Stopping drinking

[Deleted member 35268]

Such is my love of cycling, and my desire to be faster and healthier, I am trying to have a month off of booze.

It may sound easy for some, but I like the occasional beer, and wine.

My weekly input is usually 4 cans of beer a week, or a bottle of wine, usually on a Friday and/or a Saturday.

I'm not overweight as such, but I have a spare tyre around my waist which needs to go.

This completely ruins my Sunday bike riding plans.

I don't drink much but I really think cutting it out for a while will really help.
Since Christmas, I've failed to stop and i'm finding the same rides harder and harder.
Time for a change of plan in my life.

So I am a week in, and doing OK. If I can do it, I will repeat this again, perhaps May (after my 47th Birthday)

Anyone else cut out drinking ?

 

[Fab Foodie]

I gave up drinking once.
















It was the worst day of my life .....

 

[subaqua]

I gave up drinking once.
















It was the worst day of my life .....

was the worst Hour of mine ........

 

[Jayaly]

I'm trying to give up sugar. It's not going well. Yesterday I fell on a packet of bourbon biscuits like they were down and still kicking on the African savannah.

 

[steve50]

Such is my love of cycling, and my desire to be faster and healthier, I am trying to have a month off of booze.

It may sound easy for some, but I like the occasional beer, and wine.

My weekly input is usually 4 cans of beer a week, or a bottle of wine, usually on a Friday and/or a Saturday.

I'm not overweight as such, but I have a spare tyre around my waist which needs to go.

This completely ruins my Sunday bike riding plans.

I don't drink much but I really think cutting it out for a while will really help.
Since Christmas, I've failed to stop and i'm finding the same rides harder and harder.
Time for a change of plan in my life.

So I am a week in, and doing OK. If I can do it, I will repeat this again, perhaps May (after my 47th Birthday)

Anyone else cut out drinking ?

If what you quote is your weekly intake of alcohol I really can't see it making that much difference to your rides, it is not a lot of alcohol by anyones stretch of the imagination.
How is your general health?
How / why does it spoil your Sunday bike ride plans?
If you are finding the same rides are getting harder perhaps it's a time for a new route or two to give you a change of scenery.
Do you ride alone, if so maybe look at finding yourself a riding partner or joining a club (local ctc) it might just be you are in need of a little encouragement / incentive to push yourself a bit more.
I quite enjoy a few beers and i have been known to go for a bike ride the day after without any ill effects

 

[nickyboy]

I cut out drinking every January. It makes zero effect on my cycling but it does help to shed a few pounds

Really, unless it's a proper sesh the night before you would be fine. Just make sure you're well hydrated in the morning. That's the problem with riding the morning after a proper sesh, you just can't get hydrated sufficiently

 

[Firestorm]

Its horses for courses, Gave up drinking years ago , with little difficulty.
Cutting right back on choccies and cakes last year was a bit harder bur achievable.
Knocking the fags on the head totally is a different ball game

 

[Deleted member 35268]

If what you quote is your weekly intake of alcohol I really can't see it making that much difference to your rides, it is not a lot of alcohol by anyones stretch of the imagination.
How is your general health?
How / why does it spoil your Sunday bike ride plans?
If you are finding the same rides are getting harder perhaps it's a time for a new route or two to give you a change of scenery.
Do you ride alone, if so maybe look at finding yourself a riding partner or joining a club (local ctc) it might just be you are in need of a little encouragement / incentive to push yourself a bit more.
I quite enjoy a few beers and i have been known to go for a bike ride the day after without any ill effects

It's not masses, so perhaps I need to cut down on eating cr@p also.
Problem with Sunday mornings after a few beers is, I can't get out of bed (early enough to get out and do 30-40 miles)
However, this Sunday, having had NO beers the night before, I still could not get out of bed but eventually got up at 7am and did a flat 30.

I do need some new routes, and I do need to start riding again with others.

Lets see how it goes.

 

[Dayvo]

II still could not get out of bed but eventually got up at 7am and did a flat 30.

I think you need to assess what 'late' actually is.

 

[fossyant]

I gave up for two months but over 6 weeks of that was in hospital.

 

[Davos87]

My wife turned me to drink before she left me..........and I never really got round to thanking her properly.

 

[ColinJ]

I can't get out of bed (early enough to get out and do 30-40 miles)

However, this Sunday, having had NO beers the night before, I still could not get out of bed but eventually got up at 7am and did a flat 30.

I think you need to assess what 'late' actually is.

Ha ha - I was thinking that!

So the problem is being reluctant to get out of bed in the dark (when it is probably still cold outside) and ride for 2 or 3 hours before your average person's alarm has even gone off ...? I don't think that alcohol is the problem!

I think if my interest in booze had only amounted to 4 or 5 pints a week, I would have given up much sooner. I was drinking that every night!

 

[Kajjal]

I stopped as it made cycling and other things alot easier. Even started eating healthily which is getting a bit frightening now.

 

[steve50]

It's not masses, so perhaps I need to cut down on eating cr@p also.
Problem with Sunday mornings after a few beers is, I can't get out of bed (early enough to get out and do 30-40 miles)
However, this Sunday, having had NO beers the night before, I still could not get out of bed but eventually got up at 7am and did a flat 30.

I do need some new routes, and I do need to start riding again with others.

Lets see how it goes.

Sounds like the problem is your own lack of enthusiasm, the line "eventually got up at 7am and did a flat 30." really comes across as though you had to "force" yourself to get up and get out on your bike, it is coming across (to me at any rate) as though you are not enjoying getting out on your bike almost as though it has become a chore rather than something you enjoy. Like you say, perhaps it is time for some changes.

 

[Sara_H]

I decided to give up drinking a few years ago. I found it difficult at first so eventually I bought The Easy Way to give up alcohol book by Alan Carr.
I don't know what magic is in those pages but before I'd finished reading it the smell of alcohol made me queasy!
Haven't had a drink for four years.