Newbies Nest

[lifechange]

Great job Beachgirl on 30 days! and Trinity on 10!!

[trinity875]

Hi everyone hope all is good! Wow daisy just been going back through some of yesterday's posts and just had to say well done!! Can anyone tell me what this bubble hour thing is? it sounds useful. I'm so pleased I'm on a late shift today and rather than spending my Sunday morning hung over in bed dreading work this afternoon we are up and out as a family at a play centre! Little lad is having a whale of a time! I like my sober life so much better! Day 11. Have a safe day in the nest everyone xx

[daisy45]

well, morning after he night before.........I cannot even tell you how happy I am today......feel like I've been given a second chance!
I realise so much after this experience....the most relevant and best being that 'I really do want to live a sober and happy life!'
The bubble hour talk was on relapse. It opened my eyes to so many subtle little things that were slipping or hadn't occurred to me.....also made me feel 'at home' with living sober.
I feel a new zest for life today , like I don't want to waste this golden opportunity I have been given....I want to make the most of it!
Have to go.....heading to mass.....I will be back! Happy, happy, happy!

[lifechange]

I forced myself to get out the door and to the gym today. I think (I know) part of my restlessness and walking in circles was caused by procrastination. That "I'll do it tomorrow" loophole again. It was a PIA to get there.. went down and had a flat tire! That was honestly almost enough to stop me. Then I decided to walk to the tram and told myself that if it was coming in 10 minutes or less I would wait-- and ride without a ticket (40 euro risk) because I'd left my wallet at home. It was scheduled to come in 9 minutes so I waited and told myself that I would do my best to be focussed and positive and strong for 1 hour and it was SLOW going, but it worked. I'd been so consistent Nov/until Christmas and was feeling better and stronger and the urges to drink/low self esteem were definitely greatly reduced. But even after all of that it was damned hard to get my a** back in there.
I sure wish I didn't have to work so hard to be disciplined to do the things I KNOW make me feel better physically, emotionally, mentally. One wouldn't think, looking at me from the outside, that I'm a lazy person-- I wouldn't even say that about myself. I guess it's more that I've been self destructive. That's it. That's what I have to work on long enough to make changes. And I always want them over night. Patience!!

[lifechange]

Yayyyyy Daisy!

Trinity, here's a link to the Bubble Hour. Really good podcasts..I'm going to listen to the one on relapse right this minute!:happy2:

http://www.thebubblehour.com/

[frances]

Good morning nest! The Huffington Post article on the link posted by LC was really good, thanks!. Puts things into perspective that the veterans here are gently reminding us of. Another article you may find interesting is linked below. A fitness expert ran an experiment with someone by showing detailed blood work before and after dropping alcohol for 30 days. The participant is probably what we would consider a "moderate" drinker, ha ha. Amazing results. Makes you think. Have a great Saturday!

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/...ol-experiment/

Wow I just read these results and was very surprised. It really made me think about my husband who is on prescriptions for high cholesterol and high triglycerides. He drinks quite a bit. I haven't talked to him about his drinking - just have gone on my own journey for now. But this kind of inspires me to say something. I've often thought and said that he should focus more than he does on dietary and exercise changes he could make so that he doesn't have to be on these medications. I think he is taking the 'easy' way out and although his blood work is now OK I would so much rather see him not take so many prescriptions. He recently started exercising again which has been wonderful to see. But wow, only 30 days into AF and these results are really significant! Thyroid stimulating hormone too - that can really impact weight loss. I know my husband would be so much happier if he lost weight. Exercise is a good step but I know the pounds would just drop off so easily if he would stop drinking. I think it may be time to just address it gently with him and get the thought into his head. He definitely drinks way more than he should - a few drinks a day.

Thanks for sharing that.

Good for everyone who is here trying to get alcohol out of their lives - it is the best thing you can do!! I have never felt better and more in control since I stopped drinking. It feels so great not to be trapped by that bastard AL!

[Lavande]

Good morning Nesters,

Glad you are experiencing some mindpeace Daisy
Keep moving forward, no matter what! Drinking will never resolve any family problem, right?
Congrats on your 6 AF weeks, yay!!

trinity, Congrats on your 11 AF days! Great start & you will be at 30 days before you know it!!

Frances, that Huffington Post article is a bit misleading. I hope everyone is aware that AL does indeed mess with our internal workings but it's removal does not guarantee such excellent results in the numbers. It depends entirely on the individual. I am one of those people who saw little to no improvements in cholesterol levels & B/P despite massive dietary changes, addition of lots of exercise & elimination of AL & smoking. Some of us just have our genetic pool to blame. I never even lost a single pound although I wouldn't mind losing 20
Making all these changes in my life has undoubtedly made me happier & more positive but I do wake up every morning & choose to be happier!!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Sunday!

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Good morning, Nesters!
Good to see the sun again this morning! A coworker of mine used to say, "Any morning I get up and there's not a chalkline around me is a good day!" How true is THAT?!

Edit to add: Just saw a great thought on FaceBook...Thank God for protecting me from what I thought I wanted!

Hope everyone has a peaceful day. Btrdie

[peppersnow]

Way to go, Daisy! I'm so glad you shared your post rather than keeping that to yourself because your experience will help all of us who might find ourselves in the same situation. Your gratitude for that second chance shines through and you deserve to be really proud of yourself. If I ever find myself where you were at, I'm going to remember how you handled it. You should totally put that in the tool box. Thank you!

[Pavati]

Good morning, everyone:

Beachy - Great 30 success! As Byrdie says, Speech, Beach! We have a tradition of 30 dayers writing a post that can encourage newbies - how'd you do it? how do you feel now? No pressure, just an offer.

Frances - I could have written that about my own husband! I am not sure he realizes that he drinks as much as he does. He's not an every day drinker, he has a stop button, and there are many times he leaves a half-drunk glass on the table, so I know he's not like me, but the calories and lack of motivation that his drinking causes no doubt contribute to his being overweight.

I'm a quitting success story as far as the health is concerned. Without changing anything, except adding ice cream as my Friday treat, I have lost about 15 pounds. I also stopped taking my blood pressure medicine as it is back to normal. Ava, I LOVE blood test, now, too, and I love checking the "zero" button for alcohol consumption.

LC - I totally understand your mood - that walking around, not sure what to do. I watched a lot of alcohol documentaries. I liked Lit, and read other alcohol memoirs - two of my favorites were Drunkard: A Hard Drinking Life by Neil Steinberg, and Dry by Augusten Burroughs. There's always the classic, Drinking, A Love Story by Caroline Knapp.

Daisy - So happy for you that you went through those lengths and didn't drink. I am glad your daughter was home to be your prevention. I often wondered how I would be able to do this if I lived alone, and how bad I might have gotten, as I feel like the presence of my family kept me from hitting that liquor cabinet more often.

And speaking of the Bubble Hour - No Sugar talked about it for a long time before I finally checked it out, and I can't tell you how much it helped me in early sobriety - from about a month to about seven months. I would download an episode on my phone, and go for a hike or walk. I LOVE the hosts (they change) - they are so real, honest and funny, and I love the guests and the topics they choose. I started with the relapse episodes as I was determined that I wouldn't be a relapse statistic, but I have gotten so many insights from all of the episodes I have listened to. One of the hosts, Ellie, had a terrible relapse after SIX YEARS SOBER! Very enlightening to hear her discussion about why and how she thinks that happened. Anyway - I have the podcast app on my phone, and it is simple to find and download the episodes.

I went to a big 50th birthday party last night - we hiked over a beautiful trail to a fun restaurant, and stayed there for dinner. They had a shuttle to pick everyone up, but I remembered that part of my plan is to always have an exit strategy, so I had dropped off my car there earlier in the day. Thankfully, the party was really fun, so I didn't have to use it. I was certainly the only person not drinking, and at one point had to be very firm with a guy who kept insisting that I have boozed to toast with him, but it didn't really bother me. I was worried about small talk as there were many people there who I didn't know, but I was fine. Goes to show, fun CAN be had without alcohol. Really.

Happy Sober Sunday, Everyone. I am so happy to see all of the new newbies experience so much success.

Pav

[Pavati]

xPost, Pepper. Hi!

[enzo'smom]

yesterday i was very short tempered and inpatient with everyone….I guess the feeling i used to suppress with alcohol are coming to the surface. so i just took it minute by minute and then had dinner and voila!! felt better. built a fire, watched a movie and proceeded to fall right asleep. got up early and read some literature (big book) and then off to the gym and the a massage.
so today has been a spectacular day…..
in two hours, I would wager I won't be feeling this way but why project??? Instead, I am going to enjoy the moment.
Have a great AF sunday!
Jennie
12/28/14

[actiongirl46]

yes, Enzo'smom, I find I am impatient especially when I'm fighting an urge . . . hard to multi-task maybe? Deal with my brain and other people? Good insight, I'll try to remember it later today. I'm going cross country skiing this afternoon with some friends to try to wear myself out and not think about the Christmas tree I want hubby to take down ; )

[open halo]

When I'm feeling frustrated, even when I'm really busy, I give myself a break, lock myself in a room or even a closet with my labtop and come here to read for about 15 minutes. I am actually in my laundry room at the moment.... I take deep breaths, and find myself able to let the cravings past and refocus. Thank goodness for the MWO and the Nest.. Have a great AF Sunday everyone..

[enzo'smom]

thank open halo!! that is helpful….knowing I am not alone… and good for you action girl….just remember when you are skiing to appreciate the beauty surrounding you…..when I am outside skiing, I feel instantly at peace…
I am now building nice warm fire and cuddling with my puppy …. my husband and son marvel at my ability to want to hang out with him just after he has had some serious play time….he is all tuckered out and more than happy to sleep away on my lap...