Today is our anniversary. Husband bought a bottle of Dom Perignon, and I made my goal. Wasn't bad at all, even with the 6 bottles of red wine sitting in my wine cellar.
Just wanted to check in and let you know I rejoined WW officially this week. I had been doing it on my own for months and loosing the same 3 lbs over and over. Decided I needed the accountability of weigh ins and someone looking at my food diaries to keep me from jsut playing games with the points.
Have cut alcohol consumption in half, trying to get back to just weekend consumption. I usually hit the door looking for the wine cork and don't stop until bedtime so 4 glasses, almost half of my daily calories, were consumed by 10pm. Only had 2 glasses last night after a 40 minute walk. Have to find other things to fill my time. I usually love to get in the bathtub with a good book and a glass of wine but made myself take a wine glass full of diet coke last night. It's a struggle I'm determined to win!
TY full_of_grace and parsp! It was definitely a memorable anniversary, as after we drank the champagne, the biggest earthquake we've experienced in our 4.5 years in rural north Japan hit right around midnight.
Want a challenge? Try cleaning up broken glass (from a very large vase that fell and shattered into a gazillion pieces) while you are tipsy.
Anyway, I have family coming to visit on the 1st and staying for a few days and we have plans to drink wine while they are here. As soon as they leave though, I'll be posting another no-alcohol mini-goal to get me to Halloween!
TY full_of_grace and parsp! It was definitely a memorable anniversary, as after we drank the champagne, the biggest earthquake we've experienced in our 4.5 years in rural north Japan hit right around midnight.
Want a challenge? Try cleaning up broken glass (from a very large vase that fell and shattered into a gazillion pieces) while you are tipsy.
Oh my GOSH! That's crazy!!! What timing!!!!! LOL LOL LOL on the cleanup. Bless your heart! A challenge indeed!
I'm glad you're safe and that you got to enjoy your celebration!! Here's to many more!
Quote:
Originally Posted by snapless
Anyway, I have family coming to visit on the 1st and staying for a few days and we have plans to drink wine while they are here. As soon as they leave though, I'll be posting another no-alcohol mini-goal to get me to Halloween!
Hope you are all having a wonderful day!
You are an inspiration! Don't think I could commit to Halloween this far out. That's impressive!
Thank you for checking in and again, glad you're safe and glad you had a lovely anniversary celebration.
Had first weigh in Wed and was down 4 lbs so I'm thrilled and motivated! I know first weigh ins are usually bigger losses than average and I am a very slow loser, but I'm sticking with it and determined to be a Chick in Control!
Lost my father and husband 2 months apart two years ago, so wine has been my drug of choice and 40 lbs later I'm ready to take my life back. I'll be a first time grandmother in 7 weeks, so that's a great motivator to get healthy, plus I'm ready to see what else... who else... is out there for me
Parsp, Congratulations on the 4 lb loss! I hear you about the wine, I've got a week of family functions coming up and my mind has been toying (alot) with the Chardonnay I'm going to be offered. I've been keeping it out of the house, but out in the real world my mind hasn't given it up.
Grace this is pretty much explains it:
1. I want that first drink.
2. I convince myself that I'm "good" otherwise, so I can afford the drink.
3. I get bratty and say, "I can have whatever I want, dammit," and have a drink.
4. I feel sorry for myself for preventing myself from having a drink.
Perfect thread!
I really want to be able to have a drink in a social situation and enjoy myself without it leading to a binge of either booze or food. This has always been the main compulsion that derails my weight loss.
Had first weigh in Wed and was down 4 lbs so I'm thrilled and motivated! I know first weigh ins are usually bigger losses than average and I am a very slow loser, but I'm sticking with it and determined to be a Chick in Control!
Congratulations!! That's so awesome!
I'm a slow loser too, so I love any good drops like that! (But I'll take 'em all, just the same.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parsp
Lost my father and husband 2 months apart two years ago, so wine has been my drug of choice and 40 lbs later I'm ready to take my life back. I'll be a first time grandmother in 7 weeks, so that's a great motivator to get healthy, plus I'm ready to see what else... who else... is out there for me
Congrats on heading into grandmotherhood! How delightful! Definitely a motivator for better health! Yay!!
I totally understand about having used booze to self-medicate. Been there! Good for you, recognizing that that played a role in allowing your weight to creep up... and putting it in check now.
That's what this is all about, huh?
Good for you! I'm excited!
Quote:
Originally Posted by clayr
I've got a week of family functions coming up and my mind has been toying (alot) with the Chardonnay I'm going to be offered. I've been keeping it out of the house, but out in the real world my mind hasn't given it up.
I played with a, "No booze in the house," line for a while. It seemed to work. I don't go out a LOT, so it helped to keep my at-home "glass to relax" habit out of the equation.
Still, I needed a strategy for drinks when I *did* go out, so I did the one-water-for-every-alcoholic-beverage thing. Also tried to steer toward lower-calorie and/or lower-sugar choices.
Quote:
Originally Posted by clayr
Grace this is pretty much explains it:
1. I want that first drink.
2. I convince myself that I'm "good" otherwise, so I can afford the drink.
3. I get bratty and say, "I can have whatever I want, dammit," and have a drink.
4. I feel sorry for myself for preventing myself from having a drink.
Perfect thread!
That is EXACTLY it.
And for me, it's the emotional parts of it (bratty, feeling sorry for self--numbers three and four, in your list) that do the most damage. I found that I spiraled to worse choices with my drinks because of the emotional impact WAY more than if I would have just said, "Hey. Gonna have a cocktail," without all of that emotional attachment to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by clayr
I really want to be able to have a drink in a social situation and enjoy myself without it leading to a binge of either booze or food. This has always been the main compulsion that derails my weight loss.
I had a test of this last week. I went out with a group of friends with whom I'm always the "big drinker" in the bunch. (They have two glasses and stop. I'll have four.) This time, I was the lightweight--along with one other--and the other two really boozed it up. We all laughed about the "flip flop," but I took it as a really great indication that I *do* have it "in me" to stop after just one or two and still have a WONDERFUL time with my friends.
I don't have to deprive myself of the social fun, or even of the drinks! I just have to make mindful, specific choices that help keep me in-line with my goals.
Yay!
I love learning this, reinforcing this in myself, testing it out, learning where the limits are, and knowing I can live within them more than I might've thought I could.
full of grace, Congratulations for doing so well! It really does feel wonderful to be in control and still enjoy yourself.
I had a nice extended family dinner, turned down the beer they offered me as I arrived, drank seltzer and lime instead. I had a lovely chardonnay with dinner then went back to seltzer.
full of grace, Congratulations for doing so well! It really does feel wonderful to be in control and still enjoy yourself.
I had a nice extended family dinner, turned down the beer they offered me as I arrived, drank seltzer and lime instead. I had a lovely chardonnay with dinner then went back to seltzer.
You are all such great motivators. Despite my very tempting week I did have a .6 loss so I'll take it. I was proud of myself for even going to the weigh in for one, and was thrilled with any loss for two! I had 3 nights out and company over 2 others. I was going to not buy wine for the other two nights and try to go without, but someone brought wine to my house... of course I drank it. Perhaps this will be the week I test my resolve. I have done one thing though that helped... I measured my regular glass of wine and found it was 8 oz, so gave myself a visual on a 6 oz serving which I am trying to stick to.
I have to admit, I am struggling with this same issue too. I have a family full of alcoholics, so I'm quite sensitive to alcoholism and how one can be a functional alcoholic and what it looks like - which is why I'm very concerned about this issue. When I first started WW/SB this year, I decided that I wasn't during any drinking during the week -- but on Friday night, I'd be out with friends at my favorite bar, and I'd drink too much. Saturday night - friends and I would be having dinner out, I'd have one or two martinis. When my weight loss stalled, I knew why - I was drinking waaaaay too much alcohol. I stopped drinking almost two weeks ago - total - to see what the result would be on the scale. Went to my favorite neighborhood bar and - I SURVIVED AND HAD A GOOD TIME WITHOUT THE ALCOHOL.
I'm sure you guessed the scale result correctly - the scale has started moving again.
Moral of the story - for my weight loss to keep moving, I have to leave the alcohol alone.
Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this.
Does that mean I won't ever drink again? No, I'm sure it doesn't. I do know what the end result will probably be, though, if I decide to have those three drinks when I'm out with the girls.
Last edited by grneyedmustang; 08-06-2008 at 07:21 PM.
Despite my very tempting week I did have a .6 loss so I'll take it.
Absolutely!!!!! That's awesome! In the right direction! Yeah!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parsp
I was proud of myself for even going to the weigh in for one, and was thrilled with any loss for two! I had 3 nights out and company over 2 others. I was going to not buy wine for the other two nights and try to go without, but someone brought wine to my house... of course I drank it. Perhaps this will be the week I test my resolve. I have done one thing though that helped... I measured my regular glass of wine and found it was 8 oz, so gave myself a visual on a 6 oz serving which I am trying to stick to.
Good for you! Every little bit has to help. Keep at it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by grneyedmustang
I have to admit, I am struggling with this same issue too. I have a family full of alcoholics, so I'm quite sensitive to alcoholism and how one can be a functional alcoholic and what it looks like - which is why I'm very concerned about this issue. When I first started WW/SB this year, I decided that I wasn't during any drinking during the week -- but on Friday night, I'd be out with friends at my favorite bar, and I'd drink too much. Saturday night - friends and I would be having dinner out, I'd have one or two martinis. When my weight loss stalled, I knew why - I was drinking waaaaay too much alcohol. I stopped drinking almost two weeks ago - total - to see what the result would be on the scale. Went to my favorite neighborhood bar and - I SURVIVED AND HAD A GOOD TIME WITHOUT THE ALCOHOL.
That's what's so tough about pushing your drinking to only specific days... you almost want to go overboard on the "drinking days" to make up for how "good" you were otherwise. It does get tough. Or at least it can. Hang in there!
Quote:
Originally Posted by grneyedmustang
I'm sure you guessed the scale result correctly - the scale has started moving again.
Moral of the story - for my weight loss to keep moving, I have to leave the alcohol alone.
Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this.
Definitely not! Social drinking is a part of many folks' lives and it's a matter of personal circumstances whether we are able to manage drinking and our goals or need to cut it out altogether in order to do better for ourselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by grneyedmustang
Does that mean I won't ever drink again? No, I'm sure it doesn't. I do know what the end result will probably be, though, if I decide to have those three drinks when I'm out with the girls.
And that's what it's all about, really. Mindful choices.
I mean, the drinks are going to be there when the goal weight is reached, so it's a matter of creating better choices DURING the journey and during maintenance too. I guess that's why the all-or-nothing option doesn't feel right to me. I know I'm not going to give up having a drink now and then once I hit goal weight, so to give that up now seems like a set-up for a "failure."
So glad to see so much good dialogue going on, here.
I just found this thread and am so impressed with all the posts. Everyone of them keeps saying that is my behaivor with wine and vodka. And you all seem to be handling it so well you have inspired me.
I have gained and lost the same 30 pounds 4 times now in 2 years and when I look back on the gaining it was me going back to my old eating habits thinking I will never gain it back again and poof boy did I gain it back!
And I can only blame it on the open bottle syndrome in my house. So tonight I am making a commitment to myself that I will only have wine when
1. have met my first mini goal of 5lb loss
2. must exchange exercise for glasses of wine (need to figure out the exercise/calorie rato)
3. only buy regular bottles of wine so I can not overinduldge when I do drink
I just found this thread and am so impressed with all the posts. Everyone of them keeps saying that is my behaivor with wine and vodka. And you all seem to be handling it so well you have inspired me.
For me, some days are better than others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nancylmrn
I have gained and lost the same 30 pounds 4 times now in 2 years and when I look back on the gaining it was me going back to my old eating habits thinking I will never gain it back again and poof boy did I gain it back!
And I can only blame it on the open bottle syndrome in my house.
That's probably been one of the best "lessons" from this thread, for me. The whole "an open bottle is an empty bottle" thing. I didn't even realize it was a policy here 'til I read it from others.
Sure enough, when I keep the booze as a "when I'm out" treat, it's easier to manage. I don't go "crazy" like I thought I would, to "make up for" having been deprived. I'm not deprived at all. That's a great lesson!
Quote:
Originally Posted by nancylmrn
So tonight I am making a commitment to myself that I will only have wine when
1. have met my first mini goal of 5lb loss
2. must exchange exercise for glasses of wine (need to figure out the exercise/calorie rato)
3. only buy regular bottles of wine so I can not overinduldge when I do drink
Thank you all in advance for the support
Awesome goals! Tons of support here! Good luck to you! (And to all of us.)
That's so awesome!
