3 weeks without alcohol

Burger2066
Burger2066 Posts: 126 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know for a lot of people, 3 weeks without a drink isn't a big deal. And I am not writing this saying that it is a big deal. I just wanted to put my thoughts into written word.
I was drinking 1 or 2 drinks a night and then Friday/Saturday I'd have 3 or 4. So I wasn't getting hammered regularly or anything like that. And when I say drinks, I mean 1 drink = 1 shot and a mixer (usually Jack and Coke).
I am 22+ days since my last drink (including no soda over that time), and I definitely feel some changes. My energy levels in the mornings are better, most likely because I am sleeping better. My belly fat has dropped (the abs pic in my profile is from the day of my last drink, so things look better now). I used to get headaches with ringing in my ears. My doctors said it was from a few concussions I had playing hockey, and since there was no other signs of long-term damage, it was just something I was going to have to live with. I haven't had a headache like that in over 2 weeks. The longest I went prior to that was 48 hours. It could be a coincidence, but that is something I am keeping an eye on as I go forward. I always drink a lot of water when I am at work, but now I am drinking even more water per day, usually hitting the 1.5 gallon mark.
Overall it seems to be making a significant impact for me. I told myself I'd give it 3 weeks and see what I thought...there are my thoughts. I'm going to keep going with it.
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Replies

  • YeaYeaPueblo
    YeaYeaPueblo Posts: 68 Member
    Kudos! It's not easy cutting back, I know the feeling. I'm coming off a vey wine-heavy vacation, and definitely need to follow suit.

    Then there are those days (like when my kids hell raise) that I want to fill up with wine instead of refocusing on filling up a less destructive way.

    Keep up the good work!
  • jaycich
    jaycich Posts: 44 Member
    Congratulations! I've been drinking a 6 a day. Last night I stopped at 2 and today will be 0. It's hard man!
  • mpat81
    mpat81 Posts: 353 Member
    I abstained from alcohol the whole month of January, I indulged too much over the holidays and wanted to get back on a healthy path. I really didn't miss it that much, barely thought about it at all after the first week.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Good on you! Glad it feels good. I've given up alcohol for Lent a couple times. What I noticed was I felt low energy on my morning runs. The wine calories & carbs were palpably missing. Makes sense that you have more energy if you're sleeping better, though.
  • finneyjason218
    finneyjason218 Posts: 166 Member
    Good for you! It's great that you are feeling better, but please don't swear off the stuff entirely - people who don't drink are weird.
  • molepigeon
    molepigeon Posts: 22 Member
    Good work! I did dry January and still haven't had any alcohol. I like feeling fresh in the morning. My diet has improved, no hangover induced fry ups. Not missing it at all! Its nice to have a break but don't think I could do it permanently.
  • abbietaylor1
    abbietaylor1 Posts: 31 Member
    Well done! I am just at the beginning of a (hopefully) 3 week dry spell. My regular drinking patterns are not dissimilar to yours except I probably drink slightly more 1 night a week but have 2/3 dry days. Any tips would be gratefully received (I am dreading Friday night!)
  • molepigeon
    molepigeon Posts: 22 Member
    I found not going out helped! Good luck in the pub!
    I did go to a cheese and wine night a few weeks ago and brought my own grape beverage. It was made easier as quite a few others weren't drinking either. Find a nice non-alcoholic drink to have and stick with that.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    Congrats!!! B/c i'm pregnant I haven't had a drink since the beginning of August. The only thing I miss is the occassional dark beer. it is amazing how good you feel when you don't drink!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Nice! I cut out the alcohol because it always derailed my fitness goals. Drunk munchies, anyone? I'm at 33 days, and plan to abstain until I go on vacation in July.
  • Burger2066
    Burger2066 Posts: 126 Member
    abbietaylor1 wrote: »
    Well done! I am just at the beginning of a (hopefully) 3 week dry spell. My regular drinking patterns are not dissimilar to yours except I probably drink slightly more 1 night a week but have 2/3 dry days. Any tips would be gratefully received (I am dreading Friday night!)

    Honestly, I just carry a shaker bottle around with me full of water. I haven't gone out the last couple of weeks, we've just had people over at my house. So it has been easy. I'll be tested this weekend when I go out and then I have a work trip in a couple of weeks where people drink heavy. So I'm going to have to figure something out for that. I've heard people get Sprite or soda water with a lime and people think they're drinking. Haha. My biggest issue will be people shoving drinks at me, I won't be tempted to order any. And I'm not shy about saying I don't want to drink. My friends are pretty cool and won't shove drinks at me, but the people on the work trip will.

  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    Good job! It's not easy! I've largely cut it out. I'm usually only a weekend drinker but have a little too much and tend to eat when I'm drinking too. It feels great to cut back. I've made so much more progress on my workouts the past month or two since I've not been undoing the hard work on the weekend.

    Keep it up!
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    Anyone struggling with alcohol, weather extreme or just wanting to moderate more, should check out Hello Sunday Morning. It's an anonymous online community dedicated to the topic.
  • toe1226
    toe1226 Posts: 249 Member
    I am at 36 days! I feel awesome. There has been beer sitting in my fridge forever now and I worry it will go bad, but have decided that's not a good enough reason to drink! I'll have a sip sometime soon, but I'm feelin all the good feels you're feelin and it will take a special occasion to bring me back! :) cheers! *lifts glass of fizzy water*
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    edited February 2016
    3 weeks without alcohol IS a BIG deal. I don't normally drink during the week. But weekends I can easily drink 2 bottles of wine in one sitting. It is nice not waking up with a hangover, not being bloated and sleeping the day away.

    Congrats to you!
  • Lextmg86
    Lextmg86 Posts: 102 Member
    I did dry January successfully and still have not had a drink of anything since completing the challenge. Willpower!!
  • inglysh731
    inglysh731 Posts: 42 Member
    Good Job. I did a nearly dry Jan - brought on by weight loss motivations. I wasn't super motivated to cut it out entirely as much as I was looking for a reduction. It was an easy way to cut out 1600 calories a week and accounts for nearly 2 pounds of my weight loss. Never looked at it that way until I started counting.
  • Eleanor_82
    Eleanor_82 Posts: 57 Member
    Good effort! I've just finished Dry January and the differences were really noticeable in terms of weight loss (from drunk munchies more than drink calories themselves) and the energy I had in the morning. For anyone about to start on such a break but wanting to stay social I'd recommend drinking tonic/ diet tonic because it almost tricked me into thinking it was a proper G&T or alcohol-free beer. There's a fair bit of pressure/ expectations to drink from my mostly British friends but these options made going booze-free almost unnoticeable.
  • LSUPHI
    LSUPHI Posts: 6 Member
    Good Job, I have always enjoyed drinks from time to time. It was not unusual to get down on my days off, and then feel like crap, wasting the next day. I recently moved to Alaska and besides the higher prices for booze and having to drive 40 miles to the store, I intended to change my lifestyle for good. Working out, eating healthy, less and dropping the booze, not completely but significantly. Words can not express how much better I feel, how much more stuff I get done, the money I save and being a role model to my kids. The wife also has embraced this any we have lost a total of 40 lbs between us and we enjoy being outdoors all the time now that we are not hiding from the sun. Keep on Keepin on bro.
  • perdygreeneyes
    perdygreeneyes Posts: 25 Member
    Congrats to you!!! Since I started MFP and really dieting which has been almost 2 weeks I've been alcohol free. Bud light was my choice. Over a year ago I had gained a massive amount of weight and a lot of stomach problems. I just had endoscopy done the first of this month and my esophagus and upper stomach very red and inflamed !!!! Also bloating, looking 9 months pregnant! I am 32 and have drink since I was 18, very heavy at times and went a year drinking every other day, 16-24 beers!!!! Yeah!!! My stomach has gone down tremendously!!! It feels great not waking up and having a hangover . I was also drinking Mt. Dew all day long. There was always a can or some in ice setting on counter at all times!!!! I am now drinking anywhere from 10-16 cups of water and I may have 1 Mt dew a day just to keep from getting headaches from withdrawal. I really really messed my body up at on 32 years of age! I now have to take 80 mgs of omeprazole due to my gut being on fire and acid reflux! If this hasn't been enough to make me quit, then I don't know what will! Good luck to you! I know the struggle!
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Good job! I know that there is a lot of talk here about "what toxins" when people mention doing food detoxes, but there are a lot of toxins in things we eat and drink and one of the most toxic is alcohol. That's why it dehydrates us, our body takes a lot of water to flush out the toxins. And why too much can land you in the hospital or puking or laid up the next day. So any sort of removal or lessening or break from toxins in our diet is good. Yes, our liver and kidneys remove it but why burn the candle at both ends? They also get damaged from too much over time.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    WalkingAlong wrote: »
    Good job! I know that there is a lot of talk here about "what toxins" when people mention doing food detoxes, but there are a lot of toxins in things we eat and drink and one of the most toxic is alcohol. That's why it dehydrates us, our body takes a lot of water to flush out the toxins. And why too much can land you in the hospital or puking or laid up the next day. So any sort of removal or lessening or break from toxins in our diet is good. Yes, our liver and kidneys remove it but why burn the candle at both ends? They also get damaged from too much over time.

    Sigh, no. Alcohol affects the amount of ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) produced, which in turn leads to more water leaving the body (as urine) than would otherwise. It has nothing to do with "toxins".
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    Burger2066 wrote: »
    I know for a lot of people, 3 weeks without a drink isn't a big deal. And I am not writing this saying that it is a big deal. I just wanted to put my thoughts into written word.
    I was drinking 1 or 2 drinks a night and then Friday/Saturday I'd have 3 or 4. So I wasn't getting hammered regularly or anything like that. And when I say drinks, I mean 1 drink = 1 shot and a mixer (usually Jack and Coke).
    I am 22+ days since my last drink (including no soda over that time), and I definitely feel some changes.

    ...

    Overall it seems to be making a significant impact for me. I told myself I'd give it 3 weeks and see what I thought...there are my thoughts. I'm going to keep going with it.

    Well when you have been drinking that much, I think 3 weeks without is DEFINITELY a big deal! Awesome job! I might have 1 or 2 drinks every few months. Just not an important part of my life, and hasn't been for many many years. I'd rather spend my calories on FOOD! :)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    ClosetBayesian wrote: »
    WalkingAlong wrote: »
    Good job! I know that there is a lot of talk here about "what toxins" when people mention doing food detoxes, but there are a lot of toxins in things we eat and drink and one of the most toxic is alcohol. That's why it dehydrates us, our body takes a lot of water to flush out the toxins. And why too much can land you in the hospital or puking or laid up the next day. So any sort of removal or lessening or break from toxins in our diet is good. Yes, our liver and kidneys remove it but why burn the candle at both ends? They also get damaged from too much over time.

    Sigh, no. Alcohol affects the amount of ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) produced, which in turn leads to more water leaving the body (as urine) than would otherwise. It has nothing to do with "toxins".

    You're right. And no need to sigh, professor. ;) But toxins in the breakdown of alcohol are what damage liver and brain cells.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Congratulations! I'm giving up drinking for a bit. I'm only on day 4 of no drinking and I still don't feel more awake in the mornings so I hope that day comes soon.

  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    Burger2066 wrote: »
    I know for a lot of people, 3 weeks without a drink isn't a big deal. And I am not writing this saying that it is a big deal. I just wanted to put my thoughts into written word.
    I was drinking 1 or 2 drinks a night and then Friday/Saturday I'd have 3 or 4. So I wasn't getting hammered regularly or anything like that. And when I say drinks, I mean 1 drink = 1 shot and a mixer (usually Jack and Coke).
    I am 22+ days since my last drink (including no soda over that time), and I definitely feel some changes. My energy levels in the mornings are better, most likely because I am sleeping better. My belly fat has dropped (the abs pic in my profile is from the day of my last drink, so things look better now). I used to get headaches with ringing in my ears. My doctors said it was from a few concussions I had playing hockey, and since there was no other signs of long-term damage, it was just something I was going to have to live with. I haven't had a headache like that in over 2 weeks. The longest I went prior to that was 48 hours. It could be a coincidence, but that is something I am keeping an eye on as I go forward. I always drink a lot of water when I am at work, but now I am drinking even more water per day, usually hitting the 1.5 gallon mark.
    Overall it seems to be making a significant impact for me. I told myself I'd give it 3 weeks and see what I thought...there are my thoughts. I'm going to keep going with it.

    Congrats! I dunno how you do it! I'm not a heavy drinker, but man oh man do I look forward to having a drink over the weekend. I never even log them because I know how terrible and calorie-filled they must be. I think you just inspired me to stop!
  • trishfit2014
    trishfit2014 Posts: 304 Member
    I did the dry January thing as well and giving thought to how I will drink in the future. I have not drank so far in February.
  • jmt08c
    jmt08c Posts: 343 Member
    My drinking habit was almost identical to yours and I've done the same thing for the most part. Biggest difference I see is that my abs are now much more visible and I'm finding that I need to eat an extra 400-500 calories in carbs/day just to keep my energy levels up.
  • Burger2066
    Burger2066 Posts: 126 Member
    Thanks everyone. Still haven't had a drink, 25+ days. And it is still paying off. I feel a lot better than I did a month ago. And I'm seeing a big difference in the mirror too (1 year progress pic in my profile from this week).
    I've been able to have fun with friends and family without drinking too...imagine that. Hahaha.
  • Burger2066
    Burger2066 Posts: 126 Member
    peaceout_aly wrote: »
    Congrats! I dunno how you do it! I'm not a heavy drinker, but man oh man do I look forward to having a drink over the weekend. I never even log them because I know how terrible and calorie-filled they must be. I think you just inspired me to stop!
    That's awesome, I wasn't thinking I would inspire anyone else with this post, but this is great!

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