LESS Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
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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!8
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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.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 -
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 -
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.
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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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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 -
SurferGirl1982 wrote: »AF today!
January (including today):
AF - 8
A - 18
I'll definitely do better next month!globalhiker wrote: »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!How is it I have remained AF since Jan 9th when all that started? Not sure but I will take it as a WIN.5 -
19 AF
5 LA (LA means 1-2 drinks)
3 A (A means 3+ drinks)5 -
@tobinross great job with the exercise goals - and the AF free January so far is amazing! I'm in for an AF February too.
@chicbuc let us know how you like the NA drinks, and what they are if you do like them.
@itladyee glad to hear you're on the mend, hopefully you'll be back 100% tomorrow or the next day.4 -
AF - 11
A - 16
Another late night of work. Frustrations are high! I hate when the people who are in charge don’t explain things to those the changes effect. I end up having to be the trainer, operations police, and event planner while meeting my own deadlines for getting these events contracted and details planned. Then, let’s throw in power struggles just for good measure. It’s crazy.
Anyway, I’m tired. Going to bed as soon as my laundry is done.8 -
@MissMay, how disheartening to know that the neighbor you helped so much is turning on you and everyone else. You guys are smart to disengage. Hmmm, maybe high end vodka is a better option if you ever have any. Pony up, hubby!!!
@itlaydee so glad you’re feeling better!
@tobinross you are kicking butt with your fitness goals! They are lofty and you’re practically there!
@NonnieDoiron ugh those long workdays are… much. Hugs.
AF tonight. Long day at work, quick dinner and into bed!
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Current:
AF days - 25
A days - 310 -
@itladyee They weren't really my teams. I just didn't want the two that made it to make it
Glad you're feeling better!
@shpuniarsky Great job on the streak! I drink my flavored seltzers in my wine glass and even order club soda, no ice, in a wine glass when we're out sometimes
@SurferGirl1982 You've made wonderful progress this month even if you've still got A days! You had NO AF days last month at all, if I recall. You're doing awesome and I hope you get that dry February under your belt!
@SparkSpringtime69 You're killing it, and it's inspiring!
@longrun22 Thanks for the encouragement! It does not go unnoticed!
@NonnieDoiron 70 hour work weeks are NUTS! Take care of yourself! I agree that maybe an NA wine might make your husband feel like you're drinking with him without not meeting your own goals
@MissMay Sorry about your friend. It is good that you're setting boundaries for your own mental health
@Womona You're moderation is also an inspiration! Hope you're fighting off that cold
@tobinross and @tmbg1 Keep it up! Doing great!
I polished off some less alcohol wine last night. It was pretty good. I really like the Simi 85 calorie and 9% alcohol chardonnay. Tonight will be be AF.
I have Clever Botanical Margaritas, Sober Carpenter IPAs, and Luna Bay assortment of raspberry rambler, blueberry mojito, and mango mule. Anyone tried any of these? I'm inclined to try the mango mule tonight, I think. I'll report back.
The only thing I've been on point with this month is exercise. I've managed 2-3 weight workouts per week with 2-3 45-60 minute walks on non weight days. Food has been OK, but wine puts me over my calories. Gotta reel that in to see some results on the scale and in the mirror.
Have a great Tuesday, peeps!
AF = 9
A = 18
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I have surprised myself and held tight everyday this month. However, to ease the weirdness of feeling deprived, I have had several different kinds of non-alcoholic beer. My two top favorites are the Heineken 00, 79 calories per bottle and Athletic Haze IPA, it was 45 calories and really pretty good. I have my annual physical on the 7th. Bloodwork, the whole giddy up, so my plan is to continue alcohol free until after all that is done. My best to all of you in your AF journey.
Sharon14 -
@Born2Run1958 - way to go! Keep it up and see how that physical shakes out for you! Also might check out Best Days NA beers...good taste (at least to me) and around 60 calories (depends on style)6
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Good morning LA friends - our final countdown week — My dry ish January was personally successful - my #1 goal going into the month is to skip days during a week - I will have 15 AF days tonight.
I will be on the lookout to try some new N.A. beverages in February. My current favs are Stella 0.0 beer (59 cals) Recess N.A. mojito or cosmo flavors with adaptogens (35 cals), or club soda, cran and lime. I also like the Ollipops now and then but they have a little sugar. I’m not doing N.A. wines so much as I’d rather just have none (hard to believe). But I do like the Chateau Diana dealcohilized Chardonnay from Bev Mo.
For low alcohol, the Kendall Jackson 8% Chardonnay from my grocery store and Meiomi Bright 8% Pinot Noir (excellent) at Total Wine.
Make it a great day!4
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