LESS Alcohol ~ APRIL 2025 ~ One Day at A Time

I'm here to continue to be accountable. Thank you @MissMay for your tireless commitment to our health and well-being.

■ LESS ALCOHOL RESOURCE & GENERAL INFORMATION LIST ■

USING THIS THREAD:
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•Join us at any time.
•Set your own goal - this thread is about drinking less and you decide what that means to you.
•There are no scheduled check-ins - post as often or as little as you want or need.
•AF is an acronym for Alcohol Free. For others commonly used on this site see - https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1069278/acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6/p1
•To follow this thread easily, bookmark it by clicking on the star at the top right of this thread.
•Remember that we are here for you and care about you. Check in with us when you have time and let us know what you need!

TIPS & OBSERVATIONS FROM OUR USERS:
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•Getting Started or Starting Over.
•Some people find it easier to set small attainable goals at the beginning to help boost confidence.
•If you have been drinking daily the first days will be some of the hardest and drinking again will feel like a cure but it delays the relief that only time can provide.
•There will always be a reason to delay the start/restart of your journey.
•For those ready to commit to being alcohol-free permanently, the videos on YouTube by Craig Beck will help. He also has a program you can join.
•You may experience mood swings and anxiety during your first two weeks. It is suggested you try and focus on the benefits of your goal.
•Cravings are said to last only 6 minutes, so find something to distract you like arming yourself with alternatives: tea, mock-tails, activities, etc.
•You may find that filling the time you drink with other activities like exercise or hobbies can be a helpful distraction.
•If you find them tempting try and avoid events/outings that will have drinking for a time.
•Don't let pride or shame keep you from asking for the help you need.
•Sometimes talking it out or posting your thoughts/feelings/struggles may help you work things out for yourself.
•It is okay that you don't always have all the answers.
•Some days will be easier than others.
•You may have initial/increased sugar cravings.
•You should never take a day that you have lived up to your goals for granted.
•Celebrate the smaller victories too. Less alcohol is still less alcohol even if your goal was zero at that moment.
•Once you begin sticking to your goals for one day to many days you should believe you are capable of the same and more because you are.
•Failure is not giving in and drinking. Failure is to stop trying to accomplish your goals.
•Annie Grace (This Naked Mind author) has a free program on her website (https://www.alcoholexperiment.com/) called the 30 day experiment which can be joined anonymously.

Life with Less Alcohol:
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•It can be helpful to educate yourself with books and web research (Some suggested books and links listed below).
•There is no benefit to comparing yourself to others because this is a personal journey.
•You may often feel conflicted. You will know that there are numerous real benefits to sticking to your goal while at the same time think that alcohol is an important part of stress relief, relaxation, celebration, etc.
•You may feel punished by not drinking or drinking less but that feeling usually fades with time.
•Sometimes drinking less or quitting will strain friendships that centered around alcohol.
•Having a list of reasons to stick to your goals handy for yourself can be helpful. Some lists have included remembering how bad it feels to have a hangover, excess/unwanted calories, having a racing heart during the night, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.
•It is a good idea to have a plan for how you might deal with various tempting scenarios before engaging in a social situation.
•Self-Reflection is an important part of the journey. Once we figure out why we drink we can hopefully use that information to form new habits and make better and more mindful decisions.
•Sometimes doing something nice for yourself like a little reward for a success makes the journey easier.
•You will see many helpful suggestions and ideas that work for some people. However, finding what tactics work for you may involve some trial and error.
•It is not uncommon for certain activities that were once combined with alcohol to trigger temptation. Many have said that outdoor activities in warmer weather made alcohol very tempting.
•Many that have spent time with no alcohol after drinking again realized that it doesn't enhance experiences like they once believed it did. Some have said they no longer like the taste.
•Don't forget how sticking to your goal has made your life better and remember it to motivate you again if you fall off your path.
•If you begin drinking daily again whether planned like a vacation or unplanned you may once again face a struggle to get it under control.
•For some people it is easier to not drink than it is to moderate drinking. Others have found moderating impossible.

Reported Benefits of Less or No Drinking: (Results may be incremental, and/or they may vary)
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•Improved sleep after 2,4,7,10,& 60 days
•Improved skin/complexion after 10 days
•Improved ease in weight loss. Not only from the savings of alcohol calories but some report making poor food choices after drinking.
•Increased energy after as few as 2 days
•Increase in other fun activities. Some have found that daily drinking became their main recreational activity, and their world was decreased in size.
•Increased productivity
•Reduction of high blood pressure
•Lower resting heart rate
•Less Acid Re-flux
•Significant financial savings
•More creativity
•More productivity
•Better relationships with family

When Alcohol Is Used for Avoidance:
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•We drink to ease the stress of the working day, to avoid it.
•We drink to avoid anxiety in social situations.
•We drink to avoid making decisions about not drinking.
•The Takeaway on Avoidance, our problems don't go away if we avoid them. We need to learn to face them.
•Having a clear head makes our problems seem much smaller.
•Having a clear head makes problems easier to solve.

How to Be Kind to "Tomorrow You":
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•Instead of lumbering with guilt, headaches, and poor nutrition hangovers in the morning, Think of think how nice it would be not to feel that way tomorrow.
•Worry about "me" and don't let "tomorrow Me" feel awful.
•Instead of thinking alcohol is something nice to have now, think of NOT drinking as something nice we can do for the person we are when we awaken in the morning.
•Do you bank calories for a festive occasion? (Handy tactic) We can bank a good mood for when we wake up.
•We need to have sympathy for "Tomorrow You" and be kind to her/him.
•Don't look at a day without alcohol as a punishment for being bad or having no willpower.
•Not drinking is a lovely, sympathetic gesture towards the person we are now, and whom we will wake up as.
•You’d be kind to a stranger. Be kind to "Tomorrow You".

Credit and thanks to the MFP Less Alcohol One Day at a Time participants
For their willingness to share their insights and resourcefulness in finding this information
~Established 2017~

@itladyee I'll be @MissMay will be ecstatic when she sees what you've done!

Shooting for an AF April, but I will take it one day at a time and if I fall off, get back on immediately the next day!

@NonnieDoiron We’re in the same boat, but we can do this! I’ve gained 7 pounds and had way too may A days in March. I hate when I’m self destructive! Grrr! So many hugs and prayers for your next few months! That was a lot of exclamation points 😅

Been pretty consistent with LA lately. Only had a few nights in March that I really let loose. I'm really starting to find that the weight of the past is….not so much LESS, just DIFFERENT. That's a big deal, as that has been a huge part of the cycle with alcohol for me. Got one beer left, drinking that tonight and going to start April with a clean slate and nothing handy to drink, actually track the numbers and see what I can do.

Today was busy, wife ordered some raised beds because she wants to grow veggies. Yes, that means I got put up to picking up soil, perlite, plants, and so on, loading up the beds and planting everything….this will be interesting. I've long said I have a black thumb - nothing I plant ever thrives, except for an invincible aloe and a prickly pear that I finally moved out of its pot and into the ground. Mushrooms, well, that's yet to be determined, I suppose. I'm thinking about growing something for the kitchen if this first batch goes okay - I'd eat mushrooms every day if I had them around.

-m

@mfowler883, sounds like the Mrs. is starting the homestead.😉 She buys the stuff and you do all the work! Ha!

That’s the big joke in the homesteading circles my husband and I travel in. The wife will show up with some chickens and the husband is building a coop, then the goats and raised bed start showing up. Next thing you know, you’ve got a full blown homestead complete with a cow!🤣🤣😉😉

@MissMay

I'd be happy to bring it over in future months. Hopefully the results will be the same! I am struggling with this update. Just when I think I got it figured out…nope!

For April, I’m sticking with my goal to stay AF for Lent. Originally, I planned to break my fast on Easter, but I’ve decided to extend it a little longer. I’ll hold off until after Stagecoach Festival (April 24-27), where I’ll enjoy a couple of drinks, but with moderation. I’ve really been loving how I feel since going AF in early March—more energy, better sleep, and a clearer mind—and I’m not ready to give that up just yet.

I don’t go hard at festivals, typically limiting myself to just two drinks for the day. It’s all about enjoying the moment without turning into a hot mess or making endless bathroom trips! Once Stagecoach is over, I’ll resume my AF journey. The goal is to feel good and stay present, and I’m excited to see how I feel after this next chapter.

Yay, @NonnieDoiron!! Me, too! I did not walk, but I did shop and deliver groceries for 11 hours 😂

After 11 hours of shopping and grocery delivery, I doubt you needed exercise!😉

I second this!!

• AF-2
• A-0

Didn’t walk today because I had 3 meetings back to back, and I was trying to get my daughter a doctor appt for tomorrow. Then, I over ate by like a 1K calories. 🙁 Long story as to why, and I won’t get into it. But, there is no wine, so that’s a plus! 🙂

Good to see you back @NonnieDoiron March was a rough month, I agree ~ I don't EVEN want to talk about the scale!

@SurferGirl1982 ~ Congrats on the new car!

@chicbuc ~ I like your approach for April. I'm definitely taking it one day at a time.

@globalhiker ~ I had to google "fruits with polyphenols" :) Booking another vacation sounds good!!

Fruits rich in polyphenols, beneficial antioxidants, include berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, as well as apples, cherries, grapes, and citrus fruits. 

@Michieb125 ~ Great goals for April!

April Stats
A = 1
AF = 1