LESS Alcohol ~ January 2024 ~ One Day at A Time

xbowhunter wrote: »

Does anyone else who has really cut back on alcohol notice when you do have a drink it goes straight to your head?

Yes, but I kind of like it! I also find that my face flushes red. Someone pointed it out to me after my last dry spell in the fall. A way of saying it is that a small amount of alcohol actually has a noticeable effect if you drink rarely.

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Up early today. Several celebrations to end this week with both my DD's birthday and my own birthday. So I will have a couple "alcohol as planned" days this week. Finishing my 60th trip around the sun!

Results for Jan 1 - Jan 23
# of days:
AF: 19
A (as planned): 3
A (over limit): 1

@xbowhunter I definitely notice it but I also like the feeling as well!

@xbowhunter yes, there seems to be a thing that happened when I cut way back too, and then continued that for several months (and still)…..like noticing I was tired of feeling tired, or the taste was less desirable, or that whoa - super heady feeling…. funny how that works. You are doing great!

So much fun reading about all the jeans of our time, or back in the day. I was a teen in the 70’s and grew up in Southern CA and for sure loved my Jordache jeans with the seam on the rump, and candies sandals, so cute!

I had a surprisingly, very positive experience at my Internist’s appointment yesterday. I share this not to pat myself on the back but to celebrate a healthier lifestyle with LA. Not only were my labs in the normal range this time, my cholesterol and triglycerides are way down.

During my exam, my doctor said he would like to “see my BMI a little lower” which I expected, but then he read my chart and noticed I was down 10 lbs. from my last visit in Oct. 2022. He said whatever you are doing, just keep doing that! And also how the lower weight reduces risks for other health issues at my age. So now I have a new goal in addition to LA and that’s to lower my BMI a bit.

Boy, that visit really put a skip in my step for the rest of the afternoon. I stopped off at Marshall’s on my way home and bought myself a cashmere sweater on clearance!

Damp January
Goal: AF 5/7 days a week

Week #4
Actual:
AF - 2
A - 1

Current stats:
AF - 14
A - 10

Goals for January
Almost Dry January
Exceptions - Done Current Streak - AF = 0
Longest Streak -AF = 16

I had a BAD day yesterday. It started with not being able to work out. I had full intention...walked out the door to an ice rink. I was very afraid of falling. Luckily I had not let go of the door, so I was able to steady myself and get back inside. If I had let go, I would have been stuck as this door does not open from the outside. At any rate, I came back upstairs and turned on a youtube exercise channel. I did about 30 minutes but it was not the same. So I was bummed as I didn't get my exercise consequently my step count would be low etc. I went in late to work to allow them to get some salt down, both in my apartment parking lot and the work lot. I got to work and my boss was taking orders for lunch....chick fi la...I had brought a nice healthy lunch but....sure...3 chicken strips and waffle fries later. The ALL or None mentality is kicking in! My other boss decides, hey....we are going to give you more responsibility (in a field that I have no knowledge) but we can't pay you any more money.....I get home and my husband who is also abstaining from alcohol says, lets have a pomegranate sour and proceeds to make a batch. I have no defense mechanism at this point. Why not? And I might as well skip the chicken in the fridge that I planned to cook, and we might as well have pizza (his sister gave him frozen pizza from a specialty restaurant for his birthday). I definitely had an ALL or NONE mentality and I need to fix that right away! Good news, today I am back on track. I got my exercise in, had a healthy lunch and plan for dinner, and no alcohol🙂

A = 1
W = 2
AF = 20
A=Non Wine Alcohol
Month Recap by Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2024 Stats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2023 Stats Detailed
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AF 🟰20
🍷🟰4

Tonight was a planned happy hour with some teacher friends that I used to work with. Part of us an already retired and the others will be after this year. So my goal was to drink and eat in moderation, and I did! Tomorrow will be a dry day, but Friday is another planned drink day… first wine festival of the year. Not quite sure how I will navigate that one! Weight is still dropping, fitting back into clothes that were too tight, and even bought a couple of smaller sized sweaters yesterday so I could go out with clothes that actually fit. Damp January is winning!!!

Today is a planned adult beverage day: dinner and ONE cocktail! That's my goal - now just need to stick to it.

Results for Jan 1 - Jan 24
# of days:
AF: 20
A (as planned): 3
A (over limit): 1

Womona wrote: »

LoveyChar wrote: »

I have exchanged one bad for another one not quite so bad, but still... And yes, in moderation it's probably all fine. No alcohol for me this month has meant a plethora of chocolates and a cake and nothing in moderation. I need to find balance again.

I enjoy/appreciate reading y'all's posts, glad to be here, thank you.

That is totally normal in the beginning. We crave sweets because our bodies are so used to the sugar in the alcohol. Trust me, it passes, and one day in the not-too-distant future you’ll look at a slice of cake and say “Yuck, way too sweet for me, no thanks!”

@globalhiker "W" for the jeans! Also "Yes" to chocolate! But what is this "...in the beginning" business? I was really tempted last night (night before travel, DH having drinks) and I managed with the aid of my old friend chocolate. Also that "cake too sweet" thing has never happened to me. I have never left frosting on my plate when having cake.

@Womona Yay for finding the right calorie goal for your current situation. Isn't it a huge relief? Honestly, I've found with weight loss, the math always works. It may not work on exactly the schedule I prefer, but over time, the math is indeed mathing.

Drank more than goal over the weekend. Staying AF weeknights so far but will have wine tonight. A HS friend's DH succumbed to his cancer battle last week, and I'm flying out to funeral today. Wine is always flowing freely with this group, and some to excess. The widow is really turned off by excess consumption (a fairly recent family dynamic led her there). I am mindful of that and plan a light touch out of respect for her (if not for my own liver).

All this grief is making life feel so fragile. Take care of yourselves, LA friends.

While watching a movie last night, I had some hot Lankanto drinking chocolate with whipped cream. Tasted like the real thing, but I think there could be some caffeine in the cocoa since I couldn’t fall asleep right away like usual.

Heading to a Barre class this morning, and then have some paperwork to tackle at home before the grandkids come over for dinner and a craft this evening (parents night off). Planned AF until Sunday football!

Damp January Goal: AF 5/7 days a week

Week #4
Actual:
AF - 3
A - 1

Current stats:
AF - 15
A - 10

7 days to go everyone - Keep up your outstanding progress!