How much do you drink, honestly?

[FiF]

Thanks Bill, appreciate the comments. Still a blow though.

[TameRacingDriver]

TheJimi said:

F@ckin' yes, TRD

Genuinely very pleased to read this. Keep the training up, get strong AF

Thanks mate

Still have a long way to go before I'm strong AF mind as I am not naturally that strong, but I'm building it up gradually!

[Badda]

TameRacingDriver said:

It's quite addictive watching the (positive) changes with my body / weight taking place

I'm also sleeping a lot better now and don't look as red in the face.

My bank account is also looking a lot healthier. I've been in a lot of debt over the years and it's going down rapidly now.

Amazing for 3 weeks and still drinking 30-40 units a week. Not knocking you, just amazed.

[TheJimi]

Badda said:

TameRacingDriver said:

It's quite addictive watching the (positive) changes with my body / weight taking place

I'm also sleeping a lot better now and don't look as red in the face.

My bank account is also looking a lot healthier. I've been in a lot of debt over the years and it's going down rapidly now.

Amazing for 3 weeks and still drinking 30-40 units a week. Not knocking you, just amazed.

100 units per week down to 30-40 is a heck of a drop.

What are you amazed at?

[TameRacingDriver]

Badda said:

Amazing for 3 weeks and still drinking 30-40 units a week. Not knocking you, just amazed.

It's better than 100-150 that I was drinking by far though.

30 units = bottle of wine Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Not hard to do... I don't drink wine now but you get the idea.

Trust me though I'm still working hard to reduce as much as possible but I gotta be honest I'll probably not ever be completely dry, I still do enjoy a night out, but even these are becoming less and less.

[Badda]

TheJimi said:

Badda said:

TameRacingDriver said:

It's quite addictive watching the (positive) changes with my body / weight taking place

I'm also sleeping a lot better now and don't look as red in the face.

My bank account is also looking a lot healthier. I've been in a lot of debt over the years and it's going down rapidly now.

Amazing for 3 weeks and still drinking 30-40 units a week. Not knocking you, just amazed.

100 units per week down to 30-40 is a heck of a drop.

What are you amazed at?

I'm amazed that someone can notice that large a difference (stomach size, reduction in debt!) in three weeks whilst still drinking a fair whack. DO the maths and the calories and ££ aren't that massive in 3 weeks.

As I say, I'm not knocking him and well done for cutting back so much!

[TameRacingDriver]

To be fair though I am strictly watching the calories elsewhere so that will account for some of the difference. I'm working out 3x a week (compared with a half hearted 1x a week or less before). I wasn't hugely fat anyway, about 5'10 and 14st7 but it's very noticeable already how loose some of my clothes are.

I am saving circa £100 a month just on the weeknight beer. When you're on the wage I'm on that's like a decent pay rise.

Also my nights out are getting less frequent and when in the house I'm drinking less, so more money saved. When I do go out I'm finding myself unable to drink at the same level as before. More money (and calories) saved all round.

I also sold my pride and joy (car) and did without and this accounts for most of the debt reduction for sure but this is a nice little extra bonus too.

Anyway at least some others on here are happy for me

Edited by TameRacingDriver on Thursday 24th January 15:08

[Badda]

TameRacingDriver said:

Anyway at least some others on here are happy for me

Edited by TameRacingDriver on Thursday 24th January 15:08

I've said twice that I'm not knocking you. WELL DONE.

I'm just trying to keep a bit of reality on here. 3 weeks is 3 weeks is all.

[Dr Interceptor]

Badda said:

3 weeks is 3 weeks is all.

I'd be happy to manage 3 days off, let alone 3 weeks.

[Badda]

Dr Interceptor said:

Badda said:

3 weeks is 3 weeks is all.

I'd be happy to manage 3 days off, let alone 3 weeks.

Yet again, I'm not knocking it. I'm doing dry january for the first time and it's the longest I've been without a drink for 20+ years.

My debt has not noticeably reduced in the 3 weeks however and I'm not suddenly Brad Pitt physique either. I do sleep better though and I didn't drink anywhere near TRD's amount either.

[TheJimi]

Did he say he had Brad Pitt's physique in three weeks?

Apologies, I missed that part.

[Badda]

Wow.

I've made myself pretty clear about what I'm saying and why - if you can't understand it perhaps you need to extract yourself from TRD's backside and have another go and read it again.

[Dr Interceptor]

Anybody who posts in this thread, and reports back that they're cutting down, and noticing a positive improvement on their health, deserves a well done.

I'm still at 140-160 units a week. Every week I say, starting Monday I'm going to the gym not the pub, then I have a st day at work and it all goes to pot.

I really do have to though...

[grumbledoak]

Dr Interceptor said:

I'm still at 140-160 units a week. Every week I say, starting Monday I'm going to the gym not the pub, then I have a st day at work and it all goes to pot.

Try going to the gym before work. It is difficult to slope off to the pub at 6am.

[Robertj21a]

Dr Interceptor said:

Anybody who posts in this thread, and reports back that they're cutting down, and noticing a positive improvement on their health, deserves a well done.

I'm still at 140-160 units a week. Every week I say, starting Monday I'm going to the gym not the pub, then I have a st day at work and it all goes to pot.

I really do have to though...

As a slight aside, do those with a wife/partner find that she helps - or hinders (by joining in and making it worse, or simply nagging) ?

[TheJimi]

Badda said:

Wow.

I've made myself pretty clear about what I'm saying and why - if you can't understand it perhaps you need to extract yourself from TRD's backside and have another go and read it again.

So why the Brad Pitt hyperbole, then?

[gregs656]

Dr Interceptor said:

Anybody who posts in this thread, and reports back that they're cutting down, and noticing a positive improvement on their health, deserves a well done.

I'm still at 140-160 units a week. Every week I say, starting Monday I'm going to the gym not the pub, then I have a st day at work and it all goes to pot.

I really do have to though...

So you write off the whole week? Why not go on Tuesday?

You’re basically giving your self 52 Monday’s to start making a change. what is wrong with the other days of the year? Why not go tonight?

I have said this a few times on here but if you’re habitually drinking then the only one you really need to stop is the first one that day.

[TameRacingDriver]

Robertj21a said:

As a slight aside, do those with a wife/partner find that she helps - or hinders (by joining in and making it worse, or simply nagging) ?

Well my Mrs before this year drank as much as me and it made it extremely hard to cut down last year. The sight, the smells, etc and she did encourage me at times. Even bought me booze.

To be fair to her she's doing it as well, but we had to have a very frank and difficult conversation to get to this point and frankly, time will tell, but for the first time in a long while, I believe she will do it.

If not though I am prepared to walk away and she knows it. She knows how much this means to me now and also knows how much it concerns me what she was drinking. I've even said if it starts again I'm quite happy to toddle off to my man cave and let her drink alone, and I'd be quite willing to also sleep in the spare room.

Feels a little like blackmail but needs must.

[Drew106]

I'm really struggling with the weekends tbh.

It's Friday today and I'm not particularly looking forward to the weekend. If this was a Friday when I wasn't trying to limit my drinking I'd be hyped for the weekend. That's the real killer for me! I just don't know how to get over this!

I've starting back into lifting weights and am feeling good about it. I'm trying to lift on Saturday and Sunday mornings as well as a few days in the week. It helps me stay off the drink Friday and Saturday nights. But the boredom is still very real and I don't know what to do about it.

I've got some work to do on my car which can sometimes be enjoyable. And will probably go for a nice dinner tomorrow night. Yet in my brain I would much rather hit the beers tonight and spend the rest of the weekend drinking and watching Netflix/Youtube and playing the Xbox! If I did this I'd feel like pure ste come Monday, so just have to stop being a little bh and get on with real life.

I know what TRD is talking about with regards to how I look cutting out the drinking. One or two good weekends and my face is a lot less puffy and the belly and bloating starts to drop away significantly. This is a good incentive for sure, but my fking brain forgets all about this when it's Friday night and I'm bored.

I'm getting married this year and would rather not be a fat drunk on my wedding day.

Got a few free Heineken 0% beers in a HelloFresh order, so might drink them tonight. Woo fking hoo.

[TameRacingDriver]

Drew106 said:

I'm really struggling with the weekends tbh.

It's Friday today and I'm not particularly looking forward to the weekend. If this was a Friday when I wasn't trying to limit my drinking I'd be hyped for the weekend. That's the real killer for me! I just don't know how to get over this!

I've starting back into lifting weights and am feeling good about it. I'm trying to lift on Saturday and Sunday mornings as well as a few days in the week. It helps me stay off the drink Friday and Saturday nights. But the boredom is still very real and I don't know what to do about it.

I've got some work to do on my car which can sometimes be enjoyable. And will probably go for a nice dinner tomorrow night. Yet in my brain I would much rather hit the beers tonight and spend the rest of the weekend drinking and watching Netflix/Youtube and playing the Xbox! If I did this I'd feel like pure ste come Monday, so just have to stop being a little bh and get on with real life.

I know what TRD is talking about with regards to how I look cutting out the drinking. One or two good weekends and my face is a lot less puffy and the belly and bloating starts to drop away significantly. This is a good incentive for sure, but my fking brain forgets all about this when it's Friday night and I'm bored.

I'm getting married this year and would rather not be a fat drunk on my wedding day.

Got a few free Heineken 0% beers in a HelloFresh order, so might drink them tonight. Woo fking hoo.

I feel your pain buddy, I really, really do!

Some of my mates have made it easier for me since they appear to not be interested in going out anymore.

Even so, I'll probably have a few beers tonight, but I do feel a pang of guilt about it given how well I've been otherwise doing. I'll just try and not have too much. At one time I would have done 10 cans in, even staying in the house but now I doubt I could get anywhere near it (tolerance!), nor do I want to.

I think the best strategy here is to be strict through the week - this is the critical bit. Still enjoy your weekends, but try and reduce what you have. The lowered tolerance will certainly help. Get drinks you love the taste of and savour them. Try not to drink through the day on a weekend - at least wait until the evening. You might need a distraction - mine is working out, walking and computer games (not so much TV/movies as they're passive so you tend to reach for your drink). You're on PH so unlike me you might have a car you can go out in and enjoy.

Unfortunately, it's not meant to be easy, if it was, this thread wouldn't be full of people like us. As with me, you're probably of that generation that went out all weekend on the drink every weekend and its difficult to get out of the mindset. Thing is, our bodies can't take it anymore (well mine can't anyway!).

Good luck mate, am here if ever you want a chat / moral support