the old neighborhood. I hope you not still tossing firewood down your bulk head all by yourself. Maybe we could find you some helpers so you don't end so back.in the hospital again.
AF last night
Did have a Lyres mocktail at home though after it was mentioned by someone on here the other day that they had tried it too.2 -
Feb 1-2 - AF
Feb 3-5 - stuck with 2 drink limit
Feb 6-9 - AF
Feb 10 - 12 - 2 drink limit
Feb 13-15 AF
Feb 16-17 - 2 drinks
Feb 18-19- went a little off the rails oops
Feb 20- 22 - AF back on track
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Oh I am going to feel this tomorrow! I had my normal tennis drill this morning, which was a good workout. Then my son wanted to play, so we got court time for an hour. THEN we went to the gym. I burned as many calories today as I did when I did a sprint distance triathlon back in 2008!!!!!
AF today, even though I have plenty of calories left over. We didn’t want to ruin our workouts with alcohol!
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@SavageMrsMoose thank you!
@MissMay did I see on here from one of your previous posts that you are from Maine? I grew up there and my family all still live there.
I haven’t been doing so good at this no alcohol thing the last few days but today I managed to stay AF. I also need to get back on track fitness wise. I hate this getting older thing! 😂5 -
Feb 1-2 - AF
Feb 3-5 - stuck with 2 drink limit
Feb 6-9 - AF
Feb 10 - 12 - 2 drink limit
Feb 13-15 AF
Feb 16-17 - 2 drinks
Feb 18-19- went a little off the rails oops
Feb 20- 23 - AF - Feeling good!3 -
[quote="JustDan_71;c-46637827
I haven’t been doing so good at this no alcohol thing the last few days but today I managed to stay AF. I also need to get back on track fitness wise. I hate this getting older thing! 😂[/quote]
‘Tis not an easy thing we do!
Getting older is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. The things we were able to get away with health-wise in our 20’s are a thing of the past!
Don’t beat yourself up about not being AF, this sub is about LESS alcohol. So, if you normally have three drinks per night and drop that down to two, that counts! A lot of us drink out of mindless habit, and a lot of us drink to relax. Becoming intentional about drinking is the goal here. Make drinking an active choice, and for reasons you can feel good about.
As for the exercise, I hear ya! I’m starting to ramp up my exercise frequency and consistency and boy, do I feel it! I like having exercised, not so much actually doing it!6 -
SO TRUE!
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I am in, with my usual goal: 16-20AF days per month. I had 18 last month.
Diary Style is how I roll.
Friday Feb 20 - 2 drinks
Saturday Feb 19 - 3 drinks all together, I had a piccolo of Freixenet with cheese for lunch (one flute) and then 2 drinks in the evening. Planned AF for Sunday
Sunday Feb 20 - AF - Running out of month already! We are getting an Arctic Cold front coming through here over the next few days.
Monday Feb 21 - AF - The temperature dropped 30 degrees overnight. Hard on the joints when that happens.
Tuesday Feb 22 - AF - Trying to rack some up.
Rolling total: 13AF days out of 22 days4 -
Ok my AF- AL family (alcohol free - alcohol less).
I have been feeling soo good. I did not get back into my exercise routine yet, look out tomorrow. I retested and I am covid free....lol so I am out of jail. We did go out to lunch yesterday and I did drink 2 beers. So still doing well, in my mind, with less.
So DH surprised me by doing more downsizing of his business in anticipation of retiring. In 2019 we agreed that 2025, January to be specific was the official retirement date. DH bought this business when he was in his early 20's. He just turned 66. It is a small business and currently only has 1 employee who has been with him for 15+ years. So anyway my point is, he is moving things along towards his retirement. Something I was not expecting him to move with this amount of vision on how long it will take him. After all it is his baby so to speak.
Anyway I am proud he is doing so well mentally about letting go. We will see how he is doing 6 months in of, no having to get up at 5am any longer.
Ok I am off for now6 -
Ok my AF- AL family (alcohol free - alcohol less).
I have been feeling soo good. I did not get back into my exercise routine yet, look out tomorrow. I retested and I am covid free....lol so I am out of jail. We did go out to lunch yesterday and I did drink 2 beers. So still doing well, in my mind, with less.
So DH surprised me by doing more downsizing of his business in anticipation of retiring. In 2019 we agreed that 2025, January to be specific was the official retirement date. DH bought this business when he was in his early 20's. He just turned 66. It is a small business and currently only has 1 employee who has been with him for 15+ years. So anyway my point is, he is moving things along towards his retirement. Something I was not expecting him to move with this amount of vision on how long it will take him. After all it is his baby so to speak.
Anyway I am proud he is doing so well mentally about letting go. We will see how he is doing 6 months in of, no having to get up at 5am any longer.
Ok I am off for now
Footloose and Covid Free! So happy for you!
I’m also happy to hear your husband took a big step toward winding down the business. What a thing to see your plans coming to fruition!1 -
Measured out a 4 oz. glass of wine with a delicious dinner made by my wonderful son. Working out tomorrow morning, so didn’t want to overdo it.3
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@Womona thank you for the encouragement and the insight.
I am a stress/emotional eater and ever since I lost a bunch of weight, I think I replaced the food, with alcohol. These last few years have been hard for everyone I think.
So you are right, I need to just focus on LESS.
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