Heavy Drinker - Now Sober - First 3 Months Sobriety Summary
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Tweaking_Time
Posts: 733 Member
Sorry for this long post - but I thought it might help some others:
I was a functional heavy drinker just 90 days ago. I would drink a 1.75 liter bottle of Jim Beam every 5 days or so – maybe 6 days if I was trying to cut back. I was still very active – running, swimming, cycling, gym, etc. I just made sure I left enough calories each day for me to drink. I do not think I was an alcoholic, but I was definitely starting to flirt with alcoholism.
I had a couple of things show up on a blood test 2 years in a row – so I thought - let’s just eat, drink, and live right for the next 3 months and see if we can clear this up without meds or surgery. So, February 25 was my last drink. Here is a quick summary of what I experienced in the 3 months after my last drink (ALD):
First 10 days ALD – I missed drinking a lot. Falling and staying asleep was hard. Nightmares and very weird & vivid dreams were normal. I could not remember the last time I dreamed when I was drinking heavy either – or if I even did dream. I certainly don’t recall any. I tell all of this to my wife, daily, in order to keep me on track.
About 2 weeks ALD - Starting to sleep like a teenager on a rainy Saturday morning. Wow! Getting tired at night for the first time in years instead of getting buzzed. This was something new. I started losing weight too even though I was eating more. I definitely was eating healthier. Still tempted daily. Still trying to figure out what to do with my evenings during my normal drinking time.
About 1-Month ALD – It is getting easier now and some nagging health issues have started to clear up. My mildly arthritic knees do not hurt as much and a former surgery site is feeling pretty good for the first time in 3 years. Still getting pangs and temptations to resume drinking. I am also arguing in my head all the pro’s and con’s and the con’s are barely winning. Too much free time in the evenings so I signed up for evening softball. I am the oldest player on our team by 25 years. I still tell my wife all of my temptations to keep me on track – but now only have to let her know 2 or 3 times per week.
About 2-Months ALD – It is getting FINALLY easier now. I feel pretty darned good as well. Sleep still amazes me…I love sleeping without a buzz on. This is by far one of the least expected and most enjoyable parts of sobriety for me at this time. I am still wrestling with the desire to drink, but it is maybe weekly now instead of daily or every other day. I still tell my wife all of my drinking temptations to keep me on track.
Today – 3-Months ALD – I am feeling better now than I ever did when I was drinking. I am seriously considering staying on-the-wagon moving forward due to how good I feel. What did I just say??? I am sure being in shape when I started this 3 months ago helps. At last night’s softball game, someone offered me a beer and I passed – but wow – I wanted it bad. Scary!!! I want to control alcohol, not the other way around. I am now down 8 pounds from my start weight ALD. I do not want to lose anymore weight so I am eating luxuriously on occasion (ice cream, deserts, chocolate) all the stuff I refused to eat to allow me to drink heavily.
To my surprise, I am now playing softball for 2 teams and acting as a sub for a 3rd team. I still cycle, swim, and run and I still hate running more than anything in the world – but I like complaining about it even more – so it works out.
Quitting drinking was the right thing for me to do. Next blood test in 2 weeks. Let's see if eating and living right works.
I was a functional heavy drinker just 90 days ago. I would drink a 1.75 liter bottle of Jim Beam every 5 days or so – maybe 6 days if I was trying to cut back. I was still very active – running, swimming, cycling, gym, etc. I just made sure I left enough calories each day for me to drink. I do not think I was an alcoholic, but I was definitely starting to flirt with alcoholism.
I had a couple of things show up on a blood test 2 years in a row – so I thought - let’s just eat, drink, and live right for the next 3 months and see if we can clear this up without meds or surgery. So, February 25 was my last drink. Here is a quick summary of what I experienced in the 3 months after my last drink (ALD):
First 10 days ALD – I missed drinking a lot. Falling and staying asleep was hard. Nightmares and very weird & vivid dreams were normal. I could not remember the last time I dreamed when I was drinking heavy either – or if I even did dream. I certainly don’t recall any. I tell all of this to my wife, daily, in order to keep me on track.
About 2 weeks ALD - Starting to sleep like a teenager on a rainy Saturday morning. Wow! Getting tired at night for the first time in years instead of getting buzzed. This was something new. I started losing weight too even though I was eating more. I definitely was eating healthier. Still tempted daily. Still trying to figure out what to do with my evenings during my normal drinking time.
About 1-Month ALD – It is getting easier now and some nagging health issues have started to clear up. My mildly arthritic knees do not hurt as much and a former surgery site is feeling pretty good for the first time in 3 years. Still getting pangs and temptations to resume drinking. I am also arguing in my head all the pro’s and con’s and the con’s are barely winning. Too much free time in the evenings so I signed up for evening softball. I am the oldest player on our team by 25 years. I still tell my wife all of my temptations to keep me on track – but now only have to let her know 2 or 3 times per week.
About 2-Months ALD – It is getting FINALLY easier now. I feel pretty darned good as well. Sleep still amazes me…I love sleeping without a buzz on. This is by far one of the least expected and most enjoyable parts of sobriety for me at this time. I am still wrestling with the desire to drink, but it is maybe weekly now instead of daily or every other day. I still tell my wife all of my drinking temptations to keep me on track.
Today – 3-Months ALD – I am feeling better now than I ever did when I was drinking. I am seriously considering staying on-the-wagon moving forward due to how good I feel. What did I just say??? I am sure being in shape when I started this 3 months ago helps. At last night’s softball game, someone offered me a beer and I passed – but wow – I wanted it bad. Scary!!! I want to control alcohol, not the other way around. I am now down 8 pounds from my start weight ALD. I do not want to lose anymore weight so I am eating luxuriously on occasion (ice cream, deserts, chocolate) all the stuff I refused to eat to allow me to drink heavily.
To my surprise, I am now playing softball for 2 teams and acting as a sub for a 3rd team. I still cycle, swim, and run and I still hate running more than anything in the world – but I like complaining about it even more – so it works out.
Quitting drinking was the right thing for me to do. Next blood test in 2 weeks. Let's see if eating and living right works.
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Replies
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That's awesome! Thanks for sharing
When I stopped being a heavy drinker I suddenly developed a sweet tooth, which might have lead to weight gain if I hadn't also increased activity. Just something to be mindful of, especially if you don't replace softball with something else when the season is over.
Go you!4 -
Congratulations. I quit alcohol in January 1992 after 20+ years of heavy drinking, when I went into outpatient treatment. For several years I'd think of drinking when I was stressed out or grieving and sometimes dream of it. I'd stay off it by thinking it through: imagining what it would be like drinking, how I would feel after. That's 26 and a half years ago. If I can do it, you can too.
By the way, the term alcoholic is a label invented by AA, it's not a formal diagnosis in DSM-5. The DSM diagnosis is Alcohol Use Disorder - and there are degrees of disorder: mild, moderate, and severe based on the number of symptoms. I don't call myself an alcoholic or former alcoholic, but I know my life is better without alcohol in it; you're the only one who can decide if that's also the case for you. For me, complete abstinence was the best approach though I now don't have any problem with using alcohol in cooking. The important things are to be self aware, stay committed to your new lifestyle, and don't B.S. yourself (which is easy to do when you have a substance abuse problem). Which are also good things to keep in mind when you're trying to lose weight.18 -
I just hit 3 years sober on May 23rd. When I checked into detox I was skinny/fat at only 110lbs. I was drinking quite a bit by that point. (1/2 gal tequila every 3 days).
After I quit I had a crazy sweet tooth which overtime has lessened but not gone away completely. Since quitting I have been gaining weight steadily until my recent doctors appointment when I realized I weighed 170lbs!
However, I don’t think I could’ve tackled healthy eating and calorie tracking right out of the gate. I have joined different gyms in the last few years but my work schedule makes it very difficult.
Anyways, Congratulations on getting sober!!8 -
Congratulations. I quit alcohol in January 1992 after 20+ years of heavy drinking, when I went into outpatient treatment. For several years I'd think of drinking when I was stressed out or grieving and sometimes dream of it. I'd stay off it by thinking it through: imagining what it would be like drinking, how I would feel after. That's 26 and a half years ago. If I can do it, you can too.
By the way, the term alcoholic is a label invented by AA, it's not a formal diagnosis in DSM-5. The DSM diagnosis is Alcohol Use Disorder - and there are degrees of disorder: mild, moderate, and severe based on the number of symptoms. I don't call myself an alcoholic or former alcoholic, but I know my life is better without alcohol in it; you're the only one who can decide if that's also the case for you. For me, complete abstinence was the best approach though I now don't have any problem with using alcohol in cooking. The important things are to be self aware, stay committed to your new lifestyle, and don't B.S. yourself (which is easy to do when you have a substance abuse problem). Which are also good things to keep in mind when you're trying to lose weight.
Hey, thanks. I never wanted to refer to myself as an alcoholic, probably due to AA, and now have another term 1 -
Tweaking_Time wrote: »Sorry for this long post - but I thought it might help some others:
I was a functional heavy drinker just 90 days ago. I would drink a 1.75 liter bottle of Jim Beam every 5 days or so – maybe 6 days if I was trying to cut back. I was still very active – running, swimming, cycling, gym, etc. I just made sure I left enough calories each day for me to drink. I do not think I was an alcoholic, but I was definitely starting to flirt with alcoholism.
I had a couple of things show up on a blood test 2 years in a row – so I thought - let’s just eat, drink, and live right for the next 3 months and see if we can clear this up without meds or surgery. So, February 25 was my last drink. Here is a quick summary of what I experienced in the 3 months after my last drink (ALD):
First 10 days ALD – I missed drinking a lot. Falling and staying asleep was hard. Nightmares and very weird & vivid dreams were normal. I could not remember the last time I dreamed when I was drinking heavy either – or if I even did dream. I certainly don’t recall any. I tell all of this to my wife, daily, in order to keep me on track.
About 2 weeks ALD - Starting to sleep like a teenager on a rainy Saturday morning. Wow! Getting tired at night for the first time in years instead of getting buzzed. This was something new. I started losing weight too even though I was eating more. I definitely was eating healthier. Still tempted daily. Still trying to figure out what to do with my evenings during my normal drinking time.
About 1-Month ALD – It is getting easier now and some nagging health issues have started to clear up. My mildly arthritic knees do not hurt as much and a former surgery site is feeling pretty good for the first time in 3 years. Still getting pangs and temptations to resume drinking. I am also arguing in my head all the pro’s and con’s and the con’s are barely winning. Too much free time in the evenings so I signed up for evening softball. I am the oldest player on our team by 25 years. I still tell my wife all of my temptations to keep me on track – but now only have to let her know 2 or 3 times per week.
About 2-Months ALD – It is getting FINALLY easier now. I feel pretty darned good as well. Sleep still amazes me…I love sleeping without a buzz on. This is by far one of the least expected and most enjoyable parts of sobriety for me at this time. I am still wrestling with the desire to drink, but it is maybe weekly now instead of daily or every other day. I still tell my wife all of my drinking temptations to keep me on track.
Today – 3-Months ALD – I am feeling better now than I ever did when I was drinking. I am seriously considering staying on-the-wagon moving forward due to how good I feel. What did I just say??? I am sure being in shape when I started this 3 months ago helps. At last night’s softball game, someone offered me a beer and I passed – but wow – I wanted it bad. Scary!!! I want to control alcohol, not the other way around. I am now down 8 pounds from my start weight ALD. I do not want to lose anymore weight so I am eating luxuriously on occasion (ice cream, deserts, chocolate) all the stuff I refused to eat to allow me to drink heavily.
To my surprise, I am now playing softball for 2 teams and acting as a sub for a 3rd team. I still cycle, swim, and run and I still hate running more than anything in the world – but I like complaining about it even more – so it works out.
Quitting drinking was the right thing for me to do. Next blood test in 2 weeks. Let's see if eating and living right works.
Awesome job!! You should be very proud of yourself. I come from a family where heavy drinking has been the norm for as many generations back as I can remember. It's not an easy habit to kick! I was fortunate enough to only dabble in heavy drinking in my teens. Now it's just the occasional glass of wine. Keep up the great work!1 -
Congratulations! Thanks for posting.0
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kshama2001 wrote: »
Hey, thanks. I never wanted to refer to myself as an alcoholic, probably due to AA, and now have another term
Yeah, being an alcoholic has so many bad connotations. I guess I am just a drunk.
4 -
Congrats Tweaking_time! Not an easy thing to do. Thank you for sharing your experiences during the past 3 months, especially how it effected your sleep. I gave up drinking during the week when I noticed it might help me fall asleep initially, but on those nights I would frequently wake up in the middle of the night and have bad quality of sleep overall.
Best wishes as you continue your journey!
2 -
Today is 11 months for me. It gets easier but the urges still sneak up every now and then. I try to make sure I have a "safety person" when socializing where there will be alcohol. The safety person is someone who would speak up if I were to get a drink.7
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I totally get the sweet tooth @kshama2001 ...Got them myself.
Love dark chocolate now...but still only have a little each day.
I forgot to add to my long message above that I no longer swear each and every morning while in the shower that "today I am going to quit", or "no more", or "not another drop" because I felt so freaking lousy. I usually felt bad for about an hour or so - at most. The shower, coffee and a big breakfast always made me feel better. But at least 1/2 of my morning shower was just letting the water run over me hoping to feel better and knowing exactly why I was feeling the way I did and swearing off the liquor. I would have such resolve when I would leave the house for work. By 5:00 PM, the liquor demons would have used their logic on me, my resolve to quit will have vanished - poof - like a burp in the breeze - and by 8:00 PM I would have my well established bourbon buzz going.7 -
@Tweaking_Time Congrats on your accomplishment! Great job! I stopped drinking any alcohol in January of this year and my life has improved significantly in many way because of it.
Not sure if you have seen it, or are interested, but there is a thread going each month relating to drinking less alcohol. The group is wonderful, non-judgemental, and I found them to be an extremely helpful resource in the early days of January when I stopped all alcohol. If you pop in to the current month thread, I know they would love to hear your story!
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10663704/less-alcohol-may-2018-one-day-at-a-time
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kshama2001 wrote: »That's awesome! Thanks for sharing
When I stopped being a heavy drinker I suddenly developed a sweet tooth, which might have lead to weight gain if I hadn't also increased activity. Just something to be mindful of, especially if you don't replace softball with something else when the season is over.
Go you!
Oh this happened to me too - I never put the two things together. I used to joke that after eating a sandwich, instead of dessert I'd prefer another sandwich. Now I'm all about icecream and caked and pudding at night.
OP - nice job! My drink habit got interrupted a year ago by an international trip where the time difference made it so I was so not ready to drink in the evenings where I was. I would drink 2-3 12oz IPAs and 3oz whisky most nights, within my cals when dieting - that's a lot of exercise to make that room. These days I go weeks without a drink and 99% of the times I do imbibe I either regret or feel like I might as easily not have bothered. I hear you on the sleep, getting in bed with a book and falling asleep at 10.30 is my new normal, where before I'd be up late nursing my bourbon like it was a project.4 -
Besides everything said here, improved cognitive function has been the biggest benefit.5
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Thnx @kcn2bluesky ...I will check it out0
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Excellent! I am so happy for you...hope you have continued success.0
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KatyCSTinPNW wrote: »I just hit 3 years sober on May 23rd. When I checked into detox I was skinny/fat at only 110lbs. I was drinking quite a bit by that point. (1/2 gal tequila every 3 days).
After I quit I had a crazy sweet tooth which overtime has lessened but not gone away completely. Since quitting I have been gaining weight steadily until my recent doctors appointment when I realized I weighed 170lbs!
However, I don’t think I could’ve tackled healthy eating and calorie tracking right out of the gate. I have joined different gyms in the last few years but my work schedule makes it very difficult.
Anyways, Congratulations on getting sober!!
The no drinking sweet tooth is real3 -
Thediamond13 wrote: »The no drinking sweet tooth is real
I ate a pint of ice cream every day for a year after I quit drinking. There's a reference to the sweet tooth in the movie Clean and Sober -- when Michael Keaton meets with his sponsor at a restaurant, they end up with a big pile of ice cream dishes on the table.0 -
Think long and hard before you label yourself (or anyone else) as an "alcoholic" or a "drunk". You tend to become what you tell yourself you are.
https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/psychiatric-labels-are-the-problem/4 -
Think long and hard before you label yourself (or anyone else) as an "alcoholic" or a "drunk". You tend to become what you tell yourself you are.
https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/psychiatric-labels-are-the-problem/
I do have an issue with substance abuse, but I think I can be someone who just doesn't drink and not worry about it anymore. 11 months in, that hasn't completely happened yet; I had to worry about it a lot to start with and less frequently as time has passed but still the occasional urge. Between those urges I don't give it much thought unless I come across a discussion or if I am going to be in a situation with a high potential for urges and easy access to alcohol. I know AA members who haven't had a drink in 20 years and are still all about being an alcoholic, going to a couple of meetings a week. They seem ti have beat the problem long ago but still let it define them.0 -
Think long and hard before you label yourself (or anyone else) as an "alcoholic" or a "drunk". You tend to become what you tell yourself you are.
https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/psychiatric-labels-are-the-problem/
I have no problem being who and what I am, be it a "drunk", or an "alcoholic" or suffering from "Alcohol Use Disorder". Did referring to myself as a "big, beautiful woman" or as "volumptuous" or as "Rubenesque" make me any less "morbidly obese"? Using euphemistic terms does not make the condition any less unhealthy or dangerous. In my opinion, the greatest threat to one's well being is the inability to be truthful with oneself.
For what it's worth, I am a sober alcoholic and damn proud of it.11
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