LESS Alcohol ~ January 2024 ~ One Day at A Time

Quick check-in today. Looks like everyone is doing well with their goals. Keep at it!

Results for Jan 1 - Jan 13
# of days:
AF: 10
A (as planned): 2
A (over limit): 1

AF last night and posting for the week to include today. So very proud of everyone making LA a big priority. I love what @Womona said….one day, the alcohol alarm clock doesn’t go off any more. For me, I recently noticed this very thing. It is becoming more the norm and it is fascinating! I’ll take it.

January goal: No wine = 5 days / week
Week #1 ✔️
Actual:
AF - 5 days
A -2

Week #2 ✔️
Actual:
AF - 5 days
A - 2

Scheduled early morning commitments this week, including my lab work and DH’s Dietitian appointment. AF days planned until Thursday at least. May you find your best resolve, just for today.

Stats so far:
6 days NA
6 days LA (LA for me means 2 drinks or less)
2 days - A

It was another good day. Home bound due to road conditions, but didn’t crack open a bottle of anything alcoholic.

AF 🟰13
🍷🟰1

Everyone is really making a strong effort and results are happening - so encouraging.

The only thing in the way of my progress is ME. How much I progress is all up to ME. I learned this after several years of floundering and blaming the world around me. So I remind myself when I wake up that my success today is all within my reach and power and control.

Still AF over here. Yesterday got in a long walk and at 4pm hit my low energy moment. I made myself a cucumber salad and crunched on that while dinner was getting ready. Sometimes you just need "something" to hold you over and I wanted to prevent myself from getting to the point of weakness where I just say 'to hell with it' and just grab a beer out of our beer fridge just because I earned my calories. Crisis averted.

I increased the days I go to the gym to 3. It's so motivating to exercise in a class because the people there look amazingly fit and it makes me want to work harder because if they got great results, I can do that too. At first I convinced myself they all had coolsculpting and procedures and what not. And now I chit chat with them before classes only to find out they go 5 days a week and they work out for an hour and half and sometimes do 2 back-to-back classes. And this group is a mix of ladies both older and younger than me. Big secret, right...more exercise. So I am following their footsteps and getting to class early enough to make time for a 30 min interval powerwalk on the treadmill to break a sweat before class.

I know it sounds like I am obsessed with football but it is the wildcard weekend and Monday! I usually would have beer or wine while watching the games with hubby and doing some diamond painting. I got through the games yesterday with just some tea and a couple of mocktails. Now to continue the AF for the games tonight as well. Feeling very good about it. Not seeing much weight loss after 2 weeks of tracking with reduced alcohol, so going to tighten up on weighing and tracking even more. Happy Monday!

Results for Jan 1 - Jan 14
# of days:
AF: 11
A (as planned): 2
A (over limit): 1

@globalhiker thank you for the motivating thoughts on exercise and way to go on averting things you want to avoid!

And just like that we are already half way through the month!!

Today I listened to a respected NYU female doctor speak on post menopausal weight, skin and how to avoid co morbidities as we age.

She conveyed it is a lot about calorie restriction to get to the magic BMI number if we’re seeking longevity. I know there are many studies on best approaches but this rang a bell for me today.

Goals for January
Almost Dry January
Exceptions - Done Current Streak - AF = 9
Longest Streak -AF = 9

Two days of football and no drinks! I can't remember when! Another 2 games...well 1 game and 1/2 that I get to see and no plans to drink.
Out of curiosity - I looked back and realize that i didn't do dry January last year but I did start the Naked Mind 30 day challenge of no alcohol on 1/18. I made it for 13 days straight and then it tanked.

@Scienceofteaching & @Womona ~ from my experience, it takes a while. During the first week I wake up wondering if I had a drink and forget or was sleep drinking. Then by the end of the next week (about where I am now) I do feel like I'm getting a deeper sleep once I finally get there. It must take me a good 30 to 40 minutes to fall asleep, with alcohol, it's almost instant (or call it pass out)... I still wake up at twice during the night and it takes a bit (not quite a long) to get back to sleep. But the sleep at this point is definitely different. I hope you get there soon!

I'll be glad with the wine o'clock no longer goes off! Somewhere I heard/read...probably here. If you make up your mind early on that the answer is no, it's easier vs waiting until that craving and then "deciding". That's one reason I've been posting for the day in advance . That's my no!🙂

@globalhiker ~ Crisis averted!! Nice Job! It's hard, I know! Wow, working out "before" the workout! Nice!

@lbpfahler ~ I'm right with you. I love football.

@Coffeecastle ~ Happy Birthday!!

@JThanmyfitnesspal ~ Awesome friends to provide AF drinks and not just water! and Nice job staying the course! Our Anniversary is February 7th - It it my goal to make it until then and then make the call for the rest of the month. I am very encouraged!

Everyone is doing extremely well. Kudos!!

A = 0
W = 2
AF = 12
A=Non Wine Alcohol
Month Recap by Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2024 Stats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2023 Stats Detailed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stats so far:
7 days NA
6 days LA (LA for me means 2 drinks or less)
2 days - A

5 - AF
10 - A

Made it through the football game last night even though my team was a total disaster. Next planned drinks are on Saturday. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Results for Jan 1 - Jan 15
# of days:
AF: 12
A (as planned): 2
A (over limit): 1

Hi all! After a terrible start to the year (drinking every day the first week), I decided to try a late start dry January. So far so good. AF since 1/6. Been feeling great and think I can take this through the end of the month. I would really like to give up drinking completely, but honestly thinking about it in terms of forever is really intimidating. I think I will keep going as long as I can. I do have a boys golf trip in mid-feb that is already giving me anxiety.

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

itladyee wrote: »

Out of curiosity - I looked back and realize that i didn't do dry January last year but I did start the Naked Mind 30 day challenge of no alcohol on 1/18. I made it for 13 days straight and then it tanked.

If I recall correctly (it's been a minute), Annie Grace takes a pretty experimental attitude towards the endeavor. There's a lot of reflection, so you're going to learn a lot about your thought patters and associations regardless of how much you abstain. The day I drank in the experiment was maybe a light bulb moment when I had a big realization. All that is to say, for anyone who hasn't tried it, I don't think you can "tank" the experiment unless you stop doing the daily reflections. @itladyee You have inspired me to go back and take a look at the notes I made from that time!

@ahoy_m8
I meant it tanked for me personally.
I was doing the daily reflections but after a few days it was no longer resonating with me.
Then I got to the point where the approach was zero alcohol forever, how you couldn't just moderate and how alcohol is just poison....

I get it, we all do. But it was just a little over the top for me and everyone is different. LA is a better fit and more motivating for me.

Accountability Post:

11 AF
5 A

I can't remember who said it on this thread but, for me, too, abstinence is usually easier than moderation. I really need to work on moderation.

Everyone is doing amazing this month, it is extremely admirable & motivating!

Didn’t make it to the gym after my dog’s veterinarian appointment for shots. But, I did take her to the park afterwards, set the timer on my cell phone for 30 minutes, and then jogged a bit in the drizzle. We were both happy about this!

January goal: No wine = 5 days / week
Current:
AF - 11
A - 5