[Closed] The year of no beer.....

Excellent well done.

May I ask how much you consumed a week that's a dramatic change.

I reduced my content massively I still drink and still have the odd big sesh but I can weeks a without a drink now.

Glad it's working out for you.

I like beer, I'm sticking with it 🙂

Given the change you've seen I'd think you quite mad going back to it now. Were you drinking a lot then?

Like you I had nearly a year alcohol free, it wasn't through choice, I had to take Tramadol for a long time. It really changed my 'relationship' with booze. My drinking now is limited to 2/3 bottles of beer, about twice a month at home, and 3/4 times a year I drink enough to be drunk.(which isn't a lot relative to my mates). I'm happier this way.

I never really did big sessions Drac, more of a home drinker, but definitely over 20 units a week, mibbe 40 if we had friends over, or away biking with mates.

Great outcome..

👍

Given the change you’ve seen I’d think you quite mad going back to it now.

100%, it simply doesn't fit into my lifestyle now PJ.

Good work. I could do with doing the same.

Yeah it was the regular drinking in the house I stopped it's now very rare I drink in house. I cut back when socialising to 1 or 2 when out but I've let that creep up purposely though. The big sessions are every few month and it's usually a day out with the Mrs. I did stop for 6 months to sort my head out a couple of years ago, it was straight forward as you say. However, I do quite like the feeling alcohol gives so I started again

Tbh starting uni at 44 was a big factor too. I procrastinate enough as it is without drink exacerbating it!.

Nice job nobeer, nice job!

Haha! Seems sensible.

I quit drinking nearly a year ago. I was drinking heavily and the improvement has been great. I also have seen the same outcomes as you, along with an improvement in mental health too. I was drinking to deal with things at work and developing a better strategy has made things better. I don't see me drinking again.

This thread is giving me a thirst.

I think the OP's list of cause/effect is the real nugget here.  Once you've abstained for a reasonable period and can identify with those, you are much more in a realm to make an educated choice.

I still drink but its limited to days when I'm not training or racing the next day, its not a recovery day, its not a work day.  Which actually is most days.  Now and then I have a little splurge where I'll have 1-2 beers or glasses of wine in the evening for a few days but that amounts to Christmas, holidays and Taper weeks.

Not a chance.

Here in Southern France, we have just entered aperitif season.
Not getting drunk but enjoying a Ricard or 2 in the evening.

I've never been a big drinker. Maybe one or two a week. Rarely more than one a night. Sometimes a month between drinks.

well done, puts a new spin on your username too 👍

This is a welcome thread. Recently I realised how many days that I have felt rubbish and ruined what could possibly have been a great day on the bike due to overdrinking. Im very rarely drunk but i do drink too much too often.

I have a holiday coming up then I really do want to make a big change.

Excellent work. Me and Mrs Danny are on 11 months and I also managed to kick the occasional cigarette / e cig habit I’ve had since I was 14.

Feel loads better for it 🙂

Excellent, raising a glass to you 🍺

Fair play, good on ye. 🙂

You know that running thread....

Next steps.

Kudos NBITF.

More power to you.

Consider me the quintessential west coast Scottish bloke booze bag.Ill keep the stereotype alive whilst your on sabbatical.

No booze since nye for me. After this long it's easier to not drink. I'll do at least a year. Definitely miss beers and the odd night out. Enjoy the booze free beers though.

Good work - an inspiration as usual!

Nominative determinism!

Another year plus dry boozer here. Similar health improvements and I can't see the point in restarting. One mild headache in 14 months and yes better skin and sleep. I'm 60, it's really turned back the clock and supercharged my biking. Lost the odd friend or so on the way however.

No beer and running. Cannae believe you slag us gravel riders😂😉

Seriously though, well done. Planning on a wee break myself. Good inspiration

Haha, cheers all!

The running isn't just about fitness, it's something that Mrs Nobeer and I have in common, we both love it, along with hill walking, and the running defo helps that.

I'll still be slagging you manky gravellers Bob! 😂

There is a middle ground of just having a beer or two on friday/saturday and not drinking the rest of the days of the week. That's not going to make you pile on weight and make your skin fall off. Like reducing meat, you can just have a little now and then and still enjoy it and not have to go full militant and make it a big thing.(not aimed at op)

Having lived abroad for a few months I think the brits have a pretty toxic relationship with alcohol. You can really see it as soon as you're in the airport - Edinburgh airport has extensive bar areas and wetherspoons can be completely packed with people smashing the beers at 7am. Copenhagen airport, the bars are fewer and largely empty it seems, and in general the way people use booze here is just different, hard to explain but it's like a celebratory thing to do, or a treat, like it's a nice day let's have a nice beer in the sun. None of this smashing six cans on a one hour train journey or in the park and moan about the country or having a fight type thing.

Excellent. I only have 1 beer a week usually, like to try something different and tasty when I can. 2 beers and my sleep is affected and I feel rough the next day. I'm guessing jacking that in won't help me lose 3 stone and get more shagging though?

I'm genuinely amazed by how much some of my friends - aged 40-60 - think is "normal" alcohol consumption though. Some of them must be very social.

There is a middle ground of just having a beer or two on friday/saturday and not drinking the rest of the days of the week.

That works if you have an off switch. Mrs Danny’s missing one though so whilst she’s tried countless times to moderate it just doesn’t work for her.

I could easily do it but doesn’t seem fair me drinking when she can’t. I do get tempted from time to time - particularly when out on the expenses and everyone else is hitting wines from the pricey end of the list 🙂

And where's the gratitude to me for drinking it all on your behalf, eh?

Thanks Binners, ya big sexy bastart! 😘😂

Having lived abroad for a few months I think the brits have a pretty toxic relationship with alcohol. You can really see it as soon as you’re in the airport – Edinburgh airport has extensive bar areas and wetherspoons can be completely packed with people smashing the beers at 7am. Copenhagen airport, the bars are fewer and largely empty it seems, and in general the way people use booze here is just different, hard to explain but it’s like a celebratory thing to do, or a treat, like it’s a nice day let’s have a nice beer in the sun. None of this smashing six cans on a one hour train journey or in the park and moan about the country or having a fight type thing.

Well the Danes drink as much as we do. I'm sure as many abuse alchol as us boozy Brits. As always it's the few that get all the attention, and the rest of us who just enjoy a well behaved drink get painted with the same brush. Also don't get this "other countries are so superior" attitude from some posters.
List of alcohol drunk per country.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption_per_capita

Well the Danes drink as much as we do.

TBH if you’re a heavy/habitual drinker like OP yes of course you’re going to see massive improvements if you stop. I would as there’s nothing worse than wasting a day with a hangover but I actually like the taste of a nice beer or wine (and the slight buzz after 1 or 2😀). Everything in moderation! Although it is hard to moderate after you’ve had a couple 😀 🍺 🍷

Well the Danes drink as much as we do.

yes but they can handle it. It’s not the alcohol that’s the problem, it’s the fact that too many Brits seem to turn into complete **** when they’ve had a few.

Booze is booze they handle it the same as everyone else.

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/d3mxbj/denmarks-teens-have-a-drinking-problem-vr-could-be-the-cure

Not just teens in the UK though is it? Middle aged blokes/women who should know better. ****ing embarrassment.

Pretty sure more than 30secs on google and I could find "middle aged Danish drinking epidemic" stories.
Somepeople just love to knock their own country, now that is a very British thing.
I'm off now to not stick anything up my nose or in my arm for another year, unless of course I really feel like it 😂

Right, inspired by Nobeers efforts I'm going booze free at least until after my 50 mile ultra at the end of September. After nearly thirty years of drinking sometimes unhealthy amounts it's time to try something different.

Question for all those that have stayed sober - has it affected your perceptions of your friends when they're drunk? I used to think that getting a few bevvies loosened everyone up and they got more lively, but after being sober I kinda prefer to be around my mates when they're sober too, they're just more interesting company then.

Question for all those that have stayed sober – has it affected your perceptions of your friends when they’re drunk?

That's a big assumption. I drink pretty much every day and could benefit from another dry spell, but I don't think I've been drunk more than a handful of times in the past five years - new year parties usually. Thing is, if you are spending an evening in the pub even though nobody gets drunk it's pretty boring after the second bottle of akoholfrei.

Yes when sober around your regular drinking buddies, you generally realise how repetitive the conversations are.

Well played Spin!

Question for all those that have stayed sober – has it affected your perceptions of your friends when they’re drunk?

I've pretty much changed my social scene now too, I'll only really go out if it's to meet someone I've not seen in ages frinstance. Just a few with folk from work? Nope, too many things I'd rather be doing.

Which actually brings to another advantage, I'm getting jobs done now that I had struggled to find the time for previously. Finally converted the bomb shelter to a bike store last week, only took me 9 years!.

Said Bomb shelter....

[img] [/img]
[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/48213658542/ ]The Bomber![/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/59995395@N03/ ][/url] - [url= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dariogf.flickr2BBcode_lite ]Flickr2BBcode LITE[/url]

I gave up beer for 18 months too....

And purely drank spirits! Haha

My alcohol tolerance went through the roof! To the point a bottle of JD was quite easy to polish off in a night.

Since done 10months of nothing at all. Just the odd AF to keep the cravings at bay.

Question for all those that have stayed sober – has it affected your perceptions of your friends when they’re drunk?

No but then I’ve known my friends that long they’ve been whittled down over the years to a crowd I could spend time with sober, pissed, stoned - whatever and still enjoy their company.

What has been a surprise is the reaction of people I don’t know as well to me when I say I don’t drink. Some people are positively offended by the news! I think a good number of people assume it’s because I must have been a raging alcoholic too.

I’m getting jobs done now that I had struggled to find the time for previously.

I'm sitting here with IKEA shelves I'm supposed to put up in the kitchen still in their boxes, thinking maybe I should do that or some weeding in the garden. However, feet up, on the sofa (drinking water admittedly). I did have a few drinks last night, but 4 330ml cans not lots. I have been for a 10k today though and did parkrun yesterday, so I'm just taking the afternoon to relax 🙂

Question for all those that have stayed sober – has it affected your perceptions of your friends when they’re drunk?

Its altered the perception of myself when drunk.   I don't get drunk anymore, at home or but especially out of the house.

What has been a surprise is the reaction of people I don’t know as well to me when I say I don’t drink. Some people are positively offended by the news! I think a good number of people assume it’s because I must have been a raging alcoholic too.

Aye, absolutely! Couple of comments like that, I just brush it off with a laugh.

Even though it's been a year now, I'm still not sure I can say to people 'I don't drink' as opposed to 'no thanks' and subsequently trying to explain myself. Suppose it'll come eventually...

The boss and I have stopped just stopped drinking after ten years of pretty much continual drinking. During this time consumption had crept up from 2 to 3,and was creeping up to 4 bottles of wine a night. We also cut out caffeine for a couple of days, just to give the system a complete break.

After the initial feeling crap with a banging headache, things are getting better to the point where I'm beginning to think I'm not sure I want to have a drink again, which is quite liberating.

The first couple of days were a struggle sleeping, but now that's sorting itself out, my appetite has improved because I'm eating so much stodge too soak up the booze, and we're saving money.💰💰

Late to the thread ..but well done Nobeer..and everyone else who is pleased they have gone alco free..
Reading some of your initial comments regarding the amount of units you consumed... 20 units a week doesn't seem like an awful lot of drinking going on when the average bottle of real ale is 2 units ..but it seems to have made a real difference in terms of weight loss for you ( if it's purely down to giving up the booze ) ...
I don't frequent pubs on anything near a regular basis and I'm a home drinker ..but only moderately ( 1 bottle of golden ale a night would be my average) ..but can't ever see a time when I would want to give that up .
I've also lost a good bit of weight over the last year (2 stone )..I was slowly going stir crazy working from home and hardly leaving the house ..so got a part time job for a courier company doing multi-drop deliveries with the increased exercise working wonders for fitness and weight loss ..and I actually get to talk to folks face to face again ..
I won't say which company I deliver on behalf of though ..the unwarranted abuse might have me hitting the bottle to hard!😁
Cheers...

Alcohol has offered a temporary solution to my main issues in life, stress and boredom.
But now it is taking away more than it gives. Much admiration (and envy) for your achievement - well done.

Finally converted the bomb shelter

Not sure i'd trust that to save me from a bomb. Stiff breeze maybe....... 😉

Came across this, realised that's 2 years now!.

Good effort

👍🏻

Your favourite alcohol free beers?

I have tried a few, most I find are watery and dont really hit the spot. The best ones I've found are:
Wiper & True Small Beer
Brewdog Punk AF

Any others to recommend?

Well done BTW! 🙂

Ghost ship is about the only one I bother with now, very rarely. It's as closed to a decent beer as I've had AF wise, and it's 500ml.

Good job, very encouraging.