Alcohol sucks

marquesajen

I don't drink enough for it to effect me that negatively, I'm a lightweight which works in my favor. If I just stay away from bars, I'm okay because when I'm out and drinking I'm more likely to eat more. My husband however, has lightened up the drinking a lot because he hates feeling awful the next day. That and his dad was an alcoholic and he died from cirrhosis of the liver when he was 48.

AlliGM

I have a glass of wine with my evening meal... the french are on to something.

MissVCI

I get where you are coming from.

But there is nothing I love more than sharing a bottle wine and a meal with my girlfriends. Just a couple glasses, once sometimes twice a week.

So I could never completely give up alcohol, but definitely agree with hating drinking in excess and waking up feeling like crap the next morning.

momster18

It's time for me to pay attention to what's going on in my life, and alcohol is too much of a factor. Today, I poured a half bottle of wine down the drain. I need to let go of this habit! It's not easy when you live with someone who drinks regularly, but I can't place the blame on anyone but me!!! It's time to clean up my act and be the person I want to be! Alcohol does suck and it sucks people's lives away. I have so much living yet to do! Thanks for all your inspirational messages.

Lesa_Sass

I am 4 years and 21 weeks sober.

Lost 40 lbs and 15% body fat, also lost a great amount of fear, feelings that it was my place to control others, inflated sense if justice and of course hangovers.

I never EVER thought I could even imagine a life with out alcohol, now I can not imagine life with it.

When I go on vacation now, I see places, not just the inside of the bar.

Life is way better these days, that is for sure.

MarilynGrube

I used to enjoy drinking but the older I got the more I realized the negative effect it was having on me and my day to day life. I decided to put my goals ahead of it all and just one day POOF....I was no longer a drinker, I am so surprised it was that easy to stop. It was a mini miracle for me. I can only handle the occasional beer or glass of wine but believe me, I do not miss it at all... and that makes me so glad.:flowerforyou:

jknoell

thats a very mean thing to say. take it back!

HAHAHAHAHA!! :laugh: AGREED!

I have to admit though - I'm opposite. I rarely drink anymore (because I just don't have time to "hang out" and drink and I work weekends, so don't stay out late), but I miss it. I always loved the feeling of being drunk and letting loose. Now I might drink once every two or three months, and not usually to excess. I AM loving the fact that I'm not swigging down the calories anymore though!

kimtpa1417

I love to go out and drink..... i can drink with the best of them. But since starting this new lifestyle it is less important. I love waking up and feeling great. Although we still go out drinking from time to time it is not every weekend anymore. And now i usually stop drinking after a couple because i start thinking about how i will feel the next day

JayneWilson1963

In the past I drank way more than I should have. I also made many bad decisions while drinking. On July 4, 2010, I decided enough was enough. Once I did that, the weight seemed to fall off. I still drink from time to time, just not very much. Maybe 1 or 2 drinks per week. I make sure I count them in my daily calorie limit. I love not having the hangovers and the extra money in my bank account.

Savyna

I never got hangovers thus when I drank I didn't really have anything to worry about for the next day. I have stopped drinking though because it causes me to hold a lot of water and bloat and I'd rather be losing weight and drinking water than continuously bloating up and the like. Also, I don't always like me when I'm drinking so I felt that I'd take a break and then figure out if I'm going to officially quit for good.

gehlerc

Yes, I just said that.

After years of drinking socially and other reasons I find myself more inclined to go for water.. especially after my previous stint with alcohol. I dunno, something about not being hungover and less bad decisions is more appealing these days and not to mention I feel like **** afterwards. 10 years ago it didn't seem that bad but nowadays it just throws me under the bus. Dislike. Anyone else go or going through a similar experience?

I am with you. I used to allow myself one or two drinks / glasses of wine in the evening, a couple of evenings during the week and also on weekends. Then I decided to try to lose weight and limited myself to having alcohol only on Saturdays and in limited amounts (one or two drinks). While I enjoy that it makes me more relaxed in social settings, I've been thinking it's still not worth it. I make bad food choices when I'm under the influence, and I don't like the way I feel afterward--from the alcohol/bad food combo.

And, yes, this has evolved as I've gotten older. Am I just old (I'll be 50 this summer), to have decided the alcohol just isn't worth it? I don't know, but I do know it's a choice that I feel good about--that will make me feel better. Now, I do have a significant investment in the contents of my liquor cabinet and wine collection. Don't know yet what I'll do about that....

Kissybiz

I got in a habit of going to happy hours almost every day after work or having a bottle (yep.. a whole bottle) somtimes when I got home with dinner. It was definitely a habit. And when I drank, I ate.. mindless eating. And yep.. felt like crap the next day.

Now I rarely go out. After hitting the gym, I'm too tired even to go to karaoke night (and I'm the karaoke queen!). I don't really miss it that much, going out. The money I save helps pay for my personal trainer, so it's a win win. I still have wine on occasion, but a bottle lasts me 3 days. I measure everything to make sure I know exactly what I'm having. It feels good to be in control. My liver thanks me!

blessmy5

I could share stories of drinking that would put hair on people's chests. :laugh: In the end it came down to this for me: if you're doing something that isn't working for you- then why keep doing it? There are plenty of people who are happy and don't drink. Plenty of people who are happy that don't smoke. Plenty of people happy who don't forget to pay bills on time.... It can work for anything that isn't working for you. Took me a long time to learn that there are truly happy people who don't drink- I never knew that. Sure never saw it growing up!!

Next step is- if it's not working, what was I going to do about it? For me it was getting sober and stopping smoking. For others maybe it's not even going down the ice cream isle.

So yeah, eventually I realized I was killing myself and what exactly was the point of that? I wasn't happy anyway. So I joined AA, doesn't work for everyone obvs, but works for me. Plenty of people can drink and be fine- I am not one of those people :noway:

Bravo - Fantastic that you made a decision and then made it happen!!!

LTGPSA

I gave it up for good a little over 4 years ago. I was never one to stop at 1 or 2 - what fun was that, plus I only felt sluggish that way. It was all or nothing for me. Not that I set out to get trashed. I had fun with the social aspect of it, but I drank alcohol like water and when out partying with friends, I'd end up having too many before I realized it. One would think I would've never picked up the stuff considering how I witnessed alcohol abuse while growing up, but I did - started sneaking alcohol around 16 or so. Then one would think that a bad hangover or 2 might get my attention, but it didn't. I've been extremely lucky for all the years that I drank that I never caused harm to anyone nor to myself while drinking. It's not worth it to me for many reasons. Plus, what good is it for my health? It's not. Anyone who chooses to drink in moderation - good for you - that's your choice. I just don't see the point anymore and haven't for awhile. For me, it was just a means to mask internal pain. There are healthier ways to deal with situations in life - I'm so glad I'm there now. Great discussion topic - glad to know there are others who have seen their own light! :flowerforyou:

taso42

I drink way less now. But I still drink.

athensguy

I have a glass of wine with my evening meal... the french are on to something.

Indeed. Some studies have shown that people who drink a little bit live longer than those who don't drink and those who drink too much.

Late‐Life Alcohol Consumption and 20‐Year Mortality
http://goo.gl/RGFcN

Article that references many studies:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/AlcoholAndHealth.html

dinos

No, alcohol doesn't suck, but you need to drink in moderation. The same principle applies to everything in life, be it food, alcohol, work, you name it.

Scott613

I still drink the sauce every now and then

stcar

I am 4 years and 21 weeks sober.

Lost 40 lbs and 15% body fat, also lost a great amount of fear, feelings that it was my place to control others, inflated sense if justice and of course hangovers.

I never EVER thought I could even imagine a life with out alcohol, now I can not imagine life with it.

When I go on vacation now, I see places, not just the inside of the bar.

Life is way better these days, that is for sure.

that is inspiring, I hope to follow in your footsteps

jillyt85

I get headaches from just one beer or one glass of wine and my weight will jump up 3-5pounds from that amount and stay there for a week. It's just not worth all that pain to me. I may have one drink a month, but it's not uncommon for me to go a few months without any alcohol. My dad is also an alcoholic, so I'm fine keeping alcohol out of my body.