I should be feeling amazing. Why don’t I? And how unreasonable is it to expect to?

[SomethingNarstyInTheWoodshed]

For many years I have drunk too much. Not buckets full. Just a good couple of glasses of red most evenings.

Since Christmas I haven’t. I’ve had 3 occasions when I have had a couple of small glasses.

I’ve also eaten far more vegetables and less crap.

1. Why do I not look better? I still look tired, haggard and shit.

1. Why do I not feel better? I still feel shit in the mornings. I’m not sleeping better. I’m sluggish, forgetful and still unhinged.

1. Why am I not thin? After an initial half stone loss nothing. I though alcohol was all liquid sugar and empty calories. Still fat.

Would it be unreasonable to say fuckit and enjoy half a bottle of delicious red wine most evenings?

Well done ! I have done the same as you pretty much . I do feel better for it but - as I am not numbing myself with with wine I am
Going to bed later - so less sleep ironically

Are you eating less ? My hard lessons has been to cut portions and even tonight I ate too large dinner
Are you hydrating ? It’s really hard this tome of year but try to chug down the pint glasses of water
Have you treated yourself to some new moisturisers and face care ? You should . It doesn’t have to cost a fortune
Are you exercising ?

Hang on in there op . You are investing into having a much easier old age. And you can have wine at the weekend

I am also 44
I basically shat myself when I realised I have to work for another 23 fucking years .

Re smoking / gave up last easter and this is my first ever chest infection free winter . So it does do something 🌈🌈🌈

Have you had your thyroid checked?
I'm with you on this. Gone veggie, given up drink, low sugar, low carb, still feel like a side of beef in a dress... It's my thyroid and vitamin d deficient apparently. Hugely depressing but get everything checked so you know what you're up against

A couple of large glasses of wine each night probably was actually affecting your liver, as well as potentially increasing your risk of several different types of dementia and cancers.

It might take a while for the benefits of stopping to become evident BUT it's definitely worth it.

I gave up booze for stoptober last year. Bunch of arse. Had a couple of deliriously happy days early on, then just felt exactly the same. Didn't lose a single pound either. Yay.

Don't give up though - alcohol is really bad for you so your body IS thrilled with this recent development, honest! There are loads of sober bloggers - maybe read some of them? I'm sure a 2/3 month slump and feeling "is this it??" is normal after every big change.

I did sober October. I took a selfie every Sunday so I could see the improvement. I looked worse every week

Omg did I post that and not remember? It must be me!! Worry not my fellow warrior! I gave up drinking and all my friends were shocked at how shite I looked😳there’s nothing wrong with a little glass of red of an evening...........enjoy😉

4 litres of water a day is too much. 2 is fine. Too much water can be dangerous. Don't take health advice from MN!

Yes op it’s a big old pile of crapola. Uncork that red.
I’m on my third big glass of white .
And I’m fat and look like shite

I felt like this last August. I'd done 4 solid weeks of super healthy eating, minimal booze, exercise and enough water but despite some weight loss I looked and felt dreadful when by rights I should have felt amazing. Blood tests turned up hypothyroidism as well as Vitamin D, iron and magnesium deficiencies. Happy to say that with some supplements and thyroid medication I'm 17 kg lighter and feeling good... So YANBU, but get some blood tests in case...

Try drinking 4 litres a day of water, will help with everything.

Just makes me have to get up in the night to pee for what feels like ever. That is the only noticeable effect of increasing water consumption for me.

OP - you are doing the right thing for your body in the long term - just think if all those wee brain cell and synapses you are helping keep functioning into your old age.

Go and see your GP! There are lots of reasons you could be feeling like this: low Thyroid, low vitamin D, Anaemia, low B12...
It's worth getting yourself checked out.

I am also 44 blush
I basically shat myself when I realised I have to work for another 23 fucking years

For some reason, this made me laugh so much. 🤣

I’m 44, only drink at weekends, not overweight, work out hard about 10 hours per week, eat well. I practically cry about getting out of bed every morning and am tired as fuck. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I feel like death warmed up EVERY single morning, especially this time of year!

At 46 I have cut back on drinking and upped the exercise, I feel and look better.... but not first thing in the morning

Could you go back to drinking 1 small glass in an evening instead of 2 large ones or is it all or nothing? I think a maintenance diet could include some red wine as long as you can limit yourself.
FWIW I'm 35 and overweight and I really struggle in the mornings, everything aches and it takes me a long time to come round. I also feel like rubbish when I'm dieting but I need to lose weight so I am trying to but the bullet at the moment and be really strict about calories but it's really affecting my mood and energy levels.

Everyone who is tired - please go and see your GP. If it is Thyroid, you will feel so much better after taking those little pills.
I don't feel perfect but do know just how much better life is with the pills. My whole body was basically shutting down before.

Beka, I know from experience I will start feeling better once I have had a tiny bit of sun on my skin.

Don't know if it is psychological or Vitamin D, or SAD, but I always feel and look worst in February

Once I can feel the warmth of the sun every now and then (even just through my clothes. I am not a sunbather, I am talking about 14C or higher ) I become a morning person.

Am very outdoorsy, just feeling pinched and fed up with cold now

The time of year really doesn't help. Stick with it for another month. And yes, consider blood tests.

It’s the end of a looong winter . That said I am enjoying not having sweaty armpits (I suffer terrible ) and having fairly normal hair in the morning

Every cloud 🌈

Are getting enough sleep?

I have to be up at 6am most days, if I have late nights (10.30pm on wards) I feel like shit, am sluggish, and hungry all day.
To make sure I can sleep I stop drinking coffee before the afternoon.

When I do get enough sleep I wake naturally 5.30am and feel good and almost excited about the day ahead

As others have said though, best get some blood test too.

Oh, I’m only tired in the mornings! Just a terrible, terrible morning person. (Well, before 7am, anyway.)

I don’t even have the weather excuse - I’m in Australia, it’s 37 degrees Celsius here today.

Also the last time you remeber feeling brilliant in the mornings, you were probably about nine. You're a grown up now, all grown ups feel like shit before 9.30am

So true. I’m working less. Getting at least 7 hours sleep a night. Doing lots more exercise but not crazy amounts.

I do not spring out of bed with a smile.

I'm 44 too (today actually). Hardly drank in January and didn't lose a 1lb from it. Also, and on great thyroid meds (NDT) - no weight loss.

What's made the biggest difference to how I look in the morning? Skin care every night (cleanse, acid, serum, moisturise) and sleeping on my back.

I'm in two minds here. I gave up sugar and alcohol and started exercising a year and a half ago - I still feel pretty bleeurgh but I'm nearly 49, that's the peri-menopause for you. God knows how I'd feel if I hadn't made the changes. I'm definitely thinner.

On the other hand, my parents both died in their 50s - my dad was a squash-playing, half marathon-running, non-smoking/drinking health freak. I sometimes wonder if I'm wasting my time with self-denial and should be chugging chocolate cake and champers all day long.

I feel better reading this! I always feel rough in the morning and don’t even drink any more.

I do think alcohol affects people differently. If I so much as look at a glass of wine I wake up with a headache whereas I know three people who drink a bottle of wine every night and they don’t seem to suffer any side effects whatsoever. They are all fit and active and get a lot of enjoyment out of it.