Milwaukees Best Light said:

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Try the Hop Waters instead of the NA beers. NA beers aren't very good. A couple are ok. The hop waters taste great and won't give you the headache.

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If you are talking Odouls or something maybe, but Athletic and a couple other brands make solid NA beers. That said, I don't drink NA b/c it makes me want the real thing. Hop water isn't my thing either. I'd rather just not drink any of it.

AggieOO said:

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Milwaukees Best Light said:

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Try the Hop Waters instead of the NA beers. NA beers aren't very good. A couple are ok. The hop waters taste great and won't give you the headache.

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If you are talking Odouls or something maybe, but Athletic and a couple other brands make solid NA beers. That said, I don't drink NA b/c it makes me want the real thing. Hop water isn't my thing either. I'd rather just not drink any of it.

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I have a membership for Athletic and the IPAs I order from them have effectively replaced my desire for regular IPAs. I may order one if I'm out or something but for at-home consumption they've become a go to.

This one is the truth: https://athleticbrewing.com/products/tuckers-west-coast-ipa

Outside of a few cravings this continues to go well. I think being in the gym 5-6 days per week really help drives home the point of not wanting a drink and still being able to get solid workouts in. The real challenge for me will be Sunday when the Texans are playing the Patriots.

Working out was the biggest difference maker for me. At some point in your training, you can't perform well even under the best of circumstances just due to life events, age, etc. I can't afford to add in another unnecessary thing that will hinder my performance. So when the craving kicks in I think to myself, is this worth tanking the next day or two of my productivity? And the answer is almost always no.

Still doing fine here.

Sleeping great and snacking less, though the sweet tooth is still in overdrive. I really need to get back to regular workouts too, but for now I'm just enjoying feeling good.

I've actually started waking up before my alarm in the mornings, which is nuts

If you really want to go down a focus rabbit hole, try a ketogenic diet. I'm alert as all get out even when my dogs wake me up at 4am (~6.5 hrs sleep). No cravings for beer and sweets / sugar / carbs (but I nixed all that a long time ago). I'd imagine I'd get a pretty good headache if I had a beer now. Last one was back before Christmas.

Halfway point

Scriffer said:

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Still doing fine here.

Sleeping great and snacking less, though the sweet tooth is still in overdrive. I really need to get back to regular workouts too, but for now I'm just enjoying feeling good.

I've actually started waking up before my alarm in the mornings, which is nuts

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get back into tri training - all the sugar none of the guilt

Ragoo said:

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Scriffer said:

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Still doing fine here.

Sleeping great and snacking less, though the sweet tooth is still in overdrive. I really need to get back to regular workouts too, but for now I'm just enjoying feeling good.

I've actually started waking up before my alarm in the mornings, which is nuts

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get back into tri training - all the sugar none of the guilt

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Would love to, but young kids and that pesky MRI on my knee in 2024 have put a damper on that.

Now I have to actually behave myself

TP Ag '87 said:

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a running streak of 2,118 days

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Like the other guy said, nah.

And I LIKE running.

txaggie05 said:

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This one is the truth: https://athleticbrewing.com/products/tuckers-west-coast-ipa

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Have you tried Karbach Free and Easy or Lagunitas NAIPA? I like them much much better than Athletic.

Yes, have tried both. Liked the Karbach one more of the two and agree that they are better than Athletic Run Wild. Even Athletic Free Wave I would concede depending on personal taste. But the hop profiles and flavors on some of the limited/members only beers are so good and consistently better than almost anything else out there that I've tried.

Beginning of week 3. Feeling good

Been in, just haven't posted. Feeling good, but the sweet tooth is getting me more this time than the last time I dropped booze. Biggest difference was my diet was on point the last time and this time, not so much. I'm slowly cleaning it up but not being too hard on myself because I have a new job and adjusting to FT in office. Husband finally decided to join in this year, so that is helping other than dealing with his mood swings the first week. He has been switching between a few NA beers. Today was one day I craved a glass of wine and I think it was just because I was overly tired. Feeling too good to want to break the streak.

It's been bread carbs for me. Getting back on track tomorrow.

Great job! I would have probably caved in the lounge and first class flight.

If anyone of you starts drinking again, do yourselves buy one of those handheld $100 BACTrac machines. If nothing else just for your own curiosity/education. It will sober you up in a hurry.

You would likely be stunned. I'm talking fell asleep at midnight on Saturday not feeling much of a buzz, and when it's time to leave o drive the kids to soccer at noon on Saturday, 12 hours later, still at a .16.

If you ever want an education on how the human body works.

In December, I was off a Friday, cleaning the house and some other sht I didn't want to be doing. Dinner on a Friday was a half a mile away in great weather at a sushi restaurant. So I allowed myself a few over the day. Not close to the walk over. I thought I was gonna be like a 0.12 (again, I know it's gonna be walking, no driving).

0.50!!!!!!!! This is beyond coma level. Walked a full mile, and know it wasn't wrong because I was still 0.35 when I got back. And that is almost coma level.

So if you want an education on your body works (and other peoples' around yours too) that $100 is the cheapest one wou willl ever find in 2026, that will scare you into sobriety.

Quote:

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Your body processes alcohol around 0.015 an hour so if you are throwing out those numbers a half a day later you were pretty dang intoxicated.

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Right..point was, if you want to find out, you how sober you are, you can find out pretty cheaping freakin quick.

Many people who drink would be shocked how not sober they are. On a Saturday night….Or at noon on Sunday morning.

That's the point- you would be stunned how much the math does not math.

Be strong everyone.

As I sit now with a loved one dealing with these issues, it is certainly a clear reminder and motivator that my sobriety is the right decision for me and my family.

This x1000%.Better later in the month than earlier. My cravings have gone away now.

I am still going strong!

Home stretch

You all should continue onto Dry 2026 with me. I discovered Hop Wtr this weekend. Not too dissimilar to drinking a hard seltzer… other than the whole no alcohol part.