Giving it up for lent

Bassfish

So I've decided to knock the drink on the head for a bit, definately for lent and maybe a bit longer with a long term view of cutting way back on it. I'm 27 and have never been without drink for more than 3 weeks in 10 years. I've only been looking for excuses to give it up really, i need to get fit and lose weight and drink has always stood in the way and i'm quite frankly sick of hangovers and being broke.
I've always found this forum really interesting and often find myself envious of all the people on here able to enjoy the hell out of life totally sober.
So anyways i would welcome any tips on things like; what to do to make the most of weekends and how to get through family events and worst of all.....Paddys day clean and sober,
Thanks in advance :-)

Sunnyisland

Its all about planing & having a goal to go for,You seem to want to get your body & mind back in shape so for now concentrate on that,going to a gym,walking,cycling etc,The craving and urges that will happen only last a few mins at most so have something in place for when they come,For st patrick's day take yourself out of the equation,what i did was jump in the car early in the morning and drive down the nearest motorway,nice n easy and just waste a few hours by the time that you get back it will be all over.Goodluck.

KeefF

R,
When you are talking about having a plan are you talking about an everyday plan - like for example writing down pros & cons. My witching hour is about 4 or 5 on a Sat when texts and calls come for going out etc.

Bassfish

@Realies- Thanks a mill, ya i must do a bit of planning ahead so i don't end up pissed or pissed off on paddy's day. I'm finishing a Masters at the moment so need to keep the head down so it's a good time to lay off the booze
@Keef- Ya the weekends when people i haven't seen in a while start texting me to go pinting will be tough but sure if it was easy, there'd be no point doing it.

old hippy

Good luck Bassfish. I've never gone more than 3 weeks since the late 80s and it does take its toll on you. But you're at a good age to give it a rest for a while but don't let lent sway it for you; it must feel right for you.

Sobriety is as good as the rest, even on Paddy's Day

Bassfish

Cheers Hippy, Ya it feels like the right time. I've cut down a fair bit even in the last year. I've been to the gym the last two sundy mornings which was an absoluete first for me and felt great to be up and active when half the country is on their knees in front of the toilet.

Sunnyisland

KeefFE wrote: »

R,
When you are talking about having a plan are you talking about an everyday plan - like for example writing down pros & cons. My witching hour is about 4 or 5 on a Sat when texts and calls come for going out etc.

In my opinion if you are really serious with this and only you no whether you are or not, you have to keep busy everyday,You have probably been drinking a while so its not going to stop the cravings & mind games that happen over night,give yourself a chance,for saturdays at your witching hour ,go for a walk without your phone,if still contacted say your not feeling well,etc, so yes :Dyou need a plan in place everyday,but take one day at a time;)

Bassfish wrote: »

@Realies- Thanks a mill, ya i must do a bit of planning ahead so i don't end up pissed or pissed off on paddy's day. I'm finishing a Masters at the moment so need to keep the head down so it's a good time to lay off the booze
@Keef- Ya the weekends when people i haven't seen in a while start texting me to go pointing will be tough but sure if it was easy, there'd be no point doing it.

well done bassfish keeping busy and focussed is the way to go,goodluck



ps I think having a plan gets me closer to where I want to be with Alcohol and with life than if I don't have a plan. I may not always execute it perfectly, but at least I have a sense of purpose, and an idea of where I'm trying to go with things.

Lapin

Like OP, I'm trying to pack it in for lent too. My last drink was on Monday night.

I haven't gone a week without a drink since 1994.

I don't fall around the place drunk when I'm out.

But going to the pub for one after work usually ends up with me still being there at closing time, and then I have to have a few cans in the fridge for when I get home. If they're not there I get uptight and often have to go to the off licence before it closes to buy a few cans for later and then go back to the pub.
Most of the time I never drink any of them when I get home, but I just need to know I have them there.

Paddy's day won't bother me. As a former barman I've come to hate it with a passion. From behind the bar I used to watch, as people who don't drink from one end of the year to the other, made complete idiots of themselves after a couple of special offer Guinness and Jamesons. A quantity of drink I would regard as a sample.

My biggest challenge will come this Saturday for the 6 nations match. For the last 20 years I've watched every Ireland game in the pub unless I was at it.
I can't take missing out on the atmosphere this weekend, and I know that I'll be climbing up the walls at home if Ireland win. I just know it will be impossible for me to sit down at home with a cup of tea and watch the match.

I probably will end up going to the pub and drinking Coke or something, but I'm just worried that its a bit soon to put myself in the way of that temptation.
(Especially when the place is doing a €3 a pint deal for the game).

In just in time for kick off I think. And straight out the door at the final whistle.

Bassfish

Lapin wrote: »

Like OP, I'm trying to pack it in for lent too. My last drink was on Monday night.

I haven't gone a week without a drink since 1994.

I don't fall around the place drunk when I'm out.

But going to the pub for one after work usually ends up with me still being there at closing time, and then I have to have a few cans in the fridge for when I get home. If they're not there I get uptight and often have to go to the off licence before it closes to buy a few cans for later and then go back to the pub.
Most of the time I never drink any of them when I get home, but I just need to know I have them there.

Paddy's day won't bother me. As a former barman I've come to hate it with a passion. From behind the bar I used to watch, as people who don't drink from one end of the year to the other, made complete idiots of themselves after a couple of special offer Guinness and Jamesons. A quantity of drink I would regard as a sample.

My biggest challenge will come this Saturday for the 6 nations match. For the last 20 years I've watched every Ireland game in the pub unless I was at it.
I can't take missing out on the atmosphere this weekend, and I know that I'll be climbing up the walls at home if Ireland win. I just know it will be impossible for me to sit down at home with a cup of tea and watch the match.

I probably will end up going to the pub and drinking Coke or something, but I'm just worried that its a bit soon to put myself in the way of that temptation.
(Especially when the place is doing a €3 a pint deal for the game).

In just in time for kick off I think. And straight out the door at the final whistle.

Jesus i could have written that exact same post man. I'm a wee bit younger by the looks of it. I can never go for 1 or 2 pints, it's 5 or 6. I don't make a tit of myself. I don't do it more than once or twice a week but i'd always be clock watching in the pub to make sure we get enough in at last calls and i always feel better if i've cans in the fridge at home even though i don't usually drink them.
I usually look forward to the 6 nations matches all year, great for day drinking, but i still enjoy going and having a lucozade and watching it.

Lapin i'd say don't make unrealistic expectations of yourself, try to give yourself a lot of little things and a few big things to look forward to and keep you occupied. Try to concentrate on all the benefits of having a clear head rather than focusing on things like matches.

Sunnyisland

How is everyone doing in there goal, and are you going to have a drink on st patricks day ?

Bassfish

realies wrote: »

How is everyone doing in there goal, and are you going to have a drink on st patricks day ?

I'm doing good man thanks. No i've no intention of drinking Paddy's day and i'm glad the expecation of it isn't there because i'm up to my man boobs in college work for my dissertation and i've a chapter due in friday so i wouldn't be able to drink if i wanted to. I'm liking being off the drink though, i've more money and feeling good in general.

Sunnyisland

Good for you Bassfish keep it going.

Lapin

Doing good. Day 10 now. Getting to sleep at night was a bit difficult last week but at least I was waking up fresh and not as tired.

Was worried about going to the pub for the rugby at the weekend so I just stayed at home and listened to it on the radio while catching up on a few jobs that needed to be done around the house.

Took a half day off work yesterday and went to the pub to watch Cheltenham. Drank coffee and Ballygowan all day, no bother.

The pub was doing a special offer while the races were on for €2 a pint. Normally I would take full advantage and get as many pints in before the end of the last race.

Everyone else did this yesterday so I fecked off home around 6 o clock. I couldn't listen to any more of their drunken gibberish. It felt good. If I was drinking I would have been there until closing time. The extra shillings in my pocket and clear head this morning are rewards in themselves.

bryaner

Lapin wrote: »

Doing good. Day 10 now. Getting to sleep at night was a bit difficult last week but at least I was waking up fresh and not as tired.

Was worried about going to the pub for the rugby at the weekend so I just stayed at home and listened to it on the radio while catching up on a few jobs that needed to be done around the house.

Took a half day off work yesterday and went to the pub to watch Cheltenham. Drank coffee and Ballygowan all day, no bother.

The pub was doing a special offer while the races were on for €2 a pint. Normally I would take full advantage and get as many pints in before the end of the last race.

Everyone else did this yesterday so I fecked off home around 6 o clock. I couldn't listen to any more of their drunken gibberish. It felt good. If I was drinking I would have been there until closing time. The extra shillings in my pocket and clear head this morning are rewards in themselves.

€2 a pint!! the feckers are charging €3.50 a pint here while the racing is on the stingy bastards..

Bassfish

Lapin wrote: »

Doing good. Day 10 now. Getting to sleep at night was a bit difficult last week but at least I was waking up fresh and not as tired.

Was worried about going to the pub for the rugby at the weekend so I just stayed at home and listened to it on the radio while catching up on a few jobs that needed to be done around the house.

Took a half day off work yesterday and went to the pub to watch Cheltenham. Drank coffee and Ballygowan all day, no bother.

The pub was doing a special offer while the races were on for €2 a pint. Normally I would take full advantage and get as many pints in before the end of the last race.

Everyone else did this yesterday so I fecked off home around 6 o clock. I couldn't listen to any more of their drunken gibberish. It felt good. If I was drinking I would have been there until closing time. The extra shillings in my pocket and clear head this morning are rewards in themselves.

Fair play, as I've said it's all about seeing the upside to things. You'll never last if ya keep dwelling on what you're missing. I would think about it this way.....great €2 pints, but will they be any better for me than €5 pints and would i even want to drink all that much if they were €5? which i wouldn't so a bit of rationalization and logic goes a long way:D

Bassfish

Well I got through paddy's day clean and sober and I've started march 18th with a clear head for the first time in years. Happy out with myself and going for a run at lunch time.

Sunnyisland

Well done Bassfish, its a great feeling, This is my 3rd sober paddys week & i just got back from a 30 km cycle, feel great.keep up the work your doing on yourself for yourself.

Bassfish

realies wrote: »

Well done Bassfish, its a great feeling, This is my 3rd sober paddys week & i just got back from a 30 km cycle, feel great.keep up the work your doing on yourself for yourself.

Nice one, did a 5km run and a 5km walk after. Great to not have the hinderence of a hangover weighing you down.

Redr

I don't drink that much at all but i go off the drink every lent and it's not easy!! It would be so much easier if nobody else drank either. And it shows you how dependent we are on pubs/drink for our social outlets. I find it's always hard at the beginning of the night but then you get used to it and if you bring a car it's great to be able to go straight home. You go to bed with a clear head and up with a clear head in the morning. By the end of the Lent I often think I should stay off the drink permanently. It's a habit.

Going off drink creates an awareness of drink and your relationship with it. I think it's a great idea - keep it up!

Bassfish

Redr wrote: »

I don't drink that much at all but i go off the drink every lent and it's not easy!! It would be so much easier if nobody else drank either. And it shows you how dependent we are on pubs/drink for our social outlets. I find it's always hard at the beginning of the night but then you get used to it and if you bring a car it's great to be able to go straight home. You go to bed with a clear head and up with a clear head in the morning. By the end of the Lent I often think I should stay off the drink permanently. It's a habit.

Going off drink creates an awareness of drink and your relationship with it. I think it's a great idea - keep it up!

Cheers. I've had many many nights where i wished to christ i drove in so i could have made a quick escape instead of staying out for a boring night out, spending a fortune to relieve the monotony, getting stuck for a €20 taxi ride home from some racist gowl and nothing to show for it but an empty wallet a sore head and a beer belly. Now i come and go at my leisure on nights out and actually enjoy it more.

fionnmar

Hi guys
I was lurking in here and found your thread inspiring and encouraging. I had been thinking of going off drink for a long time and went for it for the last 6 weeks, am delighted to say I got through lent. Had a few weak moments but overcame them, and feeling pretty good that I reached my goal (almost - Easter Sunday next week).
My motivation was that I had been drinking on my own - not madly excessive amounts but easily get thru a bottle of wine on my own plus a bottle or 2 of beer. Maybe that is excessive by some standards.
Now - what to do. I dont want to go back to my old ways, am terrified that I might just slip back into the habit of having a **** day at work and opening a bottle to 'help' me through it.
On the other hand, I dont see myself as being teetotal for life. Am meeting friends for dinner on Easter Sunday and looking forward to wine with it and a good session. Just want to be able to control it more, hoping I can stick to only drinking when out with friends.
I suppose I am just looking for some opinions on how best to handle it. Given I am happily enough on the wagon at the moment I have a fear of undoing all my good work.