I am giving up beer for 30 days

[wich3r]

That very inspiring what you are doing there. I think I will also take some break, but perhaps something around 21 days. I have to lose some weight and also I've exam time at University. It will be good for me I guess Also it good time to stack up some homebrews, I'm tired of having just one batch in one moment.

 

[Rhumbline]

I'm still in.

The no beer part isn't so bad, still fighting the urge to grab that bag of Doritos, though.

I'm down 11 pounds as of today, the weight is slowly but steadily dropping. I need to add some regular exercise in to accelerate that.

There's no denying the physical and mental benefits of this and I've been more productive this past three weeks than I was the first half of the year. I'm going to make this an annual thing.

 

[naturebrew]

Way to go guys, hard to believe its already been over 3 weeks since this started, my weekends only routine has been going on for 4 weeks and becoming an easy routine for me. I am down between 5 and 8 pds depending when I weigh myself, the real benefit is I feel much better during the week which has me exercising more and sleeping better etc. As was stated earlier, this is a marathon not a sprint, or as I think of it, a life change for the better. Good luck with your last weekend, although I know you won't have any problem pushing through to 30!

 

[beersk]

I can't do the only drink on weekends thing. I wind up getting plastered because I want to make sure it was worth holding off all week for

Yeah, this is my reasoning too. Not worth it. I think it'd be better to have 1 or 2 every day, even on weekends, rather than holding off and drinking 3-5 on weekends.

 

[Charles1968]

Man, I hate being drunk. Having a very light buzz? That's ok but that's it so watching my intake is pretty easy. I do agree with the moderation idea too, tapering of to weekend beer drinking and having more water is the goal.

That said, I am thinking about other ideas for empty cornys, flavored water? Sugar free soda? Agave sweetened sodas?

Thoughts?

I don't know about cornys, but a good substitute for beer is chilled sparkling water. Also good 50:50 with freshly squeezed orange juice. Later in the evening I also rely a lot on fruit flavoured herb tea. If you're used to always having a drink on hand to sip, look to replace it with something interesting but not high calorie.

 

[Charles1968]

Yeah, this is my reasoning too. Not worth it. I think it'd be better to have 1 or 2 every day, even on weekends, rather than holding off and drinking 3-5 on weekends.

There's good medical evidence that fasting followed by bingeing is worse for health than spreading out the same number of units. However, a lot of people find it hard to drink below recommended daily units (which are much lower in Europe than US) - that first drink usually triggers a craving for more. If you're an all-or-nothing type drinker and can't do moderation or resist the craving, fasting is the way to go.

Definitely not good to reward a period of abstention with a binge, "because you've earned it". That just addictive behaviour reasserting itself and overriding reason.

 

[Scriv]

Day 12: man I want a beer.

18 days to go.

 

[muels]

I read this when it was first posted but hadn't been back to it. It did however move me to do something similar. I have been eating much healthier and exercising. I have cut back some on the beer during the week as well. I have a goal of 15 lbs by 8-1-15. That'll put me at 190 again. Haven't been under 2 spins in a few years and up to 215 at times. Not too bad for a 6' frame but I definitely wasn't healthy.

The exercise and eating habits have made me feel much more energized! Excited to keep practicing moderation. It is not easy!


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[naturebrew]

There's good medical evidence that fasting followed by bingeing is worse for health than spreading out the same number of units. However, a lot of people find it hard to drink below recommended daily units (which are much lower in Europe than US) - that first drink usually triggers a craving for more. If you're an all-or-nothing type drinker and can't do moderation or resist the craving, fasting is the way to go.

Definitely not good to reward a period of abstention with a binge, "because you've earned it". That just addictive behaviour reasserting itself and overriding reason.

I'm not here to say one method is better than the other but I have to say that no where that I am aware of in this thread does it indicate the anyone abstaining during the week is binging on the weekend. Am I having a few on Fri/Sat, yeeeepp, am I getting hammered, not in my opinion, have never aimed for that anyway. I did have too many potato chips last weekend after munching out during a movie, am aware of it and adjusting as needed.

 

[Charles1968]

I'm not here to say one method is better than the other but I have to say that no where that I am aware of in this thread does it indicate the anyone abstaining during the week is binging on the weekend. Am I having a few on Fri/Sat, yeeeepp, am I getting hammered, not in my opinion, have never aimed for that anyway. I did have too many potato chips last weekend after munching out during a movie, am aware of it and adjusting as needed.

Maybe bingeing is too strong a word. There was a BBC Horizon on TV in the UK a couple of weeks ago where two identical twin doctors did a study comparing the effect of drinking 24 weekly units spread across 7 days or all in one day over 6 weeks. The guy drinking 24 in one day did much worse on medical tests after 6 weeks - one showed faecal bacteria in his bloodstream. I was thinking of that rather than the 3-5 drinks at weekend that beersk referred to (possibly better than 1-2 every day as it adds up to less).

The potential benefit of moderate drinking in lowering heart disease risk only applies at 1-2 UK units (1 UK unit is 8 grams alcohol) a day for males aged 50-60. The theory is that alcohol makes white blood cells less likely to adhere to artery walls, which is how cholesterol plaque deposits begin to form. However, if you drink more than 2-3 units daily or have frequent binges, alcohol makes arteries fur up much quicker, among other things.

I agree with you that there isn't a right way to go about cutting down - everyone's different. A few of my friends are unable to have only one drink in an evening, for instance. All or nothing in their case.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

DAY 25:

Still rocking. Went to my LHBS to gather supplies for my next 3 batches. Going to try to brew tonight.

Need to bottle an amber but with my lack of drinking, empty bottles are scarce

5 days remaining....

 

[mgortel]

Nice job! How are you feeling? Any weight loss....feeling healthier?

Your 1st beer after your 30 day break is really gonna taste good!

Hang in there!

By experience (you're not alone!):
I was having some issues with my stomach....cramps, gastritus, acid reflux, etc......was a combination of bad food, too much coffee/caffeine (used to drink coffee all day at work), about 25 lbs overweight, and I hate to admit too much beer......was drinking 5-6 beers several nights a week and then on weekends even more!

Been eating much better....excercising....only 1 cup of coffee a day...and limiting beer to weekends only (for the most part).

Cutting back on things has made a huge difference...lost about 15 lbs.....stomach feels good again!

Keep at it!

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

Nice job! How are you feeling? Any weight loss....feeling healthier?

Your 1st beer after your 30 day break is really gonna taste good!

Hang in there!

By experience (you're not alone!):
I was having some issues with my stomach....cramps, gastritus, acid reflux, etc......was a combination of bad food, too much coffee/caffeine (used to drink coffee all day at work), about 25 lbs overweight, and I hate to admit too much beer......was drinking 5-6 beers several nights a week and then on weekends even more!

Been eating much better....excercising....only 1 cup of coffee a day...and limiting beer to weekends only (for the most part).

Cutting back on things has made a huge difference...lost about 15 lbs.....stomach feels good again!

Keep at it!

Nice job to you too! Thanks for sharing and for the support. Cheers!

 

[Rhumbline]

DAY 25:

Still rocking. Went to my LHBS to gather supplies for my next 3 batches. Going to try to brew tonight.

Need to bottle an amber but with my lack of drinking, empty bottles are scarce

5 days remaining....

I've got a Saison to bottle sometime this week, waiting for those last two gravity points. I just got notification that my Brew Boss system shipped yesterday, so I'll be getting that set up and will have to do a couple brews to check it out.

I'm going to have to be careful with that first beer, it will probably knock me out. I've got all the ingredients for my BBQ and I'm thinking of making the trip to the local beer warehouse for the re-entry Duvel this week.

Good luck to all...

 

[naturebrew]

Maybe bingeing is too strong a word. There was a BBC Horizon on TV in the UK a couple of weeks ago where two identical twin doctors did a study comparing the effect of drinking 24 weekly units spread across 7 days or all in one day over 6 weeks. The guy drinking 24 in one day did much worse on medical tests after 6 weeks - one showed faecal bacteria in his bloodstream. I was thinking of that rather than the 3-5 drinks at weekend that beersk referred to (possibly better than 1-2 every day as it adds up to less).

The potential benefit of moderate drinking in lowering heart disease risk only applies at 1-2 UK units (1 UK unit is 8 grams alcohol) a day for males aged 50-60. The theory is that alcohol makes white blood cells less likely to adhere to artery walls, which is how cholesterol plaque deposits begin to form. However, if you drink more than 2-3 units daily or have frequent binges, alcohol makes arteries fur up much quicker, among other things.

I agree with you that there isn't a right way to go about cutting down - everyone's different. A few of my friends are unable to have only one drink in an evening, for instance. All or nothing in their case.

Yeah 24 in a day would be a lot and what most would consider a binge, surprising they were able to find a volunteer who could drink that much in a day and then abstain for 6 days. I know someone who drank 24 beer or 40 oz of rye and smoked 4 packs of cigs every day for most of his adult life, still alive at 76 but barely.

I have on occasion thought I would only have one and end up having 3 or 4, on a weeknight. These are the beers that were adding up my weekly count to the point I had concerns and why I am limiting intake as I am. Very easy to ignore the signs and wake up 6 months later with a problem.

I had considered initially giving up beer entirely, selling all my ingredients and brewing gear but decided to go this route instead. It would probably be easier not to drink at all, after an initial period of missing it, but that would be me admitting I can't control my drinking, not ready to say that and hopefully I will never have to.

 

[naturebrew]

For you guys that are on the 30 day plan, I hope you will post how you feel the morning after your 1st beers. After living such a healthy lifestyle this past month, you will likely feel a shock to your systems.

 

[menotu]

Have a double birthday/house warming/ bbq/come have some beers party to go to this evening. Been dreading this from the start but im committed to making it through without a beer and finishing my 30 days on Friday. May be an early evening though lol.

Planning on heading to the local home brew store tomorrow. Picking up supplies to start a sour beer and have a pliny clone recipe from morebeer that im excited to make tomorrow. After tonight its all easy street to the finish line.

Keep strong and have a great weekend guys, thanks for being a fantastic support system.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

For you guys that are on the 30 day plan, I hope you will post how you feel the morning after your 1st beers. After living such a healthy lifestyle this past month, you will likely feel a shock to your systems.

Count on it!

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

After (almost) 2 weeks, I'm out of the game.
Aside from literally two sips of beer and a small amount of liquor (leftover from bottling) I've been alcohol free for the entire time.

I can't say I've lost more than a few pounds since this all started, but I generally feel better. Honestly, this has been easier than I thought. I was dreading it because popping a beer after work was second nature for a while. I started to think there was a dependency growing, but instead of reaching for a beer I went for a nice soda, ice water, or kombucha. I can't say I missed it all that much (he said with a pint of Bell Ringer right beside him )

The biggest thing for me was to keep busy. I would bet good money that most on this thread have several projects around the house that need done, but have been putting them off. Now you have your excuse. Instead of drinking and plopping down in front of the TV, chip away at projects. That might not work for everyone but it certainly worked for me.

Moving forward, I think I'll do a week of abstinence here and there and I owe it all to this thread. Thanks for the start AZGoalie!!!

 

[Rhumbline]

...
The biggest thing for me was to keep busy. I would bet good money that most on this thread have several projects around the house that need done, but have been putting them off. Now you have your excuse. Instead of drinking and plopping down in front of the TV, chip away at projects. That might not work for everyone but it certainly worked for me.

Moving forward, I think I'll do a week of abstinence here and there and I owe it all to this thread. Thanks for the start AZGoalie!!!

That's how it has been for me. When I get home, or on the weekend, I dive into some chore when I would previously grab a beer and veg.

Like you, I'm also going to make this an annual or semiannual thing and I'm happy I stumbled upon this thread.

 

[brewcat]

For you guys that are on the 30 day plan, I hope you will post how you feel the morning after your 1st beers. After living such a healthy lifestyle this past month, you will likely feel a shock to your systems.

I don't know. I went 15 days and felt fine after a couple the night before. I suppose if you overdo it... I'd guess your "fresher" liver may better be able to handle the alcohol. Or you just end up drinking less because your tolerance is down. So far one thing I've noticed is I basically only want one or two.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

DAY 26 COMES TO A CLOSE:

Walked a ton today. Got in a morning walk with the wife, walked around the University of San Diego during my son's basketball tourney, then walked a few miles along the beach in the afternoon. Great day.

Due my son's team winning game after game, there was no time for brewing tonight. They have advanced to the championship bracket tomorrow at USD, plus I've got an early evening hockey playoff game, so my day avoiding beer is set.

If any of you ever come to San Diego, please hit me up and I will give you the scoop on breweries, brewpubs, and craft beer bars in whatever neighborhood you're visiting or whatever type of beer you're looking for. I heart San Diego and our beer scene.

4 days left.....

 

[Scriv]

Day 13: stressful day, car accident, upset wife, cranky baby, etc.

An icy brew would sure hit the spot right now.

17 to go.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

Day 13: stressful day, car accident, upset wife, cranky baby, etc.

An icy brew would sure hit the spot right now.

17 to go.

Hope everyone is okay Scriv.

 

[Scriv]

Hope everyone is okay Scriv.

We're all good, somebody hit me leaving the gym early this morning, kinda set the tone for the whole day. Things happen, tomorrow is a new day.

 

[Rhumbline]

DAY 26 COMES TO A CLOSE:

...

If any of you ever come to San Diego, please hit me up and I will give you the scoop on breweries, brewpubs, and craft beer bars in whatever neighborhood you're visiting or whatever type of beer you're looking for. I heart San Diego and our beer scene.

4 days left.....

Good job everyone! We're so short, we could play handball against a curb.

ArizonaGoalie, I'm actually going to be in SD for the last week in July attending a conference. I'm staying in the Gaslamp Quarter and if you've got any suggestions for a good pizza or brewpub/restaurant within walking distance I'd like to hear them. That's a pretty touristy area so I know I may have to roam a bit.

I went last year and ate most of my meals from Ralph's supermarket.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

Good job everyone! We're so short, we could play handball against a curb.

ArizonaGoalie, I'm actually going to be in SD for the last week in July attending a conference. I'm staying in the Gaslamp Quarter and if you've got any suggestions for a good pizza or brewpub/restaurant within walking distance I'd like to hear them. That's a pretty touristy area so I know I may have to roam a bit.

I went last year and ate most of my meals from Ralph's supermarket.

Quad AleHouse just opened on the third floor above Gaslamp Tavern. 28 rotating, local taps. I'm hearing good things.

If you can catch a short Uber or Lyft to Little Italy (about 5 minutes away by car), you can check out Bottlecraft - a bottle shop with taps, and Ballast Point Little Italy, one of their satellite locations. BP has food.

I've also heard good things about Ciro's Pizzeria in the Gaslamp - local craft brew on tap.

Send me a PM with your email address and then hit me up with your dates and what days/nights you plan on having a pint.

 

[Scriv]

Day 14: my first Father's Day, my 5 month old daughter got me a brand new corny and a bottle of Stickee Monkey. I explained to her that I'll enjoy it on day 31.

16 days til Stickee Monkey.

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

If it makes you feel better I scored a 5

6

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

DAY 27!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads.

I must confess a small sin. While bottling my amber today, I poured myself 1.5oz to see if it was close to the mark. It was. No other embibing, just a QC sample.

First Father's Day without a beer in at least 10 years.

3. Days. Left.