Giving up the booze

It'sstill deep pan crisp and even here, but no more has fallen since last night.

Glad you're enjoying a much needed break, Sinbad, and that you're relaxed about having a few beers.

Going to On Track sounds a great idea. People here who have known me a few years know I got great strength from going to a support group when I finally gave up the booze, and there others here who've been to AA and other groups. It's been said before, but it's a strength, not a weakness, to know when to ask for help.

Hope everybody's well, I'm getting well fed up with the white stuff.

Hi All,

Thanks for that Yeo. Hope your okay. How's the cafe etc going, and getting back into training?

Bless them all here staff and friends. I tried sitting with a new customer at hotel last night, I felt he was struggling with ordering beer etc as he is Italian. He told me he couldn't speak English, but as soon as we got another beer, he started speaking English. This annoyed me, so I got up and left, He was clearly trying to take the mikey.

Monday I had a bad osphagus reflex (Barrets), it was really qiute painful. So I took my tablets and slept the day away, its all you can do if it hits you. One nfriend knocked to see if I was joining them, and staff have chatted with me asking me was I okay.

Bless them.

I have heard the weather is bad in my nek of the woods to. Believe it or not a fellow guestcomes from same town as me ow er.

What I'm worried about is not getting back, but the busses and taxi's may not be able to get up to the top of the hill where I live. It becomes an ice rink, and if you want to go down the hill walking, you have to literally hold onto a wall and slide down it. I have two bags full to carry with me lol.

Hope your all okay?

Hi All,

No one been in since yesterday? crumbs you must all busy.

Just sat here in lounge all day waiting for coach to pck us up at 6pm. This is a part of a holiday we all don't like, hangng round?

I just want to get home now, and get stuck into following trainig program to the t.

Well I have bought the sweat shirt, and have now bought the Brooks technical t shirt for running. I believe there a good make?This is for the Manchester Marathon.

As soon as I can 'm gettng to my boat, I miss her. I know people find me difficult to be around, I try really hard not to be difficult. If people don't like me I understand why, but my boat I'm determined to finish renovating her, and do this marathon n a good time. I'm making a start on the beds when iits warm enough to go, then put all the navigation lights on, then its just a question of giving her, the antfouling, and fnish the paint job. Few weeks should see it completed.

How is everyone getting on generally?

Hi All,

Is it something hat I have said, and been sent to coventry?

Just a quick post to say I have only just got home, and I think its 3.24am.

Its snoed quite heavily here, its turning to ice on pavements, but they ave gritted the roads.

I have put on 6lb over Christmas and holiday, time to get it back down.

Are you all okay, I'm getting worried for you all?

Morning all - it's an early start for me today!

Sinbad - sounds like you've had a great holiday and, as much as I love winter and how beautiful the fresh snow looks, sitting in the warm sun sounds good! Please don't worry if people don't post for a while as quiet days will always happen. You certainly haven't been sent to Coventry! Your boat project sounds very interesting - once you get her all fixed up, what are your plans? Will you spend time living on the water or is your aim to sell the boat?

The frozen pavements have contributed to a lazy week with no running for me - I was doing well and feeling good so I'll have to make a big effort so as not to lose momentum. 

I hope everyone is well and keeping cosy!

ahhhh, i fell off the wagon last Friday. Met up with a bunch of old Uni mates, determined not to drink, and ended up having 5 pints. the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Add another pint of guinness at a funeral on Tuesday and i'm up to about 14 units for Jan. booooo!

anyway, not to worry, even if i have a couple more drinks over the next week, i'll still end up with less than half my "typical" monthly booze consumption, so it's not been in vain. and I think i can do moderate drinking better than i can do no drinking.

i did however meet up with a cousin of mine i've not seen for a few years, at the funeral on Tuesday. I last saw him about 4-5 years ago, he's about my age (mid 30s) and was a bit of a beast when he was younger, into booze, pills, powder, you name it. Anyway, he told me he's been completely clean now for 2 years last new years day. Decided he needed to get his act together, and the only way it would work for him was cold turkey. So, in his words, no alcohol, no coke, no MDMA, no ketamine, no speed, no cannabis, no methedrone, no painkillers, no caffeine since new years day 2011. He said it's not been easy, but the further away that life seems, the less it feels like him. He's looking good, and seems genuinely happy and in control of his life, so long may that continue for him.

Thanks for sharing your cousin's story AG - it is genuinely an inspiration. I've been trying to moderate my drinking for as long as I can remember and every time I think I'm doing well I get reminded that, for me it is an addiction. Sometimes this is manifested in behaviour (I drink) and sometimes in thought (I constantly think about drinking). Right now, lots of people who post here have been dry for a long time or are moderating very well. I'll keep hoping that one day I can join them but it is never easy.

I hope moderation works for you - you certainly seem to have done very well since you've been posting here! Oh, and I'm sorry that you've had a funeral to attend...never an easy time.

Morning folks

Don't worry Sinbad, it often goes quiet for days or sometimes weeks.  We all pop in and out when we can even if it's just to say 'hello I'm ok' then go and get busy again.

Sounds like you had a lovely holiday Sinbad, I'd love to be in a lovely warm place right now ................

Hi Apps, I don't like running on the icy pavements either but did go out yesterday for 8 miles.  I'm in taper mode now and to be honest it wouldn't make much difference if I didn't run till the Pilgrims next saturday/sunday but I felt I wanted to do a couple more before the day itself.  You're doing really well, it took me many many years to get to this point and you were very instumental in helping me achieve it.  I'm sure you'll get there when the time's right  - something will just click one day   Here's a good site for lots of juices - this is the fb page 

https://www.facebook.com/VegetableJuicing/info and this is his site but there's lots of other stuff on here http://fitlife.tv/

That's a really inspirational story about your cousin AG, it should give you the motivation you need to get to where you want to be.

Hope eveyone's good today x

Afternoon all.

Welcome back sinbad, glad you had a good holiday.   What are you plans for your boat?

I always laugh when I see that about being sent to Coventry.  I've never found it a bad place at all

That really is a story about your cousin AG.  Much respect to him as it must have been very hard.

SL, have you got all your kit sorted for Pilgrims?

Apps, hoping the pavements clear soon here.  Very slippy.  Not sure if I said but Mr C's cousin fell last Friday and broke her hip.

Made it to the gym yesterday, 1st time since before Christmas.  Not surprisingly it was heaving but the outdoor pool empty so I went out there for a swim.  Was rather chilly walking to it but once in it was lovely

 

 

Hi All,

I'm nearly finished fixing her up, my plans were to sail round uk coast even though I have completed half of it already. But plans have chaanged I camp on Nervon when its warm enough (10 degrees), but she alas too small to live on. I have relearned skills I have forgotten, and made lots of mistakes. I'm going to save up now and try and by about a 27ft boat as a project, and maybe live aboard on that one, thanks for that apparition.

AG that sounds like your doing good ith your unit intake keep at it, and glad about your cousin doing well also.

AG yes sorry about hering about the funeral also. But you have kept booze moderated at this time, you should be proud of yourself.

Apparition, I'm the same as you in cutting down slowly, for me it doesn't work for me to. But I like you intend to keep trying.

Thanks SL I have learnt when I am in a bad spot that if I don't disappear, I end up binge drinking for up to 3 months, then struggle to get back on track. disappearing helps to draww a line under it. It was about 5 hours decent weather where you can sit in sun, then it round, but generally it was still even in the rain.

Cinders I referr you to paragraph about my plans for boat. Lol about coventry, thats what sprang to my my mind. Even if it goes quiet I will continue to post, this site is really helping me.

In concluding this post. I can't cut down in moderation, like your cousin. So on returning, I'm was and am determined to go cold turkey. So I'm expecting the dt's shaking etc. I'm throwing everything into the running, gym ( hopefully building the social contacts), and my boat. I miss her.

My main concern is not the stopping drinking side, but people, as I have mentioned perviously its peeople's mind games, and forming friendship attachments, perhaps other, falling out, and not pushing myself back into drinking, after falling out ith people. This is exactly why I have stayed away from my boat for four months. The fear of people not understanding my difficulties, and not liking me. Or for the latest person that I stood up to after months of him taking advantage of me.

Finally lol. I hope continueing running in Scarborough will help, but there is a gym in the town centre, and intend to go there to. I just don't know howw to protect myself, in letting people into my life, and keeping those I don't from myself alloing them push me back into drinking.

Hope your all okay? I'm atching most haunted in the dark. It's in an old poor house tonight.

Keep posting away Sinbad   - even if we don't have time to reply most of us still look in from time to time.

Whatever or however you decide to address your drinking be realistic and don't set yourself up to fail - you'll get there in the end but it might take lots of smaller steps/efforts rather than one big one.  If you can succeed on the one big one then fantastic but don't think you've failed if you find yourself drinking.  Just call it a blip then climb back on the wagon and aim to not drink for longer this time.

Hope everyone's ok today x

Hi All,

Thanks or that advice SL I will take it on board, for when I do/,may slip.

SL I have started drinking the shop fresh juices. I would like to try eating greens veg etc, and would like to give it a try soon. What make do you recomend as a thingy (lol) to blend them all together?

I have not been to gym for the treadmill today, I bought the T shirt for the marathon today, and I had to buy a new cable charger for the forerunner 10 watch I have. For some reason they left the watch alone (it was switched off).

I ran out on the last day of holiday of a tablet I have to take, on the day of coming home, I only just got them back today. But I I just taken one today, yet inbetween I've started getting the dt's (shaking hands wobbling stuttering etc). I expected this but not so soon lol.

Come what ever with the weather, I intend to get to the gym and the treadmill on Sunday. The weather forecast has warned of more snow today, upto 10cm. But have said it will be better temprature Sunday with rain, on Sunday.

Hope all okay, and not the weather we have here.

Sinbad - I had a blender from Argos, their own make 'Cookworks', cost about £30.  If you want to spend more then get one with a higher wattage motor.  I also got their own make juicer too.  I'd guess that it might be easier for you to have juices at first - lots of them to help you get off the booze, and try to drink at least 2L of water a day.  Try to drink 1 pint before you get out of bed in the morning - take a pint glass to bed with you and either drink it throughout the night or when you wake up then get another pint down you before you have breakfast.  It'll be the best thing you can do to help get over the shakes/dt's and start to feel better again.

Hi All,

Thanks for that SL, to confirm thats own Argos make cookworks, well more of a staement that is ow er, and 2L of juices a day, ook got that. How much fruit will I need to buy lol? I'm buying up to 2L a day.

when I have been out for ten minutes or so over the past couple of days, I have found myself shaking each step I took, I felt very uneasy on my legs. I'm just wondering if thats withdrwal symptons, or dehydration?

No matter what I'm going to the gym Sunday and Monday(if deliver arrives), doing 5k Sunday, and 10k Monday. Wednesday I hope to do 7 miles on road if there clear of snow, walking, jogging 6 miles walk the extra mile. Jusr to see how I feel.

Hope training goes well for you all, and generally your all okay.

It's a minimum of 2L of WATER each day Sinbad - you can have as much juice as you fancy, 2L would be too much for most people but of course you can have as much as you like

Hi All,

I had noticed that SL lol.

Well I went to gym, and I did 1k warm up, and 5k actual walking at 6.0kmph, in 51.21 minutes. The warm up worked, and after taking about 1k to get back upto 6.0kmph I didn't even need to hold on to to the treadmill ow er. I even pushed it up to 6.2kmph foor the last 50m.

I couldn't believe it this morning, I looked out of the window and all the snow had practicallyy gone, just bits and pieces left.

Hope your all okay today. I just had Iceland stew and dumpling microwave lovely. Not as good as home made though.

I gave up drinking last October , and although I never was a particularly heavy drinker , I felt that giving up would save me a few quid each week . It is now at the stage where I am already feeling the health benefits of not drinking - I lost a stone in my first month after giving up , and that has given me motivation. I thought it would be difficult to keep it up when out with friends , but now I stick to a mix of Red Bull and Irn Bru and that keeps me going.

The funny thing is , now that I've stopped drinking , I look at drinking from a sober viewpoint and often wonder why I started that bad habit in the first place.

Good luck to all of you who are trying to give up and hope you all succeed

Hi Catboy and well done to you.  Red bull and Irn Bru is a potent mix - that should get you buzzing and keep you awake at night   It's great looking at pissed people from a sober viewpoint, you realise just how boring and ridiculous people can be!

Just popped on this after being at a housewarming in Bristol... fully agree that a couple of redbulls will keep you going all night. The best part is that you can remember all of the mayhem and you aren't the one who is falling asleep early on the sofa because you have had one drink too many.

After doing it in 2011, I have brought back the new years resolution of no alcohol or takeaway pizza for 5 months.

To all of you, give it everything you've got

Hi Catboy,

Interesting post. Hope all continues to go well for you, and not drinking. Keep it up

Yes it doe's help in the pocket, and health to. For people like myself, its filling up the gap of socialising with beer. Running helps, but as you get fitter you have more energy to use up.

I agree SL some drunk people like myself can't see that until you come have got off the beer and stay sober and still go in pub for socilisaing,I'm not ready for that stage yet.

Thanks for that MR_OJR, I'm down to just once or twice a month going out for a binge drink, even thats too much for me now. It messes up training to. I'm glad cold spell is looking like being over (hopefully), but we have some rain heading our way. But I'm still going to my boat for 5 days on Wednesday. I've stayed away fa too long. If I can stay of the beer till end of March I will haved saved enough for a new outboard engine for my boat.

I can't get out for a run today, I'm waiting on my Garmin battery charger, it was delayed Saturday, and even now I hate running in the dark, I'm also waiting on my Manchester Marathon training t shirt. Growl do other's hate waiting in for deliveries etc?

Hope your all okay?