LESS Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
Replies
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good morning all!
well, i made it through the weekend and have a 7 day streak going! i had a few cravings of the 'don't i deserve it after a long week?' and 'but wine just goes so well with dinner' variety. i think in the future i will need some plans for if the cravings are a little stronger. i do have some flavoured bubbly seltzers i can put in my fancy wine glass.
@SurferGirl1982 be so proud of yourself and all you have accomplished so far. you are doing great.
@SparkSpringtime69 good job on your 8 day streak! you will be able to get there again soon.
@itladyee i hope you and your husband feel better soon! i love the way you track your stats.
@tobinross thanks for checking in. i was nervous but was trying to avoid thinking about it. i just kept distracting myself.
@Michieb125 way to go! stretching and a hot shower sounds like a good way to ensure a deep sleep.
@MissMay i really like what you said about changing this group from challenge to motivation and support. from what i have seen and experienced the motivation and support offered by everyone here is what makes this group so amazing.
@globalhiker you really are an inspiration to me. and yay for chocolate chips in times of stress!
@Womona i hope your sleep continues to improve. it always amazes me how even a glass of wine can affect our sleep, particularly if there's nothing in our stomachs.
@tmbg1 great stats this month!
Jan:
AF=23
A=35 -
@itladyee I like how you track. You were AF for 2 months straight last year, pretty nice. Feel better!
@SparkSpringtime69 good going on 8 AF days in a row. It's repeatable!
@SurferGirl1982 you're doing hugely better than a month ago. Ride the wave!
@tmbg1 you managed to sneak in 17 days AF, pretty good.
@Womona what you said resonates with me - about the scale. I hear we're supposed to eat half the sodium but it's very, very hard unless we live on fruit and water. I'm measuring BMI now instead because my scale shows me the number and it doesn't fluctuate wildly like weight. In fact, my gym trainer says we need to focus on putting on muscle weight. And my spin class instructor who is 70 and looks amazing says I am cycling too hard so burning a lower % of fat; I was directed to stay in my "fat burning zone 2" at around 120 heart rate. I'm still learning!!
@Michieb125 18 days AF pretty commendable. Like you, I like hot beverages especially in the evening. It does seem to dampen cravings for sweets (for me).
@MissMay Hugs back to you! Your team LA here are crushing their goals big time!! And send me some of your Florida snow or sleet please - we haven't had precipitation since August!
AF yesterday and I went to a restaurant loaded with ladies drinking prosecco all over the place. I had diet coke from a glass bottle with lemon and it tasted quite good. I had great company and good food, all I needed. I'm off to plan today's hike!
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@shpuniarsky congrats on 7 days AF! And good you're planning for cravings. The hardest part should be over but seems like cravings can hit randomly. Even if one tries to avoid all triggers, anything can cause a craving. But cravings weaken a lot over time to the point where they are just a passing thoughts that hold no power.
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What a day!!! I don't recall when I've been this ill. Feeling a little bit better today. I slept most of the day and was concerned about how it would have affected my nighttime sleep. I was up and down most of the night, so I guess it prepared me for my nighttime sleep.
@Sparkspringtime69 ~ 8 days is a nice streak. Finish the month strong!!
@Surfergirl1982 ~ good to see you're still hanging in there and racking up those AF days. My suggestion - go ahead and strive for the AF February. If you miss some days...just track it. I've had many 100% A months so any reduction is good!!! You've got this! I didn't do as well as I planned in January. I will continue in February, noting my anticipated exceptions and go from there. And...it's short month!!
@tmbg1 ~ I see you!! 👁️👁️ Nice work on the AF days.
@shpuniarsky ~ 7 day streak! That's fabulous! I know those "cravings" very well! I found that by immediately filling my glass with something else NA makes the "cravings" less intense. The other thing is having a firm resolution of NO DRINKS today....that one is more difficult, I think. I love details and numbers.
@globalhiker ~, unfortunately, you read that backward... Ironic as I was just mentioning it to Surfergirl1982
March AF = 0% A = 100%; April AF = 0% A = 100% ~ both zero days AF. I did well January and February, then I tanked... but it's a learning experience and I'm not giving up. I will get to an acceptable (for me) level of moderation. Nice job on the meal out with prosecco all over the place. That would be so challenging!!
Have a great Sunday!!
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@shpuniarsky I get the exact same thoughts! Wouldn’t wine be great with dinner, I deserve it after a hard day, let’s celebrate this random Tuesday night…. It’s a real thing. Way to push through. Putting some NA drink into the appropriate “drink” glass )in my case, wine) really really helps satisfy the craving.
@itlaydee stomach flu is miserable! I hope you and hubby, and grandkids, feel better soon!
@globalhiker I really admire your resolve to stay NA when surrounded by all that Prosecco at brunch! I did not fare as well yesterday.
At our friends “pregame” I planned to just drink water, but as soon as I saw he was serving Mimosas, that was it. I had to have one. Later on at the Elk’s after the game I nursed one glass. I ordered another, my husband looked at me and said no way. I can tell your eyes are getting a little glassy. Next come the hiccups (which is my tell that I’ve had too much). You have to drive home! Soooooo glad I listened to him and gave him my glass. I stopped drinking for the night, and was perfectly fine to drive by the time we left over an hour later.
Speaking of the game I went to… high school basketball game at the Alma mater of my husband and his close-knit group of friends. They were honoring the class of ‘85 athletes who won the big county championship back then. It was wonderful to applaud all the guys on the team, especially his close friends. So nice to see them recognized. Especially poignant was how they honored our friend Tom, who died of cancer in 2024. He was a tremendous athlete, especially basketball. Such a lovely man, and they gave his widow a really beautiful plaque extolling all of his many virtues as as a man. Not a dry eye in the house. So glad to be part of it.5 -
Plan to be AF today through Wednesday. I’m fighting off a cold, so that makes it easier. So far 9 AF days, and 6 days of only one drink. Trust me when I tell you that this is a HUGE change for me! Being NA for life is not my intention, but I am so proud of myself for doing well with being LA this month! About damn time.6
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Checking in. Not doing that great, but still trying. Happy Sunday, everyone! Go Bills and Go Washington!
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@Michieb125 and @shpuniarsky Thank you for your support!globalhiker wrote: »@SurferGirl1982 you're doing hugely better than a month ago. Ride the wave!
And my spin class instructor who is 70 and looks amazing says I am cycling too hard so burning a lower % of fat; I was directed to stay in my "fat burning zone 2" at around 120 heart rate. I'm still learning!!
@globalhiker You're so right. I looked back at last years calendar. And I didn't have an AF day in November or December. Yikes!
It's funny...I recently read somewhere that if you work out too intensely that it could have a negative effect on weight loss. It's great that you have people to give you advice.
@itladyee I think I will strive for an AF February. I haven't had a whole month AF in quite some time. It may be a little difficult though. I guess I just have to tell myself that it's just for 28 days. I hope you get feeling better soon.
@chicbuc That's all we can do is try. I'm going to try for an AF February. I don't know why that idea seems so unreachable for me. I have done it before. I just need to sike myself out somehow.
I plan on watching some football. But I don't know if I can sit through two games right in a row. I have them both recording. But, since they are major playoff games, I'll probably hear the results. Otherwise, I can watch one tomorrow. I do that a lot during the regular season (don't laugh...I'm a Seahawks fan). Our local TV stations rarely mention the NFL. Everything is about the Ducks and the Beavers ☹️ So I don't hear the results of the games that I record.
Have a great day everyone!
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My Jan:
AF=13
A=12
@SurferGirl1982 I think you're doing great this month, and as others have said, you should be very proud of yourself!
@shpuniarsky Congrats on the 7 day streak, those same kind of thoughts pop into my head too.
@chicbuc as long as you keep trying your goals are achievable.
I like this, and I'm anxiously awaiting the time when the cravings will just be passing thoughts and not the nagging screams that they are currently, LOL.globalhiker wrote: »@shpuniarsky congrats on 7 days AF! And good you're planning for cravings. The hardest part should be over but seems like cravings can hit randomly. Even if one tries to avoid all triggers, anything can cause a craving. But cravings weaken a lot over time to the point where they are just a passing thoughts that hold no power.
Thank you all for the encouragement - my goal now is to finish the rest of Jan. AF, followed by a fully AF Feb.8 -
18 AF
5 LA (LA means 1-2 drinks)
3 A (A means 3+ drinks)6 -
@SparkSpringtime69 Today will be AF for me. But I won't claim it until later. The liquor store closes at 5pm today. And, I have no desire to drink.
I hope to join you with a fully AF February 🙂5 -
AF - 10
A - 16
Well, I’ve finally had a chance to sit down and get on here. However, I can honestly say I haven’t read every post. This past week I think I worked almost 70 hours which is not only not normal but completely insane. I was stressed like crazy, and I couldn’t break away to go for a walk, to cook dinner, to eat dinner with my family, or anything. When I would log off at night, I would pour a glass of wine.
I told my husband I have to stop. No more magically appearing bottles of wine. I have to back off. He then said the wanted to start doing the Bible in a Year podcast with our family again and how nice it would be to sit down with mulled wine and listen to the podcast. 🤦🏻♀️ I said to him again, I really need to back off. He said well just a glass, and I told him it’s rarely just a glass. I need to stop for a while. He then went on to explain how nice it was to have his coffee yesterday with his favorite coffee liquor I bought for him on Friday. I just nodded and stopped talking.
Anyway, the weather was nice today, so I did take a walk and picked up 2 kitchen trash bags of litter after church.
Ok… @Womona and @itladyee the wine that makes me mean is Apothic. When I drink that, I will pick a fight with my husband. About 8 years ago, it was my go-to wine. It seemed like every night my husband and I would have a fight. It was really stressing both of us out. Then, a friend brought me a few bottles of Dreaming Tree Crush. So, I was drinking those, and there were no fights. When that wine ran out, I bought more Apothic, and the fights resumed. After a few nights of fights, I thought back over the period where we weren’t fighting to figure out what was different. It was the wine. I stopped drinking Apothic, and he noticed I “wasn’t as angry”. So, we banned Apothic from our house. I did drink the gifted bottle I received, but I waited until hubby went to bed.6 -
@NonnieDoiron that sounds so frustrating, sorry hubby isn’t getting it yet. He will though! Maybe if you pour something first that only LOOKS like wine (like a NA sparkling rosé in a wine glass) he will think you’re drinking with him. Eventually move on to some nice tea. It is really really hard to say no when that open magical bottle appears!
That is sooooo weird about Apothic turning on your mean button! I cannot imagine why that would be! Maybe they use pissed off grapes!🤣
AF tonight. No desire. Going to bed early.5 -
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AF today!
January (including today):
AF - 8
A - 18
I'll definitely do better next month!6 -
Happy LA or AF Monday! 5 more AF days to go to hit the 5 month AF button. I really should get a health insurance credit for doing this. Really, wouldn't it be nice to be compensated and wouldn't it help motivate people to get healthier. Money works for me!
@NonnieDoiron I do believe there are certain alcoholic drinks that cause the mean button to go on. I see it in my husband. He's Mr. Nice Guy with Coors or local IPAs on draft but not Voodoo IPA. Coincidentally it's called Voodoo. I can tell when he's had a Voodoo based on his behavior and he is very stunned and confesses he did have one. I swear it changes his personality. No VooDoo in the house please.
Yes it has higher alcohol % but this phenomenon does not happen when he drinks equivalent % and qty of other drinks. Something in THAT beer!6 -
SurferGirl1982 wrote: »AF today!
January (including today):
AF - 8
A - 18
I'll definitely do better next month!SurferGirl1982 wrote: »AF today!
January (including today):
AF - 8
A - 18
I'll definitely do better next month!
Woo hoo!!! So happy for you!
@globalhiker wow! Another mean drink! I cannot wrap my head around why certain brands cause meanness even though the equivalent alcohol percentage doesn’t have that effect. That’s wild! Anyone else have a drink that makes someone mean?
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@globalhiker wow! Another mean drink! I cannot wrap my head around why certain brands cause meanness even though the equivalent alcohol percentage doesn’t have that effect. That’s wild! Anyone else have a drink that makes someone mean?
*Raising my hand. I had never had vodka drinks before meeting my husband. Once we started dating and he would order drinks for me, I noticed I would become someone that even I did not like. It was definitely because of the vodka in those drinks. Note- the drinks were always ordered with well vodka, not the high end stuff(because he is cheap! )
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I am also catching up on posts. wow lots of good ones in here.
The friend who was in the hospital from falling on Jan 9th is now home. Even though it was advised by her docs and family that she should go to a rehab center before going home (where she lives alone in an apt building).
We have decided to detach ourselves from her because first she is not listening to what the docs told her and second she has begun to stab everyone in the back that tried to help her while she was in the hospital. With this information my husband and I are smart enough to know if she is talking and throwing everyone else under the bus to us, she must be doing the same with us to all those other kind people.
No longer going to attend that circus.
How is it I have remained AF since Jan 9th when all that started? Not sure but I will take it as a WIN.
10 -
Jan 2025
AF - 27
A - zero, nada, zip - 0
Sunday weigh-in was encouraging...another pound gone and also broke into a different weight range for me (< 180 lbs...Kind of like paying 19.99 for something instead of 20.00... ). I have a Fitbit that I started wearing in December and I like how it ties into MFP to give you credit for exercise calories - kind of like making deposits into a savings account for the day. It even gives me some credit for all the walking I do at my workplace. And when I see I may need some extra calories to hit my calorie deficit goal, I jump on rower at home and add to my calorie account.
I have two exercise goals in support of no (or less) alcohol and calorie goals...goal of 16 CrossFit classes per month as well as 100,000 meters/month on my rower. As of this morning...
Jan2025
14 CrossFit classes attended
82,777 meters rowed at home - mounted a TV in garage this weekend - listening to music can only take you so far!
@SurferGirl1982 - way to go! I am willing to go AF for February in support of you making it the whole 28 days!
@shpuniarsky - awesome! Kind of felt like I put you on the spot asking how you were doing but just wanting you to be successful...congratulations on fighting thru the weekend cravings! I know how that feels when everything seems to call for a glass of wine (or beer or whiskey) depending on circumstances...like football games, a nice tuna steak (that one was tough as I smelled the red wine my wife had poured - she said it tasted fantastic with the food - ouch!), etc.
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Thank you to everyone for being here this month! It is wonderful to see each of us having our personal successes unfold. Let’s keep going.
Had planned Prosecco and wine with homemade Maryland lump crab cakes yesterday (thinking of you @forestdweller1) and they were oh so mouthwatering fried up with a kick of Cajun and a side of remoulade sauce. It felt like New Year’s Eve all over again. 😊
For this final week of January I set my weekly targets at 5 AF days.
14 AF days out of 27 to date! 👏🏼
What are you proud of today?
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@MissMay. You have gained much wisdom through this situation with your neighbor. It is unfortunate and telling how the person is treating people who are trying to provide support and assistance. I definitely have an elderly family member like this - not easy!
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@Womona to answer your question, I don’t think I have any type of alcohol or wine that makes me mean lol. I would say if I have had too much, I can tell I’m super cranky the next day - that’s for sure!
@SparkSpringtime69 Your stats are great this month - over 50% AF! That’s such a worthy accomplishment. You got this!5 -
@globalhiker C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!
You are on fire with 5 AF months, I can’t believe how time flies!
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@globalhiker wow! Another mean drink! I cannot wrap my head around why certain brands cause meanness even though the equivalent alcohol percentage doesn’t have that effect. That’s wild! Anyone else have a drink that makes someone mean?
*Raising my hand. I had never had vodka drinks before meeting my husband. Once we started dating and he would order drinks for me, I noticed I would become someone that even I did not like. It was definitely because of the vodka in those drinks. Note- the drinks were always ordered with well vodka, not the high end stuff(because he is cheap! )
@MissMay I was going to mention vodka before you did. It wasn't me though. I had a friend many years ago that drank vodka all day long. And, as with you, it was well vodka. Actually, it was the cheapest vodka that they sell here. She had a Gatorade bottle that she would carry around pretending she was just drinking Gatorade. While at her house, she would take the bottle from the cabinet where she kept it and take swigs from time to time. It was gross!
She would get SO mean. At one time, I had just moved back from CA and was staying with her and a friend temporarily. She got mad because I bought Dreyer's ice cream (which was on sale) instead of Umpqua Dairy ice cream (our local dairy). She came at me with her chest all puffed out and got right in my face. She was so drunk that I just gently pushed her and she fell backwards 😁 Needless to say, I haven't seen her in years. Nobody needs that!
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Thanks @tobinross I'm trying! That would be nice if you join myself and others in an AF February.
@globalhiker You're really rockin! Keep it up!3 -
@Michieb125 I'm just proud that I'm trying. I think it will get easier with time. I really want to do an AF February. But, I'm a bit afraid that I may not be able to do it5
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My little meet up with friends turned into wine every night since. Grrr. I went to TJ Maxx yesterday and found some fun non alcoholic drinks to try. I'm at work right now, and I don't remember the brands, but I'll let you know them later at home. I'll stick with those tonight or just my sparkling flavored water if I don't like the NA drinks.
AF = 9
A = 177 -
Setting up for success!!!
Goals for January - 85% Dry (AF = 26 A=5)
Monthly Stats - On Target If When I finish strong, the best I can do is 81% Still a win!
AF = 16 ~ 59 %
A = 11 ~ 31 %
Current Streak - AF = 3
Longest Streak - AF = 7
Including 1/27
Feeling almost normal today. The last time I visited the bathroom was over 4 hours ago! Now THAT's progress!!! I'm hoping to be 100% by the end of the day.
@Womona ~ excellent progress and way to listen to your husband. I would have not been so cooperative, I'm afraid! I agree, being ill does help deter the want for alcohol AND food!
@chicbuc ~ sorry, none of your teams made it, though. I did enjoy watching the games and Washington put up a great fight!!
@NonnieDoiron ~ 70 hours is completely insane. Hopefully that doesn't continue. You remind of a project my team was on about 10 years ago. We were working in excess of 60 hours a week for months... people were depressed, and losing their families, it was a mess. My <insert explicative> boss, came to me and asked , how can we motivate them? Take them bowling, give them a $100 Macy's gift card. I almost lost it. ~ No disrespect, but the combination of a bible podcast and mulled wine would be a recipe for disaster... at least it would be in my house. My husband is catholic and I am not, I am spiritual and believe in a higher power but lost my faith in "church" a while ago for many reasons...but I digress. Hopefully he will figure out that he needs to support you in your decisions~ Apothic!! WOW... I wish I could accurately reflect back on choices of drink and my mood. I'm usually a happy drinker, but on occasion, I will have a negative mood swing. I never considered it could be the choice of booze!
@Womona Pissed off grapes!!! LOL
@globalhiker ~ a compensated or EVEN recognized by your insurance, maybe then with an incentive.... great idea!!
@Missmay ~ good of you and your DH to leave the circus, but how said to walk away from your friend. Sometimes, you just have to do what makes sense. Hopefully, she will wake up soon!
@tobinross ~ you are on 🔥. Good for you!
@michieb125 ~ You got this last week, done, ✔️. 5 months in the record books!!!
Today I am proud, even though I had a little help, that I have no desire to drink or even eat anything remotely heavy. I tossed some leftovers from last week and it was an experience...stuff that I would normally consider good!
Month Recap by Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tracker ✅️🍷🍸
1/1 - 1/7 ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
1/8 - 1/14 ❌✅✅❌❌✅✅
1/15 - 1/21 ❌❌❌✅❌❌❌
1/22 - 1/28 ✅❌❌✅✅✅
1/29 - 1/31
Exceptions for January
1/8 🍷🍷🍸 ~ Husband's birthday
1/11 🍷🍷🍷 ~ Lunch out prior to MIL birthday celebration
1/12 🥂🥂~ Mimosa's at brunch
1/15 🍷🍷🍷 Book club
1/16 🍸🍷 Unplanned Pizza and cocktails
1/17 🍷🍷🍷 Dinner out with friends
1/19 🍵🍵🍷🍷Lazy, cold Sunday...
1/20 🍷🍷Bla
1/21 🍸🍷 more bla....
1/23 🍷🍷
1/24 🍷 only one as it was the start of being sick
2023 - 2024 Stats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2024
January AF =87% A=13%
February AF =58% A=42%
March AF = 0% A = 100%
April AF = 0% A = 100%
May
June AF =58% A=42%
July
August
September
October
November
December AF = 13% =87%
Best AF Month = January
2023 St AF =12% A=88%
Best AF Month = January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4
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