LESS Alcohol ~ OCTOBER 2024 ~ One Day at A Time

MissMay · October 2

Day 2
Something new to read

Dealing with disappointment can be overwhelming and disheartening, but it doesn’t have to fester and take over your life. When you experience disappointment, you are at a greater risk of physical and/or emotional difficulties. It’s normal to struggle with and feel overwhelmed by disappointment. However, it is possible to work through your feelings and maintain a positive mind frame. Here’s how.

1. Re-evaluate your expectations

For example, let’s say you applied for your dream job, and you were certain that you would get it. The interview goes well, and this feeling of certainty becomes even stronger. You find out that you were a promising candidate, but they ended up hiring someone with more experience.

It is normal to feel disappointed in this situation. However, in the future, it can be helpful to readjust your expectations.

It is common for hundreds of people to apply for one job, strong candidates with years of experience under their belt. Setting a more realistic expectation can help you to avoid intense disappointment.

This doesn’t mean you should set the bar low, or expect the worst, but to reflect on your expectation, and make sure it is in line with the reality of the situation.

For example, instead of thinking “I am a shoo-in for this job,” a more realistic expectation may be “I know I am a good candidate, and I would excel at this job, but there is a lot of competition, so nothing is certain”.

2. Let it out

Talk to a trusted friend or family member. It can help you to process the experience and gain perspective. Everyone in your life has faced disappointment at one point or another.

You may feel less alone knowing that your loved ones can relate and that they are there to support you.

3. Practice acceptance

There will always be things in your life that you cannot control or change. You can keep thinking about how unfair the world is, and that whatever happened to you was not right, but unfortunately, it doesn’t change the fact that it happened.

When we ruminate on these situations or try to change things that we cannot control, it only leads to more frustration. If you step into the role of a victim, you'll find it harder to deal with your disappointment.

It may feel easier to stay angry rather than accept the reality of what disappointment brings. However, accepting the outcome and moving forward is the only way to heal and thrive.

4. Adapt and make a new plan

When things don’t go as you originally planned, it’s time to adjust and implement a new plan of action.

globalhiker · October 2

@MissMay I like what you stated in this last statement about adjusting and proceeding with a new plan of action.

Speaking of plans, I like easy plans so I focus on the waking hours of today and what I will do with that precious, short time and how I will manage my behaviors. Today I will drink at least 8 large glasses of water and allow myself 1-2 diet drinks or flavored seltzers. I'm going out to buy a variety of fruit to have in fridge to eat if I get a craving. Going out for a walk now as the sun rises and meeting friends at the gym class mid-morning.

Day 1 AF done

SurferGirl1982 · October 2

@SparkSpringtime69, @chicbuc My intentions were to have a sober October myself. But I already blew it! Oh well! I guess it won't hurt to jump on the train at the next station 🤔

MissMay · October 2

SurferGirl1982 wrote: »

@SparkSpringtime69, @chicbuc My intentions were to have a sober October myself. But I already blew it! Oh well! I guess it won't hurt to jump on the train at the next station 🤔

@SurferGirl1982
All the months have a different number of days in them. Some 29, some 30, some 31. Just start today as day #1 and add an extra day into Nov at the end. We won't judge you.

Easy Peasy!!!

MissMay · October 2

I am glad to see there are so many people here or on September's thread that are putting either their monthly goals out there or for many, life changing goals, as far as their relationship with alcohol in the future.
Noting: going completely alcohol free for the rest of your lives.

I for one don't want you to feel as if your breaking up with our LESS alcohol community. Our thread has and always will be What LESS means to you. If your doing a 30 day sober cleanse or a 30 year sober cleanse it is wonderful and our thread does not discriminate in that way. We each have our own path.

I totally get it about trying to not think about alcohol when wanting to have an AF day or an AF streak. Then reading posts in here with us talking about beautiful, stemmed glasses or coming home to a bottle waiting for us on the counter from a loved one. It is all part of the brain trigger process.

So, with that out of the way........
Let's enjoy October

SurferGirl1982 · October 2

@MissMay I guess I can pretend that it's February *LOL*

Having the two threads now is a bit confusing. There are people in both threads that I want to keep in touch with. But it seems redundant to post the same thing on both threads. You could change the name of this thread next month to "LESS Alcohol or Alcohol Free ~ NOVEMBER 2024 ~ One Day at A Time".

But then sometimes the posts about drinking wine (from the moderators) can make the abstainers want a drink. Although, when I was on a roll, it really didn't affect me. I knew what my goal was and others had different goals.

Hmmm? I can't imagine who you may be referring to when you said, "Or coming home to a bottle waiting for us on the counter from a loved one" 🤔 You forgot to say that the bottle "magically appeared".

Michieb125 · October 2

Thank you @MissMay for your wisdom and guidance today! Less is less, whatever that means to us! If I have a drink on an unplanned day, I can try for none the next day. Luckily, we are only given one day at a time - not a
month at a time. I’ve learned through this process, each day is a new beginning! We are not made to be perfect. But I do believe made wonderful in God’s eyes.

My birthday month is also October which may be why I love all things fall! Cooler days, sweaters, pumpkins and cinnamon scented candles.

I met my Sept goal of 33% AF days on a lengthy cruise. I honestly have no regrets and now it’s time to get back on track and meet my new weight AND Less Alcohol goals for this month.
🍁

I’ll be home this weekend!

October Goals:
AF days - 16 - 18
A days - 13 - 15

Current:
AF days - 1
A days - 0

spoccer · October 2

Has anyone been on compounded Mounjaro and found that alcohol doesn't taste the same? I feel like it doesn't but it's not totally off putting to me. But I think because it's such a "habit" to me to relax at end of the day, I don't cut it out all together. I have cut to one drink instead of two starting Oct. 1st so am hopeful I can build on that.

SparkSpringtime69 · October 2

MissMay wrote: »

I am glad to see there are so many people here or on September's thread that are putting either their monthly goals out there or for many, life changing goals, as far as their relationship with alcohol in the future.
Noting: going completely alcohol free for the rest of your lives.
I for one don't want you to feel as if your breaking up with our LESS alcohol community. Our thread has and always will be What LESS means to you. If your doing a 30 day sober cleanse or a 30 year sober cleanse it is wonderful and our thread does not discriminate in that way. We each have our own path.
I totally get it about trying to not think about alcohol when wanting to have an AF day or an AF streak. Then reading posts in here with us talking about beautiful, stemmed glasses or coming home to a bottle waiting for us on the counter from a loved one. It is all part of the brain trigger process.
So, with that out of the way........
Let's enjoy October

@MissMay thank you for the encouragement, and for continuing to set these monthly discussions up to support us on our less alcohol journeys.
I don't find that others' discussions about drinking trigger me to imbibe, it's really more what's going on in my own head and around me.
I was going to try both groups for the additional accountability, but I agree with @SurferGirl1982 that it would get redundant so I'll just be sticking around here

.
That being said -
Three reasons I'm not going to have a drink tonight:
1. My DH would be disappointed in me.
2. I want to remember the night when I wake up in the morning.
3. I have a lot to do tomorrow and being hungover isn't going be conducive to a productive day.
See you all tomorrow.

chicbuc · October 2

I like the idea of the reasons why you will not drink. That's very motivating.

MissMay · October 2

Michieb125 wrote: »

Thank you @MissMay for your wisdom and guidance today! Less is less, whatever that means to us! If I have a drink on an unplanned day, I can try for none the next day. Luckily, we are only given one day at a time - not a
month at a time. I’ve learned through this process, each day is a new beginning! We are not made to be perfect. But I do believe made wonderful in God’s eyes.

My birthday month is also October which may be why I love all things fall! Cooler days, sweaters, pumpkins and cinnamon scented candles.

I met my Sept goal of 33% AF days on a lengthy cruise. I honestly have no regrets and now it’s time to get back on track and meet my new weight AND Less Alcohol goals for this month.
🍁

I’ll be home this weekend!

October Goals:
AF days - 16 - 18
A days - 13 - 15

Current:
AF days - 1
A days - 0

LOVE that you said we are only given ONE DAY AT A TIME. Which is true.

Thank you, you are another October Sister on here.
My birthday is actually TODAY 65 years young!

MissMay · October 2

SurferGirl1982 wrote: »

Hmmm? I can't imagine who you may be referring to when you said, "Or coming home to a bottle waiting for us on the counter from a loved one" 🤔 You forgot to say that the bottle "magically appeared".

@SurferGirl1982 our thread has been on here solid monthly since November 2017. Believe me, over those 7 years that phase ( booze left in kitchen, refrigerator, cooler or grocery bag has come up a many, many, many times. LOL. As I have said before, we are not alone in our struggles.

I do however like your wording "magically appeared".
Kind of like magically delicious-lucky charms.

MissMay · October 2

spoccer wrote: »

Has anyone been on compounded Mounjaro and found that alcohol doesn't taste the same? I feel like it doesn't but it's not totally off putting to me. But I think because it's such a "habit" to me to relax at end of the day, I don't cut it out all together. I have cut to one drink instead of two starting Oct. 1st so am hopeful I can build on that.

Hi thanks for stopping in. I'm not familiar with this. Is it a medication?
Cutting back from two drinks down to 1 drink is a definite win. LESS is LESS.

MissMay · October 2

SparkSpringtime69 wrote: »

MissMay wrote: »

I am glad to see there are so many people here or on September's thread that are putting either their monthly goals out there or for many, life changing goals, as far as their relationship with alcohol in the future.
Noting: going completely alcohol free for the rest of your lives.
I for one don't want you to feel as if your breaking up with our LESS alcohol community. Our thread has and always will be What LESS means to you. If your doing a 30 day sober cleanse or a 30 year sober cleanse it is wonderful and our thread does not discriminate in that way. We each have our own path.
I totally get it about trying to not think about alcohol when wanting to have an AF day or an AF streak. Then reading posts in here with us talking about beautiful, stemmed glasses or coming home to a bottle waiting for us on the counter from a loved one. It is all part of the brain trigger process.
So, with that out of the way........
Let's enjoy October

@MissMay thank you for the encouragement, and for continuing to set these monthly discussions up to support us on our less alcohol journeys.
I don't find that others' discussions about drinking trigger me to imbibe, it's really more what's going on in my own head and around me.
I was going to try both groups for the additional accountability, but I agree with @SurferGirl1982 that it would get redundant so I'll just be sticking around here .
That being said -
Three reasons I'm not going to have a drink tonight:
1. My DH would be disappointed in me.
2. I want to remember the night when I wake up in the morning.
3. I have a lot to do tomorrow and being hungover isn't going be conducive to a productive day.
See you all tomorrow.

GREAT GREAT reasons for not drinking tonight @SparkSpringtime69 . And your welcome

SurferGirl1982 · October 2

I agree with @SparkSpringtime69 I'm just going to stay here. I think if we mention someone here they will be notified that they were mentioned.

@SparkSpringtime69 The three reasons for you not drinking tonight are exactly like mine. Your #1 is important to me...I hate to disappoint my DH.

I still don't have Day 1. But watch...I will by Friday at the latest.

I have to call the vet now and reschedule my cat's appointment to Monday. I'm still not functional enough to deal with it. And, it will take a lot of stress off of me.

You guys will be proud of me...I promise!

tmbg1 · October 2

2 AF

Michieb125 · October 2

Happy Birthday dear October sister @MissMay TODAY!! I will also be 65 years young on October 14th. I hope you feel cherished and celebrated today. ♥️

Michieb125 · October 2

And happy October birthday to you as well @forestdweller1 - hope your day was extraordinary!

NonnieDoiron · October 2

Wow! 2 days down, and it took over an hour to catch up on the posts! I love it!😁

So, welcome to all the newcomers!

Happy October birthday to @MissMay, @forestdweller1, and @Michieb125, and any other October babies celebrating this month!

As for me, my stats were pretty good last month. Just going to keep the intake down to a dull roar again this month.

For me, it’s easy not to go to the store to get the bottle. I’m too lazy.😉 The hard part is when it “magically appears on the counter” (that loving hubby of mine🙄), I may be able to let it sit there for about a week or at least until the weekend. But, once I pop the cork, I just can’t resist. I’ve been doing good with drinking just 2 glasses, but the next night I’m compelled to drink the last 2 glasses in the bottle. I can’t seem to let those last two glasses wait until the following weekend. But, I am avoiding the hangovers which means I’m drinking enough water and not drinking too fast (avoiding drunk/tipsy).

Anyway, had my 90-day employee review meeting today. Glowing reviews though I completely hate this job and don’t want to be working. Now, if I could just get a raise!🤔

Calling tonight AF.

AF - 2
A - 0

lnort0618 · October 2

It took me awhile to realize that my math was wrong in my original post- I'm aiming for 60% alcohol free days, not 40%. Whoops! Math is not my strong suit.

Really proud of myself today- DH and I went out for lunch at a Mexican place and not only did I not totally derail my diet, but I also didn't order a margarita (even if I was sorely tempted!).

I'm so impressed by all the members here- whether you're drinking less, drinking not at all, or just trying to figure things out! Hurray for us!

October
AF 2
A 0

Walela617 · October 2

Hello everyone,

Happy October! 🍂

To anyone who believes they have "slipped up", it's NOT a "fail", it's just a "Do-Over"! This board is also for anyone who wants to "cut back" on alcohol consumption.

Happy Birthday to all those celebrating this month! 🎉

Alcohol FREE days so far this month:

10/01: 01
10/02: 02

Have a nice evening,
Carole

SurferGirl1982 · October 3

Walela617 wrote: »

To anyone who believes they have "slipped up", it's NOT a "fail", it's just a "Do-Over"! This board is also for anyone who wants to "cut back" on alcohol consumption.

@Walela617 I think you may have posted on the wrong thread. This thread is LESS Alcohol ~ OCTOBER 2024 ~ One Day at A Time. This thread has always been for anyone who wants to "cut back" on alcohol consumption or stop completely.

Take care!

chicbuc · October 3

Good morning LA people! Hope all is well. Keep on keeping on even if you get off course for a bit.

MissMay, thank you for always bringing the support!

No wine last night. That's 3 in a row. I feel good. Sleep is good. Motivation is creeping back in. I even did a workout last night after I cooked dinner. Aiming for a sober month but taking it one day at a time. Tonight is my team's football. It's at home, so I'm not worried about being tempted to drink. I have my seltzers. I want to tell my SO that I want to skip our casino nights this month as that's a big trigger. Hopefully, he's receptive. Fingers crossed.

AF = 2
A = 0

xbowhunter · October 3

You are all doing great keep on keeping on!

AF - 3

A - never

globalhiker · October 3

Happy Birthday to everyone here with an October birthday (me too!). It's a great time to look back and then look ahead. What will I do, where will I go?

Day 2 AF done, with difficulty, no lie. I think I ate half a bag of chocolate chips.

MissMay · October 3

Good morning LESS alcohol groupies

Thanks to those of you for the birthday wishes yesterday.
It was a great milestone to reach, So many emotions of my Mom who never lived past 64 years 51 weeks, She died from a stroke a week before she would have been turning 65.

Also grateful for myself living 12 years longer than my first husband that died of.........cirrhosis of the liver from drinking.

So much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.

Yes I ate chocolate cake last night, yes I had one standard glass of champagne, yes I soaked in the beauty of the sun setting down into the gulf of Mexico while the warm gentle breeze made ripples on the water,

And today- yes I ate my over night oats, yes I did my abs and underarm exercises, yes I am grateful for waking up and taking in a breath of air in order to start my positive and continuing process . There can be balance in my life I tell myself, I am a LIBRA.

A funny moment last night when we arrived at the outdoor dinner venue. The waitress saw us pull in and had our regular drinks sitting water rail side where we usually stand, then grab a place to sit. We said our hellos, and I walked back up to the bar with the unopened Heineken00 and said oh gee I want to exchange this for a glass of champagne. HUGE EYES UPON ME. Then I merely stated that yes I choose to switch it up for ONE tonight don't worry I wont be dancing on the tables. And life went on.

Accountability for October -
1 - A
1 - AF

MissMay · October 3

xbowhunter wrote: »

You are all doing great keep on keeping on!

AF - 3

A - never

You are a strong warrior @xbowhunter. I can FEEL the positivity in your post. I am sure you will have a productive day.

MissMay · October 3

chicbuc wrote: »

Good morning LA people! Hope all is well. Keep on keeping on even if you get off course for a bit.

MissMay, thank you for always bringing the support!

No wine last night. That's 3 in a row. I feel good. Sleep is good. Motivation is creeping back in. I even did a workout last night after I cooked dinner. Aiming for a sober month but taking it one day at a time. Tonight is my team's football. It's at home, so I'm not worried about being tempted to drink. I have my seltzers. I want to tell my SO that I want to skip our casino nights this month as that's a big trigger. Hopefully, he's receptive. Fingers crossed.

AF = 2
A = 0

Very upbeat @chicbuc. What kind of workouts are you doing?

MissMay · October 3

Walela617 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

Happy October! 🍂

To anyone who believes they have "slipped up", it's NOT a "fail", it's just a "Do-Over"! This board is also for anyone who wants to "cut back" on alcohol consumption.

Happy Birthday to all those celebrating this month! 🎉

Alcohol FREE days so far this month:

10/01: 01
10/02: 02

Have a nice evening,
Carole

Great way to begin October, two days in AF!!!

MissMay · October 3

lnort0618 wrote: »

It took me awhile to realize that my math was wrong in my original post- I'm aiming for 60% alcohol free days, not 40%. Whoops! Math is not my strong suit.

Really proud of myself today- DH and I went out for lunch at a Mexican place and not only did I not totally derail my diet, but I also didn't order a margarita (even if I was sorely tempted!).

I'm so impressed by all the members here- whether you're drinking less, drinking not at all, or just trying to figure things out! Hurray for us!

October
AF 2
A 0

60-40 are really doable numbers in my mind. Nice choice.
It is hard for me to go to Mexican around my area, there are sooooo many. And they always sneak up on us with those darn complimentary chips and salsa and bean dip which dry up your mouth so badly.
I have actually asked them to make me a mock margarita in the past OR my husband says make her the mock, but he wants the shot that would have gone in my drink for himself.

LESS Alcohol ~ OCTOBER 2024 ~ One Day at A Time

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