Sobotka, looks like great progress to me so far! Isn't it an amazing feeling when you find yourself making the decision to go home early and stop drinking? Especially when you could never make it before....!
EL

Another stellar week compared to pre-TSM days. I went out to dinner and a concert with some friends on Tuesday night and consumed 10 drinks from 5pm to Midnight. The last 2-3 drinks were almost impossible to drink - I was literally forcing them down my throat. A friend of mine handed me a shot of Whiskey and I dumped it in the garbage next to me while they all did their shot. I was simply not that interested. The party continued after the concert ended at Midnight, but I opted to jump in a cab and head home. Needless to say, my wife was very happy with my arrival time home considering I am usually out until 4am on nights like this.

I had a margarita when we went to dinner at a mexican restaurant on Thursday (didn't finish it).

On Friday I went out with my wife for a few drinks after work. I had one beer and four vodka/sodas before we went home and had a normal evening.

On Saturday I was home alone and went back and forth as to whether I wanted to go out for a drink. I finally decided to head down to the bar. I took a naltrexone, waited one hour, walked down to the bar, and turned around once I got to the front door. I simply didn't feel like drinking. Again, the awareness came upon me and I realized that it was in my best interest to save the money and wait for a better time to drink with friends. I went home and didn't drink on Saturday or Sunday. I'm feeling really good about where this is headed.

Wow!!! So early in the journey, good stuff and keep it up!

Excellent Sobotka!

You are well on your way! Enjoy it. You describe some of the amazing changes that surprise the TSMer. After acquiring the habit of stumbling into bars and crawling out, what an amazing image you portrayed of suddenly deferring one's drinking to a later time--for a less solitary situation--and what compulsive drinker would ever think, "I don't want to spend the money. So I won't?"
Nal on!!

Victory is imminent!

I drank Friday and Saturday this past week. I didn't work on Friday so I went out for drinks at lunch (4 vodka/soda, 1 bloody mary, 1 Jameson shot). Saturday night was dinner and drinks with my wife and two sisters. We started at about 8pm and ended around 1am or so. I drank 2 bloody mary's, 8 vodka/soda's, and 2 shots.

I didn't have any real trouble stopping either time. Again, the biggest thing I'm noticing is my ability to say "I'm done" and STOP. Pre-TSM had me drinking all night until the bar closed. My cravings and urges have reduced greatly as well. I had no real urge to drink Monday - Thursday... and no desire to drink on Sunday which was very common months ago as I would be nursing a hangover. I've found the naltrexone really helps keep me from drinking the following morning/afternoon after a night out drinking.

Thanks for posting, nice results!
Keep up the good work!

Total drink count was up last week, but I count it as one of my most successful weeks ever because none of the 5 days of drinking got out of control.

Monday, May 30th was Memorial Day and I went to Wrigleyville for the Cubs baseball game. I had 8 drinks total.

Tuesday, May 31st I went out for some 25 cent buffalo wings and had 3 beers before paying tab and walking back home. I had no real interest in drinking when I got there - just eating.

Wednesday was alcohol free

Thursday I did a happy hour and had 6 drinks before the wife picked me up on her way home. No drinks once getting home (not normal in the past).

Friday I went out for happy hour with two friends. My wife called to ask about going out for dinner. It sounded like a good idea so I paid my tab and took the train home to meet the family for a nice Mexican dinner where I didn't drink. Total drinks at happy hour was only 4 beers.

Saturday I went to the White Sox baseball game (yes, I'm a big baseball fan - Go Cards!) with my parents and wife. I had one beer at the baseball game and my wife and I shared a picture of beer at a patio bar in our neighborhood afterwards.

I say last week was the most successful so far because I was able to STOP drinking without it feeling like I was depriving myself. My past is made up of really late, late nights where I just couldn't get enough. So much so that I would start drinking again in the morning. To be able to look back at last week and see I went to two baseball games, two happy hours and one night out at the bar for some food -- and NOT suffer from a hangover, depression, guilt, missed work, exceedingly high bar tab, etc. is very rewarding.

A side effect of all of this has been the fact that I'm losing weight. I'm down about 12 pounds since I started TSM. The reduction in alcohol combined with less time spent eating bar food / fast food is starting to have positive benefits on my body. I'm sleeping better, getting more exercise, and eating better.

That being said, I'm going to focus on losing another 15-20 pounds. That will put me at my ideal weight. Therefore I don't anticipate drinking anything in the next few weeks. I'm not saying I won't have a beer or two, but if I can help it, I will most likely not drink the next few weeks. It's Thursday today and I haven't had a drink all week - so far so good.

Talk to you next week!

Nice work Sobotka!!!