I gave up booze for January. Here's why I won't be rushing to start drinking again

Like a lot of people, I resolved to drink less alcohol and started the year by cutting it out completely. I had a couple of beers towards the end of the month but only ever one or two.

This weekend I had four beers (I know right, I am out of control🤣) and it completely derailed my exercise and eating routine for about 72 hours.

Here is why booze is not going to be a big part of my life anymore.

1. Direct Calories. There's a couple of hundred calories in a beer and who ever sticks to one? Before you know it you've racked up the same calories as a substantial meal and, guess what, you're hungrier than when you started. Which leads me on to...

2. Indirect Calories. Nothing healthy goes well with booze. Salt, fat, carbs, all the dirty snacks come out while I watch the game and sink a few beers. I tried focusing on protein snacks (basically meat) but even that means a lot of fat and salt. It's not just limited to 'during' either, I eat total rubbish the next day and sometimes that leads to a week-long train wreck. I crave bad food and can't be bothered to cook because...

3. Energy levels. I sleep badly when I drink so I wake up feeling crap. I suspect this is partly because it makes me snore which wakes me up. I have to get up to pee and I tend to eat heavily and late which I reckon makes me restless as I digest that food. I am a huge believer in the value of quality sleep when it comes to weight loss and wellness. Even one interuption overnight can impact the next day, making me less likely to exercise or cook properly and...

4. Mental health. Alcohol itself makes me anxious, lack of sleep makes me grumpy and crap food makes me lethargic. Then I drop out of my routine and that makes me feel guilty and depressed. Very quickly, it's a spiral. I believe weight loss is well over 50% mental and if you can't "get your feet under you" in this area, everything else is so much harder.

So, there it is. I am not going dry but I am going to swerve any booze on week nights and limit myself to 2 beers on the weekend. I am also going to move those beers to the afternoon rather than the evening in the hope that this limits the impact on my sleep patterns. I am also going to insert a big block of exercise on the morning of a drinking day so that (hopefully) I have enough endorphins and natural fatigue in my system to get some sleep that night.

Hope there is something here that helps you!

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