If you were a binge drinker and gave up drinking, do you actually feel any different?

[Sisisimone]

I'm 50 and have been a reasonably heavy drinker my whole life. I work in a profession where networking and therefore drinking is the norm. Me and DH both like to socialise so have always gone out and drunk a lot. As I've got older though the hangovers have got worse and after spending most of the day in bed after a party at the end of August I decided to stop.

This has been fine. I'm happy winding down with a couple of 0% beers and am enjoying being able to drive everywhere and not wait round for taxis. Im pretty fit and healthy anyway but think that I imagined I would feel some health benefits, even if just better sleep or losng a few pounds but I feel exactly the same. I guess I was under the misguided assumption I'd start to feel like a 19 year old again. Ive read so many things from people now sober about how amazing they feel or how much weight they'd lost but it's not really made a difference to me.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience or whether it takes longer for any benefits to kick in?

Me too. It's nice not having hangovers but in general I feel the same really. Had hoped for something more radical.

It took around 3 months. I expected to instantly feel amazing but for the longest time I didn’t sleep well and so I still didn’t feel great.

One day I looked in the mirror and my skin looked AMAZING. I hadn’t realised I’d looked so grey when drinking. The weight loss didn’t happen instantly because I found I was replacing the sugar from all the wine I wasn’t drinking with family sized bars of chocolate. I then tracked my calories and have now lost 3 stone.

Not drinking has been life -and finance- changing. I feel sick at all the money I was spending on wine each week. I am so much better off now. Fitter, healthier, slimmer & richer.

Me!

I would binge drink every weekend.

Now I have some wine with dinner occasionally, or a couple of drinks on social occasions (not very often). Overall I probably drink the equivalent of a bottle of wine a month on average in total.

I feel so much better! No hangovers. Less anxiety/mood swings/fatigue.

Enjoy Saturday mornings now. And it helped me lose 50lbs this year.

I didn't notice it all at once but there's definitely a link between how my mental health is now Vs when I would drink a lot. It's so much better now.

Thanks for this. I'm glad it takes a while to see effects, I'll hang on in there. And yes I think there has been an element of over-compensating with food so that could be why I haven't seen any weight loss.

It took six months for me to see any real improvements in sleep, skin, weight etc, which kind of explained to me why I had always found Dry January pointless. Hang in there

Richer, for a start. And thinner.

I feel sick at all the money I was spending on wine each week

I have never dared work it out over time but it's a lot 😭

I did feel much better especially in the mornings. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel fresh when I woke up.

I wouldn’t say I felt richer, slimmer or richer however.

Just a clearer head and got more done on weekends.

Now I don’t miss it at all or crave it which I used to.

Fitter I meant there.

So different.

Most of my anxiety has gone. My self esteem is much higher. I've always had good skin but it looks much better.

I think it depends on other lifestyle factors too. I'm only on day 54 and whilst I wouldn't say I look or feel incredible, there is a noticeable difference and I imagine it will keep getting better. I eat mostly WFPB though and when we recently moved house and ate takeaways and sugary crap for a few days I felt a bit bleh. I was a heavy and frequent drinker previously.