Anyone stopped drinking for 6 months/a year

[Torpar]

I cut right down on the beers two years ago after getting black out drunk at my now wife's 30th, she never told me or asked me to cut back but I realised it was time to grow up a bit and having hangovers in your 30s can only be avoided by not drinking too much. Started keeping it to a 6 pack a weekend, then maybe one on Friday and Saturday, by January this year I was drinking 1 maybe every two or three weekends.

My wife found out she was pregnant in January and I just stopped drinking right away, again she never asked me and said I was welcome to have a beer but it doesn't seem right to me, so it's been over 6 months since I had a beer, probably the longest time since I was 15/16.  I'm not saying I will never drink again but right now I don't miss it at all. My wife was also unfortunately diagnosed with gestational diabetes so I went on the same diet as her. Between the diet and not drinking I've probably never been in such good shape since my teens/early 20s. I had to make sure the scales weren't broken this morning when I weighted in at 181lbs (13 stone, I'm 6ft tall)

I'm not going to be a hypocrite and start calling folk out for drinking, I had great fun getting hammered every weekend when I was younger but I have friends my age and older on Facebook who post at the start of every weekend how much they are going to be drinking that weekend then by Sunday moan about how hungover they are, and never seem intend on changing. 

[Clockwork]

Stopped for six months this year, end of Dec beginning of July, so not induced by lockdown, just wanted to get a bit healthier and lose a few pounds. Did feel slightly better, with a bit more energy I suppose. Haven’t been back to the pub yet but started enjoying a few beers again at home in the garden and the odd glass of wine with a meal. I’ve definitely missed it.

[The Moonster]

5 hours ago, throbber said:

My girlfriend wants me to give it up entirely a month before her due date. I think she’s being pretty unreasonable if I’m honest.

My pal and his girlfriend are having a wean and he told her he would stop drinking for the whole pregnancy. She called him a massive poof. I don't care for the homophobic slur, but I've never really understood the mentality of "I can't drink so neither should you" attitude some women have, so it's nice to see the opposite attitude in play.

[Derry Alli]

2 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

Obesity thread for this shite but I have been weighing myself twice a week on a Monday and a Friday for 2 months.

What I have noticed is with healthy eating and exercise I generally drop 3/4 pounds Mon-Fri and put 3/4 on Fri-Mon.

Get the occasional net loss week which has meant me dropping a stone ovet the 2 months but I wonder what a month off the booze could do.

Guess we'll never know.

I'm the complete opposite. Plateau Mon - Fri but as soon as the weekend comes I can easy lose 4lb. 

Eating is cheating. 

[welshbairn]

3 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

My pal and his girlfriend are having a wean and he told her he would stop drinking for the whole pregnancy. She called him a massive poof. I don't care for the homophobic slur, but I've never really understood the mentality of "I can't drink so neither should you" attitude some women have, so it's nice to see the opposite attitude in play.

She probably doesn't want to be shamed into not having the odd glass herself.

[invergowrie arab]

28 minutes ago, Mr. Alli said:

I'm the complete opposite. Plateau Mon - Fri but as soon as the weekend comes I can easy lose 4lb. 

Eating is cheating. 

I could do that in my 20s on a weekend diet rich in vodka tonics and cocaine 

[accies1874]

On Friday it'll be six months since I had any booze which is the longest I've gone since I first started drinking. I sort of got to four/five months incidentally because of lockdown, but by then I just wanted to make it to six as an arbitrary milestone.

[Ross.]

1 hour ago, The Moonster said:

My pal and his girlfriend are having a wean and he told her he would stop drinking for the whole pregnancy. She called him a massive poof. I don't care for the homophobic slur, but I've never really understood the mentality of "I can't drink so neither should you" attitude some women have, so it's nice to see the opposite attitude in play.

My missus was OK with me having a bevvy while she was pregnant, but with her being pregnant the opportunities were far rarer, other than when I was home and then I would have a skinful. Last couple of months of the pregnancy I pretty much gave up in case anything happened and I had to drive her to the hospital. They have fairly strict 0% laws on drink driving during the first 3 years of having a license, so I had to make sure I was completely clean in that respect. Since then I just haven't really bothered, even when she has encouraged me to go and catch up with folk. The fact I would only be able to have 1 or 2 at most(Due to the driving thing) puts me off, as I have always been a bit of a binge drinker.

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, Ross. said:

The fact I would only be able to have 1 or 2 at most(Due to the driving thing) puts me off, as I have always been a bit of a binge drinker.

How did you manage before you bought a car?

[Ross.]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

How did you manage before you bought a car?

Public transport here is generally incredibly thorough and reliable. Unless you live halfway up a mountain, there is little need to drive.

From the age of 22-30, before I left Scotland, I spent most of the time renting flats in the West End and City Centre of Glasgow. Again, little need for a car.

Had Jennifer not fallen pregnant, I probably wouldn’t have bothered learning.

[Raidernation]

Over 6 months now, and I’m pretty sure most of you know it’s a necessity in my case.

Not only have I been going to AA and actually “working” the steps I’m now sponsoring people. Really does make a difference

[D.A.F.C]

Not a fan of drinking anymore really.

If anyone wants to drink and to excess then that's their business. Do get annoyed at people boasting about it as if its an achievement. I find it sad that they need to drink to bring some sort of relief to their life.
Sort your life dont hide behind drink.

[Shandon Par]

In true Sick Boy style, Mrs Par stopped drinking (she was a lightweight anyway) just after me, just to show how easy it was. She never even mentions it, the fucker. 

Really admire folk who can do moderation and actually enjoy a beer or two or a glass of wine. Like @Raidernation, the first would purely be to light the fuse. I remember going to see Hereditary at the cinema. We'd already been out for dinner etc but I managed to sink three pints of Stella in the couple of minutes it took Mrs to collect the tickets and thinking "that's a bit desperate/jaikey). They were three of the tastiest and coldest ever though (Odeon Luxe at Wester Hailes). 

Even as a kid of about 15 I couldn't sit through a film in the cinema without nipping out to the offie for more booze. 

[Stellaboz]

I had a single bottle of beer earlier in the afternoon. Feel fine leaving it at that now, but for a while I was tempted to start hitting the limoncello, really trying to watch my weight nowadays so it's easy to not bother. It's sweet treats that still kill me.

[throbber]

3 hours ago, The Moonster said:

My pal and his girlfriend are having a wean and he told her he would stop drinking for the whole pregnancy. She called him a massive poof. I don't care for the homophobic slur, but I've never really understood the mentality of "I can't drink so neither should you" attitude some women have, so it's nice to see the opposite attitude in play.

My Mrs isn’t that bad really, the first pregnancy she did about the same and asked me to stop when she went on maternity leave, I still managed to get a few nights of having beer in during this time down to constantly badgering her for it or making excuses like I’d had a busy/productive day and was entitled to it. At the end of the day if it’s what you want to do you’re going to find a way to do it. 
 

She’ll still use it against me by saying I enjoyed lockdown a little bit too much despite me only drinking 3 nights a week and make it out that I owe her a favour because I have been able to drink when she hasn’t though. 

[Theroadlesstravelled]

It's probably been last year since I've had alcohol.
I'd really rather do something else than sit and drink.

[Derry Alli]

I'm alright with not having a drink. If I'm with a few of my lassie mates and we are out for food or I go on a date I'm able to watch them drink and me not. I can even go to the football and not drink. There is a group of mates that I simply cannot go anywhere with without it ending up a full sesh. It's quite saddening that it's that lot I see more than others (families, young kids etc) so just get mortal'd a lot of the time. 

The other week I met one of them at 2pm for a couple and a blether when beer gardens first opened. Ended up cycling home absolutely away with it at 11pm and can't remember closing the works gate after collecting my bike. 

Edited August 5, 2020 by Mr. Alli

[Doctor]

Not drunk any alcohol for a year on roughly the first of July and been off the drugs for a week today. Its not easy but when it gets to the point that you really want to it gives you something to focus on

[8MileBU]

7 hours ago, Doctor said:

Not drunk any alcohol for a year on roughly the first of July and been off the drugs for a week today. Its not easy but when it gets to the point that you really want to it gives you something to focus on

Strictly just prescribing them these days Doctor? 

Superb effort not drinking for so long. Well done making a week off the drugs too and all the best moving forward. 

 

[throbber]

9 hours ago, Mr. Alli said:

I'm alright with not having a drink. If I'm with a few of my lassie mates and we are out for food or I go on a date I'm able to watch them drink and me not. I can even go to the football and not drink. There is a group of mates that I simply cannot go anywhere with without it ending up a full sesh. It's quite saddening that it's that lot I see more than others (families, young kids etc) so just get mortal'd a lot of the time. 

The other week I met one of them at 2pm for a couple and a blether when beer gardens first opened. Ended up cycling home absolutely away with it at 11pm and can't remember closing the works gate after collecting my bike. 

That kind of lifestyle is quite easy to shake off tbh it’s just a question of how long you enjoy long and heavy binging sessions with the same old faces before you end up getting sick of it or get forced to stop as you have a partner and can’t be fucked with it all. When it’s a genuine alcohol habit and you enjoy boozing in the house then it is far more difficult lifestyle to knock on the head, even if people on the outside think you have settled down somewhat.