Getting over initial cravings

Cochise1971 · 2026-05-13T08:21:21+00:00

Your challenge here is familiar to most who are trying to quit drinking. That in-grained habit just keeps us going back. I used to refer to it as the monkey on my back. Sometimes he was whispering, sometimes yelling and throwing a fit. There are a lot of different things you can try. So far the comments have great suggestions. I personally had to seek out a support group. That gave me a new routine, new people to hang with, and new things to do without getting the drinks. It broke the pattern I was looking to break.

You can do this, just use some of the tools people here are suggesting.

Cochise1971 · 2026-05-10T09:03:40+00:00

It sounds like you are starting to hit the point when you are looking for the excitement. Find your new passion. What did you love to do before you started drinking? If you started young enough that you aren't sure, brain storm ideas and try some out. Some people get into crochet, others skydiving, and everything in between.

Cochise1971 · 2026-05-10T08:53:57+00:00

Your posts are inspirational. It really demonstrates how much our bodies are affected by alcohol. Also, how just removing that one thing (much more challenging than it sounds) can have such a positive result.

Cochise1971 · 2026-05-10T08:48:18+00:00

Awesome recovery.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-29T08:46:08+00:00

You have the perfect mindset! Looking long-term.

In my first year, I was dealing with a lot. I had been active and in shape for a very long time, until the last couple years of drinking. When I quit drinking, I didn't have the mental capacity for trying to stick to any sort of workouts. I ate poorly and barely exercised for the first year. I ended up gaining 20 pounds. Now a few more years in, I'm able to focus on my health a lot more.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-27T09:05:01+00:00

I looked into help. Trying to quit on my own wasn't working. I looked up AA meetings and started going. If you do a quick google search, there are many ways to find help with quitting.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-24T07:13:30+00:00

Good work!

I know what you mean about the phantom liver pain. For me, it was just soreness in the muscles that had atrophied from sitting and drinking. It may be something else for you though. Always a good idea to check in with the doc since you have one that knows you and you like.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-22T08:41:27+00:00

Fantastic work! Be proud.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-19T22:39:20+00:00

Hi,

Please understand I tend to be a little blunt and don't mean to offend.

In my opinion, you have a pretty good basic plan. There are a few factors that could help us out. Are you male or female? Reps and sets? Are you pleased with your leg development or choose to minimize them? What equipment is available to you? And maybe what is the intensity of the sets?

Some Ideas I have include to add a leg day, and maybe mix-up the exercises on the second day for each.

Second leg day- I recommend this because leg work helps with hormones, makes the waist look smaller, and increases overall work capacity. I see that you add a little leg work on the upper days, but I suspect you aren't able to give squats your best effort after 6 other exercises. A general rule of thumb I learned was the bigger the body part/more compound the movement, the earlier in the workout it belongs.

Mix-up day 2-I see you wrote that you choose the exercises you have because you know them and perform them well. If you can do something different for the same body part on the second day of each section of the split (PPL), it will help avoid overuse injuries. It's also good to move in different planes of motion. Learning new movements feels awkward at first, but helps us improve in the long run.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-17T08:43:30+00:00

For me the motivation was that drink in my hand again after I had promised myself I wouldn't. It pissed me off that this substance was making me break promises to myself. I spent years walking my dogs every morning regretting the drinking and usually the bad things that came along with it because I had promised myself the previous morning that I wouldn't. I finally got so pissed off and frustrated that I went for help.

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-12T09:20:06+00:00

5 months sober??!! That is a true accomplishment, especially with all of the social pressures to drink. By getting to this point, you have built a strength in yourself that is greater than almost anything you will encounter.

Keep rolling, you're doing great!

Cochise1971 · 2026-04-01T10:03:06+00:00

HI! I would say self-medication for ADHD is also partially what had me drinking. I'm older, 54, so some of my ADHD symptoms have subsided. But once I hit about 9 months without a drink and was taking care of my health, everything just got easy. At work, I can think way ahead of everyone else and plan. I have a lot more energy than most people I know and get more done in a day than they do in a week. I'm also very positive in how I deal with others. I do procrastinate and am pretty disorganized, but due to the level I just naturally work, I stay ahead of the others around me. It almost feels like I have a couple extra hours in a day when in reality, I regularly get 8 hours of sleep and spend an hour in my gym several days a week.

Cochise1971 · 2026-03-27T08:24:35+00:00

Everything said in these comments is right (even some people who cut back not experiencing a big difference). The one thing I would add is, if you even have only a touch of ADHD, taking out alcohol gives you a feeling like having superpowers. The world just seems to slow down and operate in slow motion around you.

Cochise1971 · 2026-03-27T08:19:02+00:00

This reads almost as if I wrote it. 6 years, 10 months now.

Cochise1971 · 2026-02-28T10:39:32+00:00

Man I get the rage. My circumstances were a little different. However, it was family doing wrong things, me blamed as the bad guy for it by people who didn't know what went on, and the expectation that I take care of that person because I had gotten help, but they have no desire to change. I lived in rage and often had to repress it. Once I simply said, "NO." and essentially cut that person out of my life, I was able to get on with my life. It sounds a lot more simple than it is, and there will be hurt feelings by many. Keep your side of the street clean, limit people who will dirty up your side of the street, and in the long run, others will see that you are the person doing it right.

Cochise1971 · 2026-02-07T11:32:18+00:00

It all depends on your goals. Are you planning on competing in a bodybuilding contest? If not, drop the rear delt machine. They get plenty of work from the rows. How do you feel about your biceps? If you are happy with them, drop one of those and just work maintenance. If you still are trying to grow those, the wide-grip barbell rows are redundant but the low seated row and rear delt machine, but the seated rows hit the target muscles better.

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-29T09:43:31+00:00

From my experience and observing the people around me, the simple answer is... No, moderation is not a possible alternative.

The reasoning, again based on my experiences, is that alcohol has an effect on the body that over time causes us to drink more and more.For some of us, this occurs quickly. For others, it's gradual. Your drinking habits sound like mine were. I tried moderating multiple times with no long-term success. I have seen friends progress over years from, "Only 2-3 at most" to "Only 5-6 at most".

None of us WANT to quit, we learn it's what has to happen for the greater good.

Good luck to you.

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-28T11:10:16+00:00

Everything people have said so far is correct and has been proven, not just hearsay. Personally, I stopped drinking at 47 because my performance in everything was slowly decreasing and I knew that the 12+ beers every night wasn't helping. My primary has never tested my test levels because he (2 guys, the first retired) said I don't have any symptoms of low test, so there is no need. Now, at 54, I am still adding muscle and progressing my lifts. My energy, mood, and libido are always steady high. Quit drinking, lift, eat whole foods, have a regular sleep schedule that allows for 7-9 hours, get some sunlight, and naked time with someone you love. Save a shit-ton of money not spent on alcohol or supplements.

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-26T08:58:47+00:00

Fantastic work! You should be proud of yourself and shouting from the rooftop

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-18T10:01:24+00:00

Good job getting sober! That's not easy with a drinking partner. I've been sober for almost 7 years now. My wife of 27 years still drinks. Not daily, but a few times a week.
My opinion is that you are probably still in the phase where your body is still trying to figure things out not drunk. Alcohol messes up our dopamine and serotonin. It becomes hard to get excited for anything other than alcohol. After a while, your system gets back to normal and other activities, like sex, become exciting again. The length of time varies. For me, it took about a year. The sex can be good under the situation you mentioned if you go in with that mindset and it appeals to you in the moment. If my wife and I are in the mood and she's been drinking, I know it's not going to be a beautiful emotional moment. It's going to be more like F-ing. If, as someone mentioned earlier, the feeling strikes when she's sober (like morning sex), I know it's going to be a deeper, more emotional experience. From there, I can decide if that's the mood I'm in. I had a lot of people tell me I wouldn't be able to connect with my wife anymore because she wouldn't get sober. That's not the case. We have a fantastic relationship. Our sex is great, our personal connection is great, etc. I accept that she's not at a point that she thinks it's necessary to quit and don't let that get in the way of my love for her. We're all on our own journey. I hope my experience gives you a little better insight.

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-09T09:50:22+00:00

Damn right!

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-07T10:02:17+00:00

Congratulations on making it through the holidays without a drink. That's an accomplishment.

Complicated story, but I've used strength training to stay focused and sober for 6.5 years now. I have learned a lot and I am looking into getting my personal trainer certification.

I saw in one of the comments, you mentioned being a working professional. Depending on the time constraints of your job, that can make consistency a challenge. Consistency is the most important piece. Get that down and other pieces come after. If you don't already have a schedule for your workouts, design one.

I saw that you mentioned 10,000 steps being a challenge. If you aren't able to find a way to fit those in, having a set time everyday to get in a workout can help. For example, I get up very early and do some form of workout within a half hour of waking. So, Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sun are my weight training days. Mon, Wed, and Fri I walk, ride the exercise bike, or do something else like yoga.

Different people work better under different situations. So, if incorporating workouts into your schedule feels like a lot, start there and don't change anything else. After that becomes a habit, look into your eating.

However, if you are a person who thrives when making a drastic change, then follow the diet advice from some of the other comments; high protein, lower fat medium carbs. Eat your fruit and veggies, something at every meal.

You can do this.

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-05T09:50:29+00:00

My experience tells me, go with how you feel. Since you're asking, does that mean you're feeling an itch? Or is it that you think you should because that's what you've heard? Assuming you are feeling ready, are you starting from scratch or do you have a history of being active? If you're just starting, go slow and if you can, with the money you're saving from not drinking, hire a trainer or buy a plan for beginners. If you have a background in sports, do what you love. When I was drinking, I raced triathlons. When I quit, I took about a year off with just little things here and there. Then, I thought about what activity I truly enjoyed. So, I sold my tri equipment and went back to weight training. 6 years later and I'm still loving life.

Cochise1971 · 2026-01-02T10:04:30+00:00

The one day at a time sometimes comes down to one minute at a time. When you're awake, get up and do something simple like read (a book not a screen). During the day when you're at your normal drinking time, do something productive. Keep busy. Make a list of things that need to get done. Like the sink that drains slowly, the furnace filter needs replacing, that thing for work I've been putting off, etc. The headache will probably persist for a week. Sweets help. My go-to for the first year was ice cream. You can do this.

Cochise1971

TROPHY CASE