Welcome back Jim. The common theme you'll hear for the most part is that we all tried moderation and it simply doesn't work. Why? Because by definition alcoholic cannot moderate. So "trying to kick the binge with moderation" is literally like trying to get out of debt by borrowing more money - it's completely and utterly illogical.
For most of us that struggled on and off with this thing, the problem was that we somehow think that a period of sobriety will make us back into a "normal" drinker, or remove our alcoholic tendencies. And just like the bugs that keep returing to the bug zapper we get burned, over and over and over.
The solution of course is to accept that drinking is not an option - not now, not next month, not next year, NEVER. It's a tough decision to make, but it's the only way. And once you make it, life becomes a heck of a lot easier. Rather than battling with alchohol, you can work on living your life. And getting healthier, and faster, and just generallly better.
Keep in mind too that the damage that alcoholic drinking does gets progressively worse and worse. Being in better shape like yourself can postpone the damage a little bit, but even in healthy people the drink will eventually take you down to the point where you cannot exercise anymore. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when.