LESS Alcohol ~ APRIL 2023 ~ One Day at A Time

mfowler883 · April 2023

Last night was one NA IPA with dinner, one IPA after and a small glass of rum while reading before bed. Been trying to do better about keeping up with logging food and taking my supplements, and being more consistent. In a couple of weeks we're going to Jazz & Juleps, a little event at Bayou Bend with outdoor meandering in the gardens while a jazz band performs, and I'm hoping to drop a few pounds before then. I'm not seeing it on the scale yet but I feel like I'm doing better than I was and should start to see the changes happening again.

joans1976 wrote: »

I am going for a free Reiki massage tonight offered at the cancer center. I have never experienced Reiki before so I’m excited to see what it’s like.

I know of Reiki but not much about it, do tell us how it goes!

-m

MonkeyMel21 · April 2023

Today was much better than yesterday. I was busy at work and kept up well. Tomorrow will be even more busy as we'll be down 3 people. I had a few drinks with DH while we all played a family game. I'm getting excited for the weekend!

4/1- 4 beers
4/2- NA
4/3- NA
4/4- 4 drinks
4/5- NA
4/6- 3 rum drinks

Michieb125 · April 2023

So much is going with everyone this week! Love all the inspiring posts and thanks for being here.

Had a crazy busy week so far and have been AF - will have 2 glasses of planned red wine tonight and relax with a Netflix movie.

@Womona - Like you, we are not hosting a large group for brunch or dinner this holiday weekend after it seems like over a dozen and a half years we have.

@RockinRobyn672 you are really rocking the AF days so far!

April accountability: total of 20-22 days AF this month
AF - 4
A - 1

Goal: Limit 2 glasses per day
Personal best - 1-2 glasses

forestdweller1 · April 2023

@dawnbgethealthy ...OH NO, don't destroy my fantasy that Muslims believe that if alcohol enters their homes, the devil enters with it, and the angels exit...Whatever...I'll continue to keep my Hindu meals alcohol free. Can't hurt, might help ?? Well, AF beer will still be helpful here. For ME.
Falafel dry mix is available in "Health Food" stores in Pittsburgh, and the best kind is at my favorite Pita bakery where you can watch the loaves being baked and cooled right in front of you. A bit of water, smokin' hot oil, and you have a protein source for your meal.
Having been several times a single mother with no other resources than a used car and grit, I have empathy for your work situation. At least you have only yourself to provide for. Maybe the music gig is a bit far-fetched, but garden centers and such and opportunities that you have not had the nerves to try for may be saviors. Who woulda thunk that a 25 year old non-drinker would be a bartender/champagne pourer at Nixon's 2nd Inaugural, dancing with Henry Kissinger ? I 've loved my life, in all of it's strange twists and turns .
May you find a path from your current situation to a comfortable life.

SunnyDays930 · April 2023

Hey everyone! I have been AWOL but back. It took me a while to catch up on all the comments. Regarding the comments on Ozempic and Wegovy, my dr did put me on Wegovy after my physical and it really does kill any craving to drink. It's like a miracle. I pour one glass of wine and I drink it over the course of an hour and may not even finish it. I don't know how long I can stay on this if my insurance won't cover it; she gave me a months' worth for free. She didn't prescribe it for the alcohol use, it was for my weight, but it is working on that as well.

brittgreenlikethecolor88 · April 2023

Goal: AF - Sunday-Thursday.
Less than 3 drinks per day on Friday & Saturday.

Apr 3 - MON: AF ✅
Apr 4 - TUES: AF ✅
Apr 5 - WED: AF ✅
Apr 6 - THUR: AF ✅ 🎉

dawnbgethealthy · April 2023

I am Dawn, I live in South Eastern British Columbia.
I joined this thread in November of 2018, a daily drinker at the time
My primary goal with drinking less is weight loss.

My usual goal is 16-20 AF days for the month,
I had 17AF days in March.

I do this diary style, I normally post the next morning.

Thursday April 06 - AF - Planned drinks on the weekend

Rolling total: 4AF days out of 6 days.

dawnbgethealthy · April 2023

@forestdweller1

Thank you for your empathy.
Like you, I have had a great life and wouldn't change anything.
My life choices don't lead to wealth at this stage of the game.

Yes, it seems that Muslims and Sikhs don't drink : - )
Apparently there is nothing prohibited for Hindus except for beef. Those (Hindus) that come into Spice Hut order either Indian beer, or...Budweiser! A few of them order whiskey.
Spice Hut serves beef, but the chefs are Hindu, so I get to be the taster : - )

Michieb125 · April 2023

4/7 Friday

@brittgreenlikethecolor88 - outstanding stats this week! Love the green ✅ visual too.

Woke up at 5:30 and tried to fall back asleep but the to do list in my mind got me up and moving at 6:15, sigh….lots to do before leaving Sunday afternoon - we will be camping on the coast for 5 days (Half Moon Bay if you know it). Luckily there is no further rain in the forecast! Daydreaming about walking on the bluffs of the seashore, reading and getting a lot of fresh ocean air and exercise with DH.

Today I will make little Easter baskets for my two grandkids who live nearby and possibly die eggs with them later today. We will see my DS and DIL with DD and SIL and grandkids for an Easter egg hunt and brunch at DD’s house tomorrow.

Had red wine last night with our movie as planned. However, I had a revelation this a.m. that my 2 glasses were actually WAY more when I counted exact ounces. So 1- 5-6 oz. glass was actually 8.5 oz. when I calculated the ml to ounces. Hence the (2) put me over in calories and portions. Haven’t drank that amount in a single day since starting LA on Feb.1, 2023, so I am going to start measuring again.

Wishing everyone strength, encouragement and hope today!

April accountability: total of 20-22 days AF this month
AF - 4
A - 2
Goal: Limit 2 glasses per day (5-6 oz. portion)

itladyee · April 2023

Ready for April
4/6/2023 Recap
Thursday was my "Friday" as I'm off today!

Guilty - went shopping for weekend meals including Easter dinner and did buy wine. Did drink wine. I think my next AF target day will be Monday, 4/10...I want to have mimosas on Easter Sunday morning. The rest of the weekend is unplanned.

I learned that today (4/7) is National No Housework Day.... I must observe!

The Month recap to stay accountable

4/1
My plan starts/restarts tomorrow.... Mayo Clinic "diet" . Today wasn't so bad. Had 6 ounce filet and asparagus and two glasses of wine for dinner. I have only one bottle of wine left in my house and I don't plan to buy any more this month.....
4/2/2023
Well.... the day was actually going well. I had a couple of breakfast sausage for breakfast (not the best choice but I haven't been shopping yet). For lunch, cobb salad and for dinner Chicken with a southwest salad. All meals accompanied by water! I made it until 8:30pm when my husband came home from work. He cracked open a beer and started recapping his negative day... so two glasses appeared .... bottle is almost empty🙂
4/3/2023
I skipped breakfast, considering IF again. if only to kick start some action. Good for lunch (leftover Chicken and Salad) and dinner was an airfried pork chop and broccoli. Husband turned on the NCAA championship game and make Pomegranate Sours. I had one and a half (about 6 ounces).
4/4/2023
[Noted yesterday]I'm already claiming today as AF. Gotta get started and ignore the triggers.
Yeah! That worked....:) AF! Mental mind games. It's funny. Once you put your mind to it, it's fairly easy. When your mind isn't committed, is easy to waiver. I came home and immediately poured my substitute wine (Ocean Spray 5 calorie juice) and proceeded to cook dinner. My husband came in and out of nowhere said, lets have a shot of Maker's Mark. I said no thank you, but go right ahead. He didn't. Then later on in the evening we were watching Jeopardy and the final Jeopardy question comes on and he says...if I get this right, you have to take a shot. It was like the devil incarnate! I said no!
4/5/2023
Weird day....as far as alcohol was concerned. I've been going to a place to get my nails done for over 15 years. My nail tech use to tell me to relax as my hands would be quite rigid while we would attempt to do my manicure. I use to tease that they should sell wine, that would relax me. Yesterday I went to get my eye brows waxed, nails and pedicure done. While getting my eye brows done, the tech says, would you like a glass of wine? I looked at her like she had two heads. She said, we have cabernet or moscato.... I politely declined. She continued that I could sip while getting my pedicure done. I declined again. Then when getting my pedicure done, my regular guy asked again. I just chuckled and said no thanks. I had received message late Monday from my friends son that she was in the hospital (she's 84). I tried calling Tuesday day and evening and left a message. I missed his call again but he didn't leave a message. When I got home, I tried again and got the message that his voice mail box was full. So that left me a bit concerned and put me in a solemn mood. I poured my substitute wine and air fried some catfish for dinner. It just wasn't doing it, so I finished that bottle of wine (not quite two glasses). Now here comes the weekend as I'm off tomorrow for Good Friday.

When all is said and done and I get annoyed for not staying AF, I have to give myself credit that I am continuing to limit alcohol and not drinking nearly as much. And I can see the difference with the reduction. Glad I found this group.

My 2023 Stats...

AF = 1
A = 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January
AF = 53%
A = 47%
February
AF = 29%
A = 71%
March
AF = 0%
A = 100%
April
AF = 16%
A = 84%

@itladyee Hope your friend is ok and you connect soon.

@ahoy_m8 ~ Thank you - I still haven't heard anything. I just tried to call again - there is a 2 hours time difference. I am worried... I was going to ask about the Resurrection cocktail as well. Sounds interesting, but I'm not sure about the grapefruit juice. You are right! I googled and there are many variations of it. WOW~

@GaryM_25
I found the Phyllo pastry and rose water comes today via Amazon....but I forgot to get the Greek Yogurt, so back to the store today😞 I am excited to make this. I sure hope it comes out ok.

GaryM_25 · April 2023

itladyee wrote: »

@GaryM_25
I found the Phyllo pastry and rose water comes today via Amazon....but I forgot to get the Greek Yogurt, so back to the store today😞 I am excited to make this. I sure hope it comes out ok.

Awesome!

I think it'll be fun to make. I got my Amazon delivery and picked up everything else today. I also picked up some stuffed grape leaves and crackers and hummus for hors d'oeuvres for people as I wrap up cooking.

globalhiker · April 2023

I saw what looks to be a full moon outside this week. I have been AF, dragging a bit or a lot with my energy, but looking forward to Easter Sunday.

Good news: we are cooking BBQ spare ribs for the family this weekend and it's a big event so I am happy about that.

Separately, I want to say this from my heart:

All of us are fully in charge of our own lives. Just because a doctor or a person or a boss or a friend recommends something, always knows you have a choice in life and you are the ultimate person responsible for the decisions in how to drive your life.

I listen to my gut instinct. If the recommendation I am given is not in line with my life course or feels somewhat not right, I need to realize I can change that.

GaryM_25 · April 2023

globalhiker wrote: »

All of us are fully in charge of our own lives. Just because a doctor or a person or a boss or a friend recommends something, always knows you have a choice in life and you are the ultimate person responsible for the decisions in how to drive your life.

I love that.

It reminds me that when my young adult children ask for advice, I try to end my honest thoughts with two other points. 1) Ask others who you respect for their ideas too. 2) And remember, "you're the captain of your life."

joans1976 · April 2023

Hello LA community! I am Amanda, I’m from Michigan and excited for Spring to get here! This thread is my favorite bunch of people! I have been practicing LA since June ‘22.

My April goals are to be 99-100% AF,
continue healing from my cancer diagnosis and all the baggage from that and to work on my weight.

4/1: 1A
4/2-4/4: AF

4/5: AF
It’s hard to catch up on everyone’s posts and reply to them all! You all made me realize Easter is Sunday (I knew it was coming up but not an exact day) and makes me a little wistful that I’m not eating anything special.
I have been diligently weighing and logging this month and my weight has bounced around but I’m down a pound so hoping for more of that!
I am going for a free Reiki massage tonight offered at the cancer center. I have never experienced Reiki before so I’m excited to see what it’s like.

4/6: AF
4/7: AF
So I didn’t make it to the Reiki massage. I got caught in crazy traffic even though I left early. I was super bummed! I’m going to see if I can reschedule.
Yesterday I went to a surgical consult for an incisional hernia I have from my hysterectomy in 2018. It is quite large and is sometimes painful. They said it’s not a matter of if but when it turns into an emergency. (I wonder if they are just trying to push expensive procedures on patients though.) Here’s the kicker: the surgeon told me I need to lose 50 pounds before she’ll do the surgery. She initially suggested a 4 month time frame for that! I laughed in her face (I know, rude but I was so incredulous.) I know I am very obese, it just really sucks when someone points it out to you. So I sat with that feeling last night. I am determined to lose this weight but at my own pace! I am going to do some yoga and meditation this morning to clear my head.

Womona · April 2023

GaryM_25 wrote: »

Last night, I had saved up enough calories to go out for a salad poke bowl with my wife. Like the other few favorite yet affordable places my wife and I would go out to on weekdays, this poke restaurant doesn't serve alcohol. Often during the week, I had no interest in a cocktail or glass of wine with dinner out because I had already drunk some during the day. I often ate a larger portion, often because it "didn't matter."

Now, I found it easier to just enjoy the meal and to be satisfied with less of a portion.

It makes my heart happy to hear this! I love how committed you are to your weight loss, healthy eating, and cutting out alcohol. Having less than you normally would and still being satisfied is very powerful- and encouraging!!!!

Womona · April 2023

@joans1976 So….. if it becomes an emergency tomorrow, they’ll do the surgery, weight be damned? Huh. Allrighty then. As for craving sweets, it’s common for a variety of people. I’m usually good with just one Dark chocolate Hershey’s Kiss. Hey, as long as you account for and plan around your new sweet tooth, you should still be able to maintain or even lose weight. Sugar free options if you’re diabetic! Which I don’t think you are.

You getting cancer can just be plain old bad luck. Maybe somehow you were exposed to radiation and it’s just rearing it’s head now. My mom and 5 other neighbors on our side of the street got brain cancer. Why didn’t my dad? They lived in the same house. It’s truly weird how some people get it and others don’t.

I’ve never heard of BC pills causing cancer, but who even knows anymore. I did hear (and I have no proof of this) that being on BC pills as a young woman makes your peri menopause worse now. Great.

At any rate, I hope you feel well and regain your strength as you enter the second phase of your treatment!

Womona · April 2023

1.5 glasses of wine last night with dinner. , I shouldn’t have poured the extra little bit, didn’t need or particularly want it. If I have any tonight, I’m just sticking to one glass.

Today we have a ton of yard work and mulch to lay. We can’t bonzai our way through 10 yards of mulch in one weekend like we used to 25 years ago, that’s for sure! Slow and steady.

GaryM_25 · April 2023

This morning my blood pressure cuff said very close to a normal reading. I believe the last time I saw fully normal was 2017. I think that soon, I'll see normal again.

As for alcohol, it's been fourteen days alcohol free here. I know that's very related to the blood pressure.

In the beginning of the year, my wife and I did mostly-dry January. I think we had a few drinks on the weekends toward the middle of the month. I guess I'm just thinking back here...

I don't know how long it's been to have gone fourteen days without any alcohol. Probably a decent number of years.

For now, I think I'm going to try to keep chugging along alcohol free. It feels good to feel better.

MissMay · April 2023

"Yes Virgina, there is an Easter Bunny!"

MissMay · April 2023

Thursday at work, close to closing things got scarey with a big drugged up dude hanging around and not leaving. I was so shook up I could not cash out and had to call for help to make sure I could get to my car without being confronted by this dude.

So after I got home, I openly told my husband I want a drink, ONE shot of Jim Beam bourbon in a pint glass with sweet iced tea. ONE, I repeated.

Things do not rattle me very often. This circumstance at work did. Not sorry for calling for help, I did not move here to have my life end at a stupid azz job from some drugged up person that had no clue where they were.

Better today and glad to have announced out loud my ONE count drinking intention to my husband.

Ole me from the past would have drank the entire bottle of bourbon and iced tea dry.

Come a long way, so wonderful to be able to say LESS or NO.

LESS Alcohol ~ APRIL 2023 ~ One Day at A Time

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