Alcohol, hints, tips, advice etc.

I'm at 26 days now (no apps, just clearly remember my last drink as the night we beat Bayern at home).

I've had so many false dawns so not getting ahead of myself, but I'm holding onto the idea that I can't have even one enjoyable drink. We're away this weekend and I was even able to look at the beers in Lidl on the way up, but ultimately knowing I couldn't go ahead.

If I can get to 11th July without a drink, this will quite possibly represent the longest I have ever gone without a drink since starting aged 14.
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
I'm at 26 days now (no apps, just clearly remember my last drink as the night we beat Bayern at home).

I've had so many false dawns so not getting ahead of myself, but I'm holding onto the idea that I can't have even one enjoyable drink. We're away this weekend and I was even able to look at the beers in Lidl on the way up, but ultimately knowing I couldn't go ahead.

If I can get to 11th July without a drink, this will quite possibly represent the longest I have ever gone without a drink since starting aged 14.
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Amazing work buddy. One at a time. They soon add up. Keep on coming back.
 
I don't have a problem as such with alcohol but would like to give it up one day because once I start, I don't know when to stop and I'm a pain in the arse when I'm pissed.

The social aspect of giving up is what puts me off. I wouldn't go on a night out with my mates if I wasn't drinking so feel I would see aot less of them.

Plus I get very nervous when City have a big game so feel like I need a couple of beers at least to calm the nerves.
 
117 M34 said:
The social aspect of giving up is what puts me off. I wouldn't go on a night out with my mates if I wasn't drinking so feel I would see aot less of them.

Plus I get very nervous when City have a big game so feel like I need a couple of beers at least to calm the nerves.
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I'v not been in a pub since I quit,nine weeks ago,and probably never will again if I continue sober.

Watching City and the matchday experience as been turned on its head for me.I honestly dont enjoy it without alcohol or not as much,away days are out for me now.I'm in two minds whether to go to the FA Cup final.I just cant get used to it,being totally sober at football.I hope I change and I will enjoy attending,but at the moment I doubt I will.Its quite sad really.
 
blue44 said:
I'v not been in a pub since I quit,nine weeks ago,and probably never will again if I continue sober.

Watching City and the matchday experience as been turned on its head for me.I honestly dont enjoy it without alcohol or not as much,away days are out for me now.I'm in two minds whether to go to the FA Cup final.I just cant get used to it,being totally sober at football.I hope I change and I will enjoy attending,but at the moment I doubt I will.Its quite sad really.
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That will pass with relative ease, I reckon. City will be too important to you for that not to be the case.
 
When I hit the drink heavy with my mates - I also hit the packet . It really isn’t good and I don’t know why I do it. It’s gonna give Me the worst hangover today
 
I've just started having a beer or two again after a period of complete abstinence.

I stopped drinking after an absolute session on the day we came from 2 down to beat Crystal Palace 4-2. It ended with an argument with my wife (who went home and left me in the pub), a bit of a scrap, being spoken to by the police, being put on a list for local pubs to be aware of me and sleeping outside. Couldn't remember the majority of the evenings events either.

7 months I did without touching a beer. Had Xmas and works night outs, gigs and City all without a beer and it was OK tbh, it wasn't anywhere near as hard as I thought it would have been but it is totally different experiencing things like a gig or night out sober. Some positives but some negatives too.

Lost a little bit of timber 12st 13lbs to 12st 4lbs and it made me very happy not having to contend with hangovers and any guilt or anxiety.

I have reintroduced it into my life again but it's when you check you bank account the next day to see transaction after transaction in pubs that it makes you question whether it was really worth it or not. You can save a hell of a lot of money by giving up the drink and you can lose that little bit of weight that you'd like to lose too.
Not to mention never ending up in any embarrassing situation as I did on the day of the Palace game.

There are so many positives to giving up drinking and I applaud anyone who's deciding to give it up (for whatever reason) but at times I found it a bit boring if I'm being honest. I like a couple of pre match beers in Manchester, I enjoy going to a gig having had a few pints and a day out with pals just isn't the same having non alcoholic beers.

I'm hoping that my period of abstinence has acted as a reset button as to my drinking habits. I no longer have a 'local' (too embarrassed to show my face) so my habit of a Friday after work or a Sunday afternoon has completely stopped and I also don't mind a non alcoholic beer or shandy now and again rather than having 1 or two, getting a taste and staying out for way longer than expected.

Overall from my experience, despite it being a little boring at times I'd say that being a non drinker is far better than being a drinker, or at least a drinker with a problem with moderation.

Good luck to anyone looking to change their drinking habits.
 
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RACHACE said:
I've just started having a beer or two again after a period of complete abstinence.

I stopped drinking after an absolute session on the day we came from 2 down to beat Crystal Palace 4-2. It ended with an argument with my wife (who went home and left me in the pub), a bit of a scrap, being spoken to by the police, being put on a list for local pubs to be aware of me and sleeping outside. Couldn't remember the majority of the evenings events either.

7 months I did without touching a beer. Had Xmas and works night outs, gigs and City all without a beer and it was OK tbh, it wasn't anywhere near as hard as I thought it would have been but it is totally different experiencing things like a gig or night out sober. Some positives but some negatives too.

Lost a little bit of timber 12st 13lbs to 12st 4lbs and it made me very happy not having to contend with and guilt or hangovers.

I have reintroduced it into my life again but it's when you check you bank account the next day to see transaction after transaction in pubs that it makes you question whether it was really worth it or not. You can save a hell of a lot of money by giving up the drink and you can lose that little bit of weight that you'd like to lose too.
Not to mention never ending up in any embarrassing situation as I did on the day of the Palace game.

There are so many positives to giving up drinking and I applaud anyone who's deciding to give it up (for whatever reason) but at times I found it a bit boring if I'm being honest. I like a couple of pre match beers in Manchester, I enjoy going to a gig having had a few pints and a day out with pals just isn't the same having non alcoholic beers.

I'm hoping that my period of abstinence has acted as a reset button as to my drinking habits. I no longer have a 'local' (too embarrassed to show my face) so my habit of a Friday after work or a Sunday afternoon has completely stopped and I also don't mind a non alcoholic beer or shandy now and again rather than having 1 or two, getting a taste and staying out for way longer than expected.

Overall from my experience, despite it being a little boring at times I'd say that being a non drinker is far better than being a drinker, or at least a drinker with a problem with moderation.

Good luck to anyone looking to change their drinking habits.
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Good post.
I can relate to almost everything you say.
Good luck.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
When I hit the drink heavy with my mates - I also hit the packet . It really isn’t good and I don’t know why I do it. It’s gonna give Me the worst hangover today
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The two go hand in hand unfortunately. Last time I did that was when we played Bournemouth back in August, around that time we had record heat. Was out in Manchester for 11am, on the beer all day then met the lads at 7pm by which point the packet was almost necessary. Unfortunately the man brought me two grams. Upwards of 15 pints, 2 grams, few chasers, got home red and sweating convinced I'd finally gone too far and sat in a cold bath.
 
Just a quick reminder of the benefits of not drinking, or cutting down for some people:

Better sleep
Feeling more energetic
Saving money
Losing a bit of weight
Less drama in your life (for some)

Obviously, everyone is coming at this from different angles, but hopefully the benefits all remain the same.

Keep plugging away folks!
 
Nebuchadnezzar said:
The two go hand in hand unfortunately. Last time I did that was when we played Bournemouth back in August, around that time we had record heat. Was out in Manchester for 11am, on the beer all day then met the lads at 7pm by which point the packet was almost necessary. Unfortunately the man brought me two grams. Upwards of 15 pints, 2 grams, few chasers, got home red and sweating convinced I'd finally gone too far and sat in a cold bath.
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That sounds horrendous mate, to think you’d gone too far, probably fearing death. Most of us have had hangovers that felt death was imminent but that’s on a different level, very best of luck to you.
 
I think this thread had attracted some quite intelligent posters who need that alcoholic boost to stave away boredom or stimulate a good time. However, I think @John Wayne probably called it in a previous post where he said 3 to 4 drinks is a happy place, after that there’s not much enjoyment, poor sleep, no energy, hangover in the post.

As an older drinker (64) I wish I’d not drank as much but it’s what we did, football/drink, golf/drink, lads holidays/drink anytime at the airport and then afternoon and evening sessions at the resort, meals out/drink a lot, gigs/drink. When the Tour De France was passing through South Yorkshire a few years ago we were contemplating going, we didn’t became the logistics of getting the beers up there was too complicated!

As a diabetic I’ve taken the piss far too much, done almost 70 days off the ale to improve my health and it’s getting easier but I could easily go to the pub and have a session, but I won’t.

Mrs H had 4 half’s of lager at my local golf club last night whilst I had 2 pints of blackcurrant and soda (90p a pint), the Newcastle game was on so the distraction helped.

Keep going lads and lasses, great strength from this thread and I’m only a stone off my healthy weight now due to no booze thanks to the inspiration on here.
 
BrianW said:
I find I enjoy a half of good beer at least as much, and possibly more, than I used to enjoy four or five pints.

This is an advantage of age, and it saves a fortune.
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Many “half pint” drinkers were alcoholics back in the day. The Landlord in my local going back 40 + years used to “supp” half’s from opening at 12 to closing at 11, he reckoned he did about 50 per day, died in his early fifties.
 
BrianW said:
I find I enjoy a half of good beer at least as much, and possibly more, than I used to enjoy four or five pints.

This is an advantage of age, and it saves a fortune.
Click to expand...
I've started buying some slightly more expensive large bottles of pilsner from those trendy wine and beer shops/bars!

Best part of £3.50 a bottle for a 660ml, but they're really nice lager, and not one you're going to want to have more than one or two of.

This means, that I'm not mad keen on more 'commercial' beers anymore, so if I am out, I just end up drinking less because I'm not really enjoying them as much.

So in short, I'm drinking a lot less but what feels like better quality lager for when I do fancy one.
 
blue44 said:
I'v not been in a pub since I quit,nine weeks ago,and probably never will again if I continue sober.

Watching City and the matchday experience as been turned on its head for me.I honestly dont enjoy it without alcohol or not as much,away days are out for me now.I'm in two minds whether to go to the FA Cup final.I just cant get used to it,being totally sober at football.I hope I change and I will enjoy attending,but at the moment I doubt I will.Its quite sad really.
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Nearly 6 months af for me, not been to the pub, not seen any mates and I’m struggling, I just remind myself what alcohol does to me….feeling shit in the mornings, behaving like a twat…..price you pay I guess
 
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