LESS Alcohol ~ October 2025 ~ One Day at a Time

WestCoastGirl_1 · October 11

@NonnieDoiron I do eat. But I don't feel like it. But, like you, I get to a point that I'm starving and I eat anything and everything in sight. And, usually poor food choices (quick and easy), whatever I see in the fridge.

Congrats on 70 AF days 🎉 I joined this group last July and it seemed that you were struggling like I was. In August of 2024, I had a 21 day AF streak, and April of 2024, I had 21 AF days. But I haven't been having much success this year. Although, I'm really ready for a change!!!

Keep up the good work…you must feel much better!

tmbg1 · October 12

7 AF

4 A

1 LA

itladyee · October 12

The last couple of days have included more alcohol than I really wanted. Nothing crazy but I am sensing an uptick. I did buy some almond-flavor champagne to enjoy the football games today. If I share it with my husband, it will be "less". Perhaps that's my plan and then tomorrow (Monday) aim for a few AF days….I have puppy training tomorrow so that will occupy me.

Catching up. I usually read the post daily but don't always have time to comment.

@mfowler883 ~ sorry to hear about your neighbor. When I first moved here just over a year ago, I had new neighbors to move in about 2 months later. We met them and chatted from time to time, then I noticed a lot of activity (cars coming and going) and then about 30 days later (February) a For Sale Sign when up. Turns out the guy had dementia (you wouldn't have known it) BUT…his Mom passed and his disease took a turn for the worse and his wife needed the support of family …so they moved. Very sad.

@SparkSpringtime69 ~ good plan with the herbal tea. Somtimes, just beating the wine devil to the table is the WIN!

@xbowhunter ~ Happy Thanksgiving. I hope all went well for you.

@2timesacharmmfp ~ You hit the nail on the head.

@NonnieDoiron ~ you are doing well, 70 days +. The scale is just being a @#$@. You should be proud! Turning down wine at a baby shower and not looking back!!

but instead I woke all the way up waiting for him to get out of the bathroom.

Ah yes, I get up to go to the bathroom and my husband wants to have a conversation (usually about nothing). I tell him, I'm not ready to wake up and if I start talking, I will wake up…he doesn't understand. Then it takes forever to fall back asleep.

I'm too lazy to look back but the suggestion … " I don't need to think about this right now", really does work for me when I'm trying to go back to sleep. Thank you!

@Womona ~ love the picture from your boat and the view. I'd be sad needing to put it away for a while as well..

@nbruns83 ~ Nice AF run!

@Michieb125 ~ I hope you had fun with your friend.

Puppy update: sleeping 6 to 7 hours a night, sits, comes, down on command, working on "drop it". Goes up the stairs, was afraid to come down but has now master. Bought a gate for the steps, she figured out how to get around it. She knows how to open her crate!! She is In to EVERYTHING….she's little, so she can go into spaces that I didn't know existed. She's fun and makes me laugh! Puppy classes start tomorrow.

Sister Update: She finally has a surgery date of November 18. There are other appointments to complete prior to. Very confusing, though….

@Everyone ~ Enjoy your Sunday!!!

AF = 3
A = 8

globalhiker · October 12

@NonnieDoiron congrats on 70+ AF days…that is spectacular….

Here not drinking but feeling tired and bored…too much rain lately and I am not getting my outdoor dose of exercise which is my secret to wellness.

I want to drink to kill the boredom but I won't because I have a blood test in a few weeks and it includes cholesterol too so that also means I need to lay off the chocolates. Ughh……

@WestCoastGirl_1 alcohol is terrible for skin in general so mine can go dry fast if I re-start regular drinking.

Good skin is a big deal for me. No drinking + estradiol (if on HRT) + peptides + niacinamide + retinol 2x a wk + eat your carrots and Vit C + yogurt + drink lots of mineral water + healthy fats and protein and of course moisturizing soap with little to no chemicals. I use a liquid soap that is mostly olive oil, argan oil, coconut oil with glycerin. Sunblock always. No makeup. Minimal sugar and no white carbs. Takes a couple of months but this works amazing to take the years off….

SparkSpringtime69 · October 12

Oct

AF=1

A=10

I drank the last two nights, but only about 1/2 of what I would normally drink both nights. So, while not a total victory, I'm considering it a small win.

@NonnieDoiron Congratulations on passing the 70 day mark - that's a great accomplishment!!

@WestCoastGirl_1 Sending positive vibes your way for an AF Monday.
I don't notice my skin being overly dry, but I have noticed that my nails have been very brittle, and my hair is getting frighteningly thin. I'm guessing that's from the wine inhibiting my body's ability to absorb vitamins and minerals the way it should (especially since I've been eating quite healthy the past month or so).

@Womona Sad for you that you have to put the boat away for a while 😑

SparkSpringtime69 · October 12

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends! 🇨🇦

@itladyee Glad to hear the 'back to sleep' aide suggestion is working for you. Your puppy sounds like so much fun, I'm glad her training is coming along.
I hope you and your sister can get some quiet downtime between appointments.

@globalhiker Good for you for not succumbing to boredom drinking - you know you'll just regret it later.
Thank you for all of those good skin recommendations - I never heard of mineral water instead of regular water, I'm going to give that a try (I can probably buy four bottles of San Pellegrino for the same or less $$ than one bottle of wine).

WestCoastGirl_1 · October 12

Thanks @globalhiker Great tips! What you have outlined is basically what I do when I'm not drinking. Except I'm not on HRT. I eat lots of healthy fats, very little sugar and avoid white carbs. And I have never worn makeup. I tried a time or two many years ago, but I just didn't know what I was doing LOL. Plus, I never felt like I needed it.

I really plan on being AF tomorrow. I'm actually getting tired of the taste. And, I want to get my healthy eating habits, exercise routine and caring for myself back again. What is the name of your liquid soap (if you don't mind). Also, you mentioned peptides. Is that something that is topical or a supplement?

@SparkSpringtime69 Thanks for the positive vibes. Drinking does inhibit our bodies ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. I imagine that's why my skin has been dry. About 20 years ago, I was drinking really heavy and my skin started peeling on my stomach area, like when you get a bad sunburn. I could actually peel it off with my fingers. It did clear up rather quickly when I cut down.

I hope you can get a few more AF days also!

Have a nice day everyone!

nbruns83 · October 12

@WestCoastGirl_1, sending you positive thoughts for your Monday plan. I hope you can make that start.

@globalhiker, I notice a difference in my skin the morning after even one glass of wine. I'm also zealous about sunscreen and ALSO wear a wide-brimmed hat when I go out to exercise or work. I wish I could make myself wear a hat when shopping or running errands because it's often later in the day when the morning sunscreen may be less effective. What made the biggest difference for me were prescription creams for mild rosacea and age spots. We tried retinal, but the prescription strength was just too strong. I need to see a dermatologist again and get back to those prescriptions as well as to check out all that youthful sun folly.

@itladyee, I know it's back in various chat threads, but please tell me again what breed mix your puppy is. Also, so glad to hear that you have a surgery date for your sister, you can attempt to plan for the date, even though life can mess with plans.

I had less than a glass of good merlot yesterday - handed the glass to DH to finish, Yay! We went out to a Harvest Celebration dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. (My brother is a genuine farmer, so this was the real thing, not a euphemism for a Halloween party.) He likes the same wines as we do, so we ordered a bottle, but I didn't even consider more than one glass. I think my appetite is gradually "forgetting" the presence of wine with a meal. 🤞

AF 9
LA 2

itladyee · October 12

@nbruns83 ~ don't let that cute face fool ya~~

She's a puggle…Dad is a black pug and Mom is a beagle.

WestCoastGirl_1 · October 12

Thanks @nbruns83! I'm pretty hopeful! If I can get Day 1, I'm not looking back. I'm not one that can moderate. I've tried, but it never seems to work for me.

@itladyee Awwww! I was thinking he was a black lab. And, yes, I remember the puppy stage. Hide your shoes 😀

NonnieDoiron · October 12

Drove home in the rain. I hate driving in the rain. I get so stressed out. But, we took my car, and the husband doesn’t know how to operate the lights or wipers. Then, he tries messing with stuff while he’s driving which makes me even more nervous. So, I’m tired now.

Stayed within calories today. Still no wine.

In December, I have to go to headquarters for a week. The husband has decided he can’t afford to go with me this time. So I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to stay on track. I’m trying to mentally prepare for obstacles and plan my responses to situations.

For drinking, I’ve decided I won’t do it at all unless the boss-lady decides to buy a bottle for us like she did on the last trip. I don’t want to turn her down, but I will only have one glass sipped very slowly.

For eating, I’m going to do my best to log everything to remind myself where I am. I am considering DoorDashing some healthy lunch options, and “packing a lunch” so I’m not tempted to eat the “working lunch”. Last time, it wasn’t real healthy. If nothing else, maybe I’ll just bring some fruit and yogurt to avoid the cookies/brownies/cakes that always seem to accompany the catered lunches.

And finally, for exercise, the hotel does have a fitness center with a treadmill. So, we don’t normally have to go to the office until 9ish, so I should have plenty of time in the morning to go get a walk in unless someone bogarts it. If they do, I’ll just do it in the evening making myself good and tired and maybe sleep better since hotel sleeping sucks.

Anyway, still working all the details in my mind. I don’t think I’ll have to buy new clothes because I have found some dresses I should be able to wear by then. 🙏🏻

A-0
AF-12

Michieb125 · October 12

Hello LA friends:

I’m back from a wonderful trip with my friend!
Had a great time sightseeing and getting away for a few days. Saw early fall color and walked a lot - happened upon some antique shops and stopped at a roadside fruit and nut stand between destinations. The Fall and Halloween vibe was everywhere and was so fun! Even saw a scarecrow contest and had wine poolside late one night in front of a roaring fire. Love my GF time and haven’t done anything like this in a long, long time. I was mindful going into the long weekend and planned ahead. We enjoyed several meals out and I allowed for red or white wine every night.

Now back to reality with more discipline going into a new week. Also my birthday week!

Current:

AF - 3

A - 6

LA - 2

May you find your best resolve if just for today.

Michieb125 · October 12

@itladyee your puggle is ADORABLE. I’ve also had 3 puppies before. Fun times - and yes, training pays off!

mfowler883 · October 13

@itladyee Cute puppy!!!

Pretty predictable week for the most part. Fighting off my semi-annual ear infection. Mushroom grow is going nicely, moved my grain spawn into substrate the other day and it's colonizing aggressively. I'm thinking I might try my hand at winecaps soon, apparently they're easy to propagate and yield consistently large flushes. Been reading more lately, this week has been Solzhenitsyn, One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovitch. A quick read, and a mortifying glimpse into the gulag.

I didn't want to go hard, so instead of mezcal or whiskey I grabbed some wine. Indulged a little on Friday, and tonight is my anticipated weekly ritual, DarkWave on SiriusXM.

7 AF
5 A

I'm anticipating finishing the month with nine A days at most, possibly less.

-m

SparkSpringtime69 · October 13

Oct

AF=2

A=10

SparkSpringtime69 · October 13

@itladyee your pup is adorable!

@Michieb125 Your trip sounds wonderful, and kudos to you for planning ahead.

@mfowler883 Nice job switching out the hard for the little indulgence.
Have you ever grown king oyster or lions mane mushrooms? I've found some great recipes using each of those, and I can't buy them anywhere around me. I'm curious how hard they would be for me to grow at home.

Womona · October 13

@itlaydee your puppy is adorable! What a smarty-pants for learning all those commands already! Also glad you have a date for your sister’s surgery. Nice to have a plan of action in place and a firm date!

@NonnieDoiron you’re doing great!

@WestCoastGirl_1 do you have a humidifier attached to either your furnace, or even one for your bedroom? As we approach winter here in the Northeast, we definitely have to have both! That helps a lot. Also, of course alcohol and coffee dry out your skin terribly. So in the morning I always throw in an electrolyte, creatine and collagen in my water. Watch out for malnutrition if drinking makes you want to barely eat!!!!

@xbowhunter happy belated Thanksgiving! How did you do with your family get-together!

@nbruns83 i totally hear you on being really mindful of calories, staying on track with exercising, etc…. And then it all falls apart! I wish being diligent every single day was just an auto habit for me, instead of it requiring so much energy!

@Michieb125 your trip sounds amazing! Happy for you!

Womona · October 13

@mfowler883 good luck growing all those mushrooms! I do not have a green thumb, but admire those who do!

Not a stellar weekend drink wise, but not a disaster either, so I’ll take the W. I want to rack up AF days this month to balance out the nights I have two or three drinks.

So between the furniture and pictures being out of place, and the thin layer of construction dust everywhere, now my sunroom is filled with stuff from the boat! I motivated and got my hay bales and corn stalks up and decorated with pumpkins. My husband cleaned up the garden beds, so outside looks decent. At least my bathroom renovation is cooking right along! Now to pick paint color-with different lighting than will be used in the finished product. That’s going to be difficult! Luckily it can be changed, but still.

ok better get cracking!

WestCoastGirl_1 · October 13

@Womona No, I don't have a humidifier. And, we have a heat pump, so the only time the furnace would run would be if it got extremely cold. I would rather have a gas furnace and central air. But, that would cost a lot. And I'm still hoping to buy a new house someday. I live in SW Oregon, so it doesn't get real cold here and it rains quite a bit in the winter.

I think my main problem is a combination of my body not absorbing vitamins and minerals and possibly a bit of malnutrition. For quite some time now, I've been getting cramps. At first, it was just my calves. But now it's also in my hamstrings, feet and hands. A while back, I tried doing some bridges on the floor and immediately got cramps in my hamstrings. So, now I'm afraid to do my floor exercises. Also, recently, my kitchen faucet was dripping, so I bought new cartridges to install under the handles. I kneeled on the floor to turn off the water and got really bad cramps in my hamstrings. My husband ended up turning the water off and on for me.

Cramps are usually caused by a lack of electrolytes (which are minerals). I have Zico unsweetened 100% coconut water which is an excellent source of electrolytes. It doesn't taste bad, but I'm not crazy about it either. So I rarely drink it. I have it in 11.2 oz boxes. I'm trying to force myself to drink one box a day. But, I rarely do.

I had a little whiskey left this morning, so today will not be AF. My sleep has been horrible and I usually wake up around 4 am. I know if I quit that will improve. Anyways, I asked my husband if he would buy me a pint and a half-pint when the store opens at 9 am. I'm going to save the half-pint for tomorrow. And, I don't plan on getting anymore. I've been having slight withdrawal symptoms, so it's hard going without. And, I'm really hoping I can be AF on Wednesday.

Wednesday would have been my cat Tinker's 18th birthday. My husband is going to go to Safeway tomorrow and buy her a birthday arrangement to put on her memorial shelf and we are going to have tuna melts for dinner because she loved tuna. Her pictures keep coming up on the slideshow sidebar I have. I love seeing her pictures, but sometimes it makes me cry. We miss her so much. But I think she's still here with us.

Picking out paint colors can be really difficult. We recently had a new pantry cabinet installed in our kitchen. I had to remove some wainscotting (sp?), so we had to paint. I can't remember the name of it right now. But it was in the white collection with a hint of violet. Even if you want plain white, there must be 10 different whites. So hard to decide, especially for someone like me having no experience in that area.

Well, sorry for the rant…Have a nice day everyone!

2timesacharmmfp · October 13

Old habits die freaking hard. I am seeing improvement in that I'm not going over target every single weekend night. Hopeful that it will allow me to start lowering my targets altogether. Part of what derailed me last week is drinking on weeknights when I wouldn't normally. When your target is zero and you have just one, you're automatically over target.

AF - 4 (counting today, will not drink)

A on target - 5

A over target - 4

NonnieDoiron · October 13

Quiet Monday at work. I’m sure I’ll be slammed tomorrow. Made an interesting dinner. I liked it, but it doesn’t seem anyone else really did.🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway… under calories, walked 2 miles today, picked up a kitchen trash bag of litter, showered, in pjs, and no wine.

A-0
AF-13

mfowler883 · October 14

@SparkSpringtime69 Lion's mane and oysters should be fairly doable, kings are supposedly a bit more challenging; you can get liquid culture syringes and inoculate pre-sterilized grain jars from a vendor like Midwest Grow Kits or North Spore. They'll grow on hardwood sawdust, an easy route to go there is pellet smoker fuel, it's just little pieces of compressed sawdust and you hydrate it to make your substrate. There's lots of really detailed how-to info on YouTube, it can turn into a deep rabbit hole pretty easily. I had a few false starts and learned a lot along the way. There's a little DIY involved most of the time, but if you don't mind spending a little, there are some really cool options like temperature and humidity controlled grow tents and all sorts of things. Personally, I'm keeping things pretty low tech.

@Womona, I like to say I have a black thumb. I can't keep much of anything alive. I've got a prickly pear that refuses to give up, I finally moved it out of a pot and into the dirt a couple years ago. Then there's a beast of an aloe that's rootbound in its pot, I need to pull it up, split it between a few planters and give it some room. Mushrooms are weird, though. It's like, you have this jar full of mycelium that you've patiently waited for, watching it spread….okay, now take it out and smash it. No, really, it LIKES that.

8 AF
5 A

-m

xbowhunter · October 14

Hello, my LA friends.

AF = 12

A = 2

Well, I ended up having a small glass of wine with our Thanksgiving Dinner Saturday and on Monday. This resulted in poor sleep and feeling sluggish the next day! :(

2lbs of water weight later and I'm going to get back on track starting today with no consumption.

Cheers!

globalhiker · October 14

Wine, and especially red wine and even 1 glass will give me stuffy sinuses. It does not take much. I'll bet that contributes to inflammation (which can cause water weight) and stuffy head will result in lesser quality sleep.

Observation - on days I drank in Sept., the next morning I'd wake up feeling anxious. And that anxious feeling can linger until the next drink fixes it. Then drink 2 makes it feel better. Then I somehow forget I should not be drinking and there goes drink 3. Then brain remembers I blew my calorie limit so I may as well keep going and start new tomorrow. The pattern is so predictable.

For today, focus is on keeping calm and calibrated and AF.

@WestCoastGirl_1 I like "A la Maison de Provence" brand liquid soaps, cheap at TJ Maxx but can be found on Amazon and maybe eBay. Peptides, I use what I think is a Korean brand, Cos de Baha "M.A. Peptide Serum". I really like their product line too. Lower cost, fewer unnecessary chemicals, and first few ingredients have the heavy-hitter chemicals. For face, use super plain "good soap" from Whole Foods or online.

2timesacharmmfp · October 14

Popping in with a mini-win. DH made a martini last night at hh and it looked REAL good. I told myself once I finished everything I needed to do with dinner / kiddos / dog / etc if I still wanted one I would go for it. Ended up getting ready for bed with some hot tea (thanks for the tip @SparkSpringtime69!)

WestCoastGirl_1 · October 14

@globalhiker Thanks! I will check out the products. We don't have a TJ Maxx. But I can check on Amazon. The largest city in our county, which is nearby, only has a population of 25,000. So we don't have the stores and restaurants that most of you have. I've been hoping to start getting more of the large chain stores and restaurants. But I don't think I should hold my breath.

I have stuffy sinuses most of the time. I never related it to alcohol. I understand the drinking to feel better pattern. That's why when I quit, I don't want to start up again. I hope you can get back on a streak again. You were doing great!

Have a nice day everyone!

tmbg1 · October 14

9 AF

4 A

1 LA

Womona · October 14

I’m trying to rack up AF says, so last night and tonight I didn’t have alcohol. I slept better last night, so that’s great news!

@WestCoastGirl_1 hugs on what would have been Tinker’s birthday. As for the humidifier, yeah, I was going to say, you’re in a pretty moist area, so that’s why to thought you were more inland. Definitely attend to the cramping! I’m with ya on not liking coconut water.

@globalhiker very insightful observation on how one turns to two turns to three drinks!

@2timesacharmmfp way to go with deciding you didn’t want that martini as much as you thought you did!

@xbowhunter amazing what a couple of glasses can do, but you’ll see the the results you want very soon. Glad you enjoyed Thanksgiving!

@NonnieDoiron hope you don’t get slammed at work tomorrow!

NonnieDoiron · October 14

I think I’m starting to build my new routine. Instead of wine, a long shower and pjs after dinner. Now, to determine the best use of time after that until bedtime. I want to rotate a few things throughout the week: my Bible study, reading, maybe some crafting. Still need to think it through. Maybe that’s my problem… I think too long about it.

Didn’t get as slammed as I thought I would today. Thank goodness! MIL had a colonoscopy today, so the husband had to deal with all that. Got my walk in, 2.14 miles, about a grocery bag full of litter, a decent dinner tonight, kids did the dishes, and now I’m watching tv with the husband.

A-0
AF-14

WestCoastGirl_1 · October 15

I wasn't posting for a week or two and didn't receive any friend requests. As soon as I started posting again, I started getting friend requests from total strangers again. This guy today had joined less than a month ago and his profile picture was of a man holding two young children (most of the time they are with dogs or puppies). I've noticed that all the friend requests from strangers (always men) have just joined MFP. I've seen shows about catfishing and unfortunately people (men and women alike) fall for it. I always thought they just hit dating websites. But, obviously not. I just decline them. One person hit me twice in just a few days, so I blocked him. I hope others in all of the MFP community aren't falling for it!

LESS Alcohol ~ October 2025 ~ One Day at a Time

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