I need your help to give up alcohol.

[thisismyyear]

Hi guys, I need your advice on how to keep motivated. Starting Jan 1st i have resolved to give up alcohol. I've tried many times before but the longest i have managed is 11 days, 3 years ago! I have kept a diary for the last year about my drinking. It's not great reading. I only averaged 4 alcohol free days every month, and went to the pub all the other days! I was drinking between 6 and 10 pints of beer on every visit. It cost me almost UK?10,000, and i've put on 20lbs of flab. For me it's mostly a social thing, a lot of my friends and business contacts are drinkers. I've resolved to replace my visits to the pub with visits to the gym. I've also made a list of other things that I must do to help but i would really love to hear from any one who could give me advice. I promise to keep you posted on my success. This is day 3.

[Rick1824]

Hi guys, I need your advice on how to keep motivated. Starting Jan 1st i have resolved to give up alcohol. I've tried many times before but the longest i have managed is 11 days, 3 years ago! I have kept a diary for the last year about my drinking. It's not great reading. I only averaged 4 alcohol free days every month, and went to the pub all the other days! I was drinking between 6 and 10 pints of beer on every visit. It cost me almost UK?10,000, and i've put on 20lbs of flab. For me it's mostly a social thing, a lot of my friends and business contacts are drinkers. I've resolved to replace my visits to the pub with visits to the gym. I've also made a list of other things that I must do to help but i would really love to hear from any one who could give me advice. I promise to keep you posted on my success. This is day 3.

You consider yourself a "social" drinker and yet you drink 26-27 days of the month? I'm assuming by your concern that your social drinking is a bit on the excessive side, and maybe you feel that your a bit dependent upon it?

I would suggest not only replacing the visits to the pub with visits to the gym, but also throw in some regular visits to an AA meeting as well. It's also a great time to get your diet in order and paying attention there to eating healthy. A healthy diet will be very beneficial to help you with this as well.

[krott5333]

here ya go, read #3:

http://www.shapefit.com/5-steps-incr...tosterone.html

[thisismyyear]

Hi, thanks for your comments. I'm sorry that the word social has got mixed up a little in translation. I meant that i go to the pub for the company of friends and to be social, as opposed to drinking at home on my own. And yes it is very excessive, and yes i probably have a dependency on it.

Not sure about the AA meets, i'll see how i get on. My mind set is very very positive about giving it up, in fact i've never felt this positive about it before.

Apart from the alcohol, my diet is fairly healthy, chicken, fish, best meat cuts, fresh veg, salads and very little in the way of fried or pre prepared foods, except for a blow out once a week at the local Indian restaurant.

[thisismyyear]

Many thanks for the info. They are all good 're-inforcers', especially #3

[Dexter3000]

Not sure about the AA meets, i'll see how i get on. My mind set is very very positive about giving it up, in fact i've never felt this positive about it before.

Well if this is the case then you really should go NOW. If you're that positive about it then this is the moment. Such a meeting can really reinforce your mindset to get rid of this once and for all. Why wait?

(if you fall back, the chance of you going there is even smaller > you won't be going at all > do it now)

Just my 2 cents.

Anyway, good you're doing this. Keep it up!

[iLiRaM]

every time you want a drink, think about all the negative ways that alcohol will affect muscle growth

[pharmamarketer]

I am a recovering alcoholic. I have been sober for a little over 1 year. I was where you were at. There is simply nothing on here that will get you to stop. I mean that sincerely and with all due respect. If you need help, go get the right help. It is everywhere and there if you want it. Nothing on this site that is written to you will get you to stop if you have a problem. I think you know what you need to do, Good luck

[TNetz]

Good job. I can't say anything more than I've said in this thread. Give it a read:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=118461991

Also, there is no such thing as a social drinker. Either you like it or you don't. You won't see somebody that doesn't like chocolate cake at a birthday party eating the whole damn cake. Usually they'll have a small peice just to get it over with.

Acoholics use social settings as an excuse to drink. Normal people use social settings as an excuse to socialize.

[MikeDimone]

Hi guys, I need your advice on how to keep motivated. Starting Jan 1st i have resolved to give up alcohol. I've tried many times before but the longest i have managed is 11 days, 3 years ago! I have kept a diary for the last year about my drinking. It's not great reading. I only averaged 4 alcohol free days every month, and went to the pub all the other days! I was drinking between 6 and 10 pints of beer on every visit. It cost me almost UK?10,000, and i've put on 20lbs of flab. For me it's mostly a social thing, a lot of my friends and business contacts are drinkers. I've resolved to replace my visits to the pub with visits to the gym. I've also made a list of other things that I must do to help but i would really love to hear from any one who could give me advice. I promise to keep you posted on my success. This is day 3.

are your quiting alcohol to quit alcohol or are your quiting alcohol because you are destroying your gains in the gym? what is your reallll reason?

[johnderriLLL]

why do u want to quit?

i want to lose weight because i want to go back to school and get a new job.

losing weight will help me make new friends get a girl friend feel great about my self.

i used to drink 4 days a week. ive only drank 7 times in the past 3 years.

[Mk35]

Well if this is the case then you really should go NOW. If you're that positive about it then this is the moment. Such a meeting can really reinforce your mindset to get rid of this once and for all. Why wait?

(if you fall back, the chance of you going there is even smaller > you won't be going at all > do it now)

Just my 2 cents.

Anyway, good you're doing this. Keep it up!

THIS! I'm only 2 weeks clean going to meetings daily... I tried many times doing it on my own, result was a relapse everytime...
Go to AA meetings; they will help....just keep going, your life may depend on it.
IMHO...

[Dharmacootra]

Hi guys, I need your advice on how to keep motivated. Starting Jan 1st i have resolved to give up alcohol. I've tried many times before but the longest i have managed is 11 days, 3 years ago! I have kept a diary for the last year about my drinking. It's not great reading. I only averaged 4 alcohol free days every month, and went to the pub all the other days! I was drinking between 6 and 10 pints of beer on every visit. It cost me almost UK?10,000, and i've put on 20lbs of flab. For me it's mostly a social thing, a lot of my friends and business contacts are drinkers. I've resolved to replace my visits to the pub with visits to the gym. I've also made a list of other things that I must do to help but i would really love to hear from any one who could give me advice. I promise to keep you posted on my success. This is day 3.

Congrats on making it three days. They get easier. Dont kick on your own.

I suggest you go to a meeting, now. I kicked a nasty habit some time back (7 years, 8mos and 13 days ago). Recovery is a slow process and very difficult to pull off without support. I am not saying you have to 12 step, but attending the meetings will reinforce your sobriety. The information you get there will enable you to understand the process better, pick up sober living tips and best of all you'll walk out with numbers of people you can call if you are gonna slip. Do 90 meetings in 90 days.

FYI alcohol withdrawal is very dangerous. People actually die from this all the time and you are in your 50's. Go see a doctor and get checked out, watch out for your bp as well. Not to scare you but it has been known to happen.

Recovery is something you work at daily. Forever I might add. But its a very rewarding process.

Please PM me if I can help at all.

[TNetz]

Congrats on making it three days. They get easier. Dont kick on your own.

I suggest you go to a meeting, now. I kicked a nasty habit some time back (7 years, 8mos and 13 days ago). Recovery is a slow process and very difficult to pull off without support. I am not saying you have to 12 step, but attending the meetings will reinforce your sobriety. The information you get there will enable you to understand the process better, pick up sober living tips and best of all you'll walk out with numbers of people you can call if you are gonna slip. Do 90 meetings in 90 days.

FYI alcohol withdrawal is very dangerous. People actually die from this all the time and you are in your 50's. Go see a doctor and get checked out, watch out for your bp as well. Not to scare you but it has been known to happen.

Recovery is something you work at daily. Forever I might add. But its a very rewarding process.

Please PM me if I can help at all.

Agreed.

[Disco-Stu]

The only thing I can say is that it seems most people assume they are not going to be as outgoing when they are sober and act accordingly = have a boring time. I tried not drinking while out for about a year and forced myself to be more social than ever and found a lot of the feelings of lowered inhibitions comes simply from socializing while drunk rather the alcohol itself. Try not drinking and go out and talk to 20 random people/women/whatever...if you're like me you'll actually start feeling drunk (cause you're experiencing alot of feelings you associate with being drunk)