goal 1 year of the booze BUT !

[The time is now]

Hi There

I did 3 months of the sauce last year - which was good but not long enough to get the full mind body and soul back into shape.

SO i have always thought about doing a year off the sauce to focus on health and fitness ( i have a big ass fitness event goal) bUT my body is worn out , knees ache etc but confident with a long period off the sauce they will come right. i see and follow people who have done the 1 year off and its been a great to see the transformation

Most who know me will say just do moderation who me ? most who know me WELL will say take a year off !

Now heres the thing when ever i look at my 1 year quit date i think oh BUT i have a holiday coming up, a family event etc i hate flying STRAIGHT and always have a few wines to take the edge of , cant fly sober then this is the BIG thing my parents are coming to visit at xmas and they (DAD) love to go to the pub EVERY day and drink quite heavy everyday - i can imagine my dads face when i say i am on a 1 year no beer he will say you should have told me son i wouldnt have come etc - then i have a family holiday coming up - what no beer at the beach ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

so the time passes by and the 1 year of the booze is no date set !

your thoughts on this ?

[paulywogg]

goal 1 year of the booze BUT !

sounds like my family,just work on getting healthy for yourself,the heck with everything else,maybe dont look at the whole year right off the bat,but definitely dont focus on holidays,i think that trips us up sometimes

[K9Lover]

goal 1 year of the booze BUT !

TTIN -

There is always going to be SOMETHING coming up that could be an excuse to drink. I don't understand why you HAVE to drink at all these events? Yes, you have in the past...but making changes in your life means doing this differently. That doesn't mean they won't be fun anymore. Weekends were my heaviest drinking times, and somehow I've gotten through 71 of them....

I suggest you just worry about today. Looking too far into the future makes the task seem even more daunting, and it doesn't have to be.

[Byrdlady]

goal 1 year of the booze BUT !

It isn't anyone else's liver, the way I see it.
This is LIFE. There are always going to be weddings and birthdays and holidays and a weekend celebration. The only good time to quit is right now before you find a 100 reasons not to. Once being AF is a way of life, you will see that what other people think is no longer the prison it once was. I didn't seem to care what other people thought when I drank myself silly! If your dad doesn't come to see you because you AREN'T drinking I'm afraid there are bigger issues afoot that your being sober. I can't imagine a father being that shallow. You might tell him ahead of time so it's not a surprise...I bet his reaction will be totally different than you think. The Addiction is telling you these things. Addiction Head, Dick Head, wants you to believe them. Trust me, once you get sober, you won't care if someone else doesn't like you because you don't drink. You will see it for what it is. Misery doesn't just love company, it loves miserable company. I used to hang out with heavy drinkers, too....and now I see that I only did that because I could get away with my problem. They were enablers, not really good friends.

There will always be something that holds you back unless you commit to this. There are no 'yes, but's' in addiction, I'm afraid. It's like being pregnant, you are or you aren't. Being AF is an adjustment, but it's the best thing I ever did for myself. I can see AL now for the drug it is. I don't need it to have a good time or be social. The person I thought it brought out is still in there. Alcohol dependency is a bitch, but the sooner you face the inevitable facts about it and accept it, you can move on with your life. Otherwise you are stuck in a loop. I was stuck there a long time. Change takes action....doing the same things over and over expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. I did it! If you keep playing this loop of putting it off the only thing you will have lost is another precious year of your life. Another year to Alcohol. It's a dam shame, but you can do something about it. The only way to control it is to cut off it's food supply. Take the 30 day challenge. Try not to look too far down the road, it's overwhelming. Don't let the FEAR of doing this keep you from it. It's really not that bad! It is totally do-able! I'll guarantee you that more people will envy you for being sober than those who would envy you being drunk. Give it a try! Byrdie

[Alky]

goal 1 year of the booze BUT !

I used to be a serious beer snob and even used to brew my own beer. One thing that's helped me get through many a potentially awkward social engagement is to bring my own non-alcoholic brew, pour it into a glass, and no one is the wiser. Especially when I'm around professional colleagues and acquaintances; people in whose presence I don't feel like answering the question "Why aren't you drinking anymore?" And, since I'm no longer chasing a buzz, one, maybe two max 12 oz (355 ml) bottles suffice.

I'm flying to California from Florida next week. I hear you about the plane ride being a challenge. One of my past mantras used to be "it ain't air travel without booze." I've done more than my fair share of drinking in airports as well.