Post: #1776

Officially jumped on this wagon Friday 11/25/16. I'm not a one beer a night guy, so dealing with hangovers, which then lead me to being less productive has started to get pretty annoying. Looking forward to what I will accomplish this year.

Post: #1777

(11-28-2016 09:21 PM)Serious Sam Wrote:  Officially jumped on this wagon Friday 11/25/16. I'm not a one beer a night guy, so dealing with hangovers, which then lead me to being less productive has started to get pretty annoying. Looking forward to what I will accomplish this year.

Sam, thanks for the post. Just to be clear -- are you in for the full year?

Post: #1778

So I just finished my 1 year of sobriety. Thank you for all the support TLOZ and others on here. I saw many benefits staying sober such as better sleep, weight loss, more focus and better diet.

I feel like I definitely need to do a second year on the wagon. I drank hard for about 18 months before I got sober, going through 2 bottles of rum/vodka a week and now I don't have any interest left for hard drinking. Crazy how 6 months only feels like 1 month when you're drinking a lot. My time management has improved a lot over this 1 yr period.

Post: #1779

(11-29-2016 09:29 PM)Kizman Wrote:  So I just finished my 1 year of sobriety. Thank you for all the support TLOZ and others on here. I saw many benefits staying sober such as better sleep, weight loss, more focus and better diet.

I feel like I definitely need to do a second year on the wagon. I drank hard for about 18 months before I got sober, going through 2 bottles of rum/vodka a week and now I don't have any interest left for hard drinking. Crazy how 6 months only feels like 1 month when you're drinking a lot. My time management has improved a lot over this 1 yr period.

Kizman, well done -- congrats on the one year, and a +1 rep point from me. Your post has made me very happy.

Glad to hear you've decided to reup -- I think the wagon will continue to serve you in good stead. Welcome back aboard for year 2 as of November 25, 2016, and I look forward to hearing more from you on this thread as time goes on.

Post: #1780

(11-29-2016 09:29 PM)Kizman Wrote:  So I just finished my 1 year of sobriety. Thank you for all the support TLOZ and others on here. I saw many benefits staying sober such as better sleep, weight loss, more focus and better diet.

I feel like I definitely need to do a second year on the wagon. I drank hard for about 18 months before I got sober, going through 2 bottles of rum/vodka a week and now I don't have any interest left for hard drinking. Crazy how 6 months only feels like 1 month when you're drinking a lot. My time management has improved a lot over this 1 yr period.

Well played, sir, well played.

DTD

Post: #1781

(11-29-2016 07:52 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-28-2016 09:21 PM)Serious Sam Wrote:  Officially jumped on this wagon Friday 11/25/16. I'm not a one beer a night guy, so dealing with hangovers, which then lead me to being less productive has started to get pretty annoying. Looking forward to what I will accomplish this year.

Sam, thanks for the post. Just to be clear -- are you in for the full year?

Yep. I want this to be the most productive year of my life to this point, and cutting out alcohol is a big step.

Post: #1782

(11-30-2016 01:01 PM)Serious Sam Wrote:  

(11-29-2016 07:52 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-28-2016 09:21 PM)Serious Sam Wrote:  Officially jumped on this wagon Friday 11/25/16. I'm not a one beer a night guy, so dealing with hangovers, which then lead me to being less productive has started to get pretty annoying. Looking forward to what I will accomplish this year.

Sam, thanks for the post. Just to be clear -- are you in for the full year?

Yep. I want this to be the most productive year of my life to this point, and cutting out alcohol is a big step.

Thank you. Welcome aboard as of November 25, 2016 and I hope to hear more from you here as time goes on.

Post: #1783

The wagon thread is three years old today.

Post: #1784

(12-01-2016 08:44 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  The wagon thread is three years old today.

That's incredible to hear! LoZ, the service you have done this community with this movement is indescribable. Thank you!

I'm very thankful to announce that my wagon started on 11/11! Choosing that date, which is meaningful to me, has saved me from the early temptations I encountered. When people ask when I quit drinking, being able to say "11/11" is an awesome and easy answer.

I waited a while to make sure it would stick before posting. I've also been slowly working my way through this thread from the start - anyone who is thinking of joining, that is a very encouraging thing to do when starting out! I am 100% committed to making it through the whole year, and have already seen significant mental benefits once the initial (strongest) temptations were passed. Mentally, financially, emotionally and energetically, I will be much better off for starting this!

To those who are starting: Even if you're not totally convinced yet, know that self-discipline is grown through practice. Taking on this challenge will grow your self-discipline and make you better at self-control just by doing it. I think that doing so also gives a man an edge over many other people, because very few average drinkers have the strength of will to commit to this and see it through. The people on this forum are far above average, and I look forward to going through this wagon with all of you!

Post: #1785

(12-01-2016 08:44 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  The wagon thread is three years old today.

Very appreciative of your work and investment here. This thread is the only reason I considered and completed an inaugural wagon year on 7/4 and now 6 weeks into my second.

Accountability is a big deal and motivator, even if it consists of expressing commitments on the Internet to anonymous strangers.

Post: #1786

Rkie good call to hop on the wagon and make sure you post periodically! You never know what pearls of wisdom or interesting anecdotes you may have to share could help another person. I say this because I was winding down the clock on my first year of not drinking on a fishing trip with a friends and I was seriously considering drinking again after seeing them boozing casually during the vacation. But then out of nowhere DTD309 shared this post on how he started drinking again after a year off the booze and how shit went downhill fast:
/thread-30625...pid1366739
Note the time stamp -- August 4... My quit day is August 5! What an omen. Now I am almost 4 months into year 2, and I think about that post every so often whenever the voice in my head starts yapping at me.

So good luck and let us know how your wagon ride is going periodically. Maybe someone else will relate to your experience and get something out of it.

Post: #1787

(12-01-2016 11:00 AM)rkIE Wrote:  

(12-01-2016 08:44 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  The wagon thread is three years old today.

That's incredible to hear! LoZ, the service you have done this community with this movement is indescribable. Thank you!

I'm very thankful to announce that my wagon started on 11/11! Choosing that date, which is meaningful to me, has saved me from the early temptations I encountered. When people ask when I quit drinking, being able to say "11/11" is an awesome and easy answer.

I waited a while to make sure it would stick before posting. I've also been slowly working my way through this thread from the start - anyone who is thinking of joining, that is a very encouraging thing to do when starting out! I am 100% committed to making it through the whole year, and have already seen significant mental benefits once the initial (strongest) temptations were passed. Mentally, financially, emotionally and energetically, I will be much better off for starting this!

To those who are starting: Even if you're not totally convinced yet, know that self-discipline is grown through practice. Taking on this challenge will grow your self-discipline and make you better at self-control just by doing it. I think that doing so also gives a man an edge over many other people, because very few average drinkers have the strength of will to commit to this and see it through. The people on this forum are far above average, and I look forward to going through this wagon with all of you!

rkIE, thanks for this great post, and welcome aboard as of November 11, 2016. I look forward to hearing more from you here as time goes on.

Post: #1788

The time has come. I am finally tired of embarrassing myself. Multiple times I have considered making this pledge, but now i feel I am ready to commit. For all alcohol has taken from me it's almost masochistic I still abuse it. The hardest part will be my family, as they are all hard drinkers and we are close. I am meeting with my buddy who has gotten off of h and alcohol to pick his brain but this is no doubt gonna be tough. It's daunting to even consider but I feel that making this pledge here will help hold me accountable. Lizard of Oz Thank you for all you do here. You're a great man. If any members want to exchange numbers and do this together I'm down. Best of luck to all, I know I will need it. Day one 12/3/2016.

Post: #1789

(12-03-2016 11:10 PM)phluff127 Wrote:  The time has come. I am tired of embarrassing myself. Multiple times I have considered making this pledge, but now i feel I am ready to commit. For all alcohol has taken from me it's almost masochistic I still abuse it. The hardest part will be my family, as they are all hard drinkers and we are close. I am meeting with my buddy who has gotten off of h and alcohol to pick his brain but this is no doubt gonna be tough. It's daunting to even consider but I feel that making this pledge here will help hold me accountable. Lizard of Oz Thank you for all you do here. You're a great man. If any members want to exchange numbers and do this together I'm down. Best of luck to all, I know I will need it. Day one 12/3/2016.

phluff127, thank you for the post. Are you in for the full year?

Post: #1790

Yes

Post: #1791

(12-03-2016 11:16 PM)phluff127 Wrote:  Yes

Thank you -- I always have to ask.

Welcome aboard as of December 3, 2016 and I look forward to hearing more from you here as time goes on.

Post: #1792

Just over a month in, and the sense of freedom and control over my own destiny is really starting to sink in. Being free from alcohol has really begun to steady my mood and improve my thought processes. Listening to a rock autobiography recently, and though the stories are crazy all I'm thinking is "I'm glad to be free from that stuff these days".

I certainly don't expect this feeling to last, and I don't need it to. What I need to do is make myself a list of reasons my life has improved in the absence of alcohol, and post it somewhere I can see it regularly. That way, when the doubts start to creep in, I have something concrete to refer to that clearly shows why I am going to continue. Best of luck on all your wagons as well!

Post: #1793

Some great stories in this thread! Keep it up fellas!

Post: #1794

Can you officially write me on the wagon?
I had been drinking very little since months ago and had my last drink three months ago in a meet up, since then I 've had unopened beers in the fridge, a bottle of sherry and several unopened wines next to my bed and haven't touched a single drop-Gave them away the other day as they were getting dusty.

I figure I' ve had enough booze for this lifetime at least and this thread has been a great source of inspiration, thanks to all who post here and additional thanks to LOZ since I followed his other example and quit Caffeine around the same time.

Post: #1795

(12-23-2016 02:49 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  Can you officially write me on the wagon?
I had been drinking very little since months ago and had my last drink three months ago in a meet up, since then I 've had unopened beers in the fridge, a bottle of sherry and several unopened wines next to my bed and haven't touched a single drop-Gave them away the other day as they were getting dusty.

I figure I' ve had enough booze for this lifetime at least and this thread has been a great source of inspiration, thanks to all who post here and additional thanks to LOZ since I followed his other example and quit Caffeine around the same time.

El_Gostro -- of course. If you are in for the full year, please post your start date here (if you do not remember the exact start date err on the side of being sure it's a date after which you haven't had a single drink) and I will officially welcome you aboard.

Post: #1796

This is the toughest stretch of the calendar for many of us on the wagon. Helps me to remember that the best New Year's resolution is to simply carry forward a resolution already made...

Happy Holidays, all.

Post: #1797

(12-23-2016 09:12 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  El_Gostro -- of course. If you are in for the full year, please post your start date here (if you do not remember the exact start date err on the side of being sure it's a date after which you haven't had a single drink) and I will officially welcome you aboard.

Let's stick for the sake of being sure to 25 September! And yeah,I'm in for the full year!
It doesn't matter if its better to use today's date as a starter. I'm in for the long haul

Post: #1798

(12-23-2016 01:36 PM)El_Gostro Wrote:  

(12-23-2016 09:12 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  El_Gostro -- of course. If you are in for the full year, please post your start date here (if you do not remember the exact start date err on the side of being sure it's a date after which you haven't had a single drink) and I will officially welcome you aboard.

Let's stick for the sake of being sure to 25 September! And yeah,I'm in for the full year!
It doesn't matter if its better to use today's date as a starter. I'm in for the long haul

El_Gostro, thank you and welcome aboard as of September 25, 2016. I look forward to hearing more from you on this thread as time goes on.

Post: #1799

One Month Update:

I hopped on this wagon one month ago. Here are some updates from that time period:

1) I had a couple of strong urges to drink within the first three weeks, but those have since disappeared.

2) I have lost 9 pounds. I think this is mainly due to a better diet and more consistent workouts. When I would be a bit hungover, I found myself more likely to eat crappy food the next day. Now that I'm not drinking, I'm eating much healthier day in and day out.

3) My energy levels are through the roof. My dog has enjoyed this, as I'm taking her on longer walks at night in order to wear myself out, even when I had great workouts earlier in the day.

4) Much better concentration and attention to detail.

5) Better utilization of free time. I'm writing more, working on some woodworking projects that I had put off, and working on making money on the side.

6) Getting more and higher quality sleep. It took a couple of weeks for my body to adjust, but now I'm getting great sleep and waking up less groggy.

I still have 11 months to go, but am already feeling the positive effects of going alcohol-free. More updates to come throughout the year!

Post: #1800

I had my test of fire on the evening of the 24th, I went to visit some recent acquaintances for the occassion and as is expected from Spaniards anditalians ,wine and fizzy wine were flowing around. It was a biut difficult at first to explain-or rather for others to understand the fact that I wasnt drinking but I managed and the enjoyed the night in sobriety.
O thing I could notice after this spell of soberness is that now I am very quickto realize when a person has drunk even for abit as I can easily gauge their patterns which in turn gives my ponderous tendencies a greater pleasure.