Weekend drinker taking a hiatus
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Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 123
Weekend drinker taking a hiatus
Hello all.
I found this forum this week and it’s absolutely great. A big thank you to whoever hosts and moderates it. You have helped & SAVED many lives, I am sure.
I’m WeekendWarrior, and as that username suggests, I’m a weekend drinker. In practice what this means is that for the last 10 years or so, I drink and usually a lot on Saturday nights as a way to wind down or unplug from life a bit. Throw on the game, a movie, some music, grab a book, and drink 10-15 beers until the small hours. Wake up feeling awful, slum through Sunday, and now in my early 40’s…..still be dragging on Monday, and not feel normal again until Tuesday or Wednesday.
It’s been like this for a while. I rarely drink during the week, although vacations, holidays (like the 4th of July) sure are great excuses to do it more. For the last year, this has crept into Sunday nights as well to a lesser extent. I’m very functional - married, successful professionally, and with 2 young children who I’m very active with. I lift weights (heavy) 3x per week and run 2x per week. I eat very “cleanly” as well. Gotta kick this bad & growing habit though.
So, I don’t know if I’m chemically an alcoholic, but I certainly have alcoholic habits & patterns. Call it whatever, it’s not good, not healthy. So after an 18 beer bender on Saturday 6/18 that had me so hung over on Father’s Day 6/19, I decided to stop for 30 days and see how it goes. So I’m around day 12 as I write this I guess and I haven’t felt any withdrawals (no nausea, shakes, etc). That first Saturday night I felt quite a bit of “Okay, well, what do I do now?” lol but I went to bed at a reasonable hour and had a great Sunday. I tell you what, I do feel much better! I came into work on Monday with much more purpose, and wasn’t tired! Sharper, more motivated.
One thing I did not expect – as I mentioned, I’m a pretty avid about fitness. This week my energy level in the gym drops off very quickly as I exert myself. I expected to have more energy, to lift heavier, more reps. But it’s been the opposite. Maybe my body is adjusting to not having that extra 3000 calories to conjure energy from. I don’t know.
So this weekend is a holiday weekend, 3 days off. So my body keeps thinking I have a couple benders coming up to look forward to, and then I’m like “Oh, yeah…..” So I made a list of projects to do this weekend, stuff I’ve avoided that needs done. I’m looking forward to accomplishing those things, eating a ton of food and getting plenty of rest.
Why am I here? Obviously I felt in search of something, others who have gone through this. If there are any other former or current “WeekendWarriors,” I’d love to hear your stories.
I found this forum this week and it’s absolutely great. A big thank you to whoever hosts and moderates it. You have helped & SAVED many lives, I am sure.
I’m WeekendWarrior, and as that username suggests, I’m a weekend drinker. In practice what this means is that for the last 10 years or so, I drink and usually a lot on Saturday nights as a way to wind down or unplug from life a bit. Throw on the game, a movie, some music, grab a book, and drink 10-15 beers until the small hours. Wake up feeling awful, slum through Sunday, and now in my early 40’s…..still be dragging on Monday, and not feel normal again until Tuesday or Wednesday.
It’s been like this for a while. I rarely drink during the week, although vacations, holidays (like the 4th of July) sure are great excuses to do it more. For the last year, this has crept into Sunday nights as well to a lesser extent. I’m very functional - married, successful professionally, and with 2 young children who I’m very active with. I lift weights (heavy) 3x per week and run 2x per week. I eat very “cleanly” as well. Gotta kick this bad & growing habit though.
So, I don’t know if I’m chemically an alcoholic, but I certainly have alcoholic habits & patterns. Call it whatever, it’s not good, not healthy. So after an 18 beer bender on Saturday 6/18 that had me so hung over on Father’s Day 6/19, I decided to stop for 30 days and see how it goes. So I’m around day 12 as I write this I guess and I haven’t felt any withdrawals (no nausea, shakes, etc). That first Saturday night I felt quite a bit of “Okay, well, what do I do now?” lol but I went to bed at a reasonable hour and had a great Sunday. I tell you what, I do feel much better! I came into work on Monday with much more purpose, and wasn’t tired! Sharper, more motivated.
One thing I did not expect – as I mentioned, I’m a pretty avid about fitness. This week my energy level in the gym drops off very quickly as I exert myself. I expected to have more energy, to lift heavier, more reps. But it’s been the opposite. Maybe my body is adjusting to not having that extra 3000 calories to conjure energy from. I don’t know.
So this weekend is a holiday weekend, 3 days off. So my body keeps thinking I have a couple benders coming up to look forward to, and then I’m like “Oh, yeah…..” So I made a list of projects to do this weekend, stuff I’ve avoided that needs done. I’m looking forward to accomplishing those things, eating a ton of food and getting plenty of rest.
Why am I here? Obviously I felt in search of something, others who have gone through this. If there are any other former or current “WeekendWarriors,” I’d love to hear your stories.
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Welcome to SR.
I hope at the end of 30 days you see the wisdom of long-term sobriety. You've witnessed the progression of drinking in your own consumption. It doesn't get better. It only gets worse.
I hope at the end of 30 days you see the wisdom of long-term sobriety. You've witnessed the progression of drinking in your own consumption. It doesn't get better. It only gets worse.
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Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 123
Originally Posted by doggonecarl 
Welcome to SR.
I hope at the end of 30 days you see the wisdom of long-term sobriety. You've witnessed the progression of drinking in your own consumption. It doesn't get better. It only gets worse.
I hope at the end of 30 days you see the wisdom of long-term sobriety. You've witnessed the progression of drinking in your own consumption. It doesn't get better. It only gets worse.
I look young for my age.
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Wisconsin
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Doggone has it right-it doesn't get better, only worse. I'm a fellow weekend binger and also athletically active. Over the course of a few years, I steadily progressed from a Friday night bender, to both Friday and Saturday nights, to drinking all day Saturday, to binging from Friday night to Sunday night, only taking breaks to pass out for 8 or 9 hours. I'd feel crap on Monday, but by Tuesday I was back pounding out miles on the bike and running all week, until Friday rolled around again.
It got worse and worse, until the last binge that left me with severe withdrawal symptoms for days, wondering if I was going to die. That was the day it became clear that I needed to be done.
It got worse and worse, until the last binge that left me with severe withdrawal symptoms for days, wondering if I was going to die. That was the day it became clear that I needed to be done.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,368
I started as a weekend warrior, gradually the start of my weekend got pushed forward to Thursday night, then Wednesday...by the end I was drinking all day everyday.
If 30 days is all you can imagine right now, it's a great start
D
If 30 days is all you can imagine right now, it's a great start
D
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 138
another weekend drinker
I was also a weekend binge drinker, just Friday nights but I drank so much that I can't even tell you how many drinks I usually had. I am also a competitive athlete, I run marathons, lift etc and I would justify my drinking by how hard I worked out all week, how much discipline I had put into my professional work, the hours that I had also put into taking care of my kids and my husband and on and on. But the drinking took away the reward that should have really been mine from all that work and left me with just pointless shame all day Saturday. I don't want to live this way anymore, and I also felt a huge drop in energy at the gym during this first sober week. I think our bodies need to readjust to functioning without the weekly poison.
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Originally Posted by effortjoy
I also felt a huge drop in energy at the gym during this first sober week. I think our bodies need to readjust to functioning without the weekly poison.
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Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 123
Originally Posted by Username7775
Doggone has it right-it doesn't get better, only worse. I'm a fellow weekend binger and also athletically active. Over the course of a few years, I steadily progressed from a Friday night bender, to both Friday and Saturday nights, to drinking all day Saturday, to binging from Friday night to Sunday night, only taking breaks to pass out for 8 or 9 hours. I'd feel crap on Monday, but by Tuesday I was back pounding out miles on the bike and running all week, until Friday rolled around again.
It got worse and worse, until the last binge that left me with severe withdrawal symptoms for days, wondering if I was going to die. That was the day it became clear that I needed to be done.
It got worse and worse, until the last binge that left me with severe withdrawal symptoms for days, wondering if I was going to die. That was the day it became clear that I needed to be done.
Heading into the Fourth of July weekend and will be sober for the whole of it for the first time in 15 years probably. I'm taking this on as a challenge to see how much stuff I can get done this weekend.
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Join Date: Jan 2016
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It takes a few months for your metabolism to adjust to finding new sources of fuel...your instincts are absolutely right.
The fact that your body is having a noticeably hard time adjusting says something important, yes? We like to tell ourselves that a binge gets processed in a day or two and we're back to a healthy baseline, but clearly that's not true.
Keep going. You'll be amazed at what a difference being sober can make in your fitness. I went for a 4 mile run in 90% humidity last Sunday while traveling and we have very low humidity where I live so I'm not used to it...I expected to be miserable and nauseated. Instead I kicked butt and I'm 58.
Keep going.
The fact that your body is having a noticeably hard time adjusting says something important, yes? We like to tell ourselves that a binge gets processed in a day or two and we're back to a healthy baseline, but clearly that's not true.
Keep going. You'll be amazed at what a difference being sober can make in your fitness. I went for a 4 mile run in 90% humidity last Sunday while traveling and we have very low humidity where I live so I'm not used to it...I expected to be miserable and nauseated. Instead I kicked butt and I'm 58.
Keep going.
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Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 98
My take: your addictive voice is sneakily trying to convince you that drinking is somehow good for you. You are testing the waters. (It isn't.)
And, in the experience of dozens, most can't go back once you build up to a certain level of drinking. In other words after your month break you will think you can just drink a smaller amount because you have somehow reset your drinking. Unfortunately it rarely works that way. Most of us find ourselves exactly where we were within weeks or days if we go back.
And, in the experience of dozens, most can't go back once you build up to a certain level of drinking. In other words after your month break you will think you can just drink a smaller amount because you have somehow reset your drinking. Unfortunately it rarely works that way. Most of us find ourselves exactly where we were within weeks or days if we go back.
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Originally Posted by jseattle
My take: your addictive voice is sneakily trying to convince you that drinking is somehow good for you. You are testing the waters. (It isn't.)
And, in the experience of dozens, most can't go back once you build up to a certain level of drinking. In other words after your month break you will think you can just drink a smaller amount because you have somehow reset your drinking. Unfortunately it rarely works that way. Most of us find ourselves exactly where we were within weeks or days if we go back.
And, in the experience of dozens, most can't go back once you build up to a certain level of drinking. In other words after your month break you will think you can just drink a smaller amount because you have somehow reset your drinking. Unfortunately it rarely works that way. Most of us find ourselves exactly where we were within weeks or days if we go back.
I was in a 10 year habit of really getting it in on Saturday nights. By Thursday, I was looking forward to it. To "never" is a tough pill to swallow; "day by day" feels like tomorrow gives me an out, so 30 days sounded good. It's a holiday weekend and tonight's Saturday night - this will be a challenge!
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