To Booze Or Not To Booze

Celtic67

Here's the thing, I am a single male 30 yrs old with a good job and have recently acquired my first home on my own. I have spent the last 13 yrs of my life basically having a good time involving travelling, hitting town after work on Fir nights and spending the rest of the weekend on the booze/clubbing with my mates, playing football and with a few realtionships thrown in for good measure. Recently due to new financial constraints and concerns for health (putting on abit of weight etc) I have come to the conclusion that I want to amend my lifestyle maybe cutting out the booze for about 8-12 weeks with reduced consumption thereafter maybe one night a week.
Basically my query is has anyone been in a similar situation and can suggest ways to occupy my time come Fri evening and rest of weekend. Is it possible to do? Remember I have no GF to fall back for cinema etc. I have joined a gym which I plan to use approx 3 times during the week to get fit and I play football once a week. Have you cut out the booze for a period and continued to go the pub, what was it like, did u get stick from ur mates, is it still possible to engage with the opposite sex, how did they react?
Is it possible to have a social life as a singleton while off the booze?
Any comments/tips welcomed

justsomebloke

i have to say i can't relate as i have been in a relationship far to long to know about single life, but you do raise the good point of the Irish male's inability to chat up girls without a drink in their hand.

All I can say is try speed dating, it would give you the chance to do something at he weekend and may increase your circle of female friends so that you may be able to do thinks like go to the cinema or go for food at the weekend. that and you may be able to score without the need for drink

Vegeta

well i don't drink at all.....but then again I have a girlfriend

Hippo

Yes it's possible, and you don't run the risk of making a complete ars of yourself with a few on board! You'll get used to being in the pub sober quickly enough, and when you start losing weight and getting in shape you'll feel more confident anyway. 2 things: 1) you won't believe how fcuking boring the average drunken conversation will sound; 2) You won't be able to drink and do all that training. Good luck....

Chestylarue

I'm a (recently) single girl and have bought my own place and can relate to what you are saying. I've had to cut my drinking down dramatically and its hard to find things what to do to replace going to the pub at the weekend. I joined a rugby team but other than the matches and training all the social events revolve around drink.

So if anyone ideas post here, I can't wait for Mr Right to knock at my door:D

Jim

You don't have to drink to get drunk btw. 2 pints can be quite pleasent.

Peaadina

I spent 4yrs drinking myself into a stuper 3-5 days a week in college.
All in the name of socialising! I am different to you in that I am engaged.

Both of us decided to knock it on the head.
And it can be done, I found alot of my friends were just drinking buddies and we really didnt have that much in common, but I made new friends and got in touch with old ones!
There are tons of things to do (outdoors-y esp) besides getting drunk every weekend!
Lots of Diving clubs and hiking etc.
I re-discovered playing the guitar and art which I loved before all of the silliness!
I still drink occasionally and I find that I appreciate it more and dont need to drink as much!
Good luck with it, its the right thing to do. Itll be tough at 1st but SO worth it! You wont look back!

Airblazer

basically it's as boring as ****...it's impossible to go out and not drink while everyone is getting rat arsed about u...
I found now that I only go out about every two weeks and don't go overboard..I go to the gym about 4-5 a week and am starting to take up squash/soccer/tennis to relieve the boredom...

Macker

Celtic67 meet Chestylarue ....Chestylarue meet Celtic67

Dagon

"Is it possible to have a social life as a singleton while off the booze?"

Yes. It is possible, believe it or not, to have a much better quality of life without the booze...

I started drinking at 15, and continued until 23. The last two years I've been booze free, and the last two years have probably been the best years ever... you do the math :cool:

Seriously man, this is what I reccommend:
- Cut out the drink
- Gradually cut out meat and try a healthy vegetarian diet with lots of raw veg and fruit
- No fast food
- No soft drinks
- No coffee (the odd tea or odd soft drink won't kill you)
- Drink water constantly at work (9 - 5)
- Try martial arts

If you do the above, you will tap into amazing evergy in your body that is currently being drowned out by alcohol and other intoxicants. Not only will you naturally reach the ideal weight for your height, your mind will become clearer and more peaceful. And you'll feel so good that you won't need alcohol for "dutch courage" for chatting up women, you'll do it automatically

Alcohol is only necessary for those who are too lazy, or too dull, to tap into the natural reservoir of positive energy within the body!

Dagon

"basically it's as boring as ****...it's impossible to go out and not drink while everyone is getting rat arsed about u"

If this is the problem, then you need to work more on your mind and your mental strength, try meditation or something. That is a very weak excuse for drinking, and I'm tired of hearing it tbh...

Canis Lupus

Dagon wrote:

"basically it's as boring as ****...it's impossible to go out and not drink while everyone is getting rat arsed about u"

If this is the problem, then you need to work more on your mind and your mental strength, try meditation or something. That is a very weak excuse for drinking, and I'm tired of hearing it tbh...

I go out with the explicit intention of getting drunk therefore going out and not drinking is boring as **** and no amount of meditation is gonna change that so I agree with Airblazer on that one.

I socialise enough with my workmates, friends and flatmates outside of a pub environment as it is. I don't need to be sober when I go to a pub which I think is just as valid an argument as yours.

As for the OP. Everyone is different. I personally only go out once a month lately as I'm trying to save money. In the in between weekends, I do the cinema or I go play pool etc. You need to look at what you and your mates like doing and start suggesting ideas. If you do go out you make your own choice about the drink. I think you will find out swiftly enough whether it's something you like or not.

chump

Dagon wrote:

Alcohol is only necessary for those who are too lazy, or too dull, to tap into the natural reservoir of positive energy within the body!

You're obviously a really enlightened guy Dagon. Guys like you are 1 in a million, to have the self-confidence and mental strength to dismiss the majority of our population as lazy and dull, is something.
Infact the strength of your character is such that I think I will follow your path.
So what comes first, the giving up things one enjoys? Then growing the mazzive balls? Then scoring the hot chicks sans inebriation? Then preaching your ways to the execrable* masses?

I get it all, but the last bit.

*my first time using this word, I don't know if I used it in the right context

marie_85

It may seem extreme but Dagan has a point. I've been cutting back on the drink lately and trying to eat a healthier diet and I feel a lot happier than I did before. I've also given up smoking which has made a huge difference. Now when I run for the train, I'm breathing normally by the next stop.

muppetkiller

I've been cutting back on the booze too these days ...
I can't justify spending the money anymore....
As for meditation and that stuff...well whatever floats your boat...
I go the gym 4-5 times a week and that keeps me full of beans and the confidence is high..but it sounds like the force is strong with you guys

Why not organise trips to the coast with Friends or get away for the weekend ? Ryanair and other cheapy airlines are great ...you'd spend more on a single night out than the price of a return flight to Paris or London...

I agree Drinking is a lazy option but I love it and that's why to keep it interesting I drink in differnt parts of the country lol much easier to meet people if you go Hosteling etc...

Only advise is stay away from shots...Shots be bad and expensive.

incisor71

Dagon wrote:

"Is it possible to have a social life as a singleton while off the booze?"

- Cut out the drink
- Gradually cut out meat and try a healthy vegetarian diet with lots of raw veg and fruit
- No fast food

Taking these steps puts most forms of Irish nightlife off-limits. I agree that it's not necessary to get buckled drunk "Booze Britain"-style on every night out, and a takeaway after the pub/disco ain't mandatory, but until pubs start selling protein shakes, or you can put up with night after night on Ballygowan, it's a veritable no-fun zone!

Nor do I agree with cutting out all meat. Some people, myself included, have allergies to eggs and beans/pulses, so a zero-meat diet is not good for maintaining protein levels or muscle-building progress. However, it does no harm to be aware of whether you eat a particular food, such as pork, simply out of habit or because it enhances health.