I quit alcohol for a month and lost 8 pounds with no other change. AMA

sdfszdfsdfsds wrote:

2-3 beers 3-4 times a week is very close to the edge of alcohol dependency/alcoholism.

It might not technically be alcoholism, but it's already a lifestyle, and after a while it's essentially flirting with alcoholism.

You might as well say there's nothing wrong with doing heroin 2-3 times a week, since it's not everyday. Why the f would you even say that? And why would you equate concern to pearl-clutching?

This is asinine.

I am a alcoholic and always have been.

I quit cold turkey on December 15th to train for Boston on April 15th I have only dropped 5 pounds. I have had a good training cycle with no injuries.

I will re-evaluate my drinking next Monday afternoon.......

Pretzel Man wrote:

I am a alcoholic and always have been.

I quit cold turkey on December 15th to train for Boston on April 15th I have only dropped 5 pounds. I have had a good training cycle with no injuries.

I will re-evaluate my drinking next Monday afternoon.......

Good luck with your recovery. It's way more important than your Boston time, and quitting alcohol on December 15th was your biggest accomplishment this training cycle, by far.

Re-evaluate your recovery in 53 weeks, after next year's Boston.

reqrtrer wrote:

ET OOOOHHHH wrote:

Alcohol is a diuretic. Liver and heart failure encourage water retention.

"Alcohol initially acts as a diuretic, but it affects the metabolism of electrolytes and minerals, and over time can cause a rise in the production of antidiuretic hormone, leading to an increase in water retention."

https://www.nola.com/health/2010/05/how_to_reduce_the_water_weight.html

Did you just quote Women’s Day?

sdfszdfsdfsds wrote:

nagoya wrote:

So many pearl-clutchers and weaklings in this thread.

No, 2-3 beers 3-4 times/week is not "alcoholism" even under the most cautious definition of the term. Not even close. That said, "safe" consumption depends on genetics. Winston Churchill drank 10 drinks per day for his entire life and lived to 90. For other men, that might enough for an early grave.

2-3 beers 3-4 times a week is very close to the edge of alcohol dependency/alcoholism.

It might not technically be alcoholism, but it's already a lifestyle, and after a while it's essentially flirting with alcoholism.

The vast majority of people who have a drinking lifestyle of 2-3 beers, 3-4 times/week are not flirting with alcoholism, though "alcoholism" is not a well defined term. There's a wide spectrum of relationships that people have with alcohol, and it's a complete myth that people who use alcohol on any kind of regular basis inevitably slide down into deep dependence. The myth is mostly propagated by AA--a program that has certainly helped some people, but has been mostly debunked by science.

In Europe, alcohol dependency treatment does not revolve around complete abstinence or they myth that once you're an alcoholic, you're always an alcoholic. It's actually quite common for people to move from destructive and unhealthy levels of drinking to moderate and social levels.

ea's wrote:

Alcohol is a drug. We need to stop separating the two in the social narrative.

I never said it wasn't a drug. It absolutely is. I don't think alcohol should be as socially acceptable as it is. It's a drain on society (health care costs, ruins family, kills people, etc.). So I think we're on the same side here, Cheech.

sdfszdfsdfsds wrote:

2-3 beers 3-4 times a week is very close to the edge of alcohol dependency/alcoholism.

It might not technically be alcoholism, but it's already a lifestyle, and after a while it's essentially flirting with alcoholism.

You might as well say there's nothing wrong with doing heroin 2-3 times a week, since it's not everyday. Why the f would you even say that? And why would you equate concern to pearl-clutching?

1) 2-3 beers 3-4 times a week is very close to the edge of alcohol dependency/alcoholism.

6 beers a week is the border of alcoholism? Lol, no.

2) It might not technically be alcoholism, but it's already a lifestyle, and after a while it's essentially flirting with alcoholism.

it's quite literally in the middle of the "Safe" alcohol consumption zone recommended by doctors

3) You might as well say there's nothing wrong with doing heroin 2-3 times a week, since it's not everyday. Why the f would you even say that? And why would you equate concern to pearl-clutching?

Well, now that you've revealed yourself as having a room temp IQ, I don't see the point of engaging your further. Good day sir!

I've been sober for over a year, but no changes in my weight. I was, and I am skinny, and running helps me maintain my weight and keep it stable. Interesting changes though, how much did you drink before? As much as I know, usually, beer causes weight gain, but I don't know about wine or whisky, for example. Besides drinking, I always used to eat all kinds of junk food, but I didn't gain weight from it, maybe it's different in your case, but well, good for you. By the way, here's the clinic that helped me with my drinking addiction, Promis rehab centre. https://promis.co.uk/

A couple thoughts:

1 - To the person who keeps saying that 2-3 beers 4x a week is alcoholism - you know nothing about alcoholism. Unless there was some super weird context (like the person is 80 lbs or highly allergic to booze) this is social drinking.

2 - People who don't drink because they just don't want to (NOT recovering alcoholics who don't drink - this is totally fine) tend to be real weirdos. I've never met a person who just doesn't drink and is cool. Their usually a) awkward and weird b) religious. People who don't drink for a few months for a cleanse or to lose weight etc. are fine.

3 - Alcohol can be a great tool for confidence, socialization and general relaxation. If you AREN'T an alcoholic (like an actual alcoholic drinking 8+ beers a day and letting it hurt your life) beer can help introverts overcome obstacles. It's helped me get promoted at work, make new friends and be more myself on dates when I'm nervous.

I have a cold one most nights. Does that make me an alcoholic? My wife prefers a small bowl of ice cream. Can’t remember last time I had more than one drink. Some people like chips, cookies, etc. I like a liquid bread. I could stop beer but would probably pick up something else. Maybe I am a 200 empty calorieaholic?

I quit for 2020, 9 months in.

All in all, feels really good to just be even keel each day. No terrible hangovers, no crazy drunken nights.

Will say I think alcohol used properly can be cathartic emotionally, and I don’t have that easy release anymore. You have to find other ways to let that flow out, through running, learning, meeting new people etc. Its not as easy as cracking open a few beers.

Quit alcohol for a day and lost 5 lbs

You think if you have 3 beers a night you are an alcoholic? I don't think that's the description, particularly you seemed to have zero problem quitting.

"Alcoholism is a serious psychological illness defined as the inability to stop drinking despite potential or actual, negative consequences"

Swaglord_the_real_one_1 wrote:

I quit for 2020, 9 months in.

All in all, feels really good to just be even keel each day. No terrible hangovers, no crazy drunken nights.

Will say I think alcohol used properly can be cathartic emotionally, and I don’t have that easy release anymore. You have to find other ways to let that flow out, through running, learning, meeting new people etc. Its not as easy as cracking open a few beers.

Keep up the good work!

I quite drinking once.

It was the worse two days of my life.

If it's Miller Lite, its 96 calories. Tastes great and less filling!

dfa wrote:

1. Drinks per week (~20 servings)

- I was borderline alcoholic. I'd run about 65-70mpw, with about 5-6 runs. After each run, I'd make a stop at Rite Aid, and grab a Miller High Life tall boy.

- I'd stop there on most days, unless I had a particularly stressful day at work. That'd mean that I'd go back down to a Bodega down the street to grab another one.

- If I had a really bad day, I'd just go to Safeway and grab a 0.5L Jack and try to finish half of it.

2. Why did I stop

To be honest, I like drinking. That said, I thought it's a problem that I wasn't losing weight after 70mpw weeks.

I just wanted to run faster and PR at Boston. That's why I stopped for this month. No other reason.

You aren't borderline alcoholic, you are an alcoholic. There are many criteria that defines an alcoholic, but one of them is if you (men) have 15 drinks or more per week. You just said you were having 20. Alcoholic. That is you. Doesn't mean a hill of beans that you "like" drinking. You are an alcoholic. You should not have another alcoholic drink again the rest of your life. First step is admitting and accepting that you are one, and you are.

I’m almost a month in without a drink. I’m down a solid 5lbs and I’m not heavy. This is the longest I’ve gone without drinking since college, probably high school. My last job was crazy stressful and it went from 2-3 days per week to a solid 5-6 days and heavy on the weekends. I have to admit as an introvert, it really does help in social situations, but then I let it go too far.

My running has improved, and it feels great waking up in the morning with a fresh, clear mind. I’m not ruling out having a glass of wine with dinner someday, but I’m going to try at least 90 days without any alcohol. At this point it’s easy to abstain, but I think it will be hard to stop at 1 or 2 drinks if I start.

sdfszdfsdfsds wrote:

2-3 beers 3-4 times a week is very close to the edge of alcohol dependency/alcoholism.

!

I think that depends if it's

2 beers 3 times a week (= 6 beers)

3 beers 4 times a week (=12 beers)

One is 100% more. That is hugely different.

It also depends on the beers.

Here there are standard beers that are 3.7% abv (Carling) and there are beers in supermarkets that are 8% abv and above.

Again a big difference. So you're up to one combination being four times the other (2 beers 3x a week of Carling vs 3 beers 4x a week of probably something like brewdog.

In the UK I'd imagine there are a huge amount of people at that consumption level.