LESS Alcohol ~ AUGUST 2023 ~ One Day at A Time
Replies
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AF = 14
A = 2
Next major hurdle will be a party at my bro in laws this Saturday.
This will be the first time I am with my wife's heavy drinking family. I can't wait for them to look at me like I'm an alien when I tell them I gave up drinking to gain my health back.
On a side not I started counting my calories and gave up the daily drinking on July 31st. Today I am 10lbs down. Its incredible what one can do when they have the right mindset...
2more lbs to go to get to my goal weight.5 -
xbowhunter wrote: »On a side not I started counting my calories and gave up the daily drinking on July 31st. Today I am 10lbs down. Its incredible what one can do when they have the right mindset...
2more lbs to go to get to my goal weight.
That's awesome. Doesn't it feel great when you start to see the results?
-m
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Mon 8/14: AF
Tue 8/15: Drinks (1) - I had a an IPA last night after dinnier but stopped at one and skipped the late night snacking. Not exactly the plan but I still count it as a win.
My weight was down this morning several pounds (yay!). I worked out this morning (spin bike, stretch and weights). I've also been doing IF and skipping the snacking between meals. My food and drink challenge starts tomorrow. Friends are coming for the weekend. Can't wait to see them.
Rolling Total: 5 AF Days out of 164 -
xbowhunter wrote: »AF = 14
A = 2
Next major hurdle will be a party at my bro in laws this Saturday.
This will be the first time I am with my wife's heavy drinking family. I can't wait for them to look at me like I'm an alien when I tell them I gave up drinking to gain my health back.
On a side not I started counting my calories and gave up the daily drinking on July 31st. Today I am 10lbs down. Its incredible what one can do when they have the right mindset...
2more lbs to go to get to my goal weight.
@xbowhunter When you get that "alien" look, you can mention your weight loss and how much better you feel (lol). You could actually be a good influence on someone.3 -
mfowler883 wrote: »I guess I've been gone for a hot minute. It's been a rough year. Some of you probably recall I began struggling as I nursed Bentley (my schnau-tzu) through his final days in March, and finally said goodbye. My life has been spiraling out of control since then. As June drew to a close, Harley (my shih-tzu) grew ill and lymphoma took him from me. All I could think was, can't I have a minute to catch my breath before you hit me again? He was my baby for 13 years and the loss has crushed me.
@mfowler883 Welcome back and I'm so sorry that you also lost Harley and so soon after Bentley. I also have been gone for a couple tough months. July for me was a digression into old drinking and eating habits, along with a weight gain. I've been back since the beginning of August. It's so good to be back. I've missed everyone. I have been struggling to meet my LA goals for August. They were pretty aggressive so I've stepped back a little.5 -
RockinRobyn672 wrote: »mfowler883 wrote: »I guess I've been gone for a hot minute. It's been a rough year. Some of you probably recall I began struggling as I nursed Bentley (my schnau-tzu) through his final days in March, and finally said goodbye. My life has been spiraling out of control since then. As June drew to a close, Harley (my shih-tzu) grew ill and lymphoma took him from me. All I could think was, can't I have a minute to catch my breath before you hit me again? He was my baby for 13 years and the loss has crushed me.
@mfowler883 Welcome back and I'm so sorry that you also lost Harley and so soon after Bentley. I also have been gone for a couple tough months. July for me was a digression into old drinking and eating habits, along with a weight gain. I've been back since the beginning of August. It's so good to be back. I've missed everyone. I have been struggling to meet my LA goals for August. They were pretty aggressive so I've stepped back a little.
Seems like it's been a year, huh....sorry to hear you've been facing challenges as well, but glad you're getting back on track! Good to see ya around. I'm not even worrying about specific goals yet, just trying to figure out where I'm at and where I need to be and make steps in that direction.
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@mfowler883 I'm glad you have Bella (just saw that post). She's beautiful. We also have a rescue kitty who has stolen our hearts. Five years ago in October, we rescued this scrawny 4-week old kitten running around by herself on the road and in the rain at my mom's. She had and gave us ringworm! It's not a very feminine name but we call her Sport. Here is a recent photo of her reaching up for attention at my desk.
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@RockinRobyn672 She's a real cutie, I love her coloring! I think Sport is a perfectly fine name, especially if it suits her. They're so tiny and basically helpless at that age, it's crazy when you find them just out and about on their own. Our vet said they thought Bella was probably dumped, since we found her in the parking garage. Since then, she's doing a lot less kittening and a lot more catting, it's a trip watching her grow up. She responds well to redirection and it's clear that she wants us to be happy with her, so while she still has her moments, she's generally a pretty good cat. Ringworm is no bueno, thankfully it's not too hard to get rid of with a little patience and systematic treatment. If that's the worst she had, that's not so bad.
Been grinding away in the kitchen, last night I made dal and saag paneer, and seasoned some chicken thighs. Today I made chicken tikka masala and chana masala. I just got ChatGPT to modify a recipe for aloo bindhi masala, so gonna go try to get that started. Cutting my drinking back to a single whiskey last night, I slept better - I forgot what a difference that makes. I don't know if I'll have a drink tonight or not, just playing it by ear for now. I'm not going to beat myself up over it if I do, just trying to do better for myself.
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@mfowler883 ...Welcome back !!
Odd, I'm waiting for an ALDI's order this week to get some whole milk to make paneer. Did you use vinegar, lemon or yogurt for your curds ?? I'll probably try lemon since I have some on hand to make baked lemon ricotta tomorrow. That will totally blow any diet rules...I can eat that stuff with a spoon.
Ahh, Sport, I know that look well..."It's been a full 2 hours since you gave me treats or pets...C'mon, hooman".
After midnight , so this day is in the AF column. Pay no attention to my computer clock, it's on Louisiana time.
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11 - AF
5 - A4 -
Love all the animal pics this week! Our furry friends certainly are beloved and special!
Congrats on the WL @RockinRobyn672 and @xbowhunter!
My big challenge ahead is a long road trip with DH heading north to the PNW and beyond to dive into nature and camp in our travel trailer. In the past, I pretty much had wine every night but want this trip to be different! I became very aware of this old habit when on vacay and found myself buying the cute little mini wine cans at the market yesterday. I curbed the quantity I picked up, so yes, chose LA and kept my goals in mind. I will also be taking my favorite sparkling waters to make spritzers.
I’ll be offline for part of my vacation but hope to check in when I can.
Wishing everyone their best resolve for the remainder of August!
August AF goal: 19 days
Totals: AF Days - 8
A - 84 -
So I made it through the day and went to bed without a drink last night for the first time in a while. AF=1, A=15.forestdweller1 wrote: »@mfowler883 ...Welcome back !!
Odd, I'm waiting for an ALDI's order this week to get some whole milk to make paneer. Did you use vinegar, lemon or yogurt for your curds ?? I'll probably try lemon since I have some on hand to make baked lemon ricotta tomorrow. That will totally blow any diet rules...I can eat that stuff with a spoon.
Ahh, Sport, I know that look well..."It's been a full 2 hours since you gave me treats or pets...C'mon, hooman".
After midnight , so this day is in the AF column. Pay no attention to my computer clock, it's on Louisiana time.
Thanks! For the paneer, none of the above - I find that I can buy paneer at the Indo-Pak grocery that is every bit as good or better than what I can make, and not much difference in cost but far less effort. The whole approach to these dishes was crank out as much food as I can with minimal prep, so a lot of canned, dried or frozen ingredients. The first day of cooking, I realized that my wife had bought fresh okra for the aloo bindhi masala. I looked at it and said no way am I washing, drying, chopping something that I can dump out of a bag straight into the pan. Saag paneer, I've made with fresh spinach and it's a little better, but for the amount of work involved, I'm going straight to the frozen chopped spinach. I look at it as, my time has value, and before I spend the whole day cooking when I could be doing other things, I'll go eat at Govinda's again. We did the math and realized we could literally eat there seven days a week for about the same as it would cost us to cook every night. The big advantage to cooking at home is portion control - I can only eat what I've prepared, there's no going back for a second trip down the buffet line.
That's my take on it, anyway.
-m
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AF = 15
A = 2
I have a huge will power test coming up. A family wedding on Aug 26th open bar and all. I already told my immediate family they can count on me to be the DD so they can drink until they barf or pass-out... lol
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Mon 8/14: AF
Tue 8/15: Drinks (1)
Wed 8/16: Drinks (2)
Thu 8/17: Our friends arrive today. I usually eat and drink more when hanging out with them because we dine out a lot and do the touristy things. I'm not setting goals while they're here but am going to try to stay somewhat disciplined. I don't want to gain back the weight that I've recently lost. Once they leave on Sunday, we're heading to Florida. Our house there is getting a new roof from hurricane Ian damage. Florida is always a challenge at first. It always feels like vacation there.
Rolling Total: 4 AF Days out of 174 -
@Michieb125 Wishing you a wonderful road trip and vacation in the PNW!2
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OK so I just rearranged some stuff in the kitchen and moved all of my glassware - shot glasses, snifters, glencairns, lowballs, etc, and the whiskey, mezcal, bitters, salt, oranges, cutting board, etc out of the studio and back downstairs. It's so easy when I'm just sitting here alone in the dark at the end of the day to reach for what's right there; I figure by moving those things out of this space, I'm forcing myself to make an active decision to either drink or not.
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RockinRobyn672 wrote: »Mon 8/14: AF
Tue 8/15: Drinks (1)
Wed 8/16: Drinks (2)
Thu 8/17: Our friends arrive today. I usually eat and drink more when hanging out with them because we dine out a lot and do the touristy things. I'm not setting goals while they're here but am going to try to stay somewhat disciplined. I don't want to gain back the weight that I've recently lost. Once they leave on Sunday, we're heading to Florida. Our house there is getting a new roof from hurricane Ian damage. Florida is always a challenge at first. It always feels like vacation there.
Rolling Total: 4 AF Days out of 17
I know what you mean! I was just in the Keys for vacation 2 weeks ago and while I tried to stay somewhat on target, it took its toll...5 -
I've been in my own 12 hour a day work world and trying to catch up! Good news is that I came to realize I have to chase my happiness and quit being perfect. Well, my husband gave me a lecture tonight about it and he knows my personality and he is right most always. I am learning I need to sometimes slow down a lot and dial back the stress before I can improve and progress.
I know I can't be chasing too many goals at once. I need to pick a goal that makes me really happy and one that helps me improve, keep it simple and call it good.
That said, I am drinking less alcohol and doing AF days at least every other day. I am keeping up with the exercise but it's not extreme, it's 4x a week and if it's 100 degrees, I exercise in the pool and who cares if it's not ideal.
For any of you who feel like you're going down a self-damaging road (I have been there) this is depression and typical of us humans to do - so if you can get out of it, great. If it's difficult, getting help is avail. I lost 2 awesome co-workers to alcoholic depression when they lost their jobs so I say this with honest teary eyes. All of us are important people who deserve a happy life.5 -
Having a cigarette and a small glass of Weller before bed. A, yes, but LA so there's that. I think when this bottle is empty, I'll hold off on buying another for a while. Served some of my homemade Indian food tonight, it was pretty good.
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Greetings, all. Thanks for the cute kitten pics. Yes, finding such tiny creatures all alone in the rain just seems crazy. You are sweet souls for taking them in.
Was it @Michieb125 who tried the KC Illuminate SB and felt like you went overboard? Apologies if I'm conflating comments. The first time I had it at home, I drank the whole bottle and didn't even really feel bad about it. I do appreciate, nonetheless, that is a TERRIBLE habit for me to foster. The next time I opened a KC Illuminate, I drank 2 glasses and that was enough. So maybe it was beginner's enthusiasm and next time it will be easier to take it slow.
Had a friend dinner of 7 in a restaurant last night, and interestingly, I think only one had wine. When the waiter asked if anyone wanted a glass of wine, the friend I drove with said yes, looked at me, then changed her mind. It's funny because the group used to hit the wine with gusto and I think everyone is migrating to less. Honestly, I have so much more fun with this group when there isn't drinking. Weird, huh?
Friday, again. AF so far this week. I still have red wine left in a bottle I've been nursing along the past 2 weekends in Tinto Verano's. I'll polish that off this weekend for sure. DH has been in a pretty bad mood. Not sure what's up with that. It could be extreme heat, AF August, or all of the above. I'm going to lake today to deal with HIS boat and a landscape project HE initiated but now he doesn't want to deal with any of it. I'll def eat dinner out there to avoid traffic but undecided whether to spend the night. DD#3+roommate are arriving tonight and departing for school tomorrow morning, and DH wants to be here for them. I do, too, so I will probably drive back home tonight.
Sunday I'm taking stepdad to church. I bought the alter flowers to honor my mom who died a year ago. It's not really been a feel-good week, but we're just taking it one day at a time and thankful for blessings of which there are many.7
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