I need to STOP ALCOHOL & Start Exercising...

Uhh I mean this in the nicest way possible, but health factors aside; don't you think that there is something wrong with drinking everyday to begin with?

just saying....

Yeah but this doesn't sound like a glass of wine or drink with dinner this sounds like going to the bar or club every night for "Thristy Thursdays" and things like that...

Just my perception of the original post although I could definitely be wrong.

It sounds yo me like you have a case of toomuchitis, you don't seem to know when to stop. I mean a glass or two a day is ok but constantly drinking too much can damage your liver and if that goes your health is going to deteriate. You need to drink plenty water and flush out all the toxins in your body caused by overindulgence. I walked over 40 mins in the morning and the same every evening five times a week. I lost weight over five months and loved it. That was 5 years ago when I was younger and had only 3 kids. I got pregnant and had a girl after 3 boys and piled on the weight. I'm losing it now.
Good luck on your weight loss journey.

I used to have this problem too, too much of a socialite!

I have really cut back now, to the stage where I will go to the pub and not want to drink alcohol, which I never thought would happen! There were a couple of things that helped me;

Find some friends which you can do activities which don't involve alcohol. I met a group of people who have now become really good friends at a comic book club (I'm a bit of a geek), and since then we get together and play role play games, board games, have shopping trips for cosplay outfits and things.

Also, just throw yourself into weight loss! Check out how many calories are in alcohol, drink aware is a good site to use and has a calculator so you can see how many calories you are consuming through alcohol. Try to fit those calories into your daily allowance if you know you are going out. I found that once I started exercising more, and being more aware of the calories in alcohol, and started seeing some progress with my weight loss that it really motivated me to cut down on the drinking with very little effort at all.

Good luck

I found over time that the people I really wanted to spend time with were not the people at the bar. I learned that I made stronger and better social relationships in run club. Check out workouts that are social activities. Group runs, outdoor yoga, or zhumba class.

I'm in a similar situation, OP. I'm sending you a friend request and will do my best to support you. I am striving for a dry June. June tends to be my worst month for excessive drinking due to the anniversary of my father's death, father's day, seeing my mother more (yes, just interacting with her is extremely stressful for me), summer barbecues etc. I was just trying to fit it into my calories but due to my past issues I'm just cutting it out this month. So far so good...

Do you have support to stop or reduce drinking? Same for your health goals? It can be a hard road if you have someone close that continues old habits in your environment. Ihave the same issues. We can allsupport each other! I know for me, when I feel like getting off track, distraction helps; yoga, housework, go for a walk, etc.

The other great benefit of quitting drinking, especially when you drink that much, is the bloat will likely reduce significantly! You may want to check in with your gp about support: it can be dangerous for heAvy drinkers to stop drinking suddenly.

I used to be a heavy drinker. I stopped without much effort not long after I started practicing yoga regularly.

How about you join a gym and go to group exercise classes the same nights and times you used to do Taco Tuesday, etc? You'll get socializing and exercise, and not the extra calories from booze.

pineapple_peach10 wrote: »

Uhh I mean this in the nicest way possible, but health factors aside; don't you think that there is something wrong with drinking everyday to begin with?

just saying....

in and of itself, no I don't think there is anything wrong with having a drink every day. not me but sure why not. I've known people to have a beer when they get home from work. a beer. and I've also known bingers on Friday nights. I'd be more worried about the Friday drinker. unscientific opinion

OP: you can still drink if it fits in your CICO but be aware that alcohol is hard on your body. If I go out, I mostly find a soda will do me. I've been known to ask for a virgin rum and coke or virgin screwdriver.
If your drinking is getting unmanageable and interfering with your life ask your dr for suggests, try a 12 step, find other like minded people

@snowflakesav you are right. Mostly I hang out with people outside of the bars now that I've gotten active. Mostly

Let e start by saying everyone is different - this is just my 2 cents:

When I was 35, I knew I drank too much & told myself "I'll quit at 40."

It took me until 6 months after my 42nd birthday to quit for good (3.5 years ago on 6/1.)

Hardest thing I ever did. It took me about a year to truly not want it anymore. Now I can go to parties, weddings, sports bars with friends, etc. and not have any desire to drink at all.

I might add I'm trimmer & in better shape than I was at 27!

You can totally do this! I think the weight will come off rather quickly without the calories from the drinks. Congratulations for taking steps to become healthier!

Another thought if you truly have been drinking a lot for a regular time period...is go see a doctor right away, like today. And watch for shaking, sweating, nausea/vomiting, sweating, clamminess, anxiety, and increased heart rate for the next few days without alcohol. Some people that suddenly stop alcohol (usually those that drink many drinks regularly) will go into withdrawal/dts and have seizures. I am not trying to scare you, but rather encourage you to see a doctor and get some help to stop drinking in a manner that is safe for your body.

Good luck!

Moderation is the key. I like a drink on a Friday or Saturday and sometimes both. I never drink through the week and exercise twice as long on the days I do drink so that it fits into my calorie allowance for those days. You ultimately have to decide what it is you want out of all this and whether you have the willpower to stick to it...that can only come from you. If you have spirits with diet drink it'll cut the calories in half, I like a nice vodka, lime and soda for around 80 calories. If you stop drinking through the week, think of all the extra food you can eat instead! X

OP at my heaviest I weighed 155 lbs - I used to have two chocolate coffee martinis afterwork every night. I would have more than two on Friday nights, which meant I was usually hungover Saturday and would then eat horribly that day. I finally got tired on being generally unhealthy and stopped having alcoholic beverages, which also stopped the unhealthy eating on Saturday. Without doing anything else out of the ordinary, I weighed 120 lbs within a month and a half. I feel great at this weight and feel so much healthier in general. I think if you stopped drinking you would notice a more dramatic weight loss than you are experiencing now as long as you don't compensate by over-eatting lol.

emonteroflores wrote: »

All-

Thank you all for your comments! I'd like to think that I am a heavy social drinker going down a hill that is not too far from alcoholism. During the week I will crave a beer or two with my dinner or when I drink on the weekends it is vodka soda with lime which isn't too bad but the everday one or two and the binge on the weekends is just not helping my balance in life and I am not happy with the way I look and feel. At this age, I need to remind myself of that balance and get back to making better choices for myself! p.s. the other posts about cold turkey are freaking me out! LOL

Eh, I think you're OK until you start freaking out if your'e not drinking. So, if one night you have an engagement (like a funeral, late meeting, whatever) and you don't drink? How do you feel? Do you crave alcohol every step of the way, or do you drift off to sleep later and maybe think, Oh, hey, first night this week with no cocktail! Cool." If you crave it all night, that's an addiction. In my mind, if it's the latter, it's a bad habit.

12 step absolutism (one drink? ONE DRUNK.) and the disease model of treating alcohol overuse are actually not very successful, statistically. If you feel like your consumption is more habit than addiction, check out some of the alternatives out there. All the reputable ones require a period of abstention before imbibing again, that period will tell you if you are needing a 12-step style abstinence program or a harm-reduction behavioral model. Go with what works for you.

And, in the meantime, perhaps take up another evening hobby? It sounds like your post-work routine is to hit happy hours for fun and human connection. How about taking a class instead? A fun one...painting or pottery or tennis or belly dancing. Some casual enjoyment with other adults that has an associated activity that isn't drinking. That might be all you need.