Quitting Alcohol

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Most of my self determination is a result of realizing I'm turning 40 soon and I wanna keep myself in tip top shape. I'm sure when I'm 70 i will probably be able to drink like a sailor and it not effect me but I'm 30 years out from that, so I want the next 30 years to be a bit easier.

Made me think of that Tim McGraw song.

"Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers, huh
Maybe, I'll remember my next 30 years"

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Somewhere in this thread I mentioned that I had a friend who, if he did not stop his drinking, it would mean I was going to lose another friend to drinking, and I told him just that. I found out over this past weekend he was drunk and crashed his truck into a concrete column, he is now another friend I have lost to alcohol. Now he leaves behind a heart broken wife and son, and friend. Do whatever it takes, but stop drinking.

 

[doc holiday13]

Made me think of that Tim McGraw song.

"Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers, huh
Maybe, I'll remember my next 30 years"

Just replace that lemonade with water. I've cut out a significant portion of sugar too. Sugar other than some honey or maple syrup here and there is basically out of my diet. I'm trying to move to a closer to pre 1900's diet, where a processed sugar is genuinely a treat.

 

[Wolf13]

Just replace that lemonade with water. I've cut out a significant portion of sugar too. Sugar other than some honey or maple syrup here and there is basically out of my diet. I'm trying to move to a closer to pre 1900's diet, where a processed sugar is genuinely a treat.

The sugar is difficult to do. I can quit most things no problem at any time, but candy/ice cream? Ugh. They got me good. With candy especially I’ll do a decent job then cave and then it’s binge time. I can not have it in the house. Holidays are rough and then the timing of various celebrations means it takes me a few months to get away from sugar once it starts.

I’m on 5 weeks since my last drink and haven’t noticed a change in anything except I’ve started to dislike the smell. I wanted a manhattan or old fashioned the other night, but stuck with my slightly carbonated water, lime, and bitters. Friend had some cocktail and when they brought it out I got hit with the unpleasant smell. Probably good I didn’t order one as I am not sure I’d have enjoyed it.

I do not enjoy drinking plain water, but with some flavor it’s excellent and a whole lot cheaper than buying the cans. Add a splash of lagunitas hop water (one lasts me 6 glasses easily) and it’s fantastic and exactly what I want: a refreshing beverage.

 

[schmalzy]

Somewhere in this thread I mentioned that I had a friend who, if he did not stop his drinking, it would mean I was going to lose another friend to drinking, and I told him just that. I found out over this past weekend he was drunk and crashed his truck into a concrete column, he is now another friend I have lost to alcohol. Now he leaves behind a heart broken wife and son, and friend. Do whatever it takes, but stop drinking.

My deepest condolences. I truly am sorry to read this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Less]

I haven’t been keeping up with this thread and haven’t read probably the last 25 replies that has been posted. And this story I am going to tell about might not have anything to do with what everyone is discussing. I do remember making a reply myself way back toward the beginning of this thread.

But here’s my true story. As a teenager when I was about 15 years old. I lived in a small country town, population almost 400 people. It’s was the early 70’s not just a lot of excitement for kids my age growing up back then.

A lot of our excitement involved drinking, most of the time beer. Fair amount of whiskey, vodka, wine. Of course my friends and I was under age and had to find someone 21 years old or older to buy our alcohol for us. There was only two sometimes 3 people that we could count on to buy booze for us.

One weekend we couldn’t find any of those 3 people but one of our buddies had an uncle who was a well known out & out drunk whom we went to his house. House wasn’t much more than a run down shack. Think there was 5 of us boys who went in the old man’s house. The old man was passed out on his couch. There was a half gallon of Mount Bethel wine that had about 3 inches of wine left in the bottom of the jug and there was 4 or 5 cock roaches floating around in it.

The old man’s nephew we were with shook the old man took wake him up. Took a lot of shaking and a few minutes before to man come too. Our friend ask him if we were to buy him a case of beer would he let us drive him to the liquor store to buy it and our booze for us. It was all the old man( guess in his 60’s could do to sit up on the couch he was passed out on.

The first thing he done when he got into the sitting position was to grab that jug of rot gut and turn it up swallowing the last of the wine roaches and all. He immediately fail over and back on the couch. We all thought he had passed out. His nephew lifted his legs back up onto the couch. One of the guys said the old man isn’t breathing and thought he was dead. The nephew said no he is always like that. He is still alive.

So we all left. No drinking for us that night. Was driving by the old man’s house the next morning as two guys was loading the old man into the back of an ambulance in a body bag. Seeing that has stuck with me to this day. That along with all of the times I got throwing up drunk as a teenager on up
Into my mid twenties is why i guess I am lucky enough to not drink no more than I do today. That and seeing two of those guys I was with that night become full fledged hard core alcoholics and watching them drink themselves to death.

I really feel sorry for people who get addicted to alcohol and drugs. To me I think that is worse than being killed quickly like in a car accident or something. Having an addiction is a slow miserable life up until you die. Sort of like being tortured. Being killed quick at least you don’t suffer as long.

 

[PlumberED]

Somewhere in this thread I mentioned that I had a friend who, if he did not stop his drinking, it would mean I was going to lose another friend to drinking, and I told him just that. I found out over this past weekend he was drunk and crashed his truck into a concrete column, he is now another friend I have lost to alcohol. Now he leaves behind a heart broken wife and son, and friend. Do whatever it takes, but stop drinking.

Sorry to hear you lost another friend to alcohol. Please accept my condolences.

 

[ODB]

Somewhere in this thread I mentioned that I had a friend who, if he did not stop his drinking, it would mean I was going to lose another friend to drinking, and I told him just that. I found out over this past weekend he was drunk and crashed his truck into a concrete column, he is now another friend I have lost to alcohol. Now he leaves behind a heart broken wife and son, and friend. Do whatever it takes, but stop drinking.

Good grief. Very sorry to hear this.

 

[PlumberED]

The abuse of alcohol causes a lot of suffering.

 

[hunt1up]

I figured I'm bump this thread since it has been profoundly positive. I just went in for a yearly physical and blood work. I'm not posting for atta-boy responses, but rather to show what a drastic difference stopping drinking and paying attention to my health has been.

38 years old and early last year I was around 220 pounds. Today, I'm at 178. My blood pressure was routinely 140/100. Today it was 126/72. Total cholestol peaked out around 240, today 173. Billirubin was always elevated(bad for the liver) and is now half what it was and totally normal. Resting heart rate is lower, sleep is better. Pretty much every health metric is drastically improved and at an ideal level now.

I have been exercising and eating better but quitting alcohol was the #1 factor for getting things straight. I was consuming a ton of extra calories from alcohol and eating junk along with it. And when I was drinking I'd maybe exercise once a week and it was half-assed at best. I just didn't have the ambition to do what I knew needed done when I'd wake up bloated and tired from routine beer drinking.

I just wanted to post and say that if I can do this stuff then anyone can. Stopping alcohol has been probably the best decision of my life.

 

[schmalzy]

I figured I'm bump this thread since it has been profoundly positive. I just went in for a yearly physical and blood work. I'm not posting for atta-boy responses, but rather to show what a drastic difference stopping drinking and paying attention to my health has been.

38 years old and early last year I was around 220 pounds. Today, I'm at 178. My blood pressure was routinely 140/100. Today it was 126/72. Total cholestol peaked out around 240, today 173. Billirubin was always elevated(bad for the liver) and is now half what it was and totally normal. Resting heart rate is lower, sleep is better. Pretty much every health metric is drastically improved and at an ideal level now.

I have been exercising and eating better but quitting alcohol was the #1 factor for getting things straight. I was consuming a ton of extra calories from alcohol and eating junk along with it. And when I was drinking I'd maybe exercise once a week and it was half-assed at best. I just didn't have the ambition to do what I knew needed done when I'd wake up bloated and tired from routine beer drinking.

I just wanted to post and say that if I can do this stuff then anyone can. Stopping alcohol has been probably the best decision of my life.

This is so awesome man. Way to go!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DroptineDC18]

I figured I'm bump this thread since it has been profoundly positive. I just went in for a yearly physical and blood work. I'm not posting for atta-boy responses, but rather to show what a drastic difference stopping drinking and paying attention to my health has been.

38 years old and early last year I was around 220 pounds. Today, I'm at 178. My blood pressure was routinely 140/100. Today it was 126/72. Total cholestol peaked out around 240, today 173. Billirubin was always elevated(bad for the liver) and is now half what it was and totally normal. Resting heart rate is lower, sleep is better. Pretty much every health metric is drastically improved and at an ideal level now.

I have been exercising and eating better but quitting alcohol was the #1 factor for getting things straight. I was consuming a ton of extra calories from alcohol and eating junk along with it. And when I was drinking I'd maybe exercise once a week and it was half-assed at best. I just didn't have the ambition to do what I knew needed done when I'd wake up bloated and tired from routine beer drinking.

I just wanted to post and say that if I can do this stuff then anyone can. Stopping alcohol has been probably the best decision of my life.

Atta boy anyway!

 

[ChrisA]

I don't preach it and certainly dont look at anyone who partakes any differently, but I can attest to all the positive experiences of sobriety in this thread so far; my life is better in every way imaginable. I dont have street cred or tenure at over 6 months yet but thought I'd put in a plug for a great way to be.

I ditched processed sugars and grains at the same time, and am down 40 lbs to 185. I have as much energy as I've ever had, my mind is much clearer, stress is all but gone, and I confirmed that alcohol makes loose stools lol.

Those who said you have to get your mind right are really on to something, and when I did, I felt a great load lifted and relish that "I" am in control. "Body over mind, mind over matter. If your body dont mind, it don't matter!", said the sergeants at FLW in '94.

 

[eamyrick]

I figured I'm bump this thread since it has been profoundly positive. I just went in for a yearly physical and blood work. I'm not posting for atta-boy responses, but rather to show what a drastic difference stopping drinking and paying attention to my health has been.

38 years old and early last year I was around 220 pounds. Today, I'm at 178. My blood pressure was routinely 140/100. Today it was 126/72. Total cholestol peaked out around 240, today 173. Billirubin was always elevated(bad for the liver) and is now half what it was and totally normal. Resting heart rate is lower, sleep is better. Pretty much every health metric is drastically improved and at an ideal level now.

I have been exercising and eating better but quitting alcohol was the #1 factor for getting things straight. I was consuming a ton of extra calories from alcohol and eating junk along with it. And when I was drinking I'd maybe exercise once a week and it was half-assed at best. I just didn't have the ambition to do what I knew needed done when I'd wake up bloated and tired from routine beer drinking.

I just wanted to post and say that if I can do this stuff then anyone can. Stopping alcohol has been probably the best decision of my life.

Big congrats. It’s absolutely a life changing decision.

 

[Billogna]

I dont have street cred or tenure at over 6 months yet but thought I'd put in a plug for a great way to be.

There's someone out there WISHING that they could make it 1 day sober let alone 6 months! Don't discount your success! Congrats and keep going!! Posts like this are inspiration for others!!

 

[ChrisA]

True, been there. Thanks

 

[*zap*]

I struggled for years with periodic binges but never gave up=today many years clean and sober.

 

[IsItTheTed]

I just made it to 1 year on Saturday, I've lost 60 pounds, blood pressure is great, and I'm doing a half marathon in a few weeks. Alcohol robbed me of the best version of me. I caught a glimpse of what my life would be like if I kept it up. I'm 47 years old now, not some 20 something soldier like I used to be. I applaud those who have made the life changing decision to quit drinking!

 

[Scoot]

You folks who are doing so dang well are an inspiration to many. Sincere condolences to those who have lost someone to alcohol.

 

[Finch]

I'm at 4 months today with no alcohol. Earlier in the thread, I said I didn't even want to drink NA beer fearing that it would make me want the real thing but that has honestly filled in the gap for me. I like the Busch Lite NA and it satifies that craving and I don't feel like crap the next day. Interestingly enough, I still get carded at the store for this when checking out with an actual person but the self checkout doesn't require an ID. Weird---I don't even tell them its non-alcoholic anymore when they ask for my ID.