too much wine...

yzf750

Christmas - got fat

Mum not well so drank too much (a bottle opened is a bottle finished)

Clothes too tight and booze is no answer to anything... so back on the bike and doing some running and also watching calories... all a good recipe for losing weight - BUT I need a wine / beer substitute for sipping on in the evening.

Diet coke = too sickly

Water = too boring

Fruit juice = too sweet

Suggestions anyone?

Dan

hondafanatic

I've finally settled on Lime and soda...me and Mrs Hondafanatic have had the same issues, and after everything, a really good lime and soda is our subsistute...it's not sweet, but cuts through a thirst, is cold and fizzy...try it before you write it off....

yzf750

consider it done - will do that tonight.

ds

hondafanatic

yzf750 wrote:

consider it done - will do that tonight.

ds

Come closer as I'm only going to whisper this, but it's even ok to drink in a pub....shhhhh though. :shock:

Seriously, I know what you mean about finding a subsistute drink, just make sure it's cold and a decent quality lime juice. Although we've slowly slipped back into bad habits which do, as they say, die hard.

linsen

Ginger Beer is the way forward - preferably Fentiman's

hondafanatic

linsen wrote:

Ginger Beer is the way forward - preferably Fentiman's

Good call.... :idea:

yzf750

diet ginger beer - like it, like it a lot.... keep 'em coming gang...

DonDaddyD

Supermalt:

To be honest nothing will ever replace the taste of sweet crisp beer in my life. I could never completely cut it out of my life, just drink a lot less of it.

I do think stints like 3months without it does help, or in my case 3 months and only 1 pint and 1 bottle helps.

yzf750

I agree - never going to stop completely - just need to kick start weight loss - plus, have been guilty of relying on it in the past. Time to cut it out ... just for a bit I think.

I will let you all know how I get on.

DS

prawny

Fever tree ginger ale is lovely - also nice with johnnie walker and a lime wedge.

I drink soda water in the pub when i'm driving or skint it's well nice

Also bitter lemon is refreshing and you don't drink it too quickly which is always my problem with soft (and hard) drinks

DonDaddyD

yzf750 wrote:

Mum not well so drank too much (a bottle opened is a bottle finished)

and

plus, have been guilty of relying on it in the past.

Have you ever thought about talking to someone about the wider issues of why you drink? I'm not talking about counselling but just talking it out with someone, a friend, who you trust to uphold your privacy and will give you good advice and is capable of listening?

That may help address the issues of why you drink and acknowledging that may make it easier to give up or reduce the amount you drink.

I hope I haven't overstepped the mark. My job sometimes involves encountering people who may need additional support or simply others to talk to. Which is why I'm offering this advice.

Christophe3967

Gin & Tonic. Ice & Lime. Just leave out the gin.

yzf750

overstepped the mark - no worries old bean - I'm generally quite an open chap (as my friends will tell you) who works very hard and every now and then I have a drink or two to unwind, I'm pretty sure I don't have a problem...

...but I do recognise that I have relied on it to blot out the poorly mum issue and I'm not keen on that part of drinking... much better to have a social drink in the pub with yer mates... right?

THAT and the effect it's had on me waist line got me thinking that it might be time to cut it out for a bit.

Just need a refreshing drink other than caffine or booze - and looking for some suggestions.

coffeecup

i drink ice cold milk and lots of it

maybe it's an irish thing. My english wife thinks it's bizarre the amount of the stuff that people drink here

STEFANOS4784

yzf750 wrote:

I need a wine / beer substitute for sipping on in the evening.

Diet coke = too sickly

Water = too boring

Fruit juice = too sweet

Suggestions anyone?

Dan

Vodka? :arrow:

chrisberry

Try a St Clements:
Orange Juice
Bitter Lemon
Ice

Refreshing, not too sweet or bitter, its addictive!

lost_in_thought

Lemonade. I like lemonade. And decaf coffee. And decaf tea.

Oh who am I kidding. I can't last 2 days without a beer!

Eau Rouge

I live on Robinsons Orange dilute, the no added sugar version.
Why is it that English pubs don't sell proper soft drinks the way Irish pubs do? When I want a glass of Sprite or Fanta or such, nasty 'lemonade' with some cordial in it is not what I have in mind.

il_principe

Homemade smootihes. I have one for brekkie every week day. Just started making them with frozen fruit as it's much cheaper although sourer as well.

2 smoothies =

1 bag sainsbury's mixed summer fruits
a good splurge of pomegranate juice
3/4 tub fat free yog

And blend.

Delicious.

lost_in_thought

Replace the yoghurt with a banana for added vitamins and sweeter taste...

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

Replace the yoghurt with a banana for added vitamins and sweeter taste...

Actually when I was using fresh fruit I did banana, forgot to add one yesterday, that solves the sweetness riddle, cheers LiT!

cee

i like to drink sparkling mineral water with a dash of high juice. peach is my current favourite.

DonDaddyD

jashburnham wrote:

Homemade smootihes. I have one for brekkie every week day. Just started making them with frozen fruit as it's much cheaper although sourer as well.

2 smoothies =

1 bag sainsbury's mixed summer fruits
a good splurge of pomegranate juice
3/4 tub fat free yog

And blend.

Delicious.

Note to self, buy blender and make this drink - with Banana's.

flattythehurdler

Angoustura bitters isn't bad

cee

flattythehurdler wrote:

Angoustura bitters isn't bad

but remember it has an abv of 44.7%.....fair enough only a few drops are in each glass, but if you are trying to cut out alcohol, sucking back 10 of these a night is not doing that.

........probably not the best idea to include hidden abv....maybe you would prefer to not drink the bitters and treat yourself to a beer on friday instead.

STEFANOS4784

Also don't forget that it is trully disgusting :shock:

steve-m

I do green tea, still not banned by ICU despite http://www.news-medical.net/?id=7673

Unless late at night then peppermint.

These two go me off the smokes too.

Mikelyons

+1 for the Ginless G+T
If you want to be truly virtuous, try the slimline version of the Tonic.

A recent discovery of mine is 'Big Tom' - which is effectively a Bloody Mary minus the Vodka. It's quite spicy, so you can't just down it in one.

I also find Copella cloudy apple juice is much better than the clear apple juice (from concentrate)

Mike

biondino

Root beer! I suggest Bundaberg - found in all good Waitrose.

lost_in_thought

biondino wrote:

Root beer! I suggest Bundaberg - found in all good Waitrose.

Bundaberg also make brilliant knocks-your-socks-off ginger beer - way better than fentiman's!

Clever Pun

why not continue to have a drink when you fancy and just cycle harder?