Sober Discussion (Ongoing)
Replies
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Hi @SunnyDays930, Happy New Year to you too! I have also started to notice skin improvement, as well as sleep quality. (I stopped on 12/28 at midnight, but my official "Day One" is today.)
I'll just think of all the calories (and money) I'll save by avoiding alcohol, and I know I can stay FREE!
Have a nice evening. I will check back in tomorrow.
💗Carole4 -
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!
Thank you for letting me join the group. I am a 66-year-old male from the UK and recently retired. I’m still trying to figure out the retirement thing but am taking the opportunity to reset things slowly. One of these is my relationship with the booze. The relationship with chocolate biscuits may have to wait though!
I do exercise regularly and eat fairly well with a lot of home-cooked food but it seems silly to offset that with the detrimental effects of alcohol.
So…my wife and I completed Day One yesterday. She has an “off” switch whereas I am more an all-or-nothing kind of bloke. I hope you don’t mind me posting here for accountability and of course I will cheer you along.6 -
Welcome @LowTechForever ! We are a very supportive group. I also have no "off " switch so I need to not have any.
I read this morning that instead of having a bunch of NYE resolutions, you will have more success if you just choose one and stick to it for 3 months before you introduce another one. I am choosing no alcohol because the other ones will just fall into place (losing weight, being more productive) if I eliminate alcohol. I am not adding "6 pack abs" or anything unrealistic for me at this point.
Day 4 AF.4 -
@LowTechForever Welcome to our group!! The more, the merrier!2
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Happy Holidays everyone!
I had a few glasses of wine over the holidays. Not many but I was able to moderate and that is a good thing. Truth be told I didn't really enjoy it, and I see that as a good thing.
I am now doing dry January to lose the extra 2lbs I put on over the holidays. lol
Back to reality today and I will eat clean and drink no booze in January to get back on track.
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New Years Day AF done. I'm now in month 5 AF. I went to my gym class and in the afternoon my husband asked if I wanted to join him for a hike and we ended up hiking 3.5 hours. It was hard but good for me. I slept 8 hours straight (for once!).
I'm staying AF this month just because it's effortless now and I don't want to go back to the daily struggle. Plus I feel so relaxed naturally.4 -
RubyRed427 wrote: »@LowTechForever Welcome to our group!! The more, the merrier!
Thank you very much for the warm welcome!2 -
SunnyDays930 wrote: »Welcome @LowTechForever ! We are a very supportive group. I also have no "off " switch so I need to not have any.
I read this morning that instead of having a bunch of NYE resolutions, you will have more success if you just choose one and stick to it for 3 months before you introduce another one. I am choosing no alcohol because the other ones will just fall into place (losing weight, being more productive) if I eliminate alcohol. I am not adding "6 pack abs" or anything unrealistic for me at this point.
Day 4 AF.
Agreed @SunnyDays930 ! I don’t think I’ll be giving up the biscuits just yet. My wife and I went for a six mile walk today because the sun finally made an appearance. When we got back, we had a lovely cup of tea, accompanied by Scottish shortbread fingers still left over from Christmas along with other goodies. I think they must have wiped out most if not all of the calories burned on the walk. Oh well.
Day 2 almost complete here and no plans to drink alcohol.
Best wishes
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Hi everyone!
I've been AF since midnight, December 28th but started my official, "Sober Time" app count on January 1st; so here's my count earned so far:
01/01/25: 001 Day AF (completed)
Congratulations to @globalhiker on entering month 5 AF!🎉
Hi @xbowhunter: You had GREAT success in moderating over the holidays, kudos! I ended up gaining 0.8 lb. between 12/01/24 and 01/01/25. I started a "COUNTDOWN to S*P*R*I*N*G, 2025!" challenge that goes from 01/01/25 through 03/19/25 (The last day of Winter, less than 11 weeks from today!). I hope to lose at least ten pounds by the first day of Spring, 2025.
Hi @LowTechForever: It's so great that your wife is joining you in this challenge, so you have support at home. As you know, I likewise don't have an "OFF" switch (As in, "I don't have a drinking problem - I have a STOPPING problem!") We all will have a LOT more in our budgets if we don't purchase alcohol! I also like it because I will have a bigger "food budget" as well!
Hi @sunnydays930: I agree that it's wiser to stick with one resolution at a time, rather than creating so many. My main one is no alcohol, but I also resolve to lose at least ten pounds by Spring through moderation of food intake and increasing activity. I have LOTS of other improvements I can make, but I'm going to focus on these objectives primarily. I also need to declutter and to become a better housekeeper. (Also to go to bed on time, minimize media consumption, etc., etc., but like you say, I need to narrow it down in order to maximize my chance of success.)
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Day 2 AF done for Jan. I think it's good to have many complimentary mini-goals if they are easy and do-able and give one a better overall schedule that supports not drinking. For example, my past drinking was often related to increased stress on Saturdays. I'd burn myself out and come Saturday the house was a disaster and I could not relax so I'd drink while I unhappily cleaned the house.
Why not have multiple mini-goals to do something that results in reducing that stress?
examples:
1-do laundry Fri mornings so there's no laundry to do on Sat
2-book an extended Fri lunch hour to meet friends
3-plan weekly house vacuuming for Tues. morning
4-plan Saturday outtings w/significant others for mid-day to mid-afternoon (hikes, walks, visits, etc.) during the time you used to start drinking3 -
I posted this on the less alcohol thread too. It bears repeating.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/alcohol-cancer-risk-warning-surgeon-general-report-rcna186095
Day 5 AF. I'm plugging along.3 -
@SunnyDays930 congrats to you for making to day 5. That's when things get much easier! Success is all in your hands and you can take full control.
My sense of relaxation, true natural relaxation, is so precious that it keeps me from drinking and I can't wait to experience what month 6 AF will feel like.3 -
Hi everyone!
Today I'm going to Rockland, MA on "the BIG bus" at 1:25pm to meet my future cat! I will try to get some pictures of her:
01/02/25: 002 Days AF (completed)
01/03/25: 003 Days AF (completed)
@globalhiker, I like the idea of complimentary mini-goals and activities to replace former drinking habits. I also like the concept of "true, natural relaxation"! I'll be looking forward to that!
Have a great weekend!
💗 Carole5 -
It doesn't matter who you used to be, what matters is who you've become. - Sober Time's message for January 4, 2025.4
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Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol
Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer, and alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label as packs of cigarettes do, the U.S. surgeon general said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/health/alcohol-surgeon-general-warning.html?smid=url-share
Just another good reason to QUIT!3 -
Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., the advisory says, and drinking it increases a person's risk for seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, mouth, throat and larynx. When it comes to breast cancer, Murthy notes that more than 16 percent of cases in the U.S. are attributable to alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States — greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. — yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a news release. In the advisory, he outlines recommendations to increase awareness of the health risks, including a call for warning labels on beverages that contain alcohol.3 -
I visited my future "meow" today! She was a bit shy because she doesn't know me yet, but I'll fix that, once she becomes acclimated to her new home. I will probably get her on Dr. MLK, Jr. weekend so I can add a couple of days to the long holiday weekend for more bonding time.
She's really petite! When her mom has her, she was the only kitten. Doors over 3 years old, but she still looks like a kitten.
Have a great weekend!
💗 Carole
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@Walela617 Thank you for those undeniable stats. Facts. Alcohol is a poison no matter how you dress it up in snazzy ads. I believe it will go the way of cigarettes though it will take decades. It will be legal but more and more frowned upon. I absolutely welcome this.
7 days AF today.4 -
Still going AF strong. I tried a new Zumba class yesterday and it was fun. Actually, I was mostly entertained by some of the superstar dancers in the class. They were amazing, like on TV. I will try it again and give it some time.
Today I have 2 hikes in the lineup so total will be 4.5 hours. I am going out to lunch after and it's a place where I used to drink super-sized happy hour drinks and eat out of the endless free tortilla chip basket. I guess I will scope out the menu in advance and pre-plan what to get, otherwise I'm apt to be brainless in my fasted state and make bad choices.
Have a great AF day!4 -
Hi everyone,
You can do this. - Sober Time's message for January 5, 2025.
01/04/25: 004 Days AF (completed)
@globalhiker, I *LOVE* Zumba! (I'm one of the class members who's always in the front, LOL!) I even made up a routine to "Gangnam Style" by Psy (at the request of my favorite instructor) and led our class a few times back when the song was very popular! I can just show up for any of this instructor's classes and I never have to pay! (The instructor, Jess, is a very good friend, but she loves to drink alcohol; so I haven't been out with her since last summer.)
Fun fact: I used to belong to a "bellydancing" troupe back in the late 70's! (It wasn't "hoochie" - it was more traditional, Middle Eastern folk dance.) I ended up marrying a guy from Aleppo, Syria though (shortly after I turned 20), and THAT was the end of THAT throughout over ten years of marriage!
Two hikes in one day! That's a LOT! it's also very brave to go for lunch at one of your favorite, former drinking "haunts" afterwards! (I don't think I could do that without at least one Margarita!😉) That's a really good idea to check out the menu in advance so you can plan your calories. Have FUN!
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!
💗 Carole4 -
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@Walela617 Such a sweet cat! Beautiful color, too.3
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@globalhiker I love Zumba!! I haven't been in a few years, but I think it is excellent for coordination and for keeping the brain sharp. Love the music.
@SunnyDays930 congrats on 7 days AF!! So proud of you!3 -
Good morning! I bounced out of bed this morning at 5 am with a pep in my step. On Day 8 AF and I feel like all the poison is out of my system by now. We are in an absolute winter wonderland today. It is beautiful.
Even though I ate all kind of football food yesterday...like 10 pigs in a blanket, chips, hummus, etc ,I am dropping weight because I am not adding the alcohol calories, PLUS your body must burn the alcohol before it can even start on the food, so I don't have that to deal with. Sorry about that run on sentence lol.
I am happier than I have been in weeks. I guess when you stop adding a known depressant to your system, your mood will improve. Go figure 3 -
Still AF strong but I did eat 2 chocolates yesterday and went over the calorie limit.
It's cool you guys are Zumba masters! One day when I learn how to properly Zumba, I would love to go on a Zumba cruise (do they have ones where booze is not part of the package?). And image returning from a cruise vacation with weight loss too?
Totally agree about the depression cloud lifting but for me it didn't happen till like week 6 AF. I would fall into a mid-afternoon slump and it was a combo of depression and fatigue. Didn't know it was the evening alcohol doing it, but hey the depression is all gone.
So, I did get in 4.5 hrs of outdoor walking and later on, at my old happy hour haunt, I had 2 large diet cokes with tons of lemons. A lot of lemon seems to kill off the fake sugar taste and it tasted a lot like my old bourbon and diet cokes I used to have there. I ordered fajitas and ate the beans and vegs and guac and was very full. I had such a fun time I think we'll go again for happy hour and I can practice my
AF happy hour skills drinking my diet coke with lots of lemon. Maybe we'll go for the superbowl or games leading up to it. Kansas City Chiefs #1!
Today is back to work and 45 min RFP (cycle) class during my early lunch. Enjoy your AF day!3 -
Hi everyone!
WOW! The cat pics look so much bigger on my laptop than my phone, LOL! Other than visiting my future cat, my weekend was pretty quiet. I stayed home Sunday and didn't do much. (No drinking though!)
01/05/25: 005 Days AF (completed)
Congratulations to @globalhiker on finding an alternative to the bourbon and diet cokes! (I like to get sparkling mineral water with lime and a splash of cranberry, but I might try adding lemon to diet cokes.) You sure did a LOT of walking! I'm sure you burned off whatever amount of calories you ate and then some!
Hi @SunnyDays930, I went over on calories for the past few days but I'm trying to reign it in now. I weigh in again on Wednesday; so hopefully, I will have made it up by then. I'm definitely feeling a bit calmer these days and I'm getting better sleep quality as well (for the most part). I feel like my energy is starting to pick up, little-by-little. (Hope this trend continues!) My skin condition has definitely improved noticeably.
Enjoy the rest of your day; I will check back in tomorrow.
💖Carole4 -
Today's goal. No chocolate. This will be hard as it still surrounds me in my house and my husband wants it here.
I will post my weight tomorrow, which is also incentive to keep it out of my mouth.
Day 9 AF.3 -
AF yesterday, same for today. @SunnyDays930 I am cheating on the no-chocolate diet by putting 10 calorie herseys dark cocoa powder in my yogurts to make myself a "chocolate pudding". I think this is OK since the chocolate powder doesn't have the saturated fat, sugar or chemicals of the real stuff. What do you think?
Yesterday I did a 1 hr RPM cycle class (bought a gel seat and it was super comfy) and lifted weights (5 min. only). No chocolate candy purchases. I did get an afternoon craving for it but had a decaf coffee and that seemed to help.
Had 2 yogurts for dinner and today body fat % is down 0.2% from 2 days ago. I'll take it.
One thing I am learning is that dinner every night doesn't need to be a "production". A few nights a week, I like to have "fend" night. We'll eat together, just grab something out of the freezer and nuke it or just eat what is going to soon expire. I love it, less work, less calories, less cleanup.3 -
First week of Dry January completed and now on Day 8. Still getting the occasional massive headache and drinking lots of water and tea. I’m managing to go for walks and runs, weather permitting, but the chocolate digestive biscuits are still calling. I’m pleased with how things are going all in all, and it’s great that my wife is doing DJ too. It certainly helps to get through those tricky moments.
It’s also been good to read everyone’s comments and tips here. Onward and upward!5 -
10 days AF today. I've lost 3 lbs in addition to experiencing the other health benefits. Finally sleeping better but that took a while.4
