The OnceDear Dry Challenge
Poll
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| | 3 votes (10.71%) | ||
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| | 7 votes (25%) |
28 members have voted
I drink more than the medically recommended amount of alcohol. Quite how much is an embarrassing secret shared only with my liver.
So, in the spirit of recent weight loss challenges, I hereby challenge myself and seek moral support.
I will not drink alcohol in January, February or March of 2020 (dammit, it's a leap year)
You can wager with me or sponsor or support me however you see fit.
I'm not looking to win money, even for charity!
If I fail in this challenge, I'll pay £100 to a charity that is yet to be decided. Additionally, if I fail, I'll forfeit £5 for every 'unit' of alcohol that I imbibe.
The only waiver I'm taking is that I may pour myself a drink before midnight on 31/Dec and might still be drinking that 5 mins into the new year. ( I'll extend the non-drink period by 5 minutes into April to compensate )
Please cheer me on. I'll need it.
OD.
Interested to see whether this thread helps me or just causes suspensions (which I'll try not to get involved in)
Not my tipple, thanks. JD, Cognac, Beer and red wine are my temptation and I've plenty in stock.Quote: ChumpChangeHave some Russian Vodka on the house.
Good luck to you. I'd suggest chocolate mile as a substitute. It's the best!
ZCore13
Quote: OnceDearOK,
I drink more than the medically recommended amount of alcohol. Quite how much is an embarrassing secret shared only with my liver.
So, in the spirit of recent weight loss challenges, I hereby challenge myself and seek moral support.
I will not drink alcohol in January, February or March of 2020 (dammit, it's a leap year)
You can wager with me or sponsor or support me however you see fit.
I'm not looking to win money, even for charity!
If I fail in this challenge, I'll pay £100 to a charity that is yet to be decided. Additionally, if I fail, I'll forfeit £5 for every 'unit' of alcohol that I imbibe.
The only waiver I'm taking is that I may pour myself a drink before midnight on 31/Dec and might still be drinking that 5 mins into the new year. ( I'll extend the non-drink period by 5 minutes into April to compensate )
Please cheer me on. I'll need it.
OD.
Good luck. In solidarity I will give up pop for the same amount of time.
Prove those wrong who say it’s all or nothing! It can be nothing for a few months. And then some again!
My substitute drink in the pub is a pint of tonic water with blackcurrent. It gives me the volume of the pint and the bitterness of UK beer. But it's often more expensive than beer. Pubs just do not cater for the non-drinker here.Quote: TigerWuNot drinking is easier if you replace it with something else. Half of the point of drinking for me is to have a different taste besides the water, tea, and coffee I normally drink. Whenever you get the urge for alcohol, drink a little soda, fruit juice, flavored water, etc., and it will be a lot easier.
I already drink unhealthy amounts of coffee too, so I'll drink more tea or warm milk at 'nightcap time'
Thanks,Quote: rxwinehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/17/what-its-like-to-quit-drinking-alcoholic-drinks
I do the occasional dry month to challenge myself and to recover a little. It's bloody hard. The best i've done is 6 months dry about 4 years ago.
I don't tend to get drunk, or at least I fall asleep still digesting my nightcap. I DON'T intend to stop drinking forever.
At the moment, I put my probability of success at about 20 - 25%.
Partial failure will be FAILURE, so I'll need to summon every bit of will-power at any moments of stress or weakness.
Quote: GWAE
Good luck. In solidarity I will give up pop for the same amount of time.
BRILLIANT. Thank you! I'm already more motivated. Please keep in touch by PM.
I suspect we will both find the challenge of a similar order of magnitude.
Quote: OnceDear
At the moment, I put my probability of success at about 20 - 25%.
You can do it OD, stop trying to entice us into a losing bet with this;0
I'm deliberately not trying to get bets that could profit me.Quote: mcallister3200You can do it OD, stop trying to entice us into a losing bet with this;0
A bit like the guy doing the penny sports wagering, this is more about me declaring and recording my progress. I may take it to my blog.
So you win, or you win. Good idea, Wizard.
I wasn't angling for a wager, but I accept. Thank you.Quote: WizardI challenge you to a $100 bet, the winner picking the charity. Mine will be Three Square, a Las Vegas food bank.
May I drink 'Alcohol-free beer' as defined under UK law?
By UK law ‘alcohol-free’ or no-alcohol beer can contain a very small amount of alcohol (less than 0.05%)
I wasn't angling for a wager, but I accept. Thank you.Quote: beachbumbabsI challenge you to a $50 bet, winner picking the charity. My Nature Conservancy (favorite) will be happy to take your money.
So you win, or you win. Good idea, Wizard.
May I drink 'Alcohol-free beer' as defined under UK law?
By UK law ‘alcohol-free’ or no-alcohol beer can contain a very small amount of alcohol (less than 0.05%)
hmmm, we haven't heard from Mission yet
to prove I'm not afraid to be the piker, I will sponsor your quest with $20 if you succeed, you decide what to do with it... and you may drink all you want new years day in the wee hours. And you may drink those nearly alcohol free beers you mentioned all you want
*the qualifier is important, much of it out there is lame
Quote: OnceDearMay I drink 'Alcohol-free beer' as defined under UK law?
I'll allow that.
Quote: OnceDear
I will not drink alcohol in January, February or March of 2020 (dammit, it's a leap year)
Why? It's silly and doesn't accomplish
anything. Either quit entirely, or set
up a program where you drink the
same amount every day, at the same
time every day, and never vary from
it for any reason. That way you control
it and it doesn't control you. I'm not
talking about a pint of Scotch every
day. A reasonable amount, between
4-6 oz of distilled liquor. Beer and
wine are out, too many impurities.
it's Brit thing, we wouldnt understandQuote: EvenBobWhy? It's silly and doesn't accomplish
anything.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_January
Will that work for crack as well? I'm sure you'll say it will.Quote: EvenBobQuote: OnceDear
I will not drink alcohol in January, February or March of 2020 (dammit, it's a leap year)
Either quit entirely, or set
up a program where you drink the
same amount every day, at the same
time every day, and never vary from
it for any reason.
It just doesn't work that way. The same amount every single day will probably no longer have the same effect at some point.
Everyone thinks they know something about all this stuff, when in fact they don't, even the experts know very little, especially since it's all different for everyone. If anybody actually knew anything solid (other than just don't do it) it wouldn't be such a huge issue in the first place.
FYI I'm not suggesting OD has any issues, I'm talking in general terms. Other than his moderating skills(😁) I have a feeling he has his sh*t together for the most part and can probably do whatever he sets his mind to. I just think he likes doing little challenges like this. Kind of like his little fasting challenge thing he did.
Quote: AxelWolf
It just doesn't work that way.
Wanna bet? I've been doing it for
8 years and it works perfectly.
Just because YOU can't do it
doesn't mean others can't.
Quote: EvenBobWanna bet? I've been doing it for
8 years and it works perfectly.
Just because YOU can't do it
doesn't mean others can't.
Just because you regulate your daily intake doesn't mean you don't have a problem. It probably means you have a real problem. Not being able to take it or leave it. Like a drug that is needed to mask the symptoms of an underlying disease.
Quote: MaxPenNot being able to take it or leave it.
I prefer to take it, leaving it sucks.
So I treat it like any other drug,
I take it it measured amounts,
like you do with any prescription
drug. People who have drinking
problems usually have amount
problems. They drink too often
and have no limits on it. I
watched people and their habits
for the 3.5 years I owned the
bar. I educated myself. I never
vary from the regulated amount
for any reason. Otherwise, what's
the point..
Quote: EvenBobI prefer to take it, leaving it sucks.
So I treat it like any other drug,
I take it it measured amounts,
like you do with any prescription
drug. People who have drinking
problems usually have amount
problems. They drink too often
and have no limits on it. I
watched people and their habits
for the 3.5 years I owned the
bar. I educated myself. I never
vary from the regulated amount
for any reason. Otherwise, what's
the point..
I commend you for regulating and controlling your drinking problem.
Quote: EvenBobWanna bet? I've been doing it for
8 years and it works perfectly.
Just because YOU can't do it
doesn't mean others can't.
Just because you choose to do it your way means.... well, not a lot to me.
If you are so in control of your own will, join me. Or don't.
You see value in taking a constant measured dose of an intoxicant without wishing to be intoxicated ever? Uh?
'Works perfectly?' Please define 'works' in that context. ( rhetorical )
You have a different opinion or perspective to mine. Frankly, EB, that doesn't overly concern me.
FYI critics and lurkers: I expressed an opinion that I may drink more than I should. I did not confess to being a hopeless drunk, nor did I say that my consumption is a problem or outside of my control.
Feel free to block me or this thread.
Quote: EvenBobWanna bet? I've been doing it for
8 years and it works perfectly.
Just because YOU can't do it
doesn't mean others can't.
Quote: A prolific poster once said ( albeit about something else )Why? It's silly and doesn't accomplish anything
Quote: MaxPenI commend you for regulating and controlling your drinking problem.
You missed the point, what a surprise.
I use alcohol as a tool, just any other
drug. I use it in the last 90 min I'm
awake. I use that 90 min to meal
plan for the next day, read a little,
watch some relaxing Youtube videos.
It's the fun part of my day before I
go to sleep.
Too many people use alcohol as
a recreational drug and that's where
the problems begin. They drink it
anywhere and everywhere which
is drug abuse, in my opinion.
Quote: EvenBobI never
vary from the regulated amount
for any reason. Otherwise, what's
the point..
Is it just me that sees a certain irony in that?
May I suggest something that helps me? Starting today, record (write down) everything you drink. And be honest with yourself. I find that when I see what I am drinking I see my patterns change for good and bad. It helps me. Perhaps it'll help you.
If all goes well, come April 1, you may want a drink, but not a dozen drinks.
Thanks: Not at all: Maybe.Quote: PokerGrinderGl OD. Do you think you’re an alcoholic or just a person who drinks too often?
Don't read more into that than I wrote.
Quote: OnceDearThanks: Not at all: Maybe.
Don't read more into that than I wrote.
Lol you seem to be the master of saying a lot while at the same time saying nothing at all. (Not meant as an insult)
Quote: OnceDearIs it just me that sees a certain irony in that?
Alcohol is like any other drug. When
you take a med, you take the prescribed
amount. Why would you take 6 of them
when you're supposed to take 1. Alcohol
is no different. I want to be able to
drink all my life, over doing it is the
way to guarantee you will have to stop
at some point. So never over do it.
In the bar I always drank too much
because it was free and I was young.
I haven't been drunk since the early
80's and got no plans.
Thanks....Quote: IndyJeffreyOD - I wish you the best of luck. And may you not need luck to reach your goal.
May I suggest something that helps me? Starting today, record (write down) everything you drink. And be honest with yourself. I find that when I see what I am drinking I see my patterns change for good and bad. It helps me. Perhaps it'll help you.
If all goes well, come April 1, you may want a drink, but not a dozen drinks.
Let's start that here, with a bit of retrospection.....
25 Dec: 500ml IPA: 500ml home brewed bitter beer in the afternoon: 50ml JD nightcap ( I do measure it )
26 Dec: 1 Pint (UK) Bitter Beer with my big pub lunch. No nightcap.
27 Dec: Lunch with a friend 1 Pint IPA and tried out one small bottle of low alcohol lager (<0.5%ABV) and one small bottle of 'alcohol free' lager (<0.05%ABV) Ate little today, but a rather big bar of chocolate, early on.
Off to bed now, sober as always $:o)
Quote: EvenBobYou missed the point, what a surprise.
I use alcohol as a tool, just any other
drug. I use it in the last 90 min I'm
awake. I use that 90 min to meal
plan for the next day, read a little,
watch some relaxing Youtube videos.
It's the fun part of my day before I
go to sleep.
Too many people use alcohol as
a recreational drug and that's where
the problems begin. They drink it
anywhere and everywhere which
is drug abuse, in my opinion.
Sounds like some of the babble I would use to justify smoking. When I used to smoke.
Quote: EvenBobWanna bet? I've been doing it for
8 years and it works perfectly.
Just because YOU can't do it
doesn't mean others can't.
So you process information every day under the influence of 4-6 ounces of alcohol?
Aha.
Quote: rxwineSo you process information every day under the influence of 4-6 ounces of alcohol?
Aha.
In the last 90 minutes I'm awake. Yes.
Quote: MaxPenSounds like some of the babble
What I wrote is babble to you?
I don't think 'babble' means what
you think it means. Google
is your friend..
Quote: EvenBobWhat I wrote is babble to you?
I don't think 'babble' means what
you think it means. Google
is your friend..
Talking foolishly was my intended definition for my use. Feel free to substitute another word if that is incorrect. Recommend you take care of that before the last 2 hours of your day.
Quote: MaxPenTalking foolishly was my intended definition for my use. .
So in your world drinking as much
as you want, when you want, is
the unfoolish way to live? Maybe
you need to rethink what 'foolish'
means also. That's OK, take your
time.
Quote: EvenBob...That way you control
it and it doesn't control you. I'm not
talking about a pint of Scotch every
day. A reasonable amount, between
4-6 oz of distilled liquor.
Any maths wizards or experts in measurement conversion care to help me here?
4-6 oz : I take it EB means US Fluid Ounces
5 US Fluid Ounces = 147ml
Here in blighty, our glorious National Health Service says
For simplified analysis of drinking habits.Quote: Blighty NHSSingle small shot of spirits * (25ml, ABV 40%) = 1 'Unit'
So, according to EvenBob,
A reasonable (daily?) measure = 5 US Fluid Ounces = 147ml = 147/25 'Units' = 5.88 'Units'
A reasonable (weekly?) measure = 41.16 'Units'
If I have the math right, and if I understand EvenBob's prescription correctly, he recommends that I drink MORE than I already do. Cheers EvenBob
Hmmmmm. Our Blighty NHS and UK based 'Drinkaware' site suggests that
For a man drinking 40 Units per week, spread evenly through the week,Quote: Blighty NHSmen and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
Quote: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/drinkfreedays/#rootYour drinking risk level is:
Increasing
Your drinking is putting your health at risk, increasing your chances of serious health problems including seven types of cancer, liver and heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Thanks EB for suggesting that I drink more frequently than I already do, and in greater quantities. I wish I'd come to you before going to Drinkaware and our Stoopid National Health Service $:o)
Oh yeah, and Drinkaware site says that at 40 units per week
Quote: drinkaware.co.uk90.3%
of men drink less than you
[Edit] Apparently there's this thing in USA called CDC.gov. They seem to think 3 ounces per day is reasonable for a man[/edit]
Maybe your men just hold their liquor better than us lightweight Limeys
E&OE
Quote: EvenBobSo in your world drinking as much
as you want, when you want, is
the unfoolish way to live? Maybe
you need to rethink what 'foolish'
means also. That's OK, take your
time.
What's foolish is an every day alcohol drinker trying to justify his daily dose. 😃
Following up with trying to tell others what to do because you have the magical dosing solution. Now that's just icing on the cake.😂🤣
probably zero, so why even bother? This suggests that one has to have it because they have become dependent on it.
I think OD will succeed in his endeavor. Once he gets used to it I don’t think it will be hard at all.
I’m not sure how much you would have to pay me to drink a non alcoholic beer. Probably at least $25.
Quote: SOOPOO
I’m not sure how much you would have to pay me to drink a non alcoholic beer. Probably at least $25.
That would be the LAST thing I’d want to drink.
I rank it just below decaffeinated coffee in my useless beverages rankings.
Quote: SOOPOOWhat Bob does for Bob is totally fine for Bob. The Bizzarro part is that for some reason he thinks it is a magical formula for anyone else.
I think OD will succeed in his endeavor. Once he gets used to it I don’t think it will be hard at all.
I’m not sure how much you would have to pay me to drink a non alcoholic beer. Probably at least $25.
I drink for the taste. I’m drinking a beer right now and that’s the only one I’ll drink tonight. If you told me that this was non alcoholic I’d be good with that.
