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It's important to remember that you are always in control of your intake, and that one really good pint (no additives like the old German Rheinheitsgebot ) of ale/bitter/lager is much more healthy than a glass of Coke or other shitty fizzy drink.
tl;dr Stop thinking of alcohol as a treat!
I gave up alcohol about 18 months ago.
My wife and I were getting into bad habits - a bottle of wine a night between us, pretty much every night. It was seen as a treat ("wine o'clock") with a glass with dinner and then finish off the bottle once the kids had gone to bed. We would fairly often open a second bottle. Nights out with friends often meant a hangover the next day, which got harder and harder as we got older.
We both also come from families with a history of drinking too much. We weren't alcoholics - we weren't having a glass with breakfast, or keeping a bottle in a brown paper bag in our desk drawer, etc - but we were definitely relying on it in a way which my wife in particular wasn't comfortable with.
So my wife borrowed Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Control Alcohol" from the local library. She read it and then asked me to. I won't say I haven't had a drop since, but I could count on my fingers the number of days I have had a drink - it's usually where I'm having a meal and it feels like a glass of wine would be a good accompaniment.
A key principle is that we have conditioned ourselves to think alcohol tastes nice (think of all the guff written as wine "tasting notes") whereas it doesn't really taste nice and we drink it because we enjoy feeling inebriated. Doubtless people will disagree with it and I have some sympathy, but it has worked for me and I now can't bear that slight fuzziness of inebriation which you get after even a couple of glasses of wine or pints of beer.
The downside of not drinking is that you realise how much alcohol forms a part of our social culture in the UK. Dinner at restaurants isn't too bad - and our friends are pretty good about not sharing the alcohol costs with us (not least because they then get a free taxi home). Going to the pub is a bit less attractive than it used to be - I used to be there until 1 am drinking shots with the rest of them on a big night out; now I have a couple of alcohol-free beers before heading home relatively early. Some pubs are better for alcohol-free options than others (I loathe Becks Blue but quite like Brew Dog Nanny State*).
Good luck. I'm happier and healthier now I've stopped drinking and hope I don't go back to my old ways, and I would recommend it (in a non-evangelical way).
* Yes, I know Nanny State isn't strictly alcohol-free but you would have to have an awful lot to get even close to the amount of alcohol in one pint of beer. It's a good compromise.
It's important to remember that you are always in control of your intake, and that one really good pint (no additives like the old German Rheinheitsgebot ) of ale/bitter/lager is much more healthy than a glass of Coke or other shitty fizzy drink.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Which is kind of in line with the saying 'everything in moderation' :)Originally Posted by Daddelvirks
(How big are the glasses Daddelvirks? Cos two small glasses of red is about 2 units, whereas half a bottle of wine is about 5 units. Knowledge is power etc.)
It's half a bottle, every night :)
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
I know where you're coming from here and best of luck.I'm with you on this, been drinking a lot, daily for the past couple of years.
My drinking habit tends to be a few bottles of wine, at home, on my own, rather than going out and drinking socially.
It's caused a few unspeakable moments in my life that i'm not proud of, plus ended my previous relationship.
I don't think i'll ever be able to stop drinking outright, but aim to only drink occasionally (and socially rather than on my own).
Hoping we can support each other
As someone else mentioned, try one of Allan Carr's books. They are very good at changing the way you think about alcohol.
The important thing is that we have so many alcoholics here wishing to change
Best of luck guys, havent been an alcoholic but takes courage to do that ( being not one)
There is no less or more alcoholic btw
Last edited by raptor; 15th January 2018 at 20:47.
I can only speak for myself here, but I feel I certainly have the potential to be an alcoholic, so am extremely wary about my relationship with booze. (A couple of family members have been full-blown alcoholics, so I’m acutely aware of the fine line). Arguably, that is in itself low-grade alcoholism and I feel many of my friends/colleagues are similarly mildly-dependant. Unless you can genuinely take or leave it (rather than forced abstinence), then it’s probably a form of addiction.
For better or worse, we’re a drinking nation, so it does make it difficult to give up completely. Fair play to those who abstain, but controlled, sensible drinking may be a more realistic proposition for some.
Cant sit in front of the telly after a hard day in work and not have a beer!
However, 90% of the time it will be anon alcoholic one. There was a good thread recently on just that!
I started the thread on the basis that under a routine examination the doctor advised that my liver felt large, and then commented that my alcohol intake of 30-35 units per week could be causing it.
Well, I’ve just had my liver function blood tests back and all are completely normal except my bilirubin which was on the high side of normal.
Nevertheless, all of my liver function blood tests (bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transferase, gamma gpt) are around 20-30% less than my equivalent tests 5 years ago, arguably when I was drinking less alcohol. Go figure!
Anyway still planning to keep up my alcohol reduction, allowing myself to indulge moderately only on a Friday and Saturday night. And not having had any alcohol for around 10 days I am positively looking forward to a glass of wine with my pizza tonight.
Good to hear!
It’s not always the obvious :)
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Enjoy 🍷
Salud.
Urghhh - I'd rather have a cup of tea while watching TV that any non-alcoholic beer I've tried.
What's your poison? I'd love to find a drinkable Non-alcoholic beer, but have failed so far!
M
I not looking to replicate the taste of alcohol with a non-alcoholic beer/wine. That’s why I never touch the non-alcoholic stuff.Urghhh - I'd rather have a cup of tea while watching TV that any non-alcoholic beer I've tried.
What's your poison? I'd love to find a drinkable Non-alcoholic beer, but have failed so far!
M
I’m looking for something to replicate the warm glow alcohol provides, and since nothing can replicate that, I’d rather drink tea too.
Well can’t recall if this is BP or not, so will keep it clean, but after not drinking since my last post (on this thread, not TZ lol!) had one arse of a day & just thought I needed a drink.
One glass of wine in & can feel it. Nice to have had it and unwind, but a real eye opener to me that I can feel a glass - scary stuff indeed.
Love to say I’ve woken up with more energy / feeling brighter, but as a morning person all my life, I’ve never felt so lethargic in the mornings & am now just chasing a lie in vs my rowing machine.
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Cut down significantly over the last few weeks but having a couple of beers tonight as it has been a stressful day. Wednesday and Thursday will be dry.
It's weird but I often find that I'm more motivated to get up and go run, swim or cycle when I've had a few the night before rather than when it's been just a couple. I'm naturally more of a morning person also.
Damn it - realised it’s only Tuesday.
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Think you aren’t welcome in these parts lol
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Cheers !
I seem to have settled into a much more acceptable drinking pattern. Previously it was most of a bottle of wine on Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sunday.
Now, I’m into my third week of no alcohol Sun-Thurs, and 3/4 of a bottle of wine on Fri/Sat night only, so 15 units a week, which puts me bob on the latest (reduced) number of units of recommended alcohol per week.
I’m down from 35 to 15 units per week, so a fall of around 60%, and it’s not felt challenging to do it. Just breaking the habit.
A definite improvement in my guts, as I realise alcohol plays havoc with them. Secondly, I’m having light brown poos now!! Not seen that for a long time given the previous copious and regular red wine intake.
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I cut out all alcohol as part of a weight reduction programme in the run-up to my recent operation. Ten weeks without alcohol now and I don't miss it at all. I wouldn't say I won't have another drink but at the moment, I don't feel like it.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Once you have gone past your 3 score years and ten, you are entitled to live how you want. The wife and I empty a bottle of wine with dinner every evening and often have a pre dinner G&T.
I may not much time before I shuffle off this mortal coil, but I want to enjoy what time I got left.
Ask yourself this question - and be brutally honest - do you actually LIKE the taste of beer? 100% honest? It's foul.....
That's why I stopped - I'd sooner drink something I like the taste of that also doesn't harm me I guess.
Each to there own.
Over the last four months I’ve dramatically cut down. I wasn’t a frequent drinker but when I did I went large and often had blank areas from the night before plus bad hangovers.
I’ve only had a handful of drinks since then and I think max of three in one day.
I feel a lot better and don’t really miss it. I’ve been trying the non alcohol beers and quite like a few of them. It doesn’t make you feel left out when with friends.
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Very useful advice on the “alcohol reduction motivation thread”. Sometimes silence is golden.
Sometimes the opposite view is useful. You may feel the same when you hit the 3 score plus ten. Things and attitudes change.
Read. The. Thread. Title.
I like it far too much. Same with red wine.
My drinking has been an issue, but is now what I'd call a real problem. Mental health issues and other circumstances, and I'm now on 3 bottle of ale and a bottle of a wine every night. Planning to go cold turkey come Saturday and try and get to grips with life.
With lent tomorrow, feeling my main need is to cut down on the daily drinking - but water/soft drinks are not going to cut it. Quite enjoying the range of alcohol free beer but as someone who mainly drinks red wine or whisky, would like to resurrect this to get an update on people’s enticing alcohol free options.
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I have cut down on the beer since before Xmas, I don’t drink wine or spirits. I have also picked up the phys and I am feeling better for it.
Low alcohol beer from Brewdog and Addams are passable but the rest are largely awful. I am really enjoying a booze free G&T though, it’s surprised me a bit as I actually look forward to it of an evening, just like I used to do with a beer.
I am currently drinking a ‘gin’ called Stryk and combined with a good tonic like fever tree it’s actually very enjoyable. Use a low calorie tonic and it’s almost guilt free.
Another drink I enjoy is a simple soda water / sparking water with lime cordial, over ice and with a slice. Again refreshing and enjoyable.
I’ve significantly cut my intake since last summer. I started off with a week which then turned into a month. After three months I found that I just didn’t miss it. Now I drink when I want to rather than when I think I should as daft as that may sound
I tend to drink the low or zero alcohol wheat beers Erdinger being a good one, or a glass of red. Maybe the odd gin. Where as it use to be most evenings now it’s once a week at most. I find that when I do have a drink I actually enjoy it. I suppose that’s all part of breaking the habit.
It’ll be interesting to see if I go back to my old ways once the pubs and restaurants reopen.
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have cut down on the whisky for a week or so now (not very impressive I know...) still tempted by so far so good
Great thread, I am following. 2020 has been such a cruddy year for most of us and I have seriously hit the booze, two years ago I was in the best shape of my life but I have put on a lot of weight in the past year. My goal for 2021 is to get my alcohol consumption back under control and lose at least 10% body fat. Good luck all and keep on keeping on.
Stryyk ordered - another TZ inspired Amazon purchase...
Well done!
I got into the habit of a couple of drinks most nights. Adrian Chiles wrote a brilliant article about it and said something like 'can you honestly say you are really enjoying every single drink or is it just the habit?'
Just having that question in my head every time I head to the kitchen for a top-up has reduced my drinking by about a third.
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I need to cut down... I seem to have 'triggers' that make me really want a beer at home;
1 - Football on TV
2 - Kids gone to bed and house becomes quiet
3 - Reading a good book often seems to go well with a glass of red wine or a finger of single malt
I would say in 2020 I had 'one drink' at least 200 nights of the year. I would be happy with the one cold craft beer and if I had to pop to the shop I only buy a single bottle, I stopped keeping beer in the house as it was only feeding the habit. I often seem to find excuses to pop out to the shop to buy its and bobs and pick up that one bottle (normally something like a London pride or Adnams pint bottle).
I would say I have been 'drunk' probably 8 times in the last 5 years and that was related to work nights out and that.
My problem again is weight. I gained a stone in 2020 and I'm certain its down to that that 'one beer' thing.
Havnt had a drink this year so far. Usually I drink 3 or 4 nights of the week
I’ve lost a few pounds in weight. Apart from that the weekends drag and I’m eating a lot more
Want to do 2 dry months
He also made a TV programme about it too called 'drinkers like me' or something similar. It was a real frank and honest review of his drinking habits and how he perceived them vs how they actually are. Also backed up with some medical and phycological advice too.
Well worth looking for if it is still available.
Found it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX2opvj7WE8
Never been a massive drinker but prior to Christmas started to get into the habit of a couple of lockdown beers on a Friday/Saturday night in front of the TV. Asked myself did I really get anything out of it and the answer was no. Been quite happy without alcohol at all for the last month or so. I will drink again when lockdown finishes but thought it was an unhealthy lockdown habit which only purpose was to differentiate a Friday and Saturday night from a work-night in these strange times.
I got into the habit of one can/bottle of ale per night sometimes two during the week and a few more at the weekend.
I did dry January which really helped kickstart the decline. I used an app called Drinkless on my iphone which helped log consumption, or lack of! It also tracks your progress and gives you insights into habits and compares you to other people. Which can be an frightener!
I've not got it down to one or two drinks over the weekend and the occasional one in the week if I feel like it.
I think that's really true. Especially now working from home, opening a bottle of wine seems to be the signal that you're now off duty.
Stryyk No Gin has arrived, tried it last night with tonic in their 1:2 recommended ratio. You do get a kinda aftertaste, assume from the chilli's, to try to mimic the booze but wasn't blown away. However, I have a whole bottle so will play around with different mixes.
As someone who doesn't normally like sparkling water, this with some generous wedges of grapefruit in a nice glass with ice has been a better G&T alternative.
Digging up an old thread from the past, but one which can helpful to us all.
I have always enjoyed a drink, but throughout the pandemic found that the fortnightly recycling green box was getting fuller and fuller as the months went by. I had also gained a lot of weight over the pandemic; a result of quitting the gym, comfort eating/snacking, being more sedentary and drinking a lot of empty calories. I was starting to find I wasn’t enjoying drinking, but instead was doing it for the sake of it and roaring it down without appreciation. I knew I was heading towards a very unhealthy relationship with the booze. I had been really health conscious from my early 30s and into my mid 40s. I gave myself a good talking to, firstly I addressed the amount I was drinking and ensured I was only drinking socially or a Friday night, I started exercising again and I started tracking my calorie intake, this was just over the past three months. I am now down over a stone and a half already, but my proudest achievement is that I now haven’t touched a drop of booze for the past month. I have not missed it at all. I feel better mentally as well as physically.
Now I feel more inclined towards avoiding drinking no matter the situation. I know I have a few things in the calendar, I will just cross that bridge when I come to it. I am thinking my annual lads ski trip will still be an alcohol fuelled trip, but would it matter to me if it wasn’t? Who knows.
I hope others are achieving what you want out of this, whether its a small reduction, not drinking mid-week, total sobriety or reigning it in at only one bottle of wine per night.
Keeping ourselves well physically is one thing, but don’t neglect your mental well-being or that of your loved ones.
Keep safe and well all.
Apologies if mentioned above in the thread but there is a Sober for October in aid of a cancer charity coming up. May be the motivation needed to help with four weeks without.
I enjoy a drink most weekends. But had an ablation few days ago for atrial fibrillation. So gotta cut the ale totally for 6 weeks.
Gonna do till end of Oct. see what happens
This has been a useful thread to follow, thanks everyone.
I realised that I’d got into the habit of drinking EVERY day so, back in June, decided to stop for a month.
Wasn’t easy at first but it did get easier and waking up feeling lighter/fresher helped my resolve.
After a month I didn’t feel the need to resume drinking and so haven’t done so.
My liver seems happier.
But what was most interesting to notice was how drinking had simply become a habit. Breaking that habit feels good to have done just in itself.
It’s kind of empowered my will-power.
Last edited by eddie1; 19th September 2021 at 16:36.
Well done guys, good to hear. Did you find anything helped replace the itch?
Definitely got back into the drinking everyday habit and trying to be sober Sunday - Wednesday. Sparkling water is the main winner, alcohol free beers also good
Sparkling water does it for me (sometimes with a dash of lime cordial). Not a fan of non alcoholic beer.
Well done all.
Again I have mostly avoided non alcoholic drinks. I am drinking cordials, tea, decaf coffee but am also partial to a tonic water, which obviously reminds me of a G&T but I have always like tonic water as a straight drink.
Another thing I seem to be craving is an evening toasted crumpet and jam or honey. Still its only equal in calories to a large glass of wine so I do not feel guilty.
Keep up the good work everyone. Take care.
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