Hello everyone,

Happy Friday!

12/06/24: 13 days AF (now on day 14 - almost TWO WEEKS!)

Last evening was extremely difficult for me until I made it home. Thursday is my weekly payday. I arrived near my home at 4:28pm. If it had been closer to 5pm, I would definitely have stopped at one of my former "haunts" (since they don't open until 5pm) to have their "Gin Martini Service" (which is >2 drinks' worth) with three, blue-cheese stuffed olives and who knows what else as far as food and more alcohol? >Phew!< I just stayed on the bus and went right past them! (Go, ME!)

I then made an "internal bargain" that if the scale read lower this morning, I would go straight home, even if it were just 0.2 lb. lower. As it turns out, this morning my scale showed a 0.8 lb. drop from the day before (from 154.6 to 153.8); so that's my sign! I will NOT stop anywhere except maybe the grocery store (for FOOD only) and then I will go straight home. (I plan to leave work around 3:30pm this afternoon, when it won't be dark yet - yay.)

I joined another MFP challenge for the remainder of this year where we report our weight daily. I am pleased to report that my weight is actually 0.4 lb. down from the day before Thanksgiving, when I weighed 154.2. I take that as a WIN, considering how much I ate that weekend and the couple of days after!

@globalhiker, Day 97, WOW! Best wishes for your early dinner with your husband! I think you're right about the sleep quality/quantity correlation with craving. According to my Fitbit, I got 8 hours and 8 minutes sleep with a "Good" score of 84 last night. (I believe it also helps with the food cravings because my appetite seems more manageable today. I always feel ravenous the day following poor sleep.)

@xbowhunter, it's good that you recognized the craving as coming from a (formerly) habitual pairing with food. "Devil's juice" is a good phrase for it, BUT - you rode it out and came out victorious, once again!🏆 (The craving really does seem to pass, if I wait a bit and think it through, as in, "Is it worth it?" (NO!)

Once I pass my two-week mark (3am Saturday morning), I will feel more confident in my focus and continued progress.

Have a wonderful weekend! I will check back in tomorrow morning.
💗Carole

Hi everyone,

Happy weekend! I hit my 2-week mark! (YAY!)

12/07/24: 14 days AF (on day 15)

Hi, @globalhiker, thanks for the tip regarding the sparkling AF wine that tastes like prosecco! I was looking for something AF with which to ring on the new year, and Mionetto sounds like just the thing! Good point about sparkling grape juice less calories than chocolate!

Enjoy your day. I will check back tomorrow.

💗 Carole

Hi everyone, I haven't been drinking but I haven't posted until now because I've been ill. Turns out, I have COVID!

I even took the test three times to be sure (I have plenty of kits.) Even though they are all past the expiration date, they seem to be working okay.

My symptoms so far have been low fever, congestion and a slight cough, but the worst symptoms are fatigue, weakness and a bad headache.

I must have caught it because I've been riding the city bus so much lately, since it started to get colder and darker.

12/10/24: 017 days AF (on day 18)

I just had my most recent booster on September 21st; so hopefully I'll get over this bout soon. (This is my second time getting COVID; last time the symptoms were very similar. I tested positive for the first time on Halloween, 2022. It lasted for just a few days back then.)

This took a lot of effort, but I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of all of you and wishing you well. I will check back in tomorrow.

💗Carole

Hello everyone,

12/12/24: 19 days AF

Thanks so much for your well wishes @globalhiker and @RubyRed427! I am feeling a little better. The headache is gone, thankfully! There's some coughing and congestion and a slight temp, but it's manageable and milder than the first time.

I went to work just to pick up my laptop, then I got some medicine and some fruit and soup and stuff and returned home to work remotely. It went well.

I am reading a book called, "The City Cat" (how to live healthily and happily with your indoor pet). I don't think I'll be able to meet my future cat this weekend as planned, because the foster mom has a baby girl at home and I'm still testing positive with symptoms. (I had two masks on today when I rode the bus, picked up my laptop and went to the store.) I don't want to take the chance of spreading this, especially to a baby!

I'm happy I get to work from home tomorrow. I don't have to worry about traveling. I don't even have to get dressed (though I probably will). I am optimistic that I will feel improved by the morning.

Have a nice night. I will check in tomorrow.

💗 Carole