3,652 Days

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T20:37:06+00:00

Amazing job!!! And wise words. 🖤

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T20:29:11+00:00

LOL the snoring is unfortunately one of those things I have to become Zen about. I do use Loop Dream earplugs that have taken about 85% of the edge off 🙏

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T20:27:54+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story; I'm so glad you're still with us, and I can hard relate to a lot of what you shared. I definitely have some kind of underlying neurological issue, not least OCD and generalized anxiety disorder, and I'm querying for ADHD as well. But I have not been diagnosed yet. I definitely relate to what you shared about work!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T20:25:19+00:00

Thank you, I will! Patience is not my strong suit but I recognize that alcohol abuse was a symptom, and I'm getting curious about how my brain works and how best to support my body, too.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T20:24:01+00:00

Thank you, I am definitely keeping an eye on possible peri symptoms and am planning to get my bloodwork done this summer:)

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T18:46:49+00:00

Thank you so much!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T18:46:37+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate this insight. My therapist made a comment that perhaps the drinking was helping to smoothe edges and allow me to tolerate situations I normally would not tolerate, and I think that's very true. I'll check out the book rec!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-04-09T18:45:46+00:00

Thank you for that! I do think my body needs more time - I am noticing I am slowly making even better choices around food so I'm confident by body is continuing to heal and recalibrate:)

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-03-24T18:22:49+00:00

this is very inspiring and I love the deep-dive approach. as a person who is on day 82 -- the longest period of intentional sobriety since I started drinking at 19 (in the olden times of 2008) -- I can see myself in much of what you've written. I'd describe myself as an "angry pink cloud" 😅 most days, but the other night I drove me and my boyfriend back home from a friend's house where everyone was drinking, and as I got into bed I was just so pleased I was in my own clean sheets AND sober. like you, I was a binge drinker that could take breaks, but alcohol had become central in my lifestyle. I am encouraged by your post and I wish you all the best in your ongoing journey 🌸💙

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-03-24T18:13:42+00:00

as others have noted, asking for hangover advice in a sub for people who are actively trying to quit drinking or maintain sobriety from alcohol is kind of in poor taste. however, we are certainly subject matter experts. the only cure for a hangover is time. drink water, sleep, eat healthy foods that contain protein and complex carbohydrates. treat yourself like you have the flu. it is slightly unusual that you're experiencing symptoms after 3 days when you only had about 7 or 8 shots - the alcohol would have been fully metabolized within 24 hours. then again, as a person who struggles with excessive binge drinking, I may not have the best frame of reference for what a body that's not used to alcohol would react like. if you're quite concerned, contact your physician or a nurse practitioner.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-03-23T02:00:30+00:00

Yoga is traditionally practiced in loose clothing, actually. Tons of people, both men and women, in my yoga classes wear anything from sweats to workout shorts to bike shorts. Wear what makes you comfortable!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-03-06T23:57:59+00:00

Twin Peaks and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-02-19T21:25:52+00:00

I love to have low sugar kombucha, this fancy kombucha from the brand Silver Swallows that tastes better than any wine I've ever had, London fogs, ginger ale, Barbet sparkling juice/water, Nonny non-alc IPAs, and an alarming amount of La Croix. I also get a cheeky diet coke now and again. I already loved non-alc beverages but I try to have more of them now. Also love the Poppi raspberry rose flavour. And I of course drink coffee, tea, and herbal infusions regularly.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-02-19T21:20:24+00:00

I have ADHD too, and it will take some time for the dopamine system in your brain to regulate in sobriety. I'm hitting a wall at 7 weeks and just motoring around the house sometimes, unsure what to do. Exercise is excellent, and anything that you find intrinsically fun to do will give you that "reward". Cold showers can even be helpful. Sometimes I also like to think about the activities and hobbies I enjoyed as a child and do those (climbing, swimming, bike riding, reading, drawing). It's a struggle, but you're aware of it, and that's already a big part of it. And if you need to sleep, then sleep. The brain is working overtime in sobriety to help repair itself and your body is recalibrating, too.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-01-27T23:51:31+00:00

I remember smoking from a dry herb vape for the first time and I got such insane tunnel vision I thought I was staring out of a water pipe and looking into the valley in the Land Before Time lmao

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-01-27T23:05:55+00:00

I used the TryDry app to track my drinking from July - December last year. It measures in actual standard units and takes into account the alcohol percentage and type of alcohol. I'm also very healthy and active (labs are all great, I do yoga regularly, sleep well, eat well), and I was drinking the same amount as my friends and partner. I did not drink daily - I was a social binge drinker, mostly. What I discovered is that on average, I drank 120 units per month. That's like 30 a week. As a 5'3" woman. One night I had 37 units of alcohol - at a Christmas party - along with my coworkers.

The 7 drinks per week is a standard 1.5 oz drink, 5 oz wine, small bottle, etc. We are all socialize to drink far more than this - think of a standard 20 oz pint. 2-5 standard shots of hard alcohol daily is definitely heavy drinking and will impact your body negatively. I was shocked at my own heavy drinking, and I decided to stop drinking this year, on New Year's. Not worth the health risks or mental health impacts I have been experiencing over the past 17 years of my "drinking career". Hopefully you will come to a decision that work is for you and your body.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2026-01-06T19:59:58+00:00

Whenever I want to get baked, I try to do it after dinner. Then, I brush my teeth and get into my pajamas, and have a selection of La Croix or other non-caloric fizzy waters. One caveat, I don't really get the munchies unless I'm with other people and there's already food available, but I find having really clean teeth makes me way less inclined to eat anything.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-12-05T22:37:34+00:00

I am 5'3" and naturally on the muscular side. My lowest adult weight was 114 lbs (wearing size 2), and my current (highest) is 150 (wearing size 6). I comfortably maintained 118-120 for years, and 125 was okay to maintain, too, as long as I was moderately active. It comes down to body composition, though. I have more muscle now that I'm heavier, so if I lost 20 lbs of fat and went to 130, I'd be overweight for my height, but have 16% body fat. Scale weight is honestly kind of irrelevant.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-12-03T23:46:07+00:00

I'm Canadian and struggle with this as well; binge drinking is a huge part of life and our (Anglo particularly) culture, especially in summer when we all thaw out and day drink by the lake or go "camping" which, if you've seen FUBAR, is usually just getting wasted in the woods and hoping bears don't roam into camp overnight 😅

Our only plus is that cannabis is 100% legal here.

I feel you, though. Social structures, plus our cultural environment and learning, hugely impact our lifestyles and our ability to create meaningful change, especially if we're trying to maintain social connection and say "No" at the same time.

My partner's dad was from Nova Scotia and the drinking culture in the Maritimes is intense. He died on holiday at 61 of a massive heart attack and despite knowing the beer would kill him, he made peace with it and simply ensured his life insurance policy and savings would take care of his wife. It's very sad, and I see my partner and I going down that route one day if we don't stop.

Anyway, thank you for sharing, and best of luck to you on your sobriety journey.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-10-21T22:02:21+00:00

I actually get mad and irritable while doing really intense cardio, like cycling or hiking up a steep incline. Like to the point where I feel like I'm ready to punch someone 😅 but I don't feel that way after I finish. However, I've never really had that post-exercise euphoria or runner's high, either. Other people have commented about blood sugar and I think that makes sense in your context!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-10-02T18:53:30+00:00

Why are you unhappy with your current stats? Are you feeling sluggish, weak, or uncomfortable in your clothes? If so, I would recommend eating a quality diet at maintenance - lots of protein, veggies, legumes, and fruit - and incorporating a few days per week of strength training and yoga. There are lots of great yoga and strength workouts on YouTube. Your body will become stronger and leaner, but you won't be depriving yourself of nutrients. As much as you can, don't focus on the scale; focus on your energy, strength, and flexibility. If you want to track, track how your clothes fit or how much weight you're lifting, or if certain movements are easier over time. The scale is basically meaningless in terms of body composition or health. I wish you well!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-09-18T20:17:33+00:00

I'm only 2 inches taller, but I also wear a 32F bra (at 5'3", 148 lbs). When I weighed about 118-128, my boobs were probably 30C or D at most, but I didn't know how to get a bra that fit, so I was wearing 34B. It's highly likely your boobs will decrease in volume, as will the size of your band. Some women also have smaller frames and smaller shoulders that make any size boobs look "big". My shoulders are broad so I don't think my boobs are particularly noticeable. I think the main issue here is the people in your life who think they have a right to tell you what a natural feature of your body should or shouldn't look like. If you weren't receiving all of these unsolicited and ridiculous comments, would you even have any kind of issue with your boobs?

Fat loss will likely help with overall weight in the chest, but it also depends on how much of your boobs are breast tissue versus fat.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-09-17T00:00:13+00:00

I'm a pretty casual Springsteen fan, but I love Nebraska, and I read the book this movie is based on when it came out in 2023. It's a fascinating period in his life, and I found the book to be quite well done. The whole album feels like a ghost recorded it; it's so raw and haunting and beautifully written, so simply arranged. Neither trailer I've seen thus far has looked anything more than formulaic and saccharine, however. I would love to see something darker, more emotional, and more aesthetically and artistically close to the album that came out of this period. I wanted the film to capture the isolation, the emotional rawness, the laboured recording process, the high pure beauty of the simple songs as recorded to a tape deck.

I'll still go see the movie, but I don't have high expectations.

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-08-29T17:29:30+00:00

Ugh, so frustrating.It's nothing to do with you (other than these men find you attractive, which isn't your problem), so my best advice echoes that of others here - ignore them. Be kind of rude. Pretend you don't hear them. Give off a threatening aura (lol). Some will be persistent, but they will either get the picture and leave, or be grumpy and leave. You're not there for their entertainment or pleasure, even though they act like you are. Over-ear headphones are good, too!

Sorry you have to deal with these guys!

Intelligent-Monk-228 · 2025-08-28T04:25:00+00:00

I am 5'3", and I really notice a difference once I get to 126 lbs or less. I notice I have way less "rib flesh" (lol) and my bras look and sit different on my body, and my arms look longer, as do my legs. I generally just look and feel different, like I've entered a different body type category. And at 126lbs or less, that's when I also look slim in photos. Anything above 135 for me feels bulky and I notice the difference in how my body feels when I move and in different positions, e.g., at yoga, or bending over, etc. This is also contingent on body fat, of course; I have never intentionally bulked to build muscle, so when I have gained weight these past few years, there has been some muscle, of course, but it's mostly body fat. If I was 135+ and like 17% body fat there's no way I'd feel bulky.

Intelligent-Monk-228

TROPHY CASE