drink less

I work a professional job as a software engineer. I make it in on time, work my ass off, stay overtime, etc… I do not drink during work hours, nor to I take off early to start drinking.

But when I get home in the evening, I will routinely consume a bottle of wine. I don’t think I’m physically addicted – I can go without booze for as long as necessary (e.g. if I can’t afford it) and not suffer withdrawal. But it is definitely a very bad habit that will damage my health in the long run. The consequences I have noted thus far is that I am gaining weight and becoming fat.

I don’t want to quit drinking entirely, because I enjoy it, and it is not bad for you if you do it to a reasonable degree. I just want to reduce my consumption to what is considered healthy for a young, healthy guy: no more than 14 glasses of wine a week, and no more than 4 on any given day.

The first step I’m taking: next week I’m moving to a new condo where the nearest liquor store is 15 minutes away. Right now I live across the street from the liquor store, which I think has made it easier to give into temptation.

This is actually going quite well. The first weeks I wasn’t very happy with myself in the evening, when I wanted a glass of wine or something. But I don’t have the urge to drink at home anymore, so I guess I’m doing fine. I’m just going to wait a couple of more weeks before I can call this one ‘accomplished’.

For the past three days I’ve only had one glass of red wine a night. I had two of them during dinners and one of them after a dinner. No beer or liquor.

Avoided monday night football and the bar tonight to study for my class instead.

I don’t drink that much as it is, but when I do I always drink to excess. I usually end up drunk-texting or making out with someone I would never consider sober. It’s stupid to get so drunk that you lose control. I’d like to cut down on that… I don’t crave alcohol, but it is usually a part of my social setting.

have definitely been achieving this goal lately. mostly attributed to the fact that i’ve been “sober driver” for the last little while. it cuts down the opportunities to drink which is always good. and i’ve seen some pretty ruthless stuff people have done because of alcohol so i’m glad i’ve cut down.

If you are a “pint of lager” drinker I have recently discovered the joys of shandy. I personally am a very quick drinker and, if meeting my friends for a few pints, can get very drunk after about 2 hours. I noticed if I drink shandy (particularly on the thirsty day) you can happily down your drink and not worry too mich about the consequences. If you have 2-3 to start off with you have generally slowed down the onset of drunkness and therefore will be less inclined to want to get really pissed later on. I too have trouble on summer sunny afternoons when the beer gardens and parks are full of people drinking. My boyfriend and I will go out for the afternoon and inevitably have a few in the sunshine and then carry on drinking all day. We also have a tendancy to drink heavily on a saturday evening regardless of whether we stay in or not as it seems to most obvious way of relaxing and escaping at the weekend, all possible alternatives seem dull. Any ideas?

have been drinking less since moving out of parents

got to give it up for fitness!

get to the point where I can’t allow myself even one drink, because it would lead to things more disastrous.

I want to maintain a healthy relationship with alcohol.

I want to stop seeing it as the portal to a truly liberating, edgy fun time.

Yesterday I had a drink right before my evening work, and of course it made me sluggish and unwilling to work very hard. Part of me knew in that moment that I would probably go down the path of dull and tired, but I did it anyway. I ignored that voice.

Uggh. I want to find a way to listen to that voice better. Or figure out what voice compells me to drink, and how can I give that voice a different job?

Help!