Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your well wishes! I really think they are helping!

This morning the COVID test line took longer to appear and is fainter than before - online information from CDC states that this means the level of virus is decreasing - yay!

I am not running a temperature but I still have some congestion and a partially blocked right ear, but otherwise I'm okay.

On the plus side, I am losing a little weight. (Hope I can keep it off!)

Dear @RubyRed427, please hang in there! We are all here for you! I can't count the number of times throughout the years where I have had an experience like yours last night. Yesterday is done and today is a brand new day; right now is a brand new moment! I know how hard it is to start over because I have done so, over and over again. There is no judgment here - only empathy, support, encouragement and understanding! This is an unconditional, safe space for you, always.🌹

12/15/24: 22 days AF (on day 23)
Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

💗 Carole

You're welcome, @RubyRed427! I'll be thinking about you. I'm so glad your husband is there to support you! 🦋

Hi everyone,

12/19/24: 26 days AF (on day 27)

I love reading your posts about all the benefits enjoyed from staying AF, including more energy and better quality sleep. I am also noticing these changes and my blood pressure and heart rate readings have been great! (It really does make a big difference.)

I am working from home again. Testing negative for COVID now but I still have some residual symptoms, like ear "fullness", slight dizziness and reduced hearing, especially in my right ear. I ordered some ear drops and sinus meds so hopefully that will clear it up. I still have fatigue but I''m sleeping okay. My score was 79 last night and I got 7 hours and 35 minutes. (Awake: 14%, REM: 20%, Light: 52%, Deep: 15%)

Have a great day. I will check back in tomorrow!

💗Carole

Hi everyone,

12/20/24: 27 days AF (on day 28) Boston is snowing right now! (We have about an inch on the ground.)

Even though I've been doing very well over the past few weeks, I'm thinking of doing another reset on December 31st, just so I can use the first day of the year as my Soberversary date and start the count over. Why? Because I still feel like I'm in a "trial phase" as this year winds down. Of course, this doesn't mean that I'm just gonna go binging right through New Year's Eve, in fact, I will actually plan to reset at midnight (12am) on December 31st, because my Sober Time app doesn't count a day until you're into the next one; therefore, it would call January 1st "Day One". I still don't intend to have any alcohol between now and then, not when I have such a good streak going. My budget is extremely tight right now and I definitely don't want to waste any money on alcohol! I will keep my daily Sober Time app diary entries but will just start fresh.

@xbowhunter: I like the idea of cutting out "toxic foods", but I don't see bread and cheese as toxic, even though I definitely have cut back. The only other dairy I have is yogurt - no way I would give that up! Sugar, yes - I've cut way back on that, but I can do better. I think I'm going to phase out my use of most artificial sweeteners as well as processed foods like frozen dinners, lunchmeat, sausage, hot dogs, etc. I don't want to give up too much all at once, but I plan to try to stick to whole foods as much as possible. I don't drink soda anymore but I do like to have sparkling mineral water and flavored seltzers on occasion.

Have a great weekend everyone!
💗Carole

Hi everyone,

Even though I'm not counting right now, I'm pleased to report that I've had no alcohol this weekend. (It was quite cold so I stayed home, both days.)

On Tuesday, Christmas Eve, I will reset the Sober Time app for 12:00am, 12/24, so Christmas will be counted as Day 1 (completed) and each Christmas will also be celebrated as my "Soberversary"! This does NOT mean I'll have a "goodbye binge" on Monday - NO WAY! I'm not going near the stuff! (I also need to stay away from "party foods" and anything that doesn't have nutritional value!)

I will check in tomorrow evening once I'm safe at home base.

💞 Carole

Hello everyone! Happy Christmas Eve, Eve!

Dear @globalhiker, AMAZING! You are almost at FOUR MONTHS! That's great! I can answer your question regarding Europeans and their diets compared to the level of obesity there vs. here in U.S. with ONE word: ACTIVITY! It's all about consistent movement, balanced with the amount and nutritive quality of food and beverages consumed. People in Europe are generally much more active than Americans and drive far less frequently, if they drive at all. Aside from that, here's another reason: Food is much more expensive there, and there is far less availability and variety of the processed, "junk foods" that we have here in America. I would also suggest that it's likely that most Europeans have a broader social circle and regular contact with close and extended family, are less isolated and have a larger "safety net" and support network. It's a fact that more and more Americans are becoming increasingly isolated. I believe these factors play the most significant roles in why Americans tend to be more overweight than people in Europe. I also happen to believe that the average person in America as compared to the average person is Europe may be under more stress and feel less safe, especially now. (I could be wrong about that part, but it's reasonable to assume.)

It's twice as hard to lose weight by cutting calories alone, rather than balancing the calorie deficit with food intake and activity. It's generally understood that if you cut daily calories to less than 1,200 per day, it would likely be counterproductive because your metabolism will go into "survival mode" at that point and try to hold on to every, single calorie it gets. As we all know, 3,500 = 1 pound. That means we need a deficit of 500 calories per day in order to lose one pound per week. It's a lot easier to just cut 250 calories from our intake and burn an average of 250 calories per day with activity, than to reduce our intake by 500 calories per day. (For me, this is simply not sustainable.) I found out that if I weigh about 140 lbs. and walk at my workout pace of 4mph for 30 minutes, I would burn just over 200 calories. Throw in a couple of short bursts of activity per day, and I've got my 250 calories right there. I know I can do that.

I should also note here that (generally) fasting...doesn't...work. It simply doesn't - not for me (certainly not for long term, anyway). Most people cannot sustain that style of eating, and most dieticians and nutritionists say it is not a good idea and not the healthiest route. In my case (and speaking from personal experience), it would just be setting myself up for failure and would cause increased depression, stress and irritability. Most health professionals believe that it's much more important (and more effective) to stop eating and drinking early in the evening than to wait extended times between meals.

Meat and dairy are not "bad". Low-density carbohydrates are not "bad". Fried and fast food? Yeah, mostly bad. Gluten only bothers a small percentage of the population. Added sugar IS bad. Too much sodium is bad. Too much saturated fat is also bad. Hydrogenated fat? Stay away! As we already know, alcohol IS bad. Too much of anything, really, is bad. It's all about moderation and balancing caloric intake with calories burned. Also, it's not a good idea to skip meals, especially breakfast, but some people don't feel like eating in the mornings. We shouldn't have to force ourselves to eat when we don't feel like it. Everybody's different.

Here are two very useful sites I have found: https://fitwatch.com/calculator/weight-loss-target-date and https://www.medindia.net/patients/calculators/weight-loss-calculator.asp (These two sites have helped me a lot. I hope they help you too!😊)

I did something "radical". I deleted all of my previous weight entries except today. The scale said 153.2. It seems my weight is still correcting itself because I went from 156.8 to 151.4 to 153.2 over three days! (This is why I hate weighing in daily!) I'm in a December daily weight group and will stick it out until the end, but I don't believe I will ever weigh myself daily, ever again. (It's driving me "batty"!)

I'm going to set a new restart date for weight on January 1st. My Sober Count restart takes effect at midnight tonight; so, my app will count Christmas as Day One (completed). I have not been drinking, but I just want to have a fresh start so I can celebrate my official "Soberversary" at Christmas every year.

Have a great day everyone!
💖Carole