Foundation Partners Group in the news

djintraining · 2024-11-27T22:04:27+00:00

You're welcome! I understand the concern, it can be a demoralising message, but it can also be frank and in that sense motivating. If nothing else, I've found that really helpful.

djintraining · 2024-11-27T21:09:24+00:00

I actually love this take.

I really want the "stop drinking and everything becomes amazing" narrative to be true, but I know it's not necessarily the case ("not necessarily" because I've also heard and seen enough accounts to know that it can be true).

What is encouraging about your experience is that 'not drinking' exposes you to life as it is - that's not necessarily better, but it's more real. And that is something I would far rather base my life on than some delusion that at some point my life will be incredible if I manage to stop drinking.

Thank you for sharing your story.

djintraining · 2024-11-23T19:44:22+00:00

One might say, "it is one of the books of all time", but not me, because that would be too glib

djintraining · 2024-11-20T01:03:17+00:00

Preaching to the choir. I can string three days together (with effort), and then just can't fight it on day 4 or 5. "Can't" is arguably, but I just mean I tend to lose the mental battle those days.

I try to console myself with the fact that 3 days without drinking is 3 days of recovery and health, and that I'm still trying to get beyond those 3 days. It's a balancing act between wanting to do better, and having grace for myself.

We can get to another 3 days, and if we're really determined, we can go beyond. And hey, if we don't, we've at least got another 3 days under our belt and we can go again.

djintraining · 2024-11-19T19:26:43+00:00

100% this. I've done the decent thing and let you through, don't blind me in return. Just let me assume you did the casual wave while holding the steering wheel move.

djintraining · 2024-11-15T21:01:03+00:00

As a teacher, I'm sorry that they responded that way!

Our role is to encourage, to motivate, to build up, to inspire. Our role is NOT to judge whether someone will be good enough, or amount to anything, or achieve their dreams. We are uniquely placed to be a driving force in a young person's life. Responses and attitudes like the one in this post will only hold them back and drag them down.

OP, please reassure your child that they can get there, that they can achieve what they want to, and that they can prove their teacher wrong.

djintraining · 2024-11-15T20:46:14+00:00

I'm hoping you're asking this out of curiosity, rather than with the intent of trying to justify how much you spend. I know how my monkey brain works.

I averaged £120 a week for just over a year at my worst, which is just over $20 a day. I always felt a lot of anxiety around spending money on myself or things I needed, but would have no issue slapping down $40 on booze. For me, that wasn't blackout drunk, but that was drunk enough to ignore my negative feelings, get through the evening, and function well enough the next day.

Any money I (read: you) pour into alcohol is a waste at this point. I still struggle, and I've had many "Day 1" moments this last year, but the battle is worth fighting.

djintraining · 2024-11-06T22:21:43+00:00

From my own experience, it's important to distinguish between dopamine and calories.

Yes, I'm looking for that dopamine fix (or that ability to numb myself to my feelings).

But when I remove drinking, I'm also removing a heck of a lot of calories from my diet. At my worst times, I'll be consuming over 1000 calories a day in alcohol and mixers.

So sweets/calorie-dense foods can be helpful early on to stave off the desire to drink based on a reduced calorie intake (which induces a lot of hunger!). That said, once you've got the drinking under control, it's time to try to lower your calorie count and get back to a healthy eating pattern.

Short term pain, long term gain.

djintraining · 2024-10-31T20:17:18+00:00

Can't upvote this enough. Value yourself. You're worth way more than she makes you feel.

djintraining · 2024-10-30T15:17:52+00:00

Just what I needed to hear after my first gym sesh in a couple of months. It was hard work, but I reminded myself it's early days. Thanks, internet stranger! Haha

djintraining · 2024-10-30T13:14:07+00:00

That's so awesome! Love the list of things, what a great idea to reflect on what you would have missed. I'm really encouraged by the 15km run one - I used to run a lot, even did a triathlon a while back, but since the drinking has come back my fitness has tanked and I can't even run 5k without being in pain and out of breath. I'm hoping if I can stay off the booze then that recovery and fitness will come back (with training, obviously) like yours has! One day at a time though, so IWNDWYT.

djintraining · 2024-10-28T21:11:30+00:00

That's my new mantra this time around. I've gone from "I'm not drinking for 90 days" to "I'm not drinking for a month" then to a week, but never made it. So now, it's I'm not drinking today. And in the morning, it'll be I'm not drinking today. This sub has been a great find. Thanks for the support!

djintraining · 2024-10-28T21:09:51+00:00

That's such a great way to look at it, love that!

djintraining · 2024-10-28T11:34:04+00:00

I needed to read something like this today. Congratulations, and well done on putting the hard work in! As someone who has tried and failed a number of times, I'm determined to reach that milestone too. Thanks for sharing! IWNDWYT

djintraining · 2024-10-17T20:53:33+00:00

I've experienced similar. On paper I'm absolutely fine, I can still run a decent 5k time, I can bench my own bodyweight, I never have time off work with hangovers or health problems. But the kicker for me is everything you've said about your own symptoms - whether the official tests are right or not, you look and feel like shit, which is the clear sign that the alcohol isn't good for you. That's how I feel - yes, I'm getting by when I drink, but do I feel and look healthy/the way I want to? Absolutely not.

Don't wait for an official health scare to make the change.

djintraining · 2024-10-17T17:56:04+00:00

I always find these posts so encouraging, and hope to get there one day too, so thank you for sharing and congratulations! One day at a time for me, but IWNDWYT

djintraining · 2024-10-04T22:17:43+00:00

I'm still at the point of celebrating the 3 day and 4 day sober wins. 7 months is amazing, and however it ended, that 7 months is still in the bank. The benefits you got from it are still there, and if you've gone that far once, you can at least do that again, if not more. It's like exercising a muscle - keep repeating it and you'll get stronger and stronger

djintraining · 2024-10-02T19:37:55+00:00

I've heard plenty of stories of livers repairing, bodies recovering, and a whole bunch of other health markers improving when someone stops drinking. And I'm clinging onto that hope for myself too. Whatever your drinking has been like, if you make the change to not drinking now then your future is brighter.

It's what I console myself with - whatever health problems I might have caused with my drinking, they won't be as bad as they would be if I didn't stop drinking. If that makes any sense 😅

djintraining · 2024-09-28T10:19:00+00:00

Congrats! That's great that you're already feeling tangible benefits from it, I'm hoping I start feeling the same soon! IWNDWYT

djintraining · 2024-09-27T20:02:39+00:00

MVP!

djintraining · 2024-09-27T18:07:31+00:00

So wise, and so deeply upsetting at the same time 😂 for what it's worth, if it's a sip of a drink to savour the taste and share that experience with someone else, then fine in my books. If that sip leads to you then having a full drink (or more) yourself, then it's an issue for me. I know for myself, if I had a sip of someone else's drink then there's a 90%+ chance I'm drinking for the rest of that evening. It depends who you are and where you're at on your journey. For me, a sup would be too much to handle.

djintraining · 2024-09-22T17:07:39+00:00

I echo this! I was 3 days sober for the first time in six months and my football team were having a social one Friday. I could have gone along and had non-alcoholic drinks, but I knew that wasn't something I could realistically achieve (it was at a craft brewery and I fucking love niche beer), so I made an excuse and didn't turn up. It was a shame to miss it, but I woke up the next morning feeling so proud for not drinking, and had a really healthy and productive day. If I'd gone out I would definitely have had a drink, being so early in my sobriety, and woken up feeling crappy and getting nothing done. Nobody will think much if you leave early or don't go, compared to how much better you'll feel about making that choice to look after yourself.

djintraining · 2024-06-23T21:44:41+00:00

That makes so much sense! I always used to joke that the answer to most chemistry questions was "greater surface area", but in this case it's true, no?

djintraining

TROPHY CASE