beer drinking injured athlete

[Guest]

It has got to be good karma that I stumbled onto this web site.

I have noticed that my drinking habits have changed the last 2 years and I tend to drink almost daily. I'm capable of abstaining for a 5-6 days at a time once in a while but it seems more difficult to get in "the zone" and as soon as I hava few beers or glasses of wine I'm back to having 2-3 drinks/day.

I realize this is not a lot of drinking but I do observe higher numbers on the weekends (5-6) and then 3 drinks on a weekday seems normal.

I'm very athletic and regarded as a very health eater so I think it's crazy that I drink daily. Not a big deal to some people but it's starting to bother my stomach and I feel less perky in the morning. When I don't drink at all, I feel AWESOME in the morning.

So I broke my knee cap while mountain biking and thought, well I'll just eat 'ultra healthy' and really treat my body right while the knee heals. And I do eat healthy but I also have been drinking 2-4 beers or glasses of wine a night. Mostly due to boredom and lack of endorphines I guess.

So this week I decide no alcohol until Saturday when we attend a party.....well I had 3 beers on Monday and 2 tonight. I still get a lot done around the house but this is not ME! And I foresee it slowling creeping to more and more.

My goal is to be a moderate drinker on Friday & Saturday and no drinking Sunday-Thursday. Seems so simple, but nooooooo.

I try to not keep any alcohol in the house but manage to find an excuse to buy some..

I have not read the book but will do so and will read more about the program. I am goal-oriented so I hope by finding a program like this I can get my habits back in balance.

I really thought that while I was injured I could focus on my cooking and read a lot but I'm ashamed to have slacked off to looking forward to a cold beer each day.

Thanks for listening!! I hope to hop into the on-going abstinence program.

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

beer drinking injured athlete

congrats on finding this so soon and realizing what may be a problem before it becomes a big problem. Perhaps there is something else missing and this is just filling the void for right now but it can become a big part of "filling the void" all of the time, so get the supps and stay strong. You can do this!

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

I believe breaking my knee cap has been a good thing. It's allowed me the time to think and search for this program. I read the book in one night and ordered the CDs today. I think I will really like the CDs.

I had one beer last night and was able to keep it to one and watch a movie without thinking about the fridge. Felt great this morning.

I should be able to listen to the CDs for a couple weeks before I can start exercising again. Once I can get back to exercising I hope to overcome the habit of exercising and then going home and drinking while I cook and do chores. Why not just cook and do chores with a clear mind!

Joining the forums has been the best. Like everyone says, it makes you realize you're not alone and habits can be changed!

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

I understand how you feel. I too am very athletic and also very healthy eater, I have allowed this as an excuse to be able to drink. I have been fooling myself that my healthy lifestyle overshadows the drinking. I too have allowed the number of drinks to creep up and have also made myself work out harder in order to reward myself with a bottle of wine. Maybe all this working out stresses us out somewhat and we need to drink. As with drinking, exercise should be done in moderation as well. I hope your knee gets better and let's face it, drinking is drinking, if it's more than 2 it's too much. I wish I had the discipline with the drinking that I have with the way I eat and with the exercise.

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

tryingtobegood2,

Thanks for the post! I know cycling got to be a stress for me to the point of burning out on the sport after years of hard training and that's when it became easier to have a drink here and there and it kept increasing.

I no longer compete. It was hard at first, I didn't know what to do with myself. Maybe the drinking replaced some of those endorphins? I do okay for up to 5 days and then have a few beers and it seems to trigger the daily ritual for a few weeks. I hope to break that crazy cycle.

The CDs came today and I've put them on my MP3 player so I can easily listen. I went for my first walk in 5 weeks! It was great. Came home, iced the knee and listened to the first CD. It really helped.

Breaking the knee cap was a good thing since it wasn't serious enough to require surgery but it gave me time to think about my habits and do some soul searching. And I found this cool website!

Rock on! Stay positive. Thx!

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Happy Tuesday,
Thanks for your reply to my other post, good suggestion about the body fat concentration. I think I would rather eat healthly and stay away from the alcohol then eat to counteract it's impact on me. Breaking the cycle is very hard, I know what you mean about allowing one or two and then it starts all over again. I am going to really try to work on telling myself no when the urge comes to have just one, the more we do this the stronger we get, just like exercise. Glad to hear you were able to go for a walk today. I still have to order the CD's. Yesterday was my first experience with this site and I really like it. By the way, what are on the CD's? Hope your day is good.

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Re:CDs

There are 4 CDs. Last night, I listened to the 1st one titled 'clearing' and most of the 2nd CD 'hypnotic' but I fell asleep listening to #2. The 1st CD is basic meditation and clearing of the mind to 'open the subconscious mind'. The 2nd builds on #2 but also addresses drinking specifically through affirmations (and maybe subliminal messages?). I haven't listened to #3 & 4 (subliminal and sleeping). The CDs come with a short schedule of what CDs to listen to in what order over a course of a week.

A man does the speaking and his delivery is a little funky but it may be part of the technique.

I started with reading the book - I downloaded it.

The downloadable book describes the hypnosis in more detail. It's basically visualization, meditation, relaxation, self-hypnosis, positive affirmations. Is it worth the $$? It seemed a little pricey to me, but if it helps retrain my brain, it will pay for itself in $$ saved not buying good wine!

I've always been curious about hypnosis so I bought the CDs the day after I read the book.

I hope that I have caught my habit at an early enough stage that I can change without prescription medicine.

I'm hoping the CDs are like buying a new bike or new trail shoes where I get all excited and want to use 'my new stuff'. I'm open to the concept of self-hynosis and am patient enough to realize it won't change my brain over night.

Stay in touch and you're right, counteractive eating is not the right approach. We just have to get on a training program!

Have a good evening!

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Re: Re:CDs

Hi. It's a really pretty day here, the sun always gives me such a lift. Would you keep me posted on the CD's, they sound like something that I would not keep doing since they sound strange. The approach I am starting with is that I have acknowledged that wine is not good for me, I am going to stay away from it entirely (or at least really really try). When it comes to other drinking I don't have a problem-I think there is something in wine that many people are allergic to which makes us addicted to it, if that makes any sense. You sound like you are ahead of the game and don't sound either like you are too far down the river styx that you need medication to stop. Would love if you give me your honest opinion of the CD's as you use them. I just got the Kudzu in the mail today and will take that since it sounds like it would be a good thing to take. Hope your day is good.

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Re: Re:CDs

We're finally getting sun after a few stormy days. I will be busy mowing the grass tonight!

I totally agree with you about wine. I have the hardest time with it. It may be an allergy or intolerance. It's definitely a different feeling.

As for the CDs, continue without them and if you start to struggle then reconsider buying them. You can accomplish a lot by just relaxing your mind and visualizing how you want to feel, look, act at a party etc. That's the big thing the CDs teach you - a routine of relaxing the mind, and repeating affirmations related to what you want to accomplish. Visualize how good you feel in the morning, the way you want to act at a party, etc. Tell yourself you're healthy, fit and moderation or abstaining is part of your lifestyle.

So the CDs force me to quiet my mind and think about how I want to live, act, feel. They are a bit time consuming and I hope to adopt the techniques and come up with a shorter routine of relaxation and positive affirmations. Personal affirmations can be repeated in your mind any time -- while exercising, doing chores, getting ready for work ,etc.

The Kudzu and L-glutamine seem most effective. I started both over a week ago and last Friday I had a couple beers and it took me hours to drink them. Saturday, I took one dose early in the day and went to a party in the late afternoon and forgot to bring the other does. I drank too much champagne and wine that night...oops. I wonder if I had taken the afternoon/evening does if I would have moderated?

yadda, yadda, yadda I hope you're having another great day. Go out for a nice run and tell yourself you're doing the right thing. You too are ahead of the game and will have success with changing your habits.

C ya'!

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Re: Re:CDs

Hi, Thanks for your insights. This week has been very good for me, last night I had about a little over 1/2 of a beer and decided I didn't want the rest. I am very good about that with food, once I'm full I don't want to eat anymore so really going to try to do that with the booze, get a little relaxed and say enough. This weekend may be a bit tougher, Sunday afternoons since I work all week and then also on Saturday, Sundays I really like to chill out and drinking has been a big part of that game plan. This one will be my first with "trying to be good". Interesting what you said about the party, I would like to have known if you would have been more moderate if you did not miss the dosage. Habits are very hard to break, but you seem like a very disciplined person, keep on keeping on..you will get the best of this one too. Mowing grass is in my future as well. Isn't Spring wonderful!

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Weekends

You have no idea how "high" you will be when you complete a weekend without alcohol! Try it, you'll like it! The first one might be a little difficult, but the feeling of accomplishment defies description! Best of luck!

Kathy

[Guest]

beer drinking injured athlete

Re: Weekends

YoungatHeart and TTBG2,

I'm a bit worried about this weekend myself. Last night was REALLY tough. I mowed the yard and I ALWAYS have a couple beers after I mow. I took the supps before mowing and thought about those two beers left in the fridge the whole time. But the supps seemed to kick in about 1-1.5 hours after taking. I finished mowing and went for a short walk to get away from the fridge! It was weird, the desire started to pass and I was trying to want a beer but it wasn't happening.

I woke up so relieved this morning. But I am nervous about this weekend. I have abstained for 5 days before but it seems like a weekend results in a few drinks and then I go back to weekday drinking. I can't think of the last time I didn't drink for 7+ days....... :

TTBG2 -- observe when the supps seem to kick in for you and plan accordingly. I don't think they build up in the body so the timing seems to be important. I hope you have a strong weekend and get to go outside. Keep chippin' away. Thanks for the posts.