Stop the drinking insanity!!

Yes! You can do this! Great job!

I quit smoking 3 years 4 months and some days ago. I may be weird, but resetting that clock to zero days has kept me from picking it back up.

I understand drinking is different from smoking and many replace drinking with smoking, but you can do this.

I completely quit all alcohol for the first 7 weeks that I was on MFP mainly to decrease my calorie intake but also because I was worried about who was in control, me or the booze. I now drink on the weekends but I feel that I am in control of how much I drink. I must admit though that I didn't need that 4th beer on Sunday.

lambchoplewis1 wrote: »

MarciRenee74 wrote: »

It doesn't sound like moderation with wine works for the OP. This sounds like more of an issue of/with addiction rather than an issue of diet. I would approach it from that angle rather than a moderation angle. There are just some people that can't have ANY alcohol, period. And there is nothing wrong with that, you just have to realize it and move forward from that place.

I think u make a good point. Maybe I need to get some help with the alcohol addiction. Thx for this thought. I was using weight loss as an excuse to stop drinking. But I have it backwards. I need to stop drinking and the weight will come off.

@lambchoplewis1, This was my first thought as well, what @MarciRenee74. I come from a family of drinkers. We enjoy wine, occasionally a fine port, etc. My husband, however, comes from a family of alcoholics. He loves wine too. And occasionally a good bourbon. But whereas I can have a glass of wine or two with dinner and not touch another glass for weeks, he has one glass and it begins a gradual progression towards drinking a bottle or more a day.

There is a saying in AA: One is too many; 100 is not enough. The idea is that yes, even one drink is too many because it's a small step from "I'll just have one" to "Give me another."

I have a very dear friend. Our mother's were pregnant together and she is an alcoholic. Her husband divorced her because of her drinking and last winter she remarried in November. Her new husband was also an alcoholic and a pack or two a day smoker. They had been together for years and she now smokes about a pack of cigarettes a day and I don't now how much wine she drinks. She doesn't think she has a problem. And yet, in January, she took her husband off life support. He died from complications brought on by his years of smoking and drinking. She still drinks and smokes daily.

All this to say, I wish I could give you a great big hug of congratulations for day 2. You can do this. One day at a time, one hour at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. I know because I've seen my husband do it. I believe it's possible and I know, from his experience, that making this commitment to your health will affect how you feel not merely physically but mentally and emotionally as well.

You should be very proud of yourself.

Really, is there a reason to drink? No. I've had to quit twice. After quitting for 10 years the 1st time, I thought I'd be able to handle it....nope. Now I know after the 2nd time, I have no off switch, I plain out just can't drink. Much like you, I'd drink a bottle of wine a night and maybe something else too. So it's been about 6 1/2 years now and I constantly think back on the money hubby and I spent over the 15 years we drank together..probably around $100,000...yes you read that right! As you're noting, the money saved is HUGE and you feel great. Save that money in a bank account and take yourself clothes shopping when you need a new wardrobe.

There is an intangible factor in wine and beer that definitely slows weight loss. Counting it in calories only helps slightly... it has to do with the way the liver metabolizes it and treats it much like it does sugar. So drinking and dieting can be a really slow process.

When I cut it out in the past, I lost weight and bloating, and had more energy.

Regarding the OP's issue, this is common. People don't like to talk about it because if they do or if they say, out loud, that they feel bad about drinking or like to drink a bottle, they might get labeled. And then you can't get un-labeled.

Saying you have started a bad habit doesn't mean you are an alcoholic needing intervention. Clearly you have intervened yourself, often like we do when we are doing too much of anything that isn't good for us...that is a sign that it is a bad habit (and that you are aware of it), something you have leaned on. Why do you think bars are filled with people on weekend nights after a long week of work?

I say good for you cutting it out. Get healthy, eat right, get lean. If you ever choose to have one socially once you feel you are in control, that is up to you.

Not buying it and bringing it home can be a huge factor. Not in the house keeps it to very moderate and occasional cocktails vs. wine at the end of every night.

By the way, I clicked on this b/c I want to lose 8 pounds and feel red wine is my weakness at the end of the day, I am also cutting it out. Makes me feel tired, makes me look bloated. I usually get a flatter stomach when not drinking at all.

We are rowing the same boat, my friend. I've cut way back for several weeks now. There are so many positives--I sleep better, I don't have that dull headache all day long, I have energy I haven't had for a few years, and a new motivation to start logging in MFP (one week back today!).

One of my most useful tricks: When my brain says it's cocktail time, I take a walk around the block. I don't know why it works for me, but it does. Maybe it's just about breaking the routine.

I've also noticed that my tolerance dropped quickly. On Easter Sunday at my parents' house (where wine flows freely) I told myself I'd just enjoy the day and did what I would always do. Nope. WAY too much.

lambchoplewis1 wrote: »

When I lost my weight two years ago, I stopped drinking wine. I logged every day, weighed myself and exercised. I maintained my weight for over a year. Then last summer, I sat on the patio and had a glass of wine. One led to two and so on. I am up to a 1.5 liter bottle a day. I feel like crap, don't sleep good and have gained 20 lbs back. I wake up motivated to quit and around 2 in the afternoon, convince myself that I can drink a little. NOT!!!

This is day one. I hope to log everyday that I am wine free. It will happen. I need to stop thinking about this everyday and live life

Hey girl I have this problem with ice cream!! We all do have our things things that ultimately sabotage us! I'd like to join you in trying to do better... Only with my vice!! I wanna post on here with you if you don't mind!! We can keep each other motivated !! I have 10-12 lbs I can't lose and I know it's because of my dessert addiction... My name is Emma by the way! Thanks for the topic I feel less alone

I'm trying to eliminate my before bed wine too... It's become more of a habit that I'd like and I definitely don't need the extra calories. I'm guilty of the "just one more glass" rationalization and would love to become the "one is enough" type of person. For now, I understand that one glass just isn't enough- probably because I'm using wine at the end of the day as a friend, to unwind, to let go of the day's stressors. I plan to trade in my bottle for herbal tea and meditation. Hopefully once I meet my needs in other ways and break the habit it will become easier to just have one glass occasionally in a social setting.