On The Wagon... then in 'ere!

Pattern for me is typically. Drink 5 or 6 nights a week. Nothing before about 6pm then a G&T starts to feel like a good idea. Tell myself I'll have one and stop. Then end up at midnight having had a fair few more or moved onto wine. Following morning wake up feeling only a little bit fuzzy and feel fine by 9:30 or so.

I'm 55 with a BMI of about 29. Blood pressure is on the high end of OK. Not on any medication. Mountain bike about 100miles a month. So basically overweight but healthy

But I'm really conscious that I drink too much but it is not causing me any real visible problems *at the moment* so the motivation to not have the 6pm drink is where I struggle.

I'd like to be able to have maybe 15 units a week and restrict it to Fri-Sun. What substitutes work - I can't stand squash/coke and would like something that I could enjoy the taste of.

Maybe a dry January just to prove I can?

What tools/techniques/thought processes have you found works for you?

Maybe a decent long term benefit would be worthwhile.
 
Hodders said:
Pattern for me is typically. Drink 5 or 6 nights a week. Nothing before about 6pm then a G&T starts to feel like a good idea. Tell myself I'll have one and stop. Then end up at midnight having had a fair few more or moved onto wine. Following morning wake up feeling only a little bit fuzzy and feel fine by 9:30 or so.

I'm 55 with a BMI of about 29. Blood pressure is on the high end of OK. Not on any medication. Mountain bike about 100miles a month. So basically overweight but healthy

But I'm really conscious that I drink too much but it is not causing me any real visible problems *at the moment* so the motivation to not have the 6pm drink is where I struggle.

I'd like to be able to have maybe 15 units a week and restrict it to Fri-Sun. What substitutes work - I can't stand squash/coke and would like something that I could enjoy the taste of.

Maybe a dry January just to prove I can?

What tools/techniques/thought processes have you found works for you?

Maybe a decent long term benefit would be worthwhile.
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Not being dead is a pretty good benefit. Having been through two dead relatives through drink and another one going through the process at the moment, it's bloody grim. Drinking as much as you do 5-6 times a week you are very much on that path, hopefully you don't have to experience first hand what happens when your liver packs in, because it ain't pretty.....

Your liver is very good at struggling on while it's being destroyed, it goes from functioning well enough to keep you going relatively OK, to not working *very* fast and when it packs in, all your other organs get poisoned, your kidneys fail, you get diabetes, and then you're looking at having your legs amputated. If you're lucky you die before that happens.

Anyway, I don't have answers, I've just seen what alcohol does first hand far more than I would like to.

I would do dry January. The harder you find it, the more of a problem you have, it will at least give you a bit of a reality check.
 
mid_gen said:
I would do dry January. The harder you find it, the more of a problem you have, it will at least give you a bit of a reality check.
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Sorry to hear how you've been affected.

So dry January it is - starting now, or I'll just put it off.

I don't have a problem not drinking if I know I've got to drive - I'll usually volunteer to drive as it will stop me from being tempted to have a drink. Lets see how I feel at the end of January.
 
Hodders said:
...

I'm 55 with a BMI of about 29. Blood pressure is on the high end of OK. Not on any medication. Mountain bike about 100miles a month. So basically overweight but healthy

But I'm really conscious that I drink too much but it is not causing me any real visible problems *at the moment* so the motivation to not have the 6pm drink is where I struggle.

...
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Well, that's the thing... unless you really do know you're healthy, then you really don't know.

I was running 7min/miles over distance 12 months or so ago, BMI (not worth anything of note) of 22. I unknowingly had stage 3 kidney cancer with no symptoms whatsoever at that point. Picked up during routine abdominal scan.
 
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Hodders said:
Sorry to hear how you've been affected.

So dry January it is - starting now, or I'll just put it off.

I don't have a problem not drinking if I know I've got to drive - I'll usually volunteer to drive as it will stop me from being tempted to have a drink. Lets see how I feel at the end of January.
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Well 3 evenings of no booze and I can already see changes in the data my Garmin watch is showing:

Heart rate variability - up from low 20s to low 30s - this is good apparently
Sleep quality - up a lot - not really feeling any more awake though
Resting heart rate - going down towards mid/low 60s

Can't say I feel any different, but my body is obviously liking it!

NYE tonight - supposed to be going to a friends for a party, going to take some 0% beer.
 
Hodders said:
Well 3 evenings of no booze and I can already see changes in the data my Garmin watch is showing:

Heart rate variability - up from low 20s to low 30s - this is good apparently
Sleep quality - up a lot - not really feeling any more awake though
Resting heart rate - going down towards mid/low 60s

Can't say I feel any different, but my body is obviously liking it!

NYE tonight - supposed to be going to a friends for a party, going to take some 0% beer.
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Nice work!

I'd increase your water intake by quite a lot, you'll be surprised how much benefit you'll feel from that after a few days, although peeing constantly until you're used to it is annoying!
 
I'm going to cut back significantly in January and then go dry for Lent. It's extremely hard as I'm out most evenings for work/networking etc, but it's definitely accumulating. I'm 106kg now at 190cm and whilst I don't feel overweight....I most definitely am! No idea what state Liver is I'm after 15 years of constant drinking as well!

Let's see how it goes. Starting after new years naturally ;)
 
It's pretty well known that liver damage is asymptomatic until it gets to a cliff edge.

Are there cheap/available tests that can give an idea of any accumulating damage well before irreparable damage sets in?

I know that fatty liver can be picked up with ultrasound, but what about blood tests? It would seem that giving people a routine 5 yearly test to spot damage before it's serious would give habitual heavy drinkers a real motivation and chance to change.
 
Well 8 days into Dry January and going strong. I attended a Christening yesterday and everyone was drinking. I had 3 bottles of alcohol free lager and it didn't phase me.

I have some personal stuff going on which is affecting the mental health so that's giving me a good reason to stay off the drink. We all know it's no good if you're already feeling down.

I've started using my home gym again, just light exercises for now but that's getting those endorphins flowing. I really want to ramp up the weight training, just getting back under the bar made me realise how much I miss it.

How's everyone else getting on?
 
Shikkaka said:
Well 8 days into Dry January and going strong. I attended a Christening yesterday and everyone was drinking. I had 3 bottles of alcohol free lager and it didn't phase me.

I have some personal stuff going on which is affecting the mental health so that's giving me a good reason to stay off the drink. We all know it's no good if you're already feeling down.

I've started using my home gym again, just light exercises for now but that's getting those endorphins flowing. I really want to ramp up the weight training, just getting back under the bar made me realise how much I miss it.

How's everyone else getting on?
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Good news and great effort ! :)

I do find some / any kind of physical exercise / exertion does help massively with any MH issues

Was going to come.in here later to post a "yay me" post

As.of 8.20 this evening I will be one year dry. Nowhere near as long as some but if you had told me 13 months ago I'd be 12 months dry by now there is no way I'd believe you

Ironically I had my first dream about drinking last night and was (even in the dream) utterly disappointed with myself for not getting to the 1 year mark ....

Big group hug to all of us on this rickety old wagon and long may we all stay aboard
 
I still get some cravings even after 7 years, only mild thoughts of "just one to take the edge off" annoying as they are, luckily they seem to be once in a while.
 
Hodders said:
Well 3 evenings of no booze and I can already see changes in the data my Garmin watch is showing:

Heart rate variability - up from low 20s to low 30s - this is good apparently
Sleep quality - up a lot - not really feeling any more awake though
Resting heart rate - going down towards mid/low 60s

Can't say I feel any different, but my body is obviously liking it!

NYE tonight - supposed to be going to a friends for a party, going to take some 0% beer.
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Good work.

I find it takes 5 days to really get booze out of your system, before sleep settles down and you start waking up properly fresh.

I also get crazy vivid dreams around day 3,4,5, which seems to be quite common.... whether it's down to the better sleep or lack of alcohol sedation, who knows!

I last drank on Xmas day so two weeks already for me. Feelin' fresh.
 
Hodders said:
It's pretty well known that liver damage is asymptomatic until it gets to a cliff edge.

Are there cheap/available tests that can give an idea of any accumulating damage well before irreparable damage sets in?

I know that fatty liver can be picked up with ultrasound, but what about blood tests? It would seem that giving people a routine 5 yearly test to spot damage before it's serious would give habitual heavy drinkers a real motivation and chance to change.
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Not necessarily, I had a dull ache in my top right area of my stomach and was diagnosed mild fatty liver non alcoholic. Losing weight and eating healthier resolved it.
 
{SAS}TB said:
Good news and great effort ! :)

I do find some / any kind of physical exercise / exertion does help massively with any MH issues

Was going to come.in here later to post a "yay me" post

As.of 8.20 this evening I will be one year dry. Nowhere near as long as some but if you had told me 13 months ago I'd be 12 months dry by now there is no way I'd believe you

Ironically I had my first dream about drinking last night and was (even in the dream) utterly disappointed with myself for not getting to the 1 year mark ....

Big group hug to all of us on this rickety old wagon and long may we all stay aboard
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Great stuff, that is a fantastic result - well done mate :)

All those doing dry Jan - keep at it :) All those aboard the wagon - well done. Remember though, if you slip you can get right back on board.
 
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