Reply to: Giving up booze - almost entirely

[ChimpMaster]

Well done!

Sure you deserved it. Did you lose much weight?
About 2 inches off my waist and 6 Kgs but I'm only ~65Kg anyway.

I'm going on a 3 month dry period myself.
Sounds like something painful a woman might go through!! But good luck

Been a heavy few months for me for various reasons & Sunday night I let off steam big time.

I never want to feel like that again....
It can be done and is well worth it but the first month or 2 was hard for me, so be prepared to go through the pain and the constant whining questions of drinkers who can't understand why you're not drinking Oh and don't stop socializing else you'll feel like you're missing out.

Good Luck!

[Big Blue Plymouth]

3.5 months without booze. Not a drop. Though I had a sniff of my mate's whiskey in a bar once.

I made it until April 15th and then had 3.5 pints of lager to celebrate.

Well done!

Sure you deserved it. Did you lose much weight?

I'm going on a 3 month dry period myself.

Been a heavy few months for me for various reasons & Sunday night I let off steam big time.

I never want to feel like that again....

[ChimpMaster]

I drink too much. I know that. Not massively in binges, but regularly like a couple of pints and a couple of big shots (whiskey or rum or vodka + a mixer) every evening. It's my excuse for relaxation and it really helps to deal with the wife and kids and the general end-of-day de-stress, or as I see it anyway. It makes me feel relaxed, to forget about the S-H-I-T.

But of course it's just a distraction. The buzz is not real and so the continual need to do this is a barrier to moving on and a barrier to improving myself and my life.

I need to stop drinking. I want to stop drinking. But I don't know if I can do it because it's part of my routine and I'm used to having a drink every evening. And frankly I really enjoy it.

So how can I do this? How can I get over the need for a drink every evening? Won't life be ever so difficult, stressful and boring without it?

3.5 months without booze. Not a drop. Though I had a sniff of my mate's whiskey in a bar once.

I made it until April 15th and then had 3.5 pints of lager to celebrate.

[shaunbhoy]

Aah yes the liquid version of the 5, 2 diet

Pretty much, yes.

[SlipTheJab]

I try to have at least as many non-drinking days as drinking days. I mainly try and drink on fridays and saturdays with maybe one night during the week too. You are never far away from the next beer/wine/scotch and having lime & soda or filter coffee/green tea evenings is actually quite enjoyable too.
So is the distinct absence of hangovers (which I seem to suffer quite badly from!!)

Aah yes the liquid version of the 5, 2 diet

[Fronttoback]

And how do you get the self discipline?

That's a good question. I was brought up that way. I don't know if you can learn that later if it's missing in your character by adulthood.

[shaunbhoy]

And how do you get the self discipline?

[NotAllThere]

Self discipline. Creating distractions will only get you so far. To be a drinker in control comes from self discipline, not distractions.

And how do you get the self discipline?

[shaunbhoy]

I try to have at least as many non-drinking days as drinking days. I mainly try and drink on fridays and saturdays with maybe one night during the week too. You are never far away from the next beer/wine/scotch and having lime & soda or filter coffee/green tea evenings is actually quite enjoyable too.
So is the distinct absence of hangovers (which I seem to suffer quite badly from!!)

[greenlake]

Cut out the mid week every night drinking, and enjoy the sociable drink with friends.

But....

[Fronttoback]

And then you have two birthdays in a row or such thing.

Unless you have an excuse not to drink e.g. you have to run, cycle etc in the morning then it's unlikely to work.

Self discipline. Creating distractions will only get you so far. To be a drinker in control comes from self discipline, not distractions.

[SueEllen]

Just make a rule to never drink two days on the trot.

Simples.

And then you have two birthdays in a row or such thing.

Unless you have an excuse not to drink e.g. you have to run, cycle etc in the morning then it's unlikely to work.

[Fronttoback]

Just make a rule to never drink two days on the trot.

Simples.

[jmo21]

Interesting comments there and nice to see many others here having had similar thoughts/experiences.

The social aspect is a big one for me. My friends are drinkers. My cousins are drinkers. So pretty much every single social occasion involves drinking to some degree - not so much the heavy sessions (I'm in my 40s now so can't deal with it ) but perhaps 3 or 4 pints or a few glasses of wine etc. I can't imagine sitting there with fizz water all night. And personally, having seen non-drinkers in a group, they tend to be ridiculously boring ... and you just know there's something dodgy about them

Isn't this the hardest part of giving up or at least drastically cutting down booze?

Cut out the mid week every night drinking, and enjoy the sociable drink with friends.

[jmo21]

don't make excuses

This.

Dealing with similar trying to lose weight.

If you don't want to do it, it won't happen.