Stopped Drinking Alcohol

hahahaha

:grin: love the Daily Mash.

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Hi everyone. Newer TrainerRoad user here, and loving it. I want to share my story here, as I am often very guarded about it in “real life.” Doing so is cathartic for me and hopefully it helps somebody out there.

I came into cycling as a necessity. I’m now 33 years old, and most of my 20s were wasted, well, being wasted. That eventually led to a second DUI, which in my area means you lose your right to drive. Although I’ve been on and off the wagon since then, I do see the event as a turning point in my life. Recovery is a life long process and I’m proud to say I’m doing very well today.

Cycling changed my life. After losing my license, I bought my first “adult” bike, a cheap Trek commuter. I rode that bike to work everyday, a 20 mile round trip, with a messenger bag full of my professional clothing for the day. I was fortunate enough that our office is next door to a gym, where I got out of my spandex, showered, and dressed. Little by little, I started trying different bikes until getting a base level Trek road bike. I started doing long rides, finding local group rides, until eventually starting racing. I’ll now be entering my third season.

As others have mentioned, I suspect my story is not unique. I do struggle with a bit of a drinking culture in the racing ranks. I have only shared this story with my closest team mates. Cycling gave me freedom, therapy (in addition to the “real” therapist I see), it gave me life. I guess my point is, if you are one of these “weird” people that can have one beer and walk away, be mindful of those who struggle. I suspect that we all have an addictive personality to some extent if we find ourselves here!

Over time, I’m finding that society is becoming more and more aware of addiction and the stigma is starting to fade. Be aware that everyone can’t drink, and allow us the opportunity to be ourselves, a part of the camaraderie.

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Great post, very mature and insightful.

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7 days in.

  • Weight: Lost approximately 2 pounds and I emphasis approximate. I think a month in will be a better metric for a trend here but, will step on the scale at the end of each week because I can’t resist. For sure I don’t feel as hungry or eat as much during dinner/post dinner which is precisely when I drank.

  • Sleep seems to be about the same. I use a fitbit which is not super accurate but, just comparing data from before I’m getting a little more deep sleep.

  • GI issues: I’ve been experiencing more bloating than I ever remembered. To the point it wakes me at night. At a loss here and could have zero to do with the shift to no alcohol. I would have guessed GI issues in general would improve. I think in a few weeks everything will reach a new equilibrium.

  • Energy: Pretty much the same. However, I’m quicker to wake and get motivated for whatever needs to get done. Whether a ride, work, reading/studying etc…

  • Cycling: Surprisingly I’m struggling with all power metrics but riding well during fast competitive group rides. Proof of nothing as a shift in work stress/sleep etc…can influence this a lot. Just writing as a team mate in the same boat said he’s feeling amazing and riding off the hook. He’s a former national champ (master). Hoping I see a turn around in power soon!

Hope everyone is well and staying focused!

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Keep up the good work :+1:, I do think it takes more time to see all the effects of not drinking.
Especially if you consider the amount of time one has spent drinking that’s not all going to be ‘corrected’ in a week or a month but it does help.

I know I had a period of 1+ year in which I didn’t drink, it was a good period but I think I am more happy now when I drink with moderation in the weekends.
Just feels more balanced than not drinking all together.

Good luck to you and others that are taking up the challenge :metal:

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Hi folks, i’m on day 6 of "stopped drinking (for January) and just made it through my first weekend. Glad to have found this thread, and i know i’ll stop back in regularly to stay focused inspired and hear how you’re all doing. I stopped for a lot of reasons like the ones you’ve all shared, but if i had to summarize:

  • Lose weight - I’ve said “i’ve got to lose 15 pounds” for the last 15 years, but now I want to actually do something about it. I think stopping beer consumption is going to be the most productive caloric cut
  • Pause the habit - like a lot of the previous commenters, i’ve become that guy that has gotten into the habit of a couple beers each night. They’re awesome beers, though, as i’ve gotten really into craft beers. But it’s also an extra 600 calories a day, probably, on beer alone. But, more importantly, i’m concerned that 2 can easily turn into 3 which can easily become 4 and then “habitual” drinker becomes chronic. I’ve seen it happen to so many people i love.
  • Be more mindful - I’m at the point in my life where i feel life’s clock ticking and i’m about at halftime of the game, so to speak. I don’t want to waste any time “checking out” via alcohol.
  • Make the most of Leadville - I’ve got a really good shot at the Leadville lottery, and if i get in, i want to make the most of it. I don’t want to be regretting the beers as i get my fat ass up Columbine.

So far, i’ve lost a couple pounds, i’m sleeping noticeably better. I know i’m going to have to change some habits, but i’m kind of looking forward to finding some new ones anyway.

Not sure how long i’ll quit, because i’m one of those guys that LOVE hanging out after the ride having a beer with my buddies, talking about the ride. It’s the best part of the ride sometimes.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories!

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Checked my RHR for the last seven days and it shows a 9% reduction during a high intensity week of training.

If like me you started on the 1st Jan then all the alcohol will have now left your body and any residual side effects should have abated. you’ll be feeling, or start to feel, more positive, more energetic, have better sleep and look better.

Your clever liver is shifting that nasty fat right away and healing itself like no other organ in your body can, you can help it shift that fat by continuing to exercise. It’s now more ready than it has been in a good while to help your aerobic endurance, and will continue to get better over the next few weeks.

So you are turning into a better looking, fitter, happier athlete who can go longer, and harder. :wink:

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Alcohol Explained by William Porter is another excellent book. Highly recommend.

If you go to the website alcoholexplained.com you can get the first five chapters for free.

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I mostly quit drinking about 2 years ago. I say mostly because I’ve had a few beers here and there (including as handups in cyclocross). But overall, I’ve quit. There were essentially two reasons, the main one being a bad concussion from a crash in a crit (big pile up, no way to avoid going down). I landed on my head hard and suffered a concussion that left me symptomatic for 17 weeks! Shortly after recovering from the concussion I noticed that if I had anything to drink, I felt concussed again. A lot of my concussion symptoms were balance related; i.e. dizziness, vertigo, nausea, motion sickness. But some of it felt like a combo of low blood sugar and being hungover. So I just decided to eliminate it for my brain’s health (I’ve had several bad concussions and I don’t want Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or dementia).

The second reason is my best friend from high school. We were super close in high school, and were even roommates in college together for 2 semesters. He started drinking heavily in college and also started using a lot of illegal drugs. I drank, but nowhere near what he did. And I never felt the desire to experiment with drugs. This caused us to grow apart and go our separate ways. We are still friends and stay in touch, but he has completely destroyed his life over alcohol. His wife left him about 3 years ago. He’s unable to even find a job now and is living off of his mom’s dime (she pays his rent). He blew $200,000 of life insurance money he received from his dad’s death. And he blew it in less than 2 years. Now he doesn’t have a penny to his name, lives in an unfurnished apartment, sleeps on a yoga mat, and stays up all night drinking until he passes out. He’s been to the hospital several times with a BAC over 0.50 (for the record, 0.45 is lethal to almost everyone). And believe it or not, this guy has a Bachelor’s degree, TWO Master’s degrees, and a Law degree (although he was unable to pass the Bar exam, which I think accelerated his drinking). So, in short, I cannot enjoy a beer because I think about how much alcohol has destroyed his life. I think about him everyday, and I know there is nothing I can do to help him. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s been to rehab. And he drives straight to the liquor store the second he gets out. He calls me at all hours of the night, drunk, and completely unaware of what time of day it is. It’s a very sad situation, and I have a strong feeling that I will probably be delivering a eulogy in a year or two.

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Sorry to hear about your friend. I recently learned a more distant friend of mine is struggling, and it really made me think about what I’ve done to people who loved me in the past. You’re right, there is not much you can do other than offer support when HE makes that decision.

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Definitely not unique! Always good to remember you aren’t alone with these things, so thanks. Happy pedaling.

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PSA on CICO! I was going to start a new thread but felt insecure about it as this thread I feel brands me in a way I didn’t intend. I digress…

CICO or calories in calories out. So the 1st week of no drinking I was feeling lethargic and not making power and/or very uncharacteristically bad endurance. Basically, I overlooked the calories from the alcohol and associated extra calories I would eat while drinking and post drinking. This is a total WAG but, I’m guessing for the week I was -3000 calories. It appears I lost 2 lbs so 3000 might be way low.

So, I’m back to tracking calories until things level out. With a 2 hour ride today worth 1224Kj I’m down 2102 calories today with dinner to go.

So just a PSA. Watch those macros always but, track what you’re eating. Too large a deficit is nearly as bad as too large of a surplus.

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So true. I had already given up alcohol so my issue with the calories was recently giving up ice cream. I’m actually struggling a little to replace those calories with quality foods.

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Stopped drinking 30 years ago when first child born. Should have done it sooner.

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Couple of articles that showed up in my Pocket suggestions list:

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Plain yogurt with fresh fruit

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Good post. I know that addiction runs in my family, and I feel like being aware of susceptibility to addiction is a good first step. I periodically go off the sauce, even though I rarely drink to excess in the first place. I’m hyperaware of the insidious nature of drinking over time, and I feel like these resets help keep me grounded. More recently, I’m avoiding beer after the holidays, and since the wife is pregnant, I don’t drink much wine with her, so it’s been a good ten days where I’ve had one beer and two glasses of wine. More importantly, those have been conscious choices, not just doing so out of habit. So while not totally “dry”, I’m definitely reducing after enjoying the holidays. I think I’ll keep at this awhile.

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Posted before and no alcohol and not missing it. Feel better even though I did not drink much anyway. Started reading the below book as well from a suggestion from a friend. Pretty interesting.

Annie Grace

This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life

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Today’s day 9 of no alcohol for me. Feeling much better and sleeping much better too :grinning:

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