Cutting down on booze- experiences?

Cutting down on booze- experiences?

Author
Discussion

hondafanatic

4,969 posts

200 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
hora said:
So for the first time in a while I've not had a drink in three days straight. I've noticed I'm developing abit of a gut and I'm lethargic. What to expect? Its bloody hard - not missing the alcohol per se but the routine.
Doing the same for the same reasons.

It's the routine thing that was getting me. I've now got a range of different dilute drinks which I make sure I drink a pint of when I get in from work. Thirst was always the initial reason to get a cold beer from the fridge. I've also taken to cooking simpler meals as I would be cooking and having a glass of vino along with it. So I knocked that on the head. I'm just allowing myself a drink on Friday and Sunday now.

Just try and have a range of alternative drinks...and I also made sure the wine was packed in the garage and no beer in the fridge just to stop me reaching for either out of habit. There is still spirits in the house but I'm not a big spirit drinker so happy to leave them alone.

Lost about 6lbs in 10 days...although I've adapted my eating habits too.


oilydan

2,030 posts

270 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
Moving to Saudi for work has done wonders for my consumption.

Even when I travel out either for business or to visit home, I do not see myself 'making up for lost time', I have a few drinks, but don't binge.

I find myself eating more crap though, with no nagging in my ear. Need to stop that before the weight starts coming off smile

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
Have you seen the 365 days thread? CLICK.

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
hora said:
So for the first time in a while I've not had a drink in three days straight. I've noticed I'm developing abit of a gut and I'm lethargic. What to expect? Its bloody hard - not missing the alcohol per se but the routine.
Odd, most experience rather opposite reaction. For me I get more energy, sleep better and lose fat fast.
Give it time - don't give up giving yp. biggrin

craig_m67

949 posts

187 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I gave up alcohol years ago, my ex was an abusive nasty piece (too me, charming to others) when she'd had a few drinks, so I removed myself from any situation where she might be drinking and basically quit. I think the longest I went without a drink was 18months. Easy if you have a limited social life.

I had some beers last night to celebrate her moving out (finally), first drink since September last

With regards lethargy I quit sugar (where possible) and breads/processed carbs. Made an amazing difference to me. Iive alwsy been lethargic/tired etc. removing sugar and bread made the most amazing difference in about a fortnight.

Easy to do if you can fill your spare waking hours with something (like exercise).

hondafanatic

4,969 posts

200 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
hora said:
That is quite abit in just 10 days.
When you've got quite abit to lose it's not that difficult smile


andy-xr

13,204 posts

203 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
Did it for about 3 years, I had plenty of 'I'm never drinking again' mornings, but mixed in with a bit of sleep deprivation from being on too many planes followed by two benders in succession, I struggled to get to work and just said that was enough

It's habit mostly that's the hardest to kick, after a few weeks of changing routine from having a couple of beers in the evening socialising, to doing something else. Still have to be social though, but if you're out with your mates, drinking J2O gets boring and by 10pm what they think is piss funny is the third time you've heard it, and it wasnt that good to begin with.

Mornings felt better for me, much clearer after around a fortnight of not drinking, and weight fell off me even though I didnt really change anything else.

I got to a point where I realised I was being a bit too severe on my rules and relaxed them a bit, moderation is the key.

PositronicRay

26,952 posts

182 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
We started going 2-3days a week without. It's habit forming, strange thing is on my "days off" I'm look forward to having a beer. On my drinking days I look forward to "days off".

Drinking days we've also cut down on quantity, it's a bit like smoking, you tend to egg each other on. So maybe a beer before dinner or a glass with.

Benefits.
a) Social life is easier to plan (driving)
b) Money saved
c) Less stress
d) Recyling bin easier to carry

I haven't noticed any difference in energy levels or weight.

ph1l5

5,024 posts

201 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I have been doing dryathlon for the last few years. I dropped a stone over 5 weeks. Energy levels were higher and I stopped smoking. Saved around £600. Sadly week 6 went on a boys ski trip and spend the next 11 months drinking and smoking. role on January.

ph1l5

5,024 posts

201 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I only stop at January as I think I over do it at xmas. but it does make you feel better giving up for a few weeks. I found it didn't have the same effect if you just stop for a few days.

Loudy McFatass

8,842 posts

186 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
You know when you wake up for work on a Monday morning at 5am, roll over and crack your first can of Stella of the day?

Just cut down and have that one and non at dinnertime.

selym

9,539 posts

170 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I made a conscious decision to sort my diet out at the start of the year; last year I just paid lip service to running (something that really pissed me off) and ate and drank without any care for the consequences.
Where alcohol is concerned, both the wife and I analysed how we drink and it was mostly Friday and Saturday nights, and mostly in front of the box. It did sometimes stretch to Thursday nights as well, being a popular night for military types to have a beer and chew the fat.

We have now pretty much cut the alcohol out, save when we go out with friends. I feel so much better on a Saturday and Sunday morning and my running is well back on track. I think the thought of running at all the day after having a few drinks was enough to demotivate me totally. Since NYE, I have had a glass of Prosecco with the wife for her birthday (it'd be rude not to!) and more than a few pints last week for a leaving do. The difference now is that I am out of the 'routine' as someone described it above, so I don't look to the next Friday/Saturday night as beer time.

It is quite refreshing.

DannyScene

6,596 posts

154 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I decided I was bored of drinking at 19 (from about 15 we were drinking frosty jacks in the park a few nights a week) and now almost 25 I've never looked back

I have the odd beer with clients and will have a pint with a meal if I fancy one but I haven't been drunk since I was 18 and honestly I don't miss it at all

IN51GHT

8,777 posts

209 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I used to drink Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun as habit.

Recently stopped, not missing it one bit.

I occasionally have a bottle of cider of an evening, still have a few when I go out with work or family, but I really don't miss it & I feel way more energetic.

Bring on September & we're taking the car to the desert, rumor is it'll be dry, sounds good to me.

Studio117

4,250 posts

190 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I drink more in the week than i do at weekends.silly

toon10

6,140 posts

156 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I'm about to find out. I don't drink through the week as a rule but will have a lot on a Friday, a few on a Saturday and a couple on a Sunday. I need to lose a few pounds so I've made a few changes with the amount of sugar I consume and I'm also going to try and not drink for a while. After a cooling off period, I intend to just drink on a Friday and no other days going forward.

As with cutting down/giving up most things it's the habbit of the routine that's hard to change. If you stick with it, you create an all new routine. Hope it goes well for you.

Bullett

10,873 posts

183 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
craig_m67 said:
With regards lethargy I quit sugar (where possible) and breads/processed carbs. Made an amazing difference to me. Iive alwsy been lethargic/tired etc. removing sugar and bread made the most amazing difference in about a fortnight.
Interesting. I cut out booze during the week at home normally 4 or 5 nights totally free and not really a binge on the other nights. Removed sugar from my coffee and cut out the snacks. I lost a stone fairly quickly then out a little back on and am stable now so will need to pick it up a little and start exercising.

I was always lethargic/tired as well and I think it's the sugar. I had kind of assumed it was the booze.

Ari

19,328 posts

214 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
PositronicRay said:
We started going 2-3days a week without. It's habit forming, strange thing is on my "days off" I'm look forward to having a beer. On my drinking days I look forward to "days off".
Just swap the days around, problem solved! thumbup

deckster

9,630 posts

254 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
A bottle of wine between us on weekend nights had turned into two, plus a nightcap, and then often cracking open a bottle on a couple of weeknights as well. As we're now the wrong side of 40 all the usual symptoms started creeping up...harder to keep the weight off, harder to get going in the morning. Nothing terrible but just a general feeling that the drinking was becoming too ingrained for no particular reason.

So we now have a budget of two bottles between us per week. If we decide to drink it all on Monday night then so be it, but that's it for the week. So far, only a month in admittedly, it's been surprisingly easy. Breaking the habit is the key and the last couple of weekends we've not even finished a single bottle any night, making two bottles last three nights, and it's remarkable how easy it is to put the bottle back in the fridge after we've had a couple of glasses - something that quite simply would never have happened before. Still remains to be seen how long it will last but if nothing else it's been eye-opening just how much of the drinking is simply habit rather than genuine enjoyment.

captainzep

13,305 posts

191 months

Wednesday 18th March 2015
quotequote all
I've been through a crappy time at work of late, unachievable workload, stress, unhappy etc etc. Seem to be on the up again now.

I stopped drinking, not as a specific choice but because I didn't fancy it. This has been reassuring in that my relationship with alcohol seems to be celebratory, social thing when I'm happy rather than becoming a crutch or coping mechanism when life gets tough.

What I did notice was that my sleep patterns have been much improved without booze and this seems to be something I notice more as I get older.