Beer Junk Turned Into Athlete

Talking to a sober mate.

Today I have an interview with a friend for you guys. He is sober for 7 month now and was able to build an impressive physique and drop 13kg of fat during his abstinence. You can see the picture below, let us get into it.

1. When did you start drinking?

The first time experimenting with alcohol was at the age of 14. We had no idea what an appropriate dosage would look like. Most of the time it led to full intoxication, with vomiting and a sick stomach for days. Not a pleasant experience. At that time, I was an ambitious skateboarder. After long sessions of sports, weed was the preferred drug, fitting way better to my life.

2. For how many years have you been drinking?

When I decided to quit completely, I was drinking for about 20 years. The last 8 years of drinking I would consider as problematic.

3. How much were you drinking towards the end of your “career” ?

At the latest stage of my career, I was looking for as many spots to get drunk as possible. In average about 3 times a week, always feeling the urge to drink until full intoxication. Beer was my drink of choice. I like the taste, and perhaps I was telling myself, “It’s only beer”. Drinking four liters of beer an evening were pretty standard and manageable for me.

4. How did alcohol impact your life?

The worst impact was definitely the swings of my mood. After a night of drinking, I felt a bit depressed. My emotional resilience was at rock bottom, sometimes for days. As soon as I had a new spot of drinking in sight, I was extremely happy. At parties, I was always the last guy being awake, having deep chats with friends, oftentimes until 8 o clock in the morning.

5. When did you realize your drinking habits become problematic?

I am a big gaming enthusiast since I was a kid. But in my late 20s and 30s I started to drink when gaming just to add a little spice. Sitting alone in front of my computer, drinking and gaming for years, was definitely worrying me. But my ability to conceal it was top-notch. At one point, I got shocking news. My close friend and gaming partner died by stroke at the age of 37 without any prior warning. This made me realize how unhealthy this lifestyle is, and I quit drinking for about 2 months. After that, I got back to my regular drinking habits pretty quickly. The real realization started since I lived together with my wife. Sneaking out of the apartment as soon as the wife sleeps to get more booze and hiding the empty bottles behind the trash bin should really alert everyone. But the most alerting fact was my expanding liver. I could feel and see it. The alcoholic fatty liver disease is an early stage of alcohol-toxic liver cirrhosis which can lead to death. This is where the fun ends at the latest.

6. At what point did you decide to quit?

I made some breaks from drinking, sometimes two weeks, sometimes a month. Just to persuade myself of having everything under control. It did not take long to get in my old habits again. Then my close friend Peet author of this journal shared his experiences of sobriety with me. I was a little scared of an ultimate, permanent decision. But this is not how it worked. At the first weeks of sobriety, I felt the addiction by thinking of booze several times a day. But as soon as these thoughts were gone, roughly after 1 month, I felt very confident in my decision and never looked back.

7. What tactics do you use to say sober?

The term “never” or “never again” can be scary. But your decisions are made day by day. After only 2 months, I did not even consider drinking as an option. An important tactic you need is to find a new source of joy. The brain is addicted to endorphin to feel well. The alcohol is just the substance to make you release endorphins, which the brain is really demanding for. So it is very advisable to strive for more healthy sources of endorphins. This is true not only for quitting addicts but for everyone. Being sober, you have way more time and energy for productive goals. These can be hobbies, relationships, projects, businesses or any skills you want to learn. I personally started working out and focused on healthy nutrition seriously.

8. What are the best changes for you in sobriety.

My emotional stability improved a lot. On average, I am feeling way more pleased and stable than with the crazy up’s and down’s when drinking and doing drugs. In addition, my hard workout showed visible progress. My physical improvements are giving me positive feedback of being on a healthier and sustainable path.

9. Anything else you would like to add for the readers?

Alcohol is a very dangerous substance. The acceptance in society makes you overlook this fact pretty easily. Even some drinks at the weekend regularly is a sign of addiction, every psychologist would confirm. Or would you consider taking cocaine just on Saturdays a healthy use? Being sober will improve so many aspects of your life. Yes, everybody feels the desire for pleasure and joy, not only addicts. Finding the right source of joy is the task, not quitting a substance.

Mate, thank you for taking the time and answering the questions. Your workout results are really impressive. I would love to know more about your training schedule and the nutrition you use. Let us talk about that in the next episode.

More of my stories:

1. How I Quit Alcohol / The Point I Decided To Quit (My first story)
2. 6 Month Of Sobriety
3. Beer Got Me Again
4. I Will Never Drink Again
5. Replacing Alcohol