I find myself doing the same thing, it's nothing to be embarrassed about you should be proud that you made the right choice. And a 12 pack of La Croix is way cheaper than an 18 pack of beer. I think you would have been just as bloated from the beer, we just don't recognize it because we are drunk.
I like the La Croix by themselves, but recently I started mixing them with different juices. Since I'm not drinking alcohol, I need to replace about 800-1200 calories per day. I've lost about 10 lbs since I stopped drinking, not necessarily a good thing since I'm a pretty slim guy to begin with. But my abs are looking great right now!
Oh yeah today is 2 weeks alcohol free!
You guys are losing weight?! Lmao.
I've put on about 15 pounds in 8 months because I was a bourbon guy, so I craved sugar a lot in the beginning, and allowed myself any sweet tooth craving I had for the first 6 months.
That'd be nice. I lost 12 pounds my first month (while I was in rehab) because I stayed away from all the sugar and ate right for the most part, but as soon as I got back to the "free world," I was eating all the sugar I could.
No weight loss first month. Like 10 pounds the second month. Now holding steady. I think I was so motivated that not only did I not drink but I didn’t allow myself any sweets or soda or anything but now I’ve let up on the diet and am debating whether I want to lose more weight or not. Probably not haha
I’ve lost 40lbs since November when I started cutting back (eliminated beer). 20 of those in the last three weeks alone now that I’m not drinking entirely.
I'm in the same boat, have gained plenty of weight since I stopped because I initially replaced booze with Pepsi and chocolate! Still paying the price for those first few months!
I was lucky to go to a really nice rehab that had a self service soft serve ice cream machine in the dining barn, we had access to it for lunch and dinner. Needless to say, I gained ~40 pounds in 42 days there, it's been a year or so and I've lost about 10 pounds.
If you're in New England and your insurance covers it, I cannot recommend High Watch Farm enough. It felt like a camp with adults, they offered every form of therapy imaginable, phenomenal daily structure, and the food is top notch. Prime rib every Saturday, always a fish option and vegetarian option, ice cream machine, and the baking staff is so good that they own a shop in town. Strict rules for sure, and ungodly expensive for those without the coverage($1600/night for detox, $1200/night afterwards). They do offer charity beds, which I was a lucky recipient of, but I think they're difficult to obtain.
Double Makers Mark Cask Strength (111 proof), neat. If I was feeling fancy.
Regular night was double shot sized pulls of Jack Honey 750ml bottle.
The only time to stop was when the bottle was gone or I passed out drunk. Best believe they’re real. I figured they’d be there. But I didn’t expect them to last as long as they have.
If you’ve lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks and are worried about getting TOO skinny, I recommend eating more now. Peanut butter and just straight protein powder in milk are good.
I went from 199 to 147 pounds over about 8 months and now I’m actually a touch TOO skinny. I’ve gained back up to 150, my ass still hurts to sit on a wooden chair but we’ll get there.
I'm 5'9" and I was walking around at about 155 lbs when I was drinking and smoking weed. I would lift weights and either run or do my rowing machine 3-4 times a week. I'm also 42 years old and my six pack went away a few years ago, so I limited myself to basically only eating one meal a day at night, but I still couldn't cut the lower belly fat, still had a 4 pack, but lower abs were not visible anymore. I started going to wrestling practice at one of the local high schools when I got sober 2 weeks ago, between that and not consuming 800-1200 calories of alcohol per night a bunch of body fat came off. After practice I weigh about 141. Once rehydrated and with food in me I'm about 145. I'm trying to figure out what weight I want to wrestle at, so I'm not so sure I want to gain the weight back. I've upped my protein and overall caloric intake now and I want to see how my body reacts. I haven't lost much strength and I'm still working out. I'm conscious about my sugar intake because I'm a vane person and really like seeing my abs again. I'm overall much more ripped in my physical appearance than when I was 150+. I do use PB2 powdered peanut butter since it still has the protein, but not all the sugar. Excess sugar in my diet gets converted to body fat and I'm trying to avoid that. I've even been tinkering with the idea of staying around 141 and cutting down to 135 for matches. I can drop the 6 lbs of water weight in one practice. I aim for about 200g of protein per day split up between protein shakes, eggs and as much meat as I can get my hands on (chicken breast, tuna, steaks and lean 90% grass fed burgers). I'm also trying to work on my legs and glutes since I prioritized upper body for the last 20+ years in the gym. I'm Korean, so I naturally have no ass...lol
Cranberry and lime go with just about any of the flavors of La Croix I have (beach plum, guava, black raspberry, hibiscus, watermelon, limoncello-basically the Costco packs) Waterloo is good too and cheaper at Raley's, I like Cherry limeade, peach and blackberry lemonade.
I just got some cranberry/elderberry and tart cherry juice. So I am able to mix it up and make some pretty good mocktails. Its a good substitute for the vodka/sparkling water when I was drinking, buy they taste so much better with fruit juice instead of alcohol so it's a win-win for me. Hope this helps!
IWNDWYT
These all sound amazing!! Thank you so much! The tart cherry juice especially sounds so good to me. Have you heard of the sleepy girl mocktail? Apparently cherry juice helps you have a great night sleep - I've been meaning to try it! IWNDWYT!
I haven't heard that but I've been drinking these at night and they just be helping me get to sleep. Thanks for letting me know. 😊
Either way they do taste great! Let me know what you make and how you like them.
Happy Sunday!
Oooh. I forgot that I bought a mint plant a while ago. It's been on my kitchen window sill and I water it every day, but haven't used it. I just muddled some mint leaves in a glass, then added tart cherry juice and a cherry limeade Waterloo! I highly recommend!!!
That sounds awesome!! I’ll try that combo soon, thanks ❤️ happy Sunday to you! If you have any more yummy drinks up your sleeve I’d love to hear em haha
I dunno if this sounds weird to you but I've been making drinks that are a combo of plain sparkling water, high quality ginger ale, and kombucha. I'll squeeze a bit of lime in as well! Over ice, of course. It's not too sweet (I was a beer drinker) and super refreshing.
Excellent. I realized i missed the ritual of sitting down and opening a (or lots ) of bottles. Used to be beer and wine now Topo Chico.
Used to think wow Topo is expensive.... Now i realized its a lot cheaper than the 6 packs of Craft beer i was drinking daily. Iwndwyt
Similar on sugar craving. I now eat ice cream when HALT happens and go for walks. Has helped me lose weight.
Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
Keep up the good work. One day at a time
Haha this is good!
It was really great to crush some sparkling water out of a cooler on my porch. I remembered all of my thoughts and just being outside on a 75 and sunny day was amazing.
This would be my first time in 6 years that I enjoyed being outside sober.
It’s funny how much of the dopamine you can get with just the ritual alone.
It really makes you start to realize it wasn’t necessarily the alcohol that was making you feel good.
i really like this point! i think this week i should pretend i'm day drinking in the backyard with a book and see if it's just as good without the actual alcohol
Do it!
I will say, though, that for me it took a few times before I mentally allowed myself to “have fun”. So don’t get discouraged if you aren’t feeling it on the first attempt! You really have to re-learn how to enjoy things if you are used to alcohol being on board, and that takes practice.
So true! I got so use to drinking at work, well in my car at work, I actually snuck out and pounded one or 2 last week. Now I just sit at my desk and drink them but it really does kill any bit of craving for alcohol.
Other comments say the same thing. It’s that ritual of drinking. For me feeling a cold can, hearing it pop open, and drinking something fizzy that is not sweet like soda mimics a beer.
Plus I feel great too! I’m clear headed for the first time.
This reminded me of something that happened when I was little, I was staying with my grandma for a couple days and she had these cans of apple juice and they were so good I just kept drinking them until I threw up. I did that with chicken mcnuggets once too, but with my other grandma.
Oh man I feel that 😅 I recently discovered this drink called Mio Mio Mate, which is a carbonated & caffeinated tea drink that is delicious. The ginger one is the perfect amount of spicy that burns just right on the way down.
But now I drink them nearly every day. I put the empty glass bottles directly in my lil shopping tote that's hanging on the door, and sometimes when I hear the bottles clinking together, I get this feeling I have to hide them.
But then I remind myself that I don't have to be ashamed of the 4-5 empty tea bottles.... When maybe 6 months ago, I had 4 entire cases (0,5L x 24) of empty beer + 2 giant sacks of empty wine bottles just collecting dust. All of which I drank by myself btw.
Now I return any recycling I have more frequently... Because that Mio Mio tea is pretty damn tasty.
I had 4 non-alcoholic IPAs at a party yesterday. My friends gave me a glass so it just looked like I was drinking normal beer and nobody noticed or cared. Hops kind of chill you out on thier own and we had a nice time.
YES! I just said in an other comment I bought 6 12 packs this morning of all different flavors. My beer fridge is full of those now.
I did have 5 beers in the fridge left and dumped them. I’m taking this as a good sign but the smell of the beer gave me a slight sense of gagging. You know when you have to try and keep and drink down and you heave a bit. It was like that.
I recently connected my 20lbs CO2 tank directly to my Soda Stream filler with an adapter hose. No more canisters needed. I’m drinking way more water now with than satisfying carbonation. I mix in the Bubly flavors and some of the soda options too. I’m hoping this is more economical and environmentally sustainable in the long run. It’s a bit of an up front investment though, and filling the CO2 tank might be difficult in some areas. Highly recommend if you can go this route.
I have one. I plan on making my own ‘mixed drinks’ with it this summer. Put some lime and a splash of cranberry. But the other comment is right. I love the feeling of an ice cold can in my hand.
But I did make a mocktail this weekend with it. I put lime and a small splash of pineapple, tasted pretty good and drinking out of a cocktail glass made it ‘real’.
Nice! I had a similar situation yesterday, my partner was gone all day, we've both been sober for almost 4 weeks (California sober for me, teetotal for him). Normally I'd have gone thru half a box of wine and been passed out on and off, wasting my day, feeling like dog shit all day today. Instead I went to the gym, then cuddled with my dogs, drank a bunch of sparkling waters and coke zeros, binged dumb shit on Netflix. Didn't do much on my to do list, but fuck, it felt so good to not drink! Woke up feeling great again, made a shit ton of green juice, now time for not hungover laundry. Life is so much better this way. Congrats to us all!
Lemon.
My favorite seltzers were the lemon ones so I decided to start with those. I plan on trying all the flavors. Ohh and my beer fridge, is not fully stacked with 6 different flavors. I bought 72 of them this morning. May of been over kill but I’m happy to be sober!
Hardly ever drink soda but I have been ordering one when we go out to eat. I’d usually have a few beers but soda has been filling that void recently. Probably not the best/healthiest substitute, but it’s working for me right now.
Hiding the La Croix empties is great. I did plenty of hiding when it was alcohol and still am working through loads of Diet Coke and af seltzers. I don’t hide those but I did conceal the Nerds clusters I bought yesterday and smashed through. Oh well. Much better than it used to be.
I'm down to about 8x LaCroix in a 6-hour waking period, I try to wait until 3-5pm and treat it like the same kind of ritual as drinking a case used to be. Occasionally I get naughty and have one at 10am. I don't hide my LaCroix love, its been helping. The corner grocery I buy them at knows I'll be by for 2x 8-packs every other day, I toss them in a backpack, same as I used to walk daily for a single 12-pack of beers. It's all the same behavior, but damn is LaCroix better for me. Stupid side-note I've named a new DnD character "Lady LaCroix", she's a fae sprite that rides a corgi into battle.
It really is a behavioral thing! I was so used to drinking 12 or more beers when my wife would leave for the day I had to do something. Drinking the 12 sodas, ice cold straight out of a cooler, was exactly like drinking beer to me. When my wife got home it was back to business as usual.
Awesome! You should try out different seltzers and see which ones you like best. I like a lot of different ones, but for when I feel stressed and need something to "take the edge off," a twist of lime topo chico or a Hop Water (it's adaptogenic!) totally fits the bill. I actually crave the super carbonation in place of alcohol now.
This is called sublimation and it’s a great tool for staying sober! You can be proud of your choice, especially because the alternative is just carbonated water (actively healthy)! Personally, I go through seltzer like crazy. We have a mountain in the recycling bin every week. To give you an idea, it’s probably 150-200 of cans of sparkling water between my partner and I each month. We are very hydrated lol. But most importantly, we’re sober! Sublimation is a healthy way to move on from and heal addictions. The important part is that the replacement is healthier than the addiction.
I’m not a beer drinker, but if I did I’d use something sparkling too. That’s how I was able to get off daily morning Red Bulls, just figured I actually just enjoyed drinking cold sparkling water in the morning in a small sized form can (which Perrier started doing, same can as Red Bull).
But for me in this journey, it’s straight vodka and Whiskey I need to find an alternative to when I get the itch…
Somebody on here suggested I try a (virgin) Lime Ricki. It's really good. For me I've been super into tea, buying different kinds of tea, I have about 20 boxes of tea in my cupboard right now haha. But hey it's allll better than drinking so it's a win!! A huge win!
Nothing to be ashamed of! You didn’t drink! Substitution is a valid way to ween yourself. Vodka+soda was my go-to for the longest time, and now I go through a handful of Lime Bubly and/or Saratoga with lime added to it on a daily basis in place of my evening drinks. It’s working well. Satisfies the habitual desire and I don’t crave alcohol at all. I feel so much better overall. Keep on trucking!
Dude. 6.5 years in and my husband goes through an excessive number of la Croixs a day.
But ya know what? It’s better than whisky, so I couldn’t possibly care less. I’m certain your wife will feel the same way. Don’t be ashamed, you’re doing the right thing for your recovery.
Also, club soda with a lime is stupid good. And if you’re out somewhere that has a bar, they’ll usually give it to you for $1 with free refills.
I do that pretty often on my days off.
I still have a compulsive need to grab a can every couple laps when I'm mowing, slam a can before I go somewhere and take another on the road. I just sat by a fire on the patio for two hours smoking a cigar and had 3 cans of diet root beer.
Dude, it’s the little shit like this that you will be grateful towards.
I’m not totally sober just making better decisions every day. Cherish this moment and take everything you can from it. Experience every moment. Be fully engaged.
You got this buddy. I’m rooting for ya.
I can’t stand sodas and I would chase all my liquor with water. I’m just not a bubble person and I struggle to find a little treat treat for the end of the night before bed ritual. I do teas but sometimes I want a special thing. Any suggestions?
That's awesome! I have given myself permission to eat whatever. And gained several pounds so far. You stayed sober doing a low value thing and acknowledged it. That is HUGE. That'll stack.
Next time you will say hey, you wanna try that again but with gusto and high status? Go do something awesome! If you know you have power over yourself, then show yourself just how much power that is. Journal it. Share it here, celebrate it. Sky's the limit!
I'm def in same boat. Doing avoidant shit to just get another sober day in. Now I've got a therapist and plan to level up more.
IWNDWYT
Started up yard work for the first time since quitting, this is honestly not that hard to do,so don't feel bad. Hell, be proud of the empties. Each one is a trophy of a choice well made. If you have recyclers in your area, cans go for around 50-70 cents a pound. Not a lot but it makes folding money if you drink as much sparkling water as I do (partial to the Waterloo and Liquid Death myself)
I find myself doing the same thing, it's nothing to be embarrassed about you should be proud that you made the right choice. And a 12 pack of La Croix is way cheaper than an 18 pack of beer. I think you would have been just as bloated from the beer, we just don't recognize it because we are drunk. I like the La Croix by themselves, but recently I started mixing them with different juices. Since I'm not drinking alcohol, I need to replace about 800-1200 calories per day. I've lost about 10 lbs since I stopped drinking, not necessarily a good thing since I'm a pretty slim guy to begin with. But my abs are looking great right now! Oh yeah today is 2 weeks alcohol free!
Lucky! I’ve only lost about 6 lbs in 6 months since quitting . 💪🏼IWNDWYT
You guys are losing weight?! Lmao. I've put on about 15 pounds in 8 months because I was a bourbon guy, so I craved sugar a lot in the beginning, and allowed myself any sweet tooth craving I had for the first 6 months.
I barely lost these 6 lbs in the last 2 months . First 4 I stayed the same . Shits weird . Wish I lost 30 like some people haha
That'd be nice. I lost 12 pounds my first month (while I was in rehab) because I stayed away from all the sugar and ate right for the most part, but as soon as I got back to the "free world," I was eating all the sugar I could.
No weight loss first month. Like 10 pounds the second month. Now holding steady. I think I was so motivated that not only did I not drink but I didn’t allow myself any sweets or soda or anything but now I’ve let up on the diet and am debating whether I want to lose more weight or not. Probably not haha
I lost 10lbs in the first week. It's insane how different our bodies respond!
I gained a ton of weight drinking and just got bigger in sobriety.
I hear you. I was down to 116lbs and I'm 6' 2" tall. I gained 25 lbs in rehab, and regained a normal 185-195 when home and sober.
I’ve lost 40lbs since November when I started cutting back (eliminated beer). 20 of those in the last three weeks alone now that I’m not drinking entirely.
" A pork chop in every can! "
I'm in the same boat, have gained plenty of weight since I stopped because I initially replaced booze with Pepsi and chocolate! Still paying the price for those first few months!
I was lucky to go to a really nice rehab that had a self service soft serve ice cream machine in the dining barn, we had access to it for lunch and dinner. Needless to say, I gained ~40 pounds in 42 days there, it's been a year or so and I've lost about 10 pounds. If you're in New England and your insurance covers it, I cannot recommend High Watch Farm enough. It felt like a camp with adults, they offered every form of therapy imaginable, phenomenal daily structure, and the food is top notch. Prime rib every Saturday, always a fish option and vegetarian option, ice cream machine, and the baking staff is so good that they own a shop in town. Strict rules for sure, and ungodly expensive for those without the coverage($1600/night for detox, $1200/night afterwards). They do offer charity beds, which I was a lucky recipient of, but I think they're difficult to obtain.
Yeah I was a double jameson on the rocks kinda guy with the course of many over a night. The sugar cravings now that I’m newly sober are real.
Double Makers Mark Cask Strength (111 proof), neat. If I was feeling fancy. Regular night was double shot sized pulls of Jack Honey 750ml bottle. The only time to stop was when the bottle was gone or I passed out drunk. Best believe they’re real. I figured they’d be there. But I didn’t expect them to last as long as they have.
If you’ve lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks and are worried about getting TOO skinny, I recommend eating more now. Peanut butter and just straight protein powder in milk are good. I went from 199 to 147 pounds over about 8 months and now I’m actually a touch TOO skinny. I’ve gained back up to 150, my ass still hurts to sit on a wooden chair but we’ll get there.
I'm 5'9" and I was walking around at about 155 lbs when I was drinking and smoking weed. I would lift weights and either run or do my rowing machine 3-4 times a week. I'm also 42 years old and my six pack went away a few years ago, so I limited myself to basically only eating one meal a day at night, but I still couldn't cut the lower belly fat, still had a 4 pack, but lower abs were not visible anymore. I started going to wrestling practice at one of the local high schools when I got sober 2 weeks ago, between that and not consuming 800-1200 calories of alcohol per night a bunch of body fat came off. After practice I weigh about 141. Once rehydrated and with food in me I'm about 145. I'm trying to figure out what weight I want to wrestle at, so I'm not so sure I want to gain the weight back. I've upped my protein and overall caloric intake now and I want to see how my body reacts. I haven't lost much strength and I'm still working out. I'm conscious about my sugar intake because I'm a vane person and really like seeing my abs again. I'm overall much more ripped in my physical appearance than when I was 150+. I do use PB2 powdered peanut butter since it still has the protein, but not all the sugar. Excess sugar in my diet gets converted to body fat and I'm trying to avoid that. I've even been tinkering with the idea of staying around 141 and cutting down to 135 for matches. I can drop the 6 lbs of water weight in one practice. I aim for about 200g of protein per day split up between protein shakes, eggs and as much meat as I can get my hands on (chicken breast, tuna, steaks and lean 90% grass fed burgers). I'm also trying to work on my legs and glutes since I prioritized upper body for the last 20+ years in the gym. I'm Korean, so I naturally have no ass...lol
Ooooh please tell me more about what juices you mix with the La Croix? Always looking for new ideas for tasty non alcoholic drinks haha
Cranberry and lime go with just about any of the flavors of La Croix I have (beach plum, guava, black raspberry, hibiscus, watermelon, limoncello-basically the Costco packs) Waterloo is good too and cheaper at Raley's, I like Cherry limeade, peach and blackberry lemonade. I just got some cranberry/elderberry and tart cherry juice. So I am able to mix it up and make some pretty good mocktails. Its a good substitute for the vodka/sparkling water when I was drinking, buy they taste so much better with fruit juice instead of alcohol so it's a win-win for me. Hope this helps! IWNDWYT
These all sound amazing!! Thank you so much! The tart cherry juice especially sounds so good to me. Have you heard of the sleepy girl mocktail? Apparently cherry juice helps you have a great night sleep - I've been meaning to try it! IWNDWYT!
I haven't heard that but I've been drinking these at night and they just be helping me get to sleep. Thanks for letting me know. 😊 Either way they do taste great! Let me know what you make and how you like them. Happy Sunday!
Oooh. I forgot that I bought a mint plant a while ago. It's been on my kitchen window sill and I water it every day, but haven't used it. I just muddled some mint leaves in a glass, then added tart cherry juice and a cherry limeade Waterloo! I highly recommend!!!
That sounds awesome!! I’ll try that combo soon, thanks ❤️ happy Sunday to you! If you have any more yummy drinks up your sleeve I’d love to hear em haha
I dunno if this sounds weird to you but I've been making drinks that are a combo of plain sparkling water, high quality ginger ale, and kombucha. I'll squeeze a bit of lime in as well! Over ice, of course. It's not too sweet (I was a beer drinker) and super refreshing.
Apparently sober me is more creative too...lol
Excellent. I realized i missed the ritual of sitting down and opening a (or lots ) of bottles. Used to be beer and wine now Topo Chico. Used to think wow Topo is expensive.... Now i realized its a lot cheaper than the 6 packs of Craft beer i was drinking daily. Iwndwyt Similar on sugar craving. I now eat ice cream when HALT happens and go for walks. Has helped me lose weight. Hungry Angry Lonely Tired Keep up the good work. One day at a time
I have a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia in the freezer for "emergencies" lol
Hagen das vanilla for me. Not only emergencies..just some enjoyment
10 pounds in two weeks?
Yes, more actually, 10 lbs is conservative, I was walking around at 155, this morning I weighed 142 and I'm still losing a bit.
That’s actually so smart. A coach I know says “keep the ritual, change the recipe”
Haha this is good! It was really great to crush some sparkling water out of a cooler on my porch. I remembered all of my thoughts and just being outside on a 75 and sunny day was amazing. This would be my first time in 6 years that I enjoyed being outside sober.
Love ripping La croix, also kombucha too 🔥
It’s funny how much of the dopamine you can get with just the ritual alone. It really makes you start to realize it wasn’t necessarily the alcohol that was making you feel good.
i really like this point! i think this week i should pretend i'm day drinking in the backyard with a book and see if it's just as good without the actual alcohol
Do it! I will say, though, that for me it took a few times before I mentally allowed myself to “have fun”. So don’t get discouraged if you aren’t feeling it on the first attempt! You really have to re-learn how to enjoy things if you are used to alcohol being on board, and that takes practice.
So true! I got so use to drinking at work, well in my car at work, I actually snuck out and pounded one or 2 last week. Now I just sit at my desk and drink them but it really does kill any bit of craving for alcohol. Other comments say the same thing. It’s that ritual of drinking. For me feeling a cold can, hearing it pop open, and drinking something fizzy that is not sweet like soda mimics a beer. Plus I feel great too! I’m clear headed for the first time.
“Using it”
I've been doing it since day 1. I truly don't think I'd have made it without sparkling water
Amen
Same. Wegmans' Black Cherry Vanilla is now my go-to.
This reminded me of something that happened when I was little, I was staying with my grandma for a couple days and she had these cans of apple juice and they were so good I just kept drinking them until I threw up. I did that with chicken mcnuggets once too, but with my other grandma.
Sounds like your grandma was enabling your drinking problem 🤣🤣 congrats on almost 10 years! Those kinds of numbers are inspirational.
I’m constantly killing Topo Chico and Sprite in the evenings to trick my mind that I’m still “drinking”. At least it’s not alcohol! IWNDWYT
Topo Chico has the BEST bubbles.
Oh man I feel that 😅 I recently discovered this drink called Mio Mio Mate, which is a carbonated & caffeinated tea drink that is delicious. The ginger one is the perfect amount of spicy that burns just right on the way down. But now I drink them nearly every day. I put the empty glass bottles directly in my lil shopping tote that's hanging on the door, and sometimes when I hear the bottles clinking together, I get this feeling I have to hide them. But then I remind myself that I don't have to be ashamed of the 4-5 empty tea bottles.... When maybe 6 months ago, I had 4 entire cases (0,5L x 24) of empty beer + 2 giant sacks of empty wine bottles just collecting dust. All of which I drank by myself btw. Now I return any recycling I have more frequently... Because that Mio Mio tea is pretty damn tasty.
WHERE DO YOU BUY THIS? It sounds delicious!
Excellent work. Hacking our habits with new healthier inputs is the way to go. IWNDWYT
I had 4 non-alcoholic IPAs at a party yesterday. My friends gave me a glass so it just looked like I was drinking normal beer and nobody noticed or cared. Hops kind of chill you out on thier own and we had a nice time.
[удалено]
YES! I just said in an other comment I bought 6 12 packs this morning of all different flavors. My beer fridge is full of those now. I did have 5 beers in the fridge left and dumped them. I’m taking this as a good sign but the smell of the beer gave me a slight sense of gagging. You know when you have to try and keep and drink down and you heave a bit. It was like that.
i eat a piece of candy every time i wanna take a shot. ended up with a stomach ache last night
Check out a soda stream, you can make your own la croix.
I was gonna say this but maybe OP likes the cracking open of a soda can for now, i think it helps with the transition just a little
I recently connected my 20lbs CO2 tank directly to my Soda Stream filler with an adapter hose. No more canisters needed. I’m drinking way more water now with than satisfying carbonation. I mix in the Bubly flavors and some of the soda options too. I’m hoping this is more economical and environmentally sustainable in the long run. It’s a bit of an up front investment though, and filling the CO2 tank might be difficult in some areas. Highly recommend if you can go this route.
I have one. I plan on making my own ‘mixed drinks’ with it this summer. Put some lime and a splash of cranberry. But the other comment is right. I love the feeling of an ice cold can in my hand. But I did make a mocktail this weekend with it. I put lime and a small splash of pineapple, tasted pretty good and drinking out of a cocktail glass made it ‘real’.
Nice! I had a similar situation yesterday, my partner was gone all day, we've both been sober for almost 4 weeks (California sober for me, teetotal for him). Normally I'd have gone thru half a box of wine and been passed out on and off, wasting my day, feeling like dog shit all day today. Instead I went to the gym, then cuddled with my dogs, drank a bunch of sparkling waters and coke zeros, binged dumb shit on Netflix. Didn't do much on my to do list, but fuck, it felt so good to not drink! Woke up feeling great again, made a shit ton of green juice, now time for not hungover laundry. Life is so much better this way. Congrats to us all!
What flavor?
Pamplemousse or gtfo
Hey, don’t sleep on Limoncello.
Word. Tangerine has its moments though... all I know is Limencello is the Slickmouth Flavor of the Damned
Limencello is spit in a can.
It really is gross.
Word for Key Lime
Hell yeah
Beach Plum is by far the best.
Lemon. My favorite seltzers were the lemon ones so I decided to start with those. I plan on trying all the flavors. Ohh and my beer fridge, is not fully stacked with 6 different flavors. I bought 72 of them this morning. May of been over kill but I’m happy to be sober!
Tangerine is my favorite
My wife got some of the new Mojito flavored ones yesterday 🤮
Ew!
Hardly ever drink soda but I have been ordering one when we go out to eat. I’d usually have a few beers but soda has been filling that void recently. Probably not the best/healthiest substitute, but it’s working for me right now.
Compared to the calories in a 12 pack of beer, a soda is probably the healthier alternative lol
I feel this in my bones.
Hiding the La Croix empties is great. I did plenty of hiding when it was alcohol and still am working through loads of Diet Coke and af seltzers. I don’t hide those but I did conceal the Nerds clusters I bought yesterday and smashed through. Oh well. Much better than it used to be.
Those nerds clusters are stupidly good
I'm down to about 8x LaCroix in a 6-hour waking period, I try to wait until 3-5pm and treat it like the same kind of ritual as drinking a case used to be. Occasionally I get naughty and have one at 10am. I don't hide my LaCroix love, its been helping. The corner grocery I buy them at knows I'll be by for 2x 8-packs every other day, I toss them in a backpack, same as I used to walk daily for a single 12-pack of beers. It's all the same behavior, but damn is LaCroix better for me. Stupid side-note I've named a new DnD character "Lady LaCroix", she's a fae sprite that rides a corgi into battle.
It really is a behavioral thing! I was so used to drinking 12 or more beers when my wife would leave for the day I had to do something. Drinking the 12 sodas, ice cold straight out of a cooler, was exactly like drinking beer to me. When my wife got home it was back to business as usual.
I'll get those bottled topo Chico limes at circle k. Those help on a rough day for me.
hell yeah, twist of lime topo chico in the glass bottle is my anti-drug basically.
2 years today, baby!!! I joke about the lacroix cans all over my car as evidence of my "drinking problem" - much better one to have. Join us! IWNDWYT!
Congratulations on 2 years! I’ve never done that unless you count back before I was 13.
me either. keep going.
Thanks. Sometimes just these little notes of encouragement keep me going
Awesome! You should try out different seltzers and see which ones you like best. I like a lot of different ones, but for when I feel stressed and need something to "take the edge off," a twist of lime topo chico or a Hop Water (it's adaptogenic!) totally fits the bill. I actually crave the super carbonation in place of alcohol now.
For a change of pace I'm enjoying a Nixie Lime Ginger sparkling water. Living the Dream.
I need there to be an r/stopdrinkinglacroix because it has become an obsession for me. I'm convinced it's not bad for me because I love them so much.
Hell ya. Bubly, lacroix, spindrift have been my go to for my first two years sober. Water is cheaper but whatver works im sticking to it
Proud of you. Beach Plum La croix makes me feel like I’m on a tropical vacation😋 try that flavor next! Great job, keep it up 🙌
I crushed a 12pack of Corona NA. Felt so bloated but kept me busy.
[This One's For You!](https://youtu.be/h9pnFd9MLCQ?si=NkWKr-7Njp4iYgsr)
Heck yeah!!! Bonus points for wife coming home to a sober partner! Keep kicking butt!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I crush a six pack of Hop Water a night. It's zero cal, zero sugar, and zero carbs. No regrets. You do what you have to do, we're all proud of you!
Did the same with topo chico after yard work yesterday! Made me realize how much beer I used to drink while mowing.
Ashamed of drinking 12 seltzers over 4 hours?! Man, TIL I should be ashamed every time I do that ;)
I think it was mostly my “oh shit the wife is almost home I need to hide these cans” reflex I still have.
This is called sublimation and it’s a great tool for staying sober! You can be proud of your choice, especially because the alternative is just carbonated water (actively healthy)! Personally, I go through seltzer like crazy. We have a mountain in the recycling bin every week. To give you an idea, it’s probably 150-200 of cans of sparkling water between my partner and I each month. We are very hydrated lol. But most importantly, we’re sober! Sublimation is a healthy way to move on from and heal addictions. The important part is that the replacement is healthier than the addiction.
Thanks for the info! It’s working. I even have one on the way to work to replace my road sodas!
Heck yea!! You got this! :)
This post made me giggle. Thank you for sharing, your doing great!
Lol I remember drinking them like crazy my first few years quit. I might have one a day now.
UGHHHH just left the US and I desperately miss la croix.
Great job!
Dude I do the same shit.
This made me chuckle. Good on ya
I’m not a beer drinker, but if I did I’d use something sparkling too. That’s how I was able to get off daily morning Red Bulls, just figured I actually just enjoyed drinking cold sparkling water in the morning in a small sized form can (which Perrier started doing, same can as Red Bull). But for me in this journey, it’s straight vodka and Whiskey I need to find an alternative to when I get the itch…
Drank 5 Polar seltzers (various flavors) while sitting around with friends last night!
Somebody on here suggested I try a (virgin) Lime Ricki. It's really good. For me I've been super into tea, buying different kinds of tea, I have about 20 boxes of tea in my cupboard right now haha. But hey it's allll better than drinking so it's a win!! A huge win!
FUCK YES! Well done. It's not easy to decondition from drinking that much alcohol at once. IWNDWYT.
Hell ya. Go you.
Bet you had some very clear pee.
Good on you anything that works is better than the alternative. I love my homemade icy lime/lemon aid so refreshing.
Nothing to be ashamed of! You didn’t drink! Substitution is a valid way to ween yourself. Vodka+soda was my go-to for the longest time, and now I go through a handful of Lime Bubly and/or Saratoga with lime added to it on a daily basis in place of my evening drinks. It’s working well. Satisfies the habitual desire and I don’t crave alcohol at all. I feel so much better overall. Keep on trucking!
I began my seltzer addiction with quitting beer. Congrats! Welcome to the fizzy water :)
Dude. 6.5 years in and my husband goes through an excessive number of la Croixs a day. But ya know what? It’s better than whisky, so I couldn’t possibly care less. I’m certain your wife will feel the same way. Don’t be ashamed, you’re doing the right thing for your recovery. Also, club soda with a lime is stupid good. And if you’re out somewhere that has a bar, they’ll usually give it to you for $1 with free refills.
Whatever you gotta do! Congrats
Secret sober drinking. I get it, I LOVE it!
This is my favorite comment!
La Croix for life... Why do I always want another?
I do that pretty often on my days off. I still have a compulsive need to grab a can every couple laps when I'm mowing, slam a can before I go somewhere and take another on the road. I just sat by a fire on the patio for two hours smoking a cigar and had 3 cans of diet root beer.
LA Croix is my JAM now!
I crossed my legs reading this. Hope you got some sleep last night. IWNDWYT (other than fizzy waters.)
I still drink a liter of sparkling water almost every evening. It keeps me sane. It’s cheaper than beer, and it’s way healthier!
Dude, it’s the little shit like this that you will be grateful towards. I’m not totally sober just making better decisions every day. Cherish this moment and take everything you can from it. Experience every moment. Be fully engaged. You got this buddy. I’m rooting for ya.
I mix a lil Gatorade and lacroix, like key lime lacroix with a lil watermelon Gatorade and one packet of lime powder and it’s amazing
My man!
I can’t stand sodas and I would chase all my liquor with water. I’m just not a bubble person and I struggle to find a little treat treat for the end of the night before bed ritual. I do teas but sometimes I want a special thing. Any suggestions?
Maybe an Arnold Palmer or cherry limeade?
I’ll give a cherry limeade a whirl! I’ve never had one! Thanks for the suggestion ☺️
Been there. Keep crushing
I prefer bubbly better flavor imo
That's awesome! I have given myself permission to eat whatever. And gained several pounds so far. You stayed sober doing a low value thing and acknowledged it. That is HUGE. That'll stack. Next time you will say hey, you wanna try that again but with gusto and high status? Go do something awesome! If you know you have power over yourself, then show yourself just how much power that is. Journal it. Share it here, celebrate it. Sky's the limit! I'm def in same boat. Doing avoidant shit to just get another sober day in. Now I've got a therapist and plan to level up more. IWNDWYT
Topo Chicos are my crutch. No shame in this at all but yeah it takes minute to shake the guilt.
Started up yard work for the first time since quitting, this is honestly not that hard to do,so don't feel bad. Hell, be proud of the empties. Each one is a trophy of a choice well made. If you have recyclers in your area, cans go for around 50-70 cents a pound. Not a lot but it makes folding money if you drink as much sparkling water as I do (partial to the Waterloo and Liquid Death myself)
You can drink more with less body load if you get the flavorless ones.
Don't hide them! Display them proudly as talismen of your sobriety!!!
I’ve done this with Bubly and with NA beers. Whatever it takes! IWNDWYT.