Taking a break from drinking

I needed a break from drinking too, but I just said, "Screw the whole break thing," because I knew a break would never be enough for me. So I just quit. Well, that's an over simplification. It took some doing. That was 27 years ago, on the 3rd of this month in fact. But I'm 100% behind you if a break is all you need.
👍
Well my break is going well, I'm re-learning how well I feel by not drinking, both physically and mentally. At some point I'll have a drink socially, but the every day habit thing just had to go.
 

I had realized for some time that my nightly cocktail was killing my effort to drop a few pounds.
Yep, lots of usually uncounted calories there. When I went on my big weight loss diet I stopped drinking, I believe it was a big help in losing weight. Now I drink occasionally, but not much and not often, and I do count those calories.

Knew a woman once who went on a "wine" diet, every time she got hungry she would have a glass of wine rather than eat. Seemed to work for her, so I tried it. Total disaster, the alcohol destroyed whatever will power I had. So I not only drank a lot, but ate a lot more too. Fun for a little while though!
Well my break is going well, I'm re-learning how well I feel by not drinking, both physically and mentally. At some point I'll have a drink socially, but the every day habit thing just had to go.
Good for you, not drinking never hurt anyone...
 
Yep, lots of usually uncounted calories there. When I went on my big weight loss diet I stopped drinking, I believe it was a big help in losing weight. Now I drink occasionally, but not much and not often, and I do count those calories.

Knew a woman once who went on a "wine" diet, every time she got hungry she would have a glass of wine rather than eat. Seemed to work for her, so I tried it. Total disaster, the alcohol destroyed whatever will power I had. So I not only drank a lot, but ate a lot more too. Fun for a little while though!

Good for you, not drinking never hurt anyone...
Yes. I do that periodically. It's like my body is somehow telling me when.

It clears out kharmic conjestion.
 

I remember my dad would drink a glass if cider with raisins in it. Mom had a name for it and even she would have a small glass of it from time to time. Dad told me that I was never to drink it. I still don’t know what it was, but he would drink it before going to bed. What would be wrong with drinking a glass of cider with raisins in it?
 
Total disaster, the alcohol destroyed whatever will power I had.
That's me. I quit smoking 30 years ago and quit drinking the same day, because I knew full well that if I went down to the pub for a drink it would just be a matter of minutes before I'd be batting my eyelashes at some Marlboro man asking if I could have one his cigs. Back then I could get stuff that way.
 
I needed a break from drinking too, but I just said, "Screw the whole break thing," because I knew a break would never be enough for me. So I just quit. Well, that's an over simplification. It took some doing. That was 27 years ago, on the 3rd of this month in fact. But I'm 100% behind you if a break is all you need.
I'm with you, @JustDave. I quit everything in 1982, except for cigarettes — I quit those in 2009. Now I have no addictions (except the occasional sugar craving, LOL).

It's unpleasant but easier just to quit.
 
Sometimes I have a drink or two but no more. At the age of 76 and pushing 77, my body pretty well rejects booze. Fortunately, I don't have a drink for weeks on end. Someone here talked about a nightly cocktail. That is a foreign concept to me. Sort of reminds me of those Hollywood/British movies where everyone is carrying around a glass as a sort of prop.

Don't do illegal drugs; nor do I buy cannabis. Here in Canada we have a store selling Cannabis often on every street. I think there is more shops selling cannabis than Tim Horton Coffee Shops. Don't smoke either. Can't stand the stinky stuff!

My reward for this good living is that at my age I am physically fit in body and in mind.
 
I like to have a martini, two at the very most –After three I’m under the table, After four, I’m under my host.”
Dorothy Parker
LOL!!
Graph showing relationship between Chronic heart disease and alcohol consumption. The lowest risk is a consumption of approx 1 pint of beer a day, but this (a doctor told me) varies with age.
I think the graph came from this paper: Alcohol and cardiovascular diseases: where do we stand today? https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.12390

It is a good paper from an authoritative source. However in the paper the author admits to uncertainties, to quote:

"Few epidemiological associations have been examined as critically as the inverse alcohol–CAD relationship. No randomized controlled trials with CAD outcome data have been conducted; therefore, confounding cannot be completely ruled out and some uncertainty remains about the causal nature of the association. Sceptics have emphasized the possible methodological flaws that might produce a spurious apparent benefit of moderate drinking. As already mentioned, some studies failed to separate lifelong abstainers from ex-drinkers, thus increasing risk in the nondrinker referent group by inclusion of sick quitters. Possible confounding by healthy lifestyle habits of moderate drinkers has also been postulated and could be termed ‘the healthy drinker hypothesis’..."

Seems to me the bottom line is drinking a little probably won't hurt you, but it is less certain it will help.
 
I think all you folks who have been drinking or smoking heavily and have cut back or quit.. are doing yourselves a huge favour, I hope you can continue.

I've always hated the taste of alcohol so I had nothing to quit thank goodness... altho' in recent months when times were rough I did consider I might be better off getting a bottle of something to drown my sorrows.. but no..I didn't want to add that to all the other stresses...
 
Some real strange thinking is going around in Canada. They have "dreamed up" the idea that more than 2 drinks/week (that's right, per week; not per day) is gonna give you cancer.

Yet at the same time, we have thousands of cannabalis shops all over the country. Seems there is one on almost every street in this city?

Bottom line: DON'T DRINK! But you can get stoned on drugs; NO PROBLEM!
 

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Good for you for making that committment. It's amazing how alcohol can add the calories and put the weight on. Just curious Nathan...you son got married on Tuesday (which was the 1st)?
 
Just this morning I read an article- If you're trying to take a break from drinking, try these 6 strategies.
I had realized for some time that my nightly cocktail was killing my effort to drop a few pounds. Even-though I frequently ran a calorie deficit, my body would grab the alcohol and store it immediately. So, not particularly as a 'new Year's resolution' but rather a weight management decision, I am hereby ceasing my nightly cocktail for[at least] the month of January. My main motivation: to look as good as I can for my son's wedding Feb. 1st. ;)
A new habit takes surprisingly little time to put in place. The most difficult hurdle is the first couple of times then it gets easy.
 
I'm lucky in that I have no head for drinking. After l glass of wine my head begins aching.

All the people I've known who were big drinkers tended never to have a hangover or even appear drunk. It is surprising how different we each are at processing alcohol.
 
I'm lucky in that I have no head for drinking. After l glass of wine my head begins aching.

All the people I've known who were big drinkers tended never to have a hangover or even appear drunk. It is surprising how different we each are at processing alcohol.
That, plus aging lowers the body's tolerance for alcohol. Older adults generally experience the effects of alcohol more quickly than when they were younger.
 
Good for you for making that committment. It's amazing how alcohol can add the calories and put the weight on. Just curious Nathan...you son got married on Tuesday (which was the 1st)?
I got the days mixed up Lol, they actually got married on Friday, which was the 3rd. I didn't reach my weight loss goal, only lost 3 lb.s but the tux fit O.K. The whole week there was party-party-party every day! I did eat very well there. 😁
 
That, plus aging lowers the body's tolerance for alcohol. Older adults generally experience the effects of alcohol more quickly than when they were younger.
That’s one reason I don’t drink. I don’t think I’ve had even a sip of alcohol in about 17 years. I just don’t like the taste or the effect anymore.
Plus after all these years I think it would hit me hard, lol.
 


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