My Experience with Being Sober Curious

I have been living alcohol-free for the past 10 years. 

I took part in a challenge during October of 2014 and I never looked back.

Prior to my decision to “hit pause” on my drinking, I had felt for a long time that I didn’t have good boundaries with alcohol. I found myself with headaches and regrets too often.

I had a bad wine habit. I would wake up most mornings and tell myself that I would not drink that evening. However, I never kept that promise to myself.

I didn’t drink enough in the evenings to not function, and I always showed up the next day, but I see now that I wasn’t truly present when I was drinking.

It was during an October challenge that I decided to give up alcohol for 60 days. Before the challenge I questioned where I fell on the “healthy/non-healthy” alcohol drinking spectrum. 

Although I did not have a text-book addiction to alcohol, left unchecked, I did lean towards blurred lines when it came to my relationship with drinking. The challenge I signed up for came at a good time and was just what I had been looking for in way of a reality check on some of my habits.

I had every intention of returning to “moderated” drinking after the 60-day challenge ended. However, at the end of the challenge I felt so good, that I decided to keep going. 

I took it week by week, month by month, holiday by holiday, and ultimately year by year.

I reclaimed who I was, how I wanted to feel, and how I wanted to show up to my life.

I have never thought of going back to drinking alcohol. Not once. 

The positive outweighs the negative in my mind.

I originally quit drinking to prove to myself that I could. I also quit to escape what had become an occasionally sloppy lifestyle. 

My gut, hormone, and liver health were not a part of my decision to quit drinking alcohol.  However, in hindsight I can see that I wasn’t doing myself any favors by drinking my way through life, especially through menopause.

My hope is always to share may experiences in the hope of helping/encouraging if only one woman to avoid some of the pits I have found myself in. Alcohol did not serve me well and did indeed leave me in a pit.

If you are “Sober Curious”, I am running a "Sober October Group" and would love to have you join me!

We will be using the 4 Week Gut Protocol meal plan to remove foods that can cause gut issues and will be replacing them with foods that help rebalance the gut microbiome. 

Foods that will be eliminated from the diet during the four weeks include alcohol, gluten, dairy, highly processed soy, corn, and artificial sweeteners.

The 4 Week Gut Protocol includes a no-impact fitness program called “4 Weeks for Every Body”. The program is designed to support gut health by reducing stress on joints and helping build strength and mobility. 

The ONLINE workouts are:  

-Four days a week

-30 minutes or less

-Require dumbbells and a Core Ball. 

-Modifications are available. 

The 4 Week program also includes brackets to help calculate calorie needs and create a food list and container plan for individual goals and needs.

October is a great month to experiment with just how good you can make yourself feel! The summer is behind us and the holidays are before us.

If you have ever found yourself curious about food and/or alcohol elimination from your diet, this is a great opportunity for you to do it with the support of a plan and with people who are doing it with you.

We start on October 7, 2024 and end on November 3, 2024. 

If you are interested in more information: 

email: iwillkariyou@gmail.com

message me on Instagram: iwillkariyou