Giving up alcohol for advent

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 00:46

Yep I know I've started late, but after a disastrous occurrence last night, I've realised that I've been abusing alcohol far to much lately.

Sure I'm at university, but getting through a few bottles of whisky a week + god knows how many pints of lager/Guinness can't be good for my body; certainly not good for my behaviour.

So I'm going to cut down the alcohol drastically for advent. From immediate effect I've giving up whisky, tequila and vodka, and a near total cut down on lager/guinness (leaving possibly open in case of it being the right thing to do at some point).

I'm intrigued to see if I'll lose weight, or if my attitude will change. Either way, my wallet will love me.

Anyone else doing something similar now or in the past?

VirtualAdept · 9 Dec 2011 at 00:53

I gave up all alcohol when my wife reached 26 weeks, and at the very least, I'll stay off the drink until the baerns six months old. I've gotta say I've lost a stone in a month, without really changing my eating habits, so you might well find the same.

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 00:59

Moses said:
A few bottles of whiskey a week can't be good! (Unless we're talking small ones?)

I'm probably drinking less, just because it's expensive... but I used to always go through periods of hardly drinking, when I was back home. I've never made a conscious decision to cut down/stop drinking, though.

It's the 70cl bottles not a litre ones haha. That'd be mental.

VirtualAdept said:
I gave up all alcohol when my wife reached 26 weeks, and at the very least, I'll stay off the drink until the baerns six months old. I've gotta say I've lost a stone in a month, without really changing my eating habits, so you might well find the same.

Impressive. Any reason you stopped, or is it because it's no longer as sociable (I assume you can't drink when pregnant?).

You've lost a stone? That's a crazy amount! I only weigh 80kg (12.5 stone), so I better not lose that much or I'll have to start again.

(jk)

[FnG]magnolia · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:02

You won't lose any weight if your approach is as per OP. You will probably prolong your untimely demise though, so I guess that's good

Raymond Lin · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:07

Op, you drink more than me in a week than I do in 10 years! If in fact you do drink through a few bottles of whiskey a week!

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:09

Moses said:
Three 70cl bottles is still fairly mental, in a week. I wouldn't want to be your liver.

Like I said, I'm stopping. Didn't realise how common it was for me just to drink.

Found myself reaching for a can earlier when starting my work, thus I've had to hide the beer away and I've got some tesco bottles of water to keep me occupied. Really not the same. :/

[FnG]magnolia;20754301 said:
You won't lose any weight if your approach is as per OP. You will probably prolong your untimely demise though, so I guess that's good

Thanks for your well wishes, I'll be sure to do some good with my extra year or so that the giving up drink might give me.

(Though I was told that whisky can save your life as it thins your blood and thus could help stop a heart attack? Or is that pure myth?)

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:10

Raymond Lin said:
Op, you drink more than me in a week than I do in 10 years! If in fact you do drink through a few bottles of whiskey a week!

In fairness that's not saying much then.

I guess I started drinking a lot more due to the fact it's my last year of university, and I've increased my social base enormously this term, hence there are always people going out.

We live and learn!

Raymond Lin · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:10

kenmare said:
(Though I was told that whisky can save your life as it thins your blood and thus could help stop a heart attack? Or is that pure myth?)

That's aspirin isn't it ? People who is high risk of heart attack take half of one a day.

PardonTheWait · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:11

kenmare said:
(Though I was told that whisky can save your life as it thins your blood and thus could help stop a heart attack? Or is that pure myth?)

That sounds similar to when you meet people that say they don't wear a seat belt because their uncle fred flipped his mini cooper over in the sixties and it rolled into a petrol station and blew up but he was ok because he went out of the window and only got ran over by a van instead.

pingwing · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:14

Well you don't have to drink to be social! (well drink a lot)

2nd year I used to have the drink lots thing but that was other circumstances, you shouldn't need to drink a few 70cl whiskeys a week, thats a lot, I never made that. (now 4-5 pints have me)

Just phase it back consciously (though if your sweating from not having a drink thats bad) as in you can still meet fiends without lots of drink (or drink at all) and plenty of good times happen sober anyway. So yeah drink less and smile more... Probably

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:15

Raymond Lin said:
That's aspirin isn't it ? People who is high risk of heart attack take half of one a day.

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/riskfactors/a/etohheart.htm

PardonTheWait said:
That sounds similar to when you meet people that say they don't wear a seat belt because their uncle fred flipped his mini cooper over in the sixties and it rolled into a petrol station and blew up but he was ok because he went out of the window and only got ran over by a van instead.

It was kinda tongue in cheek. I don't really expect it to help haha.

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:16

Moses said:
It's said that eating some chocolate and drinking wine brings benefits, but both are bad if you eat/drink industrial quantities. Moderation ftw.

---

You know you can socialise without drinking a bottle of whiskey, right? Or maybe you can't, which is the problem :|.

pingwing said:
Well you don't have to drink to be social! (well drink a lot)

2nd year I used to have the drink lots thing but that was other circumstances, you shouldn't need to drink a few 70cl whiskeys a week, thats a lot, I never made that. (now 4-5 pints have me)

Just phase it back consciously (though if your sweating from not having a drink thats bad) as in you can still meet fiends without lots of drink (or drink at all) and plenty of good times happen sober anyway. So yeah drink less and smile more... Probably

I'm quite happy to go to things without drinking (I've joined a christian union where lots don't drink socially), I just enjoy having a good drink.

It's just a bit much now however, not to mention the cost is pretty bloody high! So yeah, time to stop.

pingwing · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:25

kenmare said:
I'm quite happy to go to things without drinking (I've joined a christian union where lots don't drink socially), I just enjoy having a good drink.

It's just a bit much now however, not to mention the cost is pretty bloody high! So yeah, time to stop.

THE CU!!!!

Full of hot fridged women

One of the biggest let downs of uni was meeting girls who were into that, so weren't into "courting" out side of a smile and a wave... (biggest teases of ALL TIME, some of them were blindingly hot)

But yeah real world drink intake can be just moderated, not necessarily stopped just reduced to a sensible load

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:26

Moses said:
Third year's probably a bad one to turn to drink in, too, I would've thought. Well, I can do what I want, as I'm on an Erasmus year, but normal third years need to knuckle down!

Believe it or not, my work has improved drastically this year. I've been attending far more lecture/seminars etc.

In fairness it's the first term, everyone is on it.

Next term however is where it REALLY kicks in, and summer is going to be a nightmare.

I've made hay whilst the sun shoneth.

Pate · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:28

pingwing said:
THE CU!!!!

Full of hot fridged women One of the biggest let downs of uni was meeting girls who were into that, so weren't into "courting" out side of a smile and a wave... (biggest teases of ALL TIME, some of them were blindingly hot)

But yeah real world drink intake can be just moderated, not necessarily stopped just reduced to a sensible load

Haha, different union here mate. :3

Why did you stick with the CU, there's always the other 99.999% of uni haha.

Raymond Lin · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:32

pingwing said:
Full of hot fridged women One of the biggest let downs of uni was meeting girls who were into that, so weren't into "courting" out side of a smile and a wave... (biggest teases of ALL TIME, some of them were blindingly hot)

That's where all the responsible pretty single ladies are!!!

Zefan · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:34

I couldn't tell you the last time I was "drunk". I really just don't know, it's been that long.

pingwing · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:36

kenmare said:
Haha, different union here mate. :3

Why did you stick with the CU, there's always the other 99.999% of uni haha.

Haha I shouted BAIL as soon as I realised how Christian the CU were....

Skillmister · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:41

kenmare said:
Anyone else doing something similar now or in the past?

No because i'm a responsible person and can manage to have a balance somewhere between not drinking at all and getting blind drunk 5x a week.

Hotwired · 9 Dec 2011 at 01:41

I feel I'm missing out sometimes.

Couple of pints a year is standard for me o.o