This challenge, should you choose to accept it, will require dedication, vigilance, and strength of character. It will prove your willpower. It will test your resolve every single day.

The rule of the challenge is simple: Do not consume alcohol during the month of May.

You may check in daily, weekly, or sporadically. You are certainly welcome to share your struggles and successes. The support of like-minded individuals is key to succeeding in this type of challenge.

Will you join me for 31 days of sobriety?

:scared:
I'll do it! I'll join the Sober May Challenge!:spaz:

Will you join me for 31 days of sobriety?

:nono:

I'll join for 30 days, though. I'm reserving May 10th for a little 50th birthday celebration.

http://www.superchanh.com/chitchat/images/superchanh/party.gif

:scared:
I'll do it! I'll join the Sober May Challenge!:spaz:

:nono:

I'll join for 30 days, though. I'm reserving May 10th for a little 50th birthday celebration.

http://www.superchanh.com/chitchat/images/superchanh/party.gif

Glad to have you both here! We're just getting started and we're already facing our first weekend. I'm sure that we'll make it through just fine, though.

I'll not be joining this one. April was a great success: I had a glass of wine whilst out for dinner with my wife [our only nice night out for ages, bloody kids] and was clean for the other 29 days. I proved a point to myself, and the lack of alcohol calories was excellent for my weight-loss. This month I'll be having very little, but not none, so will just have to join up for challenges to come.

Andrew.

No drinks in May so far!:tu:

I almost didn't join this month, because I don't think I'll make it the whole month. But then, I didn't think I would make it last month.:confused:

No drinks in May so far!:tu:

:claphigh: :claphigh: :claphigh:

I almost didn't join this month, because I don't think I'll make it the whole month. But then, I didn't think I would make it last month.:confused:

You're stronger than you think you are! :nod: It's amazing what you can accomplish when you really push yourself, isn't it? You're doing a great job.

Another day without a drink. Another day closer to the goal.

Thanks!:D
I'm still surprised I've made it this far. I'm pretty happy about it!

There will be no drinking tonight!

I stared down a bottle yesterday. I looked at it, thinking about what it might be like to let loose a little bit. It almost seemed like a good idea. But it wouldn't have brought me any closer to my goals. Whatever pleasure it provided would have been temporary. Achieving my goals will feel better for much longer.

Another weekend is upon us. Stay strong! :flex:

I stared down a bottle yesterday. I looked at it, thinking about what it might be like to let loose a little bit. It almost seemed like a good idea. But it wouldn't have brought me any closer to my goals. Whatever pleasure it provided would have been temporary. Achieving my goals will feel better for much longer.

Another weekend is upon us. Stay strong! :flex:

:claphigh::tu:

The other day I tried some alcohol free wine, because I know someone who drinks that when there are big family celebrations, and I wondered what it must be like. I wasn't crazy about the flavor, so I had to put seltzer and ice cubes in it. It ended up pretty much like my grape juice and seltzer combo, and grape juice is easier to get.:lol:

:claphigh::tu:

The other day I tried some alcohol free wine, because I know someone who drinks that when there are big family celebrations, and I wondered what it must be like. I wasn't crazy about the flavor, so I had to put seltzer and ice cubes in it. It ended up pretty much like my grape juice and seltzer combo, and grape juice is easier to get.:lol:

As soon as I read "alcohol free wine" I thought "isn't that just grape juice?" :lol: It's sounds better than alcohol free beer, at least. Have you tried some of the sparkling grape juices (http://www.welchs.com/products/sparkling.html)?

I think I'd rather just go without than make do with an alcohol-free version of beer or wine. That'd be too much of a tease. I have noticed I drink a lot more diet soda on the weekends now. I think I'm compensating. ;)

I didn't join this challenge but am still dry at this point.:tucool:

Had my planned birthday cheat on Saturday, which was a glass or two (OK, several :o) of Cabernet Sauvignon with a dinner of filet mignon, green beans and mushroom risotto. It was awesome! :drool:

Now, though, back on the fitness trail. Saturday was my only alcohol indulgence since February 5th and I have no more planned for this month.

Now, though, back on the fitness trail. Saturday was my only alcohol indulgence since February 5th and I have no more planned for this month.

Happy birthday and welcome back! :D

It was a dry weekend for me. It will be a dry week, as well.

As soon as I read "alcohol free wine" I thought "isn't that just grape juice?" :lol: It's sounds better than alcohol free beer, at least. Have you tried some of the sparkling grape juices (http://www.welchs.com/products/sparkling.html)?

I think I'd rather just go without than make do with an alcohol-free version of beer or wine. That'd be too much of a tease. I have noticed I drink a lot more diet soda on the weekends now. I think I'm compensating. ;)

I've never seen that sparkling grape juice! Nice!! I'm going to look for those around here. It's probably kind of like the grape juice with seltzer too.:nod: I got that idea from when I used to drink Orangina and go "hey, it's just like orange juice and seltzer!" I gotta get a new seltzer-making bottle. I miss making my own.

Tasty beverages are always something I struggle with.:doh: I quit the iced tea several years ago. I was *very* addicted to Arizona iced tea. I keep substituting things, I've noticed. :p

Had my planned birthday cheat on Saturday, which was a glass or two (OK, several :o) of Cabernet Sauvignon with a dinner of filet mignon, green beans and mushroom risotto. It was awesome! :drool:

Now, though, back on the fitness trail. Saturday was my only alcohol indulgence since February 5th and I have no more planned for this month.

:tu:
Happy birthday, by the way!

Still not drinking. I wanted to yesterday when we went out for Japanese food, but I didn't!

Happy birthday, by the way!

Thanks. It was the BIG FIVE-OH! :lol:

On another thread-related topic, a followup on something I mentioned once or twice in the March and April challenges: dumping alcohol, with no other dietary or exercise changes, has resulted in a fairly steady weight loss, most of which appears to be fat loss. :claphigh:

When I went "on the wagon" February 5th, I weighed 196 lbs (~20% bf). After the initial progress during my "transformation" begun in 2005 (I started at 209 lbs -- 27% bf), I have plateaued at or near 196 lbs for the last couple of years. I have been lifting 3-4 times a week and my food intake has consistently been at or below maintenance but the booze calories always kept me from making any further progress. I used to joke that "if I quit drinking, I bet I'll drop 20 lbs."

Flash forward to this morning -- 13 weeks later -- I weighed 181 lbs at around 14% bodyfat. Down 15!!! :spaz: Now, I am really fascinated to see where the next plateau will be. The least I have weighed since my teenage years was 173 lbs in college (1978). I have a good bit more LBM now, so my guess is that without further changes in diet/exercise, the weight will level off pretty soon. We shall see .... :confused:

Thanks. It was the BIG FIVE-OH! :lol:

On another thread-related topic, a followup on something I mentioned once or twice in the March and April challenges: dumping alcohol, with no other dietary or exercise changes, has resulted in a fairly steady weight loss, most of which appears to be fat loss. :claphigh:

When I went "on the wagon" February 5th, I weighed 196 lbs (~20% bf). After the initial progress during my "transformation" begun in 2005 (I started at 209 lbs -- 27% bf), I have plateaued at or near 196 lbs for the last couple of years. I have been lifting 3-4 times a week and my food intake has consistently been at or below maintenance but the booze calories always kept me from making any further progress. I used to joke that "if I quit drinking, I bet I'll drop 20 lbs."

Flash forward to this morning -- 13 weeks later -- I weighed 181 lbs at around 14% bodyfat. Down 15!!! :spaz: Now, I am really fascinated to see where the next plateau will be. The least I have weighed since my teenage years was 173 lbs in college (1978). I have a good bit more LBM now, so my guess is that without further changes in diet/exercise, the weight will level off pretty soon. We shall see .... :confused:

Hooray for 50!!!

Wow, those are some great results you've had!:jumping:

I'm still sober here.:nod:

This was definitely my most difficult weekend yet. I spent it at the house of an old college / drinking buddy. This is the guy that first introduced me to good beer. He was having a party, complete with backyard grilling, for his son's 4th birthday. There was beer. It would've gone soooo well with the burger and bratwurst. He made several offers, but I kept declining, mentioning that I'm training for a half-marathon.

After the party was over and people left, he opened the liquor cabinet. Inside was a bounty of rum, vodka, liqueurs, and a massive bottle of bourbon. :cry: "No, thank you," I said, while containing my doubts and desires. Part of me really wanted to just kick back, get sloshed, and relive the good times we used to have. Instead, he had a few drinks himself, though having a sober buddy was an obvious buzzkill, and we played Mario Kart Wii.

I really wanted to drink. But I needed to stay sober. Sometimes, having to make those types of decisions can suck.

I really wanted to drink. But I needed to stay sober. Sometimes, having to make those types of decisions can suck.

You should be proud of your fortitude :nod:

Resisting when temptation is all around is no easy task

This was definitely my most difficult weekend yet. I spent it at the house of an old college / drinking buddy. This is the guy that first introduced me to good beer. He was having a party, complete with backyard grilling, for his son's 4th birthday. There was beer. It would've gone soooo well with the burger and bratwurst. He made several offers, but I kept declining, mentioning that I'm training for a half-marathon.

After the party was over and people left, he opened the liquor cabinet. Inside was a bounty of rum, vodka, liqueurs, and a massive bottle of bourbon. :cry: "No, thank you," I said, while containing my doubts and desires. Part of me really wanted to just kick back, get sloshed, and relive the good times we used to have. Instead, he had a few drinks himself, though having a sober buddy was an obvious buzzkill, and we played Mario Kart Wii.

I really wanted to drink. But I needed to stay sober. Sometimes, having to make those types of decisions can suck.

:spaz: Wow, great job!:bow:

I'm still sober, though I occasionally have wished I was not in the past week.

Hooray for 50!!!

Wow, those are some great results you've had!:jumping:

I'm still sober here.:nod:

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must report to the group that I did have a couple of beers and a couple of glasses of wine at a dinner party last Saturday night. It was a fundraiser for my son's school, for which my wife and I shelled out $75. While it was not a planned cheat before the SMC started, I decided to go ahead and get some of my $75 worth. :o

No big harm done. I didn't get hammered by any means and my weight is already back down to where it was last Friday. Still, it was a departure from my planned sobriety. Not beating myself up, though, because I haven't had anything since and have nothing further planned for the rest of May.

You should be proud of your fortitude :nod:

Resisting when temptation is all around is no easy task

140 days sober and I'm certainly proud of that. Many of those days I haven't even considered drinking. But the times that I have, like the past weekend, are incredibly tough.

Food and drink are strongly linked to socializing. When I have to restrict those things, sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on some type of social connection. I know my friendships are more meaningful than a shared beverage, but still... :rolleyes:

I'm still sober, though I occasionally have wished I was not in the past week.

I'm definitely in touch with that emotion. Congratulations on the continued sobriety. :tu:

No big harm done. I didn't get hammered by any means and my weight is already back down to where it was last Friday. Still, it was a departure from my planned sobriety. Not beating myself up, though, because I haven't had anything since and have nothing further planned for the rest of May.

I'd say controlled consumption is still a sign of progress. Good job on not letting it get out of control. Welcome back to the wagon.

140 days sober and I'm certainly proud of that. Many of those days I haven't even considered drinking. But the times that I have, like the past weekend, are incredibly tough.

Food and drink are strongly linked to socializing. When I have to restrict those things, sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on some type of social connection. I know my friendships are more meaningful than a shared beverage, but still... :rolleyes:


I'm definitely in touch with that emotion. Congratulations on the continued sobriety. :tu:


I'd say controlled consumption is still a sign of progress. Good job on not letting it get out of control. Welcome back to the wagon.

Wow, 140 days!!:tu:

I'm still sober, and fairly grouchy.:D

I'd say controlled consumption is still a sign of progress.

:nod: In fact, that is pretty much my ultimate goal. Once I get my bf% down from the current 14-15% to around 10% (figure I have about 10 pounds to go), I do plan to occasionally indulge at a measured pace.

As a former participant in two challenges I empathize with what so many of you are successfully achieving.

Late Start, a belated congrats on joining the AARP crowd; I did so shortly after you did. And FWIW, I think you're taking the right approach to the fundraising dinner.

Ecrivain, what can I say? 140 days is tremendous and what you said to your friend about abstaining because you're in training really resonated with me. It makes perfect sense. Not that I'm particularly training for anything (Philly Distance Run?), but giving that as the reason for abstaining is much more powerful than some of the things I've said in the past.

Butteflyer, my fellow NJ person. You go!

Andy M and AZDesertRhino I know you're not formally in the challenge, but to the extent that you're making healthy choices it's all good.

PlainGrey, I'm not sure if you commited either, but I know the progress you're making and it all seems good.

Me? I haven't come close to the standards of any of you this month, partly by design, but I wanted to share something that happened yesterday that I think is going to be a nice springboard for me to joining a JSC.

A friend who've I've literally known my entire life, but have seen very sparingly in the past two decades came over the house yesterday. The last time I had seen him, after over a decade, we got snookered and I didn't want that to happen again. It went past the point of adding enjoyment to our first encounter together in a long time. I decided that I wasn't going to drink last night and while I could have used Ecrivain's wise reasoning, it was before I read what he wrote so I was going to give some other rationale.

Well, he comes over and after we greet each other I ask him if he would like something to drink, specifically offering non alcoholic alternatives first. He looks at me and says, "What are you going to have?" I tell him seltzer, thinking I'm going to have to give my rationale and he's says he'll have the same and then proceeds to tell me that it had reached the point where he thought he had a problem, sought help (AA), and was commited to not drink yesterday. We talked about why he reached that conclusion and his struggles and success since and at the end of the evening, with neither of us having nothing more than selzter with lemon we had a great time catching up.

A fine, fine evening. Sorry for the length, I just wanted to share this with someone and frankly there aren't too many than I can.

I'm still sober, and fairly grouchy.:D

:lol: At least you can smile about it! :p

:nod: In fact, that is pretty much my ultimate goal. Once I get my bf% down from the current 14-15% to around 10% (figure I have about 10 pounds to go), I do plan to occasionally indulge at a measured pace.

Dude. I believe if I got down to 10%, I'd allow myself a drink too. Hit that goal! :tu:

Not that I'm particularly training for anything

Yes you are. ;)

Well, he comes over and after we greet each other I ask him if he would like something to drink, specifically offering non alcoholic alternatives first. He looks at me and says, "What are you going to have?" I tell him seltzer, thinking I'm going to have to give my rationale and he's says he'll have the same and then proceeds to tell me that it had reached the point where he thought he had a problem, sought help (AA), and was commited to not drink yesterday. We talked about why he reached that conclusion and his struggles and success since and at the end of the evening, with neither of us having nothing more than selzter with lemon we had a great time catching up.

A fine, fine evening. Sorry for the length, I just wanted to share this with someone and frankly there aren't too many than I can.

Thanks for sharing this. Believe me, I know what it's like trying to deal with friends who drink, so I really appreciate seeing stories like this.

Big weekend coming up. I know I'll be keeping this challenge in mind. Stay strong, everybody! :flex:

Big weekend coming up. I know I'll be keeping this challenge in mind. Stay strong, everybody! :flex:

Saturday night I had 2 glasses of wine. Nobody pushed it on me, I just decided to have them. I'm still pretty happy that I went 7 weeks with no alcohol, and then when I did have some I stopped at just 2 glasses.:D

Saturday night I had 2 glasses of wine. Nobody pushed it on me, I just decided to have them. I'm still pretty happy that I went 7 weeks with no alcohol, and then when I did have some I stopped at just 2 glasses.:D

Hi Butterflyer. I'm not sure what your ultimate goal is with regard to drinking, but if it's moderation that you're seeking then I think you achieved your objective Saturday night.

I'm giving thought to joining a June challenge; I'm starting to slip back and the accountability of these challenges has been very helpful to me in the past.

Hi Butterflyer. I'm not sure what your ultimate goal is with regard to drinking, but if it's moderation that you're seeking then I think you achieved your objective Saturday night.

I'm giving thought to joining a June challenge; I'm starting to slip back and the accountability of these challenges has been very helpful to me in the past.

Thanks Paul! Moderation is definitely my goal.:nod: Sometimes I wonder if total abstinence forever should be my goal, but that's a tougher question. It wasn't a tough question for smoking, on the other hand. I know I would never be able to have just one cigarette.

Thanks Paul! Moderation is definitely my goal.:nod: Sometimes I wonder if total abstinence forever should be my goal, but that's a tougher question. It wasn't a tough question for smoking, on the other hand. I know I would never be able to have just one cigarette.

It's mine too, but I always seem to be vacillating with my actions and at times tend to creep to the non moderation side. As I've written before, not enough to be stupid or impact any of my responsibilities, but enough to impede my fitness progress.


I also hear ya about the smoking. I smoked for about eight years, often a pack a day, but haven't had a cigarette in over 25 years. It just isn't going to happen and is really off my radar screen. Good for you for kicking that nasty habit.

Saturday night I had 2 glasses of wine. Nobody pushed it on me, I just decided to have them. I'm still pretty happy that I went 7 weeks with no alcohol, and then when I did have some I stopped at just 2 glasses.:D

To echo what I said to LateStart: controlled consumption is definitely a positive step. I don't trust myself with that step right now, but if you're able to handle it responsibly, I think that's fantastic. Good job. :tu:

To echo what I said to LateStart: controlled consumption is definitely a positive step. I don't trust myself with that step right now, but if you're able to handle it responsibly, I think that's fantastic. Good job. :tu:

I can totally relate to your approach, cuz of the smoking thing.

2 months with only 2 glasses of wine is a pretty big accomplishment for me based on the last couple of years.

I don't know if I can go another whole month, but that is just the reason I should join the Sober June Challenge.:nod:

Wow, I just realized the month, and this challenge, is over. Where'd it go?! :eek:

152 days of sobriety.

2 months with only 2 glasses of wine is a pretty big accomplishment for me based on the last couple of years.

I'd say that's excellent progress. Well done! :claphigh:

I don't know if I can go another whole month, but that is just the reason I should join the Sober June Challenge.:nod:

If it were easy, we wouldn't call it a challenge. ;) You did great this month. In fact, I'll leave it to you to start us off in June. I'll certainly join.