dctrvlr

I have noticed a strange pattern with my drinking.

If I am exercising regularly (say weight training 5 times a week), I feel the urge to get hammered on a very regular basis even though it affects my job.

However, if I don't exercise, I find it difficult to choke down the third beer in a social situation. I have gone through this cycle so often, that it cannot be a coincidence.

I have searched and searched online and haven't found a single clue as to why this might be. I feel like if I can answer the "why" it might help the "how" of cutting down on my drinking.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Dee74

That's certainly wasn't my experience - and I have no experience of cutting down successfully - but welcome to SR dctrvlr

matt4x4

Well, dont analyze it. The urge is just a thought. Maybe thats the way its always been. Perhaps you need to change the gym. It is not uncommon for alcoholics to overdue other things. Like working out, in your case. Others might be gambling, or working at their job too much. Life is about balance. That is all we are trying to do. Balance our lives. Help others. Get out of self.

spike303

exercise makes you feel good ,alcohol makes you feel even better.
on exercise days you might think you burned alot of calories so drinking more is ok.
On non exercise days all you drink is extra useless calories and your body knows this.
just a thought

Looking4Help123

I used to exercise while drinking afterwards all the time.

There was nothing physiological about my urges though, the harder I exercised the more I drank because I had fooled myself that I "deserved it". It was purely twisted thinking, nothing in my body to blame or find for making me do it.

sobermeplease

Alcohol is cunning and baffling.

Tang

How about doing a shot of vodka prior to lifting weights? Not sure what I was thinking, so many stupid moves. Working out altered my drinking patterns, but never stopped them.

FreeOwl

I had a related phenomenon....

I would use my exercise as a justification.

Yeah... I can totally cut loose and get blasted... .hell I've been working out HARD!! No problem.

What a stupid line of thinking!!

And it sure caught up to me. I'm still slogging my way back to the shape I was once in (when I was sober for almost 6 months and in just incredible shape).

The "why"? Sounds like maybe because you're an alcoholic.

It's not the exercise, I gurantee you that.

halfvictory

I second Looking4helps thought on "deserving" it. I run marathons every year and I always drank as a reward. The more I ran (ie, my long runs on saturday mornings) the more I drank.

Trigeek

x3

Beer at the finish line doesn't help.

phoebe64

I think you may be getting an endorphin high on the exercise and it fuels the same areas in your brain that drive us to consume addictive substances.

Also, I associate alcohol with rewarding myself for hard work. Maybe you had that pattern? So, on very productive days, and today is one for me, I get stronger cravings. I deserve a drink. I know it is my AV, but it gets very vocal then!

Jade1224

I read an article that stated that regular exercisers usually drink more.

I don't remember where i read it but I'll try to find out.

They say the cause but they said something like exercisers might feel "entitled" to drinking more because they burned more calories or believe they are taking care of themselves so drinking doesn't affect them as much.

I know this is true for me.

Jade1224

I also read that exercising can reduce or reverse heavy drinking.

I am NOT saying you can still drink if you exercise.

Jade1224

Exercise and Alcohol | Women's Health Magazine

Here. I had a feeling it was about women. I dont know how to properly post a link. I hope this is ok.