Seltzer's Pilgrimage

[Happy Monster]

If drinking isn't a habit, then there may be a unconscious reason for why you crave alcoholic drinks. Maybe one part of you wants to rebel against working so hard and wants to relax (drink) instead.

[Seltzer]

Happy, I don't have a definitive answer for you as to the why. Habit? Maybe. Self sabotage? Maybe.

Jay, I can relate to the cigarette analogy because I smoked for slightly over seven years. It's been twenty six years (hooray for me!) since my last smoke, but I do remember the process of quitting and how some cigarettes were more difficult than others to give up. It was all situational so, for example, the cigarettes while at my office desk were easy to overcome I had more trouble with the after dinner ones. To some degree it's the same with my drinking habits during the week.


What I started to do in October, thanks to the Sober October Challenge, was to break those habits, but while I'm drinking less often than September, I've reverted to having a couple once or twice a week. Let me reiterate that so that it's absolutely understood what I'm writing about. Having a couple once or twice per week. Not daily, or even every other day, no binges or stupefying amounts, and nothing that impacts my ability to meet all my family and business responsibilities. So, why bring it up at all? Mmmmm. Because it's the only hole in my game; I'm eating fine, I'm sufficiently hydrating, I'm exercising daily, and I'm usually getting enough sleep so when decisions are made that are not aligned with the balance of my behavior then it becomes noteworthy, at least to me, and I write about it.


What I'm finding more annoying than the occasional mid week drink is that even on the days when I don't have anything to drink at some point the thought does cross my mind. I haven't gotten over that mental hurdle of not thinking about it and am caught in that circular conundrum of thinking of not thinking about something is the same as thinking about it. Happy, you described the process very well in response to a post I made during the end of November. 'Nuff about this.


As I thought I would I decided to postpone cycling indoors and I went out for a three mile jog. 29F with ice and moisture is not a good cycling environment, but it was fine to run in. What I'm finding is that from about the half mile point and continuing until the two mile point my legs hurt, but the pain then dissipates, not disappears, for the remainder of the run. I still plan on continuing with the jogging, but know that I have to set up my trainer so that I'm only running two times per week and cycling twice.


Time to get back to work.

[Happy Monster]

When you think about drinking, or not drinking. Think about something else as a substitute, such as having a cold glass of pure water, or running, or exercising, or something else pleasurable. With practice it might become easier and easier to switch to this new 'pleasure focus'.

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by Happy Monster

When you think about drinking, or not drinking. Think about something else as a substitute, such as having a cold glass of pure water, or running, or exercising, or something else pleasurable. With practice it might become easier and easier to switch to this new 'pleasure focus'.

Thanks for the suggestion. What I've found to be a very effective technique is to reach for a glass of seltzer. That's why I came up with the JSF screen name that I did.

[Happy Monster]

When you say Seltzer, I think of Alka-Seltzer which tastes like bicarbonate of soda and is disgusting..

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by Happy Monster

When you say Seltzer, I think of Alka-Seltzer which tastes like bicarbonate of soda and is disgusting..

Seltzer is known by a few different names. Soda water and club soda are two poplular alternatives. It's just plain water that has carbon dioxide in it so it becomes carbonated and bubbly, much like soda, but without any of the sugar or flavoring. I usually drink the plain variety, but it can also be purchased with some flavorings.

It has the nutritional value of water so I use it as my main source of hydration as I'm going through the day.

[specialk]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

It has the nutritional value of water so I use it as my main source of hydration as I'm going through the day.

My wife drinks seltzer all the time. I've had it after it's gone flat and it tastes just like water.

[cnjlakes]

Originally Posted by Happy Monster

When you think about drinking, or not drinking. Think about something else as a substitute, such as having a cold glass of pure water, or running, or exercising, or something else pleasurable. With practice it might become easier and easier to switch to this new 'pleasure focus'.

Good idea, Happy. I guess now I can tell my wife that my hypnotherapy expert has prescribed intimate relations as a counter to my craving for Bishop's Finger and Spitfire

[Happy Monster]

Let out that Hobgoblin in the bedroom!

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by specialk

My wife drinks seltzer all the time. I've had it after it's gone flat and it tastes just like water.

Since it's just water and CO2 once it goes flat it is just water and my son actually prefers it slightly flat to fully carbonated.

Originally Posted by cnjlakes

Good idea, Happy. I guess now I can tell my wife that my hypnotherapy expert has prescribed intimate relations as a counter to my craving for Bishop's Finger and Spitfire

Hey Jay, I noticed in your avatar that you're down 12 pounds.

Originally Posted by Happy Monster

Let out that Hobgoblin in the bedroom!

It's all about the pleasure focus.


178.2 this morning. Due to some scheduling conflicts today I hit the gym at 7:30 for a good early workout. I'm still early in the five rep max phase so I wasn't terribly taxed, but definitely more so than on Wednesday. The fact that I included lower body exercises today also contributed to it being a harder workout.


Today should be fine on the health front, but the weekend has some challenges. We're invited to a holiday party on Saturday and on Sunday we're having some friends over for the same reason. More on that and how I plan to deal with it later.

Have a great day!

[Seltzer]

While driving around earlier in the week I noticed that my “Check engine” idiot light was on so I made an appointment at my local garage for them to assess the situation. These guys are real straight shooters and have built a fine reputation for themselves based on the quality of their work and their honesty. The only time I haven't used them in the fifteen years that I've been in town was when my car was under warranty and I could have the work performed for free a the dealer.


Well, once again they've come through. The cause of the problem was a poor gas cap. Gas cap? Yep. It has something to do with an emissions control valve and will be rectified with a new gas cap and no engine work. Whew! They could have told me anything, but I'm going to get the car back today with only a minor charge.


I also got a pleasant surprise in the mail this afternoon. It seems, unbeknownst to me, that I was part of a class action suit and we won so I'm entitled to $25. This is the second class action suit that's been resolved in my favor in the past five years. My take on the first one was less than a dollar. No kidding.


It's always sunny on Easy Street.

[TheRyanator]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

I also got a pleasant surprise in the mail this afternoon. It seems, unbeknownst to me, that I was part of a class action suit and we won so I'm entitled to $25. This is the second class action suit that's been resolved in my favor in the past five years. My take on the first one was less than a dollar. No kidding.


It's always sunny on Easy Street.

I got that same letter. I thought it was petitioning to have me be PART of a class action suit. I get those types of letters all the time. I tore it up and threw it away in a hurry going through the mail. I guess I could have gotten the $25 or possibly more depending on the amount of time I spent out of the country over the last several years. Guess I will know better next time. So what are you going to spend it on? A gas cap?

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by TheRyanator

I got that same letter. I thought it was petitioning to have me be PART of a class action suit. I get those types of letters all the time. I tore it up and threw it away in a hurry going through the mail. I guess I could have gotten the $25 or possibly more depending on the amount of time I spent out of the country over the last several years. Guess I will know better next time. So what are you going to spend it on? A gas cap?

Ryan, I guess we were part of the same suit. To bad we can't get more of the $336 million.

I suspect that you got the same thing I did and not just a petition to be part of the suit. There are a few options available, one being an opt out one, but I'm choosing the Easy Refund option, taking my $$ and buying a gas cap.

Of course it will probably be the summer before the checks are cut.

The covering letter I got starts off as:

Dear XXX:

We are writing on behalf of the U.S. District Court because you are eligible to receive a Court-approved refund of fees charged to your .....

Even though you threw out the letter, you still have recourse. This is a link to the website about the settlement and you can download the form you need or apply on line. There is also a phone number, (800) 945-9890, that you can call.

[badgolfer]

I got it too. It's nice to be recognized for being a member of mastercard. I'll spend it on booze and loose women.

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

...but I'm choosing the Easy Refund option, taking my $$ and buying a gas cap.

Originally Posted by badgolfer

I got it too. It's nice to be recognized for being a member of mastercard. I'll spend it on booze and loose women.

I guess you'll be having a lot more fun than me.

[phillydude]

Originally Posted by badgolfer

I'll spend it on booze and loose women.

I recommend the Popov and the third booth on the right.

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by phillydude

I recommend the Popov and the third booth on the right.

Nothing but the best for BG!

[Happy Monster]

[Seltzer]

Going out to dinner with the family and then some drinks with friends is not the formula usually used to get lean and strong. It is the path to getting soft and pudgy and last night worked like a charm. The scale read 180.6 this morning, a full 2.4 pounds higher than yesterday. I know that the increase is more of an odd fluctuation and even though I still have two parties ahead of me during this weekend I'm confident that by Monday morning I'll be south of 180 again. Not that it's an achievement to be particularly proud of; it's not but it is what it is.

I'll be going out shortly for a three mile jog. The weather is okay for cycling, but there's still some residual snow on the ground and the melting is causing more moisture than I care for when I cycle so I'm gong to opt for the safer approach. For tomorrow I'm going to switch things up and go to the gym. Since we're leaving Friday morning for Florida I won't be able to make get my regular Friday lifting done so I'm going to switch to a Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday lifting schedule this week. I won't be foregoing any cardio because I'll have time to go for a short jog on Friday after we land. By switching things around like I plan to I've gotten an extra lifting session in without sacrificing any cardio; a little flexibility goes along way.

I was talking to my wife this morning and told her that I plan to not drink in January so I've jumped in the pool with both feet. It's out there so I'm committed. As with the October Challenge my goal is not to never drink again, but to minimize the unnecessary ones and I'm aiming to use the month to break away from the cycle of “thinking about not thinking about it”. The effort expended in October had a positive effect that I am still reaping the benefits from as my weekday behavior is much closer to what it was in the months leading up to the latter part of the summer when I was recording some of my best weight and lbm numbers than it was in September. There's been some regression in the past month and since this approach was effective the first time around I'm going to employ it again. As I wrote a couple of days ago it's the only hole in my game and I want to make the hole smaller.

I'm off to jog and then to take care of the usual Saturday stuff. Have a great weekend!

[TheRyanator]

Hope you had a nice run! I am off to the gym now myself after a full morning and half an afternoon at work with my reps...I NEED to hit the gym hard today to "re-adjust".

Way to go juggling your schedule to fit in everything you need to each week.