Alcohol free for 10 months, incredibly bored,but two stone lighter!

[Iforbach]

Some g8t stuff on here ref no ale ..7 months for me ..no beer well odd can but no sessions ..im gagging for a guiness @ 3 days a week back on that when bars open ..but hv benefitted no ale ..long walks...9 kilos lighter ..

[brianthainess]

I have gone right off beer, bloats me and gives me an acid tum. with the vast amounts of lemons i get from my small lemon tree, i have made vast amounts of homemade lemonade, wanting a bit of alcohol in the evenings, I have discovered Samsong & lemonade in a tall glass, is just perfect. Not bloated anymore and no acid. ????

[malthebluff]

Well today marks 12 months without drinking a drop of juice, fizzy drinks or any alcohol. Eight months without eating bread, pasta, cake or anything sweet. Sugar has been eliminated, as has caffeine and a mostly plant based diet. The change in my body has been fantastic, I feel great, I have lost loads of weight and my way of thinking is very positive. No alcohol, eating extremely healthily and above all, a couple of hours of exercise daily.

I don't know whose status this is, but I was so  happy for them, I had to copy and past it.

[ifmu]

Congrats to all of you that quit ...  great job 

and to others that are thinking of it      

[ExpatOilWorker]

The OP don't mention it, but don't you also sleep much better at night?

I also stopped drinking about 6 months ago and feel so much better and well rested after a good night's sleep.

DIY projects is definitely the way to go, it is fun and give a great sense of purpose.

[kwak250]

Well done for giving up i still enjoy a weekend beer but daily drinking isnt good for anyone.

Need to find a hobbie i bought a pool table problem is put a few tunes on the tv and a few games of pool and a beer just seems perfect.

Heard kratom is now legal next will be ganja then bob marley will be playing and might have a time out from beer myself.

 

[Jenkins9039]

On 7/29/2021 at 10:53 AM, Scouse123 said:

10 months ago up in Isaarn,fed up of lockdown and bored going to Mom and Pop shops to sit and drink beer, usually alone, until late afternoon, when the shop owner would join me at sundown,I decided I was fed up of the routine, the bloated look, and ever changing rules and closures with Covid etc

Interesting, i rarely drink (unless cocktails), and i'm 10 kilos heavier over the past two yrs!

 

 

[Chris.B]

You need a hobby or an interest.

 

Take up Thai language lessons in a group Zoom class.

 

https://learnthaiwithmod.com/online-group-lessons/

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

4 hours ago, Chris.B said:

You need a hobby or an interest.

 

Take up Thai language lessons in a group Zoom class.

 

https://learnthaiwithmod.com/online-group-lessons/

 

 

 

I studied with a private tutor including Thai script and learned the Thai language to a decent level years ago, but thanks anyway.

 

 

 

[mrfill]

11 hours ago, malthebluff said:

Well today marks 12 months without drinking a drop of juice, fizzy drinks or any alcohol. Eight months without eating bread, pasta, cake or anything sweet. Sugar has been eliminated, as has caffeine and a mostly plant based diet. The change in my body has been fantastic, I feel great, I have lost loads of weight and my way of thinking is very positive. No alcohol, eating extremely healthily and above all, a couple of hours of exercise daily.

I don't know whose status this is, but I was so  happy for them, I had to copy and past it.

Isn't that the chap that took up mainlining heroin?

[Freddy42OZ]

Well done to the OP.

I am at 20 months alcohol free.  My weight hasn't really changed - I'm still a bit overweight at 76kg (6' 1") 

I used to go out after work 2 or 3 nights a week and I do miss that, but the alcohol itself I really don't miss at all so I've decided to just keep off the booze.  I've never had a drinking problem, so maybe sometime if there is a glass of champagne on offer or I feel like a cocktail I might indulge in the moment. 

Now that Bangkok is opening up again I will be going out to meet mates but sticking to soda water.

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, Freddy42OZ said:

Well done to the OP.

I am at 20 months alcohol free.  My weight hasn't really changed - I'm still a bit overweight at 76kg (6' 1") 

I used to go out after work 2 or 3 nights a week and I do miss that, but the alcohol itself I really don't miss at all so I've decided to just keep off the booze.  I've never had a drinking problem, so maybe sometime if there is a glass of champagne on offer or I feel like a cocktail I might indulge in the moment. 

Now that Bangkok is opening up again I will be going out to meet mates but sticking to soda water.

Thank you,

 

No way are you overweight in anybody's language, BMI or graph weight at 76kg at 6'1"

 

But well done, I sleep better, that's for sure. I am less irritable and don't blow a fuse easily anymore, I have far more patience.

 

I want more weight off but there have been major roadworks both on the lake itself where I exercise and the roads surrounding it. I fully intend to get another two stones off.

[smutcakes]

21 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I have gone right off beer, bloats me and gives me an acid tum. with the vast amounts of lemons i get from my small lemon tree, i have made vast amounts of homemade lemonade, wanting a bit of alcohol in the evenings, I have discovered Samsong & lemonade in a tall glass, is just perfect. Not bloated anymore and no acid. ????

Just simply to easy to drink for me, i would charge through the bottle without a 2nd thought. At least the beer bloating me, puts a bit of a safety valve on it!

[Acharn]

I'm amazed you've lasted 10 months. As you say, you need to find some activity to fill the time you used to pend drinking. I gather you're still in Isaan, so Alcoholics Anonymous isn't really an option. Because it's based on American midwestern middle class protestant Christianity (most people who stick with it seem to ignore the God thing) it's never gained widespread acceptance in Thailand although one farang did succeed in establishing a group in Chayaphum. He had to learn Thai very well to do it, though, and I think all meetings are now online because of Covid-19. Lots of English-speaking farang members in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Wish I could think of some alternative to suggest. If you have decent internet you might start hunting for resources. Some of my old AA friends "meet" virtually once a week on Zoom and if you start searching "aa meetings online" you can probably find some that will accept newcomers. At least it would give you some  English speaking contacts. There's some religious group that's been advertising here at AN or TV, or whatever this place is called now. Had a slogan like "we're here for you." I don't see one of their ads today, and don't remember their name, but I'm sure they'll pop up again. They probably have resources to suggest. If you know about archive.org, they have a project for volunteer proof readers. That could take up a little time if you enjoy reading (I do). Good luck. 

[Scouse123]

45 minutes ago, Acharn said:

I'm amazed you've lasted 10 months. As you say, you need to find some activity to fill the time you used to pend drinking. I gather you're still in Isaan, so Alcoholics Anonymous isn't really an option. Because it's based on American midwestern middle class protestant Christianity (most people who stick with it seem to ignore the God thing) it's never gained widespread acceptance in Thailand although one farang did succeed in establishing a group in Chayaphum. He had to learn Thai very well to do it, though, and I think all meetings are now online because of Covid-19. Lots of English-speaking farang members in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Wish I could think of some alternative to suggest. If you have decent internet you might start hunting for resources. Some of my old AA friends "meet" virtually once a week on Zoom and if you start searching "aa meetings online" you can probably find some that will accept newcomers. At least it would give you some  English speaking contacts. There's some religious group that's been advertising here at AN or TV, or whatever this place is called now. Had a slogan like "we're here for you." I don't see one of their ads today, and don't remember their name, but I'm sure they'll pop up again. They probably have resources to suggest. If you know about archive.org, they have a project for volunteer proof readers. That could take up a little time if you enjoy reading (I do). Good luck. 

Hi,

 

Thanks but I am definitely not alcohol dependent, I would honestly say I was if I was. My problem was being stuck here, Covid blues and unable to travel anywhere.

 

I drank through boredom and corrected it. AA meetings would not benefit me and nor do I crave company. It's great sometimes of course, and I love meeting guys from other countries and backgrounds, but I am happy usually in my own company, but not every day for going on 2 years.

 

My Thai skills are fine, I had a private one to one tutor for two years 25 years ago when I arrived to stay, three times a week, so I converse easily enough with the locals.

 

I am also a lapsed Roman Catholic and proud agnostic, so anything to do with these religious people would be a big turn off. I would never survive in the US bible belt!!

 

Most of my practical views on life are science based.

 

Its a different subject but if the Earth is 4,5 billion years old and all religions are here no longer than around 3000 years maximum, then they are pure invention by man, and as usual when humans get involved, have been totally altered, changed and corrupted to suit man's needs. I won't go there as people have strong views, and each to their own.

 

Regards keeping busy,our house and land is looking a lot better as I have occupied myself and done new drainage, sewage systems, bought new pumping systems, upgraded the outside and painted and got the gardens up to scratch.

 

This thread was from July and somehow it became resurrected with no help from me, I am 11 months off the booze now!!

 

I am going for the 1 year but it's not really a celebration but just a sad reminder really about this bloody Covid and how long its been disrupting everybody's lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Acharn]

Scouse123. I wasn't really thinking you were alcohol dependent or alcoholic when I suggested AA. The Third Tradition is that the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. I just found that most of the people I met there are the same kind of people I hung out with in the bars, and fun to be with. Most are really not poster children for mental health, but most are a lot of fun. Unfortunately some are religious fanatics, but they tend to stick with each other since most of us identify as recovering Christians. I consider myself an agnostic, too, in the sense that I believe whether there is or is not a creator god cannot be decided by reason. It's a axiom, like the parallel postulate in plane geometry. Either you believe it or you use one of the alternate postulates (there are infinite parallel lines or there are no parallel lines). Generally, I think the Eightfold Path is a good way to try to live and doesn't require that you believe anything. I'm quite sure I am an alcoholic, but I haven't had to take a drink of alcohol for 45 years, so I don't have a drinking problem any more but I still have a living problem.

[Scouse123]

4 minutes ago, Acharn said:

Scouse123. I wasn't really thinking you were alcohol dependent or alcoholic when I suggested AA. The Third Tradition is that the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. I just found that most of the people I met there are the same kind of people I hung out with in the bars, and fun to be with. Most are really not poster children for mental health, but most are a lot of fun. Unfortunately some are religious fanatics, but they tend to stick with each other since most of us identify as recovering Christians. 

Thanks,

 

I think the easiest way I can say is it became a chore and not a pleasure did drinking, so if you are paying money out and not enjoying something, it makes sense to stop.

 

I will try improve my physical health and get back to five mile walks a day soon, but we are having rain here at the moment.

 

Good news for the rice at least.

[Broken Record]

On 7/30/2021 at 8:09 AM, clivebaxter said:

One thing more boring than a drunk is an ex drunk forever telling people how long it is since they had a drink. You don't have to give up entirely and pose as a saint.

Wow, what a response, from that response do you have alcohol problems of your own but do nothing about it ?

Good luck to the OP, he stopped poisoning himself, he should shout it from the rooftops, only the ones that are in the depths of their own alcohol problems but can't get out will find offence.

[Scouse123]

37 minutes ago, Broken Record said:

Wow, what a response, from that response do you have alcohol problems of your own but do nothing about it ?

Good luck to the OP, he stopped poisoning himself, he should shout it from the rooftops, only the ones that are in the depths of their own alcohol problems but can't get out will find offence.

Cheers Broken record,

 

I am a year now under my belt with no alcohol, I have found other interests, cut down on flab, sleep better, Don't feel bad tempered or groggy.

 

Five miles a day again fast walking, cut the carbs, and try to lose another stone in weight or 6KG more or less in new money!

[Broken Record]

20 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Cheers Broken record,

 

I am a year now under my belt with no alcohol, I have found other interests, cut down on flab, sleep better, Don't feel bad tempered or groggy.

 

Five miles a day again fast walking, cut the carbs, and try to lose another stone in weight or 6KG more or less in new money!

You've done well Scouse.

Yes, it's nice to have a cold beer, and when others are drinking there can be pressure piled on you to join in, equally you could also feel left out, out of your comfort zone when you're in company.

Good solution for many is Heineken 0:0 Alcohol free Beer, tastes like beer, looks like beer, comes in a beer bottle the same as any other beer comes in, you won't get pressured from others to have a beer, cos you already have one, it's not like you're sitting there with a bottle of water.

Big differences are, much lower calories and you won't get pished, won't wake up feeling like <deleted> and will remember everything about the day before, downside is, it's the same price as regular beer, but no hangovers, a clear head, and a receding waistline make up for that downside.

Beer is a social thing, and many people who want to stop drinking too much are afraid that they will lose any social life they had completely and feel even more isolated, and it can be uncomfortable to sit with drinkers when you have a bottle of water, drinkers usually will pressure you into having a drink with them, some even get offended that you don't want to drink Alcohol, they think something is wrong with you, some will see it as a snub to them, Alcohol free beer covers you there.

 

At the end of the day you are stopping for yourself, it was your decision, it wasn't Doctors orders, you can drink any time you want to, you have just chosen to take an unlimited break, an indeterminate sentence, not an all life tariff. ????

 

Good luck Scouse, what province you in ?

 

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, Broken Record said:

You've done well Scouse.

Yes, it's nice to have a cold beer, and when others are drinking there can be pressure piled on you to join in, equally you could also feel left out, out of your comfort zone when you're in company.

Good solution for many is Heineken 0:0 Alcohol free Beer, tastes like beer, looks like beer, comes in a beer bottle the same as any other beer comes in, you won't get pressured from others to have a beer, cos you already have one, it's not like you're sitting there with a bottle of water.

Big differences are, much lower calories and you won't get pished, won't wake up feeling like <deleted> and will remember everything about the day before, downside is, it's the same price as regular beer, but no hangovers, a clear head, and a receding waistline make up for that downside.

Beer is a social thing, and many people who want to stop drinking too much are afraid that they will lose any social life they had completely and feel even more isolated, and it can be uncomfortable to sit with drinkers when you have a bottle of water, drinkers usually will pressure you into having a drink with them, some even get offended that you don't want to drink Alcohol, they think something is wrong with you, some will see it as a snub to them, Alcohol free beer covers you there.

 

At the end of the day you are stopping for yourself, it was your decision, it wasn't Doctors orders, you can drink any time you want to, you have just chosen to take an unlimited break, an indeterminate sentence, not an all life tariff. ????

 

Good luck Scouse, what province you in ?

 

 

 

 

Kalasin province.

[FritsSikkink]

Learn Thai

[Scouse123]

16 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn Thai

Many years ago already.

[Neeranam]

On 7/29/2021 at 10:53 AM, Scouse123 said:

Also, being unable to travel without many hoops to jump through, and lack of English conversation up here.

Congratulations. 

 

One way I spent a lot of time when I quit drinking was to learn Thai. 

[Neeranam]

On 10/11/2021 at 2:44 PM, Scouse123 said:

Many years ago already.

Oh, I neve saw that. 

 

If you are ever in Khon Kaen and want to hang out with some non-drinkers, give me a shout. 

[Thaifly88]

That’s a real problem you have alerted us to. My advice would be to start drinking, stop with the home repairs, and pack on the kilo’s. You boredom issue will be resolved and your life will be all the better for it ????

[rskdev21]

This might help with the boredom.

Testing, 1 2 3

[Denim]

On 7/29/2021 at 1:28 PM, 2long said:

Well done to the OP, and best of luck to nikmar.

Every year I set myself a goal better than the previous year. And so far it is working great.

Using same technique. From drinking almost daily a couple of years ago I decided to have 2 days off a week. Last year was 3 days off. This year so far averaging 4 days off. Never drink before 6.30 pm and never after 10.30 pm. In addition I have 3 or 4 dry out sessions a year , each one longer than the last. Started at just a week, now up to 16 days. 

[Smokey and the Bandit]

I am assuming the OP is from the UK, maybe Liverpool at a guess. I thought the UK had gone metric, so why do people there still use 'stones'??

[Scouse123]

18 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

I am assuming the OP is from the UK, maybe Liverpool at a guess. I thought the UK had gone metric, so why do people there still use 'stones'??

I certainly use both but some of the older ones on here definitely like using the imperial measurements that they can relate to.

 

In the UK it's a lot of the Over 45s and 50s that are still using 'old money' as the Metric system took a while in the UK to catch on, it still hasn't in many parts of the USA.