How can I be in the top 5% of drinkers at 20 units a week?!

[Pooshy]

I've been tracking how much alcohol I drink since the start of the year in an effort to cut down

It's working and I think I probably drink about half as much as I used to, around 20 units a week on average. Still over the women's recommended limit of 14, but this is better than I was

However the app I'm using says I'm in the top 5% of drinker so that means only 5 people out of 100 drink more than me

Surely that can't be right... how many unit do you drink a week usually?

20 units is 2 standard bottles of red wine.

If a patient told me this I would not be concerned unless they were otherwise unwell.

I don't know any doctors who would see 20 units as concerning.

Sure- a bit less would be better and healthier. But no, 20 units is not a huge issue in itself.

I barely drink 5 units a month! Often none at all! I just don't get much enjoyment from drinking at home and I don't go out drinking ever really as me and my friends all have young DC now to be home for.

1 or 2 but mostly a cost thing as to why
I drink more during footy season

I'd rather eat my calories, just personal preference.

totally agree.

I'd also hate to have that feeling of falling into bed and watching the ceiling spin around and I'd never want a hangover again. Don't know how I put up with it for so many years.

About 4.5 bottles a week here. I gave up when pregnant, and cut down massively when dieting but on a normal week - 4/5 bottles!

I should caveat that I used to drink far more .. hence my screen name!

20 units is 2 bottles of wine. I drink that every second or third week though one bottle a week is much more usual.
The app can only know what people using the app drink surely? By definition that’s people trying to cut down. Probably trying to stick to max 14 units if female.

I rarely drink. I haven’t had more than two units in one week since 2012 I don’t think. Aren’t you permenantly mildly pissed on 20 units a week (I’m assuming that this is steady drinking rather than binging).

I love an app that tracks drinking.

I’ve not had a drink in 62 days and it’s the best I’ve ever felt, I was a bottle of wine a night boozer and I knew I had to stop.

I’m not going to be a twat and judge others boozing , we’re all adults making informed decisions when we choose to drink.

I don’t drink unless I am going out socially - was at a 40th on Friday and drank around 15 units but I probably won’t drink again until I go on holiday at Easter. I can take it or leave it to be honest and as I get older it makes my sleep so bad, it puts me off drinking. I think out of my friends I am definitely a much lighter drinker, as DH and I tend drink on social occasions or holidays and not all the time - DH gets regularly drink/drug tested at work so it’s often easier not to bother.

None, I don’t drink at all. It seems to be age dependent from what I have observed around here in my village; I find a lot of people my mums age (in their 50’s) drink wine through the week or spirits on a weekend. However, I know a lot of people my age (late 20’s) that don’t drink alcohol at all. I’m not against it, I just don’t feel the need to drink alcohol when water or juice will be healthier and cheaper

Most people I know enough to talk to about drinking actitvites drink 20 + units per week

20 units is quite a lot
2 bottles of wine or half a bottle of vodka
Most people I know drink a glass or two once a twice a week

At the moment I drink about 4 week - I have a small glass or two every other night but I do lots of dry months - Dry January, Lent and Sober October to give my liver a break.

Try having a few alcohol free nights each week. Just get some alcohol free wine or beer in, or some good soft drinks and lots of tea and fruit teas. If you find it tough to get through an evening then it's a sign to cut down more. There ar esome very friendly threads on MN to keep you going.

2 bottles a week = the top 5%? Really? Blimey. Who knew!!

Top 5% of the drinking population, or 5% of the overall population, I wonder. Huge difference.

Zero. I never have had a drink and never will either. A family of alcoholics does that to you!

I’d say I drink maybe a bottle of wine every 10 days or so. Only drink on Fridays or Saturdays and not every weekend. So I don’t drink steadily and in moderation. It’s either none 90% of the days or a whole bottle on the other 10%.

None - I only drink on special occasions and even then I don't drink much.
However I know a lot of people who do drink at least 20 units a week. I don't believe that 5% thing.
I am the only one of my friends and family who doesn't drink at all.
I think the app lies so that people don't think 20% of people drink more than me so it isn't that bad. Maybe it's meant to "encourage" you to cut back even more.

I hate the Drink Less app!! I hate the way the sanctimonious twat reminds every morning to fill it in and obvs it turns red and tells me how bad I am! Now I just ignore it and am now going to delete it!!

My husband swears by it and it has turned him into a boring fart!! He tracks every mouthful.

I'm a 20+ a week but obvs some weeks are better than others.

I am in top 5%, I've never won anything so good progress.

I have a 0 birthday this month so it's not going to change in March!!

Remember you're not in the top 5% of alcohol drinkers but in the top 5% of the adult population for alcohol consumption. Two different things.

In my own experience 20 units pw is very high. I would be 2-3 units per month if averaged across the year.. I had a small glass of wine last week but that was my first since Christmas. Over Christmas I had one glass of wine with Christmas dinner and a small cold beer when out. Before that, last drink would probably have been last summer and so on. It''s just a very occasionsl treat, usually I am driving or have responsibility for children so don't even think of it. Lots of people like me mean people like you are ranked much higher on the scale.

I have about 3 units every month or so. I don't drink weekly.

I barely drink at all, but I really don't think 20 units a week shows dependency. That might be 3 week night dinners with a single 175ml glass of wine (525 ml out of 1500ml), plus two evenings where you drink say 3 glasses like that.

Or maybe you have one boozy dinner party (bottle of wine) plus 2 small glasses (half a bottle).

Or you go to the pub on a Friday and drink 3 pints (7-8 units). You have 2 glasses of wine Saturday evening (half a bottle, 5 units), and then 3 pints over the remaining 5 days in the week.

Or you have a double g and t when you get home from work Friday (2), and then 3 glasses of wine with dinner (+6 = 8). You have a Saturday night in, with just a couple of beers while visiting the sport is on (+4 = 12), and then go out for Sunday lunch (+4 = 16). You have two more glasses of wine over the rest of the week (+4 = 20).

Not healthy necessarily, but not indicating alcohol dependence by any means. More likely just an ingrained habit combined with friendship groups that tend to go out for dinner or meet in a pub. Plus food and wine taste nice together.

None. I'm TT

Curious to know how those who drink 4-5 bottles a week or maybe more manage at work or driving etc? Assuming you are working, putting kids to bed etc (and that’s a big assumption as not everyone on MN has kids), and you have to get up the next day that could easily be a bottle of wine in what 3-4 hours every other day consistently week in and week out. And more on some weeks. Isn’t that a lot? And back to my original question- how do you (and I mean genuinely not sarcastically) manage a full day of work, chores, kids, drink a bottle and still manage to function the next day? I genuinely wouldn’t be able to.