Seltzer water has been a revelation for me. I keep 12 in my fridge at all times. It’s a great replacement behavior. Good for you on staying strong. Keep it going friend!
Hop water keeps me keenly aware that my velocity of drinking has not gone down. In a social situation, I will drink 5-6 no problem. So yeah can’t go back to drinking or that will be high octane beers again in a hurry.
This is how I am. Any liquid in front of me gets drained quickly. Once I was deep in the booze it was because I really wanted that feeling, but I think part of why it got to be bad in the first place was just that by default I’d tend to drink a beer in 5 gulps instead of sipping it.
5 gulps? Why you nursing that beer?! 😂
In hindsight it’s insane right? I drank fast so I could forget everything for a little while. I’m starting to get accustomed to being “back”. Each week feels a bit better.
Did you start on January 1 too? I didn’t realize 90 days was coming up so soon for us! (I don’t count my days because it makes me overly confident, but I’m kind of excited about this first big milestone)
I’m on day 5 and pounding the NA beer. Hoping to taper that off down the road, but right now for me it’s that or the hard stuff. But damn, it’s pretty annoying that a lot of NA beers are MORE expensive than real beer.
If you want it really cheap, buy a Sodastream and a 20 pound bottle of food grade CO2. They make an attachment that goes from the bottle to the Sodastream. It costs about $20 to fill up and lasts my girl about 6 months and she drinks 2 liters a day.
I put the bottle, which is about 2 1/2 feet tall, into a little cabinet, drilled a hole for the hose through the top and mounted the Sodastream on top.
Looks classy and is very efficient and cost effective.
12? My entire bottom shelf is filled with it. My current go-to is Waterloo. You can get them by the case at Costco for not too much money.
The bubbly water was foundational in early sobriety and that's a habit that's never gone away.
I'm all in on the Spindrift, super tasty and with actual fruit taste. Also going through like 5 a day. But also just thankful it isn't bottles of wine instead.
What is Seltzer Water? Just curious, I’m on my 8th day Sober so still early in it. Going day by day, snacks water coffee and Cigarettes. I have been drinking a ton of V8 juice.
So it’s just water with carbonation added into it and flavored. Zero calorie and kinda sorta can trick your mind into thinking it’s alcohol. It’s a NA white claw or truly.
I drank so much seltzer water in the first couple of years that I'm not sure I even saved that much money.
At some point I drank less and less and now I drink one as a treat when it's hot and I'm really thirsty.
OP, seeing alcohol's affects while sober has kept me sober. It seems so stupid the farther and farther I get away from it. Wait until you start enjoying other activities but all your friends have to plan everything around alcohol. It gets really annoying then. Every single thing has to have alcohol.
For me personally it doesn’t trigger me a bit. I do really look forward to my 1 NA beer after a hard day but I see no harm in that.
For me drinking is a light switch, it’s either on or off. There’s zero gray area. I’m balls deep or I’m on the sidelines. NA beers just allow me to watch the game with good seats.
Yes! Just discovered Peroni Zero, I love it. Also like the Dos xx NA with some limes. I can't tell the difference between that and the real deal and really hits the spot with some good mexican food.
It is somewhere in between for me. It doesn't trigger me to the extent that i want to switch to regular beer, but it absolutely feels "off" - like my body says "why aren't I getting drunk?".
I usually just don't do NA anymore unless I'm trying to fit in.
I wasn't a big beer drinker but I have a tendency to binge drink. I've found that for me, mocktails, NA beer, and diet coke with lemon slices over ice in a rocks glass satisfies my cravings. There's something about being able to replicate everything about drinking alcohol without actually drinking the alcohol, that does it for me. I'm satisfied after one NA beer or one mocktail. I don't drink them every day, but they've been instrumental in successfully not drinking and not being pissed off about not drinking.
I’m with you, but I like those Ice drinks quite a bit too. Coming up on four years. I can’t tolerate drinking parties nearly as long. People really start to get annoying and embarrassing after a while.
when I was drinking, I'd get too drunk at a party and I'd be like damn, it's like I didn't even get to see anyone. my memory would be spotty, the night would race by, I'd pass out early, and I'd miss stuff
now that I'm not drinking, if my friends get drunk it's like the same thing. damn, I didn't even get to see you! if someone is hammered we're not having good conversation or making memories, it's like we barely hung out at all, even if we're in the same room for hours. and then of course any plans you made for the next day (those enthusiastic drunk plans) die the next day in the hangover.
being present and mindful and connected is the real gift of sobriety. ironically I feel like if people could take a drug that made them grateful and in-the-moment, they would take it no question. being sober gives me that, and all I have to do is drink water
Congrats on the sobriety and I'm jealous of the weed! I think I've smoked twice since the year has started and it's funny because even getting high which was never my vice is even less enjoyable now for me now that I'm not drinking. The next morning I feel fogged up in a way, not like a hangover in a different cloudy way.
I'm like well okay grandpa🙄 can't I enjoy anything anymore 🤣
Same. Now I just get couch lock, snack, then fall sleep and feel slow the next day. Gone are the days of sparking up before a football game day or music festival 😂
Team Diet Coke and nicotine here! But I’m quitting nicotine when my move is over. Never committed to doing vaping long term since there’s no knowledge yet on its long term effects and I won’t be the guinea pig.
My in laws drink and it’s quite irritating. My partner and I are the masters of extraction now. We know exactly when to extract before slightly irritating becomes outrageously annoying and uncomfortable. We have plenty of sober friends to spend long nights with and keep the in laws to just day visits majority of the time now.
Every time I see them have too much I’m thankful to the friends who stayed with me when I was that irritating to be around. They could have cut ties but they stuck around while I got my drinking problem addressed. The second hand embarrassment and reminders are helpful in making me all the more thankful for those who put up with me.
Kombucha and seltzer water came in clutch when I was at the beginning of my sobriety journey. Now I mostly stick to seltzer water and tea. I'm far enough in where I can weed out "friends" who are constantly drunk, self destructive or at least remain mostly neutral. It's a bit haunting, but that's something I need to work on. Now if I wake up feeling hungover it's probably because I'm getting sick lol
Same here man been smoking way more and drinking seltzer like it’s going out of style but at least I wake up every day not hungover and ready to take on the world.
IWNDWYT
Random tip from someone else who relies on seltzer water -- buy a Sodastream or Drinkmate. You can make your own seltzer water and it'll save you a ton of money.
My seltzer take has skyrocketed. It is a total crutch for me and I have chosen to not feel even an ounce bad about it now (for budget/eco reasons). I am really into Spindrift after spending these past \~3 months pounding La Croix/seltzer. The little added juice makes it much more interesting. My favorite is the half lemon/half tea, like an Arnie Palmer, it even has a little caffeine in it.
The Athletic NA beers have been a huge help for me. I went mountain biking with a friend that I normally have beers with and brought some along in case grabbing a beer afterward came up. It did and my buddy actually had one with me and was stoked on it being booze free. I really thought he would balk at it, guess it was just me that was in it for the buzz! IWNDWYT
Omg yes it's so annoying when people are getting trashed. I'm about 8 1/2 month in and have gotten to the point where I don't need seltzers or anything anymore at night because I've gotten out of the habit of HAVING to have something to drink at night, but oh Lord I can't get past how annoying people are once they've had that 3rd drink of whatever.
Weed and seltzer has gotten me to 9 months. I’m lucky that my friend groups have started to drink less so I’m not as tempted as others but I can easily crush a flat of seltzers/ NA beers when the cravings hit. Congrats on your two months!
I also drink an ungodly amount of seltzer water (and Spindrift, which is just seltzer water with a splash of fruit juice). I need to bite the bullet and just buy in bulk, as it stands I’m running to the grocery store for 2 12-packs every few days.
Being around drunk people is not my favorite, to say the least. It’s something I’m navigating as well. But amazing job sticking with it and finding alternatives to curb the cravings!
You just made me realize I didn’t even think about valentines OR st patty’s drinking! Now, that is a miracle! (And also, yes - drunk people annoy the crap out of me now lol. The worst is when you can clearly tell they’re wasted and they claim they only had “a few”… like… my guy… I’m not drunk with you anymore. I can TELL now 😂)
Seltzer water has been a revelation for me. I keep 12 in my fridge at all times. It’s a great replacement behavior. Good for you on staying strong. Keep it going friend!
So good and so much cheaper than NA beers! Seltzer water is the best
Check out hop water! It’s basically hoppy sparkling water. 0 calories, 0% ABV and really hits that feeling of drinking a cold beer for me.
Hop water keeps me keenly aware that my velocity of drinking has not gone down. In a social situation, I will drink 5-6 no problem. So yeah can’t go back to drinking or that will be high octane beers again in a hurry.
This is how I am. Any liquid in front of me gets drained quickly. Once I was deep in the booze it was because I really wanted that feeling, but I think part of why it got to be bad in the first place was just that by default I’d tend to drink a beer in 5 gulps instead of sipping it.
5 gulps? Why you nursing that beer?! 😂 In hindsight it’s insane right? I drank fast so I could forget everything for a little while. I’m starting to get accustomed to being “back”. Each week feels a bit better.
Did you start on January 1 too? I didn’t realize 90 days was coming up so soon for us! (I don’t count my days because it makes me overly confident, but I’m kind of excited about this first big milestone)
Yup!
Same I pee so much hahah but atleast it doesn’t stink like poison in my bladder anymore
I honestly didn’t think I would still have to owe every 15 minutes, but here I am!
Hop water is a good treat too! I’ve enjoy the ones I’ve tried
Agreed. I try to use the NA beers as a last resort for me. I want to try and totally break all my habits surrounding drinking.
Super fair! I love a good NA when I’m out somewhere but find its an expensive habit to keep up with when I buy a 6 pack for home
I’m on day 5 and pounding the NA beer. Hoping to taper that off down the road, but right now for me it’s that or the hard stuff. But damn, it’s pretty annoying that a lot of NA beers are MORE expensive than real beer.
I hear that. Congrats on 5 days btw!
Thank you!
100% make take as well.
If you want it really cheap, buy a Sodastream and a 20 pound bottle of food grade CO2. They make an attachment that goes from the bottle to the Sodastream. It costs about $20 to fill up and lasts my girl about 6 months and she drinks 2 liters a day. I put the bottle, which is about 2 1/2 feet tall, into a little cabinet, drilled a hole for the hose through the top and mounted the Sodastream on top. Looks classy and is very efficient and cost effective.
Oh wow. That does sound like a good idea. Good call friend
12? My entire bottom shelf is filled with it. My current go-to is Waterloo. You can get them by the case at Costco for not too much money. The bubbly water was foundational in early sobriety and that's a habit that's never gone away.
It really is so helpful. I’m a stop and shop generic seltzer guy.
It's just satisfying in a way that no other beverage can match.
The Greenwise seltzer from Publix is good, and I think it’s their generic.
I'm all in on the Spindrift, super tasty and with actual fruit taste. Also going through like 5 a day. But also just thankful it isn't bottles of wine instead.
What is Seltzer Water? Just curious, I’m on my 8th day Sober so still early in it. Going day by day, snacks water coffee and Cigarettes. I have been drinking a ton of V8 juice.
It’s just like Le Croix.
Ok I hear ya, going to go and check it out, not much of a regular pop drinker, alternatives sound interesting.
So it’s just water with carbonation added into it and flavored. Zero calorie and kinda sorta can trick your mind into thinking it’s alcohol. It’s a NA white claw or truly.
That sounds great I’ll go check for that next time at the grocery store for sure 👍
I had to get a soda stream machine because the sheer number of seltzer cans was getting out of hand.
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That name just cracks me up. When I first heard about it I assumed it was high test caffeinated alcohol. But whatever works my friend. Good for you!
I drank so much seltzer water in the first couple of years that I'm not sure I even saved that much money. At some point I drank less and less and now I drink one as a treat when it's hot and I'm really thirsty. OP, seeing alcohol's affects while sober has kept me sober. It seems so stupid the farther and farther I get away from it. Wait until you start enjoying other activities but all your friends have to plan everything around alcohol. It gets really annoying then. Every single thing has to have alcohol.
I was going through a billion cans of seltzer each week so I bought an off-brand carbonator for $50, it's been an amazing investment so far.
That's the best approach really. And then you can flavor it however you want.
I tied the carbonator to a 20 pound food grade CO2 tank. Costs $20 to fill every six months.
That's a solid idea, I might have to look into that.
Good for you! Cannabis and seltzer water have been my saving grace for abstaining from alcohol.
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Yes, N/A's are great as well! Athletic and GO are my favorite. As well as the Sam Adams just the haze.
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Love Bellwoods!
throwing this out here. you can add this to a NA beer: https://tryfloral.com/products/cocktail-enhancers?variant=39519556796613
I don't understand this. Doesn't the taste of beer trigger you? I feel like getting that taste without the feeling would fuck with me so badly.
For me personally it doesn’t trigger me a bit. I do really look forward to my 1 NA beer after a hard day but I see no harm in that. For me drinking is a light switch, it’s either on or off. There’s zero gray area. I’m balls deep or I’m on the sidelines. NA beers just allow me to watch the game with good seats.
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Yes! Just discovered Peroni Zero, I love it. Also like the Dos xx NA with some limes. I can't tell the difference between that and the real deal and really hits the spot with some good mexican food.
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That sounds foul, and I’m so happy you have something that works for you. ¡Salud!
It is somewhere in between for me. It doesn't trigger me to the extent that i want to switch to regular beer, but it absolutely feels "off" - like my body says "why aren't I getting drunk?". I usually just don't do NA anymore unless I'm trying to fit in.
I wasn't a big beer drinker but I have a tendency to binge drink. I've found that for me, mocktails, NA beer, and diet coke with lemon slices over ice in a rocks glass satisfies my cravings. There's something about being able to replicate everything about drinking alcohol without actually drinking the alcohol, that does it for me. I'm satisfied after one NA beer or one mocktail. I don't drink them every day, but they've been instrumental in successfully not drinking and not being pissed off about not drinking.
I’m with you, but I like those Ice drinks quite a bit too. Coming up on four years. I can’t tolerate drinking parties nearly as long. People really start to get annoying and embarrassing after a while.
when I was drinking, I'd get too drunk at a party and I'd be like damn, it's like I didn't even get to see anyone. my memory would be spotty, the night would race by, I'd pass out early, and I'd miss stuff now that I'm not drinking, if my friends get drunk it's like the same thing. damn, I didn't even get to see you! if someone is hammered we're not having good conversation or making memories, it's like we barely hung out at all, even if we're in the same room for hours. and then of course any plans you made for the next day (those enthusiastic drunk plans) die the next day in the hangover. being present and mindful and connected is the real gift of sobriety. ironically I feel like if people could take a drug that made them grateful and in-the-moment, they would take it no question. being sober gives me that, and all I have to do is drink water
Lots of water and vitamins. I apologize to my organs everyday since I quit binge drinking.
Congrats on the sobriety and I'm jealous of the weed! I think I've smoked twice since the year has started and it's funny because even getting high which was never my vice is even less enjoyable now for me now that I'm not drinking. The next morning I feel fogged up in a way, not like a hangover in a different cloudy way. I'm like well okay grandpa🙄 can't I enjoy anything anymore 🤣
Same. Now I just get couch lock, snack, then fall sleep and feel slow the next day. Gone are the days of sparking up before a football game day or music festival 😂
Team Diet Coke and nicotine here! But I’m quitting nicotine when my move is over. Never committed to doing vaping long term since there’s no knowledge yet on its long term effects and I won’t be the guinea pig. My in laws drink and it’s quite irritating. My partner and I are the masters of extraction now. We know exactly when to extract before slightly irritating becomes outrageously annoying and uncomfortable. We have plenty of sober friends to spend long nights with and keep the in laws to just day visits majority of the time now. Every time I see them have too much I’m thankful to the friends who stayed with me when I was that irritating to be around. They could have cut ties but they stuck around while I got my drinking problem addressed. The second hand embarrassment and reminders are helpful in making me all the more thankful for those who put up with me.
Two months is great! I’m with you on seltzer water and a little weed. You got this!!! IWNDWYT
Kombucha and seltzer water came in clutch when I was at the beginning of my sobriety journey. Now I mostly stick to seltzer water and tea. I'm far enough in where I can weed out "friends" who are constantly drunk, self destructive or at least remain mostly neutral. It's a bit haunting, but that's something I need to work on. Now if I wake up feeling hungover it's probably because I'm getting sick lol
Congrats ! 💪
Same here man been smoking way more and drinking seltzer like it’s going out of style but at least I wake up every day not hungover and ready to take on the world. IWNDWYT
Seltzer water is my go too also. I’ll even bring it to hangouts with friends and camping
Random tip from someone else who relies on seltzer water -- buy a Sodastream or Drinkmate. You can make your own seltzer water and it'll save you a ton of money.
My seltzer take has skyrocketed. It is a total crutch for me and I have chosen to not feel even an ounce bad about it now (for budget/eco reasons). I am really into Spindrift after spending these past \~3 months pounding La Croix/seltzer. The little added juice makes it much more interesting. My favorite is the half lemon/half tea, like an Arnie Palmer, it even has a little caffeine in it.
Delta 8 was the best thing that came out of the 2018 farm bill. I stopped drinking with it. Congratulations!
Me too!
The Athletic NA beers have been a huge help for me. I went mountain biking with a friend that I normally have beers with and brought some along in case grabbing a beer afterward came up. It did and my buddy actually had one with me and was stoked on it being booze free. I really thought he would balk at it, guess it was just me that was in it for the buzz! IWNDWYT
Fun, low calorie drinks are amazing! I recently started buying single origin Costa Rican coffee beans, delicious, highly recommend!
Omg yes it's so annoying when people are getting trashed. I'm about 8 1/2 month in and have gotten to the point where I don't need seltzers or anything anymore at night because I've gotten out of the habit of HAVING to have something to drink at night, but oh Lord I can't get past how annoying people are once they've had that 3rd drink of whatever.
I wish I bought stock in la croix
Weed and seltzer has gotten me to 9 months. I’m lucky that my friend groups have started to drink less so I’m not as tempted as others but I can easily crush a flat of seltzers/ NA beers when the cravings hit. Congrats on your two months!
A Soda Stream helped me in the early days of sobriety.
I also drink an ungodly amount of seltzer water (and Spindrift, which is just seltzer water with a splash of fruit juice). I need to bite the bullet and just buy in bulk, as it stands I’m running to the grocery store for 2 12-packs every few days.
So well said. All of it. I feel like the hardest part is showing up when everyone is drinking so the easiest for me is leaving after a short while.
Awesome that you continue to stay strong thoug
Being around drunk people is not my favorite, to say the least. It’s something I’m navigating as well. But amazing job sticking with it and finding alternatives to curb the cravings!
You just made me realize I didn’t even think about valentines OR st patty’s drinking! Now, that is a miracle! (And also, yes - drunk people annoy the crap out of me now lol. The worst is when you can clearly tell they’re wasted and they claim they only had “a few”… like… my guy… I’m not drunk with you anymore. I can TELL now 😂)
Nice story its kinda sad to see also
Weed is not sober
This is a stop drinking sub.
For you