I've had a busy summer. I've never worked so hard in my life and I've been going out a fair bit. Then their was summer holidays in Llfranc, Paris, Paris, Barcelona, Cardiff with New York in November. Right now I'm losing weight through stress and I'm sure that's not healthy.
I said (to myself only mind you) that I was going to quit drinking between the Rugby World Cup final (did I mention we won?) and my New York Trip 4 weeks later. Of course there are certain events coming up that will make this really tough, so I'm going to temper it with trying to drink as little as possible.
However this mostly means I can't go out. I mean that isn't a bad thing, because not going out means I can get stuff done (you know, life admin type stuff) as well as hit the gym, and possible lose weight through healthy means (i.e. not stress) or build muscle instead.
What's annoying is that it basically means not seeing my friends. Now I know you don't have to drink to go out. But what do you do when you are meeting friends? You go for a few drinks. Or you go for dinner, which involves a few drinks and even if you don't drink, I'm trying to be healthy, that basically means home cooked meals and no drink.
It's just no really feasible to be healthy and see mates. Pretty much all our social activities revolve around eating or drinking. Especially mid week. I don't really have a queue of mates wanting to come to the gym with me.
So basically if I want to spend a few weeks being healthy or a few months (building up to ski season) I have to turn down my friends midweek.
Either I'm missing something, or life arsehats. What kind of stupid choice is that. I want my 22 year old metabolism back. Please.
1. Destructor
It’s just no really feasible to be healthy and see mates.
I know loads of people who just don’t drink, period. They can do loads of things, go to movies, go climbing, go blading, go to comedy nights…this is off the top of my head here. I spend a month every year sans alcohol and while certain things like gigs lose their alcohol-tinted lustre, everything else is just as doable.
You just need to create/attend social activities that don’t revolve around booze.
2. Katherine
The fellas in Queer as Folk manage to meet up for breakfast almost every morning and then hit the gym together in the evening. Isn’t it a shame real life isn’t quite as convenient?
3. Adrian
Dan, I know people who don’t drink too. Or don’t drink much.
And I can do all those things and do some of those things.
However most of the time, especially during the week for just meeting up with people we don’t. You meet for a catch up, you meet for drink or some grub or both. I’m talking about the general invites through a month Sunday to Friday. Generally unless it’s a planned event (say climbing) people meet and drink.
You spend a month sans alcohol every year, and you’re a misery for that month. You look glum, you leave every event early and you don’t come to half the events. I would love to spend this month sans booze, but I know certain things are on that are drinking things. So I’m going to spend much of the rest of the month not drinking. Which essentially means saying no to meeting up.
4. Matt
Several options here. One is to drive to where you’re going. Then you have a legitimate excuse not to drink. Granted, you may have to pay to park or pay the congestion charge or whatever, but you’re saving money on drinking so it all levels out.
Another option (an done I sometimes use when I’m driving) is to drink non-alcoholic beer. This isn’t the best if you’re trying to lose weight though, as most NA beer has more sugar in it.
The other options have been pretty much covered by you and Dan. Don’t drink. Easy. Or, you know, not.
Why is it exactly that you want to give up drinking anyway? I thought you loved drinking. I know I do.
Mmmm… drinking.
5. Adrian
Yeah driving is not an option for many things as it’s normally easier to train or tube it.
NA beer is cats piss. It’s foul sugar water. I might as well drink beer.
I’m not trying to lose weight per say, but I am trying to lose body fat, and build a bit more muscle. Also just be generally healthier and have some hang over free days. Get some sleep. Make it to the gym. To go to the gym midweek I essentially can’t go out.
I enjoy drinking too. Which is why simply saying, go out but don’t drink isn’t that easy.
6. Aiden
There’s no getting around the fact that the UK has a massive drinking culture. Here you meet for a coffee rather than a drink, and I find it very easy to go out and not drink. But even though there’s a bit more pressure over there, can’t it still be done? Can you really not go out to dinner and not drink, or just limit yourself to one glass of red? I’m interested to know if it’s pressure from friends or lack of willpower that is the problem.
7. Adrian
Oh it’s entirely lack of will power.
1 Glass becomes 2. 1 Bottle between three is a little shy so it becomes too. I enjoy it and it’s all good fun, but it hard to meet for a catch up and then not have a drink.
Plus I can’t really have coffee in the evening if I want to sleep. And I can’t really go out if I want to gym.
So the choice is gym/healthy meal/don’t see my friends. Or go out, no gym, and a few drinks and probably not a healthy meal.
It’s an annoying choice.
8. Destructor
So…you’re an alcoholic.
Just kidding. You just live in an alcoholic city. Why don’t you try balance? The choice is not gym or friends. The choice is: Gym Sun-Wed, Friends Thu-Sat.
9. Adrian
Well that’s what I’m trying.
But it does mean turning down friends a lot. And seeing less of my friends as I can’t see them all in 2 or 3 days.
But last night was a good example. It was JamesD’s birthday. So I cancelled gym and went out for dinner. Left work at 7:30, got to restaurant at 8. Drank two bottles of sparkling water and a green tea, and managed to avoid the two bottles of wine, which looked lovely and delicious. I had the healthiest thing on the menu (Salmon Tartar and Tuna Nicoise) although they were still covered in oil. Got home at 11, and did an hour of work. Woke up exhausted.
So even though Duke would have been fine if I never came, I would have felt very bad. And even though I was relatively healthy, it still was far less healthy than gym and some soup for dinner and earlier night.
Being healthy and having a social life do not mix easily.
10. Stuart
What’s this about New York in November? You can’t stay with us any more. I’m training the dog to attack anyone with a South African accent.
11. Adrian
Lose one (and by one I mean two) world cup rugby games and you get aggressive.
Dog can attack me. As long as it doesn’t try to hump me.
12. Destructor
You did an hour of work at ELEVEN?!? Uhm, hire more personnel maybe?!?
13. Adrian
Don’t blame me you moved to oz.
14. Destructor
What does that have to do with working late? Other than the fact that I don’t have to do it anymore.
15. Adrian
I can’t hire you if you’re in Oz can I?
If I had a SuperDan I wouldn’t need to work as late.
16. Destructor
I should point out you were unemployed when I left the UK, I didn’t want to be like, hitting you up for jobs or anything.