LESS Alcohol ~ DECEMBER 2024 ~ One Day at A Time

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  • Michieb125
    Michieb125 Posts: 869 Member
    @xbowhunter great experiment to solidify your choices for continuing NA!

    I have a fairly low key week again which I am honestly relishing in 🙏🎁🎄. Only a luncheon (no A) tomorrow and will see my DS and DIL on Thursday for a little visit at their home (no A).

    Drink targets are set up for the new week!
  • NonnieDoiron
    NonnieDoiron Posts: 353 Member
    SurferGirl1982 wrote: »

    I'm so happy for you! I'm a bit of an optimist and I thought everything would work out 😀 Not sure about opening the wallet part HaHa!

    I’m glad you’re an optimist! I try to be but fall short too often.

    The wallet is very hard to pry open! I asked him last night about a budget. He asked how much I needed. Lol… I’m an event planner for the military, I don’t create the budgets… I plan within them. He looked at me with a straight face and said, “$200?” 🤣 🤣🤣🤣 I told him that wouldn’t even cover the food! He cringed.

    He openly admits he is no good at planning parties, and I told him that’s why I’m planning it. I just have to know my “real” budget, so I can plan accordingly. I’m going to give him some time to mull it over.

  • Angel3167
    Angel3167 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Friends! I don't think I have ever posted in the community before.

    Drinking is such a slippery slope. It became quite habitual during COVID and the low rumble depression that has been present in and out since. I have gained quite a bit of weight and I think primarily from that.

    I really wish alcohol wasn't so pervasive in our society....when I am having a hard day it's like a siren's call to "slip into something more comfortable".

    I have given up almost all social media (to help with stress etc) but I hope that this can take hold and I can get some peer support here. I was happy to find the group.

    What tips tricks or other methods to help you stay on track?
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    @NonnieDoiron To pry open that wallet, you just need to get a larger crowbar 🙂
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    edited December 17
    @itladyee Shorter moves are much easier because you can somewhat take your time moving the small stuff. But, we would still need help moving the heavier stuff. I'll be keeping my eyes open. But, I may just stay here. Hmmm? A chauffer would nice 🤔 I doubt that will happen! Besides, I already have one...my husband 🙂
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    edited December 17
    @Angel3167 I can't help you much because I'm not doing that well myself. There are others on this site that can give you helpful, useful advice.

    The only thing that I can suggest that worked for me, is if you get a few days AF (alcohol free), just keep going! For me, once I get on a roll, it gets pretty easy. I've gone weeks and even months without drinking, But, once I decide that it's OK to have a drink, then that's all she wrote!

    BTW...your cat has a pretty smile 😺 Good luck to you!
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    @Angel3167 One other thing that you mentioned is, for me, drinking does cause me to gain weight. It's weird because when I'm drinking, I really don't eat that much. I really don't want to eat. But, then later in the evening, I would get hungry. And, pretty much, eat whatever was around. And, usually not the healthiest choices.

    A couple of years ago, I quit drinking for four months (due to a medical issue). I didn't diet or exercise. I meant to exercise, but never really never did. And, I lost 30 to 35 lbs without even trying.

    Anyways, hopefully some of the others on here can give you more advice or suggestions.
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,451 Member
    20 AF days in a row
    @Angel3167 not really a tip that would work for everyone but I'm treating the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve like Lent. Just trying to give it up for the season of advent and the spiritual aspect is helping me keep to it.
  • Michieb125
    Michieb125 Posts: 869 Member
    @tmbg1 - I love your reason and approach to AF this month! You are doing great!

    @Angel3167 - welcome! This Less Alcohol thread has many wonderful people who can relate to your story. You might find it helpful to check out some of the resources at the beginning of the thread, or read tons of posts of what others are doing. Many here have been successfully cutting back for 1,2,3,5 years and more!

    We all have very individual and personal goals! Some want abstinence and others want to cut back.
    For me, I plan drink targets or goals each month (and week) and set an intention that I’m going to have so many AF days. Sometimes I hit my goals and many times I don’t get there. But being here regularly is super helpful for support and accountability! Hope to see you here again!
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    I finished off my whiskey last night. So there was none in the house this morning. That didn't work out so well. I felt very sick. And almost vomited a couple of times. So my husband went down to the store at 9 am and bought me a pint. I'm secretly hoping that he bought me a pint for tomorrow and has it hidden.

    In the past, when I was only drinking a pint (375 ml) for a few days, I could quit pretty easily. But, I've been drinking 750 ml or more a day for some time. I had that three week streak back in August. And, I really regret staring up again!

    @Michieb125 I like your plan of setting your goals weekly. I makes it seem more manageable. Except for me ☹️, just about anyone can decide to drink only two days a week for just one week!
  • NonnieDoiron
    NonnieDoiron Posts: 353 Member
    AF - 13
    A - 4

    I took about a week long break for walking because my hip was hurting so bad. But, I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to start walking again. The pain isn’t there when I walk. It’s just when I sit down.

    I’ve started taking my vitamins and meds again, too. I’m horrible at doing it. I’ve set alarms and asked my family to remind me. I’ve put the pills where I see them regularly. I just don’t take them. Hoping I can stick to it this time. I really need to do better with them.

    I’m glad most of you are doing so well this holiday season. I didn’t make it to my Christmas goal. I caved. But, I only had 2 glasses each of those 4 nights. Far better than Thanksgiving when I was back to drinking a bottle a night.
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    @globalhiker Wow...well said!
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,309 Member
    globalhiker wrote: »
    @Angel3167 what I have learned is that this a journey of self-discovery and life improvement.

    Here is a list of ideas, many that I have used but the easiest of all, hands down, is to stop drinking alcohol entirely just because after the initial 2 weeks, it gets much easier.

    1-tapering: measure out what you plan to drink that day and every 2 days, reduce it.
    2-don't keep alcohol in the house
    3-stick your goals on the fridge
    4-check in here or elsewhere to check in with yourself and set your intention for the day
    5-join a free online support group (smart recovery - haven't tried them but they have tons of virtual mtgs.)
    6-change what you drink, shift to lower alcohol volume
    7-start drinking MORE of the liquids that are non-alcoholic - mocktails, water, NA beer, etc. The list is endless of what you CAN drink.
    8-find something nonalcoholic that you really like
    9-eat chocolate
    10-drink herbal tea to relax, make ice tea from herbal tea
    11-get a workbook on cognitive-behavioral therapy off Amazon, helps to understand how to talk back to irrational thoughts and get in control of behavior
    12-watch youtube videos on sobriety and drinking less to learn how the successful did it, while you exercise in the morning
    13-Fill your time and your mind with a new activity or hobby to fill in that space alcohol consumes.
    14-read online 5 min before bed: anything on drinking less or sobriety - when in this relaxed mind
    15-make your own PLAN - list what you are going to do and how and when
    16-accept failures - understand that the process tends to be a bumpy ride and when we fail, it's normal but the successful dust themselves off and go right back to working their plan asap.
    17-self-assessment: why are you drinking? self medicating? depression? feel nervous? bored? making a list of this and figuring our OTHER solutions (there are many) will help to address the "root cause".
    18-What are your triggers? When do they set you off? Make plan of what you will do when the triggers show up.
    19-Be kind to yourself and love yourself. Know you are wonderful. It's the alcohol devil that is bad, not us.
    20-Realize alcohol warps our thinking and makes us think we can't do things. It controls us. Going AF for a stretch will change your thinking pattern and this will create MOTIVATION.
    21-Don't worry about diet when starting to go AF. It's hard to do this when hungry. Plus the weight tends to come off anyway.

    Very well said! :)
  • itladyee
    itladyee Posts: 5,481 Member

    FInally, Finally, Finally!
    I got through one day AF after a relatively long run!

    Two things helped:
    1) I have 3 bottles of wine in my home but they are on the expensive side and I don't want to just drink to drink, I want to enjoy these, perhaps with someone who enjoys wine as much as I do.

    2) Having a substitution. I had been pouring 5-calorie juices, but those were getting old. I do want to explore the list that @globalhiker provided but haven't been to the store. I bought this Gruvi Bubbly Rose in my fridge, I tried it and was pleasantly surprised.

    9dazvyhvj49u.jpeg

    I'm going to explore NA red wines again. I found a couple of articles that said the ones where the alcohol has been removed are better as it's gone through the wine fermentation process. Sounds like a project :)

    AF = 1
    A = 16

    One day at a time :)

    Welcome @Angel3167

    @nonniedoiron ~ re meds, never been good with vitamins, I find that if I'm in a routine (preparing for work) then I'm good, it's these newly acquired days off that throw me for a loop. It was ok when it was only one day once in a while. So now I too set two alarms as I will most likely ignore the first. If the second one goes off and I haven't take them, I MUST stop what I'm doing and do it immediately. No if and, or ignores allowed!

    @globalhiker ~ nice list! I will adopt many!
    I love this one as you can let your unconscious mind do a lot of the work:
    read online 5 min before bed: anything on drinking less or sobriety - when in this relaxed mind



  • Michieb125
    Michieb125 Posts: 869 Member
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    Checking in! I am doing pretty well on limits this week. Example: 1-2 glasses of white wine on an A day and also tried this nice N.A. sparkling Rose tonight called ‘Mingle.’ Found it at Total wine. It’s very similar to a dry and fruity Rose wine and has a great taste. Love that it comes in 12 ounce cans for 60 calories. I could mix it with a small glass of regular sparkling wine for a full 20 ounces - then I could be full of LA bubbles!

    Also picked up the Mionetta alcohol removed sparkling wine. Saving this to share on Christmas Day - maybe for mimosas.

    I’m actually shocked that I’m okay with my latest N.A. wine selections. Who knew?!

    Still working on closing the gap. May you find your best solutions if just for today.

    AF days - 5
    A days - 13
  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    I just wanted to let everyone know that you are all a great group of people. And that I'm not giving up on my AF plans.

    I'm not a big social media fan. I originally joined MFP just to log my foods and my weight.

    But, lately, I've been getting friend requests from people I've never had any interaction with. I know the people in this group that are legit (the people that regularly post) and that I've had interactions with. But, getting friend requests from people I've never interacted with is kind of creepy! I just decline the requests.

    I'll still check in from time to time. I wish you all the best!
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,451 Member
    22 AF days in a row!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,410 Member
    SurferGirl1982 wrote: »
    I just wanted to let everyone know that you are all a great group of people. And that I'm not giving up on my AF plans.

    I'm not a big social media fan. I originally joined MFP just to log my foods and my weight.

    But, lately, I've been getting friend requests from people I've never had any interaction with. I know the people in this group that are legit (the people that regularly post) and that I've had interactions with. But, getting friend requests from people I've never interacted with is kind of creepy! I just decline the requests.

    I'll still check in from time to time. I wish you all the best!

    Totally agree with you. Friend requests from strangers, usually men always send a private message saying "hi, how are you?". They just want to chat or something. I only accept requests from people I see on the threads and like.
  • globalhiker
    globalhiker Posts: 1,730 Member
    3 months + 18 AF days done. I found a beverage called Slate Dark Chocolate that is taking away my sugar cravings! I'll have it 1-2x a week after a hard workout. A bit pricey but looks like it doesn't have any "bad stuff".

    53bd00uaqut4.png



  • globalhiker
    globalhiker Posts: 1,730 Member
    For the holidays, I am drinking AF!! My AF drinking plan is:

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    If you have a look at the calorie profile, these are the lowest of the low, less sugar, etc. But, the taste does vary depending where it's bought and if it was transported in heat. I've tasted some spoiled ones. So far, Total Wine is working out well.

    I'm not buying AF wines now unless it's a holiday. My go-daily nightcap is 1 oz of Santa Cruz lemon juice with 3-4 oz seltzer. Zero calories and I hope it does something to burn fat (wishful thinking)
    w3nfyse73b6w.png

  • SurferGirl1982
    SurferGirl1982 Posts: 472 Member
    @RubyRed427, @chicbuc, @itladyee Thanks to you all. Like I said, I'm not a big social media person. I'm not sure why these people do this. Do they just sit at their computers or phones and just scroll through different discussions all day long? I think that maybe what they call trolling. Seems weird...they must be awfully bored.

    BTW @itladyee...Congrats on 2 days AF. I'll be there soon, too 🙂
  • itladyee
    itladyee Posts: 5,481 Member
    Yesterday, I went in search of some NA wines. I found a couple to try ... {fingers crossed} . I bought some more of the Gruvi bubbly too.

    I did have a couple of mixed drinks yesterday.
    It's sooooo weird how when drinking daily, it's just another thing and the body does what it needs to do. Give the body a break from alcohol, even if only 2 days and it rebels!

    I have no desire to drink tonight and wont as I'm picking up my grandson and we are baking cookies this weekend!! :)

    AF = 2
    A = 17
  • Michieb125
    Michieb125 Posts: 869 Member
    Had the best N.A. night with family yesterday. Picked up Mexican food with my 8 year old grandson, baked cookies and built a holiday train set then went to my son’s house for the evening. Played some games and shared some memories of Christmas’s past. DDIL made us tasty tart cherry and seltzer drinks - so festive and healthy!

    They both decided to significantly reduced their alcohol a little over two years ago (my son is at about zero) and I followed a LA lifestyle shortly thereafter. This is a gift being “sober-minded” together!

    I’m sure we will have something together on Christmas Eve but definitely nothing unreasonable.

    Planning AF again tonight.

    December goal: 12 AF days
    Current:
    AF days - 6
    A days - 13 (including LA choices)

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