09/08/2023
Chelsea!! You have been killing it and we have been seeing it! Over the past month Chelsea gave up alcohol and has been feeling so much better avoiding drinking while going out with friends & while going to events to see how she would feel from cutting out drinking for a brief period of time AND doesn’t know when or if she wants to reinclude it in her lifestyle! This change has brought her to feeling that much better! And to you Chelsea 💪🏼 keep up all the hard work and if you see her at the gym make sure to give her a fist bump for her hard work 👊🏼
“I did it! I actually did it! I gave up alcohol for over 30 days – July 29th was the last time I had anything to drink. To say I feel accomplished is an understatement. I’m still in disbelief I did this considering my old habits and my coping mechanisms during a very dark time in my life. This would not have been possible without my faith in God and the Holy Spirit prodding my heart to do this and sending me so many signs that it was obviously clear I needed to step out in faith with this challenge. The day after I had my last drink was a Sunday, and one of the Bible verses discussed at church that morning was from Judges 6:14, which says, “The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’” I never heard this verse before, or the story of Gideon, which is the story this that verse originates. It was then that I had all the confirmation I needed to know fully well this is what God was calling me to do. His strength was with me to do this, and I felt it Every.Single.Day. I also would never have been able to accomplish this without the love and encouragement from my fiancé, Matt Traver. From buying me bottles and cans of Pellegrino, La Crox and Spindrift to always being there with an encouraging word and all the support, he’s my solid rock. Matt’s sobriety, and the many talks we’ve had in the almost two years he’s been sober, have shown me just how much better life is when we don’t mask it with substances. Matt talked me through the tough times this month when I was craving a drink, and everything he said turned out to be true. For me, the hardest part was the anticipation of something – whether that was meeting a friend for dinner, going to Matt’s high school reunion or being out on a Friday or Saturday night. The anticipation of said event made me want to have a drink, but as Matt told me, once you’re at the event and time goes by, the craving fades. The next thing you know, the event is over, and you’re driving home without worrying if you had too much, and you wake up the next morning with a good night’s sleep under your belt feeling refreshed for the day ahead. Also, as Matt said, not having alcohol truly did not alter my level of enjoyment; it made it better. We even went away last weekend, which made it the first vacation I was on since turning 21 that I didn’t have a drink. This challenge also came at the strong suggestion of , and when Ronnie told me that I’d see changes in my body that would probably give me the motivation to keep going, he couldn’t have been more right! In just this month, with no alcohol and really watching my diet, my clothes are fitting me better than they have recently, and while shopping and trying on new clothes this past weekend, I really, really liked the changes I saw in the mirror. I also feel stronger with my strength workouts, started to run at longer intervals and decided to set some running goals for myself for 2024. Now that this monthly challenge is over, some have asked me about the next steps. Do I think I can give up alcohol all together? No, but this month showed me I’m stronger than I think, and I don’t always need alcohol when I thought I did. My plan is not to drink during the week, and when I do drink, limit my drinks to two – unless the situation at hand is a true special occasion and may call for a few more. 😊 But, hey who knows, I want to see even more changes in my body (wedding dress prep!), and I’ve come to love lime and lemon La Croix and the cans of Pellegrino are awesome! I’ve also come to realize that when you order Pellegrino or club soda with a lemon and lime in a wine glass, servers don’t look at you as strangely as you might imagine. At the end of the day, it’s all about how you can make it work to reach your goals! To Him be the glory! ♥️”
