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Can anyone give me any advice about how they handle the "I'm not drinking" or "I'm trying to cut down" drama when you hit the bar after work? Does anyone have a favourite drink that doesn't leave them feeling like a "pork pie at a bar mitzvah"? Also, what stuff should I be avoiding?

hi ian,

the best thing is of course to be prepared, hence your question. if it's a special occasion, you may decide to allow yourself 2 drinks, for example.
if it's a weekly thing with the guys after work, you can approach it in a couple of ways.

1) drink beer such as blonde. let's face it, most guys are now more health conscious than the good old aussie bloke of old... this will work well if you're a beer drinker.
2) shots of say southern comfort or whiskey, mixed with coke zero, have around 70 calories per shot. possibly not worth the empty calories (though this IS the southern queen talking here LOL)...
3) if you are going for the above option, you can then after the first drink, have nothing but coke zero. no one is going to know that there's no alcohol in it, except you & the barman.
4) water looks the same as vodka
5) if there are some other big guys among your group, i'm sure they won't argue if you just say "i'm watching my figure" (preferably followed by big blokey laugh)...
6) as a general rule, i don't drink & drive, so if you drive to work, you could use that, if you need to comment on it at all...
7) last but not least... don't worry about what everyone else thinks!!! it might be a case of getting a thicker skin, or coming up with a witty comment, but at the end of the day you do not need to explain yourself to ANYONE! (unless you break the law, then let your lawyer do the talkin'!)...

You may feel, if you're just starting to get your health & weight under control, that everyone is watching you with a magnifying glass (which i kind of think is the feeling behind the pork pie at a barmitzvah comment)... the fact is, unless you make it obvious for everyone, the best thing to do is keep your lid on, because most people just aren't that observant... besides they're most likely worrying about their own personal internal dialogues ("the wife'll be p*ssed if i drink too much", "the boss is working me too hard", "how am i going to get X done on the weekend with all this other stuff"....) I'm sure you get what i'm saying here...

In the end, go with whatever makes you feel comfortable. In the end, it's better to choose not to drink (from a weight-loss point of view) but if you feel you need to, then only have one & fake the rest....

Kaz x

Welcome to the forum/board

 

Personally I think there are two approaches the white lie approach  

 

I can’t drink I feel off colour ect.

 

I can’t drink I have another activity to go to.

 

I can’t drink I have an early start tomorrow.

 

I can’t drink I have medical condition

 

The problem with this is the constant need to come up with excuses.

 

Or you can tell the truth and eventually they will catch on that you are a light drinker or have given up drinking.

 

I must admit the drinking session at the pub ect seems to lose its appeal when you don’t drink.

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I drink water or diet coke and no one knows any better...people are too worried about themselves to worry what you're drinking generally! :D

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visit my site for updates - http://www.melbedggood.com

I just tell people that I can't handle my drink. There's not much they can say as a come back.

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What a long strange trip its been.....

I have a sugar free red Bull or V

Yep stick with the diet coke or lemonade or even fruit juice.  You are doing it for reasons that are important to you and if anybody cannot see that then thats their problem.

I'm on Weight Watchers at the moment... Pure Blondes and Hahn SuperDrys have a points value of 1.5.  The next nearest beer (low alcohol included) has a points value of 2.  SuperDry & Blondes have 1/3 of the carbs, a reduced amount of sugar and no preservatives or addatives.  They seem to be a pretty good choice if you must have 1 or 2- and like Cowgirl already said you can plan ahead if you really want to have a drink.

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Nat

I have sparkling mineral water or soda water, with a slice of lemon. You can say it's something alcoholic if you want, but it is perfectly OK to be a non alcohol drinker, you can still join in and have lots of fun.

 I really think if you have to lie or do somethjing you don't want to do, just to fit in with 'the crowd', then it's the wrong crowd.

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Odille

Low carb 10/09/05
F/170cm/53

Everyone has given you some pretty good tips.

 

If you are a spirits drinker instead of having one full nip ask for half a nip with a diet drink so if you have 2 spirit drinks with half nips it equates to 1 standard drink so if you allocate yourself 2 standard drinks you can have 4 half nip one, spaced evenly throughout the night out. Does that make sense?

 

Also remember that you don't need alcohol to have a good time. People should not shun you because you refuse to drink alcohol. The whole point is to go out to socialise, mingle and wind down and you don't need alcohol to do that.

 

 

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Although my friends are like always on me to have a drink, I avoid em...Either i go for a sweet lime or a diet coke....Even at times don need to go for either, as my friend barely notice me around, when they are in a mood....

 

ian:

Can anyone give me any advice about how they handle the "I'm not drinking" or "I'm trying to cut down" drama when you hit the bar after work? Does anyone have a favourite drink that doesn't leave them feeling like a "pork pie at a bar mitzvah"? Also, what stuff should I be avoiding?