Giving up the booze

[mccarn]

Anybody every just decided to go T-total?

How did it work out because I'm seriously considering it.

[A911DOM]

I'll drink to that...

Sorry

[okgo]

Whats the point?

[br d]

Just done 5 weeks, having my first few Becks now, feeling pretty p*ssed too!

I know 5 weeks isn't much but I tend to have about 4 months off a year, 3 here, 1 there, that type of thing. I always lose weight and feel much better. The only problem being that I always tell myself that when I start again I'll drink less, but I never do, just go straight back to same level of intake.

One day I'll stop completely but I think it will be much harder than just taking a few months out.

[Chrisgr31]

Not tried T-Total but hav substantially reduced intake, and can go without. So rarely have any alcohol at home. When out I'll have a glass of wine with a meal

However still go out with work colleagues and drink bucket loads, but thats infrequent.

[bridgdav]

Why..?
What are you going to replace it with..? Fruity soft drinks.?

Can you live without it...? Booze isn't just about getting plastered.

Social Beers with friends
A glass or 2 Wines to complement the meal
The Irish coffee after
A bottle of beer watching the game
The champagne reception
A toast to whatever
A Wee dram, to warm your cockles from the flask

I know I couldn't

[Puggit]

Went dry for 2 weeks in August - lost 5lbs...

[okgo]

Puggit said:

Went dry for 2 weeks in August - lost 5lbs...

Well you cleary drink too much.

[uriel]

I gave up about 3 weeks ago as part of an attempt to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Lost 1st 2lb so far. I haven't banned myself from drinking, but I'm feeling better, excercising, losing weight even as I build muscle and generally am a lot better off.

So when I find myself in a situation when I would normally have a drink I find myself asking whether it's worth it. And so far I've always decided that it's not and voluntarily chosen to pass. Stangely, it's not the social drinking, but the drinking alone that I miss.

[Puggit]

okgo said:

Puggit said:

Went dry for 2 weeks in August - lost 5lbs...

Well you cleary drink too much.

Not really - only one stubby a day during the week and half a bottle of wine on Fri/Sat nights.

I also did a little exercise

[Digger]

mccarn said:

Anybody every just decided to go T-total?

How did it work out because I'm seriously considering it.

Interesting timing as I have just made a conscious decision to stop as from tomorrow. I have to as the drinking partially negates the medication i am on and am drinking way too much, enough to give me the shakes. I am going to be going from 2 bottles of wine a night to zero, will replace with soft drinks, water, anything really

I have stopped before but this time it might be more difficult. . .

[AB]

I recently did a month, and started running 3 miles a day for that month. Its amazing how much better I felt.

[ShadownINja]

okgo said:

Whats the point?

That's my thinking but more because unless you have an addiction to it, why not just cut down rather than cut out? I'm not a big drinker (1 unit a week?) but certainly wouldn't go teetotal.

[Office_Monkey]

I stopped pretty much altogether when I pssed my bike test. Do still have the occasional piss up, when I do have a drink nowadays it's a special occasion and is never just the one, but it is rare and tbh I don't miss it at all. You can still have fun, people do think you're a bit strange if you don't drink, but if you really need to drink to have fun then you're drinking for the wrong reasons (IMO). On the plus side, you save stloads of money on nights out, don't fork out a fortune on cabs, and feel better for it. And if you do go for a night out with the lads, you get pissed so quickly you only spend about £20 on booze

[okgo]

ShadownINja said:

okgo said:

Whats the point?

That's my thinking but more because unless you have an addiction to it, why not just cut down rather than cut out? I'm not a big drinker (1 unit a week?) but certainly wouldn't go teetotal.

1 unit a week?

You are aware thats about half a pint of lager...

[mccarn]

I'm considering it because I was starting to worry about the amount of alcohol I was drinking.

Also, once I start drinking I can't stop and end up just drinking more and more and more. I end up building a tolerance so it costs me a fortune to have a night out, and I hate feeling st the day after. I could replace the nights out with a hobby...

[Asterix]

I drink a bottle of wine most evenings.

I really should cut down

[King Herald]

mccarn said:

Anybody every just decided to go T-total?

How did it work out because I'm seriously considering it.

I gave up about 15 years ago, and I've not had even one beer or spirit since. I never really set out to do it, to go dry, just the wife asked me one night not to get drunk. So I didn't, and the next night I just didn't feel like it, and that went on for a week or so, and I just decided to quit it altogether.

I was living in Asia at the time, 24 hour topless go-go bars, all that terrible stuff, so booze was becoming a real problem for me.

If drink is actually a problem for you, then you can't 'cut down', you can't 'give up for a while'. If you really need to stop drinking then you have to stop completely.

You'll need an alternative, such a marijuana, crack cocaine, crystal meth etc places to go, things to do, instead of simply going to the pub and trying to carry on your social life, but sober. It IS as boring and frustrating as all fvck, sitting in a bar full of drunks. Believe me.

I bought a motorbike, started working on that, and other workshoppy type stuff to keep entertained. Bars are boring when you're sober, even with pert little Oriental titties jiggling hither and yon.

[militantmandy]

ShadownINja said:

okgo said:

Whats the point?

That's my thinking but more because unless you have an addiction to it, why not just cut down rather than cut out? I'm not a big drinker (1 unit a week?) but certainly wouldn't go teetotal.

Less than half a tin of cider a week? I don't think i'd count this as ANY kind of drinking!

[ShadownINja]

okgo said:

ShadownINja said:

okgo said:

Whats the point?

That's my thinking but more because unless you have an addiction to it, why not just cut down rather than cut out? I'm not a big drinker (1 unit a week?) but certainly wouldn't go teetotal.

1 unit a week?

You are aware thats about half a pint of lager...

On average... sometimes I don't have anything.