Alcohol - Gave Up

[Carrot]

So after feeling very rough for a very long time, and reading some of the 'sobering' posts on the various how much alcohol threads on here, I decided to give up on the 1st Jan. I was drinking incredible amounts compared to what most would consider normal.

20 days in, I actually feel nothing short of incredible. Weight is going down, I am waking up alert and ready every morning. Energy is up massively.

Right now I am kind of considering never drinking again as I clearly have no self control when it comes to alcohol.

How many people here have done this, and if you started again what was your trigger? Reason for asking is so I can watch out for this and avoid it...

I don't intend to become a holier than thou tea totalist, I just know that for me, it is not something I can control so I had better stay away.

[SlidingSideways]

You want this thread: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Plenty on there who have been sober for a lot longer than 365 days.

[Hashtaggggg]

I am in the same boat as you.

[thatsprettyshady]

I'm at the same stage as you, 20 days in and going well.

I also quit for most of 2018 and early 2019 and lost a tonne of weight and felt best I've felt in years. I started drinking again around summer last year and in the short period until January I put on 3 stone, felt lethargic and lazy, slept too much (bad quality sleep though) and my quality of life went generally downhill.

I like to think I can moderate and only had a couple of glasses of wine a week but the reality is that if I drink I end up fat and depressed but if I give up things are better

[PositronicRay]

Carrot said:

So after feeling very rough for a very long time, and reading some of the 'sobering' posts on the various how much alcohol threads on here, I decided to give up on the 1st Jan. I was drinking incredible amounts compared to what most would consider normal.

20 days in, I actually feel nothing short of incredible. Weight is going down, I am waking up alert and ready every morning. Energy is up massively.

Right now I am kind of considering never drinking again as I clearly have no self control when it comes to alcohol.

How many people here have done this, and if you started again what was your trigger? Reason for asking is so I can watch out for this and avoid it...

I don't intend to become a holier than thou tea totalist, I just know that for me, it is not something I can control so I had better stay away.

How much were you drinking?

[evilmunkey]

gave up completely last march april time, was realising it was becoming a problem , i dont miss it would i go back . nope . i feel so much better dont miss huge hangovers my preferred drink is lemonade and black currant or a cup of tea . i could honestly say quitting booze wa the best thing i ever did . i cant even stand the smell of alcohol nowadays and avoid pubs. i never liked the pub to be trutheful exept for a game of darts. but i can do that with lemon and black happily . me and booze we arnt good friends.

[JJ55]

A friend stopped drinking at the start of jan & has lost 5kg. Unbelievable how many calories are in alcohol.

[Kenny Powers]

Quit just over two years ago and have no desire to go back. I’ve not told myself I will never drink again, but I can’t currently see why I would slip. Life without booze is just better. Go to a few parties, sober, and your impressions of everyone else will be enough to make you never touch another drop.

Drunk people are fking horrible.

Edited by Kenny Powers on Tuesday 21st January 23:15

[JamesD74]

Quit on 1st Jan 2019 after near enough 30 years of pretty heavy habitual drinking that had crept up over the years. The negative impacts had reached the point of far outweighing any perceived 'benefit' I was getting from alcohol.

Basically decided I had 2 choices. Started off with the aim of dry Jan 2019 and have kept it going.

No plans to go back - it feels like a different life.

Edited by JamesD74 on Wednesday 22 January 15:53

[Robertj21a]

Good to see some real-life examples from people. Past experience from others suggests that it's far too easy to gradually slip back into boozing (special treat, football, family gathering etc) and yet it proved surprisingly easy to simply give up.

[WestyCarl]

Gave up in 2012 due to another family issue. I wasn't drinking alot but like you felt so good I've never started again.

[Carrot]

PositronicRay said:

Carrot said:

So after feeling very rough for a very long time, and reading some of the 'sobering' posts on the various how much alcohol threads on here, I decided to give up on the 1st Jan. I was drinking incredible amounts compared to what most would consider normal.

20 days in, I actually feel nothing short of incredible. Weight is going down, I am waking up alert and ready every morning. Energy is up massively.

Right now I am kind of considering never drinking again as I clearly have no self control when it comes to alcohol.

How many people here have done this, and if you started again what was your trigger? Reason for asking is so I can watch out for this and avoid it...

I don't intend to become a holier than thou tea totalist, I just know that for me, it is not something I can control so I had better stay away.

How much were you drinking?

Brutally honest - average week.

Monday - bottle of wine
Tuesday - half a bottle of wine, few shorts
Wednesday - share half a bottle with missus
Thursday - bottle of wine few shorts
Friday - half a large bottle of vodka, some wine and a whiskey to finish
Saturday - usually same as Friday
Sunday - at least a couple of glasses of wine

I didn't get hangovers any more in the traditional sense, just feeling st and out of energy all the time. It was rare that I had a day with no alcohol.

[anonymous-user]

JamesD74 said:

Quit on 1st Jan 2019 after near enough 30 years of pretty heavy habitual drinking that had crept up over the years. The negative impacts had reached the point of far outweighing any percieved 'benefit' I was getting from alcohol.

Basically decided I had 2 choices. Started off with the aim of dry Jan 2019 and have kept it going.

No plans to go back - it feels like a different life.

Same here but a few years earlier. Never looked back.

[FocusRS3]

Carrot said:

Brutally honest - average week.

Monday - bottle of wine
Tuesday - half a bottle of wine, few shorts
Wednesday - share half a bottle with missus
Thursday - bottle of wine few shorts
Friday - half a large bottle of vodka, some wine and a whiskey to finish
Saturday - usually same as Friday
Sunday - at least a couple of glasses of wine

I didn't get hangovers any more in the traditional sense, just feeling st and out of energy all the time. It was rare that I had a day with no alcohol.

Yeah that's worrying amounts

[Greshamst]

Carrot said:

Brutally honest - average week.

Monday - bottle of wine
Tuesday - half a bottle of wine, few shorts
Wednesday - share half a bottle with missus
Thursday - bottle of wine few shorts
Friday - half a large bottle of vodka, some wine and a whiskey to finish
Saturday - usually same as Friday
Sunday - at least a couple of glasses of wine

I didn't get hangovers any more in the traditional sense, just feeling st and out of energy all the time. It was rare that I had a day with no alcohol.

Calories wise, that’s 5000cal+, so just from booze alone you’re having the equivalent of two entire days food every week (or equivalent to either 13 Krispy Kreme donuts, or 10 Big Macs)

So well done!

[the cueball]

I've done my usual dry January.. sometimes it lasts until March/April depending on how I am feeling...

This time however, I've foundmyself having a few 0% beers...

Is that cheating??

[Kenny Powers]

Greshamst said:

Calories wise, that’s 5000cal+, so just from booze alone you’re having the equivalent of two entire days food every week (or equivalent to either 13 Krispy Kreme donuts, or 10 Big Macs)

So well done!

And worse than that is the slow and insidious deposition of hepatic fat (liver fat) that incrementally increases insulin resistance and generally edges you one step closer to the grave with every sip.

[Carrot]

Oh yes... I was staggered at how easily I slipped into it frankly. I never used to drink that much even when I was younger.

Got a routine bloodwork check coming up soon, will be interesting to see if it flags anything.

[anonymous-user]

Greshamst said:

Calories wise, that’s 5000cal+, so just from booze alone you’re having the equivalent of two entire days food every week (or equivalent to either 13 Krispy Kreme donuts, or 10 Big Macs)

So well done!

fk me that was a good Saturday a few years back!

[funinhounslow]

Gave up in 2012 as a direct result of the 365 days without booze thread mentioned above.

Best thing I ever did, and my only regret is not doing it sooner...

Carrot said:

20 days in, I actually feel nothing short of incredible. Weight is going down, I am waking up alert and ready every morning. Energy is up massively
.

Yep. AA Gill said giving up drinking was like winning a Willy Wonka golden ticket and I think this is a wonderful way of putting it.

I lost about 18kg without really trying.

I would say six months in is where it really gets interesting. By then the health benefits will really have kicked in - weight loss, sleeping better, less stress, more energy. But also you will start to explore the possibilities open to you with the extra cash and spare time you have.

When you consider even a “quick pint “ is £5 and half an hour out of your day the opportunities are limitless.

I would advise against telling friends who still indulge how wonderful it is though. It is hard not to come across as “smug” and you will only wind them up. If they ask you about your experience that’s different of course...

Best of luck and enjoy!