need friends who have quit/reduced drinking

dad106

Me me! I mainly drink when its a special occasion... like a birthday party or holiday. Sometimes if a day is really stressful though and you just need that glass of wine, thats also when I'll indulge.. but that doesn't happen that often either.

SpectacuLaura

I struggle with this issue so much. I know drinking is totally sabotaging any of my healthy eating efforts but I am such a drinker and love the social aspect of it and just can't see life without wine and bloody marys. Even though I still fall off the wagon and go back to my excessive ways now and then, I really am trying very hard to cut back and would love to be able to keep it to special occasions only someday. It's just so hard when drinking is part of your identity- I mean if I meet up with a friend, they already have a fun new bottle of wine for us to try or have found a cool new happy hour place. It's hard to reverse that thinking not only in yourself, but in everyone around you...:grumble:

KyleB65

I quit drinking (booze) years ago when my children were little. I grew up with an alcoholic father and when my children were born I was working in the Bar/Restaurant business. It took a couple of years but I got out of the biz and reduced my alcohol intake to a glass of wine or beer 1 - 2 times a year (usually with a holiday meal).

Best decision I ever made!

Good luck!

dcmat

I don't agree with cutting things out which you like - losing weight is not a prison sentence. The word you are looking for is moderation, although I am down to 2 or 3 glasses of wine a month because I have lost interest in it!!

...and not drinking means everyone love you as you drive.

lmichelleg

I found this thread at the perfect time. After a few weeks on MFP and little weight loss I realized the alcohol calories were keeping me away from my goal. I am used to having 1-2 glasses of wine a night, but I know I need to cut back. Reading the stories of others has given me the motivation- I am going to start a reduced drinking plan today.

michaelynj

I don't agree with cutting things out which you like - losing weight is not a prison sentence. The word you are looking for is moderation, although I am down to 2 or 3 glasses of wine a month because I have lost interest in it!!

...and not drinking means everyone love you as you drive.

I totally agree with this answer. I used to be a chronic drinker and I use to drink 5-6 days a week. Instead of cutting it out drink in moderation, also look for low calorie or low carb drinks, don't torture yourself by stopping all together.

infamousmk

I definitely feel like my drinking habits are more healthy overall now. Instead of getting home and having a beer while I cook and one with dinner, then finishing the night with a drink... I save my beers (and the occassional whiskey) for important meals. And by important, I mean "I've worked in the kitchen for three hours to prepare this three-course meal, which my boyfriend and I will sit down together and eat slowly while we enjoy each other's company." ... I love to cook, we love to eat, and I'm not about to take a delicious and perfectly paired beer out of the equation. I've just changed my relationship with the beers.

Abigailblue39

I gave up 8 months ago and for me it has been one of the best decisions in my life. I got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and since giving up I`ve got into reading again big style and signed up for an open uni course and so many other things. I wasnt a heavy heavy drinker just a habitual drinker (red wine). I make a point of turning up for partys later these days so everybody is already in the full swing and I get drunk off the atmosphere but have the freedom to leave when I want.

This is awesome, I love it. I don't get awkward any more in social settings, either. People got used to me ordering sparkling water when I go out. In particular my gym peeps are ok with it. They have 4 beers (=1000 cal..) and always a belly to lose, hehe. I like to go out, and if I go to a cocktail party, I have cranberry juice and sparkling water, looks like a drink, but I don’t have the headache from it.

P.S. the real reason why I stopped is from getting headaches after only 1 drink. But the weight came off, too

PhilipByrne

Hi Sinclaire,

I'm a new member myself and I reckon that's going to be my biggest obstacle and the reason I put on the weight in the first place.
Believe me I wouldn't have any problem recognising two glasses of wine as reasonable, or a bottle for that matter.

Hope it works for us both.

Philip

sinclare

Wow so many great new friends here! I figured I wasn't the only one dealing with this.

And Kudos to all of you who quit cold turkey. I did that in my twenties, was a non-drinker and always designated driver .

This time it's different, I'm cutting back like when one switches from regular to de-caf coffee. And I hate de-caf really, so why bother..

It's still there though; this weekend my husband wanted to take me to my favorite Italian restaurant,, and I couldn't imagine going there and not having red wine, so I lied and told him I didn't feel like going out.

dcmat

The other thing I have done is to buy higher quality wine & beer from independent sellers. Still spending less than I used to, but actually having a drink not full of sulphur or chemical additives....and sticking two fingers up at supermarkets!

hush7hush

I quit. [:

colorfulcupcakes

I struggle with this issue so much. I know drinking is totally sabotaging any of my healthy eating efforts but I am such a drinker and love the social aspect of it and just can't see life without wine and bloody marys.

This was me until 2 months ago I read Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Drinking" and I haven't had a drink since. The great thing is that it's not a matter of will power, I simply have no more desire for it. The book is very eye opening about all the mythical beliefs surrounding alcohol, like the thought, "How can I have a social life without drinking??" <-- that was a biggie for me. I was not a heavy drinker to begin with, but it's just that every time I had a drink I got a headache and was so tired the next day was a write-off. For me it was such a waste of time, money, and health.

Emmadennewitz

I have not had a drink since April and don't want to ever have another drink. I didn't drink often to begin with, only maybe 1 drink a month.

redtalent

I'm trying to cut back, and I can pretty easily when my fiance and I are across the pond from each other. But when I visit him, as I am now, or visa versa it's very difficult. He's a big drinker as are a lot of other people around us so there are many nights out. I'm trying to get him to start this journey with me but he's not having it. He can't give up his beer! lol

Kagard11

Me!

The thing is I LIKE drinking! I like going out to bars. I like watching football with a cold glass of beer. And I like enjoying a glass of whiskey with a good novel. I like pairing wine with dinner.

I haven't given myself a formal amount to cut back by or "quit" officially, but just the practice of logging everything I drink and thinking about how it's going to affect my calorie count for the day (especially because I'll probably want to eat something later) has helped me cut back significantly. And now whatever tolerance I had built up through college has officially disappeared. I'm a much cheaper date than I used to be!

This is like me!!!! Except the Whiskey, but I log it all!

Nikkiham520

I know the extra calories in alcohol stalls my weight loss. I love beer!!! Have you tried the MGD 64? it's very light....64 calories and somewhere around 2.5 carbs. It doesn't really buzz you like regular beer. (which I like!) Also, I find that beer is much easier to log into your diary. I thought about the individualized bottles of wine...they would be easier to log, too! Good luck!