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@keefezza, This week has been the same. Home brew and homemade pizza night at a friends on Friday and then quiz night at the pub Sunday. I enjoyed both evenings but I have to say I am enjoying the following day less and less. Next week I am racing Fri/Sun so going to see if I can go cold Turkey for the week.
Thanks for checking in 🙂
Well 2 weeks in and there is good and bad news. Cutting down has been easier than expected but last weeks dry week was a big fat fail. Dropping daughter at uni for the first time saw me reach for a few beers on returning home. This highlights to me that there are strong triggers that are the next to try and conquer. And then after 2 races sandwiching the uni drop I decided, in my wisdom, that the way to celebrate was with a bottle of Cava and a beer. FFS! So emotional situations either good or bad need another thing to associate with. This is longer battle I feel.
Other bad news is that I have put on weight. It is either the soft drinks I am consuming in pints with ice when I get the beer urge, tonic water, ginger ale etc. or I am being less strict with my food because I see that as a way to treat myself rather than alcohol. Overall the health benefits of drinking less alcohol probably outweigh the small weight gain, but longer term that would become another issue.
Documenting here in effort to keep myself honest. It isn't going as well as the first week suggested it might but it isn't bad. I am down to 3 days (only 2 so far this week but did have a midweek fail) on average so heading in the right direction. Due to the weight increase I have gone back to calorie counting and committed to the MTB Fitness 12 week plan again to add some structure to my exercise. A few interesting observations:
1. I am finding it a lot easier to forgo the excess food than I am alcohol
2. When I crave a sweet snack (I don't have a sweet tooth so not often) I am wise to ignore it because as soon as that sugar hits my lips I want more
3. There is a pattern emerging: Alcohol, I have one, and I want more. Sugar: I have one biscuit and I want the whole pack
4. It appears to be beer that is the challenge, I don't find myself reaching for a single malt (which I really like) and I could buy gin as I like that, but I don't. Beer on the other hand, as Homer would say "MMMMMMMmmmmm Beeeeer" but only nice beer (to me) like hazy IPA's, weiss beir, and maybe a craft pilsner/lager. There have been 2 cans of John Smiths and 2 cans of Thatchers blood orange cider in the cupboard for weeks untouched, abd I have no desire to consume them
5. I was reading an article on the Reframe App which stated a craving generally only lasts for 20 minutes so distract yourself for 20 mins. This is true, and works even better if you throw in a pint of iced tonic water. It does require willpower though
6. Having beer in the house at all (apart from the crap stuff mentioned in point 4) is a no go. I failed to pause my Beer52 subscription and it arrived yesterday, 4 small cans went last night.
That's enough navel-gazing for now, back in a week or so.
Reducing beer intake? Cider?
Refrain when the month rhymes with sober and the other month when it never rains.
Came to find this to see how you were getting on. Few pub pints washed down at home with a few more beverages, never a problem in a million years.
I suppose its a problem if you think it is 🤷♂️ but the quantities of drink your describing are pretty low compared to what I drink and most people I know who are regular drinkers. Stop beating your self up OP your being a bit hard on yourself IMHO.
@oldenough, It is more the feeling of "needing" a beer and the fact I was starting to edge towards 5 nights a week that was the concern, that on top of the weight I was putting on. Earlier this year I was 12st 5lbs, still 7lbs heavier than an ideal weight but I was fine with it (I have been 14st in the past) but on return from holiday and over the following few weeks I had edged up to 13st 4lbs. It wasn't making me happy and beer was the cause of the weight increase either directly through consumption or indirectly by making poor food choices.
So what I am saying is that for me personally I was drinking too much, and I was feeling a need for a drink, this is what I wanted to stop.
Was just about to ask what I think you've already answered (and may have done elsewhere in the thread).
Correct me if I'm wrong, ultimate goal is to work towards removing the "need" to drink booze?
What do you hope to replace it with, no drink at all? replacing the "need" with a "want"?
Good to see you're coming back on here to keep track and push yourself towards your goal. I'm doing it on the 100 days of exercise so I know it works better than not having to answer to anyone but yourself, in a weird way.
Correct me if I’m wrong, ultimate goal is to work towards removing the “need” to drink booze?
Pretty much this @keefezza. I want to get to the point where a drink is something I have when I go out not when I am at home for medicinal reasons
What do you hope to replace it with, no drink at all? replacing the “need” with a “want”?
I hope I don't need to replace it with anything, just remove the slight dependence I have when things get tough or rewards are due (It is amazing what I can find to reward myself for)
Seems like you are well on your way, may take some time to slowly ween yourself out the habit. Keep it up 😃