How much do you drink, honestly?

[okgo]

PDP76 said:

Because over a period of time you do start building a tolerance level up. 6 is nothing for me. Yes I’ll feel it, but I won’t be as drunk as someone else with a lower tolerance level to mine. I have a friend that can’t keep up at all he ends up behind the rounds and plastered.

But as I posted above, I’m out. Not easy, because I’m keen on going out and having a fking good drink.

Yes I agree, I've had 6 at lunch and gone back to work without any real drama. But the guy I mentioned drank a couple of times a year...

[Carrot]

I have been following this thread and I have to say thank you for you all for inspiring me.

I drink very heavily. Usually every night mostly spirits. I would say I am in the 100+ units a week. I don't feel good for it and approaching my 40's rapidly need to knock it on the head a bit.

I don't want to give up forever or entirely, however I believe that what I am doing currently is not healthy.

Had a couple of pints of beer Monday evening, haven't touched anything since and already feel really clear headed and have more energy for it. Going to see if I can carry on until Christmas and take it from there. For me, it's going to be a habit break more than anything else as it is finish work -> go home -> TV / potter around & drink every night.

May have to break out that gym membership card with 6 months left. One step at a time

[Kermit power]

okgo said:

PDP76 said:

Because over a period of time you do start building a tolerance level up. 6 is nothing for me. Yes I’ll feel it, but I won’t be as drunk as someone else with a lower tolerance level to mine. I have a friend that can’t keep up at all he ends up behind the rounds and plastered.

But as I posted above, I’m out. Not easy, because I’m keen on going out and having a fking good drink.

Yes I agree, I've had 6 at lunch and gone back to work without any real drama. But the guy I mentioned drank a couple of times a year...

You were mentioning me, and I drink pretty much every Monday, albeit only 1.5 pints a week.

As for the rest, if you think you need to be some sort of hardened booze-monster to cope with a pint of session ale an hour foe 12 hours, I'm not sure if that says something negative about your ability to hold your drink or about mine!

[ben5575]

Steady now

100 units is give or take 10 pints a night, 5 nights a week. That really is an astronomical amount to drink and it will get you.

I completely agree about the habit thing. GoT/equivalent = sit down, fire on, red wine oot. A particular meal always tastes better with wine doesn't it? Sunny summer's day = wine in the garden/beer down the pub etc etc etc.

I do think that is different to; I've had a bad day, I need/am having a drink. One is positive and about enjoying/enhancing life, the other is negative and a psychological thing.

I also appreciate that what I've just typed is obviously completely self serving and total denial! It's simply an excuse/justification. Lots of people happy in life without drinking.

It's just that they're missing out....

[lord trumpton]

I have 1 small sherry on Christmas day and thats me for 12 months.

I used to go out on the lash at weekends in my 20s but that was only to get drunk and pull birds.

I've never enjoyed the taste of alcohol, just the effects it had when younger.

I've never understood people when say on a hot day their crave would be for a cold pint or whatever. I'd rather have a glass of water or lemonade to quench my thirst.

[Welshbeef]

Carrot said:

I have been following this thread and I have to say thank you for you all for inspiring me.

I drink very heavily. Usually every night mostly spirits. I would say I am in the 100+ units a week. I don't feel good for it and approaching my 40's rapidly need to knock it on the head a bit.

I don't want to give up forever or entirely, however I believe that what I am doing currently is not healthy.

Had a couple of pints of beer Monday evening, haven't touched anything since and already feel really clear headed and have more energy for it. Going to see if I can carry on until Christmas and take it from there. For me, it's going to be a habit break more than anything else as it is finish work -> go home -> TV / potter around & drink every night.

May have to break out that gym membership card with 6 months left. One step at a time

I know beer and cider are not good but they are far easier on the liver than spirits with the high %.

I very rarely have jäger bombs - 2 to 3 times a year max.
Scotch never
Baileys yes at Xmas (is it a spirit though)?
Vodka never
Absinthe - I’ve a bottle in the house (homemade Rakia it’s nice but not touched it in 4years)
Lemon cello - I do like this but so far this year once and it was homemade rocket fuel but so good. Only managed 4 glasses and it finished me off properly.
Rum - not for 6 years
Snowball - once a year
Eggnog punch once a year.
Port - if there is a bottle in the house I’ll polish it off in one sitting and want more. We don’t have any in 2017, but normally a couple of times a year on special occasions.
Desert wine - rarely
Brandy - never got on with it.
Sambuca - I do like a lot. When playing drinking games the “punishment” was a quad of Sambuca.... I deliberately lost each and every time. Why is a punishment for losing the game a reward of a lovely drink? Paying for it for someone else yes but drinking it no.

[gregs656]

Welshbeef said:

I know beer and cider are not good but they are far easier on the liver than spirits with the high %.

Is there any evidence for that?

50ml of spirits at 40% is the same amount of alcohol as 500ml of beer/cider (what ever) at 4%.

[K50 DEL]

I'm hoping that's not true as vodka is pretty much the only thing I drink...

in the run up to last Christmas I'd got to the point where I was probably having a couple of doubles a night with more than that on a Friday and Saturday. Not a lot compared to some but I felt it was too much for me.

I decided to do dry January, and then, as that went so well I decided to cut all booze from Sunday to Thursday.
I've maintained that all year, and there are quite often weekend nights where I won't drink either.

Happy I'm under control now, best of luck to all those struggling.

[Carrot]

K50 DEL said:

I'm hoping that's not true as vodka is pretty much the only thing I drink...

in the run up to last Christmas I'd got to the point where I was probably having a couple of doubles a night with more than that on a Friday and Saturday. Not a lot compared to some but I felt it was too much for me.

I decided to do dry January, and then, as that went so well I decided to cut all booze from Sunday to Thursday.
I've maintained that all year, and there are quite often weekend nights where I won't drink either.

Happy I'm under control now, best of luck to all those struggling.

Well done with that, I think that is where I want to get to. Vodka is my evil frankly and I need to cut it right down.

[montecristo]

It might be interesting to have a poll here and see how many units people drink.

[Johnnytheboy]

Carrot said:

Vodka is my evil frankly and I need to cut it right down.

Now you see that's how I know I fail at being an alkie. I don't like vodka purely because it doesn't taste of anything.

[K50 DEL]

Johnnytheboy said:

Carrot said:

Vodka is my evil frankly and I need to cut it right down.

Now you see that's how I know I fail at being an alkie. I don't like vodka purely because it doesn't taste of anything.

That would depend on the Vodka.... as long as I've not had too many I can often identify which Vodka I'm being served simply by the taste.
Ciroc for example tastes awful but Danzka tastes lovely!

[vsonix]

Johnnytheboy said:

Now you see that's how I know I fail at being an alkie. I don't like vodka purely because it doesn't taste of anything.

...until all that's available is vodka so you drink it anyway.

[gregs656]

K50 DEL said:

I'm hoping that's not true as vodka is pretty much the only thing I drink...

It makes no sense so I doubt it. Same quantity of alcohol.

I was kind of surprised when the guidelines changed last year. We're much tighter on the guidelines than elsewhere.

Table of 12 other countries



from here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35252650

I expect many people on here would not worry about their consumption under the guidelines elsewhere.

I am not a big drinker because I get horrendous hangovers, but I do have a couple of drinks on a regular basis.

Edited by gregs656 on Thursday 30th November 13:26

[Robertj21a]

Carrot said:

I have been following this thread and I have to say thank you for you all for inspiring me.

I drink very heavily. Usually every night mostly spirits. I would say I am in the 100+ units a week. I don't feel good for it and approaching my 40's rapidly need to knock it on the head a bit.

I don't want to give up forever or entirely, however I believe that what I am doing currently is not healthy.

Had a couple of pints of beer Monday evening, haven't touched anything since and already feel really clear headed and have more energy for it. Going to see if I can carry on until Christmas and take it from there. For me, it's going to be a habit break more than anything else as it is finish work -> go home -> TV / potter around & drink every night.

May have to break out that gym membership card with 6 months left. One step at a time

Interesting post, thanks for that. I guess that the key issue is that you already know that you're a fairly heavy drinker - and that your health is/will be suffering. At least you have identified it for yourself - others may still need to be convinced that it's somewhat over any 'normal' intake. In my book that makes you more than 50% to resolving any problems it may cause.

Just as a general aside, I know a number of people who really can't seem to reduce their drinking, however many times they try. There are also many other people who can't reduce their food intake, however many diets they go on. Those who succeed with diets, probably over a period of months or years, seem to be those who recognise that it's far easier to simply not buy the foods that cause the problems in the first place, once they're in the house they become a temptation. If there aren't any temptations in the house it is impossible to 'binge eat'. Is it so very different to alcohol ?.

Some good stuff coming through on this thread, let's see how much more we can achieve.......

[TheJimi]

I’m probably what you’d call a binge drinker.

I tend not to drink Mon-Thurs, and a lot of the time, not even on a Fri either, as I train in the evenings. I only really drink when I’m actually out socially. This is usually once or twice per month, although the frequency goes up a bit at this time of year.

An average session for me would be something like 5/6 beers, and the same again in spirits.

I also tend to go without drinking for quite long periods - ie weeks and months without drinking, as booze + my training goals tend not to be all that compatible

I’ll be honest though, I’d probably drink more if:

A) I wasn’t fussed about having visible abs and being in aesthetically good shape

B) Training and being fit / strong wasn’t such a big part of my life.

[PDP76]

gregs656 said:

It makes no sense so I doubt it. Same quantity of alcohol.

I was kind of surprised when the guidelines changed last year. We're much tighter on the guidelines than elsewhere.

Table of 12 other countries



from here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35252650

I expect many people on here would not worry about their consumption under the guidelines elsewhere.

Edited by gregs656 on Thursday 30th November 13:26

My opinion is that we have tighter guidelines because of a binge drinking problem in the U.K. Like it or not we do. I certainly don’t remember going out in the 90’s to see blokes and women grappling in unarmed combat, puking everywhere, passed out on the street or being slung in the back of ambulances.
People drink way beyond their tolerance levels. This creates a huge problem.

[Drew106]

TheJimi said:

I’ll be honest though, I’d probably drink more if:

A) I wasn’t fussed about having visible abs and being in aesthetically good shape

B) Training and being fit / strong wasn’t such a big part of my life.

This was me until quite recently. I trained a lot so drinking was cut down massively and I was in pretty good shape!

As much as I told myself it wouldn't be the case, getting into a relationship threw a lot of that out the window.

Now I keep trying to get back in that mindset, but I guess a big part of the idea behind training was to look good for the ladies so there is less incentive!

Drinking and training don't mix well. promotes fat gain, tendency for crap food, hungover so don't lift etc. etc.

I really do enjoy drinking though!

[TheJimi]

Drew106 said:

TheJimi said:

I’ll be honest though, I’d probably drink more if:

A) I wasn’t fussed about having visible abs and being in aesthetically good shape

B) Training and being fit / strong wasn’t such a big part of my life.

This was me until quite recently. I trained a lot so drinking was cut down massively and I was in pretty good shape!

As much as I told myself it wouldn't be the case, getting into a relationship threw a lot of that out the window.

Now I keep trying to get back in that mindset, but I guess a big part of the idea behind training was to look good for the ladies so there is less incentive!

Drinking and training don't mix well. promotes fat gain, tendency for crap food, hungover so don't lift etc. etc.

I really do enjoy drinking though!

I couldn't let myself go tbh, and as I say, I just enjoy training too much to let alcohol encroach on that.

As it is, I could probably improve my training even more if I completely cut out the booze, but I'm happy with the current balance and rate of progress. Although, I'm due another period of no booze, which I'll most likely start after Christmas for a while.

[ashleyman]

Hardly ever.

Maybe have a ‘session’ every 3 or 4 months.

The last alcoholic drink I had was 3 weeks ago. And was a small glass of whisky whilst playing cards with friends.

Can’t even remember the time before that.

Drank fairly heavily and often from 18-23 though. Then got in a serious relationship got married and don’t bother now. Wifey will have a glass of wine with dinner maybe once or twice a week and will drink when we go out. I’m always driving but don’t mind. Just doesn’t do anything for me these days.