How many nights a week do you drink?
- Thread starter snowcraig2.0
- Start date
This time of year, I don’t really drink at all. Our harvest schedule is pretty intense (7AM to 11PM every day it doesn’t rain) so I need all the sleep I can get, and the best sleep. Booze isn’t conducive to either.
During summer and winter I’ll socially drink 2-3 nights a week usually. The only time I ever drink in non social scenarios anymore is watching ISU basketball games at home, and that’s maybe 2 at most.
I used to drink every day from 18 to 31. It was getting to be too much. I’d forgo exercising after work in favor of having a road beer. I wouldn’t get drunk during the week, but I was getting pretty wasted most weekends. I was having a general rough patch with some other things and was medicating with booze. I no longer drink when I’m feeling down or frustrated, because all you get as a hangover and you’re still sad. Booze is a social lubricant/celebration enhancer for me these days. Friday night my oldest dog died. Saturday was frustrating. 6 years ago I dealt with that by shutting my brain down with booze. I’m still a little sad about my dog, but I’m not hungover and surly on top of it, ya know?
When we get done in the field, you can bet your ass I’m gonna hammer some beers with friends. Until then, we got work to do.
The thing with booze that makes it tricky is that “too much” is different for everyone. Alcohol has given me some of the best experiences of my life and helped me bond with some of my best friends. It’s also been too much at the wrong time when I’ve been struggling. You need to be honest with how it affects you. If your family feels like you’re mentally present, your health is good, and it’s not hurting your work, you’re good. Any of those start to slip, you need to reevaluate.
During summer and winter I’ll socially drink 2-3 nights a week usually. The only time I ever drink in non social scenarios anymore is watching ISU basketball games at home, and that’s maybe 2 at most.
I used to drink every day from 18 to 31. It was getting to be too much. I’d forgo exercising after work in favor of having a road beer. I wouldn’t get drunk during the week, but I was getting pretty wasted most weekends. I was having a general rough patch with some other things and was medicating with booze. I no longer drink when I’m feeling down or frustrated, because all you get as a hangover and you’re still sad. Booze is a social lubricant/celebration enhancer for me these days. Friday night my oldest dog died. Saturday was frustrating. 6 years ago I dealt with that by shutting my brain down with booze. I’m still a little sad about my dog, but I’m not hungover and surly on top of it, ya know?
When we get done in the field, you can bet your ass I’m gonna hammer some beers with friends. Until then, we got work to do.
The thing with booze that makes it tricky is that “too much” is different for everyone. Alcohol has given me some of the best experiences of my life and helped me bond with some of my best friends. It’s also been too much at the wrong time when I’ve been struggling. You need to be honest with how it affects you. If your family feels like you’re mentally present, your health is good, and it’s not hurting your work, you’re good. Any of those start to slip, you need to reevaluate.
My fitness tracker really shows how tough booze is on my body.
My pulse stays very elevated. Stress level increases. Sleep is not deep
Plus I wake up with raging headaches now when I drink more than a couple. It's weird. Almost like I'm allergic to the booze.
My pulse stays very elevated. Stress level increases. Sleep is not deep
Plus I wake up with raging headaches now when I drink more than a couple. It's weird. Almost like I'm allergic to the booze.
I've always maintained, that if I have the need to drink alone, then I have a problem. That said, I partied better than most in my 20s and 30s, but then began to philosophize over the principal of 'artificial' happiness. I'll have a beer or glass of wine to complement a meal, but never to socialize any more. Time has a way of reshaping our lives.
I think there's a difference between "drinking alone" and "having a drink alone."
Sometimes in the winter if its snowing a **** load, I'll pour a bourbon and set it on the garage bench. I'll go out and deal with the snow for half hour/hour, come back in garage. Then I'll turn on the radio and enjoy that drink.
Sometimes in the winter if its snowing a **** load, I'll pour a bourbon and set it on the garage bench. I'll go out and deal with the snow for half hour/hour, come back in garage. Then I'll turn on the radio and enjoy that drink.
I’ve never understood the whole “drinking alone means you have a problem” thing. Getting hammered alone? Yeah that’s likely a problem. But having a beer on a summer night while fishing by yourself, sitting on your porch, or after doing some physical work certainly doesn’t feel like an issue to me. Likewise, pouring a drink on a winter night and enjoying the snowfall while watching basketball or reading a book doesn’t seem like a problem either. My wife doesn’t drink much but if she drinks with me at one of those occasions above, all of a sudden then it’s ok? Doesn’t make sense to me.
I clearly drink more than most based on these responses.....what are people drinking instead? I have a hard time believing everyone is just drinking water. I have friends that sip on soda all day or 2-3 energy drinks. I don't see how that is more healthy than a couple of beers at night....
It's not, the beer is better for you.
3 drinks a day is probably too many. When you read the article they are combining data from a wide variety of studies and they mention some issues with correlation and causation. One of the things they mention that I posted earlier is “Lifelong alcohol abstainers should not start drinking for health reasons only, but should be encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles” that’s kinda all you need to know. If consumption of alcohol truly had health benefits it would be recommended but in every study it isn’t encouraged to start if you were abstaining.I have been using this meta analysis study to justify my behavior. Any thoughts? Based on this anyway, the J curve is pretty consistent across studies and reflects all cause mortality decrease in drinking under about 40 grams per day. So approx 3 drinks.
Alcohol and Health: Praise of the J Curves∗
www.jacc.org
Right now its the start of a couple months of Deals apple cider time in our house. Its the GOAT of Iowa based apple ciders.
Flavored zero calorie sparking water has exploded in popularity lately for people that want some other flavor but don’t want the issues with pop/juice.
Do you suppose that is more because the risks of addiction outweigh any benefits of consumption?
I drink coffee in the morning and nothing but water throughout the rest of the day. I've always got a refillable water bottle with me.
I've found I sleep better when I don't drink so I really try to avoid drinking during the week but sometimes I'll have one on a Thursday or if there is a happy hour or some sort of get together with friends. Friday and Saturday usually have a few beers. I've been getting more into doing a THC seltzer and then just a beer or two in the weekends though. Feels much better and I sleep better. Just had my first kid though so that's all out the window now.
It’s more because we really don’t know the benefits for sure or not as there are many conflicting studies. We do know the potential harm however so without a clear benefit their is no reason to recommend starting drinking. Someone who becomes addicted is going to be way over the consumption recommendations for any possibly benefit anyway but opening that door is an obvious concern.
I’m a huge kombucha fan. It’s 100% not for everyone but I like it.
coach h had a kid in january and thats changed the way i go about drinking
i do not want to be hung over taking care of a child after a night of drinking.
i tend to just avoid it now but will still have a a few here and there.
have a wedding on saturday and fully intend to indulge in beverages.
i do not want to be hung over taking care of a child after a night of drinking.
i tend to just avoid it now but will still have a a few here and there.
have a wedding on saturday and fully intend to indulge in beverages.
I drink coffee in the morning, water the rest of the day. Why is it unbelievable to drink water? It's tasty and satisfies thirst as well as anything.
The biggest thing with me is that alcohol severely affects my sleep, which in turn, has a severe affect on my mental health/productivity. I generally don't enjoy alcohol but use it for social situations, which probably isn't great, but I do like to have a good time on the weekends.
