Week 12 results S15, S0, M17, T0, W0, T6, F15

Week 12 totals 53 3 AF

Yup, had too many Friday night with the friends, dinner, and band. I did work out before hand and eat, but just kept on boozin. 15 beers.

Double Yup, had too many Sat. night. Out of town soccer tourney. Me another dad, and 3 moms started drinking about 2pm, took a 2 hour break to watch a 2nd soccer game that day, and then drank until about 1230 am in the hotel lobby with other parents and the coach. 24 beers.

Sunday behaved AF.

Monday, had 2 youth sports meetings from 6-8 at 1 bar, and 8-10 at another. Did not count real close, but I spent $25, and drank about 18 beers on an empty belly.

Going for a 1 or 2 or 3 day AF session. Maybe more. I go out of town this weekend again. Thursday-Sunday for volleyball in KC. The good news about this team, is that I really don't know the other parents that well, and what I have seen, appears to be normal drinkers. I am not going to take any booze with me either, and see how it goes.

Heading to gym shortly.

(edit on 4-17-13, no gym, but no booze, hopefully gym today and another AF)

(edit on 4-18-13, went to gym after work, and no booze.)
Tonight head out of town for volleyball tourney in KC. Hopefully only minimal boozing with this new group of parents. After the first/only time I sat with them for beers a couple of months ago, it was apparent that none of them were boozers with my abilities. Good luck this weekend.

Week 13 so far S24, S0, M18, T0, W0

Christopher,
I read through all your interesting posts. Don't know what to say -- I couldn't drink 24 beers if you gave me $10000. Calorie-wise that's like 6-7 Big Macs or something. I would physically be incapable of that. Martinis are relatively low-cal, and you get an olive at the end, so it's kind of like the Mediterranean diet! My question, and I'm not being a cynic here -- if you went a whole month last year with no alcohol, yet you can't go a whole week now without alcohol, what difference has TSM made for you? Is it the way you experience your alcohol free days or what?

PS Although I will say your graphs look like textbook TSM so far.

Chris, just checking in on as to how you are doing?

Week 13 results S24, S0, M18, T0, W0, T15, F9

Week 13 total 66

Doing good so far this week, but major spike last week.

Once again, my beer magnet I must carry around in my pocket managed to place me out of town with boozers.

I went to a KC volleyball tournament this weekend with a fairly new group of parents. None from my home town. Turns out, most of them, including some that I had labeled as normal to light drinkers, like to party quite a bit. I really don't think any of them were as hard core as myself and some of us fellow TSM'ers, however, they boozed at each meal we ate out together, and in the hotel lobby bar each evening.

Thursday night in the lobby. Moms 8-10. Dads 8-1am. (Guessing 15 beers since I did not purchase any, but probably had about 3 per hour, I took my Nal as soon as I got there around 8pm and saw what was going down)

Friday night dinner beers at 5pm and beers in lobby until 1030. (9 beers, Much slower pace for all as most had too much the night before. 2 at dinner, 7 in lobby)

Sat. night pretty much like Friday night, however started a little earlier. (12 beers)

So Sat. started my Week 14. As information, this is also the beginning of my 4 month.

After 4 Months, even a 66 unit spike like last week is close to half of what I was doing pre-TSM.

I have not purchased any vodka for my rides home.

I have not purchased or stashed any vodka in my house.

I feel pretty good about the place I am in now and the general direction I am heading.

2 AF days Sunday and Monday, and 9 yesterday due to one of my volunteer groups I am involved in that meets in Taverns.

3 month graph below



Week 14 so far. S12, S0, M0, T9

@bkn1627 In regards to my 1 month alcohol free last year. Your question is a valid one. Last year when I quit drinking, I was trying to go AF for good. At least that is what I told myself and my wife. Obviously, I failed. As I recall, my wife actually suggested that I reward myself after being 1 month free. To "go ahead and have a FEW" at our next event with friends. That just sent me right back to square one. I'm confident that once she said that, and I accepted, I new my alcohol vacation was over. I pretty much craved a drink every day that month, "white knuckling" I think is the term. Sleep was rough also. Either I could not fall asleep, or once I did, I didn't want to get out of bed. It was a very depressing month for me. With Nal as my latest tool, to assist with the crave and volumes, the last 3 months have not been depressing. I actually feel pretty proud of myself and have a lot of confidence in this extinction/cure. The AF days I do have, which are increasing weekly, are much more pleasant than the white knuckle days last year. Especially the withdrawal effects I had last year. Sweating the sheets at night. Very foggy headed at work. Sleepless in the evening, but difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. Only time will tell how TSM will help/cure/reduce/change my consumption. I truly don't expect it to be able to work 100% on its own with the volumes I had been doing. From reading past success stories, I acknowledge that some of this has to not only be my want to drink at healthy levels, but also stringing along more and more consecutive AF days.

Armed with the thought of my spike last week, and a desire to get back on track this week, I will once again go for that elusive 4th (or more) AF day this week. Tonight will be my 3rd, and I am getting ready to head to the gym. (I must admit, before typing this message, I was torn between joining a couple of close co-workers for one of their birthdays at happy hour and skipping the happy hour, going AF and to the gym. I feel guilty for not joining them, but if I did, I know I would drink, and I decided more AF days to be more important. Especially with a spike last week.)

christopher,
This sounds bad, but I thought you probably got arrested or injured...or worse!! It was good to hear from you.

I was MIA pretty much Thursday-Monday, with my out of town trip. Tuesday, I was actually WORKING at work and getting caught back up. I sit at a computer most weekdays, so I don't typically get online at home in the evenings or weekends. So my activity here, on TSM, is usually Mon-Fri.

Last night I managed to go AF, but I worked too late and did not make it to the gym. Got home about 930 pm, and no booze on my ride. Thats always a plus.

I also finally received my breathalyzer at home finally from China. I'm not sure how good it is yet, but for those interested, ebay has a lot of inexpensive ones available to try.

Af last night, and made it to the gym. Took a Melatonin at 8pm leaving gym, got home, ate, and fell asleep before 10 and slept straight until 6am. Pretty good stuff.

New milestone. 4th AF day in the same week. (Currently in first week of Month #4.)

Still have not made the 3 days in a row yet, to be continued ...................

Week 14 Results. S12, S0, M0, T9, W0, T0, F0 Total=21
5 AF





Friday night AF and Gym (Finally 3 days straight and 5 AF days in the same week.)

Saturday. Probably should have went AF, however, I let the gremlin win. Celebrate right? 3 days in a row, 5 days AF last week. MUST stick to the regiment and medicate and drink to make sure the treatment is working right? Probably not, but I did anyway, and had 12 beers.

Sunday AF.

Week 15 So far. S12, S0, Total=12 so far. AF=1

Wow. Great job. Perfect trajectory!

Thanks Bro.

Seeing the graph, and all of the milestones

Knowing I can do 5 AF days in 1 week, surprisingly easily

3 AF days in a row, some day 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 doesn't seem to be a big deal or unobtainable

All of this combined offers me quite a bit of comfort

TSM so far has already been a huge personal success for me in my opinion, and I see many more baby steps in the future.

Trajectory to some 100% AF weeks is not too far over the horizon. Just seeing the peaks and valleys, yet with the trajectory heading south makes me feel pretty damn good.

That being said, I am off to meeting tonight with 8 guys and typically several buckets of beer that have not been good for my Monday/Tuesday tracking over the last few weeks. I know I could choose to not go, or go and refrain, however, I am at least going and taking my Nal, which is, in theory, treatment. At least these weekly meetings will become monthly meetings after June 1st. We are currently meeting weekly to organize a fund raising event, on June 1st, which of course, will include some free beer. Imagine that.