Newbies Nest

[Byrdlady]

Good Morning, Nesters!
QW, I actually gained weight that first month, so I was bummed when everyone else said they were shedding pounds while I was packing them on! After the 4-5 month, however, I did start to shed and I lost 13 pounds (in addition to the ones I gained), which was awesome. Eating was new to me because I had starved myself so I could drink the calories! Once I learned how to eat, things leveled off nicely! I try to stick below 1200 calories a day which is pretty easy since I'm not drinking 1000 of them! (or more)

Hope everyone has a great week! Byrdie

[Starfish1]

:yay::welldone: Congratualtions, QW...wonderful stuff there...ain't sobriety grand.

I am so happy I came back and am on the road to recovery.

I had a very busy weekend and although I did get a chance to read the posts last night (on my day 40!), I could not respond.

I had a very upsetting family experience yesterday, guys and could very easily have relapsed. If it were not for you all, I know I would have. I was extremely upset.

One phrase saved me "The only thing that happened when I drank AT people is I became a fat drunk. (thank you, Byrdie)

My accountability here was also a saving factor, along with all the progress I have made in looking, feeling and acting better (just like QW.)

It doesn't take long to have some good things invested in your sobriety, folks, so to those of you who are lurking or just beginning, please have faith. Things do get better and better!

Thanks so much, to all of you!

[Eloise]

It was the same for me, took a long time to start losing weight but now I have lost almost 24 pounds, crazy!

Good Morning, Nesters!
QW, I actually gained weight that first month, so I was bummed when everyone else said they were shedding pounds while I was packing them on! After the 4-5 month, however, I did start to shed and I lost 13 pounds (in addition to the ones I gained), which was awesome. Eating was new to me because I had starved myself so I could drink the calories! Once I learned how to eat, things leveled off nicely! I try to stick below 1200 calories a day which is pretty easy since I'm not drinking 1000 of them! (or more)

Hope everyone has a great week! Byrdie

[KENSHO]

Good morning! Quick check in - I will read more later. I successfully took some time for myself last week, and my clients are banging to door down now for updates! Which I don't have! Anyway, feeling great waking up sober. Keep positive everyone!

[LilBit]

Starfish, sorry about your family experience, but glad to hear you dealt with it without an AL crutch. Family members have a way of pushing one's buttons like no one else can.

Byrdie, hope you're over your snottage. That's no fun! BC powder and Red Bull? Matt, do the other firefighters have to get in one of those lift buckets and rescue you from a tree limb after you take that?

I also initially gained weight before eventually losing ~25 pounds. I think it's important for us to eat whatever we want or need during those early days. Any weight gains are likely temporary because the added energy and ability to carry through with healthy exercise habits eventually offsets the Box O' Twinkies that our bodies crave when we first toss out the wine.

I shudder to remember the pre-quit days when I'd try to control my calorie intake and sometimes even forgo food for AL. 1200 calories went fast when I was slurping them from the largest wine glass in the house. And -- who am I kidding -- I remember counting wine calories by the bottle, never by the glass. That's just sad. It also never worked. Weight and diet regulation became part of the tiresome daily negotiation between my higher self and my lizard brain. I do not miss all the self-arguments, justification, procrastination, excuses, unrealized good intentions and downright lying to myself that occurred during that time. Favorite "trick" -- I'd eat like a bird during the week and then binge-drink on the weekends, also tossing my good diet judgment to the wind with the "I deserve it" mentality. So, if you counted my calories M-F, I was a saint. If you counted the total calories for the week, it was outrageous. And then the "weekends" began stretching into 3-4 days...

'Just talked myself into a nap from thinking about all that. I'm pooped! :topsy_turvy:

[Dutch1988]

Happy Monday everyone, just been reading through the past few days and appreciate the advice as always. I am closing in on 6.5 months here and have no intentions of drinking again. I don't want anyone lurking to get the wrong idea when I post on here, because this place has become my dumpster for negativity. I always walk away feeling better after posting and when I come back i feel better again because the questions/comments and collaboration everyone presents makes me think about my problems in a new way, sometimes even creating gratitude for what I have going on. I have a very high expectation of what I want from my life.

Quitting alcohol has kept me motivated at work, but I also had much more stress and irritability. Today I looked in the mirror and realized the stress lines on my forehead are almost gone, I used to look 40 with my receding hairline, now I feel like I am starting to look more like the young man I thought I was. I am eating healthier than I have in my entire life, I feel better, and have more energy. i have prioritized my exercise and fitness training and martial arts training. i never felt the guilt, regret, or remorse others speak of with their drinking in terms of the next day, but always felt like I could have been training harder/stronger,faster. Now I am doing what I want with my training. I meditate regularly, take my posture/mobility sensitivity more seriously and know when to back off because I am more focused on how I feel rather than getting through a workout so I can drink. I enjoy time with my daughter more, I am more present in the mornings and don't need to have her watch a few episodes of tv before I can make it out of bed(although some mornings I am tired enough that I still watch her play while in bed, but it's not because I am hungover, i am worn out from having a two year old and a demanding training schedule).

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters,

Definitely getting a taste of Fall in my portion of the nest, my favorite season

Dutch, glad you are feeling good, just the way you should be at this point. Keep moving forward, there's no going back now!

The weight issue bugged me for a long time because I didn't lose any weight when I quit drinking. Then two months later I quit smoking & packed on 13 lbs in the blink of an eye, ugh. Well, it has all gone now & a few extra lbs too, thank goodness. Still wouldn't mind losing another 10 but I'm not going to worry about that At least I know I am doing my best to eat healthy, exercise & all that stuff!

Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!!

Lav

[Pavati]

Hi, Everyone:

Really awesome day at work today. I tackled some BIG things that would have left me spinning a couple of years ago. They were still challenging, but I faced them with much more confidence and a clearer head. Yes - life without alcohol is so much easier.

Dutch - I know you won't drink - because you don't drink.

Happy SOBER Autumn. I get anxious about the short days of winter, but I do hope that this winter brings some rain here to CA. You may have been reading about the fires here - and there was a radio story about families and towns living without water because their wells have run dry. We are hoping for a wet couple of months - keep your fingers crossed.

Night.
Pav

[All done drinking]

Dutch - I know you won't drink - because you don't drink.
Pav

I like it...I like it a lot!

Addy (one of my favorite movie lines)

[Guitarista]

QW, I actually gained weight that first month, so I was bummed when everyone else said they were shedding pounds while I was packing them on! After the 4-5 month, however, I did start to shed and I lost 13 pounds (in addition to the ones I gained), which was awesome.

It was the same for me, took a long time to start losing weight but now I have lost almost 24 pounds, crazy!

I also initially gained weight before eventually losing ~25 pounds. I think it's important for us to eat whatever we want or need during those early days. Any weight gains are likely temporary because the added energy and ability to carry through with healthy exercise habits eventually offsets the Box O' Twinkies that our bodies crave when we first toss out the wine.

Yeah well, they just call me "The body" down at the gym these days. imp:

[Byrdlady]

Mr G, I bet they do! Running around there with all that charisma dripping out of every pore! Now that you are AF the world is your oyster!

Great post, LilBit. When I get time, I like to read around the site and see what is going on with others. I don't really visit the meds threads as I just can't identify with using the high powered meds to try and tame this beast. I do see that they are still struggling (for the most part) with AL. The other threads reflect the same message: As long as we drink we are going to have problems with AL. Simple, huh? Well, try telling that to an addict. It is sad, the power of addiction. 5 years ago, if you told me that my life would be 1000 times better without AL, I'd have called you an uninformed butt-in-ski. I am never going to be cured and I must always be vigilant, but I can say that it is so sad to see the lengths that we go to in order to keep the beast fed. ANYTHING BUT QUIT!!!! From this side of the bottle now, it is a grim reminder that one drink will cloud me up the same way. No drink is worth the freedom I have right now. Not any sip, not any peer pressure, no THING is more important than maintaining my quit.

I hope everyone has an easy day! Byrdie

[Lavande]

Good Tuesday morning Nesters,

Thought I was watching one grandson this morning but plans have changed.
That's OK, I can use the extra time creatively, ha ha!

No sunshine here so I need to turn up the lights. At least I'll be able to see what I am doing
Wishing everyone a great AF day!

Lav

[All done drinking]

...it is so sad to see the lengths that we go to in order to keep the beast fed. ANYTHING BUT QUIT!!!! From this side of the bottle now, it is a grim reminder that one drink will cloud me up the same way. No drink is worth the freedom I have right now. Not any sip, not any peer pressure, no THING is more important than maintaining my quit.

I hope everyone has an easy day! Byrdie

I couldn't agree more Byrdie. There was no freedom for me in struggling to control my drinking and always having the gnawing concern loom over my head if I would be able to control things or would end up making a fool out of myself in some way. I had a really tough day with a family thing going on yesterday and in the past I think I actually would say to myself that I needed a drink to deal with things like that. Sad thing is, I really believed it! That thought not only doesn't occur to me but actually repulses me as a way to solve my problems now. When distressed, alcohol makes me a maudlin person. Who needs that plus the price to pay the next day. Thanks, don't need it. Think I'll go over to the Cowboy Cafe for some tea and will see you folks later.

Addy :love:

[Starfish1]

As long as we drink we are going to have problems with AL. Simple, huh?

I tell that to an addict every day. That addict is me. I hate AL!:beast:

[KENSHO]

Mornin' Peeps! Beautiful day here, alcohol free. I made it to 29 days - for my 29th birthday I know it's not a long time, but I definitely had to struggle quite a bit to get here. It's starting to feel a bit easier to see alcohol for what it really is: something I just don't need.

Sorry for your family challenges Starfish and Addy. Good job dealing with it sober!

...just because I think it doesn't make it true.

I love this Pav

There is no downside to being AL free!

So True QW! I love how you want your grandkids to remember you! My dad rarely drinks and my kids know him to be a fisherman, a patient and happy man, a yoga master and someone who is very interested in their school and lives! I am SO thankful that they are able to have a relationship with him - he is not just an old, grumpy guy! (incidentally, he does not look old at all... he is 72 and people take him for 60 all the time! Almost no alcohol, lots of veggies, very little caffeine and lots of meditation... hmm....)

It hasn't been until this past week that I have been able to really focus on gratitude. I knew I had to stop drinking, but I found it hard to focus on the positives of not doing something I wanted. I awoke this morning feeling grateful not just for "not drinking" but simply for all the wonderful things in my life. For my children, my husband, my family, my friends, my career, my health - and to be able to wake up for one more morning and experience life - without the veil of a depressing and addictive substance. I am also very grateful for all of you here. It is an honor to be a part of this group... I am so lucky!

SO - go tackle your day! If you are just beginning - know that it DOES get easier! You have to fight through the first part - and it's HARD! But new habits breed new behaviors and new ways of thinking. I can honestly see myself not drinking for the rest of my life - and being very happy with that.