To ask how much you drink in a week?

[Ballsygal]

I used to not drink at all but once I had my DD I started having half a glass of wine in the evening after I put her down. Over the years (she’s 10 now) that has increased. I’d now say that I drink at least two glasses of wine every night and at weekends an extra couple of beers / a cocktail. Is that a lot? What do you drink?

I don't drink for weeks at a time, I can't afford it when I'm avoiding using the heating as it is. I drink two or three bottles of cider over a weekend when visiting family who buy it in for me.

I’ve had half opened bottles of wine in my fridge for months sometimes. I always think, I should drink that or throw it away. I eventually end up using it in cooking. What I don’t crave in alcohol I make up for in chocolate though, I am definitely a chocoholic and I need to cut that down.

Oh that sounds awful.

Fifteen years ago I would drink up to four bottles of wine a day. Now I don't think about it but I do find these threads interesting. What's fine for one person isn't fine for another - drinking is a problem in the way you drink, as much as the quantity. And my liver was appalling, but is fine now.

That's interesting. Can you elaborate on the different ways of drinking?

I don't usually drink Sunday - Weds.
usually have a glass Thurs pm.
Then a couple of glasses Fri & Sat.
So I guess about a bottle a week.
Sometimes, if there's a party I'll drink a bit more. But that's not every week.

I very rarely drink. My last drink was in May, I actually don't like alcohol and I feel tipsy on a pint of bitter shandy.

I have a health condition which is exacerbated by alcohol, so the choice is easy, drink and be in agony or stay sober. I'm glad I've got it tbh, I was a Friday night binge drinker and it was ruining the whole weekend into Monday and my anxiety was much worse.

Tia Maria is about 20%
How much do you drink?

I drink a couple of times a year.

You drink too much, and will eventually have the health consequences.

I'd make sure you're getting thiamine and the vitamin B's in your diet.

I don't drink unless I am out out. Generally once every couple of months depending on what is going on.

This 125ml stopper thing sounds really interesting - do you have a link/name please?

I've tried to Google it but I'm not getting anything so I must be searching for the wrong thing.

It's okay with a couple of jumpers. House is well insulated and currently sitting at 15 or 16, it will be heated to the same in the evening as the temperature drops. Ideally I'd prefer it at 18. Extra money would go on heating or the weekly food shop, not drink.

I drink Nothing , just the very odd occasion if you might have a drink or two.

And yes I personally think that's a lot

I try to only drink at the weekends (she says, glugging a glass of red!). I won't drink tomorrow though, I stick to two days a week. 3 bottles a week does sound a lot

Don’t drink on week days because I work and need a clear head. I share a bottle of wine and a beer with my DP when he comes over at the weekend. Can’t have alcohol in the house when I’m on my own because I’d drink it all.

I think it’s important to take a few days off. I think that’s all you need to do to get it to healthier levels.

There’s no evidence that teetotalers are healthier than moderate drinkers or live longer (quite the opposite). So then it comes down to whether you have a healthy relationship with alcohol. If you can stop after one or two drinks then that is good. Just have a few days (preferably 3) alcohol free.

The units per week are an arbitrary number not based on science and they vary toil country to country so clearly there’s no consensus (evidence).

I aim to have 3 days off in a row then drink a few glasses of wine the other nights. More if I’m out socialising but I like a bit of Bon viveur and life is short…

Agree with the observation that there are lots of overweight people who eat crap and don’t exercise but then think that because they don’t drink they are healthier. Not so. I eat healthily, run 5 times a week - it’s all about balance.

I probably drink half a bottle of wine on each of friday and saturday and a glass on sunday. If I had a boozy friday or saturday night out I generally don't feel like anything the next night.

Sometimes, like tonight, I will have a glass on a thursday night.

I'm generally happy with the amount (usually total of 1.5 ish bottles a week) and frequency which is 3 maybe 4 days.

That's an awful lot. I barely drink at all, a couple of glasses at most 3-4 times a year.
I would knock it on the head op.

Does anyone know how many units a large wine is? I never know if I have recommended weekly amount as just don't get the 'units' calculation.

You see, the govt tried to make things simple and they ended up making it too simple to be any use.

A unit is 10ml of pure alcohol but they don’t tell you that, they just give you woffle about “a large glass of wine” or “a pint of standard lager”.

It's not helpful to say something like “a bottle of wine is 9 units” because wine varies so much in strength. Light white wine might only be 10% whereas one of those big Australian reds can be 16%.

It’s actually quite easy to calculate units, all you need to do is multiply the amount you’re drinking by the strength of it.

Suppose you drink a litre of Yellow Tail Shiraz, which is 13.5% (not recommended but it makes the sums simpler). 13.5% of the litre (1000ml) is alcohol so you've had 135ml of alcohol. Divide by 10 (as a unit is 10ml) and you’ve had 13.5 units. Ooof! I said it wasn't recommended.

If you’re more sensible and drink 175ml of it, that's
0.175 x 13.5 = 2.36 units
A bottle: 0.75 x 13.5 = 10.125 units

Tesco Finest Riesling is only 11.5% so that’s
0.175 x 11.5 = 2 units a glass
(or 8.6 units a bottle).

Why not entertain your friends in the pub by giving them a running total of how many units they're on!

I don’t think that’s awful tbh🤷. I usually have nothing from Mon- Wed (maybe Thurs too) but like a wine at the weekend. Although you’ know better than anyone if it feels too much.

What I find interesting about these threads on MN is how opinion differs to other central govt advice. People try to adhere to 14 units a week (much less in the case of this thread) as are concerned not just about behaviour but also health risks of alcohol. Yet most threads about BMI will have multiple people saying how that’s not a great measure etc.

Talking any 1 measure in isolation is not a single indicator of health. Someone may drink more than 14 units but eat healthily, good weight, exercise and have low stress. Someone who is teetotal but does no exercise and has high stress is unlikely to be healthier than someone having 2 glasses per night (I’m not talking bottles every day).

I drink a glass of wine on a Friday and Saturday if we go out....thats it....but I'm 57 ...my drinking days are well over

Half a bottle of vodka most nights. Occasionally I have a couple of nights offs

With mixer . Not neat.. 😇

@Augend23, I got the 125ml measure from a course we were doing at work. There are similar on Amazon but mostly for shots I think. Maybe the alcohol awareness organisations do them? For me, I still have two glasses but they're only 125 each so a third of a bottle instead of two glasses I'd pour freely myself which would be half a bottle.

Nothing regularly. I don't think I'd feel well drinking every night. I'll have a few on a birthday night out or something like that.