LESS Alcohol ~ AUGUST 2023 ~ One Day at A Time

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  • mfowler883
    mfowler883 Posts: 226 Member
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    Had a beer tonight, call it less alcohol. 4 AF, 4 LA, 15 A. I finally got around to a microdose; I didn't process the whole batch, but chopped up a little stem, about .08g or so. ChatGPT says compounds are more or less evenly distributed so it should give me a bit of a baseline to gauge future doses by. I was a little hesitant to do something like that late in the evening, but my understanding is it doesn't keep you wide awake like a full portion. I usually take a gummy and some herbal supplements before bed anyway. Worst case scenario, I'm tired tomorrow.

    -m
  • RockinRobyn672
    RockinRobyn672 Posts: 907 Member
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    Mon 8/21: Drinks (2)
    Tue 8/22: AF
    Wed 8/23: AF
    Thu 8/24: We got in a 30-mile bike ride yesterday at a favorite wildlife preserve. With dinner I had a Becks NA and thought that it wasn't bad at all. August has been a bust with my goals, but I've made it AF two days in a row now and my weight Is down. It inspires me to keep it up. I have a small stash of non-alcoholic Becks and Guinness. There are less craft breweries close-by in Florida than there are in Virginia, so that's helpful. Interior repairs on our house (from hurricane Ian damage) are starting next week. I'll be glad when it's all over.

    Rolling Total: 7 AF Days out of 24
  • mfowler883
    mfowler883 Posts: 226 Member
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    OK so I'm tired today, I don't think I slept well, but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with anything. I sleep poorly often, and always have, hence the gummies and supplements. That said, I don't think I'll do that in the evening again, I mainly wanted to keep that first sample a somewhat private experience. I know there are a few established protocols, every three days, two days on, one day off, and Fadiman being the most documented. I'm thinking between the limited portion that I have on hand and the fact that this is new to me, I'll start with every three days and see how it goes. Today, although I'm tired, my mindset seems better than it has been in recent weeks, like I'm not just dwelling on everything that's been piling up on me for years. It isn't that it's all gone away, and it isn't that it doesn't bother me, it just isn't....dominating my every thought and feeling, maybe. This aligns with the research, so that's good.

    My weight is down this morning, even with the extra calories from a bottle of quadrupel and a late snack. The tandoori chicken and saag aloo were awesome, I tossed a piece of naan on the grill and we split that, and it made for a satisfying dinner. The potatoes were slightly undercooked, but that's because I intentionally left them that way so they'll hold up and not cook to mush in the sous vide.

    The bike ride at a nature preserve sounds like a great time. I miss having a bike to ride, I had a Haro BMX for a few years until it was stolen. I bought another inexpensive bike at Academy, stripped all the unnecessary bits off of it and rode it back & forth to work for a while...(brakes? meh...) I eventually gave it to a neighbor kid who had no bike. He was most confused by the lack of brakes. Anyway, I dunno if I want to ride around here. Between the weather and the number of bicyclists killed in traffic, it just doesn't really seem like a great idea, and I have nowhere to secure a bike right now anyway.

    -m
  • mfowler883
    mfowler883 Posts: 226 Member
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    LOL yeah I've been riding brakeless since I was in my teens. There are tricks, and once you get used to it it's awkward going back. It sounds like the wildlife preserve was a wonderful outing. I really enjoy walking in places like that.

    -m
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,321 Member
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    18 AF
    6 A
  • forestdweller1
    forestdweller1 Posts: 364 Member
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    @mfowler83...okay, grudgingly agree with the " too much effort" on the paneer experiment. The best part was watching Catpuccino standing [ without any hooman permission ] on the edge of the sink, twirling the cheesecloth bag of curds , wondering what fresh Hell he could get into before retreating under "Mo's Mom's recliner" as an escape. His hooman decided that Trader Joe's or Tasty Bite was a better option. And, yes, many online recipies are easy and I'm using them.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    Happy Friday, LA friends. @Womona what a fantastic trip! Sounds incredibly fun. Returning home full of love and the same weight on the scale is a big "W." @MissMay your vacation time will come!

    I was sorely tempted to start my weekend early last night with a glass of wine. Honestly, the only thing that stopped me is not wanting to tempt DH (AF August). Although come to think of it, he did have an AF beer after dinner and maybe he wouldn't be tempted. I dunno. All month he complained about how hard it is then last night he said it hasn't been that hard, so I'm not really sure where he is in it all. He talks about what he wants LA to look like for him, but I don't think he's landed on anything. I'll have drinks tonight. Not sure what.

    When we go to bed at 10pm, it's still 100F outside. Plants dying. It's demoralizing. One day at a time.
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,005 Member
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    Before you decide to have a drink read this info. You might just change your mind. :)

    https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/effects-on-body
  • mfowler883
    mfowler883 Posts: 226 Member
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    xbowhunter wrote: »
    AF - 21
    A - 2

    So my spouse doesn't think I can sustain my AF lifestyle. What she doesn't know is those words have now motivated me to prove her wrong... lol

    Sounds like the best of reasons to me LOL! My wife says similar things about my self-imposed dietary restrictions...to that, I say, why? I am content to eat what I am eating now, why not continue to eat this way? It isn't so much that any particular thing is "off the table," but if I choose to eat something, I have to understand that every calorie comes at a cost somewhere. I know where the hard limits are and I'm willing to work within those limits.

    Good to see you around, @MissMay. Yeah, frozen drinks can be a mixed bag that way.

    @Womona, Germany sounds like a great trip. My mother's parents came here from there in the '30s, and we still have a lot of family there although I don't know much about them, who's who or where to find them. I'd love to go anyway someday.
    forestdweller1 wrote: »
    @mfowler883...okay, grudgingly agree with the " too much effort" on the paneer experiment. The best part was watching Catpuccino standing [ without any hooman permission ] on the edge of the sink, twirling the cheesecloth bag of curds , wondering what fresh Hell he could get into before retreating under "Mo's Mom's recliner" as an escape. His hooman decided that Trader Joe's or Tasty Bite was a better option. And, yes, many online recipies are easy and I'm using them.

    Yeah, I made my own paneer once. It was okay, but no better than store bought, if even. Catpuccino sounds a lot like Bella - she loves to get on the counter at the breakfast bar and watch me cook, despite my disapproval. I draw the line at the actual countertop, and she knows it. We don't go anywhere around the house without a spray bottle close at hand.

    I scheduled her for spaying today, she goes in on the 18th of next month, right in the middle of the typical 5-6 month window.

    Weight is staying down, which pleases me. LA yesterday, a glass of wine, and LA today, a single mezcal. Tomorrow morning, I'll take my second microdose. After the fact, I read that yes, it can keep you awake and no, it's not recommended to do in the evening because of this. All that aside, I've been feeling better. I have four remaining, including tomorrow's, so assuming the coming week leaves me feeling like I want to continue this, I'll need to reach out to a friend for additional supplies. It works out, I need to use his table saw anyway.

    -m
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,626 Member
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    One glass of the KC Illuminate wine last night. I kind of wish I didn’t have it, I have so much to do today (clean the house, pay bills/do budget) and have absolutely no motivation to do any of it. Today will have to be a day of just doing something small, and taking a lot of breaks. I go back to work on Monday, but want to maintain the “vacation mode” lack of stress I have now!
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,321 Member
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    18 AF
    7 A
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,005 Member
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    23 A F
    2 A
  • mfowler883
    mfowler883 Posts: 226 Member
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    AF today, I think that makes 5 AF, 6 LA and 15 A if I've counted right.

    I microdosed this morning, and I think it is making a difference. My wife and I run a business together, and while I usually work from home, I spent today in the office. I've found more and more in recent years that when she does things that bother me, I tend to hold on to those things, even escalating internally until I'm hyper-focused on the challenges. Today, I had my hands full, and she came to the desk with two folders that honestly, she could have or should have just set down for me to pick up and file when I completed my task. Instead, she gestured and made me drop what I was doing to physically take the folders from her. I scowled at her and told her I had my hands full and she could have just set them down, and she scowled back. Normally, this would have escalated, whether escalating between us into an altercation or just escalating internally into my usual inner monologue about how I feel about the situation. While it wasn't NOTHING, I can look at that incident and see that I processed it differently, allowing it to fade rather than holding on to it.

    I am so hopeful right now. My mindset has been....just ugh, such a dark place for such a long time and I know I need to break the cycle. I know that on a certain level, that dark place is a valid response to difficult situations and circumstances - it's okay to be unhappy about a toxic situation or to grieve in times of bereavement, but at some point, the outlook has to change. This feels like it may be the catalyst for that change.

    -m

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