Change_Agent Member

Hi Ashleigh - Welcome to the group! It sounds like you are making some big changes. I don't know if you have read any of the posts going back the last couple of weeks but I think a lot of us have found cutting back on or cutting out the wine has been more liberating (um... pleasant seems like the wrong word?) than we…

Hi there - hope all your diet modifications pay off with some information! Here's one thing I was eating for breakfast often over the summer and loving: black beans (from can, heated in microwave with a pinch of cumin and a squirt of lime) topped with 2 fried eggs, salsa and some slices of avacado. Really delicious. Also,…

Agreed! High fives all around!

I think that's great. If you can go thru all of that and settle on a cup of tea, then I think you should feel good about your progress. I am pretty much dreading about a week from now when my PMS will likely be in full sail. It is awful - and usually derails me too. Just get back on the horse I say. (And then remind me I…

Amazing! You really don't look like the same person. You look so young in the after shot! Congratulations. What were your strategies?

Hi - Hof Troy: wow! that's fantastic! You are in the driver's seat now! shawnsysco: welcome! glad to see you here and know what you mean about the grapes catching up. (Sigh.) opal24: ha! yes, it can be exhausting to be so dang energetic can't it? I'm still letting myself just veg out completely sometimes (sitting and…

I think that sounds like a good idea. You're right, it's not something most people plan to do everyday forever so why not practice? I have had lots of days in the past where I did not log. For me, lately, logging everything has been very helpful but I'm still looking to lose quite a bit of weight. I think after I'm "there"…

Hey there- Thanks all for the support. I think it's hormones too now. I am just feeling a little off but SO glad I didn't end up drinking last night AND that indeed I went to TRX class this morning and felt good. Perimenopause is hard! I don't generally like to attribute to much to it but I think that's the culprit. The…

HelenofTroy - what's up? dlbanks & opal24: exactly. i think i drink to avoid feeling slightly depressed and to avoid feeling tension/anxiety. But it only works to make me more depressed and more anxious! and then the cycle just keeps rolling around. tonight have just been feeling a little blue - hormones? off exercise day?…

If it were me, I would tell people straight up what is going on - not drinking today for health reasons -- as soon as it came up. That way, for me, it would take the pressure off of having to decline each separate drink and also it would keep me on the straight and narrow more. Lots of water is good. I like fizzy mineral…

Hi there, Joining in post-decision but just to say Good for you! I think everyone should be able to make whichever decision they want - dye or no dye - without feeling like they are caving in to societal pressure, etc. (As super fabulous women in our 40s, we have had to wrestle with lots of feminist questions, i think.…

Day 5 and feeling good. Think some of the puffiness in my fingers, etc., is starting to go down too. kmcarv: glad to hear your husband is joining with you and sleeping better! sleeping well is something i always did and never really appreciated until the last couple of years. (up side is remembering even more weird dreams…

Way to go! You look so happy and healthy! Congratulations on overcoming those rotten childhood feelings. (I totally feel ya on that one!)

Hear! Hear! (or is it Here! Here!?) I am feeling more and more energetic and YES, just pushing through the sort of random crap that irritates during a day. It is all about having the little extra bit of energy in the pocket. This is Day 4 for me: feeling GOOD. Thank you all!

Those rock and rollers! We have lots of drinking pals too - though only some with talents like that - and it's hard to be around them and not drink. The clear feeling is worth it though, I am finding. Feels really good. Good luck.

Hey there - That it certainly does. Sorry to hear you are stressed and had a crappy weekend. Back on track tho is the main thing. You go, lady!

Wow! Just reading your post makes me feel more awake. Will definitely join you in this! Working on Day 4 here and feeling pretty good. Sounds like the longer it goes the better though. Happy day to you!!

Hi - I agree with what everyone has been saying: it is most important to go with your gut and there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a glass or two. I agree with dunkrobertson - it's when I feel i NEED it that I think there is a problem (and I have definitely felt that!). Maybe just let yourself decide at the moment?

This helps explain a lot - thanks! Sometimes I am more sore than others but it definitely makes sense.

Hey there, What a great idea for a group! I am 48 (wha?!), live in Virginia - small town - with husband and two teenage girls. Mostly have felt Just OK for so long and instead want to feel fabulous - exactly. I joined a new-to-me gym last month and have been LOVING the crowd there and changing my horizons of what I can and…

Hey there - yes we have all come a long way I think! Way to go for us! Mommybird1 and others with nights where they drank a lot: at least it's not every night, right? Good for you for keeping with the push to make that the exception. I feel more energetic too but the amazing thing to me is exactly that: what the little bit…

peeing! A good reward for all that tea-tee-hee. woke up easily and feeling clear/energetic because strongest thing i had yesterday was a hot chocolate. passed favorite wine store yesterday afternoon - really nice crew, great selections, quite the little weekend ritual for me usually - and felt a PANG but am glad didn't…

sounds like you are doing great with moderation instead of abstinence. good for you. glad you are sleeping well. (That's one thing I cannot do at all it seems even with a small amount of alcohol.) Good night!

Hi there - I'll friend you! I too am 5' 7.5". Thanks for the frame test: I am medium on my left wrist and large on my right so I'm going with medium large. I am 167 now and want to be 132 - I think. But I'll reassess in the 140s and see what I think. Mostly, I just want to be very fit, strong, have lots of energy AND be…

Hey all - thanks for the info on water retention. I hadn't thought about the tough workouts - specifically leg/large muscle. I have been doing a lot of those lately (and loving it) so I think that helps explain it. And glad to hear of the easier weight loss with the cut in alcohol. Starting to get there myself. I am a…

Hi - Helenoftroy: good for you! Knowing what you really want (to just get some down time in front of the TV) and giving it to yourself is half the battle I swear. Opal24: nice to meet you! Me: weird experience last night. In keeping with the we-won't-keep-wine-in-the-house rule, my husband called and asked if I wanted to…

Interesting. What other foods cause you all to bloat/retain water. I drink QUARTS of water but still find my hands and ankles puffy. I know I am retaining a couple of pounds of water.

Ha! Yes, exactly. Why willing catch anything. Report: went out for dinner last night with my buddy and did not drink. We split a bottle of Pellegrino instead and I felt great. Felt good going to bed and felt fine waking up - even after only 5.5 hours sleep. Head is clear. I am finding visualizing how I handle Not Drinking…

Whoa. You go! I think the sleeping well is such an incentive, isn't it? I usually don't sleep very well and it feels SO luxurious to wake up in the morning having gotten all the way through the night. Congratulations on making 12!!