I'm currently abstaining from alcohol.
I shall now give those who know me a moment to let that statement sink in.
It's notionally me giving it up for Lent (not that I've ever given anything up in the past), but in truth I'm using Lent as an excuse, well perhaps a prompt would be more accurate, to try to lose a bit of weight and get fitter. I'm not so stupid as to think I'll get all the way through the six weeks to Easter without having a drink, particularly since I have a few pre booked events/parties along the way, one of which is today when RSCM Scottish Voices will be singing Choral Evensong at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow, and then we're going to the Lansdowne Bar for a drink or three. If I get to Easter having had a 90-95% alcohol free Lent, then that's a good result in my book.
On another topic, we are getting new lockers at work soon and yesterday was the deadline to clear all the old crap from the current ones. Aside from my old SLR camera, in the bag for which were orders of service for weddings at which the camera was used, the most recent of which was 1994, the most interesting things I found lurking on the shelf were a magazine pull-out and a train ticket. Sounds boring, eh? Yes, probably.
The magazine pull-out was from Mens Health, which a while ago I sometimes read, called "The Complete Total Body Workboook - All the information you need to build an outstanding body" and it's basically a book of exercises, mostly using free weights or the machines you find in gyms.
The train ticket was from Partick in Glasgow to a station near my work. All very boring of course, but the point is that the ticket was lying on top of the magazine, and the ticket's dated 24th November 2000.
So here I am, almost 10 years on, and although I still haven't managed to build myself an outstanding body perhaps this is the year I'll properly get on the road towards it, starting with giving up alcohol for (most of) Lent. We can only wait and see.
I decided to give up sugar (a week before Lent) and have stuck to it so far. Try a few different drinks when you are at the pub. Lemonade and Lime is very refreshing. I started to think why I was sprinkling sugar on weetabix and putting it in tea. Why are you drinking? Taste, to be one of the guys, to get slightly sozzled or habit?
ReplyDeleteGood luck and cheers!
Get yourself an on line alcohol monitor so you can chart how well (or badly) you're doing. The NHS has a good one. I find it keeps me on track - I'm trying to restrict my alco intake to less than the recommended levels. I don't feel healthier, or less heady just holier.
ReplyDeleteTenon_Saw, at various times I drink for all of the reasons you mention! I've recently rediscovered the joys of sodawater and lime. Quite refreshing stuff.
ReplyDeleteBarry, thanks for that tip. I used to use an online drinks diary but I got out the habit a while ago. I've now downloaded the NHS Widget from http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/NHSAlcoholtracker.aspx and it looks easy to use and more to the point, useful. Or at least it'll be useful after Easter, when I start drinking "normally" again!
Incidentally, I think I had about 6 or 7 pints of IPA and of St Mungo lager last night after the singing was done, so I didn't feel at my healthiest this morning, but even when I'm drinking "normally" that would be a lot for me and I only do that sort of thing on "special" occasions.