Starting over alcohol free

gustavsen22 · January 31

Rome wasn't built in a day. But you can do this one day at a time. 19 years sober here. I'm a far better version of myself and others lives are positively impacted every day that I am sober. Life will still be life, but the grass is greener, the sun is warmer and lifes joys are less fleeting.
If you look into the 12 step program, it's not just about not drinking, it's about achieving sobriety. Among other things, you should consider finding a higher power in your life and turn your will over to them. That means different things to different people, but if you are an alcoholic or addict or a wretch like me, that step is a requirement. But step 1 is to recognize you have a problem, so I'd start there.
Physical health is the smaller benefit to what you can gain by dropping alcohol out of your life and embracing things that strengthen you instead of weakening you. You can do this.

MHCJ404 · February 1

So my dry January did not go as well as planned - due to being diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Unfortunately this isn't my first rodeo, but it's radiation this time around, the first time it was surgery 10 years ago. February will be filled with MRI's, CT's and radiation treatments and I need to feel my best by taking care of myself. That includes cutting out the alcohol and getting back to tracking. I tend to eat pretty healthy, but the wine isn't helping and I'm much more accountable when it's on the app in black and white. The previous posts are keeping me encouraged.

SparkSpringtime69 · February 1

AmberlyMarlene wrote: »

Small update from me. I slipped and had an IPA on Sunday. I had to nurse my wounds after the Lions crashed and burned in the second half on Sunday. I regret it. I felt instant guilt because I know people are cheering me on. I have a stupid high tolerance so I never felt anything from it, but it is what it is. Still quitting drinking.

Quit 1/17, one beer 1/28, back to pushing forward.

Good for you for stopping at just one!! That's a great accomplishment. Hang in, you're doing great.

SparkSpringtime69 · February 1

MHCJ404 wrote: »

So my dry January did not go as well as planned - due to being diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Unfortunately this isn't my first rodeo, but it's radiation this time around, the first time it was surgery 10 years ago. February will be filled with MRI's, CT's and radiation treatments and I need to feel my best by taking care of myself. That includes cutting out the alcohol and getting back to tracking. I tend to eat pretty healthy, but the wine isn't helping and I'm much more accountable when it's on the app in black and white. The previous posts are keeping me encouraged.

Sorry to hear about the tumor, hopefully you get through the treatments quickly and bounce back to a healthy you.

elizabethhoberg · February 1

Don't detox on your own. It's dangerous and can be deadly. Check in with a medical professional. Drinking jacks your cortisol which messes with your metabolism and sleep. Sober 37.8 years.

SparkSpringtime69 · February 1

My dry January was about 50% dry. But, considering the fact that Oct, Nov and Dec of last year were almost 100% wet, I'm counting it as a win.
I'm going to work for 100% in February. It's the shortest month of the year so that'll help LOL.
I do need to find some other ways to deal with stress - I've been eating a lot more and that just won't do since I still have 25 lbs. to lose. I'm thinking meditation might help. Has anyone else here tried that?

lindsayrogersrd · February 1

kimby563 wrote: »

I am back with MFP and hoping to lose 50 pounds. Wine has been a problem for me for a while now - all of a sudden I realized that it's been daily for years & I know for the most part it's a habit. I am now 60, I am single and live alone & don't have someone asking me if I need that wine or that snack at night. No one here to make me accountable. I now need to make myself accountable by logging everything I eat and drink on my MFP. I need to make exercise a priority again also. I am fortunate to have a wonderful family & great friends and 5 grandchildren - I want to feel better and be more active and be healthy for myself and those who love me. I also have a trip coming up in mid-May to meet my co-workers for the first time in person, which will be a much more positive experience if I'm down a few pounds! I hope to motivate and be motivated by this group! Good luck to everyone on their journey - it IS a journey!

This resonates with me. After parenting through a pandemic and then 2 layoffs within 12 months, I woke up one day and realized I was having 1-2 glasses of wine a night. Not a physical dependence, but a habitual and unhealthy coping mechanism. It also contributed to 20 lbs. of weight gain. I've been doing well with breaking the habit! I have a cruise at the end of April. My goal is to just feel confident in a bathing suit again.

Born2Run1958 · February 1

I cannot completely relate, but I truly understand the position people are in. I have always been a casual drinker, but when my mom died in 2018 it nearly killed me and boy the drinking amped up. I was in so much pain I thought I would die or die trying outrun the pain. Then the pandemic hit and being self employed (professional pet sitter for 23 years) I had no work for two years, used all my savings of which a large portion I spent on Belvedere vodka. Having said all of this, things are on track and have been for a long time. From Thanksgiving through New Years, it is party, party, party. My birthday is in the middle of December and so I have a solid run of fun. My last drink was 7pm on New Years Eve. One of my clients reached out to meet for martinis tomorrow 2nd. She was also doing dry January. I have some trepidation about having a drink tomorrow cause I know it really ruins my sleep. Any thoughts from the group?

PAR1251 · February 2

@Born2Run1958 Only you can decide if drinking tomorrow is right for you. Will your drinking stay on track and "casual" as you called it, or will it eventually spiral out of control? If it was me, I know what would happen. It might take a while, but I'd be right back where I was, hating how I felt, overwhelming anxiety, scared that I was killing myself, wasting tons of money on alcohol, gaining weight, etc. Give it some thought, decide if you find benefit in drinking alcohol or if you can build a better life without it. Sending good energy your way and remember, you deserve the very best life you can create.

radosuaf · February 2

Dry January completed

. The longest period without alcohol at all in years. And still not drinking, we'll see how long will I manage.

bennyg1973 · February 2

I am day 26 I believe on not drinking. I've noticed more energy, positive feeling, sharper thinking, weight loss, more motivation... All good things.

PAR1251 · February 2

@radosuaf Well done!!! You can stay sober. Sobriety is worth every effort you can put forth and you are worthy of an awesome life. Choose wisely today and let the future take care of itself.

SparkSpringtime69 · February 2

@radosuaf Congrats on your dry January - keep up the healthy streak!
@bennyg1973 you're getting great benefits at 26 days - keep up the good work and reap even more!

Born2Run1958 · February 3

Update, had great company, a wonderful meal and two martini's. No impact to speak of; however, I am back in the proverbial saddle. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

lilith40 · February 3

So happy to have found all of you. I've abused alcohol for most of my life. When I was young it was the weekend binge. As I got my career and got older it became heavy daily drinking. I have many many memories that I'm not proud of.
I've been straddling between moderation and abstinence for almost a year now. But often my moderation attempts led to weeks of heavy drinking before I stopped again. So I now know that there really is no moderation for me. It has to be total abstinence. One day at a time I guess.

Darlene_Oregon · February 3

@lilith40 I agree, I'm also happy to have found this group. I was doing really good. It's a long story, but I started drinking again. And, I'm having a bit of a problem quitting.
Where I live and the insurance I have there really is no medical help for me. In 2020 and 2021, I kept going to the ED at the hospital. I know every room there. Finally, one of the doctors told me that they don't detox there. I did have options. But, I would have had to travel 60 miles to the north or 110 miles to the south. Anyways, I eventually got really sick and ended up in the ICU. So technically, they did detox me.
I guess for people like us it has to be total abstinence. I've tried just drinking socially (like at a restaurant, etc). It sometimes works for a while. But, eventually, it goes back to daily drinking.
I do have a plan and I will report back.
Good luck and I'm glad you found us.

SparkSpringtime69 · February 3

@Born2Run1958 glad to see you're back, and a pat on the back to you for stopping at 2!
I'm in the @lilith40 and @Darlene_Oregon camp, moderation for a night or two will usually lead back to heavy drinking for me.
I'm shooting for a 4-day dry weekend and then the rest of the month. Glad all of you have been finding this group, I hope we're all able to accomplish great things and help each other out along the way.

lilith40 · February 4

@Darlen_Oregon - it shouldn't have been so hard for you or anyone else to get help. I'm sorry you had go go through all that. @SparkSpringtime69 yes! I hope we accomplish great things together as well.

To all of us who are aiming to stay sober this weekend - we got this!

Born2Run1958 · February 5

One of things that has helped me on MFP is under the notes section I type in all CAPS, NO ALCOHOL and hit save. So all day everyday that I track my note is there reminding me of what is possible. Not to say that any of our food/drink struggles are easier or harder than others; however, it does reel me back in. Just keep me focused on what's possible that every time I log in. I am here for whatever encouragement I can give. Happy Monday!

johnd2i · February 6

As mentioned in previous posts alcohol is everywhere and normalized even though its a poison. The specs liquor store parking lot is always packed when I drive by it. For anyone trying to quit alcohol and get healthy you have my respect. It is not easy.

AmberlyMarlene · February 6

@lilith40 I can completely relate with the all or nothing, and MAN is it hard to choose nothing some days. I drank probably 355 of 365 days last year. It's gonna have to be abstinence for me since I've failed to fix my relationship with alcohol. Hang in there!

AmberlyMarlene · February 6

Popping in to say I'm still doing good. Haven't drank since the 17th of January minus the one beer slip up on the 28th where my guilt kept me from continuing to the liquor cabinet.

The good: I'm now down 12 lbs since the 01/17, I have more energy though not as much as I'd like, and 3 people now have told me I seem happier. I'm feeling better about myself and I'm learning to love myself. It's way waaaayy easier to stick to eating healthy and maintain my goals.

The bad: Sleeeeep! Ugh I can't sleep. I tried to do a hard reset Sunday night by somehow managing to sleep from 8pm to 5am (rather restlessly). I got up at 5am and tried to go to bed at 11pm to get back on a normal schedule to no avail. I ended up awake until after 3am so I was awake for nearly 23 hours before I finally crashed.

They say it can take a month or longer for someone such as myself to see improvement in sleep after quitting drinking, and I'm just about right at that month mark. I've tried melatonin, meditation, sleepy teas, and this reset. Next I'll try "hypotonic sleep music" because I'll try just about anything at this point. One person suggested I do a few tequila shots... Gonna have to pass on that one. It would be a bottle later, but I would sleep though lol.

Good luck to everyone wherever you are on your sober journey right now, even those still working your way up to it. It's certainly not an easy transition, but it's worth it.

SparkSpringtime69 · February 10

Well, I did my four-day weekend last weekend (Fri-Mon), then had wine Tues and Wed. But I'm back to no alcohol, pushing for 5 days straight (Thurs [just past] through Mon). I'll see if I can extend it from there as well.
How's everyone else doing these past few days?

Darlene_Oregon · February 11

@SparkSpringtime69 Congrats on the four days. If I can get past three, I hope to never drink again. It's been a bit rough for me this time. I think when we get a little older, it becomes more difficult.
I'm still working on it. I've been trying to taper off. It's now Saturday. And, living where I live, our liquor stores don't open until 11am on Sundays. So, I had my husband drive me to the store (I'm fairly dysfunctional at this time) and I bought enough so I wouldn't be hurting in the morning. Then I hope to quit on Monday. It's really a bad time for me. My husbands birthday is on Tuesday and we have plans to go out to lunch. I'm afraid I won't feel well. But, I have to make it. One way or another I will. Good luck to you and everyone else.

Darlene_Oregon · February 11

From my last post, people are going to think my husband is enabling me. But, that's not the case. I've been trying to taper off. That's the way I did it a couple of years ago. And, it worked well. I just reduced my intake by 25ml a day and started drinking a half an hour later each day. I'm not sure if I'm where I should be. It's not going as well as last time. But, I'm going to try to quit tomorrow. I'm getting really tired of drinking.
Before I started drinking again, I ate healthy, weighed and logged my foods for the day. Now, I don't feel like eating and just eat anything when I feel hungry. I was active and had started exercising. Now, I feel weak and my balance is off. I rarely leave the house and taking a shower is scary because of my balance.
I offered to make carne asada tacos for my husband's B-day and he thought that was a good idea. So, I won't have to travel in two days. He said that he really didn't want to go out anyways.
I will let you know how it goes.
Take care everyone!

SparkSpringtime69 · February 11

@Darlene_Oregon I agree it gets tougher as we get older. I think that, for me at least, it's become such a habit in my everyday life that I have to find a way to replace it with something different, better, healthier. I too take better care of myself with regards to diet and exercise when I abstain.
It sounds like you have a plan in place that has worked for you in the past. I wish you the best of luck with it. Take care, and please do let us know how it goes.

lilith40 · February 12

@AmberlyMarlene - Good for you!!! It must be nice to have people notice too. I hear you about the sleep - I'm still struggling a bit and it has been since Jan 1st for me with one slip up on the 27th.

@Darlene_Oregon - It is harder the older we get. I think the habit becomes more ingrained. Hang in there I know it is tough but it is so worth it.

@SparkSpringtime69 - Good for you! Four day weekends are tough and if you can do that you can definitely do 5 days!

zaxaz · February 12

So many inspiring people commenting on here with their paths forward - you guys are awesome, keep it up.

Liquid calories have always been my downfall (and I mean soft drinks as well) so I am avoiding all of them on my mfp journey. So far I have been successful. I have a few social outings coming up which will be the hardest.

One little change I made was I have stopped using the two beer glasses emoji when texting with friends... no need to have beer on my mind all the time.

vavallme · February 12

Several years ago, I found a book called "The Alcohol Experiment", written by Annie Grace that walked you through a 30 day sober period. She has an excellent program with lots of online support. While I haven't quit entirely, it is now difficult to drink like I did before since I've learned the science behind alcohol and what it does to you, mentally and physically. I also use an app called "Try Dry". It is a great way to stay accountable to yourself.

Darlene_Oregon · February 13

Hi All,
For those of you that have quit, did you experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms? I want to quit really bad, but I am afraid of withdrawal symptoms. Any advice?

Starting over alcohol free

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