I’ve done Dry January in the past, but that was when I had had a really bad December… I’m older and wiser (maybe?) now.
These days I normally limit alcohol consumption to weekends*, there’s a lot more good non-alcoholic beers available now which is good. I find after I’ve done my workout etc and I sit down at 8 or 9 pm, I want a long drink and non alcoholic beer hits that quite well for me. Brewdog Punk AF is my favourite I think. Alcohol free weissbier is great post-workout.
There’s a history of alcoholism on my dad’s side of the family so I try to be a little careful, but fortunately I don’t seem to have any problem with not drinking when I don’t want to.
*although we have a Wednesday night club ride which usually finishes at the pub, so if I do that I’ll often have one there…
I stopped drinking about 3 years ago. I’ve seen some discussion of a few of you getting into Athletic Brewing as a healthier alternative. This is what I did as well and I’m now an ambassador for them.
If anyone would like to try Athletic Brewing, feel free to PM me if you’d like a 20% discount code on your first online order.
Best of luck to all participating in Sober October!
Plus 1 on the athletic brewing…that stuff is soo good. I bought a case and a half for a training block and just had that (it still has .5 ABV) and lost a little weight and generally felt a little better.
Life is too short to not drink beer
My latest Athletic Brewing delivery just arrived this morning! As an ambassador can you feed back to them that we’d love more variety in Canada? We’re slowly getting there but the US store has so much more choice!
Interesting - was just talking to my wife last week about this after a crappy night sleep after an evening beer (Jade IPA, FWIW).
I really enjoy a beer or (max) two on the weekend, but I do see that when I abstain for periods of time that my weight goes down automagically. I am not quite sure the mechanism as it does not appear to be just a calorie thing though. Sleep seem to be ok in general as long as I stop before 7 or 8 PM and drink a lighter gravity beer (which Jade is not).
Maybe one of these time periods I will stop for an extended time…but I love the switch to fall-style beers. Balance in everything - hard to see how performance gains on the bike would be worth missing the pleasures of a nice brown ale, marzen, or stout while the leaves fall in my yard
Yeah, I’m generally in the camp of adopting practices that are sustainable for the long run - like decades. This applies to diet, exercise and alcohol.
I drink way less than I used to years ago, and am at a level that I’m happy with. If a couple of weeks go by without a beer, it’s more out of circumstances than a proactive plan.
I think quitting for a period of time can help however, especially if you’re currently on the “too much” side of the spectrum. It can help reset the system and make you realize you feel better with less.
It’s easy for a lot of people to develop “momentum” with alcohol. At first it’s a beer or glass of wine once or twice a week. Then it’s 4-5 times per week. Then it’s one every night. Then it’s 2, etc, etc.
And you can say that you are not an alcoholic. You aren’t getting rip roaring drunk every night. You aren’t going out to bars or getting in trouble with the law but you’ve definitely transitioned to craving that alcohol on the way home from work so you can start your nightly buzz.
It’s good to take a break and redefine one’s relationship with alcohol.
All this this 100% for me as well. If i stop for a few weeks I am able to reset back to just having a few beers with the wife or friends when there is a social even that it actually enhances. Over time that turns into weekday beers “cause why not” and the sleep and body comp negatives that come with it. I am getting too far to the not helpful side now so I am game for a 30 day reset with exceptions for a family wedding and a birthday. Both events that I personally feel will be made better with some MODERATE intake.
I feel you on the after dinner junk food as well. I have done sober months before but I dont think I have ever made it 30 days without overeating crap food I would rather avoid. Ice cream is tough for me, but honestly the salty snacks late in the evening when I am tired and will power fades are what just destroys my diet. Indoor training makes me crave salt like crazy and if i open a bag of something I am just going to say F it and eat the whole thing if its 45min from bed time.
Thank you for naming “weekday beers” as a separate thing. That’s the thing i’m trying to get my arms around. The Tuesday or Wednesday night where you mindlessly have a couple beers and then get into the sugary foods. Both of those make sleep (for me) crappy, and it all compounds. I know that sounds dramatic, but i"m not 30 anymore and I need my own version of “marginal gains” to stay on track (not get ahead). If that means less beers over time, so be it!
Yes I am, - need to detox a bit and also shed a few pounds. That said, I’m almost a week in and have noticed no difference to how I feel, plus I have stopped sleeping - gone from about 6-7 hours a night to about 3-4! Anyway determined to keep the faith, see it out, and hope things improve.
Glad it’s not just me that doesn’t get miraculous great sleep from stopping drinking! You always read how alcohol affects sleep etc etc - according to my fitbit it seems to make absolutely no difference (apart from maybe getting up in the night to use the toilet) and I still feel dead tired/hungover in the morning when not drinking!
Either way, doing SO, mainly to drop a couple of kilos. Have done it in the past expecting to notice a big difference, but just had a boring month
I’ve been developing a theory on alcohol and eating. When the drug lowers your inhibitions, it’s just so easy to say F-It! and eat a whole bag of chips or giant bowl of ice cream.
This is 100% true, but I think being tired is nearly as bad. My willpower, even sober, after 9pm sucks if i am tired. Bored on the couch watching tv before bed the siren song of the salty snack wins every time if i slept poorly. If i had a few beers the day before it means I slept just a bit less well and this can result in poor eating for 2 or 3 days via the non ideal recovery.
