LESS Alcohol ~ November 2025 ~ One Day at a Time

Walela617 · November 18

Hi everyone,

11/17: 017 AF days completed since 10/31/25! (Last alcoholic beverage: 10/30/25.)

Have a nice evening,

💗Carole

Womona · November 18

@Michieb125 Thanks for that link! I love how changing identity can change habits without being painful!

AF today, under calories and had a good workout! Off to bed!

WestCoastGirl_1 · November 18

November:

AF - 17 🟣 (20 day streak)
A - 0

Walela617 · November 18

Almost three weeks! That's AWESOME, @WestCoastGirl_1!🏆

WestCoastGirl_1 · November 18

Thanks @Walela617! Tomorrow I will tie the longest streak I've had in two years. You've been doing great yourself!

globalhiker · November 18

You guys killing it are my heroes! And my lab tests are in. Both liver enzyme scores dropped from the 30s to the 20s: ALT 28, AST 25. Fasting blood sugar down to 84 (prediabetes is gone for sure). AND I lost yet another 2 lbs. since posting (I didn't exercise for 2 days before blood test and the inflammation water retention from exercise left me).

Game changers:

High intensity interval cycling 3x a wk

Consuming food with seed oil (vegetable, canola, soy, etc) only when eating out. This means prepared salad dressing does not exist in my house. Just 15 calorie balsamic vinegar. Only oil I use is quality olive oil with a greenish color to it.

Eating out 1-2x month max

Eat starchy carbs only the night before long duration exercise or afterwards

Stopped the daily chocolate bar (now 1x a wk)

No weight loss meds but do take Cholesterol Pro (Citrus Bergamot) with lunch and for me, it does seem to give me good appetite control in the afternoons into the evening.

Not logging food but mindful

Month so far:

AF= 15 days

A= 2 days (snuck in a delicious Orvieto white wine on Friday)

Womona · November 18

@globalhiker congrats on the great bloodwork! I love your eating and exercise plan. Seems very doable!

itladyee · November 18

. I folded like a cheap suit.

@Womona ~ thanks for that line, I needed a chuckle! Hang in there, reflection can be brutal, but look at what you’ve accomplished!

@BurnMode05 sorry your struggling with the phone upgrade. Hope you are able to get everything transferred

@Michieb125 love the article on changing the environment, particularly why change seems violent! Very interesting!

@globalhiker ~ great job on the blood work. It’s a good feeling to know something is working

Thank you for the well wishes for my sister. She was just prepped and surgery begins in about an hour. The entire concept is stressful and I internalize it. When it all said and done, i will probably cry with relief for three days. I’m sorry she has to go through this but could have been much worse.

A=10
AF=5
LA=2

WestCoastGirl_1 · November 18

@globalhiker Excellent lab results! Sounds like you have a good plan going forward.

@itladyee I'll be thinking of you and your sister today!

itladyee · November 18

Best laid plans…

Expletive !!! We can either wait indefinitely for today….the plastic surgeon won’t be here for a while… Saying there was a scheduling issue (ie:mistake, but not sure who’s mistake) ….Dr Drugas (surgeon )has another surgery scheduled and we would have to now wait for her (2+ Hours) to begin. We have options 1) just do the surgery with no reconstruction, means she would then need two more surgeries unless she opted for no reconstruction or 2) we reschedule. We are rescheduling😖

xbowhunter · November 18

Hello my LA friends.

AF - 12

A - 6

Just wanted to share a little something about how alcohol affects me personally.

When I drink even a few I get a few minutes of pleasure. Then my body goes into a major sedation mode making me feel sleepy and sluggish. The next 2 or 3 days I suffer from major fatigue and high levels of intimation in my joints.

I am at a crossroads with alcohol. The desire to have a drink is really fading. For my own health and sanity, I think I'm pretty much done with poisoning myself. :0)

cheers!

tmbg1 · November 18

11 AF

7 A

NonnieDoiron · November 18

@itladyee I’m so sorry they did that to you and your sister! That’s *kitten*!!!

@globalhiker what is Cholesterol Pro (Citrus Bergamot)? Do you know if it’s safe to take if you’re already taking a statin? My cholesterol is perpetually high, even when I was at my goal weight and running 6 miles a day.

@Walela617 and @WestCoastGirl_1 congrats on your streaks!

The husband did a workout yesterday morning that has him immobile today. I just had to help him in and out of an epsom salt bath. 🤦🏻‍♀️

The MIL stopped wearing her oxygen to dinner, so now we can hear all her grunting, moaning, and gulping when she’s eating. The husband looked at me and said, “I feel like listening to music tonight,” and turned on his playlist.

Work is starting to make crazy again. I really cannot wait until this review is over.

A-0
AF-18

GGinCA · November 19

Checking in. November my goal is 5 A days and 25 AF days. Currently at 2 A days and 16 AF days (streak is 1 right now.)

I have to admit that when I did drink it didn’t go well. Had too much and ate way too much along with it. This is a very bad habit of mine and a key part of why having more AF days really helps me loose weight.

What did go well is that I didn’t do two days in a row, and I feel that helps me avoid making it a habit. I had A on Saturday and Monday. None Sunday or today.

Challenging days ahead are a social event tomorrow, and then of course Thanksgiving week Wednesday-Saturday.

Take care everyone!

Walela617 · November 19

Hi everyone,

11/18: 018 AF days completed since 10/31/25! (Last alcoholic beverage: 10/30/25.)

I'm getting better at stopping that impulse to drink dead on its tracks. I am no longer listening to that destructive, LYING little voice!

Have a nice evening,

💗Carole

Walela617 · November 19

Hi, @itladyee, I agree with rescheduling. I think you and your sister made the best decision under the circumstances you described.

Very best wishes to both of you!💞

Walela617 · November 19

Thanks @NonnieDoiron! You and I have matching streaks! 18 days AF!

WestCoastGirl_1 · November 19

@GGinCA Congrats on your stats…you are doing well!

I have to agree with you on a couple of things that you mentioned. You said that having more AF days helps you lose weight. That is the same thing that I've experienced.

Also, when I was trying to moderate, I had a rule…no drinking two days in a row. My reason was the same as yours…if I started drinking daily, I would develop the habit. Unfortunately, it seems that I am unable to moderate. It just doesn't seem to work for me 🤔

WestCoastGirl_1 · November 19

Congrats @Walela617 on your streak!

Yesterday and today, I was a bit emotional thinking about our cat, Tinker, that we recently lost. It's hard when you've had a pet (family member) for close to 18 years. And, she was such a wonderful cat. The thought of getting something to drink passed through my mind. But I resisted.

November:

AF - 18 🟣 (21 day streak)
A - 0

xbowhunter · November 19

Morning my LA friends.

AF - 13

A - 6

Wishing you all the best today and everyday!

Michieb125 · November 19

Happy hump day LA friends….

I always love hearing about your journey @xbowhunter - you are doing so well by listening to your inner truth!

Very sorry to hear about your sisters appointment @itladyee - rescheduling makes a lot of sense although very frustrating.

Hope you are careful while helping your hubby @NonnieDoiron - those bathroom floors can get slippery!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been keeping it to 2 glasses total but last night, I had 2 glasses of Prosecco plus 1. Feeling festive already? I guess so after I cleaned a large area rug earlier in the day and pulled down the new artificial tree from my attic.

But, today is a new day!
Here’s to everyone learning along the way, and finding sweet freedom in whatever you decide is less!

itladyee · November 19

Thank you for the support. My post was a little cryptic yesterday…I was a bit upset but here's more under the spoiler if you wish to read:

Yesterday was supposed to be the day of surgery for my sister. Long story short > Surgery rescheduled. Story under the spoiler. I was so ready for this to be in the rear view mirror.

I picked her up Monday (3-hour round-trip drive) and brought her to my house to 1) allow her to wash and prepare for recovery, 2) help her prepare for the procedure ( multiple antibacterial showers, medicine prep, etc.

Got up at 3am Tuesday, out the door by 4, to arrive at the hospital by 6:00am. It was raining and still dark, so it was not a pleasant drive, but we made it safely. Everything was going swimmingly… the plan was the surgery to start at 7:30 with the surgeon during the mastectomy, and then the plastic surgeon would do the first step of the reconstruction immediately after. Total time, about 2 to 3 hours.

Surgeon checked in ok. Plastic surgeon, no show (it was about 7:15). They said he probably would not be there for another 2 hours. We could wait…indefinitely as the surgeon had another surgery scheduled and she could do it after that….

or

We could do the surgery with no reconstruction, which means my sister would then need two more surgeries unless she opted for no reconstruction,

or

We reschedule.

5 minutes to decide. Asked a few questions, spoke with the plastic surgeon on the phone and he thought he could be there in 30 minutes …. decided best to reschedule.

As we were leaving, the plastic surgeon was arriving. He showed me his phone and told me it was a scheduling issue. His phone showed that he was scheduled to start on Joyce at about 9:15…which seems right after the first surgeon, BUT it seems that expectations were that he would be there prior to surgery starting, which does make sense. So I really don't understand the disconnect.

I took a nap and later ordered pizza and salad for dinner! Yes, there was wine.

Feeling kind of like all or none, meaning…little voice says…ah, just wait to the end of the month/year etc …but I won't go there…taking it one day at a time

@NonnieDoiron ~ glad all went well with the girl child! 🤓. You've still got a lot on your plate with work, DH and MIL….🙏🏽

Continue the progress @Walela617 and @WestCoastGirl_1 You are both doing an amazing job. Great job resisting the urge, @WestCoastGirl_1

Oh, I need to climb under a rock. Between my DS and my DH…I want to post a sign on my forehead that says do not disturb. My DH has to tell everything…so even though he wasn't there (yesterday) intentionally, he has now retold the story 2nd hand and is now offering advice (to me) on reconstructive surgery….. I'm going to snap….

itladyee · November 19

https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/sober-things-to-do-instead-of-drinking-alcohol/

NonnieDoiron · November 19

Beyond pissed with my body!

Weighed in with a small gain on Friday. Food log, walked, cleaned, etc. weighed in again today and up another two damn pounds!!!! How!? 😡😡😡😡

Determined I will fast today and tomorrow only eating a very light dinner each night to see if that makes a difference Friday morning. Already noticing the swelling going down enough to put my wedding ring back on.

Contemplating stopping HRT because of the swelling. The husband won’t like that since he thinks I’m nicer on it.🤷🏻‍♀️

tmbg1 · November 20

12 AF

7 A

NonnieDoiron · November 20

My fingers swelled back up after dinner tonight after they had gone down enough to put on my wedding ring. So maybe I just can’t eat anymore.🙄

We went to a social at our church tonight, and the guest speaker was the county sheriff. The oldest boy child is one of his investigators. It was good to hear him speak.

I am tired and want to go to bed, but the dog is now acting funny. So, I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with him.

A-0
AF-19

WestCoastGirl_1 · November 20

@NonnieDoiron I hope your dog is OK. I know the feeling. It can be scary not knowing what is going on.

I broke down today. It's been on my mind for several days now to get something to drink. It wasn't a physical craving. But, it was just constantly on my mind. So, I bought a half-pint of Black Velvet. Oh, well! I'll get back on track tomorrow. I guess I'll have to test my moderation skills? 😕

November:

AF - 18
A - 1

globalhiker · November 20

@WestCoastGirl_1 proud of you getting in 18 AF days. This is all that matters - for you, me, and all of us - and growing those those days into more AF days. One night with Black Velvet isn't worth blowing the streak anyways.

@itladyee wow that really sucks. I can't believe what happened but somebody messed up and hope they gave you a high priority appointment and all goes well. Things happens for mysterious reasons at the last minute unexpectedly. You handled it impressively.

@NonnieDoiron I don't take statins and am not a medical professional so can't say what may react for you. All I can say is what really worked for me in the past is keeping to a strict 5-6 gr saturated fat a day diet and eating half cup of beans a day. Scored 40 LDL doing this for 45 days. Really hard to sustain but if done most days, it will lower cholesterol. Citrus bergamot, for me, gets rid of any afternoon snack cravings so I am taking this for that benefit as well as hoping it can lower my cholesterol a bit.

@xbowhunter interesting that you've made a connection between alcohol and inflammation in the days afterwards and concluded alcohol to be a poison. Your assumptions make sense since alcohol is inflammatory plus we don't know what chemicals in it are causing an immune response.

AF - 17

A- 2

NonnieDoiron · November 20

@WestCoastGirl_1 ok, a moment of weakness. It happens to all of us. It’s done. Shake it off, and build a 19 day streak! Maybe your version of moderation for now is only having a pint after you’ve increased your last streak by 1 day. Just don’t get stuck in that pint today!

The dog is fine… just wanted attention.

@itladyee I would be so irate! They wouldn’t want me in that hospital anytime soon. I pray they get their crap together and everything goes swimmingly next time.

@globalhiker thanks for the input. I don’t know about that diet. I think you have way more control than I do if you can do that. Probably another reason why my cholesterol is high. 😂 But, like I said, I was at my goal weight, running 6 miles a day, and weight training 5 days a week and my cholesterol was still too high (over 200). Both my parents have high cholesterol, and mine has been high since my first cholesterol test at 13 years old. That was when I was in the best shape of my life! I guess mine is just hereditary.

After yesterday’s little fasting experiment, I got on the scale this morning WITH my pjs on. I was down more than 2 lbs from yesterday. Looks like I’m fasting again today to see what happens on the scale tomorrow. This may end up being my cycle… mind calories and exercise all week and Wednesday and Thursday fast with a light dinner. There is still some swelling in my hands, but not as bad.

Womona · November 20

So many of you are doing amazing !!!! I’m following along and really happy for you!

@itlaydee I am so frustrated for you! Ugh. You made the right decision though. Still, it sucks that this isn’t behind you guys yet. When is the new surgery date? I hope soon.

Oh BTW thanks for that article! Lots and
Lots of fun and productive to do.

@NonnieDoiron I have to laugh at your “Adventures with MIL”. Seriously there is a book in there somewhere. And um, doesn’t she NEED oxygen? Why on earth would she disconnect it when she eats??? As for being mad at your body, I hear ya. I’m cooking right along and then all of a sudden my weight is up again. I know that I am very sensitive to salt. One bite of a pickle makes me retain a ton of water and my weight is up.

@westcoastgirl1 take the W in that you had a minor setback yesterday. Today is a new day, and hopefully the beginning of a new streak. Think of how great your balance was! Not to mention losing 10 pounds!

AF last night, and I’m not counting the sip of my husband’s drink that I took. My weight is finally coming down from over imbibing for two straight weeks. And as @xbowhunterpointed out, Sleep and productivity goes way up without alcohol. I’m lucky that I can moderate, but I’m on an alcohol cleanse until next week. I’m actually not that stressed about Thanksgiving because this time I don’t have houseguests. I’m usually drinking all day to just find a way to deal. I think this year will be different.

LESS Alcohol ~ November 2025 ~ One Day at a Time

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