Giving up the Booze

Hello all,
I am planning to give up the booze for the foreseable future after the New Year. I just want to get back into the GYM, football habit etc. I've given it up before for 6 weeks and it was hell going out! So can any1 pass on some useful information on how to get through it.

Cheers!


PS ~ I know there is a ''giving up smoking thread', I didnt see one for drink.

arybvtcw0eolkf

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1015

No go change your user name to 'Billy no mates'..

ScumLord

The pub is the biggest hurdle simply because that's where everyone want to go and meet up and none of them would consider trying something else.

The people you meet in gyms and such may not exactly be the most fun people in the world. I'm not saying there boring or anything but people that like running on the spot for half and hour or repeating the same movement over and over again... Well ya there boring.

I dont' know how you'd do it, just don't bother. Who wants to be old anyway.

Ciaran500

Just don't drink?

I do it some times when I go out, just say it to your friends so you don't end up with a drink infront of you if there is a round going.

ScumLord

ScumLord wrote: »

The pub is the biggest hurdle simply because that's where everyone want to go and meet up and none of them would consider trying something else.

The people you meet in gyms and such may not exactly be the most fun people in the world. I'm not saying there boring or anything but people that like running on the spot for half and hour or repeating the same movement over and over again... Well ya there boring.

I dont' know how you'd do it, just don't bother. Who wants to be old anyway.

Well this has been tried before and it did not work! I am not saying I will be giving it up for good as I just couldn't see it happenin. What spurred this on is the constant torture of Monday mornings. When 530 hits on Friday I head on the piss until Sunday afternoon reguraly and my body feels bollixed after it ! Im just sick of it at this stage. Then theres the midweek football, odd time a mate's bday during the week and so on so fourth. Its just a continious viscious circle & I've been doing it for too long.

Rob_l

This thread makes me want a drink

Cathmandooo

KaG1888 wrote: »

Hello all,
I am planning to give up the booze for the foreseable future after the New Year. I just want to get back into the GYM, football habit etc. I've given it up before for 6 weeks and it was hell going out! So can any1 pass on some useful information on how to get through it.

Cheers!


PS ~ I know there is a ''giving up smoking thread', I didnt see one for drink.

If you have a car then drive when you're going out - it'll help you avoid the whole 'ah go on have a drink' issue.

I dont envy you. I'd never be able to do it *


*If I HAD to I would, I wouldn't like to though

Cathooo

Cathooo wrote: »

If you have a car then drive when you're going out - it'll help you avoid the whole 'ah go on have a drink' issue.

I dont envy you. I'd never be able to do it *


*If I HAD to I would, I wouldn't like to though

Helpful ^, but would it not be a pain bringing the mates home wasted?

Also, I forget to mention the money factor..........big chunk of the ol wage pack goes on the piss.

Naked Lepper

lol this thread goes to show that we are just a nation of junkies really hehe

cant get enuff of the alcohol!

ScumLord

ScumLord wrote: »

The people you meet in gyms and such may not exactly be the most fun people in the world. I'm not saying there boring or anything but people that like running on the spot for half and hour or repeating the same movement over and over again... Well ya there boring.

People lifting glass to mouth, back to table and back to mouth again repeatedly, talking the same ****e .... that can be just as boring.

OP, find yourself an interest, preferably sporting, that doesn't involve going on the piss constantly.

Timothy Bryce

I'm completely off the booze too - was out on Saturday night and had the car with me. All my mates kept saying "Aw...sh*t one dude you're missing out" etc.

It's as though everyone was implying I wouldn't have a good time unless I was utterly tanked. The fact is, I had good night with plenty of good banter and was feeling fresh-ish yesterday morning.

It's true that people in this country really need to take a long hard look at their relationship with alcohol.

Fair play to you mate for trying to give it up - I'm off it for a month and feel fantastic....bringing your car out with you is a great excuse if your friends are trying to cajole you into boozing

ScumLord

KaG1888 wrote: »

Well this has been tried before and it did not work! I am not saying I will be giving it up for good as I just couldn't see it happenin. What spurred this on is the constant torture of Monday mornings. When 530 hits on Friday I head on the piss until Sunday afternoon reguraly and my body feels bollixed after it ! Im just sick of it at this stage. Then theres the midweek football, odd time a mate's bday during the week and so on so fourth. Its just a continious viscious circle & I've been doing it for too long.

The hangovers are a killer alright. I never used to get hangover when I was in my drinkin prime. Now though I'm sick as a dead dog for up to 3 days after drinking any amount of alcohol. I only went out on Saturday I had a few bottles of some fine Polish beers before heading to the pub and a few jamesons in the pub, only had half of one can in the nightclub and left I'm still sick now.

I'd say you'd have to move to another country where being drunk as an ass every weekend isn't the norm.

SUNGOD

Mairt wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1015

No go change your user name to 'Billy no mates'..

or even worse ,change it to "mairt"

ScumLord

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd say you'd have to move to another country where being drunk as an ass every weekend isn't the norm.

LOL hopefully not. I am going to have a go at this though. I have a mad time planned for the holidays including New Years in Killarney. After that the ''fasting'' begins :eek:

arybvtcw0eolkf

SUNGOD wrote: »

or even worse ,change it to "mairt"

Wouldn't be very sMairt, its taken!.

Cathmandooo

KaG1888 wrote: »

Helpful ^, but would it not be a pain bringing the mates home wasted?

You wouldnt have to always bring them home. Give it a try anyway and see how it goes! Just dont let them start bringing their chipper food into the car, gets messy then

juuge

Gave up the gargle once for nine months. It was difficult at first but I soon got used to drinking soft drinks. The craic was just as good and the sex was even better. Sorry I went back on it. I'll do it again in January.

Sierra Oscar

I will go off it as my New Years Reso....

For like probably only 2 weeks...

qz

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

I will go off it as my New Years Reso....

For like probably only 2 weeks...

That's my thinking too. I've been on it too much (starting college etc) and I'd love a break. Plus I had like a week of being mad late for work and I'd seriously not like to lose my job!
But I know it's going to be once college starts again and the nights out start happening again. Oh give me strength someone

Zzippy

OP, give yourself a target to aim for. You'll be saving money by not drinking, so have a target, like a nice holiday, or a really good tv, whatever. Its something to aim for - every time you don't take a drink you can tell yourself youre going to have the best holiday ever with the money - and its a great reward at the end of it.

Toto Wolfcastle

Just stop drinking! I don't know why some people are suggesting that you don't go to pubs. They do sell drinks other than alcoholic ones.

I've never been much of a drinker though (I have had alcohol 3 times thi year...in small amounts), and I've always had a good time, so I probably can't understand that it might be difficult for you.

Good luck.

Sonnenblumen

KaG1888 wrote: »

Hello all,
I am planning to give up the booze for the foreseable future after the New Year. I just want to get back into the GYM, football habit etc. I've given it up before for 6 weeks and it was hell going out! So can any1 pass on some useful information on how to get through it.

Cheers!


PS ~ I know there is a ''giving up smoking thread', I didnt see one for drink.

Giving up booze in Ireland, must be like training for the Witness Protection Programme. Yeah Get a Life Yeah, but keeping it will be hard!:eek:

MySelf56

If you give up booze I was wondering is it not some kind of illegal here, can you still keep your Irish Passport.. ok I should stop my sarcasm.

I agree with GalwayGuy99, you can have absolutely get great holiday with the saving. Due to a small medical complication I have to stay out and I saved enough money for two holidays one in Central Europe and Eastren Europe two years back.

Wish you all the best I know few of friends given up and enjoying a great life. Never mind bollocks about Pubs are fun and craic. It’s expensive and load of BS excuse to get drunk. Stick with your guns stay sober…

MySelf56

MySelf56 wrote: »

If you give up booze I was wondering is it not some kind of illegal here, can you still keep your Irish Passport.. ok I should stop my sarcasm.

I agree with GalwayGuy99, you can have absolutely get great holiday with the saving. Due to a small medical complication I have to stay out and I saved enough money for two holidays one in Central Europe and Eastren Europe two years back.

Wish you all the best I know few of friends given up and enjoying a great life. Never mind bollocks about Pubs are fun and craic. It’s expensive and load of BS excuse to get drunk. Stick with your guns stay sober…

I am going to give it a go anyway. I am just sick of feeling wrecked on a Monday and being unfit. I'll probably last a month but I'll give it a shot.

Ciaran500

If you think you can't go with out drink why not just drink in moderation?

EL_Loco

you need to give it longer than a month. I wasn't even that heavy a drinker but when I stopped it took me a fair while to adjust to being out and about with everyone else drunk around me.

you'll hear the same stuff, maybe 4-5 times in a night, drunk people will repeat themselves, it gets annoying if you just sit there. I think most people's problem is they feel they can't chat to people, or chat people up or have fun without a drink or 2. Which is nonsense.

but as I said, you need to give it more than a month, because at that stage you'll still be at the stage where you're thinking "jaysus, this is awful".

Also, allow yourself to have a drink or 2 every now and again, and not think "you're back on the drink" because of it.

the suggestion to save and buy something is good, you can say "that's my beer money" as you point to your big TV, or nice tan

and best of luck.

Ok,
First weekend coming up for this. The gauntlet has been raised too. I am going for 6 months..... I drunkingly bet €50 Euro with practically all my mates out on New Years eve that I'd do it & not drink until the 1st of July. WHAT A MESS!

Jigsaw

KaG1888 wrote: »

Ok,
First weekend coming up for this. The gauntlet has been raised too. I am going for 6 months..... I drunkingly bet €50 Euro with practically all my mates out on New Years eve that I'd do it & not drink until the 1st of July. WHAT A MESS!

Man, 6 months? You got yourself in a bind there. Having said that if it is something you really want to do then best of luck with it and I hope you manage to stick to it.

I really should be thinking along the same lines as you myself. I have been drinking like a fish all bloody December and my body is f**ked now. I don't want to give up drinking but I would sure love to give up the abuse of it. When you talk about the Monday morning torture I knoe exactly what you mean. Thing is, it wouldn't happen if I went out earlier on a Sunday evening, had 2/3 pints and then came home earlier. What I do is go out and have a few then get the taste and then hammer it until last orders and drunkenly convince myself that I will be fine in the morning. So for me, this year is not going to be about giving up booze, but it IS going to be about treating booze with respect and moderation and making sure I have plenty of drink free days.

Best of luck anyway mate.

EL_Loco

good luck.

try not to sit there with a division in your head that you're sober and everyone else around you is drunk. Then you'll just be marking time until it's time to leave, and you won't enjoy yourself, and you'll blame it on being sober.

Get involved and chat away, I find almost a "collective" drunkiness happens, where even though I'm sober I'm just that bit less worried about what i say or how I act, after all everyone around me has a few on them, they're not going to be overly worried.

but again, not easy to make the change, but just want to stress, give it a chance.

Jigsaw

Jigsaw wrote: »

Man, 6 months? You got yourself in a bind there. Having said that if it is something you really want to do then best of luck with it and I hope you manage to stick to it.

I really should be thinking along the same lines as you myself. I have been drinking like a fish all bloody December and my body is f**ked now. I don't want to give up drinking but I would sure love to give up the abuse of it. When you talk about the Monday morning torture I knoe exactly what you mean. Thing is, it wouldn't happen if I went out earlier on a Sunday evening, had 2/3 pints and then came home earlier. What I do is go out and have a few then get the taste and then hammer it until last orders and drunkenly convince myself that I will be fine in the morning. So for me, this year is not going to be about giving up booze, but it IS going to be about treating booze with respect and moderation and making sure I have plenty of drink free days.

Best of luck anyway mate.

Yeah that Sunday thing is exactly what I'd do lol. Go for a curer and ending up watching a match & getting fcuking gee eyed. Anyway, I want to do it to get fit again & I want to get back playing football. First few weekends should be torture but here it goes!

Toto Wolfcastle

KaG1888 wrote: »

Yeah that Sunday thing is exactly what I'd do lol. Go for a curer and ending up watching a match & getting fcuking gee eyed. Anyway, I want to do it to get fit again & I want to get back playing football. First few weekends should be torture but here it goes!

It'll be worth it man. Seriously, if you can manage the 6 months, you'll feel great, and after the 6 months you'll probably drink less anyway. (Or else you'll turn into an alcoholic!)

Best of luck.

artanevilla

People say you don't need drink to have fun, but that's only true if everyones not drinking.

One Cold Hand

KaG1888 wrote: »

Yeah that Sunday thing is exactly what I'd do lol. Go for a curer and ending up watching a match & getting fcuking gee eyed. Anyway, I want to do it to get fit again & I want to get back playing football. First few weekends should be torture but here it goes!

Best of luck mate. I gave it up for four months once. It's especially tough when you hang around with a load of lads who are always in the pub.
But the best thing is getting something to focus on, like getting fit or playing footie. When you have to get up the next morning to play a match or run 10 miles there's no way your gonna go on the beer!!

eirebhoy

I'm giving it up to for a few weeks but I won't be going to the pub in that time. I just couldn't enjoy myself. Maybe going up for an hour or 2 would be alright but I'd rather get a DVD tbh.

I'm doing it to get myself fit too. One weekend of drinking ruins any motivation I have for going to the gym. Generally feel better, healthier. Give the liver a bit of a rest. And save a few quid.

It's probably over a year since I went even 2 weeks without a drink.

Cheers lads,
Im the same Eirebhoy...but I've decided to give any occasion that pops up a miss drink wise. I was getting into the gym loads last year, built up my arms,chest and legs but the stomach is an utter disgrace! It has to go and I have 6 months to do it! If I do it....I will make sure I get every penny off the lads. Last night 4 out of the 7 of them texted me asking to go out for a pint, ****!!!!

Lola123

Off it myself at the mo, although this is due to the fact that I've stopped smoking and I know I'll wanna smoke as soon as a mouthful of alcohol comes near my lips. :rolleyes: So I'm gonna stay off the booze for a lil while til I'm over the no smoking thing!
I often go to the pub and not drink and this doesn't bother me, although on a friday or satuday night out on the lash, it's pretty tough being sober when all your mates are off their face on vodka and red bull! I'm keepin busy with other activities for the next few wkends..... rifle shooting, cinema, watchin all the lord of the rings back to back and goin out for a few meals. Who says they're nothing to do in ireland without drink?!:p

Lola123

Lola123 wrote: »

rifle shooting, cinema, watchin all the lord of the rings back to back and goin out for a few meals. p

Where can you go rifle shooting!!??

Lola123

KaG1888 wrote: »

Where can you go rifle shooting!!??

PM sent!:)

GetOffMyPatch

Gave it up since Jan 1....joined the gym....started a new regime

Already feel better ...(except for the soreness in my leg from the training)

On the up and up tho....

Its worth it for at least a month....dusts the cobwebs, god for the head and body, confidence etc etc

ScumLord

They say you shouldn't start you new years resolution till February for some reason.

Determined to stay off the drink so I can feel superior to all the drunken idiots who waste their money every weekend. I also want to trade in me C4 van for the C4 by Loeb.

eirebhoy

I don't think we're alone in giving it up. I was at Christy Moore in Vicar St on Sunday and drove through town after it. The place was deserted. I've never seen it so empty.

I was told that it's actually worse for your liver if you give it up suddenly for a month or so and then go straight back into my usual drinking habits of about 10 pints Friday and Saturday. Any idea if this is true? I also heard it takes 3 weeks for your liver to get clean of all the alcohol.

Wacker

Last year my mate said he was giving the booze up altogether. I knew he wouldn't last a week, which he didn't (he's a professional musician for feck's sake!) but it got me thinking about cutting down.
I used to get hammered about twice a week, and I'd have a few pints/cans about three other times per week. I know that sounds like a lot, but I'm completely certain that I didn't have a problem with booze as I felt no desire to drink when a mate was dying and all my mates dealt with it by drinking gallons. I didn't drink throughout the whole awful time.
So anyway, I decided to expreiment with reducing my boozing to just Saturdays. It worked a charm - I dropped a fair bit of weight and saved loads of money. I still get messed up proper on Saturdays, so it's not a perfect system. I also allow for special occassions. Last year, these were: my cousin's wedding in Spain, a certain music festival, my brother's stag night, his wedding, my birthday, and pretty much the whole Christmas season. I'm back on the straight and narrow now though.

Still sober anyway lads and the weekend went fine. I've gone to the gym 4 times since the 1st and I am trying to keep it to 3 times a week. Did 50 sit-ups on one of those machines with 20kg on it in the gym on Friday and I felt in as much pain as Ron Jeremy putting his cock in a vice the whole weekend. ALL WORTH IT! Went again today and did the same, so I am going to keep at it.

Lads I used to go completely ****ing nuts from 530pm Friday to 7pm Sunday & I just needed a break. Its great to feel fresh in work lol & I havent been posting on here as much because I've been doing whatever extra work I can. MADNESS!

thebiggestjim

Gave up the booze there for three months at the beginning of last year. I had a very specific date in my mind when I was going back on it. I knew myself there could be no special occasions or exceptions. I made it through the 3 months at a trot and was delighted with myself. I felt I gained a lot and sacrificed very very little. So im starting again for the first few months of this year, again im setting a specific date and I am looking forward to the next few months of having a clear head and a few extra quid. Hmmm Makes me wonder why I drink at all :eek:

OK, the lads let me off the bets so I am going on the piss! 6 weeks, im such a failure hahah ! WOOOHOOOOOOOOO

ejmaztec

I gave up years ago when someone mistook me for my old uncle:eek: I find it quite easy to suck up the pub atmosphere and pretend I'm pissed. I must have had a lot of practice to enable me to do the "Switching to Pissed" mode without any hesitation.

Not well.

That is all

ejmaztec

KaG1888 wrote: »

Not well.

That is all

Is this the same KaG1888 who, only yesterday, said "hahah ! WOOOHOOOOOOOOO"?:D

Yes snuggums

Pythia

KaG1888 wrote: »

I've given it up before for 6 weeks and it was hell going out! .

Don't have that attitude. It's not hell, it's just different. I've recently developed a condition where I get stomach problems after a few drinks, so I'm better off not touching it. Yeah, it's crap but you get used to it.
I've learned to just have a small few on a night out if I'm going to drink. Maybe you can allow yourself this.

Toto Wolfcastle

KaG1888 wrote: »

Not well.

That is all

Not a hugely great idea to go off drink for 6 weeks and then go absolutely mad with it. (Not a good idea to go absolutely mad with it full stop I suppose!)

But as long as you enjoyed yourself....

I'm not really into drinking but I can imagine if it's something you enjoy it must be hard to give up so congratulations on making it to 6 weeks.