When moderation isn't very moderate
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
When moderation isn't very moderate
On my FB feed someone posted a link to a UK website aimed at raising awareness about alcohol and health. It was a calculator to measure how your drinking compares to the rest of the UK population.
Out of curiosity I typed in the amounts I was drinking in the last few months before I quit two years ago, when I believed I was moderating.
Turns out I was still drinking more than 87% of UK men.
So not very moderate at all.
It was also the equivalent of a whole extra day's worth of recommended calories for a male of my age and size.
No wonder I lost weight when I quit.
Don't know if this is helpful for anyone else, but it really made me see how out of whack my sense was of what "normal" drinking looks like. I was comparing myself to my friends, but over the years I'd surrounded myself with drinkers like me.
I remain grateful, and proud, that I had the strength to quit when I did.
Out of curiosity I typed in the amounts I was drinking in the last few months before I quit two years ago, when I believed I was moderating.
Turns out I was still drinking more than 87% of UK men.
So not very moderate at all.
It was also the equivalent of a whole extra day's worth of recommended calories for a male of my age and size.
No wonder I lost weight when I quit.
Don't know if this is helpful for anyone else, but it really made me see how out of whack my sense was of what "normal" drinking looks like. I was comparing myself to my friends, but over the years I'd surrounded myself with drinkers like me.
I remain grateful, and proud, that I had the strength to quit when I did.
saoutchik
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Posts: 16,187
I suspect that you were doing a bit better than the survey suggested OT. Il dont have any evidence but I suspect people, men especially, do not always answer questions 100% truthfully about how much they drink.
Congratulations on quitting entirely.
Congratulations on quitting entirely.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,293
Nice going with your sobriety. I read an article that said that the average person in the USA drinks around 270 beers a year. At first, I felt I'm not doing that bad, but then did some math. Turned out I drank that much in maybe a little over a month, and that didn't include the occasional vodka. Pretty scary. John
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
One of the things that was a real eye opener for myself was once the fog lifted I did an honest assessment of my drinking habits. I realized how far outside the normal range they were and had been for quite some time. Ridiculous in hindsight.
That being said, I was a "drink to get drunk" drinker, and will never be able to be a normal drinker or moderate. I've found it easier to just abstain. Well done opentuning.
That being said, I was a "drink to get drunk" drinker, and will never be able to be a normal drinker or moderate. I've found it easier to just abstain. Well done opentuning.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
Originally Posted by saoutchik 
I suspect that you were doing a bit better than the survey suggested OT. Il dont have any evidence but I suspect people, men especially, do not always answer questions 100% truthfully about how much they drink.
Congratulations on quitting entirely.
Congratulations on quitting entirely.
It did link to the research the results were based on which looked pretty reliable. The main thing for me, though, was how pointless my attempt at moderation was. I drank because I wanted to get drunk. Trying all kinds of complicated tactics to stop myself from getting drunk, when that was the only reason I wanted to drink, was never going to work long term. Life is so much more relaxing now that I've quit. I can channel all that energy into more useful things. Like music, for one.
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