By god I love(d) a beer, but it’s nowhere near as good as being fresh, fit, motivated and having a great nights sleep is. 🙂

Agree 100%.
I did it 2 years ago, and felt so good I haven’t touched it since.

So, for the next month, I will be drinking for two

Sot-tober?

So, how’s everyone doing?

😂

So, how’s everyone doing?

I sprained my finger doing a rectal exam on a prosthetic bottom this morning. I’ve had better starts to my day 😐

Oh, you mean alcohol?

It’s tough 😬

I’m all up for any temperance activities that rhyme with the month. Fortunately there are no months that rhyme with ‘ank’ or ‘bation’. Really if you wanna exhibit self control you shouldn’t need a calendar or the faux support of others.

Fortunately there are no months that rhyme with ‘ank’ or ‘bation

You’re in for a shock in Nomember

I’m not officially doing Sober October, but I’m going to see how long I can stop drinking for. Every now and again I’ll have a week off, after either a heavy weekend or when I’m generally feeling a bit crap, so I’m interested to see if I can get beyond that.
The hardest thing for me is avoiding post ride beers though. I don’t really care too much about not drinking at home, but that first sip of beer after a ride is f**king magic. Hopefully tonic water has the same effect!

I don’t really care too much about not drinking at home, but that first sip of beer after a ride is f**king magic. Hopefully tonic water has the same effect!

Try some of the zero beers. Assuming you’re on board with the craft beer revolution the new brewers have driven the quality up. I think you might be disappointed with tonic.

Try some of the zero beers. Assuming you’re on board with the craft beer revolution

It’s more when I stop off at the pub after the ride. The pub I tend to drink in after a ride has only just started serving Guinness on tap so unlikely they’ll have 0% beers. Though I am looking forward to the look on the barman/maids face when I ask 😀

Fevertree Tonic with elderflower is a reasonably nice simulation of G&T if you add some lemon and ice.

I’ve been off booze since June, loving life and hopefully never going back!

but that first sip of beer after a ride is f**king magic. Hopefully tonic water has the same effect!

Yeah, it doesn’t. Sorry.

Today’s my first day of abstinence, however the boss has had a visit from mother nature.

I think I’ll have to go to the gym for a couple of hours 🙄💪💪

I have done well. Eighteen hours. Wife just asked if I wanted a g&t. Said yes without even thinking. Ah well.

SSWC in Slovenia this weekend, so no.

I shall most likely be drinking beer with a side order of spruce infused industrial alcohol from an unmarked bottle.

Nope, not missing my weekends out with mates. Eat well and exercise well during the week, so feel I earn my beer at weekends.

for what its worth…

i did dry january once, i wouldnt have said i was a heavy drinker but i would drink a couple of bottles of beer/cider, maybe a bottle of wine, a night every night, and just fancied a break.

a month seemed like a massive time to just stop as it was such a habit for me, eat my tea at 9pm get some booze, watch TV for a couple of hours.

so i broke it down, for the first few weeks just focusing on getting through that night and as i started getting used to waking up feeling a heck of a lot better i would add that, the next morning, to my goal as a reward.

i can’t remember at what stage i went from a day to a week, but whatever, when i got to 30 days i was motivated enough to see if i could get to 50 so i carried on. at 50 i jumped to 100.

to this i then frequently worked out how much i had saved, its actually pretty scary to do especially after a few months.

the worst bit, for the first week or so you can get awful headaches as your body withdraws, that actually surprised me as i didn’t consider myself a drinker and i remember seeing quite a few similar posts about it on the dry January page.

stopping for a month is a great thing to do, i found it really gave me a new perspective on drinking, and i havnt drunk for five years now beginning with that one first night.

Superb Gav. 👏🏻

First stay in a Hilton tonight since I made Gold tier which gives me access to the exec lounge and therefore free drinks in some hotels. I managed to restrict myself to a sparkling water which surprised me.

Gav, that’s great. Well done.

This, may have a few at a mates 40th near the end, just cos, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had a drink this year.

Twice this year for me. One was at a conference last week. Had to drink to get through it. Never was a big drinker though.

On one hand Macmillan are extolling they benefits of me abstaining from alcohol for a month. On the other, they seem obsessed with feeding me cheap cake every other month.

I think their primary aim is not actually my health and well-being 🤪

No booze since mid-July. Haven’t lost an ounce/gram. WTAF??!

Good work Gav!

Gaidong – hmmm this is what troubles me also…

Don’t worry about weight loss, has your body got leaner?

For the record, I’ll be starting today, fortunately I’m on late for the rest of the week. Just must remember not to buy anything when I leave work.

No booze since mid-July. Haven’t lost an ounce/gram. WTAF??!

Did you previously snack with your boozes?

Do you monitor your calories in/out? Might be time to start if not, I’d recommend a Fitbit.

Day 2 – when does the shaking stop?

I have done well. Eighteen hours. Wife just asked if I wanted a g&t. Said yes without even thinking. Ah well.

Proud of you man, that’s a lot of hours 🙂

Day 1 done

Big challenge will be next week. Away to London and Brighton for 4 days with work. Not looking forward to flying sober!

A lad at work had a bit of a rant about people doing sober October yesterday ( he’s not taking part) then came up with his own version – ‘Can’t Remember November’. He’s pretty confident it will catch on 🍻🍻🍻

Sort of PSA: 3 for £3 on half decent alcohol free beer at Tesco’s at the moment. I’ve just stocked up.

^^ I may well do can’t remember November 😃

Big challenge will be next week. Away to London and Brighton for 4 days with work. Not looking forward to flying sober!

The life of a pilot is a stressful one.

Is everyone feeling the benefit already? 😀

Are fans of the Canadian team allowed a day pass? I’m not one by the way, but just in case.

it’s going to be a looooong month isn’t it 🙁

On the plus side: 1st November is on a Friday this year.

Is this another one of those ‘look at me and how great I am cos I’ve stopped drinking’ threads? I stopped drinking in January for 3 weeks (didn’t last til the end of the month). It was utterly shit. I put on weight, slept less, was a miserable irritable f***** and completely stressed at the effort it required, didn’t see any of my mates, and didn’t even save much money cos I was spending it on non-alcoholic beer which isn’t much cheaper. I’m happier as I am I think.

As far as I’m concerned, this is Octobeer. I don’t usually drink during the week, and I normally only have a couple on a Friday and a Saturday evening with a mate in the pub, so I feel no particular obligation to give up something I don’t consume much of anyway.
In fact, I’ve got a glass of Hobgoblin down by the side of me right now, as it’s Octobeer, and getting close to All Hallows’, I feel it’s only appropriate.
Cheers!