# Alcohol



## Hera (May 6, 2011)

Hey guys. I feel pretty sheepish asking this as I'm sure I already know the answer...I just don't want to believe it... :blush:

...after taking 2 years out from exercise and preparing to get back into shape...I'm pretty pleased with my diet but will need to increase protein as I get back in exercise. Thing is...I love my red wine at the weekends. I know I need to cut it out but it's the only thing I haven't gotten sorted in my diet. I'm not aiming to get all muscley...just toned really. I just don't don't want to say goodbye to my wine!! :sad:

Does everyone here steer clear of the booze?


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2010)

no way, friday nights i drink like george best and only have a few saturdays. midweek though i dont drink a drop!


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## irishdude (Sep 26, 2009)

Used to suffer from the worst hangovers so gave up the booze, nearly three years now and not a drop- I think if you can handle it and it doesn't get in the way of your goals, enjoy your few drinks and don't stress too much about it.


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## SK-XO (Aug 6, 2009)

I personally rarely drink, due to the fact that if I get smashed on say saturday for the next 3-4 days I will feel fked, tired, unhappy because my trainings went to crap, results rubbish etc and feel weaker. Alcohol has negative effects on body, health, training, muscle building environment and stunts fat loss.

This isn't very good, and the fact that when you wake up with a hang over you don't want to eat etc, body clock fked up, poor sleep. The list goes on. This is why if I drink it will be once in a blue moon, I.E. every 6 months.


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

mmm...the effects of drinking may discourage me from drinking when I go back to the gym as it can make me feel down and tired...but then again, if it doesn't put me off now, maybe it won't even when I'm exercising. I do have a weakness for it...


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## Miike (Jun 11, 2009)

I drink once a week, normally quite heavily.

If I don't eat and drink crap occationally I'll go insane


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## irishdude (Sep 26, 2009)

SK-XO said:


> I personally rarely drink, due to the fact that if I get smashed on say saturday for the next 3-4 days I will feel fked, tired, unhappy because my trainings went to crap, results rubbish etc and feel weaker. Alcohol has negative effects on body, health, training, muscle building environment and stunts fat loss.
> 
> This isn't very good, and the fact that when you wake up with a hang over you don't want to eat etc, body clock fked up, poor sleep. The list goes on. This is why if I drink it will be once in a blue moon, I.E. every 6 months.


exactly bro, i always felt crap for a few days after a heavy night, let alone being able to put in a good workout. Am happy to go out and enjoy the night sober, get the odd smart comment but am not the one swearing 'never again' the next morning. :thumb:


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## SK-XO (Aug 6, 2009)

Katy said:


> mmm...the effects of drinking may discourage me from drinking when I go back to the gym as it can make me feel down and tired...but then again, if it doesn't put me off now, maybe it won't even when I'm exercising. I do have a weakness for it...


Tbh I wouldn't worry about it to much, I don't drink because of the aftermath, how I feel etc. And it provides no use for my body what so ever. But your not competing for anything, or trying to gain a much larger muscular physique. I see no real reason why you can't have a drink say once a week, if you really feel your getting nowhere at the end of each week result wise then try dropping the drink for say a month and see how you go.


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

irishdude said:


> exactly bro, i always felt crap for a few days after a heavy night, let alone being able to put in a good workout. Am happy to go out and enjoy the night sober, get the odd smart comment but am not the one swearing 'never again' the next morning. :thumb:


I wish I had your strength!


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## SK-XO (Aug 6, 2009)

irishdude said:


> exactly bro, i always felt crap for a few days after a heavy night, let alone being able to put in a good workout. Am happy to go out and enjoy the night sober, get the odd smart comment but am not the one swearing 'never again' the next morning. :thumb:


Well tbh I don't really like going out and staying sober, I have always worked the doors so always worked weekends, but I quit the doors recently as im getting my new career sorted. Im out at the weekend but I want to drink so I get some confidence, I just feel boring when im not drinking. But then I think about the gym, results and what not and always put that first.


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

Miike said:


> I drink once a week, normally quite heavily.
> 
> If I don't eat and drink crap occationally I'll go insane


Do you not hate the hangover though?

Although I crave my treats...I'm not very good at having them occasionally...I think I have an "all or nothing" personality.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2010)

the famous words 'never again' last only a few hours!


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## Knifey (Nov 1, 2007)

I booze once a month and find that it doesnt impact to much on my training then. I train mon tue thurs fri, then drink on the friday night and by monday i'm fine again. However when i train on the friday and booze i always have muscle soreness on the sat and sunday i dont get when not drinking.

I do go through periods of say 3-4 months where i dont touch a drop tho 

Haz


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## Miike (Jun 11, 2009)

Katy said:


> Do you not hate the hangover though?
> 
> Although I crave my treats...I'm not very good at having them occasionally...I think I have an "all or nothing" personality.


I'm not keen on hangovers but I can normally funcion ok.

I don't tend to go to the gym with one but I go lots throughout the rest of the week.


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## irishdude (Sep 26, 2009)

Katy said:


> Do you not hate the hangover though?
> 
> Although I crave my treats...I'm not very good at having them occasionally...I think I have an "all or nothing" personality.


It's all about what your priorities are - so nothing wrong with having a few drinks now and then...hell some experts say it's actually the healthiest thing to do!


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2010)

irishdude said:


> It's all about what your priorities are - so nothing wrong with having a few drinks now and then...hell some experts say it's actually the healthiest thing to do!


im taking your word for that then


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

How much do you drink? If its wine, and at weekends, chances are you will be OK.

It won't affect your progress directly, I used to be a super-heavy drinker - straight spirits usually - and would still gain as long as I ate.

I even drank right through both of my competition preps so far, and got ripped enough to be happy, so the old alcohol stopping fat loss is bullsh1t in the real world, clearly.

You will know (assuming you are aware of whats going on in your body) if it starts to go awry.

Late 2009, I started getting ill more often. I was tired and sleepy all the time.

Without meaning to disgust, my sh1t turned to slurry, and very yellow. My pis$ was always yellow, even when drinking amounts of fluid which would normally have me pis$ing liek a race horse, crystal clear.

My skin got bad, had constant heartburn and indigestion.

These are all signs of liver starting to get a bit stressed.

I was under no illusions, after probably 3 years of fairly consistent heavy drinking - just on this stint, before that I had a long period where I wasn't training and just drinking constantly - I knew what had to be done.

Stopped drinking, that is to say I am not a concrete non drinker, but have stopped doing it for the sake of it.

Within a couple of weeks, my heartburn had drastically improved. I had been masking it with Lansoprazole, literally treating the symptom and ignoring the cause. I came off that, with no return of heartburn or excess bloating.

Within 4 weeks, my crap had returned to "normal", and my pis$ has recently started clearing as it should with good amounts of water.

I don't feel anywhere near as sluggish or tired, although this is returning as my sleep is screwed up just now :lol: I just feel so much better - I think they call it "feeling of wellbeing" and I believe it is actually a good indicator of overall health.

What I am saying is, you will prob be alright, many are. I was. To a point. There is a difference between having a regular but safe drink, and just abusing yourself. The difference is, IMO, a regular safe drink doesnt have nay lasting negative impact - abuse ALWAYS catches up. Might not be a matter of days, weeks, months. Might take years - but it WILL start to manifest sooner or later, especially if you bury head in the sand.

As it happens, I feel much better having cut it out, because I haven't made that cast iron pact to never drink again, I am not feeling deprived at all, I know I can have it if I want, or if the occasion calls... I just don't want it for the most part, genuinely don't.

Sorry for massive post, its just that it is so easy to accept gung ho "its never hurt me" posts from folks about drinking. A year ago, I may well have posted one myself, but my eyes have been opened a bit now.


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## JoeyRamone (Sep 10, 2009)

SK-XO said:


> I personally rarely drink, due to the fact that if I get smashed on say saturday for the next 3-4 days I will feel fked, tired, unhappy because my trainings went to crap, results rubbish etc and feel weaker. Alcohol has negative effects on body, health, training, muscle building environment and stunts fat loss.


Exactly I always feel worse the next few days than I did good the night drinking. Not worth it for me. I do get completely wasted when I drink though so obv if I had a bit of self control it'd be better for me but I don't so don't start drinking most of the time.


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

rs007 said:


> Sorry for massive post, its just that it is so easy to accept gung ho "its never hurt me" posts from folks about drinking. A year ago, I may well have posted one myself, but my eyes have been opened a bit now.


I'm gald you posted it. Not everyone has the same relationship with alcohol. I've had an unhealthy relationship with it in the past..using it to numb my mind and body.

I think now it's a habit thing...and I like how it makes me feel. I have gone without alcohol for months before and the longer I didn't drink the more I wasn't fussed about it.

Although I don't think I'm particulalry harming my health...I think I must have some sort of issue with it if I can't manage one weekend without it. I might try not drinking this weekend and see how I feel. I ideally don't want to crave it because it's empty calories that my body doesn't need. There just doesn't seem to be a replacement for it!


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## TH0R (Aug 15, 2007)

I go out every saturday with the Mrs, usually a meal then down pub, 6-8 pints then back home

for match of the day and then match of the night:whistling:

Rarely have hangover but I do drink lots of water, even in the pub and with my

meal.

If I go out without the Mrs I get blotto and have a hangover from Hell, go figure:confused1:

Drinking one night per week in moderation won't do you any harm, make it your

cheat day when you can have what you want, obviously if it gets a bit more than

once a week then it could become a problem imo


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

Katy said:


> I'm gald you posted it. Not everyone has the same relationship with alcohol. I've had an unhealthy relationship with it in the past..using it to numb my mind and body.
> 
> Tell me about it, been there for sure, not a place I ever want to revisit.
> 
> ...


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## DNC (Jan 8, 2009)

Katy said:


> Do you not hate the hangover though?
> 
> Although I crave my treats...I'm not very good at having them occasionally...I think I have an "all or nothing" personality.


Thats very much like me.Never been very good at limiting myself:cursing:

Not had a drink for 3 months and don't miss it all apart from saturday nights when i feel i should be doing something to let my hair down

Over Christmas was hard and NYE,just drank non alcohlic beers which at least made me feel like i was joining in.Will be going back to just drinking once a week just for my sanity and social life but these last 3 months has taught me that i don't really want to get hammered anymore,just want to enjoy a few drinks with people:beer:


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

*rs007* - I think that having worked with people with alcohol problems has probably made me more aware of my own drinking...which is a good thing. So I think it's great that you've shared your own experience.

Given my past I have undoubtedly had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol...I used to not be able to stop. I have changed my drinking habits significantly though...although I sometimes think it's easier to just cut it out completely....I mean...I quit smoking and don't have the occasional cig or else I'd just take up smoking again (mind you...I guess the analogy isn't quite apt unless I'm talking about alcohol addiction).

Whether this is a bad thing or not...I'm not sure I can imagine a life without red wine...I do love it so. And I like going out to restaurants...a juicy steak just isn't the same without a good glass of red. :thumb: When I'm working out though I do get very focussed and health freakish..so maybe I'll stop drinking all together...time will tell.


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

DNC said:


> Thats very much like me.Never been very good at limiting myself:cursing:
> 
> Not had a drink for 3 months and don't miss it all apart from saturday nights when i feel i should be doing something to let my hair down
> 
> Over Christmas was hard and NYE,just drank non alcohlic beers which at least made me feel like i was joining in.Will be going back to just drinking once a week just for my sanity and social life but these last 3 months has taught me that i don't really want to get hammered anymore,just want to enjoy a few drinks with people:beer:


I think that 3 months over the festive season is brilliant! I quit for a few weeks in Decmeber and totally caved when it came to Christmas...I just love mulled wine!


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## SK-XO (Aug 6, 2009)

RS ,even with you being a heavy drinker in the past, did you never find that your training suffered due to being hungover the next day and feeling crap the next few days, not wanting to eat etc? This is what im mainly targeting in the harm towards gains is the aftermath of drink. Maybe because you drank a lot over the months, years etc you built a somewhat of a tollerence to it?


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## irishdude (Sep 26, 2009)

Katy said:


> I think that 3 months over the festive season is brilliant! I quit for a few weeks in Decmeber and totally caved when it came to Christmas...I just love mulled wine!


I say quit beating yourself up over it, we all have our weaknesses and why not indulge every so often in what you enjoy as long as its not causing any major problems with the rest of your life. It's all about knowing your limit. :thumb:


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## mr.squatrack (Jun 27, 2005)

I have a theory that if you drink and get completely wasted the body needs to burn all those additional calories just to process the alcohol and recover from the hangover the next day....


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

mr.squatrack said:


> I have a theory that if you drink and get completely wasted the body needs to burn all those additional calories just to process the alcohol and recover from the hangover the next day....


mmm...I'm not entirely sure it takes THAT mnany calories though to do the job! And those calories can't replenish lost nutirents.


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

Well if you drink so much that you throw up, the calories become irrelevant :whistling:


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

Phez said:


> Well if you drink so much that you throw up, the calories become irrelevant :whistling:


Nice!

Can't say I've done that in a long long time...thank god. Although true...does keep the calorie content down...


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

Katy said:


> Nice!
> 
> Can't say I've done that in a long long time...thank god. Although true...does keep the calorie content down...


I only drink once every few months (or at special occasions) so when I drink, I drink till I can't drinks no more :thumb:


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## dingosteve (Apr 26, 2009)

rarely drink as it dries me out and makes me very lazy for a few days, but i get my treats in other ways, if you need it go for it Katy you cant build ya body ya dreamed off in one day so i expect you cant undo all your training in one day either...unless you turn into a baghead..


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## TH0R (Aug 15, 2007)

Phez said:


> I only drink once every few months (or at special occasions) so when I drink, I drink till I can't drinks no more :thumb:


Wow, with the price of beer nowadays that must cost you almost £5:lol:


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

tel3563 said:


> Wow, with the price of beer nowadays that must cost you almost £5:lol:


No mate won't drink anything that's weaker then 37.5% :cool2:

Cost is irrelevant anyway as I'm a cheap [email protected] and a scrounger by nature :lol:

P.S has anyone else noticed on the fosters advert when they say "get some Australian in you" in the bottom left hand corner the words "brewed in the EU" come up :lol:


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## mal (Dec 31, 2009)

steroids and booze bad combo. :wacko:


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

SK-XO said:


> RS ,even with you being a heavy drinker in the past, did you never find that your training suffered due to being hungover the next day and feeling crap the next few days, not wanting to eat etc? This is what im mainly targeting in the harm towards gains is the aftermath of drink. Maybe because you drank a lot over the months, years etc you built a somewhat of a tollerence to it?


I think you are bang on with the tolerance thing. I mean if I didn't drink regular, then put away a bottle of whisky in a couple of hours like I was apt to do, the next day I would be near dead. But I was so used to it.

Weeman and I joke that some of the best sessions in the gym we have ever had have been while hungover, and its not entirely a joke :lol:

As for the eating, on days I was suffering, I just lived on shakes. So I always made progress...

But whether or not you are making progress with regards to BB is not a reliable indicator of what is going on inside...

Not meaning to doom monger, just to let people know the flip side, there is always a flip side, most people just choose to not think about it (myself included sometimes).


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

I had my regular drinking phase when in my early twenties - feel absolutely no desire to do that again, and nowadays I only touch alcohol once every few months and haven't been more than slightly tipsy for years. Even back in the day of drinking more though I was never a big drinker, and would not drink alcohol on a night out as often as I would. The crazy thing is how much grief you get from others who are drinking - they almost seem to want you to justify not getting ****ed!

I think if drinking is moderate and infrequent it's ok - it's regularly getting bladdered or when having to have at least one drink every single night (or any other circumstance with a regular compulsion) that it starts to become problematic.


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## TH0R (Aug 15, 2007)

rs007 said:


> I think you are bang on with the tolerance thing. I mean if I didn't drink regular, then put away a bottle of whisky in a couple of hours like I was apt to do, the next day I would be near dead. But I was so used to it.
> 
> Weeman and I joke that some of the best sessions in the gym we have ever had have been while hungover, and its not entirely a joke :lol:
> 
> ...


How did you feel if you went without a drink, just as bad as a hangover??


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## DNC (Jan 8, 2009)

Katy said:


> I think that 3 months over the festive season is brilliant! I quit for a few weeks in Decmeber and totally caved when it came to Christmas...I just love mulled wine!


So do i,going to the Christmas markets in Manchester and drinking coffee was sh1te:lol:

I wouldn't worry to much about it unless you think it is becoming a problem,you have to at least a little bit

My getting hammered and not remembering the night was doing my head in so thats why i'm cutting back.


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

DNC said:


> I wouldn't worry to much about it unless you think it is becoming a problem,you have to at least a little bit


]

Well, it was a problem in the past...no doubt about that. And although I drink far less now I do still wonder if it's best to quit completely. The fact that I don't like the idea of never drinking again makes me think that that's slightly unhealthy, psychologically speaking.

I'll see how this weekend goes...see if I can resist. Though, I can't see me saying no to wine during a meal out on Monday, and I can't see myself saying no to Champaigne on Valentines!!


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## DNC (Jan 8, 2009)

Katy said:


> ]
> 
> Well, it was a problem in the past...no doubt about that. And although I drink far less now I do still wonder if it's best to quit completely. The fact that I don't like the idea of never drinking again makes me think that that's slightly unhealthy, psychologically speaking.
> 
> I'll see how this weekend goes...see if I can resist. Though, I can't see me saying no to wine during a meal out on Monday, and I can't see myself saying no to Champaigne on Valentines!!


I dont think that idea is unhealthy really,thinking that you might not be able to do anything again which you enjoy is never going to make you happy

Some people are fine to go out and not drink and can have just a good a night.I reckon i need to find the in-between,a few because i like to but not loads to balls the night up:lol:

You can get non alcohlic wine now,i started drinking that the other weekend and 3 in the afternoon and was still standing at 2 in the morning:lol: :lol:

Why is it you are worried about the drinking?? Do you go overboard with it??


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

DNC said:


> Why is it you are worried about the drinking?? Do you go overboard with it??


Oh I'm not worried. I don't think I've said that have I? I initally started the thread to see if people in training drink. I want to put all my efforts into getting back into shape and if wine will be counter productive I should probably avoid it. Ideally though I don't want to quit it all together as I enjoy it.

Throughout this thread though I've started to find the fact that I don't want to quit all together a little troublsome to me...I don't like the idea of not being able to quit something..makes me feel weak I guess.


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## Skilzee (Jan 22, 2010)

I'm the same, i like a drink at the weekend. Have at least one night on sauce over the weekend. I Eat and drink clean all week.

Weekends are the hardest for me. But then again it is winter so no need to be super ripped. My profile picture was taken at the start of january So ive got abit of a winter coat on. As in i drank nearly every day to excess for the 2 weeks i had off over christmas.

I normally try to cut out drinking completely around about a month or 2 before my summer holidays and strip fat right down for a decent beach body.

I think as long as you dont over do it you can drink and stay in fairly good shape just dont do over do it. In the winter I just use it as a reward for being good all week.


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## jassdhali (Jul 2, 2008)

I was drinking a litre bottle of whisky over a weekend. But now I am training my focus has changed, I have not drank for 3 weeks so far, not had any cravings for it yet either. But I do want to have a drink on my birthday (end of Feb, pressies welcome  )

I said to myself that i would take it a month at a time, will see how it goes


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

jassdhali said:


> I said to myself that i would take it a month at a time, will see how it goes


That sounds like a good plan. Think I'll aim for a week at a time as a month seems too long for me.


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## DNC (Jan 8, 2009)

Katy said:


> Oh I'm not worried. I don't think I've said that have I? I initally started the thread to see if people in training drink. I want to put all my efforts into getting back into shape and if wine will be counter productive I should probably avoid it. Ideally though I don't want to quit it all together as I enjoy it.
> 
> Throughout this thread though I've started to find the fact that I don't want to quit all together a little troublsome to me...I don't like the idea of not being able to quit something..makes me feel weak I guess.


I don't see the point in quitting something that you enjoyCan't see a few glasses of wine over the weekend would have that much impact on your training really,and it will at least keep you sane and is something to look forward too:thumb:

I'd say a lot of recreational trainers have a drink at the weekend,i've only packed it in for 4 months as me and the GF are trying for a baby so we are trying to hurry it along


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## jassdhali (Jul 2, 2008)

Katy said:


> That sounds like a good plan. Think I'll aim for a week at a time as a month seems too long for me.


I suprised myself as your focus does change. I thought women had greater willpower ?


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## Hera (May 6, 2011)

jassdhali said:


> I suprised myself as your focus does change. I thought women had greater willpower ?


Ha ha. Maybe in other areas of my life...but not wine.


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## Ineisa (Nov 25, 2009)

I try to keep the drinking to 2 days a week, normally during the week due to work commitments, and try to stick to wine and vodka sodas with loads of water in between. I have seen progress with my physique since I started taking this more serious so maybe you can get away with it too! :thumbup1:


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## Gerry_bhoy (Dec 25, 2008)

SK-XO said:


> I personally rarely drink, due to the fact that if I get smashed on say saturday for the next 3-4 days I will feel fked, tired, unhappy because my trainings went to crap, results rubbish etc and feel weaker. Alcohol has negative effects on body, health, training, muscle building environment and stunts fat loss.
> 
> This isn't very good, and the fact that when you wake up with a hang over you don't want to eat etc, body clock fked up, poor sleep. The list goes on. This is why if I drink it will be once in a blue moon, I.E. every 6 months.


Same, mate. Its not so much the empty cals from the booze but your program just goes to sh1t.

I hadn't drank in a month up until Thurs, was dieting and everything in the preceding weeks. After God knows how much booze I had, I ate and drank alot of sh1t after the club and all day the next day and the day after that because I was so miserably tired at work (due to lack of sleep).

On top of that, I broke my pinky outside the club and now can't train for like a month.

All and all, it wasn't worth it.


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## -Jack- (Sep 28, 2009)

i drink a few bottle of wine at the week end, still make gain


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