Giving up the booze

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  • Hi All

    Can I join too?? Egg, Leg and Rinky - i relate completely. Binge drinker, makes me ill etc etc... Decided not to drink from mid Aug after hols to end of Sept.. doin GNR. BUT went to London last weekend and decided I would allow myself 2 vodkas - was still throwing them down at 2am... Sunday was wasted and I missed a scheduled 10 miler. Have been beating myself up since.

    Did a 4 mile last night and a 5.5 mile tonight - tonight felt fab and I decided to let go of feelin guilty and start again... and then I saw this thread.. Inspirational.

    Have a party on Saturday but am braced for not drinking and committed to my run on sunday morning.

    One day at a time!! That is the the AA thing isn't it? (Daughter of an alcoholic so I really should know better.)

    So Leg - I'm with you - 4 days and counting..

  • I've done it for just over 13 years....one day at a time
  • Anyone on here can email me if they need help/advice or just a chat about this
  • pinkdaisy,Trinity,welcome aboard.i know it's Eggletts thread but no one about,might be that footie match.

    pd,good luck on your GNR,is this your first half?.

    don't beat yourself up from missing your run,just learn from it,from the sound of it you really love your training,so don't let your training suffer.

    good luck with your party sat,and this time enjoy your run on sunday.

    Trinity how long did it take you to learn not to be dependant on drink?

    took me 3 months from packing in drinking to passing my driving test 1987.and i can honestly say hand on heart i have not missed it one bit,just love driving,so didn't want to risk the temptation.
  • kippers...it wasn't a case of 'learning not to be dependant'... when I stopped it was because I had to... without wanting to sound dramatic it was a life or death decision.

    I can't say that I haven't wanted a drink in the last 13 years but what's stopped me is knowing where it'll lead.
  • Hi kippers - thanks for your positive words. Did GNR in 2001 - the year I started runnin. Have been inconsistent with trainin since then but want to keep at it now. Feel so much better and it manages my weight and makes me consider my diet. Did Sheffield half last May and Harrogate 10km a few weeks ago. Thats my total race history! Not at PB stage yet - think that will be focus for next year.

    Trinity - well done - my dad never realised where his drinking would lead - or if he did he didnt have the drive to stop it. Admire your determination... Guess it's what gets you through your ultras also!
  • thanx pinkdaisy :)

    I've 'only' done one ultra and not sure if it's determination, stubborness or just pure insanity that got me through it!

    Anyway...I really should be getting to bed

    nite x
  • Hello new peeps - good to have your comments - i am busy at work today so will read all later and make my usual "essay" later!!

    Egglett
    x
  • Hi all - thanks for great words of encouragement - you all talk so much sense!

    Nessie - good idea, like you say, not really a cop-out if I drive - could just be the kick start I need.

    PinkD - can completely relate to what you said. I am a bit of an all or nothing drinker I think - I can go Sunday to Thursday without a drink - hubbie will drink during the week but it doesn't bother me - then Friday comes and healthy Leg turns into - yippie its the weekend slobby Leg, and even if I decide to only have a couple after the first it will be 'oh what the heck....' - all good intentions go out the window etc... I am really keen to start a Sunday run as I have a half marathon (my first) coming up on 13th October, so I know if I don't stop my weekend drinking I wont be up to it - its as straight forward as that - sounds so simple doesn't it!!? - So like you, last drank on Saturday - this will be my first weekend too - keep us posted how you get on and good luck.

    Hats of to you Trinity.

    Right off for a nice 6-miler in the sunshine - catch you all later
  • Hello again - lunch break!

    It's encouraging to hear what everyone's got to say.

    I was reading my book again last night - 20 pages left so hopefully I'll crack them tonight... it's very good at confirming what you know!

    The scariest think I've realised in the past few months is that while my drinking is not really any worse than that of my social group I do believe it's out of hand and damaging my body, my mind and my life... it's got to go...

    Had a thought last night prompted by some words in the book - I am glad that I dont have to have another drink, I am glad that I dont have to ever have another hangover and mostly I am glad that I can still go out and have a darn good time!!

    I am so positive about my descision that I've started thinking about xmas drinks for me, seen some pop cork grape juice today - that sorts xmas lunch out, when I think of the drink I'd miss the most it's got to be champers, but what I miss is the popping cork and the posh glasses (I'm a champers galsses collector!) so what I can do now is have it all! Sparkly poppy grape juice in nice glasses.... who the hell needs to drink?!

    I am sure I might be in honeymoon period at the moment but I just feel like I've gained my life back.

    Driving is an excellent idea - as well as changing mind to "I will have a great time without a drink and tomorrow I have all of Sunday to do what I want!!!"

    There - Thursday essay in!! LOL!
    Eggs
    x
  • Mornin all - new invention. Diet dry ginger ale out of favorite champers glass - was magic! That's that fantasy dispelled!! (That you have to fill them with champagne!) As I said yesterday it's the popping and the bubbles, didnt get the pop but had the bubbles... was nice!

    1/2 pound off this week - bit miffed but then again rome wasnt built in a day and I did overeat to compensate last weekend.

    1/2 pound is good news!
  • Grrrrrrrrrrr

    Well it's spread like wild fire today - tell a couple of people then they all start!

    1. The cleaner comes in and shouts - "What's this about YOU giving up booze?" I refused to talk about it and said "it's not that bigger deal" - asked him who told him, seems the canteen gossip overheard me saying that I wasnt going to drink at the xmas do...

    2. Supervisor downstairs says "Oh I've just been talking about you" - "The computer room lush"... I asked her why - she said she'd been talking about who was going to the xmas do and she said "The comp lush is" I said I wont be drinking - she said with that smirk they give you - "we'll see, it's a long time till then I bet you will"

    GRRRRRRRRRR dont they get on your nerves!!!
  • The challenge for the weekend starts here!

    After the weekend, I am planning on being able to come back to the forum and tell everyone, that I have managed to pass up on a open bar, whilst going out with the lads from work. We will be in the pub at 16:00 today, and there is no way I can have a drink with them. My reason/excuse at the moment is preparation for the Great North Run. They all know about it, and I have told them all I will not be drinking until then. One person in particular (a good friend at work) has taken it upon himself to tempt me at every opportunity, so the challange is on.
    My wife has also arranged a curry night on Saturday, which was usually accompanied with a few bottles of wine...challange No2 of the weekend.

    Never mind. I will be back with all the arguments designed to make me drink over the weekend, and the side-stepping answers they receive.

    Good luck all. The weekend is always a challange in the waiting!
  • I would go and buy The Alchemist and read it tonight, tomorrow, whenever you can. Its only 170 pages, read it all at once if you can. This is the only advice I can give you at the moment, but if you go and buy/read it things may change for you.

    No harm in trying. The author is Paulo Coelho.

    Kev
  • Gettin better - go for it! Free bar schmee bar! I have am quite lucky in that most of my friends are pretty good about all this and actually want me to stop drinking (if it's what I want) but I have a couple exactly like your description. Always want to wreck things for you - the "you'l never do it gang" - same with diets - "you'll never stick to that" - "have a mars bar ha ha ha haaaa" - good news is they are the sad one's. Normally jelouse!

    My annoying friend is overweight, never exercises and drinks way too much - but of course that person is "Normal" and "Enjoying life" and "content" - what a load of shite!

    You get hold of a good old glass of non-toxic and enjoy the night!

    Ref the curry - I cant wait to have one without the beer!! Imagine how great that will taste when you can actually taste it! Magic

    Magic magic magic!!

    K'blimey I think the Friday giddyness has arrived!

    Cant wait to hear how you get on tell us all on Monday!

    Edingurgh Kev - g'day - I LOVE EDINBURGH!! Got a xmas time weekend to book up soon, we normally start in Clever Dicks then cant really remember where we go! This year I'll be able to! Will shop instead. Will chekc out the book thanks.

    POSITIVE of THE WEEK! Now I am not drinking I have money to spend on ME... so I brought a gorgeous big chunky knitted black polo neck poncho at lunch! Girlies check it out 35 squids warehouse, is a bargain!

  • Gettin'Better - good luck! - challenge starts here for me too - got a girlfriend coming round tonight - I have told her that I am not drinking - which she seemed to think was hilarious, so I will have to be really firm - barbecue at our local tomorrow (weather permitting!) so another toughie - determined thought if nothing else - really wont to run on Sunday - possibly Saturday too - who knows!!

    Egg - loved your idea of putting a soft drink in a wine glass. My tipple is white wine and soda which I have in a large, round glass - anyway put soda and lime cordial in it last night - very nice, and actually looked like wine and soda. Anyway hubbie comes into lounge last night sees me snuggled up nursing this large glass and says 'ah - new you'd crack!' - how chuffed was I to waft it under his nose!!

    Anyway good luck to you all over the weekend!

  • well the dreaded weekend is upon us - but I have faith that we are all going to be strong!! We just have to keep focused on why we are all doing this in the first place.
    We are not doing this for anyone but ourselves!!!

    Kev: I love Paulo Coelho. He is such an inspirational writer and makes you see everything in a different light.

    GB: I'm sure you will rise to the challenge. Good Luck though - I think I am going to have the same problem this weekend. Going out with a load of mates who are all hardcore drinkers/clubbers and they think I've flipped coz I'm not drinking! Probably will get a load of abuse - but I'm looking forward to a good argument, which I'm sure I will win, as I am always right!!

    Egg: I sympathise. My whole office is talking about me and everytime I talk about the weekend - they all bring up me not drinking! I have to say though some of my workmates have been extremely supportive - we have a kinda running club in work, where about 7 of us run together a few times a week....that's not a bad number when you consider there are only 20 people in total in our office! So a few of the others are starting to consider the possiblity of being alcohol free - especially since they are planning to do the flm next year.

    Also is it just me or do everytime you tell people you don't drink they play the pregnancy card!! That is really starting to bug me!!!

    Anyway all of you have a fantastic weekend -and remember alcohol is the devil!!
  • Egglett, let me know how you get on with the book.

    RinkyDinkyDo, I picked up the book by mistake and read it cover to cover in one sitting, prety amazing stuff.

  • Good to hear your all going for it - cant wait to hear how your weekends were - I hope you feel like I did. Free to go out and be yourself, not having to drink to "enjoy"... it's a pile of dog'd doings when you think about it. Drink, slur, feel sick/fall over/wobble around - bed/wake up feel crap/drink etc etc etc!

    I felt shattered yesterday, I have mild form of colitis so sometimes I just get exhausted (drink wasnt helping that!) - so instead of the gym and spinning I came home, had salad and stuff a couple of light ginger ale stuff (no alchol so why it's ale I have no idea!!) and then trundled of fto bed at 8.30pm! Was bloody marvellouse!! I realised that I quite often feel like that on a Friday but before I would have gone through the ritual of having at least a bottle of wine and then kiddy walking (hand outstretched!) to bed - all cos it's Friday.. how mental is that!!

    So yours truley was up at 6am - 6AM!!! Have had bagel and bannana for brekkie and a cuppa rose lee, am off to collect best mates wedding photo's then going to try for a 7-8 miler before boyf arrives.

    Isnt life magic when your in full control of your faculties!!

    End of Eggs Saturday Morning report!
  • Leg that wine glass story is funny - I bet you went "ha ha haaaaaa - doubter!" I would have loved that!! I am waiting for andy to notice the champers glass on the draining board.... ginger ale!!

    Rinky - yeah people are such a pain! It's a facination I think. They realise that your almost saying that the amount they drink is a problem. I've got to say that I have been one of those people, non-drinkers are weird, not normal not to go out and get paraletic and dont know what you've done, not normal to spend £50-£100 on making yourself ill?!!! I must have been barking!! Think that means I've been the weird one all these years!

    FLM - I want to do that one day. Not bulit for it at the moment - one year though., I'm setting my heart on achieveing a half next year - January hopefully and then we'll see where we go..
  • Great words from everyone.. Egg am similar to you this morning - about to have considered brekkie to support my first solo 10miler later this morning...

    Wishin everyone well tonight with their various challenges... I am driving 30miles to my do rather than arranging to stop over - an easy mechanism to avoid the drink. Plus everyone knows I'm training and have GNR coming up.

    This may be another thread?? Does anyone dream about runnng??? Last night dreamt I was on half mara start line, started runnin, straight into steep steep hill, scrambling up, couldn't breathe then had to go through a house with an assault course in it and I couldnt find the way out... took matters into my own hands and smashed through a partition wall to make my escape -then woke up... possibly just pre race anxiety?? Or a little mad..........

    Good runnin and a happy weekend.

    PS Egg or Leg... who collects champagne glasses?? M&S have a lovely red glass one in store - really cool looking flute and the stem is clear glass and only £7!!


  • Hi all - well Saturday morning and no hangover - thats a rarity for me! - must confess though didn't have the challenge I was expecting - girlie get together didn't come together, hubby went to pub - so I had a nice evening with the kids in front of telly - the usual bottle of vino replaced by ginger ale and Rolos all round - smashing. Hubby got back from pub about 9'ish with a bottle of red - not so keen on red so it didn't worry me - my god though, he was waffling on and on - don't usually notice when I've been drinking, I am probably exactly the same - so different when your sober?!! Anyway woke up at 7 this morning feeling great - might rest pins today though - ran Thursday and Friday so thought I'd rest today and aim for longer run Sunday morning - hoping to get up to 2 hours running before half marathon.

    By the way Egg - ginger ale was great, haven't had it in years, really liked it - had it in a small wine glass - the fizz was an added bonus!

    Gettin'better - hope your evening was OK - much more of a challenge than my evening - hope it went alright?

    PinkDaisy - hope your 10 miler went OK today - oh and Egg collects the champers glasses. Have a good evening tonight - well done on the driving - (6 days!!!)

    Your stories about work colleagues sounded very familiar - had a similar experience at work yesterday - a friend popped into our office and as she left she suggested having a get together sometime - when I said yes, but I wont be 'drinking' - there was a ripple of laughter/sniggers/comments from my delightfull work colleagues!! it was irritating but funny too and can only help as it makes me more determined than ever - in fact the more people who know - the less likely I am to give in - I am a stupid cow!
  • Sorry meant to say 'stubborn cow' !!!!!!!
  • Ooo its me again - just a quickie - off for Sunday morning run Hoorah!!! - did get to barbecue yesterday - took kids and car - (double incentive) and it was OK - did feel a bit out of things at first, as by the time I got to the pub with the kids everyone was well on their way - I was only sober one there! - hardest drink was the first - once I'd had the first softy it wasn't too bad. We didn't stay too late either - the funny thing was on the way home hubby got in the back of the car with the kids and was messing around tickling them and play fighting - and I know it sounds really selfish, but it really started to annoy me - not the kids so much but hubby - poor sod, I am probably 10 times worse when I've had a few - don't wont to get all preachy or anything but when everyone else is p****d and you're not its quite an eye opener (in fact in my case - a whole new world!)

    Well feel good about not having drunk Friday or Saturday and looking forward to run this morning - must admit - once I've done half marathon, can't honestly say if I'll give up totally - I would just like to get to stage when I can be disaplined enough to buy a bottle a week instead of a wine box a week - and learn to stop when I've had a couple (glasses not bottles!) - anyway must stop waffling and get off my butt - hope everyone else is good - Leg
  • Morning all - had a funny weekend - will write full report later... let's just say that as with Leg my boyfriend really annoyed me on Saturday - actually wanted to kill him... long story - involves going out with another couple and the "boys" being paticularly drunk and rowdy.... ended in me flipping my lid and walking out of the pub/restaraunt we were in. Felt like going home, anyhow we managed to salvage some of the night and went to a karoke bar (sound familiar!!) - I got put up loads - must be improving my voice now I'm not drinking!!

    Good points:-
    Not drinking is becoming a pleasure... I am seeing things very differently and just not bothered by having a drink

    Did a 7 miler Saturday morning - was too windy to get any higher - was hard going but chuffed that I managed that.

    Will have a good read later and write properly

    WELL DONE LEG & PINK LADY

    Leg - I love ginger ale!
  • Afternoon All,
    Weekend went very well. In the pub with the lads from work on Friday, I stuk to the old Fresh Orange and Soda, which certainly went down a treat. Wife was happy that she didn't have to pick me up as usual. The evening finished early for me, and all the other carried on till late.
    Was a very good move on my part because it freed me up for a game of Squash in th eevening, which would have been an impossibility otherwise.
    Extra bonus, is that they served Lucazade in the bar upstairs. Managed to sidestep that potential issue, but it seemed that the lad I was playing squash with is seriously cutting back!
    The curry went down a treat on Sat, but no one seemed to be drinking.
    This seems to be going a lot better and easier than planned.

    I am in partial agreement with Leg. My goal for stopping drinking is the GNR. After that I am going to limit the ammount I have to drink. Not that I can drink much. But, as to whether or not I stop for good, I can't promise. I am however enjoying the sober time at the moment.
  • Good for you GB!
    It's actually nice to be in full control is what I'm finding...

    I had alot of harsh reaction on Saturday though which I found quite annoying... "you shure you dont want a drink" - "are you well?" - "your my drinking mentor, I dont like it when you dont drink" and on and on... one person in paticular made a huge bloody issue about me not drinking - GGrrrrrr!

    But you know the weirdest thing was that I feel miles better NOT DRINKING

    I think you'll find you just feel better for a while off - and if it means that when you decide you want a drink you dont binge as you used to then that's a good thing. I must admit I am thinking that I may never drink again, just dont see the point!

    Anyhow GB - good going!!! It can be done! I do think going home a bit earlier is a good move, you enjoy the bit you had. I should have done that Saturday - our night was spoiled by completly drunk behaviour being totally unfunny to me!!
  • I've managed a week off the booze now. I'm keeping my picture of the Guiness up though just as a reminder to myself. I've read an excellent book which you may have heard of it's called
    Alan Carrs 'Easy Way To Control Alcohol'

    It's really about giving up the booze and looks at most of the issues raised on the forum, like why we drink, why you feel better without it and annoying friends and why they nag you about not drinking etc.

    Apparently he can't call it Alan Carrs 'Easy Way To Stop Drinking' because of some trade description thing!

    I do feel better for it though and can relate what others have said.

    One thing though, I've had a strange urge to get my old Electric Light Orchestra records out, is this a normal reaction to abstinence?
  • Weaver, I would certainly find abstaining from ELO much easier than alcohol. It sounds like you have two battles on your hands.HaHa

    Egglett. You have actually reminded me of something wife said at the weekend. She was a little bit down in the dumps on Friday, and whilst sipping her 2nd glass of wine said 'I wish you would have a drink with me, because it helps me to relax.'??!!??

    Don't quite get that one. But, up I got, and went to the kitchen and came back with a pint of Lime and Fizzy water. Tastes nicer than it sounds!

    Some people say some funny things! But, it didn't work.
  • Weaver I've just read that book too, I found it very very interesting and it did help me focus on the benefits of not drinking

    ELO - well my work colleague steve always sings "evil woman" at me, is my theme tune!! So there's no hope for me, plus I sometimes sing some of there's when running (in my head I might mention) - cant think of it now!!

    I've found I've got giddyer the longer I've abstained. Weird!!

    Getting Better - isnt it funny how people dont like you not drinking! Your wife probably enjoys the idea of a cozy drink together... but I think you did the right thing, you can still have the coze without the drink eh!

    I'm off on a course as of tomorrow so I leave the link to you all - keep it up in the top 40!!

    I'm feeling brill today - can only say how pleased I am that I decided to stop making excuses and do my body and mind a favour!!

    Good luck all - have a fab week and weekend and I'll catch up next week.

    Egglett
    x
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