Life without alcohol

[hilts]

Things we do slowly kill us early. Smoking, drinking, bad food. Bad choices.

There's a 80 odd year old chap in our building from Iraq originally, very nice guy. Mr Zaki. Never smoked or drank booze, eats a good diet, plenty of fresh food. He's slim and plays tennis 2 or 3 times a week and regularly swims in our pool. He drinks water a lot.
I bet he lives well into his 90's.

Wish I'd never smoked, boozed or eaten pudding chips peas and gravy.

There is a balance though and a gamble to take tbh. Not sure living into your 90s is always a good thing

 

[Grassland Blue]

I’m cutting down all the time. I think I’m below my recommended 14 units a week (7 average strength pints, IIRC.) It was the pub or nothing else with my circle so I had to stop going or it would just get out of hand again.

Genuinely unsure what has happened but everywhere locally is dead these days. You’re often talking just a handful out on a Saturday night when it was often very busy. I’m glad I’m not in the local pub industry.

It's just got too expensive to drink in pubs much these days.
Who's going to spend £10 - £20 on a modest lunchtime session, and then there's Friday/Saturday nights out where a couple of hundred isn't out of the ordinary.
A grand a month?
Better things to spend my money on thanks.

 

[M18CTID]

Despite been a pisshead for 40 years, I could quite easily knock alcohol on the head if I wanted to. I virtually never drink at home. I probably should do as well, as it’s clearly causing me health problems as I get older.

But if I did my whole life would basically consist of going to work and sitting at home watching tele. And what’s the point in that? Might as well have another two years fun than 20 years complete boredom.

I can’t even imagine I’d keep going to City with drinking off the table. Certainly couldn’t contemplate an away game without a good drink. Even home games are probably 90% about meeting the lads and having a drink and only 10% the football. Reckon I’d probably soon get in the habit of sacking it off and watching it on TV, without the boozing. Sad but true.

This is true - I can't imagine going to City games and not having a drink at all. Sure, maybe a midweek game if I'm rushing home from work and getting to the ground late on but weekend games? Not a chance! As you say, it's as much about meeting up with mates, etc, as it is about the football.

That said, I do just need to pace myself more. There used to be a time where I might typically have 4,5, or 6 pints before a weekend home or away game but last season there were games where I was literally chucking a dozen pints down and hardly remembering much about the match itself. I was that wankered against Bayern at home that I thought Mahrez scored our opener rather than Rodri! And when the half time whistle went I thought that it was full time and I applauded the players off for what I thought was a hard fought 1-0 win, only to then be told otherwise! That's not good and I need to reign it in, not just for my own health and well-being but also because a great display pretty much passed me by.

 

[Stephen230]

This is true - I can't imagine going to City games and not having a drink at all. Sure, maybe a midweek game if I'm rushing home from work and getting to the ground late on but weekend games? Not a chance! As you say, it's as much about meeting up with mates, etc, as it is about the football.

That said, I do just need to pace myself more. There used to be a time where I might typically have 4,5, or 6 pints before a weekend home or away game but last season there were games where I was literally chucking a dozen pints down and hardly remembering much about the match itself. I was that wankered against Bayern at home that I thought Mahrez scored our opener rather than Rodri! And when the half time whistle went I thought that it was full time and I applauded the players off for what I thought was a hard fought 1-0 win, only to then be told otherwise! That's not good and I need to reign it in, not just for my own health and well-being but also because a great display pretty much passed me by.

Mate, I’ve turned up to work in a morning and someone has asked me if I went to the game last night? And I’m like, Game? Last night? It’s genuinely been a surprise we’ve even played, let alone that I was there.

Those days have gone though. Can barely breath and walk the morning after a good drink these days. Let alone get to work.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

But if I did my whole life would basically consist of going to work and sitting at home watching tele. And what’s the point in that? Might as well have another two years fun than 20 years complete boredom.

That’s all I’m pretty much doing these days and I feel much better for it. I’ve got Wrexham v Wigan on or FIFA on my PS if I need it.

Something somewhere clicked in my head recently and I’ve cut right down.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

I have seen to many good people suffer with the drink, fortunately I am a lightweight and can't face a drop after a good night out.

Same here Mexico. I drink once a week on a Saturday,maybe the odd 2 or 3 if City are playing midweek. If I go on a session and I'm rough the next day I usually leave it for 2 weeks. Went out a few weeks back with my mate, all dayer. I was dying and so was he. I just drank water all day, he got on the train at 1, got off in town, had 3 pints in the Piccadilly then went home and drank cans all day n night whilst watching the golf. The thought of that makes me spew. I've told him it's not normal.

 

[BlueMoonday]

It's just got too expensive to drink in pubs much these days.
Who's going to spend £10 - £20 on a modest lunchtime session, and then there's Friday/Saturday nights out where a couple of hundred isn't out of the ordinary.
A grand a month?
Better things to spend my money on thanks.

I absolutely hated lockdown and the Covid era but lockdown highlighted how much I was spending each week on going out through savings I made. Since Covid, I've massively cut down on going out.

Call me a bore but I would rather enjoy extra gigs / holidays / city breaks abroad as opposed to going out each weekend.

 

[Stephen230]

Same here Mexico. I drink once a week on a Saturday,maybe the odd 2 or 3 if City are playing midweek. If I go on a session and I'm rough the next day I usually leave it for 2 weeks. Went out a few weeks back with my mate, all dayer. I was dying and so was he. I just drank water all day, he got on the train at 1, got off in town, had 3 pints in the Piccadilly then went home and drank cans all day n night whilst watching the golf. The thought of that makes me spew. I've told him it's not normal.

Don’t know about normal. People are just different I guess. I’m more like you. The mere thought of having a drink the day after a big session is enough to make me physically ill these days.

Yet I know blokes who it just never seems to affect. I know one guy in his 70s who is waiting for the bar to open every single morning at 9 am. And drinks through until at least 4 or 5, sometimes later. That’s every single day and I’ve never seen him once with a hangover.

 

[BrianW]

I can't lecture anyone as I loved beer for most of my life, and before I got married was often pissed up. I drank most days, albeit not to excess except for occasional binges.

The thing is though, it ain't good for you. I know two people who suffered badly because of their drinking habits. I would not wish what they went through on anyone, not even Nigel Farage. Certainly not on anyone here. Both are lucky to be here and not pushing up daisies before their time.

My development of some kind of allergy to drink, where anything more than a small amount makes me shit myself 9 times out of 10, is, in a sense a blessing. I find I can enjoy a good half pint of bitter (note, good) as much as I used to enjoy 4-6 pints. It has the extra benefit of being a lot cheaper, so even if it's £8 a pint, I can still afford it. In that sense, less is more. But I must admit, I'm an old git. My idea of a day out is lunch with the missus or a mate. I know it's a lot harder for young people with a social life. Oddly, I find I can even tolerate 0% alcohol beer these days. At one time I'd have laughed at the concept, but they really don't taste that bad. They can satisfy when I get that rare craving for a taste of beer.

I've got whole bottles of malt whisky, but I barely touch it these days.
'I like whiskey. I always did, and that is why I never drink it.' (Robert E. Lee)

 

[KS55]

Sine vino non est hic.