Booze

[Raging Bull]

The time has come for me to finally say goodbye to booze I recon. It’s nothing more than a habit now. 
 

I didn’t drink for a while last year and felt great. Plus when you hit your mid forties it’s hard to shed the timber. 
 

I can also feel my heart working harder after a drink as well. It’s a little disconcerting to be honest 

[trousers]

12 minutes ago, Raging Bull said:

The time has come for me to finally say goodbye to booze I recon. It’s nothing more than a habit now. 
 

I didn’t drink for a while last year and felt great. Plus when you hit your mid forties it’s hard to shed the timber. 
 

I can also feel my heart working harder after a drink as well. It’s a little disconcerting to be honest 

If you replace 'booze/drink' with "watching Saints play" that's pretty much word for word how I feel at the moment...

[Turkish]

37 minutes ago, Raging Bull said:

The time has come for me to finally say goodbye to booze I recon. It’s nothing more than a habit now. 
 

I didn’t drink for a while last year and felt great. Plus when you hit your mid forties it’s hard to shed the timber. 
 

I can also feel my heart working harder after a drink as well. It’s a little disconcerting to be honest 

The more i think about it the more i'm thinking this should be the future for me too. As i mentioned earlier, when i didnt drink just for two weeks earlier this month my resting heart rate dropped by 10bpm, i've been drinking this week every day and it's slowly creeping up again, back up to 8 more BPM than when i wasn't dinking. When you look at stuff like that it's quite scary the impact it has.

[egg]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

This is true, after a week off the booze sleep gets better, more energy, i didn't drink for two weeks before christmas and my resting heart rate dropped by 10bpm. Plus i tend to train early in the morning, it's very easy to skip a session if you've had a few drinks the night before, especially on monday morning session and that then sets the tone for the week.

Very much my experience. I liked the feeling so much I've stayed stopped. 

[SotonianWill]

Habituality is the killer problem in drinking culture. Even if you aren’t an addict in any sense or don’t like to drink, it’s in day to day life so much its hard to avoid. Go to the pub because your mates are all there, and everyone around you is drinking, it may be your turn to get the round in so might as well have a drink. Go to the football and it’s an instinct to get the beers in from people you go with. 

Edited 29 December, 2022 by SotonianWill

[SotonianWill]

12 minutes ago, Turkish said:

The more i think about it the more i'm thinking this should be the future for me too. As i mentioned earlier, when i didnt drink just for two weeks earlier this month my resting heart rate dropped by 10bpm, i've been drinking this week every day and it's slowly creeping up again, back up to 8 more BPM than when i wasn't dinking. When you look at stuff like that it's quite scary the impact it has.

id be interested to see what people who stopped drinking from an early age experience/stats are like in later life when compared to mild or big drinkers

[Turkish]

17 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

id be interested to see what people who stopped drinking from an early age experience/stats are like in later life when compared to mild or big drinkers

it would be good to see. A few years back there was a program on and a doctor went and visited a few people around the world who had lived to over 100, the things they all had in common wherever they lived is that they ate a diet mainly of vegtables and fruit, walked every day and hardly drank any booze, those that did drink would have a small amount of red wine

[whelk]

You are not going to live forever you pussies

[Holmes_and_Watson]

23 minutes ago, whelk said:

You are not going to live forever you pussies

"What?! Mine's a pint then." - Peter Pan

[SotonianWill]

50 minutes ago, whelk said:

You are not going to live forever you pussies

i’ll take my chances 

 

Edited 29 December, 2022 by SotonianWill

[Raging Bull]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

The more i think about it the more i'm thinking this should be the future for me too. As i mentioned earlier, when i didnt drink just for two weeks earlier this month my resting heart rate dropped by 10bpm, i've been drinking this week every day and it's slowly creeping up again, back up to 8 more BPM than when i wasn't dinking. When you look at stuff like that it's quite scary the impact it has.

Yep, it creeps in quickly and before you know it all the bad dietary habits are back and you feel lethargic, grumpy and your body physically tells you it’s not happy 

I was 14st & 8% body fat going through my mid 30’s. And now I’m definitely not… and it’s all because I found excuses to drink

 

[Raging Bull]

On 29/12/2022 at 14:45, Turkish said:

The more i think about it the more i'm thinking this should be the future for me too. As i mentioned earlier, when i didnt drink just for two weeks earlier this month my resting heart rate dropped by 10bpm, i've been drinking this week every day and it's slowly creeping up again, back up to 8 more BPM than when i wasn't dinking. When you look at stuff like that it's quite scary the impact it has.

The time has come, I’m starting now. Fitness and clean eating  

Gonna fess up when you have your 1st drink? 

[The Left Back]

2 hours ago, Raging Bull said:

The time has come, I’m starting now. Fitness and clean eating  

Gonna fess up when you have your 1st drink? 

I made a public commitment this morning to not drink for 6 months. Hoping to use this thread to keep me on track.

[SotonianWill]

I wish you both well, good luck. 

[Turkish]

4 hours ago, Raging Bull said:

The time has come, I’m starting now. Fitness and clean eating  

Gonna fess up when you have your 1st drink? 

Yep I’m in for that. Me and my mate have got an competition going between us as to who can last the longest starting today. 
 

good luck mate 

[Raging Bull]

3 hours ago, The Left Back said:

I made a public commitment this morning to not drink for 6 months. Hoping to use this thread to keep me on track.

 

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Yep I’m in for that. Me and my mate have got an competition going between us as to who can last the longest starting today. 
 

good luck mate 

Good luck gents

On 29/12/2022 at 14:55, egg said:

Very much my experience. I liked the feeling so much I've stayed stopped. 

This is my aim

[Holmes_and_Watson]

I had a glass of wine with dinner. I'm out before I even read the last few posts. 🙂

[egg]

On 29/12/2022 at 16:07, whelk said:

You are not going to live forever you pussies

Exactly...which is why I choose to spend the time I've got not suffering with a hangover, not feeling like shit, not being a drunken idiot and not trying to remember what I did the night before. There aren't any consequences of a sober life. 

Edited 2 January, 2023 by egg

[whelk]

4 minutes ago, egg said:

Exactly...which is why I choose to spend the time I've got not suffering with a hangover, not feeling like shit, not being a drunken idiot and not trying to remember what I did the night before. There aren't any consequences of a sober life. 

Absolutely get that but that is extreme end of booze. Can have great nights drinking but problem is when it is flowing and everyone having a good time then need to ease off but nobody does.

 

[whelk]

8 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I had a glass of wine with dinner. I'm out before I even read the last few posts. 🙂

From the Bible that wine gladdens the heart. 

[whelk]

A friend of mine has just admitted they are an alcoholic. I had no idea and nor did his missus but so glad he had courage to admit it. Think there is a huge amount of pride especially with blokes and not always easy to acknowledge 

[egg]

2 minutes ago, whelk said:

Absolutely get that but that is extreme end of booze. Can have great nights drinking but problem is when it is flowing and everyone having a good time then need to ease off but nobody does.

I'm not an easing off kind of bloke and  I've never seen the point of a pint or two. 

[egg]

3 minutes ago, whelk said:

A friend of mine has just admitted they are an alcoholic. I had no idea and nor did his missus but so glad he had courage to admit it. Think there is a huge amount of pride especially with blokes and not always easy to acknowledge 

Fair play to your mate for facing up to his issues. Hopefully he'll get himself sorted. Alcoholism and other addiction are bigger issues than we can imagine. Slightly off topic (but kind of relevant as every coke user I've encountered uses it to be able to drink more) I heard recently that in Glasgow there are 110 cocaine anonymous meetings a week. That's a lot of people, and their families, suffering. 

[whelk]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

I'm not an easing off kind of bloke and  I've never seen the point of a pint or two. 

That is the problem when inhibitions and self-discipline have gone. Many downsides but the upsides are pretty much all of my ‘what a great night that was’ memories have involved booze. It does generally make people more fun but of course many downsides. And when I say fun that is only if similarly pissed. If sober amongst drunks then you realise they are just being twats.

Also depends on whether you become a happy drunk or miserable, self pitying, or violent drunk

[whelk]

4 minutes ago, egg said:

Fair play to your mate for facing up to his issues. Hopefully he'll get himself sorted. Alcoholism and other addiction are bigger issues than we can imagine. Slightly off topic (but kind of relevant as every coke user I've encountered uses it to be able to drink more) I heard recently that in Glasgow there are 110 cocaine anonymous meetings a week. That's a lot of people, and their families, suffering. 

I am too old now for having any peers that are doing coke but seems absolutely rife amongst younger generation. Over time this is going to fuck people up.

 

[Lighthouse]

3 minutes ago, whelk said:

That is the problem when inhibitions and self-discipline have gone. Many downsides but the upsides are pretty much all of my ‘what a great night that was’ memories have involved booze. It does generally make people more fun but of course many downsides. And when I say fun that is only if similarly pissed. If sober amongst drunks then you realise they are just being twats.

Also depends on whether you become a happy drunk or miserable, self pitying, or violent drunk

It's always surprised me how the same drung can have such varying effects on people. I'd say most people, myself included, tend to be happy drunks but then I've only ever drank socially. 

[whelk]

7 minutes ago, egg said:

Fair play to your mate for facing up to his issues. Hopefully he'll get himself sorted. Alcoholism and other addiction are bigger issues than we can imagine. Slightly off topic (but kind of relevant as every coke user I've encountered uses it to be able to drink more) I heard recently that in Glasgow there are 110 cocaine anonymous meetings a week. That's a lot of people, and their families, suffering. 

He also says Covid played huge part in not having other stuff to occupy him so just drunk more. 

[egg]

1 minute ago, whelk said:

That is the problem when inhibitions and self-discipline have gone. Many downsides but the upsides are pretty much all of my ‘what a great night that was’ memories have involved booze. It does generally make people more fun but of course many downsides. And when I say fun that is only if similarly pissed. If sober amongst drunks then you realise they are just being twats.

Also depends on whether you become a happy drunk or miserable, self pitying, or violent drunk

A lack of self discipline can be an issue for sure but that is a different issue to addiction or alcoholism. If your mate is an alcoholic, it's not due to a lack of self discipline, it's because he has alcoholism which is an illness that he hasn't chosen to suffer with. 

I'm not anti booze. My missus drinks, mostly socially and sensibly, and my mates drink. If we go for a ruby, they'll have a cobra or two and I'll have a lassi or two. If they go into town after to get pissed, I'll usually go home. I'm cool with that - I'll skip out of bed at 6 the next day, they won't!

I've had some great times pissed. Done some stuff I wouldn't have done sober. I've also done some crazy shit I regret. I'm now a granddad and like having a clear head in the morning so drinking again has zero interest for me. 

[egg]

13 minutes ago, whelk said:

I am too old now for having any peers that are doing coke but seems absolutely rife amongst younger generation. Over time this is going to fuck people up.

 

Young, old and everything in between it seems. It's seen as normal by many. Never floated my boat, thankfully. 

10 minutes ago, whelk said:

He also says Covid played huge part in not having other stuff to occupy him so just drunk more. 

I think that's true of many. I've got a mate who did similar and also online gambling. He's not an alcoholic but his gambling seems to have reached addiction stage. On the latter, the Merson podcast with Fearne Cotton (happy place) is an eye opener. 

[whelk]

3 minutes ago, egg said:

Young, old and everything in between it seems. It's seen as normal by many. Never floated my boat, thankfully. 

I think that's true of many. I've got a mate who did similar and also online gambling. He's not an alcoholic but his gambling seems to have reached addiction stage. On the latter, the Merson podcast with Fearne Cotton (happy place) is an eye opener. 

Yeah Merson is excellent talking about gambling. I like to bet and have won and lost 4 figures at casinos. Have actually excluded from online casino gambling so only have one account that can bet on football and horses and even put deposit restrictions.

Although even as someone who likes to gamble I think it is a disgrace how these betting companies have moved into football and their adverts at displaying it as all such fun when such a cynical industry and they know how to pick off the 10% or so that will be their cash cows.

 

[saint1977]

On 22/12/2022 at 07:11, The Left Back said:

Finally had the chance for a couple of cans of Guinness 0 last night. Very pleasantly surprised. Slightly more like the original than the draught/widget. 

It’s good stuff isn’t it? Manuel mentioned Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5 which is another good option.

If people on the thread want to be totally 0 then I recommend Leffe - very tasty and refreshing. Brooklyn is 0.4 and tastes good, quite hoppy. Brewdog Nanny State even more so. 

I can’t have it as Lactose intolerant but Big Drop Milk Stout supposed to be excellent. Have had their Pine Trail and that’s good at 0.5. Can’t get hold of Harvey’s Old Ale 0.5 easily but supposed to be one of the best. Local store has Doom Bar 0.5 so will try that. Sam Smith’s AF Brown Ale is good, have had that quite a bit.

One I couldn’t get on with despite good reviews was Thornbridge - tasted like washing up liquid to me. 

[whelk]

And this from a female Guardian journalist how she got addicted during Covid. Not  a profile of someone you woudl think would get hooked but guess dopamine hit is same for all

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/20/gambling-addiction-tennis-bet365-online-betting-hannah-jane-parkinson

[egg]

3 minutes ago, whelk said:

And this from a female Guardian journalist how she got addicted during Covid. Not  a profile of someone you woudl think would get hooked but guess dopamine hit is same for all

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/20/gambling-addiction-tennis-bet365-online-betting-hannah-jane-parkinson

Thanks, good article. It highlights that addiction of any kind can catch anyone - it's an unfussy illness. If your mate is an alcoholic, he didn't choose to have that illness in the same way that he wouldn't choose to be afflicted by any other illness. In this country addiction of all kinds of misunderstood and stigmatized, and fair play to that journalist for sharing her story. 

[Saint Luke]

On 14/12/2022 at 17:07, Turkish said:

Im yet to find a decent alcohol free wine yet, nosecco is okay if you like that sort of thing. Some of the zero lagers are good though, henekien on draft is better than the one with alcohol in it IMO. Peroni, San Miguel and Moretti all decent too. 

A friend of mine went tee total when he got ill. He then went on a mission to find the best alcohol or low alcohol (less than 05%) beer and to tell the truth the German ones are in my opinion the best. Really only available in bottles/cans - not seem them on draught. Clausthaler is very good.

[Saint Luke]

On 02/01/2023 at 10:22, saint1977 said:

It’s good stuff isn’t it? Manuel mentioned Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5 which is another good option.

If people on the thread want to be totally 0 then I recommend Leffe - very tasty and refreshing. Brooklyn is 0.4 and tastes good, quite hoppy. Brewdog Nanny State even more so. 

I can’t have it as Lactose intolerant but Big Drop Milk Stout supposed to be excellent. Have had their Pine Trail and that’s good at 0.5. Can’t get hold of Harvey’s Old Ale 0.5 easily but supposed to be one of the best. Local store has Doom Bar 0.5 so will try that. Sam Smith’s AF Brown Ale is good, have had that quite a bit.

One I couldn’t get on with despite good reviews was Thornbridge - tasted like washing up liquid to me. 

The Big Drop Citrus is very tasty.

[Raging Bull]

Im so weak

 

 

[Turkish]

51 minutes ago, Raging Bull said:

Im so weak

 

 

You've had one? Me too, had a couple of glasses of red saturday and sunday night. Nothing too crazy but didn't need it.

Edited 16 January, 2023 by Turkish

[Raging Bull]

55 minutes ago, Turkish said:

You've had one? Me too, had a couple of glasses of red saturday and sunday night. Nothing too crazy but didn't need it.

Yeah had a few glasses of red, a few beers and a few gins over the weekend. 
 

Feel really groggy today and can’t think clearly, which is a problem because I’ve got a whole day of creating standard operating procedures for the entire company, which I completely forgot about 😬😬

I also forgot how bloody depressing gin is 

[farawaysaint]

Dry January working a treat, lost 4lbs already.

[The Left Back]

16 days without a drink now.  Not really noticing any difference to be honest, but not missing it

[StDunko]

48 minutes ago, farawaysaint said:

Dry January working a treat, lost 4lbs already.

Wet January working a treat, lost 4 days already. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

Fuck me, some of you falling off the wagon & I’m climbing aboard. Unfortunately I’m facing a spell on the sidelines, Doc has prescribed blood thinners for 6 weeks to clear a blood clot. Says 2 units max a day and no heavy sessions. Might have to try out some of the 0% shite recommend on here……

[Whitey Grandad]

7 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Fuck me, some of you falling off the wagon & I’m climbing aboard. Unfortunately I’m facing a spell on the sidelines, Doc has prescribed blood thinners for 6 weeks to clear a blood clot. Says 2 units max a day and no heavy sessions. Might have to try out some of the 0% shite recommend on here……

Best wishes to you.

[Turkish]

15 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Fuck me, some of you falling off the wagon & I’m climbing aboard. Unfortunately I’m facing a spell on the sidelines, Doc has prescribed blood thinners for 6 weeks to clear a blood clot. Says 2 units max a day and no heavy sessions. Might have to try out some of the 0% shite recommend on here……

Sorry to hear that pal. All the best sorting that out. I'm back on the wagon this week after a few reds at the weekend.

Just caught a bit of the lovely Julia Bradbury on GMB, used to be a big drinker but cut it out after she got breast cancer, her doctor told her if she drink 4 units of alcohol a day the chances of a second dose of cancer is 28%. Pretty shocking stuff, puts down the first cancer in part to being a heavy drinker. 

Edited 17 January, 2023 by Turkish

[benjii]

Ntmg wr9mg wiht drinkiinnsng.

[badgerx16]

18 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Fuck me, some of you falling off the wagon & I’m climbing aboard. Unfortunately I’m facing a spell on the sidelines, Doc has prescribed blood thinners for 6 weeks to clear a blood clot. Says 2 units max a day and no heavy sessions. Might have to try out some of the 0% shite recommend on here……

Might be a good idea to avoid some of the other threads on here 😉

Edited 17 January, 2023 by badgerx16

[stknowle]

On 15/12/2022 at 14:09, egg said:

Yep. Gout ain't fun. I've ditched the medication and hopefully won't need it. The thing is, we can be as fit as fiddles, lean, and have great skin etc at this stage if our life and beyond if we look after ourselves. I had fun for years, fucked myself up a bit, and deciding to not do more damage was the easiest decision I've ever made. 

Egg, do you mind me enquiring how old you are? I had my first ever liaison with gout a few months back which was a wake up call and the jolt I needed to slow right down. Lager has been replaced by mineral water and sitting on the settee by working out on the Peloton. Still  have a few at weekends but feel much better. My usual cue for getting completely smashed is a Saints win so I thank the lads for helping me out there.

[Lord Duckhunter]

23 minutes ago, stknowle said:

 I had my first ever liaison with gout a few months back which was a wake up call and the jolt I needed to slow right down. 

Slow down? You need to start putting it about mate…

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11438493/Having-SEX-help-ease-agony-gout-say-experts.html

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, stknowle said:

Egg, do you mind me enquiring how old you are? I had my first ever liaison with gout a few months back which was a wake up call and the jolt I needed to slow right down. Lager has been replaced by mineral water and sitting on the settee by working out on the Peloton. Still  have a few at weekends but feel much better. My usual cue for getting completely smashed is a Saints win so I thank the lads for helping me out there.

I get gout, well I say get it I have had it, my last bout was about 3 years ago just before covid lock downs. I’ve had periods of heavy drinking in that time, holidays, conferences etc but someone told me tumeric helps and also drinking lots of water. I now drink about 7-8 pints of water a day and been taking two tumeric tablets each morning and this seems to have stopped it. Although I also exercise a lot more and cut back on booze generally. You can buy it fairly cheaply on Amazon, this is the stuff I use. Got to be worth a go for you. Like most things though diet and exercise is the key  

Edited 17 January, 2023 by Turkish

[stknowle]

30 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I get gout, well I say get it I have had it, my last bout was about 3 years ago just before covid lock downs. I’ve had periods of heavy drinking in that time, holidays, conferences etc but someone told me tumeric helps and also drinking lots of water. I now drink about 7-8 pints of water a day and been taking two tumeric tablets each morning and this seems to have stopped it. Although I also exercise a lot more and cut back on booze generally. You can buy it fairly cheaply on Amazon, this is the stuff I use. Got to be worth a go for you. Like most things though diet and exercise is the key  

 Cheers for the recommendation. So far water in lieu of beer has seen mine off. I also got prescribed concentrated cherry juice, not really sure if that had any effect.

For anyone wanting to cut down on the ale I recommend Adrian Chiles book The Good Drinker. I’m never going to abstain entirely and don’t feel the need to but similar to him my unit count had got a bit silly and needed reining in.