Road Bike, Cycling Forums banner

Alcohol

8K views 92 replies 47 participants last post by  Christine 
#1 ·
Anyone have any strategies that have helped them either quit or reduce alcohol intake? I'd like to lose some weight and take my training/racing to a higher level while I still relatively young. Maybe just reading some personnel accounts would be helpful. From the social drinker to those who are/used to be dependent...any insight would be appreciated. Thx!
 
#2 ·
I was a binge drinker so each week I'd consume nothing from Mon-Thu and then convince myself that that proved I didn't have a problem & then get wasted Fri/Sat/Sun. I tried cutting back, social drinking etc. but it never worked. In the end I just quit, while on vacation (the hardest time for me to skip booze). That was just over 16 years ago. It was much easier to just not drink compared to drinking responsibly.
 
#6 ·
Growing up, getting married, having kids, drink responsible, lost the taste, lost the desire, lost the hangovers... stopped drinking!
 
#7 ·
While young I drank to get wasted. One night as I was being taken to jail (again) the booking guy started talking to me like an old friend, I guess he had seen me often enough. Shamed the hell out of me, never drank again, that was 33 years ago.

OP if alcohol isn't a problem for you than just stop drinking, simple as that. Now if you have a problem with alchol then everyone's ones advise will be different.

Regardless of your alcohol consumption the short answer is if you don't want to drink then don't.
 
#8 ·
The only way to stop is to discontinue.

Depending on what your relationship with alcohol is, it might be unfathomable to say goodbye forever. Best friend and worst enemy all in one.

So resolve instead to take a break for a period and revaluate. I committed to 3 months, extended to 6 months, at that point I decided to go a full year and re-evaluate. At that point you've tricked yourself and discovered you can live just fine without it.

It was hard out of the gate, but got progressively easier. Hard to imagine, but it becomes a non-thought. Life is good. It would be silly to regress and open that door again, there's nothing missing here now. 2 years.

Think about a replacement special drink. I went Perrier, but got tired of lugging bottles around and constantly recycling. Got a SodaStream machine and have 4 bottles in my fridge at any time. I love the bubbles.

Last, for some reason I did not see a weight drop despite the massive removal of calories and increased exercise time when not in a bar or hungover. Hardly matters anymore.
 
#9 ·
You just gotta quit. Don't try to quit because without the commitment a try is almost sure to fail.

In my case a minister told me that "I was a detriment to society", and I felt that the only way to prove him wrong was to quit. That was about 30yrs ago and he may have saved my life. I'm still gonna die one day, but the quality of my life improved immeasurably.
 
#10 ·
Quitting beer was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was drinking at least a 6-pack during the week and over a 12 pack on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I had some blood work done about 8 months ago and my liver enzymes were through the roof. My doctor said if I continue on my current pace of alcohol consumption... my liver would be toast in 10 years. I quit in March and my latest blood test (June) showed normal liver enzyme levels. I'm 43 now.. and I'd rather live into my 80's without beer than die in my 50's with beer. I still crave a beer after a bike ride.. or after mowing the lawn or after a steak dinner, but it's getting easier to cope with as time goes on.
 
#15 ·
Like many here, when I was younger and single, I did not use alcohol responsibly. Often, when I went out I went out to get drunk. There were a couple of reasons for that:
- It was a habit. IOW, that's what "going out" or "partying" meant to me.
- I was lonely, and that feeling kind of went away while drinking.
- I'm very introverted, so being drunk was often the only way to "loosen up" (related to the previous, obviously).
- I went out with friends who got drunk, did drugs, etc.
- It was a way to relieve stress.
- It was something to do.

When I started dating my future wife, that changed many parts of the equation.
- When we went out, we went out to be with each other. We might have wine or beer with a meal, but being drunk alters your personality, and we were trying to get to know each other - and we were liking what we were finding. Not to say we didn't get drunk on occasion, but it wasn't the reason why we went out.
- I wasn't lonely.
- I was dealing with one person, or a small group of people, rather than a crowded bar or club.
- I didn't go out with my "party friends" as often, and soon stopped altogether.
- Although I'd always had other ways to relieve stress (exercise, reading, etc.), now I had someone to talk to when I was stressed (or, just to hold).
- I had better things to do (and, better things to do the morning after).

Your situation may be totally different from mine - you don't provide much information, so instead of giving advice I'm just relating my experience - it may have no relevance to yours at all. In my case, reducing my consumption of alcohol was organic - it was a matter of becoming more mature, finding better things to do on the weekend, getting out of the habit of getting drunk, and hanging out with different people.

I'm fortunate that I am not an alcoholic, so although I certainly abused alcohol, I never needed to do so. Within the past 4 years, a close family member began having trouble with alcohol, and that person is an alcoholic, so I now drink very rarely and only when I'm not around that person (i.e. when I'm in another city). The experience of watching someone struggle with addiction, and being seriously affected by that person's addiction myself, has completely changed my attitude towards alcohol. It is no longer a stress reliever, in fact when drinking I'm very self-aware and so rarely have more than one drink, and I haven't had more than 3 drinks in one sitting in years. So, the heartbreak of dealing with an addict can also lead to a change in the way you deal with alcohol, but I sincerely hope that you never have to go through that.



------------------
 
#17 · (Edited)
This is a good thread. Of all the most successful years of cycling for me (racing as a Cat. 3 for instance in my mid-20s) I was a non-drinker. Honestly, and I'm not sure what it is, when I drink even if moderately I'm actually a pretty shitty rider. I don't recover as well and feel sluggish. I will also tend to eat more even after one beer. The last 7 months or so I've had about 4 or 5 beers per week but have realized that I'll never be the masters athlete that I want to be even with that intake. I completely understand and sympathize with your situation.

In terms of strategies, I would really try to delve into your passion, which I assume is cycling. Get involved more in the social aspect of the sport and find some non-drinking friends on a cycling team if you can. Maybe even find a good coach. All those things really helped me stop thinking about partying at all anymore when I got serious about racing again in my mid 20s and stopped drinking.

Finally, I would also suggest meditation as a way to relieve stress, instead of alcohol. There are tons of great meditation books out there these days. Start with some of Jack Kornfield's titles.

The biggest reason to not drink for me at this stage, honestly, is my weight. They are just these empty calories piling up on one another, especially at night. I have friends who are amazing cyclists and athletes who drink quite a bit, but for others of us it just doesn't work.

Good luck! PM me if you need any other ideas. I've been through the whole struggle.
 
#20 ·
For those that have suggested merely "stop drinking" or "if you have the will power to quit, why don't you have the will power to have just one drink?", you haven't experienced addiction.

I remember in high school biology class back in the '70's, we had a substitute teacher who talked to us about his alcohol addiction. He explained to us that even if you have ONE drink a day, and you never get drunk, merely the NEED or desire for that one drink a day classifies you as an alcoholic.

To the OP, I don't have an answer yet I understand the difficulty of quitting ANYTHING. You could try reading some self-help books to understand your issue, and often understanding the source is enough to provide the cure.

I grew up with an alcoholic parent; that was enough to cure me of ever desiring alcohol. I'm 56.
 
#23 ·
If this is in regards to wanting to quit an addiction then you need to turn to addiction resources, I do not know the best path as I haven't been down that road. If you want to do this because you think it is a good way to get your health in order then research the negative effects of drinking upon one's health. Talk to your doctor about this and ask what measures there are (i.e. bloodwork) in order to set a baseline and then make some changes and utilize those same measures again to see what kind of physiological improvement you have made for yourself.

I am guessing that from an addiction standpoint there will be goal oriented, measurable milestones as well but I am only guessing. None the less ask yourself why you are doing it be it quitting or reducing intake. Then based on your best answer seek out an attainable solution that makes a measurable difference in your life.

Or just quit drinking.
 
#24 ·
This is a really good reply. Look, OP, if you are making mostly good decisions, most of the time, than it's merely a calorie allocation question. Easy. If not, than its an addiction question... Much more difficult. You framed it as calories, so, OK, easy enough, count them and take in less than you use... Very simple.
 
#25 ·
I gave up beer and fast food about 40 years ago to help with cycling, weight control and such. It seemed to help a little and I think I lost a few pounds. However I just became accustomed to the life style change and stayed with it all these years. I did not return to alcohol or fast food. I like to think that is why at 68y/o I can still ride fairly well. I put in 120miles last week.
 
#26 ·
I got sober four years ago. Very difficult, and took several failed attempts. I was a pretty hardcore alcoholic. I was able to mix beer/hard liquor with MTB, cause none of it seemed that serious. Started road riding, and my fitness/weight became immediately in question. Wanted to change my life. Get really fit, strong, lean, and completely clean.................I did it, and am grateful every single day for my new happy life. I always thought alcohol enhanced happy times, rewards, etc. It also seemingly helped soothe the rough patches as well, and I simply could not imagine not getting buzzed or drunk on a daily basis. Now, four years clean, I cannot imagine a life with alcohol. Things are actually better when sober.........in every way. Good luck OP and to all the other posters who have struggled, are struggling, doing fine, or otherwise!
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the insight everyone!

I do ride a bit. 10-12K/year. I race 30-40 races a year. Had a good year this year again with Pr's in power TT times and a state jersey as a cat 2. I'm in my 40's with career, two teenaged kids and a married for 23 years.

I have no reason to drink so after reading this thread I think I will choose to make a change. For me I think the key (just like chocolate or any number of salty snacks) is to just not buy it. Time will tell. I'll report back at the end of August as a goal for myself I guess. Thanks again!
 
#32 · (Edited)
Alcohol is a problem for a lot of people and this thread will probably help more people than just the OP.

I personally had a long relationship with alcohol and other things, details I'll share privately with anybody who wants to discuss the subject. Alcohol was the last and hardest to quit. I could not imagine a day without it.

I was overweight and unhappy, and lucky to get the flu really bad about 4 years ago. The flu forced me to stop drinking for a week and I knew that was my chance. That was my chance to break the cycle. All I had to do was to keep the streak going.
I decided to not have that next drink.

I quit with a house full of beer, wine and booze.
But I was not going to have that next drink.

I miss drinking, a lot. I miss wine, beer and doing shots. I miss drinking with friends and drinking alone. I miss that warm comfortable ahhhh, at the beginning of each buzz.
But I am not going to have that next drink.

I do not miss the expense. I do not miss the extra weight. I do not miss the hangovers. I do not miss unproductive afternoons. I do not miss being slow.
I am not going to have that next drink.

If I have the will power to not drink, shouldn't I have the will power to just have one with the boys after a ride? Screw that.
I am not going to have that next drink.

I you are reading this and you don't want to drink. My advice is start with just one day, just that day, don't drink. Don't worry about tomorrow or a plan to quit drinking. Just start with one day. Then the next day you repeat, focus on that one day. Then repeat the next day and start your own string of sober days.
Do not have that next drink.

One day at a time is no joke, especially in the beginning. But I promise it gets easier. You just keep stringing the days together, one at a time. You don't let anything interrupt them, no special occasion, no "just one" or "just tonight". You start with one day and then...
Do not have that next drink.

I like soda water. I drink a lot of it. Plain and flavored, there are some good lightly flavored zero calories options. Some even come in a can, which can be especially satisfying to pop open and chug some days.

And go ride your bike.
 
#34 ·
Now for my honest view of alcohol:

The problem with most alcoholics is they see alcohol being the main issue. The main issue is with them and only them. No one has a drinking problem, they have a multitude of self control issues and/or psychological disorders. I speak from experience, being that i had a dui over 10 years ago.

Alcoholism recovery is more like a cult, a false movement with programs that are designed to consume your life. After my DUI i went through the whole gambit of addiction program alcoholics anonymous, counseling, etc. But in my 6 month of alcoholics anonymous, hearing the same song and dance from all the members. I said to my self all there doing is getting addicted to a different form. Indoctrination at its finest.

If you don't have control giving up something won't be effective, because your just going to replace it with something else.

Addictions replace addictions, some are healthy addictions some are not.

For alcoholics who replace there addiction with addiction of AA. AA can even be as destructive as being an alcoholic itself. It inflates the ego and presents itself a false progression.
 
#35 ·
I guess AA and/or 12-step programs are good for some people. To each his/her own. 12-step would never work with me. I'm not religious. I based my decision to quit drinking beer on logic and reason. No faith required. It would be nice if there were affordable secular options for alcohol rehabilitation for those who need it. Most, if not all of the rehab options require belief in a "higher power." Some of us don't need to believe in anything to beat alcoholism... just make the rational decision to quit and be healthy.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top