For Those Of You Who Are Considering Stopping Drinking

[cheynewalk]

Here is my situation. 53 years old, retired and spend most of each year equally in thailand and bali, with a couple of side trips to malaysia and back to australia each year. As befitting the expat lifestyle I eat and drink with gusto. I average at least 3-4 large bottles of beer a day and probably 5-7 large on weekends watching the footy. At any rate too much and I know it. My only saving grace was I exercised for 1 hour each day brisk walking, religiously.

In early march I returned to oz for my annual check up and the doctor told me the bad news. I had high blood pressure, tachycardia (high pulse rate), high cholesterol, my blood sugar was bordering on pre-diabetic and I was 20 kg overweight. He said I had to lose weight otherwise I was heading into real danger territory re heart problems and diabetes. I knew the only way I could lose weight was to stop drinking. For me alcohol is a double whammy as not only do I get the high calories from the beer, but I also tend to eat more when I'm drinking and crap food at that.

So I stopped drinking 7 weeks ago and the only other dietary change was to eat salad once a day and rice only once a day. 7 weeks is the longest period I have ever gone without drinking since I started when I left school. I must say I sleep better (only get up to pee once a night now instead of 3 or 4 times before) and feel much better physically and mentally. My sexual libido and erectile function is the best it's been since I was a young man, much to the delight of my balinese girlfriend. And I am saving 15,000 baht/month! Today I went to the pharmacy for a weigh in and blood pressure check.

I have lost 10 kilos, my blood pressure is on the low side of normal and my pulse rate has dropped 20 beats back to the normal range. I am sure when I have my blood glucose and cholesterol checked next time they will have improved also. All this from stopping drinking. I guess my body is trying to tell me something!

[BlueSmurf]

Congratulations!!! Now dont think ok I'am normal now and can have a drink..Very well done.. Funny how the one thing people seem to loose site of over here is that having Sex is better than sitting on a bar stool and I'am not talking about the short time version..lololol...Keep it up..

[oggie911]

cop on doctors tell you stop drink stop smoking stop sex ,f@@k them ,have a boring extra few few year or die happy at 90 dont listen to to doctors there full of crap

[kennalder]

cop on doctors tell you stop drink stop smoking stop sex ,f@@k them ,have a boring extra few few year or die happy at 90 dont listen to to doctors there full of crap

I think what you're trying to say is you are not quitting today. Too late for that.

Way to go C-walk, I did the same about 14 months ago. I just hope I stopped in time, I was at the 10-12 large a day stage. My father was more like 20 per day when he died at 56. You just don't meet many old alcoholics. It's all fun and games until it isn't.

[chiang mai]

Well done CW, I've done similar many years ago and now often look back and wonder why I was so stupid at the time.