365 days without booze... join me?
Discussion
TameRacingDriver said:
Jamie VTS said:
I have a first date tonight... meeting at a pub.
Ooooffff I wouldn't be able to start a journey like this that way, but good luck with it anyway 
I agree with the other chap though, if it's a big thing for you, concentrate on the booze bit first. Then, once you're comfortable with it all, go dating.
Smitters said:
I went for the alternate approach - my first social outing post-quit was the Six Nations Super Saturday - three games in a row, the whole gang often insensible before the final kick off. A lot of lime and soda was consumed... Baptism of fire, but it was one brick in the wall and a good strong one at that.
Fair play, I couldn't do that.I'll be honest, I'm out on Friday for a mates birthday, and I will be drinking. However, I plan on having nothing the rest of the weekend, and while that may not seem like a big deal, I literally can't remember the last time I didn't have a drink on a Saturday or Sunday, let alone both days, and I'll be continuing through the week.
I may try and stay completely sober the following weekend too. My other half is looking after her poorly parents from Wednesday through until Saturday. I had put myself down to go to a party on Saturday (well, technically I was a 'maybe'), but I'm not going to bother. Other half surely wont be in the mood, and it will be good to go for over a week without drinking for the first time probably since I was a child! That would be massive for me, if I'm honest.
I can't, at this stage, see myself being completely teetotal but I think if I can just avoid doing it in the house, then that will be a massive, massive step for me.
TameRacingDriver said:
Fair play, I couldn't do that.
I'll be honest, I'm out on Friday for a mates birthday, and I will be drinking. However, I plan on having nothing the rest of the weekend, and while that may not seem like a big deal, I literally can't remember the last time I didn't have a drink on a Saturday or Sunday, let alone both days, and I'll be continuing through the week.
I may try and stay completely sober the following weekend too. My other half is looking after her poorly parents from Wednesday through until Saturday. I had put myself down to go to a party on Saturday (well, technically I was a 'maybe'), but I'm not going to bother. Other half surely wont be in the mood, and it will be good to go for over a week without drinking for the first time probably since I was a child! That would be massive for me, if I'm honest.
I can't, at this stage, see myself being completely teetotal but I think if I can just avoid doing it in the house, then that will be a massive, massive step for me.
You dont have to go cold turkey. I found January this year a total nightmare, i felt my OH forced me into staying sober. I lasted until the 2nd weekend.I'll be honest, I'm out on Friday for a mates birthday, and I will be drinking. However, I plan on having nothing the rest of the weekend, and while that may not seem like a big deal, I literally can't remember the last time I didn't have a drink on a Saturday or Sunday, let alone both days, and I'll be continuing through the week.
I may try and stay completely sober the following weekend too. My other half is looking after her poorly parents from Wednesday through until Saturday. I had put myself down to go to a party on Saturday (well, technically I was a 'maybe'), but I'm not going to bother. Other half surely wont be in the mood, and it will be good to go for over a week without drinking for the first time probably since I was a child! That would be massive for me, if I'm honest.
I can't, at this stage, see myself being completely teetotal but I think if I can just avoid doing it in the house, then that will be a massive, massive step for me.
This time is cutting down & everything in moderation.
I still genuinely feel down about my drinking on Sunday & it probably stemmed from having nothing on the Saturday before.
Champions league tonight will be a couple of fever tree ginger beers.
Not wanting to piss on anyone's chips, but the thread is about 365 days without booze, does feel a little diluted with all the talk about not cutting it out completely. I've been off since New Years Day and still wonder if I'll have a drink once the 365 days are up, though I'm increasingly thinking that I won't, as the odd pang here and there for a beer or a Martini soon fades.
RRLover said:
You dont have to go cold turkey. I found January this year a total nightmare, i felt my OH forced me into staying sober. I lasted until the 2nd weekend.
This time is cutting down & everything in moderation.
I still genuinely feel down about my drinking on Sunday & it probably stemmed from having nothing on the Saturday before.
Champions league tonight will be a couple of fever tree ginger beers.
Yeah I'm not quite ready to give up on my one night a week night out with pals, but I think I could live with this. Maybe if I manage to keep at it with not drinking in the house, at some point, I may decide that I do want to cut it out completely, but one step at a time...This time is cutting down & everything in moderation.
I still genuinely feel down about my drinking on Sunday & it probably stemmed from having nothing on the Saturday before.
Champions league tonight will be a couple of fever tree ginger beers.
Wall05 said:
.
BUT.....to wake up in the morning rested, with a clear head and no "fear" is incredible. .
This!BUT.....to wake up in the morning rested, with a clear head and no "fear" is incredible. .
So many times nowadays I dream of slipping away to one of my old exotic haunts and getting a case or two of beer found me, like the good old days...... then I remember exactly why I gave up.
This month I have completed 5 years with no booze.
I gave up the booze with my wife in Oct 2012 as a health kick while we were trying to conceive. The intention was it was just to avoid booze until Christmas. We both found the first few weeks hard, we had been sharing a bottle of wine 5 evenings a week. However when Christmas came I had no desire to start drinking again. My wife still drinks socially but much less than before.
The one thing I struggle with is that people assume that I must have been an alcoholic or I am a religious freak. No one seems to accept that I have no desire to drink and don't feel I am missing out. How do others deal with this?
I gave up the booze with my wife in Oct 2012 as a health kick while we were trying to conceive. The intention was it was just to avoid booze until Christmas. We both found the first few weeks hard, we had been sharing a bottle of wine 5 evenings a week. However when Christmas came I had no desire to start drinking again. My wife still drinks socially but much less than before.
The one thing I struggle with is that people assume that I must have been an alcoholic or I am a religious freak. No one seems to accept that I have no desire to drink and don't feel I am missing out. How do others deal with this?
Steve Evil said:
Not wanting to piss on anyone's chips, but the thread is about 365 days without booze, does feel a little diluted with all the talk about not cutting it out completely. I've been off since New Years Day and still wonder if I'll have a drink once the 365 days are up, though I'm increasingly thinking that I won't, as the odd pang here and there for a beer or a Martini soon fades.
Good work on the 10 months off. I found the first Christmas off the booze quite a challenge, especially as booze traditions seems to pop up through the day - mulled wine, bubbly with dinner, brandy with the pud, etc.Once you complete a full year, staying off seems much easier as you know you can get through all those life events that usually involve drink.
Evo Joe said:
The one thing I struggle with is that people assume that I must have been an alcoholic or I am a religious freak. No one seems to accept that I have no desire to drink and don't feel I am missing out. How do others deal with this?
Just explain that you'd rather not?If they push, just use something you enjoy that they don't as an example. E.g. Why don't you have an Evo, don't you feel you are missing out?
Evo Joe said:
This month I have completed 5 years with no booze.
...
The one thing I struggle with is that people assume that I must have been an alcoholic or I am a religious freak. No one seems to accept that I have no desire to drink and don't feel I am missing out. How do others deal with this?
Congratulations! ...
The one thing I struggle with is that people assume that I must have been an alcoholic or I am a religious freak. No one seems to accept that I have no desire to drink and don't feel I am missing out. How do others deal with this?
I'm in the same boat. I just don't bother with the post work drinks at all these days. Just the Christmas meal type stuff. People probably assume I'm antisocial or I don't like them personally or something. But, like, "whatever".
Steve Evil said:
Not wanting to piss on anyone's chips, but the thread is about 365 days without booze, does feel a little diluted with all the talk about not cutting it out completely. I've been off since New Years Day and still wonder if I'll have a drink once the 365 days are up, though I'm increasingly thinking that I won't, as the odd pang here and there for a beer or a Martini soon fades.
Maybe they'll find that cutting back is way harder than quitting, as I did.Not really sure why someone would want to piss on anyone's chips for trying to make a positive change in their lives, but hey ho...
So as expected I didn't get to sleep very quickly last night so the 6:30 wake up call for the train didn't go down too well. But at least I'm not hungover as well, like I would normally be. Just a bit zombied! I'd probably be restless and fidgeting and rocking in my chair, so this is an improvement
So as expected I didn't get to sleep very quickly last night so the 6:30 wake up call for the train didn't go down too well. But at least I'm not hungover as well, like I would normally be. Just a bit zombied! I'd probably be restless and fidgeting and rocking in my chair, so this is an improvement
TameRacingDriver said:
Not really sure why someone would want to piss on anyone's chips for trying to make a positive change in their lives, but hey ho...
So as expected I didn't get to sleep very quickly last night so the 6:30 wake up call for the train didn't go down too well. But at least I'm not hungover as well, like I would normally be. Just a bit zombied! I'd probably be restless and fidgeting and rocking in my chair, so this is an improvement
I'm totally up for the positive change, but it's not the trim down the booze thread, it's the without booze thread. Bit like a bunch of people talking about how they've cut out Chocolate for Lent, discussing what's worked for them and how positive they feel, for some it's really difficult and they're struggling, but soldiering on regardless. Then someone else joins and instead of cutting out Chocolate, they've gone down from 5 bars a day to just one. It's great for them that they've cut down, but may start sewing seeds of doubt for someone else who is really trying their best, but starts to think "hmm, maybe one won't hurt?".So as expected I didn't get to sleep very quickly last night so the 6:30 wake up call for the train didn't go down too well. But at least I'm not hungover as well, like I would normally be. Just a bit zombied! I'd probably be restless and fidgeting and rocking in my chair, so this is an improvement
As I say, all for positive change, just feels a little against the main goal of the thread which was to try and go a whole year off the booze.
I would suggest the thread drifted quite some years ago to include people who wanted to stop for a few months just to see if they could do it and people who wanted to moderate. 365 was a catchy title. I don't think the OP planned on hitting the offie on day 366 for a massive bender, so even the title vs intention is a mismatch.
What has made the thread successful is accepting that everyone is different and at any given point in time, capable of different things. Certainly the strength of the last 100 pages has been the overwhelming support for anyone who wants to affect change in their lives. So I say, the more the merrier.
No, wait, the more the less merrier. Don't get merry. That's not the idea at all.
Everyone's welcome.
That's better.
What has made the thread successful is accepting that everyone is different and at any given point in time, capable of different things. Certainly the strength of the last 100 pages has been the overwhelming support for anyone who wants to affect change in their lives. So I say, the more the merrier.
No, wait, the more the less merrier. Don't get merry. That's not the idea at all.
Everyone's welcome.
That's better.
It's not really the same as going from 5 chocolate bars a day to one though really is it? I think you know that deep down 
this thread is full of people who probably intended to do a year or more but fell off the rails. Bit unfair to exclude people for that reason. Who knows this might be the first step for me and a lot of people.
I've been cursed with an addictive personality my whole life (thank God I didn't discover heroin) so this is quite a big thing for me. I didn't really feel like starting a thread with a title "a whole 6 days a week off the drink". I doubt it would have got much support. I'm actually quite impressed with the support I've already been given so it's been good to have. I've tried before but have had no support at all and it's a lonely place.
So yes, stop being a miserable git
this thread is full of people who probably intended to do a year or more but fell off the rails. Bit unfair to exclude people for that reason. Who knows this might be the first step for me and a lot of people.I've been cursed with an addictive personality my whole life (thank God I didn't discover heroin) so this is quite a big thing for me. I didn't really feel like starting a thread with a title "a whole 6 days a week off the drink". I doubt it would have got much support. I'm actually quite impressed with the support I've already been given so it's been good to have. I've tried before but have had no support at all and it's a lonely place.
So yes, stop being a miserable git
Jamie VTS said:
Well she cancelled the date. Kind of a blessing in disguise really! I sat in and watched the CL with a glass of orange squash.
Felt really satisfying not to give in and reach for a beer! Small victories i suppose!
No , it's a big victory , you did it ! It's just about breaking the habit which has become the norm . Soon , not having alcohol will be your new norm . One day at time , your winning Felt really satisfying not to give in and reach for a beer! Small victories i suppose!
Edited by Captain Smerc on Thursday 19th October 13:31
Well I've just stumbled across this thread by chance and thought I'd share as it seems to help!
I was in the habit of opening a bottle of wine most evenings once the kids were down. Sometimes my wife would join me, sometimes not. It's taken a while (years!) to realise and actually admit to myself that it wasn't doing me any favours health wise as I often felt tired and groggy but it had become the norm.
I think I can link why it started to a time after our first born got very ill (life changing ill) and having to deal with that hurt a lot (and still does). I think maybe I thought a glass or two or more helped forget about it or help me sleep but in all honesty I know it was an excuse.
So at the beginning of September this year I decided to stop for a month and think about breaking the habit. The initial days and first week or two were hard when out with friends but I was determined to crack the month with no booze.
At the end of September I definitely started to feel better about things, have more energy and for the first time in a long time, am able to think more rationally about our family's and specifically Ollie's condition without feeling over emotional.
I felt better (had also lost weight as a result) so decided why not keep this going till Christmas? I'm determined I can do it. Then I'll set myself another milestone all being well.
So that's it, not long yet but 48 days and counting. The best thing is I don't even think about having alcohol at the moment and I mean not at all. Slimline Tonic with ice and lemon is my choice these days.
I was in the habit of opening a bottle of wine most evenings once the kids were down. Sometimes my wife would join me, sometimes not. It's taken a while (years!) to realise and actually admit to myself that it wasn't doing me any favours health wise as I often felt tired and groggy but it had become the norm.
I think I can link why it started to a time after our first born got very ill (life changing ill) and having to deal with that hurt a lot (and still does). I think maybe I thought a glass or two or more helped forget about it or help me sleep but in all honesty I know it was an excuse.
So at the beginning of September this year I decided to stop for a month and think about breaking the habit. The initial days and first week or two were hard when out with friends but I was determined to crack the month with no booze.
At the end of September I definitely started to feel better about things, have more energy and for the first time in a long time, am able to think more rationally about our family's and specifically Ollie's condition without feeling over emotional.
I felt better (had also lost weight as a result) so decided why not keep this going till Christmas? I'm determined I can do it. Then I'll set myself another milestone all being well.
So that's it, not long yet but 48 days and counting. The best thing is I don't even think about having alcohol at the moment and I mean not at all. Slimline Tonic with ice and lemon is my choice these days.
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