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Giving up wine for W30


Ruthie

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Friday nights are the hardest for me, so I came up with a new ritual - doing some self-pampering. Soaking in the tub with epsom salts after a hard week of workouts with a clay mask on, doing an exfoliating peel, plucking my eyebrows, and taking off my chipped nail polish all distract me from what my Friday nights used to be. It also sets me up to have a productive weekend instead of rolling around in bed waiting for the tylenol to kick in.

I used to go to work hungover, go to the gym hungover, basically lived my life between drinking and recovering the next day. As a former Friend of Bill, the W30 is an indispensable tool in reconnecting with my body and mind in a meaningful way. My goal for 2013 is to be able to count the number of drinks I've had on my fingers. Not days that I've drank, but actual drinks.

The past two weeks have been great. My anxiety is greatly reduced (probably because my psychiatric medication is actually having a chance to work), my nutrition is on point, and I'm sleeping incredibly well. These are things I thought I had lost forever. When you stop lying to yourself and listening to your addiction, it gets so much easier to live.

I also just want to say that drinking every day doesn't necessarily make you an alcoholic, so please don't take it that way. Addiction is in the eye of the beholder, and you pretty much know when you have a problem.

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i just have to say, that i have seen more movies in the past two weeks than i have in the past year. i forgot how fun they are! this weekend the boyfriend and i hit up a $1 oyster happy hour before the movie. it felt so nice to sit at the bar and be able to eat something guilt-free (also my first time out since starting w30). i wasn't even tempted (well maybe just a little) by his delicious-looking cocktail. :)

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I also just want to say that drinking every day doesn't necessarily make you an alcoholic, so please don't take it that way. Addiction is in the eye of the beholder, and you pretty much know when you have a problem.

I'm glad you put this out there - I couldn't agree more!

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During the days leading up to my Whole30, I concentrated on how crappy I felt after drinking wine -- the intense thirst in the middle of the night, wide-awake at 2am, and the general malaise the next day. I like to trot that memory out when the Red Wine Dragon rears its ugly head.

And I have decided that the Red Wine Dragon is really just a Sugar Dragon in costume. My body was really accustomed to all that alcohol sugar every night. So when I found myself reaching for something fruity at night, I decided that I better abstain if I really wanted to slay the dragon. Fruity teas or strawberrry Kambucha give my mind a mental sugar fix.

So I mostly have a really high quality sparkling mineral water in a wine glass at night. Using the wine glass does help. After the Whole30? Probably unwise to think I can play with fire.

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Hi guys- big wine lover here!! I am on day 4 and so far so good. I am dreading the weekend though, knowing it's going to be hard. I have read through all the posts here and they are so helpful. I plan to be very productive this weekend too, making plans to get some things knocked off my to-do list and also booked a mani/pedi as a treat. I have to get some kombucha to try. Does it have sugar/carbs in it? I tried one from whole foods a while back ( I think it was called synergy? grape flavour?) and it was so yummy.

Ainsley

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So glad to find this topic! Big red wine fan here. Day 5 of my 2nd Whole30. Feeling much better at this point than I did on the first in the fall, but missing my wine. Big challenge ahead this weekend-daughter plays on a travel volleyball team. We are a tight knit group that has been together for 6 months out of the year for 5 years. The weekends are spent with good food and drink in our hotel lobby/bar/rooms/pool.

I know planning is the key but boy it's going to be hard. I like the kombucha idea in a wine glass...just haven't had the courage to try it yet! Not giving in to the big Red Dragon!!

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I, too, am happy to find this thread. I'm on Day 4 and I was complaining to my trainer on Friday afternoon that I wouldn't be able to go home and have a glass of wine on Friday night. It didn't seem fair. For more years than I can count, I have had a glass or two every night, to unwind while making dinner and enjoy with dinner. I do feel a little out of sorts in the 4 - 6 pm time frame, but once dinner's over, I could care less about the wine and I'm proud of myself for going another day without it. I do think it's more of a habit for me (like smoking while driving, if you're a smoker - I kicked that habit a looong time ago) and it takes a while to get out of the habit.

I wasn't aware that wine was allowed after the Whole30 - i'm not sure if that's a good thing or not! My husband begged me NOT to give up wine (and he's been sober for 25 years); he said I'd be too bitchy without it. I am proving him wrong, one of my favorite things to do ;)

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Well, I made it through another weekend. But I have to admit, I have been skirting social situations while during my first 17 days. I just don't trust myself to not give in. However, being an extrovert, I couldn't last much longer. So I invited three girl friends over last night for a impromptu evening. Three of us are doing Whole30, so it was easy since none of use are drinking. However, as I was cooking yummy Whole30 snacks and cleaning the living room to prepare - I kept mentally reaching for a wine glass!

It was fun - I got 3 different flavors of Kombucha and we had a "kombucha" tasting.

Felt bad for our fourth guest who knew nothing about the Whole30 - as that was the MAJOR topic of our evening. We had my dog eared Well Fed cookbook out and talked recipes for a couple of hours. It was fun, and I have to admit I didn't miss the hangover this morning!

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DH and I chatted about wine for about three minutes this weekend- finished up the chat with the desire to sleep well instead-that is getting to be a real treat !!! I was lying in bed thinking how much I probably wouldn't even LIKE the taste of wine right now. It's all good...

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Giving up alcohol was a challenge for me as well. I've weathered two social situations where wine was front and center and surprisingly found the smell of my husband's martini at the last one turned my stomach. Weekends are toughest, especially since the hubs is not on the plan and still having his regular indulgences. I've been drinking gallons of bubbly water-thank goodness I bought a soda stream-and loads of hot tea instead and I'm so glad. I feel so much calmer without alcohol in my system, it really does not sit well in me. I need to remember that after the hard & heavy rules of the W30 are lifted....there are a lot of things I need to remember ;)

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Kombucha has been a life saver for me! I really want a SodaStream and I must buy one! Kombucha is delish but expensive and it's usually just the "bubbles" I want! It's so nice to have something else in the evening. That and hot tea are my new go-to drinks!

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Day 24 and I finally find and read this thread. Thanks for all who shared their stories, it helped me realize I wasn't alone in this.

When I told my wife I was planning on doing Whole 30, she shook her head and said no way I was going to be able to go without my beloved cocktails and wine. If anything, that was an inspiration to me.

I'll admit, I was afraid that it would be the hardest part. But I know myself, and I know I'm pretty determined to follow through with commitments I make, so I was determined to do this, no ifs ands or buts. (I guess you have to be determined to be an Ironman and Ultramarathoner.) And yes, if you're wondering, plenty of Ironman and Ultramarathons also like wine and cocktails.

I am glad I didn't really have "cravings" per se... but I did have the moment at dinner when I would say "what should I have to drink, I'm thirsty!" I realized that I would drink a glass of wine with dinner because I was thirsty, and really... there's no nutritional value there... why would I drink wine instead of water? I found that bubbly water, San Pellegrino is my favorite brand, has been the main thing I substituted. But I also drink iced coffee. [Note: I know that W30 encourages not drinking coffee after noon. Sorry, that's the one thing I didn't follow.]

I will admit that I am looking forward to enjoying a cocktail next week when I'm done with Whole 30.

Folks in the W30 group I'm in have all started asking "what's next". And as of now, I plan to pretty much keep eating in a whole30 compatible way. But I will add back in a cocktail or glass of wine OCCASIONALLY. And maybe more to the point, I plan to be very thoughtful about when/why/and what I choose to consume.

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I'm with Brad, I plan on continuing to keep eating in a whole30 way, but adding back only 3-4 glasses of wine a week and a teaspoon of Stevia in my coffee. Has anyone introduced wine and found that they kept losing weight and feeling great?

What I know for sure is that I don't want to go back to feeling sluggish and tired every day.

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What I found with wine when I reintroduced it after my first W30 last summer, it triggered very strong cravings for sweets/carbs/bread for a couple of days afterwards. And call me a lush, but for me it was a very slippery slope, and keeping it to only a couple of times a week was difficult. In fact, I didn't ever get the hang of that, thus, I'm back for another round of W30. I'm not ready to let go of my beloved wine altogether, and will keep at it until I can get the wine dragon under better control when "riding my own bike".

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Thanks, Ann. That is what I'm afraid of - that slippery slope! I am in the catering business, so I am around wine every single day. It has been easier during my Whole30 because it is an all-or-nothing situation. There is no way I'm going to work so hard to be healthy and have to restart for a glass of wine. But I'm not a great bike rider! And social situations are very tough for me. In fact, I've been staying away from social gathering all together during my Whole30 because it is just not cemented in my body to not indulge quite yet.

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I met a friend for dinner last Wednesday, and we decided to sit in the bar and do happy hour instead of the full-on restaurant dinner. This is a friend who I usually share a bottle (or two :ph34r:) of wine with. So it was sort of a double-whammy - being in a busy happy-hour bar, with my friend that I typically drink with. She ordered a couple of cocktails, and I sipped seltzer with lime, and ordered W30 compliant appetizers. I think these "exercises" are very good during my Whole30, because I walk away knowing that it's not impossible to enjoy a social occasion without alcohol.

Oh, and add to it, the tab is WAY less when you aren't drinking!! Feel free to splurge on more delicious food!!

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Oh, and add to it, the tab is WAY less when you aren't drinking!!

Ain't that the truth!!!

Yesterday I went to a "Multicultural Night" at my kids' school. There wasn't alcohol there of course so not exactly the same temptation, but the centerpiece of the evening was a huge pot luck of different foods from all over the world. None of it was W30 compatible. I did find an orange. Good thing I was prepared ahead of time and ate a big salad before going. So many deliscious looking foods. I just looked and read the ingredients and imagine what it would taste like.

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I had an epiphany this week and I wanted to share. And when it hit me, it was a 'duh' moment!

Years ago, when I finally quit smoking for the final time, I found that even months later I would be hit with a sudden craving for a cigarette. It was bizarre, because for all intents and purposes I was long past the stage of either physical or psychological dependence. So I started analyzing who I was with, what I was doing, where Iwas, and trying to figure out why the cravings would hit at that moment.

The answer was that I was usually alone and doing something fairly strenuous like mopping floors or yard work. The why turned out to be simple. Smokers take breaks. People just stop what they are doing, say "I need a cigarette" and go somewhere to smoke it. It turned out I didn't really want the cigarette, I wanted to give myself permission to sit down for five minutes. A lot of times we just run ourselves too hard for too long. Once I gave myself permission to take a break without guilt, without feeling like I was lazy, without beating myself up over how much was still to be done, the cravings went away.

Wine has always been my refuge after a stressful day. I would come and pour a glass to 'decompress' after my stressful day. Instead of jumping right into cooking dinner, finishing the breakfast dishes, folding laundry, or whatever, I would pour a drink and just 'chill' for half an hour. Now, if I am stressed, I make a cup of herbal tea and sit with it. I haven't missed the wine at all. Because it wasn't the wine I wanted, it was the permission to sit down and not feel like I had to get moving on dinner and chores.

Not sure this will make sense to anyone else, but for me it's more about cutting myself some slack than it is about the substance.

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it triggered very strong cravings for sweets/carbs/bread for a couple of days afterwards. And call me a lush, but for me it was a very slippery slope, and keeping it to only a couple of times a week was difficult.

This has been my experience exactly. Alcohol does really kick in my sugar/carb cravings and it takes me about three days to get past that!

I have yet to feel like I successfully "rode my own bike." At the end of this Whole30, I plan to very specifically and in advance identify when I will choose to be non-compliant (i.e., I think Valentine's Day may be my first wine).

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Years ago, when I finally quit smoking for the final time, I found that even months later I would be hit with a sudden craving for a cigarette. It was bizarre, because for all intents and purposes I was long past the stage of either physical or psychological dependence. So I started analyzing who I was with, what I was doing, where Iwas, and trying to figure out why the cravings would hit at that moment.

I was the same when I quit smoking. People, places, and things are all psychological triggers to induce a behavior that was once a habit. Whether it's beer and nachos while watching football, or pulling out of your driveway and lighting a cigarette, its something that's always with you. This is the terrifying nature of addiction!

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Years ago when I did my first whole 30, I would have killed somebody for a coke zero. I had been drinking about 2 liters a day. It was seriously harder to give up than grains or sugar for me. I drank a ton of mineral water to help me get over it (which took about 3 weeks) and its been a few years now that I've not had any coke zero. I eventually got over the need to drink mineral water, too.

Have you ever tried kombucha? It's kind of tangy and tart and might be something to help you get through. In the meantime, give that bottle of wine away!!

I agree on the Kombucha..kinda like a summer cocktail in the middle of winter. I committed to a booze-free January, but I will be having a glass of wine on February 1...most likely it will put me on my ear but so be it! :P

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Folks in the W30 group I'm in have all started asking "what's next". And as of now, I plan to pretty much keep eating in a whole30 compatible way. But I will add back in a cocktail or glass of wine OCCASIONALLY. And maybe more to the point, I plan to be very thoughtful about when/why/and what I choose to consume.

I like this :) I have been debating how I would add wine back in. I don't want to go back to my bottle a night routine that I was in before, but I do want to have a drink again! I like your idea of being aware and really thinking about when/why/what.

Day 30!!!! Congratulations everyone!!

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