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Benefits of not drinking?
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ciderinsportFree Member
I am doing a dry January! Longest time off the beer for 20 something years.
I normally drink to much, most days – a hangover from years of running pubs.
Do I feel ‘better’? No. I feel no different. And I’m not sleeping as well. I have lost 3kg (need to lose 30 though!).
Worst part, WCA and family / friends round and they all got pissed! I drove them home… 😯
After rides, I really fancy a pint – drinking Bavaria alcohol free stops the craving.
Can’t wait till next weekend – after then I will cut down on my pre-January drinking.WCA, cut down, not out 😉
willardFull MemberBigButSlimmerBloke – Member
Why? because you and/or your partner don’t know how to drink in moderation? Why should i have to pay for your inability to control yourselves?
Steady now.
WorldClassAccidentFree MemberWCA, cut down, not out
That’s kind of my plan. I am hoping to achieve this without much change in diet other than reduced beer and wine and hopefully getting out on the bike a bit
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...oldboyFree Member“I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me”
Winston Churchill
….. and he lived to be quite old
rascalFree MemberI haven’t read all the responses.
I did Sober in October and didn’t touch a drop.The biggest thing you’ll notice is how much more money you have in your wallet at the end of the month.
Obviously that depends on how much you drink but it’s surprising.No hangovers/feeling shit/written-off Sundays.
I found it quite easy apart from once or twice when I really fancied a beer – I found it much easier not to go to pubs than drinking soft drinks in a pub – hope that makes sense!I didn’t notice any weight change TBH but then I didn’t weigh myself – I found I ate more though, oddly.
I felt quite proud actually, especially given the reason why I did it.
I didn’t feel more energetic/sharper/less tired either.
Maybe I’m just odd 😉
P-JayFree MemberIMO of course.
There’s drinking and there’s bindge drinking.
Bindge drinking is expensive, anti-social, very bad for your health and writes off whole days for hangovers. O gave that up 10 years ago.
Drinking or ‘moderate’ drinking is none of those things – but it’s not without it’s drawbacks – there’s that whole driving thing – going to a party, restaurant, funeral, wedding, seemingly the whole of bloody December – and most people will want a drink or two – then it’s taxis, picking up the car the next day and of course a few can become a skinfull pretty easily. I’ve pretty much given thats up now – mostly because it’s pretty inconvenient.
RamseyNeilFree MemberI thought I’d give up drinking for February , it’s shorter than January .
willardFull MemberNeal, I know that. Having someone so glibly talk about a problem that is so damaging and difficult to stop does piss me off quite a lot though.
For your reference, I don’t have a problem. I don’t drink. My wife, on the other hand, used booze as a crutch after we lost our second child and, as a result of this, very nearly destroyed our marriage and her health. So please, if I am a little bit touchy about the subject of alcoholism and the damage that cheap booze does, forgive me.
DracFull MemberWillard I can see why, alcoholism is a horrible illness see some terrible cases at work.
leffeboyFull MemberBetter sleep and more on top of all the small stuff. I wouldn’t want to completely give up but staying off it most of the time is great
ChubbyBlokeInLycraFree MemberFor your reference, I don’t have a problem. I don’t drink. My wife, on the other hand, used booze as a crutch after we lost our second child and, as a result of this, very nearly destroyed our marriage and her health. So please, if I am a little bit touchy about the subject of alcoholism and the damage that cheap booze does, forgive me.
Is that why you so glibly suggested that the rest of the world should pay more even if the rest of the world can drink sensibly? Pretty selfish attitude that, isn’t it?
stevedocFree MemberI stopped drinking some 10 years ago after my first son was born ,my best mates mum and daa had a pub locally and the 90s seem to be a bit of a blur ,at the time all weekend benders wouldnt have phased me but now ,lager just seems to want to kill me , anything after 2 pints and I know the next day , poor sleep and gut rot the following morning ,id rather have a proper cup of tea.
Better sleep , more money knowing if a lady looks fine instead of the beer goggles clouding eyesight ,and the biggest plus is not having you head down the bowl from 11am the next day
yunkiFree MemberI quit drinking after my children were born..
in hindsight, as a single dad I can say that it was a foolhardy endeavour, brought about by a sheeplike adherence to popular culture..Stressful days respond very favourably to a glass or two of your favourite tipple in the evening.. your kids will thank you for it
Abstinence is wholly unnatural to sentient mammals
dudeofdoomFull Membertbh drank about 4 bottles of Belgian beer over Christmas and about 3 the last month 🙂
Have one regularly on a Friday lunchtime a nice German wit beer which tastes absolutely great..
I think not drinking all the time lets you truely appreciate a good drink.
I find the same with food cutting crap out of my diet and having a treat on weekends just mAkes you appreciate it more
deadlydarcyFree MemberIs that why you so glibly suggested that the rest of the world should pay more even if the rest of the world can drink sensibly? Pretty selfish attitude that, isn’t it?
Try a shot of empathy as a chaser when you’re next having a round.
jota180Free MemberI’ve pretty much given up buying alcohol, I only drink now when it’s on expenses 🙂
slowoldmanFull MemberWell having given up for January (again) I can only assume I wasn’t drinking enough beforehand as I feel no different.
dudeofdoomFull MemberAbstinence is wholly unnatural to sentient mammals
Hell yah 🙂
ononeorangeFull MemberPretty much stopped due to health issues last march then have gradually gone back on. Noticed no difference with weight (I’m still a fat biffa) but definitely improves sleep patterns, although I dropped coffee at the same time (from six cups a day!) so that may have been an effect too.
coolhandlukeFree MemberStopped drinking after New Year, not for dry Jan, which I’d never actually really heard of until this January, I was a bit put out by everyone seemingly jumping in my bandwagon, or off it actually.
Sleep seems better, I feel sharper, more focused, I’m a bit lighter but that could just be Christmas indulgence going, I feel smug when I see someone with a hangover, I feel irritated by drunk people, I see people in pubs, drinking, and think they’re mugs, I’m enjoying a nice cup of tea more, I may have turned into what I despised. I’ve not done anything really stupid for a bit.
I’m not missing alcohol.
I’m not sure what to do with my cupboard full of splendid malts…
tonFull Memberi drink on a saturday every week. pale or blonde beer. around the 4% mark. 6 to 10 pints. which as a weekly quota is not too much.
why stop something that you enjoy?jaffejofferFree Memberi could quite happily never go for a big lash up night out again, but its the odd pint of good ale in a country pub after walking the dog, or the satisfying cold lager after a summer bike ride, or the nice red wine with a meal, or the bloody mary at the airport before a stupid-am flight… why deprive yourself of these moments? just enjoy in moderation…
i was at a funeral on friday, boozing for maybe 9 or 10hrs. saturday was a write off and i was no company to my kids who i hadnt seen all week. then we had to go to a leaving do saturday night so it didnt take much before i was rolling again. sunday was much the same as saturday and i didnt ride my bike all weekend. admittedly this was a one-off weekend but fk that.
_tom_Free MemberI intended to do dry January but I didn’t think it was worth not having fun on night out. I also never really drink unless its a night out, dont see the point in wasting calories having a beer in the evening after work or something. Tbh my best and fastest road rides seem to be on a hangover (fresh air feels good and all those carbs from the night before maybe?) so I dont think it affects me too much. Would like to stop my habit of having a fag or two after work though as I know that’s bad for me.
horaFree MemberNot wasting an entire Sunday feeling sorry for yourself?
This is me when I MIX my drinks. Idiot.
There are no benefits to not drinking. There are benefits to enjoying booze and taking more out of booze than what booze would take out of you.
So you don’t drink? What then. God? Tamazepam? Living good means moderation but also enjoyment. Stopping something isn’t that.
I can’t remember the last time I managed to drink more than 6pints.
weeksyFull MemberI’m that much of a lightweight I felt pretty ‘unstable’ after 1 pint of Peroni this Sunday arvo… I had to have a little snooze.
No real reason I don’t drink much, I simply don’t drink at home, especially in winter, possibly summer after a ride, a cold beer… but I can buy a case of beer and it lasts months.
epicsteveFree MemberGoing alcohol free for someone like myself I suspect would make very little difference. I rarely get drunk (it’s been decades) and probably average maybe something like the equivalent of a bottle of wine and a couple of beers a week (to be honest I’d be surprised if it was even that high).
If you’re drinking a lot and getting drunk regularly, then I’m sure it’ll make a difference financially and physically.
horaFree MemberI’m that much of a lightweight I felt pretty ‘unstable’ after 1 pint of Peroni this Sunday arvo… I had to have a little snooze.
My other half can’t drink more than two (small) glasses of wine without feeling squiffy whereas I work with girls who can put away 1 bottle of wine with ease.
I was once out-drunk by binners female mate. She could drink 😯
WorldClassAccidentFree MemberWell I managed my first night without a drink since last time I was in hospital and I can report the findings:
No better night sleep
Still snored
Still woke up with a dry mouth
Don’t feel any fresher / worse
Lost 2.2lbs in weightNorthwindFull MemberI don’t feel any health benefits tbh- I’m almost dry now, have been for a few years. But then I wasn’t a heavy drinker before I stopped.
The economic benefits are twofold- obviously, you spend less on drink. And when you do drink, you need half as much to make you fall over. I had one pint after a ride on sunday and I was zonked.
PigfaceFree MemberHavent drunk for 25 years
Only benefits is not acting like an arse when drunk, I was a hopeless light weight and would suffer for days. A couple of extra quid in my pocket. A couple of my mates look really rough these days but they are heavy drinkers.
Down sides is being like a fish out of water in pubs, find them very alien and being the nominated driver which does get a bit old.
hooliFull MemberWhat about the benefits of drinking (in moderation)? I quite like 2 or 3 pints in my local every now and again. It doesn’t cost me a great deal, gets me out and chatting to people and improves my mood. It also supports the local community.
WorldClassAccidentFree MemberBenefits of drinking :
I become very witty and funny
I can dance like a pro
Girls get prettier
I sleep like a babyD0NKFull MemberWell for one people drinking doesn’t cause none drinkers to develop many diseases and illnesses, where as smoking does
TBF some of the effects* of drinking can spill out to none drinkers/rest of society aswell
Tax v addiction, heavily taxing alcohol isn’t going to stop alcoholics drinking, but it is a luxury so a taxable commodity IMO, but as DD says a little empathy wouldn’t go amiss either.
*punch ups, A&E strain, punch ups in A&E, etc
D0NKFull Memberbut back to the OP, I don’t drink much normally but do get squiffy about once a month or so and blotto a few times a year.
I do have dry weeks/fortnights and see some marginal gains, clearer head, weight loss, save money. Kids and a computer game addiction are the main strain on my sleep but booze doesn’t help either.
hammy7272Free MemberHad a bad accident November 2013 and I was on heavy painkillers for a few months. Drinking was cut to zero, decided to keep it to a bottle of wine over the weekend from having a glass or two a night or a couple of beers.
Result, much clearer head, deep sleep, improved mood, weight loss and early morning rides. I really enjoy a nice glass of wine on a Friday or a couple of pints in the local on a Sunday afternoon now. Wish I had sorted it years ago.
horaFree MemberTbh if you only drink on Fri & Sat (or Sunday) then all is good.
I hate riding with a hangover. Thicker blood and exercise = bad news.
brian2Free MemberFirst post having lurked for months. Very entertaining forum. We moved out of town 12 years ago and I got into the habit of a few beers every night while either working on the house/garden or even while just fannying about. Over the last couple of years it’s been four or five cans of Fosters every night. Twelve months ago i quit my twenty a day smoking habit; six months ago quit my 6 cups of coffee a day habit, four months ago I stopped buying bike/fishing mags and I’m coming to the end of my first “dry January”. This is the longest I’ve gone without a beer for years. To be fair, I don’t feel much different; possibly a bit brighter in the morning, I still weigh 11 stone, still eat the same. The fags must have made a differenced to my riding, though I didn’t really notice and skipping the Fosters hasn’t either. The only thing I’ve noticed is my interest in music has perked up again.
IdleJonFull Memberyunki – Member
Abstinence is wholly unnatural to sentient mammals
I once read a theory that humans changed from hunter-gatherers to farmers simply because of the ability to produce regular amounts of decent tasting alcohol. Nothing to do with a nice veggie casserole or daily loaf of bread, but they wanted a good pint of ale.
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