If you decide to stop drinking alcohol, it means that you accepted your addiction and could overcome it. This is actually very cool!
The fact is that a couple of years ago I also started to drink a lot. This happened after the death of my wife. It was not my fault, but I blamed only myself and could not calm down and only alcohol calmed me. Once I was driving drunk in a car and I almost crashed. It was then that I thought and realized that my wife would not want me to continue my life like that … Then I decided to recover from alcoholism and move to another place to miss her not so much. I read a lot of stories on the Internet and many advised me to find online addiction recovery consultant. I did just that and I talked with my consultant every day and he gave me awesome support and I was able to completely change my life … So you made the right choice!
I love beer. Simply. And wine, from time to time.
I’ve homebrewed for years, been even judging at professional competitions around Europe. Yet, I know it’s not worth it, and I cut substantially the volume about a year ago (after relocating to a new country). The lockdown, if anything, has helped remove the odd “social” beer and glass of wine here and there.
Yet, I still enjoy it and it would be unfair to say the contrary.
You know what tho? I’ve been trying alcohol-free beers, and recently they’ve got a lot better, even the craft ones; they don’t feel like a compromise anymore. I can happily drink a beer when I really want one without having to worry about alcohol effects…
There’s been a HUGE “revolution” in alcohol free beers over the past couple of years. Prior to that, most of what was out there was awful. Now, companies like Athletic and Partake are brewing craft beers of all types that can hold their own against regular craft beers, sometimes even beating them in brewing competitions. An added bonus is they are way less calories.
*Full disclosure: I’m an “Ambassador” for Athletic Brewing Co., but they’re not the only brewery turning out very good NA beers.
I know I am. Once a week.
Mostly gin & tonics. 
But only because the local breweries switched from making beer to making hand sanitizer.
I stopped drinking alcohol about 2.5 years ago. Mine was due to a health issue so I had to stop but I really like craft beers and wine. I have to tell you that I feel great after stopping. No more hangovers and I am as lean as I’ve ever been.
I thought about the non-alcoholic beers but I didn’t see the use really. At first it felt weird after the big group rides when everyone would get beer and I drank water but it’s no big deal now. It was more me feeling weird than them making me feel weird.
Now I can spend more money on bike parts.
2 days without alcohol for me. I already feel a boost in energy and productivity. I’m sure I’ll see a couple more watts too.
I had planned on stopping right about now for race season anyways.
I do miss cracking cold ones with the boys, though.
The replies on here are inspiring!
Could be worse, you could be drinking hand sanitizer…
Totally beat me to that comment…
Or Coors.
Just remember - Burt Reynolds risked jail time to transport 400 cases of Coors across state lines. He didn’t do that for Kokanee 
Burt might have been smugglin’ Coors, but he was drinkin’ Bud!
I’m convinced there’s one central 90 gigagazillion gallon vat somewhere that they all siphon off and slap whatever label on the can – Coors, Bud, Kokanee, Club, Schlitz, Blue, Pabst, Old Milwaukee, MIller, ad nauseum. Actually, anything in a can…wth?! 
I’m the same. Haven’t drunk alcohol for about 11 years and don’t miss it. But I think everyone has to start the journey somewhere. I did alot of attempted moderation and periodization before I found my way.
having done a blind taste test at a dive bar outside city limits once (talking like $1 bottles)… there’s definitely a difference. surprisingly out of the various domestic “lights” busch light was the winner for all but 1 of us
This may be a misplaced question, but I need to put it somewhere.
Is anyone else struggling with the increased booze content of the podcast?
I’ve come to the conclusion that my relationship with alcohol needs to change. This year I went from Feb to mid-March without drinking and whilst I didn’t really feel an amazing change like some people do, my training consistency was absolutely 100%. I was nailing every single workout and seeing massive gains (both in FTP and real world times).
Since then (and especially in lockdown) I’ve slipped back in to old habits and started having the odd beer on a weekend. My problem though is after a couple of Friday night beers, I don’t stop. 2 beers turns into 3, then a bottle of wine gets opened and that’s it, the weekend is a write-off in terms of training and bike riding.
The training improvements were a big aspect of being able to stay sober. But now I’m like what the hell am I actually training for? Here in the UK there are no events until at least the end of June. Realistically the whole of 2020 is probably toast.
I got really sick in 2018, still don’t know exactly what it was, after a lot of testing and brain MRI they think it might have been a small stroke. I cut pretty much everything out after that including caffeine and alcohol, both of which I was drinking way too much of. Along with getting better sleep I have felt so much better over the last year and it’s crazy how you don’t really miss them at all once you stop. I have started drinking one cup of regular coffee again in the morning some days just because I love coffee and there aren’t enough decaf flavor varieties but I am determined not to get to the point of 3 or 4 cups a day again. I have a beer very rarely now, maybe out to dinner with family/friends, I think my last beer was in January some time. It’s so weird how hard it is to tell your brain you don’t need those things when you are having them all the time but after just a few weeks of not having them you really realize they add no benefit. Without caffeine I have plenty of energy waking up in the morning and without alcohol I am still able to relax in the evening drinking some decaf tea. I definitely used to be one of those people that thought I wouldn’t be able to start the day without coffee after so many years of pounding multiple cups a morning and I definitely rationalized my beer drinking as a relaxing hobby. Once you’re removed from it you really realize it’s all just such a waste, specifically alcohol.
(Side note: I have tried a couple of the alcohol free IPA’s because I do enjoy the taste of beer and the couple I have tried, Athletic Brewing and Surreal, I actually did enjoy. They didn’t taste like real IPA’s per say but they were good enough to trick my brain into thinking I was enjoying some real beer. I also think it helps to have not had a real beer in a while when you try them.)
May I provide a friendly advice and suggest that you get your shit together ? Sure, 2020 is probably done, no question about that. But how do you want to look when we get back to normal - fit and ready to go or completely out of shape, thinking how you wasted several months ?
Make no mistake - we will get back to normal, even if we don’t know yet when nor how. But what we do know is that the shape you will be in when the time comes, is up to you and it will be the consequence of the choices you make right now. Choose wisely ! Good luck.
Tough love, I like it. I think I need to stop moping around and use the lack of a commute (I’m still working from home as I’m a data engineer for the NHS) as extra training time instead of extra drinking time haha.
From a slightly different perspective.
I have a massively addictive personality. There’s no debating this.
I tried going cold turkey several times. I keep it going for 4, 6, 8 weeks, whatever time-frame I set myself.
Then I pat myself on the back “well done, old man, now you can relax”
And that has screwed me, time after time after time.
This year, I changed my approach. I don’t “diet”. I don’t “quit drinking”
I’m making lifestyle changes. For my health, to stick around for my kids. To like what I see in the mirror a bit more, as a byproduct.
Hence, no hardcore “no cals/fats” fads. No cold turkey. I eat well consistently, and I allow myself the occasional slip-up.
I have one day a week where I can drink, if i feel like it. Over the last 4 months, my consumption has dropped drastically. I haven’t once exceeded 10 units in the last 2 months. Most times, if I have one too many, I actually fall asleep by 10 
We can’t all be monks all the time. Give yourself some rope might be the solution. If you slip up, it’s not the end of the world, it’s a good way for you to improve.
Try to rope a support network around you. I had to ask my wife to stop offering me booze. I stock plenty of lovely polish 0% or 1% beers now, and most of the time, i actually enjoy those a lot more than the full fat version.
I’ve asked her to stop buying chocolate and ice cream into the house, has done wonders!
I can’t get away with beers - I seem to have the same detrimental effect on training whether it’s a night with a couple of ciders or half a bottle of JD - I prefer the JD but save it for special occasions now.
Another option, if you’re a spirit drinker, is to only buy the most expensive bottle on the shelf. This tends to be £35-40 in most supermarkets and at least you can savour it then.