I am giving up beer for 30 days

[beersk]

It makes about 6.5 cups of jet black coffee concentrate. We mostly mix it with milk or almond milk and ice for a cold drink, but you can heat it and make traditional cups of coffee too. The decanter lasts us about a week, 2 adults with 1-2 drinks per day.

If you do get one be sure and steep for 24 hours, the directions say 12-24 but the full 24 hours makes it very strong and flavorful.

And don't beat yourself up, brush it off and start again!

Thanks, man. Cheers and happy Independence! I may break my 24 hour fast tonight with a beer, maybe around midnight.

 

[Scriv]

Man, this evening is going to be rough. I'm headed to my friends 4th gathering, and we usually knock quite a few back. I wish I had started this just a few days earlier!

 

[jaydlaw]

Man, this evening is going to be rough. I'm headed to my friends 4th gathering, and we usually knock quite a few back. I wish I had started this just a few days earlier!

Show up late and leave early.

 

[Scriv]

Day 26: made it through with no beer!

4 days left

 

[hunter_le five]

26 seconds

4 seconds left

 

[Scriv]

Day 27: Happy 4th! No beer today, bbq with the in-laws and they rarely drink so no temptation.

3 days to go.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

Happy 4th to my brewing bros and sis's.

I'm in the AZ, northern AZ, cool temps, rain, and enjoying Four Peaks Kilt Lifter and Hop Knot IPA. Both absolutely delicious.

Brought a case of my Sam Adams Summer Ale clone, which I actually prefer over SA (tried them side by side).

Will be in Flagstaff, AZ, in the next few days for a walking brewery/brewpub crawl. Most excited about Lumberyard Brewing and their IPA. One of my all time faves.

Enjoying my time off the wagon. I'm on vacation, so taking a few liberties, but will be back on track in a week.

Cheers!!!

 

[Scriv]

Day 28: I'm getting antsy now, looking forward to a cold one. Getting ready for a week in the cabin with the in-law family. It'll be nice getting out of the house, I'm getting cabin fever!

2 to go.

Seems like I'm the only one left on a hiatus.

 

[Firewalker11]

Day 25: picked up some brews for a cabin trip next week. Weight is down, and I'm sore from the gym. I'm looking forward to being done with this!

5 to go.

Edit: anybody into coffee? We have this thing called a Toddy that makes excellent cold brewed coffee. The process takes 24 hours (basically you're steeping the grounds and making a coffee concentrate) but it's some of the best tasting coffee I've had.

The local lunch box diner uses the commercial Toddy and they get 2.5 gallons per batch. Really low acid and almost sweet tasting after filtering. I get a "growler" (750ml) once a week for the same price the pound of coffee grounds would cost me to make it myself.

Yummy stuff!

 

[Scriv]

Day 29: hit the gym, haven't done back squats in awhile, legs are like jello! Looking forward to getting to the cabin on Thursday, a little r&r is needed.

1 more day.

 

[beersk]

The local lunch box diner uses the commercial Toddy and they get 2.5 gallons per batch. Really low acid and almost sweet tasting after filtering. I get a "growler" (750ml) once a week for the same price the pound of coffee grounds would cost me to make it myself.

Yummy stuff!

Oh, man, that sounds awesome. I wish there was something like that around here. I haven't cold brewed coffee in a while, I really should do that again. I never bothered with filtering it other than the filter on the French press. There were some grounds, but not a crazy amount.

 

[Scriv]

The local lunch box diner uses the commercial Toddy and they get 2.5 gallons per batch. Really low acid and almost sweet tasting after filtering. I get a "growler" (750ml) once a week for the same price the pound of coffee grounds would cost me to make it myself.

Yummy stuff!

Have either of you guys had nitro coffee? It sounds amazing, once I build out a kegerator I plan to run a stout tap for coffee on nitro.

 

[hammersteps]

So....I get mandatory abstaining periods once in a while with my job (this past year i took 6 weeks off, 3 weeks off, and 4 weeks off), but have been taking in too much homebrew and craft stuff lately. I'm going clean for 23 days starting tomorrow until Fri the 31st. Haven't had a self imposed dry out in a long time. I've got two batches bottled, and by the end of this, will have my kegerator built, with two batches in it, and two more 5 gal and one 4 gal in bottles, should give me a huge head start for a pipeline even with as much as I give away.

Wish me luck.

 

[Gonefishing]

Day 29: hit the gym, haven't done back squats in awhile, legs are like jello! Looking forward to getting to the cabin on Thursday, a little r&r is needed.

1 more day.

Congratulations...you're just hours away from your goal.

 

[Scriv]

Congratulations...you're just hours away from your goal.

Thanks!

 

[phil74501]

I saw an old college buddy of mine last year for the first time in 20 years. He told me he had become a vegetarian. He said he had developed gout. His doctor told him he was eating too much meat, and drinking too much beer. He either had to cut back on both by half, or give one of the two up. So he gave up meat because he could go without that more than a good craft beer.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I've had more than my fair share over the past two weeks. A few weeks ago we went to the beach with the inlaws...you don't go to the beach with the inlaws without needing some medication
After we got back we spent some time with my family for the 4th (3 parties in 2 days), and I think it is affecting my sleeping again. I'm not so much worried about the extra weight gain since I'm still running regularly.

My short term plan is to drink little/nothing during the week and cut back from what I have been doing during the weekend. From September 9 to October 9 I'll give the 30 day thing a shot (there's a race I want to do on the 10th, so that seems like a good excuse).

 

[beersk]

I saw an old college buddy of mine last year for the first time in 20 years. He told me he had become a vegetarian. He said he had developed gout. His doctor told him he was eating too much meat, and drinking too much beer. He either had to cut back on both by half, or give one of the two up. So he gave up meat because he could go without that more than a good craft beer.

This is sort of a toss up for me, which one I could give up. I think that if I didn't brew my own, I'd give up beer. But since I brew, and really love brewing, I'd probably give up meat instead. But it's like Sofie's choice...don't make me choose...

To an earlier post, I have not had coffee on nitro. That little phenomenon (fad?) hasn't hit the midcoast of Iowa yet. Not sure it ever will. I'd make some myself to have on tap, but that's A LOT of coffee beans and would be very expensive to make. Plus, I don't have a nitro setup...

Something I'm trying out right now, to maybe help drink less, is I unhooked all my taps and if I want a beer, I'll assemble my picnic tap setup, hook it up, and pour a beer that way. Then take it off and rinse it/hang it up right away. Maybe this way, it'll make it more inconvenient for me to pour a beer. Probably won't, but I'm gonna try it out.

 

[hammersteps]

Day 1...

Ran and did post run workout this morning. Work all day. Have Sustained Airborne Training this evening, another workout, and a jump at 5am tomorrow. Should be an easy one. Have to get sparkling white grape juice for post jump. A little tradition of mine is to have champagne after each successful airborne operation. I hate jumping with every sinew of my being.

 

[beersk]

I think @Rhumbline has completely gone off the deep end. Thirty days of no beer followed by 30 days of beer soaked nights...

 

[Rhumbline]

I think @Rhumbline has completely gone off the deep end. Thirty days of no beer followed by 30 days of beer soaked nights...

It hasn't been quite that bad, but I need to find that balance point. I do think there was a bit of a pendulum effect but things are settling back to an occasional beer and no snacking.

It would be so much easier if I didn't work with imbeciles!

 

[beersk]

It hasn't been quite that bad, but I need to find that balance point. I do think there was a bit of a pendulum effect but things are settling back to an occasional beer and no snacking.

It would be so much easier if I didn't work with imbeciles!

This is something that seems to happen to me, the pendulum effect. I'll not drink hardly anything during the week, then the weekend rolls around and I just want to get drunk and eat chicken fingers. I try to strike a balance now. I have a friend who only drinks on the weekends and gets wasted. That's probably a lot more unhealthy than having 2 or 3 pints a day everyday.

 

[Scriv]

This is something that seems to happen to me, the pendulum effect. I'll not drink hardly anything during the week, then the weekend rolls around and I just want to get drunk and eat chicken fingers. I try to strike a balance now. I have a friend who only drinks on the weekends and gets wasted. That's probably a lot more unhealthy than having 2 or 3 pints a day everyday.

Funny, this is also my problem. I work out and eat "clean" all week with no beer, then on the weekend I act like I'm 19 again and eat like a pig and drink too much. I make zero progress with my weight loss because I'm just fighting myself all week. Years ago I lost a lot of weight, and it's slowly making its way back, and as I get older I'm finding it much harder to lose!

I'm having a very hard time finding a middle ground.

 

[Rhumbline]

I was doing well restricting myself to two beers max per day, usually with dinner. Going dry led me to hit it harder when I did weaken.

It's a learning process I guess. Good luck to all.

 

[Scriv]

Day 30: I'm done! Zero days left, tomorrow I shall raise a pint in celebration of this momentous event!

I don't feel much different, my weight seems to have stayed the same (crept back up in the last week) and my sleep is disrupted nightly by an adorable 5 month old. Maybe this will help me appreciate beer more. I will try to not go buck-wild on the weekends.

 

[beersk]

One thing I found is that if I'm cutting back on beer, I feel like I can eat more, so I do...and that puts the weight on. It's just calorie management... I realized that I just need to work out more, ie ride my bike more. Yesterday I did a 26 mile ride at 16 mph average. I need to do that more often as it burns a ton of calories and makes it way easy to lose weight. I'm not that much over weight, maybe 15lbs, and most people would guess I don't need to lose at all, but I feel like I do and want to get a slimmer more fit build.
Last night, I had a ton of beer at the homebrew club meeting. Was feeling it this morning and had that gross taste in my mouth when I woke up. Hate that. No beer tonight, been meaning to take a night off and this is a perfect chance to.

Don't go too crazy, Scriv!

 

[hammersteps]

Day 2 down. Getting to sleep is still a little bit of an issue.

Skipped my usual champagne after not dying on a jump. I did have two QC sips, one of my ESB, and DF Saison Cyzer at bottling.

Day 3 today. 22 days remaining.

 

[brewcat]

The joys of vacation. Wreaked my good sleep. Time to get back on track.

 

[beersk]

The joys of vacation. Wreaked my good sleep. Time to get back on track.

Definitely. I'd not treated my body very well this last week. Last night I went on a 20 mile hard bike ride after work, came home and had a hefe, and some mead with dinner; nothing much. Slept like a champ last night, feel freakin' awesome today. I might not have even woke up during the night...that I remember anyway. That NEVER happens, not since I was about 20.

 

[Rhumbline]

Ok, I think I'm over the hump. This weekend marks the end of my Doritos fueled path of destruction.

Back to healthier eating and the occasional beer.

 

[hammersteps]

Welp....yesterday was day 3.

No Alcohol, with exception of yet another qc taste at another bottling. This time was Palmer's Elevenses. It was guuuuuuud. I kept recipe the same as last time brewing it, with the exception of adding 1oz EKG at flameout. Smells good, uncarbed taste was good. I would have had a hard time resisting if it were magically carbed immediately.

Today is day 4....21 days left.

 

[hammersteps]

Day 4 complete. No alcohol.

Was a breeze. Getting to sleep was easy. Was exhausted from AM and PM workouts. Starting to crave carbs less, but still present a bit.

For others doing this, I'm a competitive athlete, fitness coach, and soldier in a highly deployed combat unit, and help lots of people with their nutrition goals, and have read extensively on low carb training, and diets and whatnots. When you reduce your carbs in your diet (in this case possibly drastically from not getting those 4-6 craft beers per day and possibly upwards of 6-9 on weekends), try not to rely on wilpower alone.

Supplements help; L-carnitine, and tea or coffee (in moderate amounts) help a lot. L-Carnitine is an amazing amino acid that requires insulin to "load," but is not required for all the health benefits. When your insulin spikes, carnitine allows your body to utilize more fat for energy quicker. Of course this works best with a diet and exercise program put together, but studies show that carnitine leads to a higher energy expenditure at lower heart rate as well. Also, up your healthy fat intake, and sodium if you are not on a low sodium diet recommended by your doctor. Sodium is shed along with excess water stored in the body when you reduce carbs in your diet. Make sure you are eating lots of healthy fats, and taking in plenty of sodium and good protein. Your cravings will lower, and your will be more apt to stay on that healthy diet, and leave the booze alone.

If you are upping your exercise, do so very gradually. Higher rates of exertion cause your body to need more nutrients, specifically carbs, and protein. Slowly increasing rates of exercise will allow your body to respond less aggressively to the increased need of nutrients, as you recover from the increased damage of muscle tissue, and loss of fat cells.

Into day 5. 20 mo days.

 

[hammersteps]

Still going strong.....Day 6 in the bag. Brewed a Dead Ringer BIAB yesterday. I really like that method, got good efficiency pretty easily.

 

[beersk]

Seems like it's just you now. Good luck. Stick with it, 30 days would be super hard. I don't really even want to attempt it. Life's too short... I think moderation is the key for me.

 

[hammersteps]

Seems like it's just you now. Good luck. Stick with it, 30 days would be super hard. I don't really even want to attempt it. Life's too short... I think moderation is the key for me.

As is for me. I said I would, so I will. It's a little less than 30 days for me....I started with 25 days I think. Was the weekend after a big fitness competition for me to get started again. I will have a ton of stuff bottled and kegged by then, so should have a good long pipeline of variety.

 

[hammersteps]

I'm still going.....just not posting much. Day ten.

14 to go.

 

[jaydlaw]

Good job, keep it up!

 

[mwilcox]

Just noticed this. Good for you guys that improved health. Now that I think about it I guess I'm on day 18. I'll probably have some this weekend.

...now, would I give up my two morning cans of Diet Dr Pepper? Get out of here with that crazy talk!

 

[mbobhat]

Just noticed this. Good for you guys that improved health. Now that I think about it I guess I'm on day 18. I'll probably have some this weekend.

...now, would I give up my two morning cans of Diet Dr Pepper? Get out of here with that crazy talk!

I hear ya man. I could give up beer for a bit, but coffee, hell no!:rockin:

On a related note, I recently stopped the beer for a bit this summer just because it was reaking havoc on my digestion. I usually don't have this problem. Could be the yeast, alcohol, the fact that there is a decent hay fever allergen count. Who knows. But I know that beer was not helping. Now I'm fermenting some kombucha so we'll see how that goes

 

[P_Bio]

Well I'm in starting tomorrow. I'm gonna try 14 days for now. I'm a runner and its been so hot that I feel like garbage all the time. Not saying it's the beer but I know I could cut back and I wonder what 2 weeks dry would be like. The fact that I even ask that question makes me think it's time. It's hard with a tap next to the sink so I like the earlier idea of unhooking it. Here goes nothing.