Last summer was the end of 1.5 years of hard partying, after a particularly heavy night I woke up with a red mark on my cheek bone, I assumed it was a cigarette burn or something like that, well it hasn't gone, so I thought I would check it out. It turns out that it's a burst blood vessel and one of the major causes can be poor liver function! So I have taken the decision to rest the old girl for a while. It shouldn't be that hard as outside of partying I don't really drink, I guess I am now the designated driver!

good on ya, life without booze is x10 better trust me on that 🙂

think i will sign up too – although i will start with just less drinking first

It should help with my fight back to fitness too.

Good man – I should do the same.

I've gone on the wagon loads of times in the past. Longest I lasted was 4 months (in 2003) and felt better for it.

What substitutes are you going to use? I've done funky cordials and unusual tea blends.

I stopped dead for around 10 months back in 2008 (going through IVF, wanted every little bit of help we could).

I can honestly say it didn't make me feel any better whatsoever nor did I lose any weight!

But I don't think I was drinking as heavily as it sounds like you have been! Hope it works out for you.

Subs in the house aren't a problem as I don't drink that much at home, I'm just not 100% what I will drink out, maybe I will carry on with rum and ginger ale, just without the rum!

I did get very sick of lime and soda when I wasn't drinking… 🙁

I did get very sick of lime and soda when I wasn't drinking

it may surprise you to learn that other flavours are available…

I stopped drinking for 6 months in Autumn 2008. I was really happy at first, but then I became more and more unhappy, so I went back on the drink.

I am not sure about the weight thing either. I know that I now weigh half a stone more than I did at this time year and I am drinking more. However, I stopped smoking 6 months ago and I reckon that has put the weight on, not the drink.

Good luck with it anyway mate!

it may surprise you to learn that other flavours are available…

I did try them all (still socialised with friends every weekend so spent quite a lot of time in pubs etc). I just found that drinking too much of anything became too much to stomach (J2Os etc) and they were also more expensive than beer most of the time. And I am not too keen on coke or other heavily carbonated drinks either.

I think I'd find it a lot easier to drink less alcomahol if I found a decent substitute. I rarely drink to get drunk in and of itself these days, so much as I enjoy the taste of beer / wine / whisk(e)y etc.

I don't dislike soft drinks, but I've never really found anything that I can get particularly enthusiastic about. If someone invented a bourbon flavouring that I could squirt into Coke, I'd drink considerably less.

And I am not too keen on coke or other heavily carbonated drinks either.

so you're basically saying you have to drink alcohol because you don't like any other liquids ?

so you're basically saying you have to drink alcohol because you don't like any other liquids ?

Yes. I even take vodka with my breakfast cereal.

Yeah, lime+soda was great to begin with when in the pub – proper cheap as well.

Knocking it on the head when out and about doesn't seem all that tough for me – it's just cutting right back (or entirely) during the evenings at home that feels harder. Still, with the little fella arriving any day now I guess I'll have to be more responsible along those lines anyway.

Still, with the little fella arriving any day now I guess I'll have to be more responsible along those lines anyway.

I have changed my habits completely. In the first year since our twins were born I barely went out at all socialising (for obvious reasons) but now enjoy a bottle or two of beer most evenings once they are in bed but rarely get even remotely tipsy.

The annoying thing is I've just stocked up on Cider.

Invite some friends round and sip your lime and soda whilst feeling smugly superior as they descend into drunken stupors.

ha ha ha

JCornford – Member
The annoying thing is I've just stocked up on Cider.

Should be very easy to give up then 😆

Have some nice non-alcoholic malt instead.

I love non-alcoholic malt drink me.

🙂