kittybenn Member

The Dry January group was key to keeping me on track this month. I'm in for at least a very damp February. Thank you so much, @JulieAL1969, for keeping this going and for setting such a lovely, non-judgmental and encouraging tone.

Oh, wow, @donimfp, this really made me think about food vs alcohol cravings. Thanks for sharing this. I have been loving having more food this month and when I've felt like a glass of wine have been telling myself to think of the food I can have instead. That right there might be reason enough to go pretty damp in Feb!

I had some unusual pre-cancerous cells and had to have a breast biopsy recently, so I'm very conscious of the link too. I'm with you, a little nervous about going back to drinking in Feb. but don't think I would have any qualms about just stopping again for weeks at a time. We have a nice dinner out planned for Friday…

Yes, thanks @JulieAL1969 for starting the Feb. thread!

Congrats on a major accomplishment, @JulieAL1969!!!! I'm so happy that you finally found a mocktail you liked and made it through the girls weekend. Gives me hope, LOL. My morning email from the Dry January people says it's one month today, so yayyyy, all of us! Day 29 begins. I break my commitments to myself pretty often,…

@SanDiegofitmom - always appreciate your insights. This is a good one. Made me think. You and I are in exactly the same place, I think. I'm never going to stop drinking wine, but daily drinking has got to go. I'm still pondering my plan for Feb. 1 and beyond. My husband and I are going to start with a nice dinner out, with…

WTG, Julie - that is a trial by fire. Very happy to get your report on mocktails. I won't bother, LOL. WTG, everybody else! I was tempted last night. My husband and I went to happy hour. I associate going to this place with two glasses of wine. I felt a little frustrated, but had a Diet Coke and was proud of myself. It's…

@JulieAL1969 - I was wondering about you and so happy you let us know how great you're doing. Many congrats! Way to be tough! Day 26 begins. I can't even believe I'm writing that and that I've made it this far. SO inspired by all the success I'm reading about here!

Day 25 - getting so close!

@JulieAL1969 - Love that: "final exam." That's for sure. You've come this far, so I know you've got this. What would booze actually make better about this weekend? Nothing, I'm pretty sure, and I know you already know that. Think how great you're going to feel every morning and think of how much more of that great…

@TnVeggie I can so relate to what you're saying about calories in alcohol. That's been one of the joys of quitting for these past 24 days - I can actually eat enough because I'm not trying to squeeze wine into those limited calories. We'll see what happens Feb. 1. I probably will go back to drinking wine, but am right now…

@kcn2bluesky - Love this insightful post, and most of all this: Day 23 begins. Hard to impossible for me to imagine saying this on Dec. 31. We've come a long way since day 1 of this inspiring discussion.

I recently discovered the BeFIT channel on YouTube and it's been a revelation. Everything you can imagine is there, from ballet to kickboxing to yoga. I'm totally out of excuses not to exercise. Leslie Sansome, the walk at home person, has nearly 100 videos on YouTube as well. Maybe all that variety would inspire you?

@ZDeb16 It doesn't bother me at all that my husband drinks, but I'm not sure why. He doesn't drink tons, and only drinks beer, so maybe that's why, because I like wine and never drink beer. He typically doesn't overdo it, although last night he did. If he had a drinking problem I think it would bother me, but he's pretty…

An inspiring read: The Ultimate Free Life Hack? I Quit Drinking for Three Months From the article: "For me, it’s a life hack that requires no purchases, improves my health, and saves me money."

Somebody else recommended that tea here and I tried it and can second that it's delish. Tazo has other dessert teas as well. There's one called butterscotch blondie, which sounds pretty yummy.

Went out to favorite beach bar with husband last night and met three people from Belgium. We had a great time getting to know them, but there was a copious amount of drinking going on between the four of them (I stuck to Diet Coke). Wow, the drunker everybody got the more sort of annoyed I got with all of them. The bar got…

Last time I did WW was in 2012 too. Our leader was pretty good, but the meeting kept getting hijacked by the same people. I didn't find it all that useful after awhile, and agree that it wasn't worth the money. I eventually realized it was up to me, not a program, and I would have to do what worked for me, not for the…

Super helpful and eye opening. Thanks!

@JulieAL1969 You are such an inspiration! I woke up clear headed and energetic this a.m. and went for a gorgeous walk along the water, something I wouldn't do if I were hung over. Because I haven't been hungover in weeks, I'm getting more exercise. Also eating better because I have more calories to spend. Day 21 is here.…

@JulieAL1969 Exactly - I'm realizing the same thing. It's the social aspect, the pretty glass, the limes, the bubbles. I'm finding I'm ok with something other than wine being in that glass. Congrats on all your success -- your commitment is amazing and inspiring!

Day 20 begins. My husband and I went out to happy hour last night and I had a pretty boring Diet Coke. I like them with lime, but they didn't even have lime. Still, I had a teensie urge for a glass of wine, but I could tell it was just reflexive. I'm so used to ordering a particular type of Chardonnay there that it was…

Hi, Andrea, and welcome to your new life. Congrats on all the changes you've made! I was exactly where you are about 18 months ago. A high A1C woke me up and scared the *kitten* out of me, where nothing had before. At a checkup one year later, my A1C was normal, triglycerides normal, glucose normal - lots of other stuff…

@Niff314 I spend summers in Seattle and am always looking for somewhere new to walk - thanks for those suggestions.

Thanks for the tip on Secret Eaters. I must say watching My 600 lb. Life certainly has had the effect of scaring me straight, mostly because I can see myself going there. You come face to face with how scary it is to be addicted (for lack of better word) to food, because most of these folks are facing death yet still can't…

I've been logging for 16-17 mos and have rarely missed a day, but I'm not at goal weight. I don't think it's that much of a hardship, especially if you save meals that you eat regularly (my lunch salads are one click) and use the scanner function for packaged foods. Most mornings I'm pretty sure I know what I'm going to…

Day 19 begins. For the first day I've noticed my skin looking better. Heard so many people talk about that here, but hadn't seen it til today. I was kind of startled.

@JulieAL1969 - SO smart buying two electric kettles. You are really setting yourself up for success, as they say.