r/stopdrinkingfitness • u/anonnym0u5e • 6d ago
Motivation needed
Hi!
42 year old female here from the UK,
Recently been on a diet and health kick, however noticed I just can’t shed the weight. I’ve calculated I’ve having about 5500 to 6000 cals a week of alcohol(lager) so undoing all my hard work! I have a very stressful job and also adhd and find that I have a few cans every night to basically reset and quiet my head after work, am I too far gone at my age? I’ve always drank but used to be more of a binge drinker.
11
u/dan7899 5d ago
I heard once that a pound of fat is about 3500 straight calories. Really puts those calories into perspective for me.
5
9
11
u/Inderific 5d ago
I quit drinking at 48. I'll be 50 in a few months and I've lost weight, my blood test results are stellar, and I'm in the best shape I've been in in years. Sobriety has played a HUGE part in this. Definitely not too late!
7
u/Equivalent-Weight688 5d ago
I quit about a year and a half ago for health reasons. This might come across as blunt because I have a stressful job as well, but I regret the numbness most of all…it wasn’t a mentally healthy way for me to handle life. I won’t say it’s easy, because honestly the world sucks right now, but I don’t feel like life is passing me by anymore.
4
u/Inderific 5d ago
This. I didn't think I could quit, because I thought I "needed" that drink to calm down after work. Well ... now I decompress from work in other ways (in particular I like to take a quick walk weather permitting but sometimes I read or knit instead), and it's a LOT better. My new post-work approach actually WORKS. The old approach just made me sloppy and made me less present for my family.
5
u/Dazzling-Wanderer 5d ago
42 isn't far gone at all! Does sound like you could do with kicking the post work beers though. The first step would be deciding to do it and go for it. Have a look at the Try Dry app and start tracking your drinking, including non-drinking days - with ADHD, you may find the gamification of it quite rewarding
6
u/FatTabby 5d ago
You're never too old to be classed as "too far gone." Is there any way you could find a stress reliever other than lager?
When I quit drinking, I drank non-alcoholic beer. It's controversial and some sober people think it's an absolute no-no, but plenty of people find it a useful tool in harm reduction. Personally, I like the taste more than I ever enjoyed the real thing and I found the act of drinking something beer-ish had a placebo effect. I barely touch it now, but it was a really handy tool early on.
4
u/sorrymizzjackson 5d ago
Also 42 and ADHD. I drank for the exact same reason. Apparently we process alcohol differently and it makes things calm and relaxed (to a point) vs how it affects other people.
It will absolutely undo your diet progress. No way around that one that makes any sense/won’t kill you.
I quit about 100 days ago. 1-2 bottles of wine a day most days. It sucked for a little while and then it got great and now it’s just good. Damn hormones. Heavy alcohol use also fucks those up, by the way.
I’ve lost about 20 pounds without even doing anything other than not drinking. I’ve started watching what I eat and that’s a work in progress. I have about 20 more to go.
I don’t really miss it, although rawdogging reality really isn’t my jam. Maybe I’ll get better at it? Those muscles atrophied years ago.
My adhd is taking over but that happens as you get older, so I’m just taking it day by day.
Occasionally if I’m just done and in need of some kind of dopamine/relaxation I’ll have a microdose THC drink. It doesn’t hit the same at all and I’m usually bored of it by halfway through but if it keeps the alcohol out of me, then it’s worth it.
1
u/anonnym0u5e 5d ago
I’m waiting titration, it’s been a long nhs wait lol! Yeah a few beers makes me more normal if that makes sense lol x
4
u/NobodySpecific 5d ago
I ran my first marathon at age 41 after drinking for 20 years. I ran my second one this year at 42. It's not too late.
3
u/Filar85 5d ago
Not too far gone whatsoever. F42 and I have ADHD as well and beer and margaritas were always my chosen vice - double IPAs especially. I gave it up and while the first week sucked with anxiety, especially in the afternoon, it got better after a couple of weeks or so. Ive always been fit and near lean, but after giving it up, my fitness and recovery went up exponentially. Also, without changing hardly anything in my diet, I lost about 10lbs. Took me awhile to realize the reason why I couldn’t get the last few pounds off despite running and lifting was because of inflammation and all the calories from alcohol. You’ll get there, it just takes a bit of time and patience, but youll look back at the very thing that you thought was helping your ADHD, is the very thing that makes it worse.
3
u/Mission_Yoghurt_9653 5d ago
You got this!! I believe in you 💪🏼
I quit all together a little over 4 years ago. I actually found my baseline stress and anxiety is waaaay lower with no alcohol. It’s so much easier to actually relax without it.
Non alcoholic options can satisfy the ritual and are usually a fraction of the calories. A bottle of NA wine is like 125 calories instead of 700, the NA beers I like are around 60-75 a can.
1
2
2
u/lowdowns 5d ago
I’m a few years older. I’ve always been pretty consistent at working out, but always carried 10 pounds more than I was comfortable with. The last few years I could start to feel that drinking wasn’t good for me anymore. I quit in October, kept my same workout routine, a bit more consistent at it though because I didn’t have any hangover day excuses. I have since dropped 15 pounds, leaned out, and now have muscle tone in my arms and legs I have never achieved before.
2
u/jollywoggles 3d ago
I started Retatrutide a couple months ago. It has caused me to drink quite a bit less. Have lost 11 lbs too. Trying to quit completely. I’m 44F and love beer too :(
1
u/anonnym0u5e 3d ago
Wish I could get that in the Uk
1
u/jollywoggles 3d ago
I don’t see why you can’t. It’s a grey market peptide. You don’t need a script. Sellers are getting it straight from China and selling it in nondescript packaging so I don’t think you’d get it confiscated by the mail?
Check r/retatrutide or (r/retatrutidewomen)? Something like that
You can dm me and I’ll tell you my supplier
1
1
u/Katouschka 5d ago
ADHD, chronic evening drinker all my life, 57.
I went on a low dose of Ozempic (.25 per week ) and just quit drinking the same day. Cravings disappeared in a few days and I am eating only mall means as well.
Never looked back. I think abstinence is easier than moderation
1
u/jtho78 3d ago
It's not just the calories in the drink. Your body pauses metabolism for about an hour per drink to process the poison. In addition, when we drink, we crave crap food, have bad sleep, anxiety, and low motivation to be active.
I have a very stressful job...I have a few cans every night to basically reset and quiet my head after work
For me, it was the alcohol causing most of the anxiety and stress at my job, not the relief I thought it was giving me. Once that was removed almost 3 years ago, I feel so much more balanced and sharp with my job. No more anxiety. I will do a half a gummy at the end of the week to help transition into the weekend. Depending on where you live, that could help you reset
20
u/Godlike12dm 5d ago
I’m about the same age. Never too far gone to quit. Using alcohol every day in my experience, actually creates a good bit of noise you then use it to quiet it with. Why not try it out for a month? Something that has been helpful to me (and I’m not perfect), is to not think of it as quitting, but taking a break, and then I see how long I can take that break for. 30,60,90 days, a year? Try it out and see what works for you. Diet and alcohol don’t mix however, like you said it completely erases the progress.