Cutting down on booze- experiences?
Discussion
hacksaw said:
Grandfondo said:
hacksaw said:
I tend to drink what some say is quite heavily, so always make a point of taking regular periods of complete abstinence so as to keep myself grounded.
Last week, as a typical week, was roughly 10 pints on Mon - Fri lunches, basically a couple of beers every lunch time, a few pints on a couple of evenings after work, bottle of wine Saturday evening with a meal, then a good 9 or 10 pints with friends on Sunday. so approx. 25 - 30 pints a week, plus wine and a couple of nightcaps. I don't tend to drink at home, apart from the odd nightcap, only socially. Every few months I will make a point of having 3 or 4 weeks of non drinking.
The first few days of not drinking, my sleep suffers badly. I take a long time to settle and nod off. Normally rights itself in three or four evenings. Apart from this, I notice no other changes when off the drink, weight doesn't fluctuate, no more or less difficult getting up in a morning, no change in alertness etc. I really believe that a lot of the benefits are in the mind.
I take it you don't do much driving?Last week, as a typical week, was roughly 10 pints on Mon - Fri lunches, basically a couple of beers every lunch time, a few pints on a couple of evenings after work, bottle of wine Saturday evening with a meal, then a good 9 or 10 pints with friends on Sunday. so approx. 25 - 30 pints a week, plus wine and a couple of nightcaps. I don't tend to drink at home, apart from the odd nightcap, only socially. Every few months I will make a point of having 3 or 4 weeks of non drinking.
The first few days of not drinking, my sleep suffers badly. I take a long time to settle and nod off. Normally rights itself in three or four evenings. Apart from this, I notice no other changes when off the drink, weight doesn't fluctuate, no more or less difficult getting up in a morning, no change in alertness etc. I really believe that a lot of the benefits are in the mind.
Grandfondo said:
hacksaw said:
Grandfondo said:
hacksaw said:
I tend to drink what some say is quite heavily, so always make a point of taking regular periods of complete abstinence so as to keep myself grounded.
Last week, as a typical week, was roughly 10 pints on Mon - Fri lunches, basically a couple of beers every lunch time, a few pints on a couple of evenings after work, bottle of wine Saturday evening with a meal, then a good 9 or 10 pints with friends on Sunday. so approx. 25 - 30 pints a week, plus wine and a couple of nightcaps. I don't tend to drink at home, apart from the odd nightcap, only socially. Every few months I will make a point of having 3 or 4 weeks of non drinking.
The first few days of not drinking, my sleep suffers badly. I take a long time to settle and nod off. Normally rights itself in three or four evenings. Apart from this, I notice no other changes when off the drink, weight doesn't fluctuate, no more or less difficult getting up in a morning, no change in alertness etc. I really believe that a lot of the benefits are in the mind.
I take it you don't do much driving?Last week, as a typical week, was roughly 10 pints on Mon - Fri lunches, basically a couple of beers every lunch time, a few pints on a couple of evenings after work, bottle of wine Saturday evening with a meal, then a good 9 or 10 pints with friends on Sunday. so approx. 25 - 30 pints a week, plus wine and a couple of nightcaps. I don't tend to drink at home, apart from the odd nightcap, only socially. Every few months I will make a point of having 3 or 4 weeks of non drinking.
The first few days of not drinking, my sleep suffers badly. I take a long time to settle and nod off. Normally rights itself in three or four evenings. Apart from this, I notice no other changes when off the drink, weight doesn't fluctuate, no more or less difficult getting up in a morning, no change in alertness etc. I really believe that a lot of the benefits are in the mind.
hacksaw said:
Grandfondo said:
hacksaw said:
Grandfondo said:
hacksaw said:
I tend to drink what some say is quite heavily, so always make a point of taking regular periods of complete abstinence so as to keep myself grounded.
Last week, as a typical week, was roughly 10 pints on Mon - Fri lunches, basically a couple of beers every lunch time, a few pints on a couple of evenings after work, bottle of wine Saturday evening with a meal, then a good 9 or 10 pints with friends on Sunday. so approx. 25 - 30 pints a week, plus wine and a couple of nightcaps. I don't tend to drink at home, apart from the odd nightcap, only socially. Every few months I will make a point of having 3 or 4 weeks of non drinking.
The first few days of not drinking, my sleep suffers badly. I take a long time to settle and nod off. Normally rights itself in three or four evenings. Apart from this, I notice no other changes when off the drink, weight doesn't fluctuate, no more or less difficult getting up in a morning, no change in alertness etc. I really believe that a lot of the benefits are in the mind.
I take it you don't do much driving?Last week, as a typical week, was roughly 10 pints on Mon - Fri lunches, basically a couple of beers every lunch time, a few pints on a couple of evenings after work, bottle of wine Saturday evening with a meal, then a good 9 or 10 pints with friends on Sunday. so approx. 25 - 30 pints a week, plus wine and a couple of nightcaps. I don't tend to drink at home, apart from the odd nightcap, only socially. Every few months I will make a point of having 3 or 4 weeks of non drinking.
The first few days of not drinking, my sleep suffers badly. I take a long time to settle and nod off. Normally rights itself in three or four evenings. Apart from this, I notice no other changes when off the drink, weight doesn't fluctuate, no more or less difficult getting up in a morning, no change in alertness etc. I really believe that a lot of the benefits are in the mind.
It's not booze I need to cut down on it's strong coffee.
I don't drink in the week, and me and the wife share a bottle of red, which lasts the whole weekend. there's usually some left over.
I cut down when our first born arrived and anything more than tap water was a luxury we could NOT afford.
I don't drink in the week, and me and the wife share a bottle of red, which lasts the whole weekend. there's usually some left over.
I cut down when our first born arrived and anything more than tap water was a luxury we could NOT afford.
Not really a practical answer, but living with an alcoholic made me all but give up drinking myself. You have to stay sober so you can carry your partner home/pick them up from A&E...
If we went out drinking together, I couldn't relax and enjoy it myself as I was too worried about her getting rat arsed. If she went out by herself I'd be sat at home stressing about what state she was getting in.
I didn't used to drink heavily/regularly, but now I rarely have more than a couple of pints. However, I've actually piled on the pounds as my eating habits have gone seriously downhill (probably taking the place of the beer).
If we went out drinking together, I couldn't relax and enjoy it myself as I was too worried about her getting rat arsed. If she went out by herself I'd be sat at home stressing about what state she was getting in.
I didn't used to drink heavily/regularly, but now I rarely have more than a couple of pints. However, I've actually piled on the pounds as my eating habits have gone seriously downhill (probably taking the place of the beer).
I've always been confused by the UK obsession with booze.
I don't drink much these days and never really have done.
I will drink if I go to the pub and usually have bottles of wine in the "cellar" and sometimes have beer in the house, but I have never felt that it was somehow "important".
Some weeks I'll have some alcoholic drinks, other weeks I won't.
Heavy drinking is rarely that actually enjoyable...
I enjoy getting out and doing things at weekends in the daytime and don't
Miss feeling rough.
Interestingly:
I've recently discovered (it's taken 20-odd years!) that some types of drinks produce an allergic(?) reaction which might explain how I have sometimes felt terrible (sinus headache) even after only 1 or 2 drinks -a good disincentive to drinking....
Avoiding fizzy lager and those fashionable, excessively hoppy IPA-type "craft" beers -both of which mostly taste fairly nasty anyway makes me feel much better.
Stout, Porter, Mild(!), other dark ales and even spirits don't appear to cause me problems.
Some red wines and some white wines affect me badly others don't.
I don't drink much these days and never really have done.
I will drink if I go to the pub and usually have bottles of wine in the "cellar" and sometimes have beer in the house, but I have never felt that it was somehow "important".
Some weeks I'll have some alcoholic drinks, other weeks I won't.
Heavy drinking is rarely that actually enjoyable...
I enjoy getting out and doing things at weekends in the daytime and don't
Miss feeling rough.
Interestingly:
I've recently discovered (it's taken 20-odd years!) that some types of drinks produce an allergic(?) reaction which might explain how I have sometimes felt terrible (sinus headache) even after only 1 or 2 drinks -a good disincentive to drinking....
Avoiding fizzy lager and those fashionable, excessively hoppy IPA-type "craft" beers -both of which mostly taste fairly nasty anyway makes me feel much better.
Stout, Porter, Mild(!), other dark ales and even spirits don't appear to cause me problems.
Some red wines and some white wines affect me badly others don't.
Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 18th March 23:14
I don't mind a glass of white wine with a big meal or a cold beer on a hot day. If I'm off to the pub then three or four bitter beers with snacks and plenty of pub talk goes down really easily. On a night out I'm straight onto spirits and mixers, just cannot see the point in drinking beer on a night out any more. I cannot handle the gassiness and the sick feeling from that and the sheer volume of the same average nondescript stale pissy tasting liquid.
I don't touch a drop Monday to Friday then on a Saturday I'll have a decent quantity of Gin or Whiskey then probably a bottle of wine on a Sunday before my tea.
Seems to work for me although social occasions do promote the odd slip-up. For example, this Sunday I'll be going a 60th Birthday do at a wine bar where there's a free bar and a hog roast. I know I'll end up drinking way in excess of the usual bottle of red and for that reason I've booked Monday off and I'll be making an effort to hold back the Saturday before (although I know this probably wont happen)
Seems to work for me although social occasions do promote the odd slip-up. For example, this Sunday I'll be going a 60th Birthday do at a wine bar where there's a free bar and a hog roast. I know I'll end up drinking way in excess of the usual bottle of red and for that reason I've booked Monday off and I'll be making an effort to hold back the Saturday before (although I know this probably wont happen)
bobbo89 said:
For example, this Sunday I'll be going a 60th Birthday do at a wine bar where there's a free bar and a hog roast. I know I'll end up drinking way in excess of the usual bottle of red and for that reason I've booked Monday off
Now, that is an example of what I struggle to understand.I have never had a weekly drinking strategy (or planned to prepare for future boozing), needed to ration myself and I have definitely never based my days off work around opportunities to drink alcohol (free or not!). If I did start doing these things, I would be concerned about myself.
Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 19th March 07:05
Philplop said:
Mr Trophy said:
I am generally 
at the amount people drink during the week!
I would rather have a diet coke ! I can go months without a bevy - literally.
A coke is worse for you than a beer. at the amount people drink during the week!I would rather have a diet coke ! I can go months without a bevy - literally.
Maybe better than ten beers, mind...
Woke up the day after valentines after seriously overdoing it on the Whisky so decided enough was enough. The 3 day hangover confirmed my thoughts. Since then I've had one boozy day last weekend for a family birthday in Edinburgh but aside from that ive had 4 bottles of beer in 5 weeks. Feeling much better for it, have joined the gym. Looking a lot thinner, lot more energy. We have friends coming round tonight for tea/drinks and I'm staying sober to save them spending a fortune on a taxi as they live in the sticks.
Can't say I am missing it to be honest.
Can't say I am missing it to be honest.
Bohally said:
Can't say I am missing it to be honest.
Good effort. As I said, earlier, I'm not sure how alcohol has become such an 'important' feature of many people's lives when, other than in small doses, it makes many people feel terrible and limits what you can do afterwards.
The positives are fairly minimal too.
MC Bodge said:
Now, that is an example of what I struggle to understand.
I have never had a weekly drinking strategy (or planned to prepare for future boozing), needed to ration myself and I have definitely never based my days off work around opportunities to drink alcohol (free or not!). If I did start doing these things, I would be concerned about myself.
Are you suggesting I've got a drinking problem? I have never had a weekly drinking strategy (or planned to prepare for future boozing), needed to ration myself and I have definitely never based my days off work around opportunities to drink alcohol (free or not!). If I did start doing these things, I would be concerned about myself.
Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 19th March 07:05
I don't drink during the week as I don't get in until about 7pm and its the last thing on my mind. Saturday is normally social drinking and the reason I've booked the day off work is because I'd normally be up at 5am!
Also, there's no saying that I wont just have 4 pints and be home for 7, it all depends on how it goes but I don't want my 5am start the next day limiting what I do!
bobbo89 said:
MC Bodge said:
Now, that is an example of what I struggle to understand.
I have never had a weekly drinking strategy (or planned to prepare for future boozing), needed to ration myself and I have definitely never based my days off work around opportunities to drink alcohol (free or not!). If I did start doing these things, I would be concerned about myself.
Are you suggesting I've got a drinking problem? I have never had a weekly drinking strategy (or planned to prepare for future boozing), needed to ration myself and I have definitely never based my days off work around opportunities to drink alcohol (free or not!). If I did start doing these things, I would be concerned about myself.
Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 19th March 07:05
I don't drink during the week as I don't get in until about 7pm and its the last thing on my mind. Saturday is normally social drinking and the reason I've booked the day off work is because I'd normally be up at 5am!
Also, there's no saying that I wont just have 4 pints and be home for 7, it all depends on how it goes but I don't want my 5am start the next day limiting what I do!
I don't drink loads - maybe a couple of pints Thursday, Friday and/or Sunday. Possibly quite a few on a Saturday every 6 weeks or so at a party or family/friends gathering.
But if something was planned for the evening before a work day, I might well think about taking a day off or arranging my work diary so I'm not up too early (even though I'm home based) or having to drive first thing.
If whatever was planned for the evening didn't then transpire, it wouldn't even enter my head to think 'well I've got a day off tomorrow, so I might as well have a few anyway'. Or if it was a transport issue, I'd drive and then obviously not drink anyway.
It's entirely different to booking the time off work first then looking for a reason to get hammered, of course.
Looking at it the other way, saying you've never had a drinking 'strategy' isn't necessarily a good thing if it means you end up hammered on the night before an early start, etc.
bobbo89 said:
Are you suggesting I've got a drinking problem?
No. I was talking about myself and my own views of drinking, which are evidently quite different to yours. Drinking alcohol isn't important to me, so it wouldn't influence what days I took as leave. I don't plan my week's drinking -I don't need to as I am unlikely to over-do it. I now avoid drinks that make me feel ill.
Other people have different views.
In my early twenties, when I was working away from home I got into the habit of going to the boozer after work each evening - getting into the habit/routine is easy, getting out of it..... Not so.
It started off harmless enough, a few pints a night, that turned into a skinful and feeling terrible at work every day, which lead to hitting the pub at lunch times for a hair of the dog and yet more bevvy.
The weekends were a blur, I looked and felt like s
t, I was skint and it was affecting my social life, work and relationship with my then girlfriend. In the end I was in such a state that she left me - she hit me with a wine glass and left me on the floor of my Dads livng room after I fell over, and TBH I can't blame her, I got up the next morning and started on the ale nice and early, as per usual.
It all came to a head after about eight months of living like that, I crashed a works van, I'll admit it, I was pissed - they didn't involve the police but they knew what was going on and I was "asked" to leave...... Bit of an eye opener, sat down with my Grandfolks and my Dad and had a chat with them about my problems, I resolved to get myself back on track and it took some doing, as I've already said, the habit was the hardest thing to beat, I did the usual stuff, the gym, walking and I went to night school for something to pass the time.
Six years later I'll have the odd drink but I spend most of my time on the wagon - I haven't had a proper skinful in a long time and I don't intend to.
It started off harmless enough, a few pints a night, that turned into a skinful and feeling terrible at work every day, which lead to hitting the pub at lunch times for a hair of the dog and yet more bevvy.
The weekends were a blur, I looked and felt like s
t, I was skint and it was affecting my social life, work and relationship with my then girlfriend. In the end I was in such a state that she left me - she hit me with a wine glass and left me on the floor of my Dads livng room after I fell over, and TBH I can't blame her, I got up the next morning and started on the ale nice and early, as per usual.It all came to a head after about eight months of living like that, I crashed a works van, I'll admit it, I was pissed - they didn't involve the police but they knew what was going on and I was "asked" to leave...... Bit of an eye opener, sat down with my Grandfolks and my Dad and had a chat with them about my problems, I resolved to get myself back on track and it took some doing, as I've already said, the habit was the hardest thing to beat, I did the usual stuff, the gym, walking and I went to night school for something to pass the time.
Six years later I'll have the odd drink but I spend most of my time on the wagon - I haven't had a proper skinful in a long time and I don't intend to.
The drink is a funny one. It's the way it sneaks up on you. I had pretty serious substance abuse problems back in the 90's - been totally straight for 15 years, not so much as even one joint. But recently I found myself drinking a lot of whiskey at night. Somehow I had got to the point where, when the kids went to sleep I'd have a double, then another, then another every night. My kids live with me, a boy and a girl, 12 and 9 and I'm self employed so my life is extremely quite hectic. I saw what was going on and just killed it dead. It's not been difficult at all. Most interestingly I've been feeling very grim lately - just knackered and spaced out. Went to doctors on numerous occasions. Nothing. Eventually they told me to keep a food diary. It was wheat. Not gluten, or dairy, just specifically wheat. The difference is night and day.
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