Johnny Vodka
Well-Known Member
Booze has it's place, not least because a good red wine, whisky or beer is damn tasty.
Alcohol - totally over rated!
- Thread starter WeLuvIbiza
- Start date
raptorjones
Member
I recognised over the years that I became a bit of a tw*t after drinking too much. I'm approaching 30 this year and it's rare that I do now. Largely in part as it takes about 2 full days to fully recover. Hang overs really do get worse the older you get.
xxVic-zeexx
Active Member
ditto that.
It switches my brain off temporarily and then in the morning gives me palpatations and endless amounts of worry.
Yup, I'm very closely acquainted with "The Fear".
Horrible, nothing worse.
Usually over absolutely nothing too.
I used to drink...a LOT, in fact I was rarely without a glass of wine in my hand. I associated alcohol with having a good time and thought nights out would be boring/I would be boring without alcohol, however two things happened to change that.
Firstly, we spent 6 months travelling SE Asia and wine is just not readily available in these countries so I started drinking beer instead, physically I can't drink as much beer, so my alcohol consumption reduced a lot.
Secondly, when we got back to England, I started running and I didn't want to drink if I knew I was running the next day, so without really intending it to, my alcohol consumption reduced again.
I started to love how I felt without alcohol, I don't think you realise the nasty side effects of alcohol until you actually stop drinking for a period of time, and see how you feel without alcohol. Last year I decided to stop drinking completely for 10 weeks when I was training for Brighton Marathon. To start with it felt really weird going out and not drinking, but after a few times, I started to not even notice it, and once people got over the shock that I wasn't drinking, it just became 'normal'.
Saying that, after a virteous 10 weeks, I well and truly fell off the wagon and spent the next few months reverting to old ways. I did another few weeks without alcohol at the end of last year as we were training to climb Mount Kinabalu and again I got into the mindset where I wasn't missing alcohol and was enjoying how I felt without it.
From mid January - April this year, I did another lengthy stint without alcohol as I was marathon training again, the difference this time though was that I really wasn't bothered about having a drink afterwards. Since then I've drunk 3/4 times but it wouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't.
There is a big misconception (or there was to me) that you need alcohol to have a good time. You don't. I can safely say I have equally as good time, if not better, on a night out with alcohol. Plus I don't want to waste the next day with a hangover.
Would I go teetotal? I think I could quite easily now, but at the same time I do like a nice pint of ale or a glass of red from time to time so I've christened myself a 'special occasion' drinker for now.
Firstly, we spent 6 months travelling SE Asia and wine is just not readily available in these countries so I started drinking beer instead, physically I can't drink as much beer, so my alcohol consumption reduced a lot.
Secondly, when we got back to England, I started running and I didn't want to drink if I knew I was running the next day, so without really intending it to, my alcohol consumption reduced again.
I started to love how I felt without alcohol, I don't think you realise the nasty side effects of alcohol until you actually stop drinking for a period of time, and see how you feel without alcohol. Last year I decided to stop drinking completely for 10 weeks when I was training for Brighton Marathon. To start with it felt really weird going out and not drinking, but after a few times, I started to not even notice it, and once people got over the shock that I wasn't drinking, it just became 'normal'.
Saying that, after a virteous 10 weeks, I well and truly fell off the wagon and spent the next few months reverting to old ways. I did another few weeks without alcohol at the end of last year as we were training to climb Mount Kinabalu and again I got into the mindset where I wasn't missing alcohol and was enjoying how I felt without it.
From mid January - April this year, I did another lengthy stint without alcohol as I was marathon training again, the difference this time though was that I really wasn't bothered about having a drink afterwards. Since then I've drunk 3/4 times but it wouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't.
There is a big misconception (or there was to me) that you need alcohol to have a good time. You don't. I can safely say I have equally as good time, if not better, on a night out with alcohol. Plus I don't want to waste the next day with a hangover.
Would I go teetotal? I think I could quite easily now, but at the same time I do like a nice pint of ale or a glass of red from time to time so I've christened myself a 'special occasion' drinker for now.
8)
Morbyd
Moderator
Did I mention that my mate & I had beers and cigarettes at the summit of Kilimanjaro?
I guess if alcohol has a noticeably negative effect on your health or well-being, best to stay away. Or if you're training for massive sporting events.
But given that I have little interest in running marathons, and only get serious hangovers about 1 in 10 times I go drinking, I see no harm in it! A day doesn't go by when I don't have 1-2 beers. Substantially more on weekends, of course
Point being (re: the original premise) - beer is good and certainly not overrated!
x2
My moment of clarity came one xmas do... where we were supposed to go to some black tie function under the arches in London Bridge, only for the event to be cancelled.
I then drank copious amounts of Mojitos on an empty stomach, just to escape boring xmas banter and being christened 'the best designer in Hertfordshire'. Had to numb the pain as being in the same room as the erectile dysfunctional bellend.
Ended up being picked up my the missus to escape the annual visit to the titty bar/**** disco, hanging out of car window, emptying stomach onto the A4.
I'm not sure what brings out the inner knob. Chaz or excess alcohol.
If he's reading this. You're still a c**t.
8)
Johnny Vodka
Well-Known Member
A man has to have some sort of vice. I do the whole healthy eating and exercise thing most of the time, but life lived entirely without intoxicants would become dull after a while. I think you can be TOO healthy - my experience of teetotallers is they're just not very exciting and a night out at a restaurant drinking diet coke is almost too much for them while they sneak off before midnight less their taxi turns into a pumpkin.
Mind you, felt like a zombie after my stint at The Arches on Sat night. Friggin' worth it tho and can't wait for the next big night there! Thankfully, all sorted with a can of red bull. 8)
A weekend wasted is never a wasted weekend.
Mind you, felt like a zombie after my stint at The Arches on Sat night. Friggin' worth it tho and can't wait for the next big night there! Thankfully, all sorted with a can of red bull. 8)
A weekend wasted is never a wasted weekend.
Don't get me wrong. I still like a beer/cider now and again. I'm just a bit selective of when I drink and who I'm with.
If I have a drink in hand, it means I like ya.
Nice one.
I'd attribute much of that with your move to Brighton.
Living somewhere as fast paced as London requires masses of discipline. It's the norm to meet friends in expensive city centre locations for short periods of time - and it's so hard to stop time and breathe in these environments...so everything is done to excess.
A week long catch up is compressed into a couple of hours and everyone's so stressed and overworked that self medicating is encouraged to get to that relaxed state. This becomes alarmingly normal, until you leave London and then it becomes glaringly apparent.
The grind is addictive.
I LOVE London and won't be going anywhere for the foreseeable but I have on occasion been sucked into this vacuum and am now trying to create an ad hoc community space in my flat. It's nice to be alcohol free and conscious to peel back the layers and get past the small talk/bull$hit and find out what's really going on with people - warts and all.
Johnny Vodka
Well-Known Member
Thing is, I rarely drink until I'm wrecked anyway these days. There's a point with booze where it delivers no more and you just feel tired. The best fun is when you drink loads in a short space of time (so you get that rapid change in state, almost like a pill) or you drink and savour tasty beverages slowly over a long period.
Don't get me wrong. I still like a beer/cider now and again. I'm just a bit selective of when I drink and who I'm with.
If I have a drink in hand, it means I like ya.
This
Nice one.
I'd attribute much of that with your move to Brighton.
Living somewhere as fast paced as London requires masses of discipline. It's the norm to meet friends in expensive city centre locations for short periods of time - and it's so hard to stop time and breathe in these environments...so everything is done to excess.
A week long catch up is compressed into a couple of hours and everyone's so stressed and overworked that self medicating is encouraged to get to that relaxed state. This becomes alarmingly normal, until you leave London and then it becomes glaringly apparent.
The grind is addictive.
I LOVE London and won't be going anywhere for the foreseeable but I have on occasion been sucked into this vacuum and am now trying to create an ad hoc community space in my flat. It's nice to be alcohol free and conscious to peel back the layers and get past the small talk/bull$hit and find out what's really going on with people - warts and all.
And this
It's definitely a different mindset down here, don't get me wrong I LOVED my years in London but I'm definitely at a time in my life now where I am loving the steadier Brighton lifstyle.
I miss it tbh.
Berlin was like that too - pockets of creativity on the streets and a nice, laid back cafe culture.
People even looked healthier there.
Ack - price you pay for living in the world's most exciting city I guess*.
* a title owed in no part to the stupid olympics.
Berlin was like that too - pockets of creativity on the streets and a nice, laid back cafe culture.
People even looked healthier there.
Ack - price you pay for living in the world's most exciting city I guess*.
* a title owed in no part to the stupid olympics.
Morbyd
Moderator
I don't know. Maybe I'm frozen in time. A permanent man-child But I really can't relate to this change in you guys.
Despite passing the big 4-decade mark this year, I still have no desire for a slower, healthier, more sober lifestyle.
I still love bright lights, big city, drink in one hand and a cig in the other! 8)
But I really can't relate to this change in you guys.Despite passing the big 4-decade mark this year, I still have no desire for a slower, healthier, more sober lifestyle.
I still love bright lights, big city, drink in one hand and a cig in the other! 8)
I enjoy a glass of wine or cognac after dinner, it is not a get drunk type of thing. The length of time determines how drunk I get. I will party hear on holiday because I normally don't drive, so I will start drinking early and finish late. The weekends I do go heavy a bloody Mary or mimosa to start the day. What you drink or how much is up to you. Alcohol can enhance your personality, sometimes that's good sometimes it is bad.
WeLuvIbiza
Active Member
Sounds corny, but you really can't beat the buzz after a good run, those natural endorphins take some beating
(Hark at me, a newbie runner of a few months)
(Hark at me, a newbie runner of a few months
)I don't know. Maybe I'm frozen in time. A permanent man-child
Despite passing the big 4-decade mark this year, I still have no desire for a slower, healthier, more sober lifestyle.
I still love bright lights, big city, drink in one hand and a cig in the other! 8)
I'm am too easily influenced. Pass the fags Morbyd and pour me a double!!
Hurrah!!!!