The Alcohol Reduction Motivation Thread

[noTAGlove]

We have a thread for weight loss motivation, so why not one for alcohol!

Given my recent minor alcohol-related health scare, I’m on a battle to reduce my alcohol by 3-fold. From around 35 units (most, or all of bottle of wine every Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun) a week, to 10 units, or for me, half a bottle of wine on Friday and Saturday only.

It’s going to be tough, as alcohol as be a big part of my life for 33 years.

I’ve woken up to the fact that alcohol in no longer enhancing my life, but it’s merely habitual, and over the last few years my consumption is growing year on year.

Whereas alcohol used to mainly feature in bars and restaurants or round at friends, I find that sadly my habit is now consumed in front of the telly.

So, if you feel you are in the same shoes, feel it maybe damaging your health, and has become to habitual rather than enjoyable, then I’m sure you’ll find motivation here.

So post an alcohol goal and let see with a bit of motivation where we end up.

Please, only positive comments, and no judging a person.

[Omegamanic]

I think having a reduction plan in place is essential.

The old man had a pacemaker fitted just before NY, it didn’t help at first and he was back in on 31/12 for a few days. We have been looking at helping him reduce his current intake, which was at least a half bottle of red wine - but as we all know once a bottle is open it can be very easy to finish it off, and that’s each day and not including the odd beer or whiskey.

It’s all a little alien to me as I didn’t drink from age 17-25, so whilst I might enjoy an evening out I could go weeks or months without a single drink some years.

Good luck all!

[mk1974]

Has I work away a lot 3 nights a week I generally find a pub to pass the time ,it’s not unheard of to have anything between 8-12 pints a night depending on who I’m with,now this obviously needs reducing so the new year plan as been 6 a night,so far so good


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[alexaff]

I think a lot of us find a reason to drink. Stressful week- drink. Celebrating- drink. Good news- drink. Bad news- drink and it goes on. I only drink on a weekend these days and never when I’ve got work the next day but probably way too much when I do go out. I’d love to have a break for a few months but there’s always an event that involves beer!

[robcat]

Currently on day 13 of my annual post-Xmas 28-day detox. No alcohol at all. Pretty easy for the first week or so, but now in the “difficult middle” before to final run to the finish on the last week.

One benefit of doing this is that it seems to reduce alcohol tolerance, so I tend to drink less after the break.

[Sinnlover]

That's a good idea
I have reduced my beer intake over tha last couple of years from 5/6 pints every night to 1/2 small cans whilst cooking of an evening with the odd day off in the week. I guess I am lucky I don't drink wine or spirits as I don't enjoy them, but I do like my beer.
This year I think I will cut the beer out in the week and only drink on the weekend. I plan to enter a white collar boxing event in the summer so that's a good goal to aim for.
I will pop back to this thread over the next few months. Best of luck

John

[noTAGlove]

Just think of the pounds you’ll shed too!

I’m a stone over my fighting weight, and convinced once I cut down on the 2,200 empty calories associated with 3.5 bottles of wine a week, I may get back to my weight I haven’t seen in 20 years.


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[Artistmike]

I used to own pubs and restaurants so lived with the alcohol in all it's forms and enjoyed a drink as much as the next man. It never became a problem or seriously influenced my health but when I was fifty a totally unrelated health problem meant that I had to face giving up drinking or radically cutting it down.

Funnily enough, like smoking, I didn't find giving up completely a problem whatsoever, in fact trying to cut down on both was far more difficult. If you've had a related health scare I'd advise a total abstinence of a year or two. It's a lot easier than constantly having to ask yourself whether you're up to your limit or not and then if you want to re-introduce alcohol, do so at a low level, by then you won't need as much to be merry anyway.. :-)

I actually found being alcohol free extremely liberating and that really surprised me as I had been expecting it to be tough, try it, you might find it easier than rationing yourself as, like most drugs in small amounts, they just induce a craving for more.

Good luck however you go forward with it. .. :-)

[Dave O'Sullivan]

Good idea. I'm in. Like you, I'm a home drinker. Probably 5-6 beers a night. The problem for me is that I invariably pick up a couple of 4 pack from the shop. By the time you've had a couple, your resolve soon diminishes!
Stage one is to buy one 4 pack. Logic being, be the time your back home, your not going to go back out again if you fancy 'one more'!
Stage two will be cutting that in half and just buying a couple.
I gave up completely a year or so ago and really enjoyed it. Stuck to Becks Blue for months. However, a couple here and there and it starts to creep back up.
I've only ever really drank weak lager, (Fosters). Don't touch the stronger beers or wine / spirits. Probably my saving grace as I certainly go for quantitiy over quality!

As it happens, just checked my fridge an I have 4 cans in there, so I'm sorted for tonight!

[Dave O'Sullivan]

Just think of the pounds you’ll shed too!

I’m a stone over my fighting weight, and convinced once I cut down on the 2,200 empty calories associated with 3.5 bottles of wine a week, I may get back to my weight I haven’t seen in 20 years.


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When I gave up completely, I lost about three stone!
Perhaps we could all post our progress in that department too?
(I am a fat bastard again by the way!)

[Pretzel]

We find that rather then purchasing the normal 75cl bottles of wine we now get the half or even 20cl bottles

Something like this https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/produc...04-66979-66980

Appreciate its a more expensive way to purchase wine, but we can still have a glass and it helps control our consumption which is the objective. Just need to learn to sip rather than drink the wine to make it last all evening.

[Evanssprky]

Reduction is always good, and at least two alcohol free days a week (usually a Monday and Tuesday, then Thursday for me depending on shifts).
If all day in work you dream about a drink in the evening, try buying a 20cl bottle of wine on the way home, or even two, it's a big reduction from 75cl if your an "an open bottle is an empty bottle" guy like I tend to be.
Whatever, good luck to all whether reducing or abstaining.

[noTAGlove]

The old man had a pacemaker fitted just before NY, it didn’t help at first and he was back in on 31/12 for a few days. We have been looking at helping him reduce his current intake, which was at least a half bottle of red wine - but as we all know once a bottle is open it can be very easy to finish it off, and that’s each day and not including the odd beer or whiskey.

If I can manage to drink to excess whilst holding down a relatively busy working and home life, it does worry me about what my attitude to alcohol will be when I’m retired and have no time pressures. Hence the need to shift my attitudes now.

[dougair]

We have a thread for weight loss motivation, so why not one for alcohol!

Given my recent minor alcohol-related health scare, I’m on a battle to reduce my alcohol by 3-fold. From around 35 units (most, or all of bottle of wine every Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun) a week, to 10 units, or for me, half a bottle of wine on Friday and Saturday only.

It’s going to be tough, as alcohol as be a big part of my life for 33 years.

I’ve woken up to the fact that alcohol in no longer enhancing my life, but it’s merely habitual, and over the last few years my consumption is growing year on year.

Whereas alcohol used to mainly feature in bars and restaurants or round at friends, I find that sadly my habit is now consumed in front of the telly.

So, if you feel you are in the same shoes, feel it maybe damaging your health, and has become to habitual rather than enjoyable, then I’m sure you’ll find motivation here.

So post an alcohol goal and let see with a bit of motivation where we end up.

Please, only positive comments, and no judging a person.

Good on you for making a change, what do they say, it takes two weeks to break a habit? Stick with it I bet you'll feel better for it in the medium term!

[Captain Morgan]

Ironically I type this after a 8 pub walk around Westminster for a friends birthday yesterday and with a slight hangover, I’m part way through my second year of mainly dry January.

I have a fairly full January with four good friends birthdays so I came to a realisation last year that while a dry jan was a possibility I enjoy some of the events too much for me to fully commit and I decided that mainly dry was much more workable, so now I’m dry Monday am to Friday and will have a few Friday and Sunday.

Normally we will be in the pub five / six times a week but now I’ll still go a couple of week nights but just have a few 0% bottles and not be bothered, and i’m considering rolling this on through Feb and beyond with just one beer night during the week.

As a whole lot of our social life revolves around the pub it’s good to reconfirm that alcohol is optional and I can still socialise with out it.

[Normunds]

And I thought that I am drinking too much- glass of wine mon-thursd and half a bottle Friday-Sunday.

We cut weekday glass since beginning of the year without any resolution. My hope is to slim down a bit, because wine always goes with some snacks. We’ll see.

[Tony-GB]

Just think of the pounds you’ll shed too!

I’m a stone over my fighting weight, and convinced once I cut down on the 2,200 empty calories associated with 3.5 bottles of wine a week, I may get back to my weight I haven’t seen in 20 years.


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I've put on about ten pounds since December with birthdays, Christmas, NY and my recent birthday so I'm stopping completely. I was buying fancy bottles of beer and gin and think enoughs enough.

I'm adding more cycling to my gym routine and for the first time in my life going to design a calorie controlled diet.

[robcat]

Just think of the pounds you’ll shed too!

I’m a stone over my fighting weight, and convinced once I cut down on the 2,200 empty calories associated with 3.5 bottles of wine a week, I may get back to my weight I haven’t seen in 20 years.


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That’s one of the prime motivators for me. Partly it’s to give the liver a rest, partly to prove to myself I’ve got some degree of control over drinking, but also it’s very difficult to lose weight if you’re consuming several thousand calories in alcohol.

In a lot a lot of ways it’s win-win.

[Schofie]

Great thread and I wish all well in their endeavour to be more healthy. Best thing I ever did for my health was marry a Muslim. I'm not suggesting going through a painful divorce but if you're already on the market or thinking about trading in then it's another option. Ironically she's now started having a Friday night tipple

Edit: on the weight loss side of things, there is a threshold of alcohol consumption that despite the calories actually leads to weight loss. The body metabolises alcohol straight through the stomach and processes it before any nutrients from food. If drinking excessively this basically means that not only are you poisoning the body with alcohol but also starving it of nutrition, no matter what you're eating. I saw an old school pal the other day for the first time in over 20 years and as soon as I saw him I knew he was an alcoholic. His face had aged excessively and he was really skinny with no healthy muscle mass. This is despite spending most nights in the pub filling up on high calorie beer.

There is also the impact on the pancreas in its work to control the massive spikes in blood sugar. I think someone in a post mentioned enzyme analysis and a dysfunction of the pancreas is a key thing it would highlight, showing that the endocrine system is working too hard.

One of the body's main functions is homeostasis, which is the maintenance of normal functioning, and alcohol makes everything have to work very hard to maintain balance.

[reecie]

It was recommended a while back to go 3 days (iirc) without alcohol as opposed to spreading units daily. But obviously not to then binge them in one go. I now only (apart from the odd night out or Xmas) ever drink at the w/e. Normally the odd bottled beer and making a bottle of red wine last over Fri-Sun. We also have sparkling water with meals out which cuts down on how much alcohol you might buy then and generally saves a fair bit. Mind you it does make my whisky stash last forever.

[Tony-GB]

Great thread and I wish all well in their endeavour to be more healthy. Best thing I ever did for my health was marry a Muslim. I'm not suggesting going through a painful divorce but if you're already on the market or thinking about trading in then it's another option. Ironically she's now started having a Friday night tipple

Edit: on the weight loss side of things, there is a threshold of alcohol consumption that despite the calories actually leads to weight loss. The body metabolises alcohol straight through the stomach and processes it before any nutrients from food. If drinking excessively this basically means that not only are you poisoning the body with alcohol but also starving it of nutrition, no matter what you're eating. I saw an old school pal the other day for the first time in over 20 years and as soon as I saw him I knew he was an alcoholic. His face had aged excessively and he was really skinny with no healthy muscle mass. This is despite spending most nights in the pub filling up on high calorie beer.

There is also the impact on the pancreas in its work to control the massive spikes in blood sugar. I think someone in a post mentioned enzyme analysis and a dysfunction of the pancreas is a key thing it would highlight, showing that the endocrine system is working too hard.

One of the body's main functions is homeostasis, which is the maintenance of normal functioning, and alcohol makes everything have to work very hard to maintain balance.

Brilliant post. Thank you.

[Loki]

I've been off the drink for 50 days today, feel much better for it, although I'm eating loads to compensate, hopefully that will level out at some point as my belly is as big as it was when I was drinking lol

[D4RK1]

I'm on the dry Jan band wagon. I love a beer and always have one after golf on the weekend with a bit of lunch.

So far so good. Been out for a couple of nice meals and family get togethers and haven't been tempted once.
I generally only have a tot on the weekend but its not exclusively weekends.
I think I could comfortably do 3 or 4 months. I'll see how it goes this year.

[Roberto]

After a miserable December, being ill for pretty much all of it, I decided to ditch the usual dry January and have a Drinkuary instead. I've had a small drink every day, even if it is only a wee dram before bed.

At the gym five times a week at the moment, have lost nearly half a stone, feeling miles better.

An alternative approach.

[Neil.C]

Stopped drinking about 4 years ago after being told I had a borderline fatty liver during a health MOT.

I did like a drink TBH but after a week or so found it easy to break the habit, because that's what it was, a habit.

[robcat]

It was recommended a while back to go 3 days (iirc) without alcohol as opposed to spreading units daily. But obviously not to then binge them in one go. I now only (apart from the odd night out or Xmas) ever drink at the w/e. Normally the odd bottled beer and making a bottle of red wine last over Fri-Sun. We also have sparkling water with meals out which cuts down on how much alcohol you might buy then and generally saves a fair bit. Mind you it does make my whisky stash last forever.

I prefer the “in moderation” approach. Much as I respect the people who quit completely, I enjoy a drink with a meal, a night out on the beers etc and don’t really want (or am capable of, to be fair) giving up completely. I’d rather maintain a semi-healthy relationship with booze.

I think having 3/4 days per week not drinking, then not getting too carried away on the other 3/4 is quite a good balance (and probably adds up to 15-20 units per week). Couple that with the odd month-off to cancel out holidays/Xmas, and this has to be a reasonable balance. (The challenge is not breaking the days-off rule - I occasionally stray into drinking on these nights).

[stiglet]

Another Januadry here - last drink 11.55 on Hogmany.

So far so good albeit a little boring .....and what a lot of tosh my chums speak after a few bevvies, never noticed before

[Mj2k]

Mark & Dave, thanks for the PMs last night, really appreciate it, and the sentiments.

Mark - agree with you completely on being able to spot someone who has aged badly through abuse, have seen it with some previous work colleagues who didn’t leave the job causing it.

Some great ideas about only buying the one 4pk or the small bottles of wine - although good in the control, it’s an artificial limit vs true control; but am sure it can help break the routine/habit

I find I’m partial to a nice craft beer or a pint (or can) of London Pride. It’s those few over a Sunday lunchtime whilst cooking a roast that become my uncontrolled calorie weakness.

I tend to track everything I eat (and drink) on MFP and work to 2,000 calories target, if I’m wanting to lose weight, I’m at 1,500 target. Obviously if I exercise, I can get more but try to not ‘eat or drink the extra’.

It certainly does make you think about the calories in a drink when you are tracking it, and how long the walk or row is to get rid of it again!

One thing I’ve discovered is Seedlip, non alcoholic botanical, distilled a bit like gin, challenging flavour profiles by zero calories. Only annoyance is £27 a bottle given there is no duty payable! Worth a try when you want something a little more enjoyable to drink. I prefer Garden over Spice, but have them both in the cupboard to chop & change.

Matt


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[noTAGlove]

Mark & Dave, thanks for the PMs last night, really appreciate it, and the sentiments.

Mark - agree with you completely on being able to spot someone who has aged badly through abuse, have seen it with some previous work colleagues who didn’t leave the job causing it.

Some great ideas about only buying the one 4pk or the small bottles of wine - although good in the control, it’s an artificial limit vs true control; but am sure it can help break the routine/habit

I find I’m partial to a nice craft beer or a pint (or can) of London Pride. It’s those few over a Sunday lunchtime whilst cooking a roast that become my uncontrolled calorie weakness.

I tend to track everything I eat (and drink) on MFP and work to 2,000 calories target, if I’m wanting to lose weight, I’m at 1,500 target. Obviously if I exercise, I can get more but try to not ‘eat or drink the extra’.

It certainly does make you think about the calories in a drink when you are tracking it, and how long the walk or row is to get rid of it again!

One thing I’ve discovered is Seedlip, non alcoholic botanical, distilled a bit like gin, challenging flavour profiles by zero calories. Only annoyance is £27 a bottle given there is no duty payable! Worth a try when you want something a little more enjoyable to drink. I prefer Garden over Spice, but have them both in the cupboard to chop & change.

Matt


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Matt - fancy setting yourself a goal up to this time next week and seeing where you get with it?

[Captain Morgan]

One thing I’ve discovered is Seedlip, non alcoholic botanical, distilled a bit like gin, challenging flavour profiles by zero calories. Only annoyance is £27 a bottle given there is no duty payable! Worth a try when you want something a little more enjoyable to drink. I prefer Garden over Spice, but have them both in the cupboard to chop & change.

Matt


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On Amazon @ £20 for prime members atm, however after reading the reviews I shan’t be bothering

[Bristolian]

To anyone thinking of giving up - good luck.

I gave up about 4 years ago. Initially to show myself that I wasn't dependent, but after a month or so I felt so much better generally, I stuck with it.

I never reckoned I drank a lot, but it must have averaged 2+ glasses of wine a day, every day.

Losing the weight has been great, but most of all feeling 20 years younger has been the payoff. The social side of alcohol is probably the biggest habit-change, but planning to avoid going to the pub after work is worth the effort.

[Kingstepper]

On Amazon @ £20 for prime members atm, however after reading the reviews I shan’t be bothering

Many of the reviewers just seemed disappointed it didn't taste like gin. It's not meant to.

[jimyu]

Many of the reviewers just seemed disappointed it didn't taste like gin. It's not meant to.

I got my pregnant wife a bottle and put me straight in her good books, plus it means I can hit the gin without feeling bad

On a serious note, I gave up beer and cider a year ago when I found out I am diabetic. I just drink gin n slim and red wine now in moderation (a few glasses a week) and feel so much better for it and lost 15kg

[Mj2k]

On Amazon @ £20 for prime members atm, however after reading the reviews I shan’t be bothering

Hadn’t seen that deal, thank you.

Give it a try is all I can say, I ignored the reviews & happily so.


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[Mj2k]

Matt - fancy setting yourself a goal up to this time next week and seeing where you get with it?

NTG, I’m going zero alcohol until next weekend & then will be 1/2 a bottle on Friday & the same Saturday. No spirits, no beers, no cheating.

Getting to sleep & switching off is my challenge, as my brain continues to work. Will carry on with meditation, but may also add a little melatonin if allowed.

Will update during the week, and also at the end of it. If I’m home alone, I find it easier to control the intake vs being away with work and clients.

Currently 45 mins from bed without a drink on a Saturday night. Biggest challenge will be having a night in the curry house; love kingfisher with a curry.


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[simon-c]

Good luck to all with this, you’ll find yourselves in the weight loss thread as well

It’s really not complicated ! You still have to enjoy life, and not do it all at once.

A general guide and trying not to be preachy

1. Stop smoking
2. Reduce booze to safe level, not necessarily zero
3. Take regular exercise, enough to make you knackered. There’s nothing like a sleep when you are physically tired.
4. Cut out fast food/ take aways etc, again not to zero
5, Buy less red meat, buy more fruit any veg, eat more fish
6. Get your BP, lipids, and faecal occult blood etc checked if over 50 or strong family history

I worked out how much money I would save if I stopped the top 5 when younger, the money I saved in a couple of years bought me a lotus, It could buy you an amazing holiday etc etc

And lastly, be married, it seems to make men live longer and healthier lives ( clearly it may have to opposite effect in some!)

Simon

[Schofie]

You can do it Matt. The best thing is to have a plan and yours sounds good but also live firmly in the moment so you can observe any urges as they happen. Recognise them for what they are and let them pass... if you have them that is. On the sleeping front, the evidence shows that alcohol may help you get to sleep in the right quantity but it plays havoc with the actual sleep cycle and leads to a poorer night's sleep. It affects body temperature, which needs to drop to help induce sleep, and affects the brain's cycles. You might find getting to sleep difficult at first but there may be an element of withdrawal to that as well as the mental change in routine. Meditation is excellent, particularly to observe your thoughts and emotional responses to making the change.

I salute you sir and the very best with it.

[Gee252]

Well !!
I like a drink which ment at least a few beers every night.
Christmas and New Year was on it every day!
From last Monday decided that's me done in the week and also Friday and Sunday leaving me just Saturday to enjoy a tipple.
Must say this week alone felt 100% better, slept well and feel better on my self and that's just in a week.
So here we are on a Saturday (drinking night) and and a couple of beers only! In Fact just finished of with a cup of tea.
For me no point saying I'm stopping drinking as that's not for me, I like a pint and to socialise so that's not going to happen but I have done with the week drinking.

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[noTAGlove]

Just after midnight, and early on Sunday morning, and didn’t have anything alcoholic to drink on Friday or Saturday night. No big deal for most people, but literally can’t remember the last time that happened. It must be several years at least.

The wife opened a bottle of wine tonight as she has one very small glass each day, and must be because of my will power, but I didn’t miss shedding into it. It’s been Earl Grey for me all night.

I plan a couple of weeks totally off the booze, and then allow myself one bottle of wine over the weekend. So far, so good. Early days, but let’s see how it goes.


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[Mick P]

I have a drink of wine, beer or a spirit every day of the week. However, I never get drunk or muddled headed.

Moderate drinking is enjoyable, makes life pleasant and does have quite a few medical benefits.

The old adage of everything in moderation applies as per usual.

[PipPip]

Used to drink most days until a medical in my mid-30s. Had poor liver results and high blood pressure. Family history isn’t good with both my fathers parents alcoholics and dying in their late 40s from it and my older brother daignosed an alcoholic in his mid-30s. I decided to cut out weekday drinking after the medical and apart from the odd occasion I have stuck to this for 10 years. One thing we did was remove all alcohol from the living room. It’s now in the back of a cupboard in the dining room. We also put all the wine and spirits glasses in another cupboard in another room (a playroom). This means to have a glass of wine in the evening we would need to go from the living room to the kitchen for a corkscrew, to the playroom for a glass and to the dining room for a bottle. Amazing how these small barriers stop you from bothering when you are slumped in front of the TV. I decided to cut back even more in 2018 and to start off with dry January. I actually haven’t had any alcohol since Christmas Day but part of that was due to being ill with tonsillitis over New Years. Plenty of temptation including work colleagues who feel it’s their personal mission to get me to break my dry January. My next drink will be when skiing on 10 Feb and nobody will change that.

[hogthrob]

If you can relate to the saying "one is too many, two is not enough", or feel in any way that you cannot completely control your drinking, then I'd suggest that complete abstinence is the only way to go. Otherwise, the alcohol will just creep back in.

[Velorum]

Another benefit as regards reduction (and even better abstinence) is the positive effect on your appearance.

Since I quit my weight has gradually returned to what it was in my early 20's - Ive shed about 3 stone.

Also skin tone improves as internal organs and other systems arent being poisoned any longer.

These things combined take years of most people. I am told that I look much younger now and no where near my age.

[Der Amf]

A good way of reducing intake is, when struck by the desire for a drink, to think first about whether your desire to be at the other end of the drink is similarly enthusiastic. Opening a bottle is one thing, finishing it is another. That first sip of cool crisp pils at lunchtime is delicious, the flat sticky end of the pint and the blunted feeling you get from it isn't necessarily so alluring.

Once you've had a pint, it's easy to confuse the desire to repeat the experience of that first pint with the reality of getting stuck into a second.

I used to drink a lot more than a doctor would approve of, and now mostly drink just a pint or two, once or twice a week. I think the first step on that path was permitting myself to give up on a drink: sometimes I would take the first sip of a fresh pint and instead of it appearing fun and breezy, it would seem to loom over me, and I would know: this is the pint that will get me pissed, and I'll start talking rubbish etc.

I think another important step for me was stopping watching telly: it's such an inert activity, getting sinking through a bottle scarcely registers as you slip down the sofa.

In social occasions, stopping from having your glass being topped up helps slow down intake: if your glass is always full, you'll always be at the gulping it down stage, rarely at the sipping politely stage, and never taking a breather.

When arriving at someone else's house, and they offer you a drink, and what you really fancy is a cuppa to get over the journey and settled down, don't be afraid to ask for one. (To avoid making people nervous, you might have to accompany this with a promise to have a proper drink straight afterwards)

This has turned into a list of random hints, hasn't it? Oh well....

Buy a half bottle of wine with a screw cap, and once it's empty keep it clean and in the fridge. When you open a bottle of wine, fill up the half-bottle and put it to one side. When you've exhausted the remainder, you might find yourself not as interested in part two as you were expecting, and it's nicely ready to be put aside for a day or two.

[MFB Scotland]

For years I always had a beer or two early evening before dinner. I decided for 2018 to cut down and reduce my intake.

Had my two drinking nights so fresh orange and lemonade until next Friday.

[Daddelvirks]

Just eat healthy, exercise and enjoy two glasses of red in the evening, it's a combination of things that keep your body healthy.

I don't like fruitjuice (useless anyway, just eat fruit), don''t like fizzy drinks or lemonade, so black coffee, water and buttermilk is all I drink during the day. My half a bottle of red in the late evening is my only guilty pleasure, for the last 25 years :)

[gex23]

I'm with you on this, been drinking a lot, daily for the past couple of years.

My drinking habit tends to be a few bottles of wine, at home, on my own, rather than going out and drinking socially.

It's caused a few unspeakable moments in my life that i'm not proud of, plus ended my previous relationship.

I don't think i'll ever be able to stop drinking outright, but aim to only drink occasionally (and socially rather than on my own).

Hoping we can support each other

[noTAGlove]

Four days off the sauce, coupled with be careful with my food intake over the same period, has already demonstrated effects.

My mini paunch overhanging my belt has noticeably reduced, my tightest slim fit work shirt was not straining at the button this morning, and I’m already 1kg lighter.

I’ve weighed myself at the same time each morning (after a pee!), with very accurate digital scales, so know it’s not just error.

Its quite encouraging the immediate noticeable benefits you get after a substantial reduction in alcohol and cutting the food intake.

[gex23]

Four days off the sauce, coupled with be careful with my food intake over the same period, has already demonstrated effects.

My mini paunch overhanging my belt has noticeably reduced, my tightest slim fit work shirt was not straining at the button this morning, and I’m already 1kg lighter.

I’ve weighed myself at the same time each morning (after a pee!), with very accurate digital scales, so know it’s not just error.

Its quite encouraging the immediate noticeable benefits you get after a substantial reduction in alcohol and cutting the food intake.

Well done on the abstinence and congratulations on seeing results already.

Keep us updated :)

[nick67]

I gave up for 3 months a couple of years ago, the 2 big issues I had were, having gout in my big toe, first time in my life and it hurt like hell, I put this down to drinking pints of fresh orange juice and lemonade, the second was, unlike others I know who just drink for the effect I actually like the taste of beer/wine etc, it was finding other drinks that I didn't get bored of, I didn't want to drink loads of sweet sugary drinks etc.

Well the New Year came around and I thought time to knock it on the head, have been drinking over 2 litres of water a day with copious amounts of tea with the occasional coffee. What has pi$$eed me off is after a week I have gout again in the same toe, not as bad as last time, but still inflamed. On the back of the gout I have been drinking diluted cheery juice which is quite nice.

Does anyone have suggestions for alternative drinks, it would be good if pubs made an effort and didn't charge a fortune for non alcoholic drinks.

Good luck to all those giving up or reducing their intake.