Partying too hard?

Relying on booze to fall asleep or relax?

Tired of trying to deadlift with a fuzzy tongue and hangover nausea?

Sick of eating right all week only to nuke your progress after an out-of-control Saturday night?

Summer's coming and it doesn't care if you had a little too much fun during the NCAA tournament games. It's time to dry up, work out, and fill the downtime with activities that get you closer to your goals rather than saturating your bloodstream with alcohol.

Join a dedicated bunch of JSF'ers as we challenge ourselves, and one another, to go 30 days without a drink. :tu:

Short month, people. Do it!

Caution: Sobriety can be habit-forming. Side-effects may include: Increased fat loss. Improved gains in lean mass. Deeper, more restful sleep. Surplus in disposable income. Avoidance of karaoke. Faster run times. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Disgustingly cheerful and positive disposition. Lack of mood swings. Do not take sobriety if you intend to become pregnant by, or impregnate, a total stranger at 2:00 am after the house lights come up. Consult your doctor for affirmation and accolades.

Partying too hard?

Relying on booze to fall asleep or relax?

Tired of trying to deadlift with a fuzzy tongue and hangover nausea?

Sick of eating right all week only to nuke your progress after an out-of-control Saturday night?

Summer's coming and it doesn't care if you had a little too much fun during the NCAA tournament games. It's time to dry up, work out, and fill the downtime with activities that get you closer to your goals rather than saturating your bloodstream with alcohol.

Join a dedicated bunch of JSF'ers as we challenge ourselves, and one another, to go 30 days without a drink. :tu:

Short month, people. Do it!

Caution: Sobriety can be habit-forming. Side-effects may include: Increased fat loss. Improved gains in lean mass. Deeper, more restful sleep. Surplus in disposable income. Avoidance of karaoke. Faster run times. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Disgustingly cheerful and positive disposition. Lack of mood swings. Do not take sobriety if you intend to become pregnant by, or impregnate, a total stranger at 2:00 am after the house lights come up. Consult your doctor for affirmation and accolades.



That's awesome M@!!

I was having one of those "I've been working my ass off for the past 8 days straight, dawn to dusk, I deserve some beers, type of days!!"

Your post made me laugh, examine my reasoning and commit to my challenge of no alcohol even stronger!

Thanks! Hope I can do the same for you some day!!:tucool:

I'm in for another month!

(Typed while sweating my ass off, hands covered in paint after just coming off the roof for some water and bitching up a storm!!)

Bloody hell, why not? Let's make it 4 months on the trot.

Thanks! Hope I can do the same for you some day!!:tucool:

Pfft. Like you and the rest of the folks from the SMC haven't already? :lol:

I'm finding myself in a real good spot thanks to your example and others. I appreciate it. :D

I'm in for another month!

:guitar:

Bloody hell, why not? Let's make it 4 months on the trot.

:guitar:

Here with no beer.

Sober april eh????? Sure! I'm trying to make the right changes and this one can only be for the better! Count me in (Runs to the store to stock up on beer for the next 2 days...) :D Just kidding!

Is there room for one more? I stumbled a couple of times in the SMC but I really need to be "beach ready" before June so I'm committed too.

Is there room for one more? I stumbled a couple of times in the SMC but I really need to be "beach ready" before June so I'm committed too.


Welcome aboard SpecialK and everyone else.

I find these Sober Challenges help me stay focused and I sometimes have to check in regularly for a little motivation.

I know I would have slipped had it not been for some of the folks in the SMC and, most recently, a post by M@!:tucool:

Thanks all.

Caution: Sobriety can be habit-forming. Side-effects may include: Increased fat loss. Improved gains in lean mass. Deeper, more restful sleep. Surplus in disposable income. Avoidance of karaoke. Faster run times. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Disgustingly cheerful and positive disposition. Lack of mood swings. Do not take sobriety if you intend to become pregnant by, or impregnate, a total stranger at 2:00 am after the house lights come up. Consult your doctor for affirmation and accolades.

Beautifully worded!
I'm in!:D

The demon red wine has often claimed me as his mistress.:evil:

Cheers to you all. I won't even attempt staying sober for a whole month, I like beer too much. Cutting down to my cheat meal was almost unbearable.

I might be able to do it in July after the baby is born, but then I may not have a choice either...

Honestly tho, I do admire anyone that can do it (and truly enjoys the evils of alcohol). +4 Woodan!

Bloody hell, why not? Let's make it 4 months on the trot.

I'll second that. Erm, but, um, I don't have the trots.

This ain't no April Fool's joke.... I'm not drinking today. :nope:

Continuing my endeavor to stay "DRY"!!

I completed the SMC although there were some serious temptations and challenges during the last week.

Hang tough all. The challenges will be there, we can make it through the month clear headed!! :tucool:

Here with no beer.

:guitar:

Sober april eh????? Sure! I'm trying to make the right changes and this one can only be for the better!

:guitar:

I really need to be "beach ready" before June so I'm committed too.

:guitar:

Beautifully worded!
I'm in!:D

:guitar:

I might be able to do it in July after the baby is born, but then I may not have a choice either...

The friends who I partied with (sober) this past weekend were hitting the sauce for the first time in a long while because of their kids. I was talking to Jody and she said, "I haven't felt like I could responsibly drink in two years. It wasn't just the pregnancy or the nursing, but that something could go wrong any second and I had to be 100% alert and clearheaded. I don't even want a glass of wine with a meal if they're around."

I never looked at it from that angle. Huge responsibility, no doubt. Congratulations in advance and best wishes that everything goes smoothly when the time comes. :tu:

I'll second that. Erm, but, um, I don't have the trots.

:guitar:

It's friggin' April already! :eek:

I stuck out the end of the March challenge and am pretty impressed with myself over it. When I posted my commitment, the end of the month seemed a long, long time away and I questioned my willpower. It turned out to be a breeze, thanks in no small part to the folks here.

Now it's April 1 and 30 days seems like a long time. It always does until it's gone. I'm resolved to find myself feeling this good, or likely even better, on May 1.

Once again, I'm going to make a post here every day (barring internet inaccessibility) with a positive report of the previous day and affirmation of my commitment to the moment. That said:

I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

So it begins. This April Fool is giddy. No drinks today and none in the foreseeable future.

:guitar::guitar::guitar::guitar::guitar:



I GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS!


Once again, I'm going to make a post here every day (barring internet inaccessibility) with a positive report of the previous day and affirmation of my commitment to the moment. That said:

I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Me too. I will clutter this thread Jack Handy style. I get too tempted at the end of the workday. This will be the last thing I look at before I leave in the afternoons. This and the cute blonde that sits across from me. :madpimp:

I'm in for the SAC. I lam looking forward to a month with no booze.

Count me in, as well! :nod:

I won't be drinking today!:tu:

I'll join you all.





















It's only 21 hours in, and I'd like a beer please.

I might try this for a month. My bodyfat is probably 15ish just now and I'd like to get that down a wee bit before bulking. I eat clean 6 days a week and have one cheat meal on a Saturday, which is fine in itself I think but I do party on Saturday nights, mostly low carb beers I consume, on Saturday night I had 20 275 ml low carb beer bottles at 88 cals a bottle. Plus about 5 330ml bottle regular beers at probably 180 cals a bottle. Plus 2 aftershock shots at probably 70 cals a go.

Total beer consumption = 7.15 litres = 12.5 pints.

Total alcohol cals = 2800. If it wasn't for the low car beer (as opposed to regular) that would be over 4000 cals! And 12.5 pints of beer is a hardly a hardcore session, that would be more like 20-25 pints. 25 pints of beer would probably be easily 5500 cals, damn that's one night only. Throw in pizza/kebab/chips/fries etc. and that can be 7000 cals from one weekend blow out. I guess when you do the numbers like that you can see how people can easily add a lot of fat from weekend booze and junk blow outs.

Anyway my alcohol cals were "only" 2800, is this enough to screw up cutting I'm wondering ? I could either scale back intake by say 50 % or even better complete abstinence for 1- 2months. When bulking I don't think weekend boozing should be a problem, but cutting is obviously a different dynamic.

After a fairly successful March, made much more so by my participation in the SMC I've decided to not join this challenge. Unlike last month when I designated one cheat on my anniversary I'm going to New Orleans with some friends for five days near the end of the month and I don't want to have to deal with not drinking any alcohol. And five days is just too long to join here. That doesn't mean that I won't stop by for and hopefully dole out some inspiration and support. My not joining doesn't mean that I'm about to embark on a month of slovenly drunkedness. To the contrary I intend to participate in my own challenge, the SUNOC until the day I leave. That's Sober Until New Orleans Challenge. It starts today. I will not drink.


Good luck to everyone in April!

OK I had no desire to drink last night nor do I have any today so I'm happy to report that all is well on the "SAC" front.

I'm in for the SAC. I lam looking forward to a month with no booze.

:guitar:

Count me in, as well! :nod:

:guitar:

I'll join you all.

:guitar:

I might try this for a month.

:gui...wait, are you participating or still on the fence? :confused:

After a fairly successful March, made much more so by my participation in the SMC I've decided to not join this challenge...

Anytime you've got a day you wanna get through without drink or if you feel like commiserating with the folks on the wagon, come on by! :D

Yesterday turned gorgeous. My buddy just got his "M" endorsement and his first motorcycle. He wanted me to come over and go out with him in its maiden voyage. I left work and rode over to his place in the magnificent weather.

We cruised around his neighborhood as he got used to the shift points and the lean on the bike. After a while we headed to more populated areas and got dinner at Chipotle. I was blindsided by the urge to stop somewhere for a beer. It was surprising and brutal.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone out drinking, known I was going to get crushed, and taken the bike. My rationale being that I'm far less likely to kill someone else on the motorcycle. Worse: I've ridden the bike home after the bars, drunk, with a six-pack hanging from a blue plastic grocery-bag on each handgrip, more times than you'd believe.

I guess I created a powerful association with the bike and booze.

Ignored it yesterday. Didn't drink. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

I have an association with drinking and boating so I know exactly where you are coming from. I haven't launched the boat yet but I'm sure I'll be feeling the same urges you mentioned.


Good on ya! :tucool:

:guitar:



:guitar:



:guitar:



:gui...wait, are you participating or still on the fence? :confused:






Still on the fence mate, the booze itself doesn't bother me, I still view it as a positive thing in my life, I always restrict it to weekends or holidays so it's not a problem in terms of interfering with work etc. I would only cut it out if I thought it was fucking up my cutting goals - I want to get from 15ish just now to tennish or whatever. I'm considering it .:confused: No booze so far this month, this weekend will be the test...

I might try this for a month. My bodyfat is probably 15ish just now and I'd like to get that down a wee bit before bulking. I eat clean 6 days a week and have one cheat meal on a Saturday, which is fine in itself I think but I do party on Saturday nights, mostly low carb beers I consume, on Saturday night I had 20 275 ml low carb beer bottles at 88 cals a bottle. Plus about 5 330ml bottle regular beers at probably 180 cals a bottle. Plus 2 aftershock shots at probably 70 cals a go.

Total beer consumption = 7.15 litres = 12.5 pints.

Total alcohol cals = 2800. If it wasn't for the low car beer (as opposed to regular) that would be over 4000 cals! And 12.5 pints of beer is a hardly a hardcore session, that would be more like 20-25 pints. 25 pints of beer would probably be easily 5500 cals, damn that's one night only. Throw in pizza/kebab/chips/fries etc. and that can be 7000 cals from one weekend blow out. I guess when you do the numbers like that you can see how people can easily add a lot of fat from weekend booze and junk blow outs.

Anyway my alcohol cals were "only" 2800, is this enough to screw up cutting I'm wondering ? I could either scale back intake by say 50 % or even better complete abstinence for 1- 2months. When bulking I don't think weekend boozing should be a problem, but cutting is obviously a different dynamic.

It's worth noting that although the added calories aren't so bad while bulking the affects of alcohol are (these 5 reasons were taken off some website after a quick google):

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.
2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.
3) It causes dehydration.
4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.
5) It increases fat storage.

I can't back these up and I don't have the time to research but similar things were on a lot of other pages.

Last year while I was trying to bulk I was still drinking on the weekends, and not near the amounts you described above and I feel my progress was affected. This is one of the reasons why I have decided I'm not going to drink right now. I want give myself the best chance possible at gaining some muscle mass.

Yesterday turned gorgeous. My buddy just got his "M" endorsement and his first motorcycle. He wanted me to come over and go out with him in its maiden voyage. I left work and rode over to his place in the magnificent weather.

We cruised around his neighborhood as he got used to the shift points and the lean on the bike. After a while we headed to more populated areas and got dinner at Chipotle. I was blindsided by the urge to stop somewhere for a beer. It was surprising and brutal.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone out drinking, known I was going to get crushed, and taken the bike. My rationale being that I'm far less likely to kill someone else on the motorcycle. Worse: I've ridden the bike home after the bars, drunk, with a six-pack hanging from a blue plastic grocery-bag on each handgrip, more times than you'd believe.

I guess I created a powerful association with the bike and booze.

Ignored it yesterday. Didn't drink. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

I have an association with drinking and boating so I know exactly where you are coming from. I haven't launched the boat yet but I'm sure I'll be feeling the same urges you mentioned.


Good on ya! :tucool:

My assocation with drinking is called being awake ;) Well, kind of but not really... It just became 'the thing to do after work.' after a long bike ride, beer. After cutting the grass, beer. Before, during and after changing the oil, beer. It became the monkey on my back that cigarettes used to be.

I felt great this morning because i didn't drink last night and I will feel great tomorrow morning because I'm not drinking tonight.

It's worth noting that although the added calories aren't so bad while bulking the affects of alcohol are (these 5 reasons were taken off some website after a quick google):

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.
2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.
3) It causes dehydration.
4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.
5) It increases fat storage.

I can't back these up and I don't have the time to research but similar things were on a lot of other pages.

Last year while I was trying to bulk I was still drinking on the weekends, and not near the amounts you described above and I feel my progress was affected. This is one of the reasons why I have decided I'm not going to drink right now. I want give myself the best chance possible at gaining some muscle mass.


Thanks, yeah I'd also read before it's not just the empty cals that are a problem but also that fat loss is slowed because the liver is busy processing the alcohol which interferes with both fat loss and also muscle building - so for the latter reason drinking, or at least binge drinking will also impinge on muscle gain too, so it can obviously negatively affect a bulk too.

But I guess it's on a cut that the negative effects are going to be more obvious to me and I guess for that reason if one is going to weekend binge it's probably more easily fitted in on a bulk. So bingeing isn't really going to do anything for body recomp, whether bulking or cutting. But it's also a question of balance for me, I amn't competing for the Olympics or anything and I still want to be able to party at weekends.

Anytime you've got a day you wanna get through without drink or if you feel like commiserating with the folks on the wagon, come on by! :D


Thanks M@, I'll be around .

A big :tu: to you for once again getting through a situation that you ordinarily would have been drinking in.

Worse: I've ridden the bike home after the bars, drunk, with a six-pack hanging from a blue plastic grocery-bag on each handgrip, more times than you'd believe.

As a single man roughly 20 years ago, I was regaled with the morning after account of one of my post-bar, on-the-bike-hammered escapades by my then roommate.

Though I have no recollection of it, seems my roomie drove us home from the after hours bar in his car at around 5:00 AM. I was undoubtedly drunk out of my mind. After parking at the curb outside our apartment, he went inside. A little later, roomie began to wonder why I was still outside. Looking out the window, he finds me taking an apparently overdue leak on the sidewalk. :o

Shortly thereafter, I must have decided it was a grand night to take a little joyride on the bike. Drunk. Sans helmet. At 5:00 AM. :eek:

I survived the episode unscathed. Cautionary tale, that. Sold the bike not too long after. :blank: :lol:

No drinking last night, none today!:tu:

My boyfriend is coming over for dinner, and he doesn't drink alcohol during the week much, and especially not when driving, not even one beer, not even if he's driving many hours later, because he's paranoid about the cops here. So he'll probably have some O'Doul's anyway.

Sometimes now I like to have a lot of seltzer with a little grape juice in place of red wine-- I just started doing that sometimes a couple months ago. I'll pick up some more of that this evening.:jumping:

ain't had nuthin' today. Kind of a small victory because things at home went pear shaped bigtime on several fronts. Ever feel like you could just yell "FUCK" so loud that it made a volcano erupt? Yeah, that's me.

Not going to drink though. I want to, but I'm not. Fuck. I hate being a grown up.

Nothing to drink so far this month.

Will be up at 5 a.m. for my work out and not feel like crap.

ain't had nuthin' today. Kind of a small victory because things at home went pear shaped bigtime on several fronts. Ever feel like you could just yell "FUCK" so loud that it made a volcano erupt? Yeah, that's me.

Not going to drink though. I want to, but I'm not. Fuck. I hate being a grown up.

I've hated being a grown up ever since I grew up. :lol::lol: At least when I was was growing up I was sober. :D Good going not reaching for the beer.

Thanks M@, I'll be around.

:tucool:

I survived the episode unscathed. Cautionary tale, that. Sold the bike not too long after. :blank: :lol:

Rational, cautionary tales have such a big impact on me sober. After five or seven pints...not so much. :lol:

I realize that I've been very lucky. Now it's time to be very disciplined. :flex:

No drinking last night, none today!:tu:

:claphigh:

Sometimes now I like to have a lot of seltzer with a little grape juice in place of red wine

That sounds excellent! I'll be trying that the next time I cook pasta. :nod:

ain't had nuthin' today. Kind of a small victory because things at home went pear shaped bigtime on several fronts.

I would rate that as a rather large victory, actually. Stress is a huge motivating factor for me to unwind with a drink or two. Bravo, my man! :cool:

Nothing to drink so far this month.

Sweet. :tu:

First weekend of four to get through is right around the corner and the calendar-days are already clicking by. The news'll be showing people trying to get to the post-office before midnight on the 15th for tax-filing deadline before you know it.

Don't remember feeling any urge to drink yesterday so I suppose it was one of the easy ones. I wonder how many of those I get per month? :confused:

I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

The seltzer with grape juice is sweet, but yummier than soda, and I like that grape-y feeling.:D So that's what I had last night.:tu:

I have a rehearsal tonight, and Wine Central is right on the way home. :scared:
Not gonna do it!:lol:

Don't remember feeling any urge to drink yesterday so I suppose it was one of the easy ones. I wonder how many of those I get per month?

Well, you're nearing that magic "3 weeks to create a new habit" area, so I suspect you'll begin to have those much more frequently in the future! :nod:

It really does get easier.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone out drinking, known I was going to get crushed, and taken the bike. My rationale being that I'm far less likely to kill someone else on the motorcycle. Worse: I've ridden the bike home after the bars, drunk, with a six-pack hanging from a blue plastic grocery-bag on each handgrip, more times than you'd believe.

I know a guy that heads to the bar every weekday by about 3pm. He gets a few pitchers in him. Then he heads home a little after 7pm. His bar of choice is about 15 miles away from his house. That's 15 miles of drunk driving, in a large truck, every evening. He's gotten pulled over a few times, but has always gotten out of it because he has friends with clout. This has only served to make him more brazen in his drunk driving. He's confident that it's not a problem.

I think about this most evenings, when I know he'll be on the road. I expect to hear about him killing someone one day. I'm afraid that's the only thing that could get him to stop.

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.
2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.
3) It causes dehydration.
4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.
5) It increases fat storage.

This post by Mastover (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=358067&postcount=3) is pretty much my go-to reminder about the negatives of alcohol.

It really does get easier.

I gets easier. But for me, at least, it doesn't get easy. This is something that requires a level of vigilance. Just when I think I'm doing well, I'll spot a bottle of something tasty, and I'll get that little tug in the back of my brain. So far, I've been able to keep it at bay.

It's not the times when I'm expecting to be around a bunch of booze that are problematic. When I'm going out, I can mentally prepare myself. It's those other times - the quiet nights, the trip to the store and walking past the beer isle, driving past the bar after work - that can catch me off guard.


It looks like we're off to a great start with this month's challenge. We're only 3 days in, and there are already a lot of excellent posts to keep me motivated. :tu:

This month I have a new "excuse." Previously, I was giving my liver a break. Now I can say I'm in training for a half-marathon. Phillydude's talking me into doing one in September. That seems like a good reason to stay sober. :nod:

I know a guy that heads to the bar every weekday by about 3pm. He gets a few pitchers in him. Then he heads home a little after 7pm. His bar of choice is about 15 miles away from his house. That's 15 miles of drunk driving, in a large truck, every evening. He's gotten pulled over a few times, but has always gotten out of it because he has friends with clout. This has only served to make him more brazen in his drunk driving. He's confident that it's not a problem.

I think about this most evenings, when I know he'll be on the road. I expect to hear about him killing someone one day. I'm afraid that's the only thing that could get him to stop.



This post by Mastover (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=358067&postcount=3) is pretty much my go-to reminder about the negatives of alcohol.



I gets easier. But for me, at least, it doesn't get easy. This is something that requires a level of vigilance. Just when I think I'm doing well, I'll spot a bottle of something tasty, and I'll get that little tug in the back of my brain. So far, I've been able to keep it at bay.

It's not the times when I'm expecting to be around a bunch of booze that are problematic. When I'm going out, I can mentally prepare myself. It's those other times - the quiet nights, the trip to the store and walking past the beer isle, driving past the bar after work - that can catch me off guard.


It looks like we're off to a great start with this month's challenge. We're only 3 days in, and there are already a lot of excellent posts to keep me motivated. :tu:

This month I have a new "excuse." Previously, I was giving my liver a break. Now I can say I'm in training for a half-marathon. Phillydude's talking me into doing one in September. That seems like a good reason to stay sober. :nod:

Ecrivain, you give me motivation because....


YOU ARE ALWAYS WATCHING ME!!!!!!!!!


Dammit... now I know how the Grateful Dead felt. Well, at least you aren't following me.

I am with you. The expected social situations do not phase me. That may be due to the fact that I am married with two kids and my social situations revolve around soccer games and Chuck E. Cheese ;)

It's that damned beer aisle. Duvel beckons... "Come hang out with me, I'm 9%..." Great Lakes Burning River callls... "Hey, we got the same name..."

And getting gas is another one. Luckily, pay at the pump is there. If I go in, I see those oil cans... But you know what? I didn't drink tonight and I ain't drinking tomorrow!

The seltzer with grape juice is sweet, but yummier than soda, and I like that grape-y feeling.:D

I'd imagine the seltzer cuts some of that sweetness, too. :nod:

It really does get easier.

Lookin' forward to it. Tonight's going to be a challenge but I'm determined to get through it. :tu:

I gets easier. But for me, at least, it doesn't get easy.

I'm interested to see what happens with me and I'm glad I signed on for this challenge. I was congratulating myself yesterday for having gone over two weeks without a drink (and, more powerfully: two weekends) and thought, "There...you proved you could do it."

It took a little while to remember the reasons I'd made the decision. Insidious bastard, this alcohol-craving. :nod:

It's that damned beer aisle. Duvel beckons... "Come hang out with me, I'm 9%..." Great Lakes Burning River callls... "Hey, we got the same name..."

:lol:

I grew up in Pennsylvania so there's no beer, wine, or hard alcohol anyplace convenient. Going to school in NY and then moving to VA was astonishing to me for the easy availability of booze. It's amazing how low my grocery-bill is when I don't bother with the beer/wine aisles.

I'm going to go over to my friend's tonight where I'd developed an every-Friday habit of getting utterly annihilated. I would bring over a 12-pack and maybe a bottle of wine. Everyone else there would have a little less than half of what I'd brought and I would have the rest. It's going to be strange to go over there and not-drink, especially when they're drinking, but they'll be drinking one or two drinks over the course of the night.

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

I'm going to go over to my friend's tonight where I'd developed an every-Friday habit of getting utterly annihilated. I would bring over a 12-pack and maybe a bottle of wine. Everyone else there would have a little less than half of what I'd brought and I would have the rest. It's going to be strange to go over there and not-drink, especially when they're drinking, but they'll be drinking one or two drinks over the course of the night.

Wishing you good luck sticking to your plan. Just enjoy yourself sans alcohol.

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Me too.

I get cravings when I'm not particularly thinking about it. For example, the other day I was dropping off some work related material and I pulled up in front of a Beer-Works place offering a tour and free samples. Immediately I fall into the "I got to have a drink" dialog. As I was leaving I told myself that there would be other times to drink but not today.

As I was leaving I told myself that there would be other times to drink but not today.

:nod:

I've also found myself saying (internally), "I told the JSF folks I wasn't going to drink today. :scared:" a number of times. It's helped a lot.

It's amazing how low my grocery-bill is when I don't bother with the beer/wine aisles.

No $h!t :lol:

I added up the projected savings, based on average weekly consumption, when I first took the sobriety plunge:

3 bottles wine/week @ $10/bottle = $30
2 cases beer @ $20/case = $40

Total/week = $70 x 52 weeks/yr

GRAND TOTAL $3640/yr :eek:

Plus (as you can see), I didn't use prices for the "good stuff." The real number is probably even higher.

I figure I have (quite literally) pissed away in excess of $50,000 over the last 15 or 20 years.

:lol: :cry:

I had my first mini challenge last night as my wife and I stopped by my brother's yesterday evening and he offered us "a frosty cold beverage" in the form of a 16oz Bud Light. I had to say no more than one time and when asked why responded with a "I just don't want a beer."

I don't feel the need to explain to them that I am not drinking this month and I think it gives me some good momentum when I turn them down. The weekend is here but there will be no alcohol for me.

Good luck to everyone and think about how great you will feel come Monday morning.

I had my first mini challenge last night as my wife and I stopped by my brother's yesterday evening and he offered us "a frosty cold beverage" in the form of a 16oz Bud Light. I had to say no more than one time and when asked why responded with a "I just don't want a beer."

I don't feel the need to explain to them that I am not drinking this month and I think it gives me some good momentum when I turn them down. The weekend is here but there will be no alcohol for me.

Good luck to everyone and think about how great you will feel come Monday morning.


Man it's Friday night, those words are getting me:drool:

Tomorrow it's Saturday night, party night, my usual get down and boogie night and is the big test:cool:

I didn't even notice the Wine Central last night after rehearsal because there seemed to be extra dumbasses on the road and I was concentrating on not getting squooshed.

Now I'm off to a party with sangria, but the hostess is making a punch with sherbet for those of us who are on the wagon.:tu: She's so sweet! :dreamy:

Friday night, thought I was supposed to be working, so sitting here sans beer is a pain.
However, I'm determined to have a perfect April, so have a nice warm glow about my lack.
I will not bend.
This and my April challenge entry will keep me true.

Luck to all.

Andy

Home from work and ready for a sober weekend.

I find I get the urge more if I don't have specific plans. This weekend I plan on finishing the patio and get the back yard cleaned up.

Sunday may take the top off the Jeep and go for a ride toward Tombstone!

No drink to date and plan on keeping it that way!!:nono:

For those that have committed to the challenge, you can stay DRY this weekend.

Man it's Friday night, those words are getting me:drool:

Since it's Friday, I decided to treat myself, and am now enjoying a big cold bottle of beer.

Diet root beer.

Yay sobriety!

Have a fantastic dry weekend, everybody. :tucool:

Sill on the wagon!:tu:

Just a quick check-in and affirmation: Nothing yesterday. Not gonna drink today. :tu:

Last night was especially difficult for me because we were going out with friends who are known to drink. Of couse we were suppose to meet for drinks before dinner. As soon as they arrived one of my friends asked what I was drinking. I said soda. He then asked "and what?" I told him just soda and that I wasn't drinking. He pursued the topic and I finally told him I was on medication and couldn't drink. Round Two. "What medication?" Blah, Blah, Blah...

I had a great time and did manage to stick to only soda without to much ribbing. I swear half the bill last night was spent on booze for the table. :mad: Kinda sucks to pay for something that you don't even get to have.

I woke up this morning with a headache. It must of been the contact buzz from the close proximity to all the alcohol. I'm sure it has a lot more to do with all the soda I drank in such a short time.

Didn't cave yesterday and don't plan to today.

Kinda sucks to pay for something that you don't even get to have.

Ain't that the truth? I won't do it. :nono:

I brought goodies and virgin beverages to my friend's house on Friday. Brought cash to pay for my soda/iced tea last night. If I ain't gonna drink it I sure as hell ain't gonna buy it.

Didn't drink yesterday and, again, don't recall it having been a problem. I suppose I was worried about it before going to a bar to meet friends. I wasn't worried long and had a hell of a night. :dance:

Didn't drink today and there's only a short while left to go. Not gonna say I'm in the clear, just gonna reaffirm that I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

I've made it this far, and I'm not going to drink the rest of the night either!:D Or tomorrow.:nod:

I've made it this far, and I'm not going to drink the rest of the night either!:D Or tomorrow.:nod:

Woot! :dance:

I just realized: I've stuck to my nutrition program perfectly today, too. That's a Sunday first for 2008. :eek:

:spaz:

Sunday night. Getting ready to shut it down for the night.

Stayed sober all weekend. Didn't really think about drinking. A far cry from the urges of last week!

I will stay sober again tomorrow!!:tucool:

Congrats to all participating in the challenge and hang tough!!

Time for my sporadic appearance in the thread. Just to confirm there has been no drinking on this front. I'll probably be hitting the pub midweek with a couple of friends but I have absolutely no intention of drinking.

I had a text from a friend last week asking if I wanted to go out and get crazy. I replied saying that I wasn't drinking still and what did he have in mind. This is the reply:

Herbal maybe... Pills maybe... Chat up a few birds maybe... Have some fun... You knowz it.. B

Herbal is a club in London and I wouldn't have had much of an issue going there and chatting up some birds providing I got back at reasonably time and got enough sleep. But I just loved the way after me saying I wasn't drinking he suggested we take pills (ecstasy). You'd think he'd have put two and two together and not just gone "Well, he's not drinking that that doesn't mean we can't take the harder stuff." Needless to say I didn't go out in the end and stayed in and did some work. This is something I'll be doing a lot in the coming weeks and is another very good reason why I shouldn't be drinking or taking drugs.

Stayed sober all weekend. Didn't really think about drinking. A far cry from the urges of last week!

Who the man? :confused:

You the man. :nod:

This is something I'll be doing a lot in the coming weeks and is another very good reason why I shouldn't be drinking or taking drugs.

Also the man. :nod:

Congratulations to all who've participated so far! The first of four weekends is in the record-books. :claplow:

I didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Saturday and Sunday were tempting, but I came out on top. No hooch passed these lips.

Still on!:tu:
And I won't be drinking today!

I have to say, it's a little easier this time as I would feel pretty sad to make myself come in here and report a jump off the wagon.:nod: Extra motivation!

Still on!:tu:
And I won't be drinking today!

I have to say, it's a little easier this time as I would feel pretty sad to make myself come in here and report a jump off the wagon.:nod: Extra motivation!

Each day sober is another reason not to give in to the temptation as well. I'm almost at 100 days sober, that's a long time and an added incentive. It would only take one drink to knock that back down to 0. That's not a decision I will take lightly when the time comes.

Who the man? :confused:

You the man. :nod:

I didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:


I have to say some of your posts have saved my ass during last month and this month M@!!

There were a couple of times I'd have slipped had it not been for a timely post by you!

YOU da MAN!! :tucool:

Sober tonight, will be sober tomorrow!

Doing yard work later today and in the past I would reward myself with a beer after each project that was crossed of my list. So far nothing today and planning on nothing tomorrow.

BTW, my abs have finally made an appearance this spring. :tu:

Each day sober is another reason not to give in to the temptation as well. I'm almost at 100 days sober, that's a long time and an added incentive. It would only take one drink to knock that back down to 0. That's not a decision I will take lightly when the time comes.

:claplow::tu:

I feel that way about having quit smoking.:nod:

No alcohol last night- and it's often tough after I get allergy shots because alcohol does provide temporary relief from allergic reactions, which is kinda scary actually.:confused:
There will be no alcohol today.:nope:

I'm almost at 100 days sober, that's a long time and an added incentive.

Woot! :claplow:

I have to say some of your posts have saved my ass during last month and this month M@!!

Ditto. :nod:

Letting y'all know that I won't be drinking has been a major factor in keeping me off the sauce for this long. Glad you're here for me. :D

BTW, my abs have finally made an appearance this spring. :tu:

:spaz:

That's a pretty sweet reward. I fell asleep on Sunday night and didn't feel my gut dragging as I lay on my side. First time I noticed the sensation of not being fat and bloated from a weekend of partying. Have to say that it felt every bit as good as being lit up, if not moreso. It's just not instant-gratification.

In the spirit of Woodan's count: I'm at 21 days without a drink. Good times.

My buddy's wife just contacted me and pleaded for me to arrange a belated bachelor-party for him. We'd had one in the works before they got married but a hurricane hit D.C. and canceled everybody's plans that weekend.

I'm figuring I can rent a Lincoln -- or something bigger if we get more than five people attending -- and be the chauffeur for the night. It'll spare us the cost of a limo and give me an excellent reason to be sober in the midst of some heavy-duty debauchery. :D

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

My buddy's wife just contacted me and pleaded for me to arrange a belated bachelor-party for him. We'd had one in the works before they got married but a hurricane hit D.C. and canceled everybody's plans that weekend.

I'm figuring I can rent a Lincoln -- or something bigger if we get more than five people attending -- and be the chauffeur for the night. It'll spare us the cost of a limo and give me an excellent reason to be sober in the midst of some heavy-duty debauchery. :D

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Congratulations on 21!

FWIW, I threw a bachelor party for my best friend. We all played golf and then had a BBQ at my place. Oh there was some entertainment too :nod:. Inexpensive and easier to abstain from alcohol by staying clear of the typical joints.

25580

55 days and counting ...........

Watched the NCAA Basketball Men's Championship last night and realized this morning that having a beer never even crossed my mind!

That's good stuff, right there. :nod:

So yes, any of you guys that had a drink on New Year's Eve but have made it through SJC, SFC, SMC and are currently doing well in SAC today is the 100th day you've been sober. That's somewhat of a landmark in my opinion! Let's celebrate! :guitar::dance::guitar::dance:

Edit: the higher that number gets the harder it's going to be to let go of.

So yes, any of you guys that had a drink on New Year's Eve but have made it through SJC, SFC, SMC and are currently doing well in SAC today is the 100th day you've been sober. That's somewhat of a landmark in my opinion! Let's celebrate! :guitar::dance::guitar::dance:

Edit: the higher that number gets the harder it's going to be to let go of.

Thanks for pointing this out, I would've missed it! 100 days... wow. :eek: Last year at this time I'd get twitchy going 5 days without. You're right, this is definitely a landmark, and cause for celebration. :claplow::dance::claplow:

Whether it's your 9th day or 100th, you should be proud for making the effort. :nod:

Congratulations on 21!

Thanks! :D Thanks for the BP ideas, too!

So yes, any of you guys that had a drink on New Year's Eve but have made it through SJC, SFC, SMC and are currently doing well in SAC today is the 100th day you've been sober.

You're right, this is definitely a landmark, and cause for celebration. :claplow::dance::claplow:

Absolutely! Awesome milestone folks! :claplow: :spaz: :dance:

Nothing yesterday. I am not going to drink today. :tu:

I'm not drinking today either. Instead I will climb on my bike (bicycle) after work and ride my ass into the ground!

So yes, any of you guys that had a drink on New Year's Eve but have made it through SJC, SFC, SMC and are currently doing well in SAC today is the 100th day you've been sober. That's somewhat of a landmark in my opinion! Let's celebrate! :guitar::dance::guitar::dance:

I'm about 90/100 so far for the year. :spaz: Not bad considering I was a daily drinker. :o

I had a hell of a job to do over Tuesday/Wednesday. When these type of jobs come up, they turn in to 24 to 25 hour shifts. When the shift is done, usually ending at 0700 hours the routine is to stop at the store for a 12 pack and hit the house. Drink until cross-eyed and hit the bed.

Completed a 25 hour shift at 0730 this morning. At the store, I purchased some off the wall stuff for breakfast and came home. NO ALCOHOL!! This is a huge first probably going back 10 years!

I must admit, the crap I had for breakfast was not the best choices.

1/2 lb burger (93% lean), cheddar cheese and onions on Multi grain bread and Diet Dr. Pepper!:drool: Had the urge for a burger!!

Also, on a side note, the 8th was 7 months without cigarettes!!:tucool:

If I can make through this crap, we all can, one day at a time!!

Thanks to all that post here, it give me motivation to stay the course!

I had a hell of a job to do over Tuesday/Wednesday. When these type of jobs come up, they turn in to 24 to 25 hour shifts. When the shift is done, usually ending at 0700 hours the routine is to stop at the store for a 12 pack and hit the house. Drink until cross-eyed and hit the bed.

Damn! :eek:

I don't know that I'd have the mental fortitude to keep away from the stuff after a work marathon like that. Hardcore self-discipline, dude. Inspiring! :bow:

That's a big benefit to the past three weeks for me: Nothing's been so crazy that it has drained my reserves of willpower. Staying sober while committed is hard enough. Staying sober in a moment of weakness...ugh.

Well, now I've got an instance to look back on and say, "ADR sucked it up. I can too."

I don't know whether the motivation stems from solidarity or competitiveness. I'll take either. :lol:

Nothing yesterday. I'm not gonna drink today. :tu:

Go Pens! :spaz:

Great Job, Rhino Man! :tucool:

I stuck to my guns yesterday and got a good 30 mile bike ride and thought that I would be craving a cold beer, but then realized all of the good that beer would undo. Still, I stayed out of the convenience store. I felt like Hi: "I found myself driving past convenience stores.... That weren't on the way home."

Great job everybody! WOOT!

I don't know whether the motivation stems from solidarity or competitiveness. I'll take either. :lol:

I do believe it is a little of both. Possibly more competitiveness. It's funny that, although I really don't know anyone here, I'd hate having to explain how I slipped up.:doh:

I look forward to checking in each day to see how everyone is doing.

Coming up on another weekend. Best wishes to everyone in the challenge!! You can do this if you want to stay sober!!:tucool:

Coming up on another weekend. Best wishes to everyone in the challenge!!

Hear hear, weekend 2 of 4 coming up. Stay the course and we're halfway there. :nod:

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Yesterday was day 10 for me:dance:, and the first day where I *really* wanted to stop by the liquor store for a bottle of wine. Rehearsal night, of course! Plus, allergies getting frustrating. Beer just makes me congested, but wine is actually a temporary fix.:confused:

Didn't drink yesterday, not gonna do it today!:jumping:

Yesterday was day 10 for me:dance:, and the first day where I *really* wanted to stop by the liquor store for a bottle of wine.

Congratulations on day 10 and way to go on staying committed, you rock! :dance:

Alcohol, whatever your preference, has a palliative effect on a lot of things. I haven't "unwound" in the past three weeks anywhere near the way I'm able to relax with a beer or three (or seven, honestly). The problem is that the indulgence always seems to be the first domino for me. I'll drink Friday and it'll feel great...then the rest of the weekend I'm drinking to compensate for the effects of Friday's release. Get rid of the headache, get back to the euphoria, chase, chase, chase...never catch up 'til Monday demands that I clean up my act face the detox.

Not having to worry about that ill-effect has been fantastic, and I'm relearning how to unwind better without the drug. :nod:

Last night my buddy asked me what I'd like him to pick up at the store. He wanted to get me something for helping him out with his home-construction project last week. I told him I was fine and that I didnt' need anything, thanks. When I went over to his place there was a twelve-pack of Bass Ale in the 'fridge that he showed me with a "Ta daaa!"

Damn, but it looked good.

I thanked him again and hefted the Coke Zero's that I'd brought over, saying that I still wasn't drinking. I should've asked him to pick up some of those or some beef jerky or something so that he could satisfy his wish to thank me for the help. Lesson learned. Next time I'll ask him to download a bunch of new songs for Rock Band. :)

Didn't drink yesterday -- the confrontation with my favorite alcoholic beverage was the only small blip to get past. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Congratulations on day 10 and way to go on staying committed, you rock! :dance:

Alcohol, whatever your preference, has a palliative effect on a lot of things. I haven't "unwound" in the past three weeks anywhere near the way I'm able to relax with a beer or three (or seven, honestly). The problem is that the indulgence always seems to be the first domino for me. I'll drink Friday and it'll feel great...then the rest of the weekend I'm drinking to compensate for the effects of Friday's release. Get rid of the headache, get back to the euphoria, chase, chase, chase...never catch up 'til Monday demands that I clean up my act face the detox.

Not having to worry about that ill-effect has been fantastic, and I'm relearning how to unwind better without the drug. :nod:

Last night my buddy asked me what I'd like him to pick up at the store. He wanted to get me something for helping him out with his home-construction project last week. I told him I was fine and that I didnt' need anything, thanks. When I went over to his place there was a twelve-pack of Bass Ale in the 'fridge that he showed me with a "Ta daaa!"

Damn, but it looked good.

I thanked him again and hefted the Coke Zero's that I'd brought over, saying that I still wasn't drinking. I should've asked him to pick up some of those or some beef jerky or something so that he could satisfy his wish to thank me for the help. Lesson learned. Next time I'll ask him to download a bunch of new songs for Rock Band. :)

Didn't drink yesterday -- the confrontation with my favorite alcoholic beverage was the only small blip to get past. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:


Excellent post, M@! :claplow:

You are right. The weekend blur begins Friday, as soon as humanly possible after work. It's a race to get that buzz on. Then Saturday, when you feel like crap, you start a little earlier because you know that after a couple, that warmth will hit you and it'll be all good.

Saturdays are usually late nights. :doh:

Sunday morning comes too soon. :doh::doh:

At my house, we usually have my inlaws over for dinner. I don't mind, they are very nice English people with many stories to tell about being a kid in WW2 Britain; watching dogfights, the blackouts, etc... But they like wine. And wine and beer together gets you trashed. :doh::doh::doh:

I don't even want to get into Monday morning and the 'drying out':doh::doh::doh:

I'm sure glad that I don't have to worry about that any more. :tucool:

Oh, M@... when your friend asked you what you need, you should have replied, "A pack of facemasks" ;)

Congratulations on day 10 and way to go on staying committed, you rock! :dance:

Alcohol, whatever your preference, has a palliative effect on a lot of things. I haven't "unwound" in the past three weeks anywhere near the way I'm able to relax with a beer or three (or seven, honestly). The problem is that the indulgence always seems to be the first domino for me. I'll drink Friday and it'll feel great...then the rest of the weekend I'm drinking to compensate for the effects of Friday's release. Get rid of the headache, get back to the euphoria, chase, chase, chase...never catch up 'til Monday demands that I clean up my act face the detox.

Not having to worry about that ill-effect has been fantastic, and I'm relearning how to unwind better without the drug. :nod:

Last night my buddy asked me what I'd like him to pick up at the store. He wanted to get me something for helping him out with his home-construction project last week. I told him I was fine and that I didnt' need anything, thanks. When I went over to his place there was a twelve-pack of Bass Ale in the 'fridge that he showed me with a "Ta daaa!"

Damn, but it looked good.

I thanked him again and hefted the Coke Zero's that I'd brought over, saying that I still wasn't drinking. I should've asked him to pick up some of those or some beef jerky or something so that he could satisfy his wish to thank me for the help. Lesson learned. Next time I'll ask him to download a bunch of new songs for Rock Band. :)

Didn't drink yesterday -- the confrontation with my favorite alcoholic beverage was the only small blip to get past. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Good job on turning down free booze. :tu: That's something I haven't had to face yet.

I went to the pub again last night with a good friend of mine. She had no problem that I wasn't drinking and quite happily drank her G&Ts. If I keep ending up in pubs though I'm going to have to find something other than diet coke to drink. I never drink soft drinks ordinarily. I think I may just go for water with lime in future.

The problem is that the indulgence always seems to be the first domino for me. I'll drink Friday and it'll feel great...then the rest of the weekend I'm drinking to compensate for the effects of Friday's release. Get rid of the headache, get back to the euphoria, chase, chase, chase...never catch up 'til Monday demands that I clean up my act face the detox.

:tu:

Excellent post, M@! :claplow:

You are right. The weekend blur begins Friday, as soon as humanly possible after work. It's a race to get that buzz on. Then Saturday, when you feel like crap, you start a little earlier because you know that after a couple, that warmth will hit you and it'll be all good.

Saturdays are usually late nights. :doh:

Sunday morning comes too soon. :doh::doh:

I don't even want to get into Monday morning and the 'drying out':doh::doh::doh:

I'm sure glad that I don't have to worry about that any more. :tucool:


You have both hit it exactly. I would plan almost all events around my drinking. Had to be done with projects by a certain time, leave non-drinking events by a certain time.

Mondays mornings were terrible. Some other weekdays would be bad. I'd dry out and then Wednesday or Thursday have some more beers or whatever.

This upcoming Tuesday will be 5 months dry. It's still a challenge and I guess it will be for the rest of my life.

This has been the longest dry spell in my life in well over 35 years. Started my life long binge after returning from my ordeal in South East Asia in 1972. Carried it with me ever since.

I will not drink today!:tucool:

I had 2 big hurdles yesterday, and cleared them with flying colours!

My best mate is back home for a while, and a group of us went out for dinner to a favoirite Indian restaurant. That is usually poppadums then 2 courses washed down with 660ml bottles of Cobra. He even sat beside me doing that very thing, but I resisted.

After this we left the ladies off, and went to a dual head-wetting night for 2 friends [oddly, one of the girls we had dropped off on the way was the wife of one of the chaps celebrating, and his/her daughter was with us in the restaurant. She picked the 2 chaps up at the end of the evening too!!]. Again, it was pretty tempting with beering mates on all sides, but I stayed strong, and truth be told, didn't doubt myself for an instant. I'm not saying I wasn't tempted, but I get the mindset JS has been talking about recently. I will not break, and it's been many years since I was in this frame of mind. I've got over 3kg off this month so far, and can't wait to see the final result!

Andy.

You have both hit it exactly. I would plan almost all events around my drinking. Had to be done with projects by a certain time, leave non-drinking events by a certain time.

I ALWAYS kept a current, in-home beer and wine inventory in the back of mind. If the levels dropped below 5 beers and/or a half bottle of red at bedtime on a given night, I would make sure to stop on my way home the very next day and stock up. Now, I never think about buying either one, even when I am walking past the displays at the grocery store. :claphigh:

Congratulations on day 10 and way to go on staying committed, you rock! :dance:



You rock!:bow:

I'm still going. My boyfriend was over Saturday night and he had beer and even some of my tequila. I had some O'Doul's he brought me because I do like the taste of that stuff. But I also had grape juice with seltzer again. Yum!

Beef jerky....:drool:

Oh, M@... when your friend asked you what you need, you should have replied, "A pack of facemasks" ;)

Hah! :lol:

He did get the dust masks. Now he's got a nineteen mask surplus. :nod:

Good job on turning down free booze. :tu: That's something I haven't had to face yet.

Doesn't sound like you'll have too much of a problem with it. There may be a flicker of challenge but...damn...if you can make it through your birthday I don't know what would crack you. :tu:

This has been the longest dry spell in my life in well over 35 years. Started my life long binge after returning from my ordeal in South East Asia in 1972.

:eek: Heavy! :bow:

I've got over 3kg off this month so far, and can't wait to see the final result!

Woohoo! Congrats on getting over the hurdles and on the fat loss progress. Awesome!

I ALWAYS kept a current, in-home beer and wine inventory in the back of mind.

:lol: I never had such a thing as an inventory. Alcohol doesn't last at my house. :nod:

You rock!:bow:

No, you! :mad:

http://www.foolserrand.com/funneh/animated/a_pointing_Yooouuuu.gif

I neglected to post in here yesterday but nothing bad to report. Made it through another weekend with ease. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Doesn't sound like you'll have too much of a problem with it. There may be a flicker of challenge but...damn...if you can make it through your birthday I don't know what would crack you. :tu:

I don't think my birthday will pose much of a problem. I'll just have to make sure I plan something entirely different to any previous birthday in the last 14 years where the center focus has always been alcohol. Last year I wasn't drinking at this time of year either. It was when I finally decided to start working out and I thought for the first 12 weeks I'd give up booze. My birthday was exactly 6 weeks in so I made an exception. I got plastered and stayed out until 10 in the morning.

Thinking about it I don't know what you would do for a birthday without booze involved. That's terrible.

I have to admit this weekend was tough for me. The kids had gotten the best of me for the better part of the day and I really wanted to drink to unwind. We had dinner at a BYOB restaurant that had a package store right next door. And then there was a weekend of yard work trying to stay ahead of the ever changing weather. I kept thinking about all of of you facing your own personal challenges and that was all the motivation I needed to stay the course.

Congrats to everyone on another successful weekend. I moved this weekend and I think it was the first time that I ever had a sober move. After carrying boxes down three flights of stairs for hours and then having to unload them, a cold beer really sounded good but I held out and just drank a lot of water and some soda.

The half way mark is tomorrow and then it is all downhill from there.

Keep it up everyone.

Thinking about it I don't know what you would do for a birthday without booze involved. That's terrible.


Do something Epic, along the lines of these folks:

http://www.birthdaychallenge.com/index2.html

Hah! :lol:



No, you! :mad:

http://www.foolserrand.com/funneh/animated/a_pointing_Yooouuuu.gif



:lol: Exchanges like that never fail to crack me up. I just LOLed out loud.....

I didn't drink last night, and I'm not today either!:flex:

Thinking about it I don't know what you would do for a birthday without booze involved. That's terrible.

There are a lot of things I do regularly that I never considered without booze. My mindset has begun to transition from being horrified by that, to being interested in finding out what the situations would be like sober. :nod:

I kept thinking about all of of you facing your own personal challenges and that was all the motivation I needed to stay the course.

Nice to have that extra bullet in the gunbelt, ain't it? Congrats on staying the course! :claplow:

Do something Epic, along the lines of these folks:

http://www.birthdaychallenge.com/index2.html

That's cool! :spaz:

:lol: Exchanges like that never fail to crack me up. I just LOLed out loud.....

:lol:

(/LOL'ed out loud -- isn't that like using an ATM machine and putting in your PIN number? :confused: )

Didn't drink yesterday (could barely stay awake long enough to get my meals in) and I'm not gonna drink today.

Halfway mark has arrived, people! :spaz:

There are a lot of things I do regularly that I never considered without booze. My mindset has begun to transition from being horrified by that, to being interested in finding out what the situations would be like sober. :nod:

I've been having a bit of this. And I think it's really only in the past year and a half to 2 years that I've really been drinking enough that I've started to consider it a problem. The formation of habits....:confused:




:lol:

(/LOL'ed out loud -- isn't that like using an ATM machine and putting in your PIN number? :confused: )

:nod: And it's just a little bit worse!:neener:

Didn't drink yesterday (could barely stay awake long enough to get my meals in) and I'm not gonna drink today.

Halfway mark has arrived, people! :spaz:

Woo hoo!:jumping:

I still haven't thought much about continuing into the next month, and I'm not going to think about it today.:D Plus I'm not going to drink today.

Lolol

Congrats to all still participating in the challenge.

As stated before, we're over the halfway mark, tax day is gone:moon:and, for me, a personal milestone.

It's been 5 months since I've had alcohol.

It amazes me that even after 5 months, how strong the urge to drink can be. I had to work in Yuma for a couple of days again. Monday night after work I actually walked up the beer & liquor aisle TWICE.

It was a tough discussion. My thoughts of everyone here fighting the same challenge I am helped keep me tough. I did not drink.

Tuesday morning I was real happy with myself for not giving in to the urge to buy the alcohol.

Congrats to all still participating in the challenge.

As stated before, we're over the halfway mark, tax day is gone:moon:and, for me, a personal milestone.

It's been 5 months since I've had alcohol.

It amazes me that even after 5 months, how strong the urge to drink can be. I had to work in Yuma for a couple of days again. Monday night after work I actually walked up the beer & liquor aisle TWICE.

It was a tough discussion. My thoughts of everyone here fighting the same challenge I am helped keep me tough. I did not drink.

Tuesday morning I was real happy with myself for not giving in to the urge to buy the alcohol.

Awesome job!!!!! :claphigh:

Five months is a huge accomplishment. Personally, I found stopping drinking harder than stopping cigarettes. My challenges are now coming into play with warmer weather, yard work, outdoor physical activities... But from reading the posts in this (and previous) challenges, I know that it can be done.

Anybody in here listen to Minor Threat? They were a straight edge hardcore band from the early 80's (DC!). It's good stuff. Their singer, Ian Mackaye went on to form Fugazi.

Did I drink yesterday? No.

Will I drink today? No.

5 months is quite impressive.

Every morning I wake without giving into the urge to drink is a small victory.

It's been 5 months since I've had alcohol.

Woohoo! :spaz:

I'm at four weeks now. Pretty geeked about that. Plus, I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Woohoo! :spaz:

I'm at four weeks now. Pretty geeked about that. Plus, I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Yesterday was 10 weeks for me.

I am living proof that the alcohol "double-whammy" of empty calories combined with a reduction in fat burning will kick the crap out of your fitness progress. 70 days in and I have now dropped 12 pounds, while eating and exercising exactly as I was before I quit drinking. :dance:

Awesome job!!!!! :claphigh:

Personally, I found stopping drinking harder than stopping cigarettes. My challenges are now coming into play with warmer weather, yard work, outdoor physical activities... But from reading the posts in this (and previous) challenges, I know that it can be done.

Did I drink yesterday? No.

Will I drink today? No.


It was easier for me to quit smoking than drinking also. It's been about 7 months without smokes. I don't even think of them now. Wish I could say the same for drinking!!


Every morning I wake without giving into the urge to drink is a small victory.

I agree! It is a day to day challenge. Some days are tougher than others.

Woohoo! :spaz:

I'm at four weeks now. Pretty geeked about that. Plus, I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Awesome M@!! You have every right to be "Geeked"!!:tucool:

Yesterday was 10 weeks for me.



Congrats!! That is awesome!!:tucool:

Another day with a clear head yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Lolol

:lol:

Still not drinking!! Nor will I tomorrow!:flex:

Played outside yesterday. No drinking and stuck with my nutrition plan. Went to sleep feeling good about all of it.

Strange as it may seem -- and believe me, it seems pretty fucked-up to me -- I'm actually looking forward to not drinking tonight. :confused:

I already have plans for a long run and a motorcycle ride on Saturday morning and I'm looking forward to waking up with a clear head and lots of energy. Sweet. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Played outside yesterday. No drinking and stuck with my nutrition plan. Went to sleep feeling good about all of it.

Strange as it may seem -- and believe me, it seems pretty fucked-up to me -- I'm actually looking forward to not drinking tonight. :confused:

I already have plans for a long run and a motorcycle ride on Saturday morning and I'm looking forward to waking up with a clear head and lots of energy. Sweet. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:


Hell yeah! :guitar:

I was just thinking that after I finshed my 3 mile run at 6:00 AM (would NEVER have done that after a night's drinking)... I look forward to waking up clearheaded and not needed three cups of coffee and a low carb Monster to be functional. life is grand, brother!

I look forward to waking up clearheaded and not needed three cups of coffee and a low carb Monster to be functional. life is grand, brother!

It is, indeed! :guitar:

I'm actually looking forward to not drinking tonight. :confused:

Well, that didn't last. :blank:

I really craved beer last night. It kept coming in waves. Made it through but it was more difficult than I was anticipating. Guess there'll be days like that. Nobody said it was easy. :(

I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

...though I still want to. :bang:

Why is it when you're avoiding something, it appears everywhere? Every show or movie I've watched lately seems to be filled with alcohol. Every scene, someone's got a drink in hand. It's almost enough to make me believe there's a parallel world where people can down booze all day and still be attractive and successful. :bang:

I don't live in that world, though.

So none for me. I'm having a sober weekend. Stay strong.

The cravings hit me especially when I'm not expecting it. Last night I opened the fridge looking for something and I spied the green olives. One thought immediately surfaced MARTINI. A minute later I'm contemplating how I could just sneak in one. It's hard brotha.

Well, that didn't last. :blank:

I really craved beer last night. It kept coming in waves. Made it through but it was more difficult than I was anticipating. Guess there'll be days like that. Nobody said it was easy. :(

I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

...though I still want to. :bang:

Stay strong. You've been the catalyst to a lot of positive change round these parts and have definitely led by example :nod:

Well, that didn't last. :blank:

I really craved beer last night. It kept coming in waves. Made it through but it was more difficult than I was anticipating. Guess there'll be days like that. Nobody said it was easy. :(

I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

...though I still want to. :bang:

It hits me like that sometimes. It has lasted as long as 2 days. It does subside and then I'm good for a while.

Hang tough man, you are an inspiration.

Still going strong after a weekend away, and I really wanted some wine with a steak dinner Saturday night. I had ginger ale.:tu:

Why is it when you're avoiding something, it appears everywhere?

:lol: It's so true. :lol:

The cravings hit me especially when I'm not expecting it.

No kidding, huh? What a pain in the ass. Ever vigilant, I suppose.

Stay strong. You've been the catalyst to a lot of positive change round these parts and have definitely led by example :nod:

Thanks for the encouragement and I'm happy to report that I stayed the course. :tucool:

It hits me like that sometimes. It has lasted as long as 2 days. It does subside and then I'm good for a while.

I was really surprised by the ferocity and duration of the sensation. Made it through okay, though. Thanks for the support! :D

Still going strong after a weekend away, and I really wanted some wine with a steak dinner Saturday night. I had ginger ale.:tu:

:guitar:

I thought I'd posted in here yesterday. :confused:

Anyway...it was a tough weekend for no good reason. I wasn't stressed. I wasn't in bad environments. I wasn't bored. There was just the urge.

Whatever. I made it through. I improvised on something Chris Shugart said in a T-Nation article: "You want a drink? Use the shirt test. Lift up your shirt. Do you see six clearly defined abdominal muscle sections? No? Then you can't have a drink." :lol:

Thanks to all of you for bein' here! :claphigh:

I didn't drink yesterday or Saturday. Been sober for over a month. Only one more weekend to go in April. Hang tough! I'm not gonna drink today. :tu:

I didn't drink yesterday or Saturday. Been sober for over a month. Only one more weekend to go in April. Hang tough! I'm not gonna drink today. :tu:

Keep it up M@tty :tu:

I made it through the weekend without any major urges.

Still hanging tough. One more weekend to go! Stay strong folks.

Congrats on your success this past weekend and being dry over 30 days M@, it's awesome! :tucool:

Keep it up M@tty :tu:

Stayin' the course. :tu: Thanks for checkin' up on us. :dreamy:

Congrats on your success this past weekend and being dry over 30 days M@, it's awesome! :tucool:

Thanks, and thanks for being a good example to follow! :tu:

Yesterday flew by. Dunno what happened to it now that I look back. No alcohol and no urges. Smooooooth. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Last night we had company for dinner and wine was served. After everyone left I was cleaning up and saw that there was about a glass of red wine left in one of the bottles. In a moment of weakness I drank it. I'm not looking at this as a failure but as a small victory and will finish the month still better off than when I began.

Last night we had company for dinner and wine was served. After everyone left I was cleaning up and saw that there was about a glass of red wine left in one of the bottles. In a moment of weakness I drank it. I'm not looking at this as a failure but as a small victory and will finish the month still better off than when I began.

That is a great attitude! And true too....:tu: Still way more time spent not drinking.:nod:

Yesterday marked 11 sober weeks for me!

Over the weekend, as my wife (a very sporadic, casual drinker) was enjoying a vodka and tonic w/lime, she asked me: "Are you EVER going to drink again?" :lol:

I think she is truly stunned. In the 21+ years we have been married, there have not been 77 days TOTAL during which I did not drink.

It is a pretty liberating feeling, though, I must admit. Plus, I'm down 13 lbs as a result! :tucool:

Yesterday marked 11 sober weeks for me!

:guitar:

Plus, I'm down 13 lbs as a result! :tucool:

That's awesome! :spaz:

There's definitely been a drastic improvement in my fat loss since jumping into the March challenge. :nod:

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Still haven't had anything to drink, and I won't tonight. But I really, really want to.:blank:

P.S. I've gained weight since I stopped drinking! :lol:

Still haven't had anything to drink, and I won't tonight. But I really, really want to.:blank:

Hang in there! I'm here wondering what on earth hit me this weekend. The urge couldn't be further from my mind. Hope the evening went well for you. :)

P.S. I've gained weight since I stopped drinking! :lol:

:doh:

Maybe it's lean mass! :spaz:

Didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Less than one week left in the month, folks! HOME STRETCH! :spaz:

Man oh man... 24 days in. I was feeling good about finishing out the month until..... I was offered an extra ticket and a ride to Talladega this weekend. Busch race and the Cup race. I'm seriously doubting I will be abstaining from alcohol if I go. A night at a bar is one thing. A weekend of hanging out with the guys 10 hours away from wife and kids is another. :blank:

Man oh man... 24 days in. I was feeling good about finishing out the month until..... I was offered an extra ticket and a ride to Talladega this weekend. Busch race and the Cup race. I'm seriously doubting I will be abstaining from alcohol if I go. A night at a bar is one thing. A weekend of hanging out with the guys 10 hours away from wife and kids is another. :blank:

That's a tough one. I can't give you any advice especially since I tripped up and had a glass of wine over the weekend. But I'm going to finish the month sober.

A night at a bar is one thing. A weekend of hanging out with the guys 10 hours away from wife and kids is another. :blank:

Yipes! Don't take the whole thing into your head at once or let the urge distort your views of the weekend in order to get itself satisfied. Focus on today, have a great time with your friends, and keep yourself sober in smaller increments -- an hour, half hour, fifteen minutes, whatever.

I've got a beach trip coming up next month and it's already freaking me out for the same reason. I can feel the booze trying to talk me into giving up. It's definitely tough. :(

Good luck! :tu:

Hang in there! I'm here wondering what on earth hit me this weekend. The urge couldn't be further from my mind. Hope the evening went well for you. :)

I hung in!:tu: And I'm still hanging in, doing much better today.:D



:doh:

Maybe it's lean mass! :spaz:



:lol: Or extra cookies! Or actually even my allergies. I'm about to spend the next month blaming everything on them. Scapegoat!:nod:

Man oh man... 24 days in. I was feeling good about finishing out the month until..... I was offered an extra ticket and a ride to Talladega this weekend. Busch race and the Cup race. I'm seriously doubting I will be abstaining from alcohol if I go. A night at a bar is one thing. A weekend of hanging out with the guys 10 hours away from wife and kids is another. :blank:

:spaz:
These things will always come up, of course. There are a lot of different options, too.:confused: What are you thinking of doing?

I hung in!:tu: And I'm still hanging in, doing much better today.:D

Woot! :dance:

Last weekend of the month, people! Hang in there and get through it and you're golden! Keep it up.

I didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today, promise. :tu:

Still dry in Tucson!! :tucool:

I'm having grape juice and seltzer tonight! :cool:

Good luck guys and gals, finish the month off strong! :tu:

I didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Edit: Tonight was tough. I went out to a club with friends and had an excellent time, but really wanted to toss back some drinks and get into the same super-happy fueled up mood they were in. Didn't. Very happy about that. Bedtime.

Made it through the weekend.

Tired as hell, worked my ass off on the house all weekend. Sometimes I think home ownership is WAY over rated.

Could have downed some beers but stayed clean and dry!!:tucool:

Still not drinking!:nope:

Made it through the weekend.

Still not drinking!:nope:

Friggin' awesome! :guitar:

I made it as well. Two days and a wakeup, people!

I didn't drink yesterday. I'm not gonna drink today. :tu:

12 WEEKS, NO ALCOHOL.

:spaz:

12 WEEKS, NO ALCOHOL.

Niiiiiiiiiiice! :tucool: :guitar:

I didn't drink yesterday and I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Tomorrow's the last day of April! :eek:

I'm not drinking!:D

Yipes! Don't take the whole thing into your head at once or let the urge distort your views of the weekend in order to get itself satisfied. Focus on today, have a great time with your friends, and keep yourself sober in smaller increments -- an hour, half hour, fifteen minutes, whatever.

I've got a beach trip coming up next month and it's already freaking me out for the same reason. I can feel the booze trying to talk me into giving up. It's definitely tough. :(

Good luck! :tu:

:o

:spaz:
These things will always come up, of course. There are a lot of different options, too.:confused: What are you thinking of doing?

:o

:o



:o

So, may we assume you got hammered, then? :lol:

At least, tell us you didn't stand on the roof of a pickup truck parked in the infield while holding a shoddy, hand-lettered "Show us your tits" sign. :D

:o

:lol:

Did you drink yesterday? You back on the wagon? Today's all that matters now unless you got some sort of time-machine. :nod:

At least, tell us you didn't stand on the roof of a pickup truck parked in the infield while holding a shoddy, hand-lettered "Show us your tits" sign. :D

Classy! :cool:

One more day, people! :guitar:

I didn't drink yesterday. I'm not going to drink today. :tu:

Another month down, eh? Nice work all. It's my birthday tomorrow and I'll be keeping up the no booze policy. Nothing crazy happening tomorrow anyhow, just dinner with my mum. I've arranged for my friends and I to go to a comedy club as a celebration type thing. This allows me to have my birthday at a pub type venue for everyone else yet there is reason for me to be there if I'm not on the booze.

Another month down, eh? Nice work all.

Hear! Hear! :nod: :claplow:

Nice work, people, and happy birthday woodan. :tu:

One sober month. Doesn't seem like it was that hard from this end of it. :D

Thank you everybody. Dunno that I would've made it without all of you. You guys rock. :love:

I made it! Hooray for us!!:jumping:

To anyone who drank once or twice-- how much less was that than other months??:tu: It's practice, right?:spaz:

You guys are all great!:bow::dreamy:

I made it! Hooray for us!!:jumping:

To anyone who drank once or twice-- how much less was that than other months??:tu: It's practice, right?:spaz:

You guys are all great!:bow::dreamy:

I did have a slip-up this month but it was certainly was a successful month for me.

Congratulations to all of you who stayed the course. :tu:

Another dry month under the belt.:tucool:

Congrats everyone. It is by far no simple feat.

Nice work, people, and happy birthday woodan. :tu:

Cheers M@, first dry birthday since I was 16, possibly younger.

Congrats to all who made the month, a slip-up or two notwithstanding! :claplow:

Will there be a Sober May Challenge?

Normally, I'd start the thread myself. As it happens, though, my 50th birthday is May 10th and I am contemplating a small cheat, in the form of a couple of glasses of red wine with a celebratory steak dinner. Wouldn't be fitting for an admitted cheater to start the sobriety thread. :o

I'll participate in the other 30 days of the month, though, if you'll all have me.

Yikes, is the month over already? Where'd it go?!

Congratulations to all my sober brothers and sisters. We did it! GROUP HUG!!! :D

Nothing up for May yet?