I quit for a year. Zero booze from 10/15 to 10/16. Not really sure why, I just did it. I routinely give it up for lent just because, but the year long thing just seemed like the thing to do at the time.

Had labs drawn after and didn't see much of a change at all.

My cholesterols were high as I suspected, although I don't worry too much about that. I was surprised, though, that my triglycerides didn't drop hardly at all given that whiskey is pretty much pure sugar water and that's my drink of choice.

Meh...we all gotta die of something.

Not sure about the medically/sciencey stuff at play, but glad the results were so good!

Great job.
Eat oatmeal to lower your numbers even further.

GOOD FOR YOU!!! I get it! As a drinker that thought I could control myself, I was dealt two alcoholic parents and found one of them dead from booze. I always thought drinking was part of a normal life. I became my parents and heavy drinking ruled my life for years. As an alcoholic, my world morphed into a spiral of fail that would make a paperback novel like nursery rhymes.

Couple of failed marriages, (I was good at the women thing I thought), financial disruption, luckily only minor driving screw-ups. Bout $600,000 in Real Estate losses, yeah, I was a loser.. I had a problem. Those Motherfuckers were right!, I was an Alchoholic.

My current Wife, God bless her, a Psychologist, has ALWAYS supported me and never judged me as the rest of the world did, they slowly started to see Me as I was, an alcoholic. How she managed to believe in me and the love she has for me, still after 14 years of marriage blows my mind. I am very fortunate. It was through her support, her family's support and prayers, that I gave it up to God and I was "spoken" to one night and told I MUST stop. Having consumed booze for 45ish years every day, I was scared shitless. My doctors up till then had been lied to about my drinking. Blood tests, good. Blood pressure was a problem for about 15 years. During that 15 years, I had three spine surgeries to try and help damage from a severe auto accident when I was 17, drunk by the way. Pain Meds never became a problem because I used alcohol.

I remember the evening I "accepted" Gods words. I am not going too deep into this but, a life changing miracle was granted. I, by the way am a Christian as are my Wife and In-laws. I knew i was going to stop drinking but was terrified because I could not function daily without drinking. Rehab,oh to the Hell no! Seizures, there is a possibility. I was scared to death. I saw my Father trying from time to time, to ease down from booze, only to start again. I have to stop....... I was spoken to! I don't want to die.....

I (this will sound silly) pro-rated the amount of alcohol I was drinking daily and divided that by six weeks. I am weaning my way down.

For those that don't know me I am blessed and cursed by a stubborn side of me that helped save my life. I stuck by my decision to stop. Without God, my wife, my in-laws, and prayers from people who cared, I am working on Year three! No, I can't tell you how many days, how many hours, and I don't take any chips or any cakes. I have NOT ONE THING against a 12 step program, but the opposite, it has saved countless lives! Thank God for AA, because I've seen it work for many!

I lost sooo much shit in my life when I lost the booze. I gained sooo much in my life when I gave up booze. I am thankful! I am blessed. I am free. My life changed, I do NOT have the desire to go back. I lost about 20 lbs. Blood pressure is PERFECT!!!!!! I am a 60 year old man that just takes an aspirin every day and that's it! I'm healthy, how can you put a body through what we do sometimes and not die? Faith and blessings........ at least for me. My Sigforum family, sorry for the purge. I had to share. Prayers for the OP. It won't hurt! There is hope! I am proof. I am thankful.
Jim



Now I make knives!

quote:

Originally posted by Copefree:
And my cholesterol went down just a skosh.

Same here. 207 to 176 over the year. Glucose is also back in line. 9 months no beer.

But I'm no quitter. There was (were?) a dozen mixed beers in the fridge the whole time, until I gave them to a friend, and replenished with a fresh 12-pack of Bass Ale ... now proudly brewed and bottled by AB/Inbev in Merrimack NH.

The weight? That's another matter! Gotta get on the bicycle and sweat a bit.

Jim,

Excellent post! Thanks for your honesty.

Knives you say? Got a website?

Spokane228 can you zip me your email address? Mine is in my profile!

Keep doing what you're doing, Jim (sybo).
My 5-year mark is coming up in a few weeks.

That's great news! Light beer has a lot of nasty stuff in it that a good natural brew does not. Plus all the healthy stuff is filtered out.

Congratulations!
Alcohol is one of those things I wish we could un-invent.

sybo:

Thank you for your post.

Bless you.

Jim,

Thanks for your post. I can empathize with a lot of what you said about drinking.

I, too, was a daily drinker ... for over 10 years. I still lived my life, maintained a marriage, have two young children, have a great job, and have never been in trouble.

I learned however, over the past year or so, that I can't maintain this drinking habit. It would end me. And it was robbing me of who I really should be -- it was impacting my life -- I didn't have the energy I wanted and my stomach always hurt.

I went to the doctor, told him my issues, and I asked if I could safely quit drinking from the comfort of home. Although he didn't like the idea of that (he wanted me to go to a formal detox place) he said I could try that.

So I did, and I went back to see him 3 times the first week so he could monitor my symptoms.

The craziest thing? I was so scared of stopping, because of what I would go through (shaking, tremors, seizures, hallucinations, etc, etc) but I had absolutely NONE of that! It went better than I could have ever imagined.

And man, this past month has been the best month I've had ... perhaps ... ever. Mentally, spiritually, physically. Everything is better. And I feel amazing. My blood pressure is absolutely perfect. My stomach is healed. I've never slept better. And I'm living again.

well thats good news

Quit the devils brew a little over a year ago
dropped 90 pounds, whiskey was my go to, too much I guess, needed to drop weight, empty calories and sugar was first to go, now it's down to fighting the fat with exercise.

I've had the occasional glass at celebrations but for the most part it got easier, just stay away from some of the smoker get togethers and when I go BYO non alcoholic drinks.

It does help your bloodwork numbers and there is no logical way it doesn't improve your body functions...

quote:

...
Jim



Now I make knives!

Nearing 20 years for me giving up booze, I also make knives. Quit drinking = make knives, what is up with that?
My life is Fantasy Island every day compared to those dark days.

Wow, I guess the statement " now I make knives " did come out a little funky!! That's just one of the many many blessings that has come to light in my life without all the self-destruction. Just about everything in my life today is a blessing and many of the things like the making of my knives are icing on the proverbial cake!!

I quit the day after Easter, so I am two weeks into it. I've lost six pounds. I thought it would be brutal, but I just stopped. I think I knew it was time. I was a daily scotch drinker, and I didn't always stop at three or four. . . so I had a habit. When I stopped smoking, twenty five or so years ago, I was able to do the same thing. I just quit doing it. I don't know why I started both habits in the first place.

I am hoping to lose the weight I put on with it, but I've plateaued so I need to add more exercise into the equation I think.

excellent - congrats

I was never a heavy drinker, but have reduced my intake to "very rare" and has been months since I had more than 1-2 drinks at a sitting. I feel more energetic, sleep better, moderate weight loss.

I'm not 25 yrs old anymore, prefer to have a clear head most days, and have too much to do to be feeling lousy / waiting for a hangover to go away. I have 2-3 ounces of port at night and dark chocolate square as my EOD routine while reading. That is about it - even beer sits in my fridge for weeks at a time now. Hard liquor...once every 2 months if even that. Basically don't drink it.

I'm better for it, but as Gustofer said - I do enjoy the taste / variety and life is too short to say "never". Moderation works for me, but I'm one short step from "not for a long while" ...