Noah Vinter
Alcohol is high in calories, and drinking can lead to impulsive decisions like unhealthy eating. Studies show that people tend to make poor food choices when drinking alcohol. Alcohol also stops your body from burning fat and increases your hunger. All these factors contribute to weight gain. Therefore, cutting back on alcohol can help reduce your calorie intake and aid in weight loss. Abstaining from alcohol can also improve your metabolism and increase your energy levels, making it easier to engage in physical activity and burn calories. While it may be challenging to quit or cut back on alcohol, doing so can bring numerous health benefits, including weight loss, clearer skin, better sleep, improved mood, and reduced health risks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reasoning | Write down your reasons for cutting out alcohol and keep them in a visible place to boost your motivation |
| Planning | Write down the steps for how you'll cut out alcohol, including the day you'll begin, who you'll tell, and what you'll do if you backtrack |
| Socialising | Avoid drinking rounds, and don't feel pressured to accept a drink just because someone else is buying |
| Alternatives | Try lower-strength drinks, or no/low-alcohol alternatives |
| Budgeting | Take only the exact amount of cash you plan to spend, or set up a spending alert on your card |
| Substitutes | Drink water or low-calorie soda between alcoholic drinks |
| Timing | Wait until you've started eating your evening meal before having your first alcoholic drink |
| Portion size | Alcoholic drinks at bars and restaurants are often larger than standard sizes, so skip a second drink if your first is larger than expected |
| Mindfulness | Sip your drink slowly, putting it down between sips |
| Food | Eat before drinking alcohol, as drinking on an empty stomach can lead to drinking and eating more than intended |
| Cravings | Alcohol can lead to cravings for salty and greasy foods, so have healthy snacks ready when you get home |
| Support | Tell trusted family and friends about your plan to cut out alcohol, and spend time with other non-drinkers |
| Hobbies | Try new hobbies to fill your time, such as joining a gym or learning a new skill |
| Health | Alcohol is high in calories and can cause weight gain, as well as prevent your body from burning fat |
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What You'll Learn
Alcohol is high in calories and can lead to poor food choices
Alcoholic drinks are high in calories, with a 12-ounce beer containing about 150 calories and a 5-ounce glass of wine containing around 100 calories. Mixed drinks can contain as many calories as a meal, but without the nutrients. This can lead to a significant increase in overall calorie intake, which can result in weight gain.
Alcohol also impairs judgement, making it easier to make impulsive decisions and leading to poor food choices. Drinking can increase hunger and cravings for salty, greasy, and unhealthy foods, resulting in snacking or overeating. This can further increase calorie intake and negatively impact weight loss efforts.
To avoid excessive calorie consumption, it is important to limit alcohol consumption and practise mindful drinking. Setting a weekly unit target and sticking to it can help reduce alcohol intake. Drinking slowly and having a non-alcoholic drink between alcoholic beverages can also help control calorie intake. Additionally, having some food before drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol and lead to better food choices.
Reducing alcohol intake can have numerous health benefits, including weight loss, improved energy levels, and reduced risk of serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and liver disease. It is not necessary to completely abstain from alcohol to experience these benefits. Even setting a few drink-free days a week or switching to lower-strength drinks can make a positive impact on health and weight loss goals.
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Set a drink limit and stick to it
Setting a drink limit and sticking to it is a great way to cut down on alcohol consumption. Alcohol is high in calories and can cause weight gain, so limiting your intake can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Firstly, it's important to know how much alcohol you're currently consuming. Try using a drinks calculator or keeping a drinking diary to understand your baseline. Once you have this information, you can set a realistic drink limit that you can stick to. Be mindful that drinking guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. If you're trying to lose weight, you may want to drink less than that.
When setting your limit, consider the days and times you usually drink and the amount and type of drinks you consume. For example, you might decide to have only one drink on weekdays and allow yourself a little more flexibility on the weekends. Or you could choose to have drink-free days during the week. Planning your drinking this way can help you stay within your limits.
Sticking to your drink limit can be challenging, especially in social situations. Here are some strategies to help you:
- Set a budget: Bring only a limited amount of cash or set a spending alert on your card to prevent overspending on drinks.
- Avoid rounds: Rounds can easily lead to drinking more than intended. It's okay to opt-out of rounds and buy your drinks separately.
- Have a non-alcoholic drink first: Before and between alcoholic drinks, have a glass of water or a low-calorie soft drink to slow down your alcohol consumption and make you less likely to drink more than planned.
- Eat before drinking: Drinking on an empty stomach can make you feel tipsier faster, leading to drinking more than intended. Having some food beforehand helps your body absorb alcohol more slowly and makes it easier to stick to your limit.
- Choose lower-strength drinks: Opt for lighter beers (under 4% ABV), white or rosé wines, or no/low-alcohol alternatives.
- Find alternative stress relievers: If you drink to manage stress, try finding alternative activities to relieve it, such as exercise, cleaning, a hobby, or DIY.
- Spend time with non-drinkers: Socialising with non-drinkers or joining sober social groups can provide support and help you stick to your drink limit.
Remember, it's okay to say no to a drink or refuse a top-up. You don't have to give in to peer pressure. By setting a drink limit and sticking to it, you'll be taking a significant step towards achieving your weight loss goals and improving your overall health.
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Drink slowly and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks
Drinking alcohol is often associated with social activities, so if you're trying to cut down, it might be helpful to spend time with other non-drinkers or find sober social groups. You could also take up a new hobby to fill your time, such as joining a gym or learning a new skill.
If you're drinking at home, use a jigger to measure out drinks, and serve them in smaller glasses. This will help you keep track of how much you're drinking and make you feel like you're having more. It's also a good idea to have some food before you start drinking, as this will help your body absorb the alcohol more slowly and make you less likely to make poor food choices later.
When you're out, try to avoid getting involved in rounds, as this can easily lead to drinking more than you intended. Instead, take only the cash you need, or set up a spending alert on your card. If you're drinking at a bar or restaurant, be aware that the serving sizes are often larger than the standard amount, so you may be consuming more than you realise.
To slow down your drinking, try putting your drink down between sips and having a non-alcoholic drink, like water or low-calorie soda, before moving on to another alcoholic drink. This will help you drink less overall and avoid the negative side effects of drinking too much, such as a hangover.
If you're trying to lose weight, cutting back on alcohol is a good way to reduce your calorie intake. Alcohol is high in calories, and mixed drinks can contain as many calories as a meal. By drinking more slowly and alternating with non-alcoholic drinks, you can still enjoy a drink while reducing your overall calorie consumption.
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Choose lower-strength drinks and drink-free days
Alcoholic drinks are often high in calories, and drinking can also lead to poor food choices, so cutting back on alcohol can help with weight loss. Even without going teetotal, you can still benefit from drinking less alcohol by choosing lower-strength drinks and having several drink-free days each week.
Drink-free days are a great way to cut down your alcohol consumption and lose weight. You can use an app such as the NHS Drink Free Days app to set a weekly unit target and stick to it. It's up to you to choose your drink-free days, and you can get practical support to help you stick to your goal. If you go over your limit one week, don't give up—just start again the next week.
If you don't want to have drink-free days, or want to cut down even further, you can choose lower-strength drinks. As a rule of thumb, white and rosé wines are lower in strength than reds, and beers with less than 4% ABV are lighter. You could also try swapping some or all of your drinks for no or low-alcohol alternatives. It might take some time to get used to the taste of lower-strength drinks, but there are many options available.
If you find it hard to cut back, you're not alone. It can be helpful to tell trusted family and friends about your plan to drink less alcohol, so they know not to offer you drinks. You could also try spending time with other non-drinkers, so you can support each other.
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Understand the health benefits of cutting down or quitting
Cutting down on alcohol or quitting altogether can have numerous health benefits. Alcohol is high in calories and can cause weight gain. By cutting it out, you can reduce your overall calorie intake and improve your metabolism, which can lead to weight loss. Additionally, drinking alcohol can lead to impulsive decisions and unhealthy food choices, such as cravings for salty and greasy foods. Quitting alcohol can help reduce these cravings and improve your diet.
Another benefit of reducing alcohol intake is improved sleep quality. Alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns and reduce the amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep you get, which can leave you feeling drowsy and affect your concentration during the day. By cutting down on alcohol, you may find that you sleep better and feel more rested and alert.
Drinking alcohol is also associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. By reducing your alcohol consumption, you may be able to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of these serious health conditions. This is especially important if you are over 40, as the risk of high blood pressure increases with age.
Cutting down on alcohol can also give you clearer skin and a better mood. It can also save you money, as alcohol can be expensive, especially when consumed regularly. Finally, reducing your alcohol intake can help improve your relationships and social life. Drinking is often the focus of social activities, and if you're trying to cut down, it might be helpful to try new hobbies, join a gym, or find sober social groups to support your lifestyle change.
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Frequently asked questions
Alcohol is high in calories and can cause weight gain. It stops your body from burning fat, increases your hunger and can lead to cravings for unhealthy, salty and greasy foods.
Write down your motivation for cutting out alcohol and keep it somewhere visible. Set a weekly unit target and use an app to monitor your intake. You could also set a budget for alcohol and only take that amount of cash with you when you go out.
Try new hobbies to fill your time, such as joining a gym or learning a new skill. You could also spend time with other non-drinkers or volunteer to be the designated driver when you go out.
Aside from weight loss, you may experience clearer skin, better sleep and an improved mood. You will also reduce your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and some cancers.
