For your face and body to change after giving up booze?

[relentlesshappiness]

A friend and I were recently chatting.
She told me that her sister who gave up alcohol in the last few months has physically changed dramatically.
I asked how and was told that she's dropped a lot of weight, her face isn't as puffy and swollen, her skin is dewy and her eyes bright and sparkly.
Is this possible after giving up only a few months ago?? She and I drank similar amounts.
I up to recently have been drinking about five bottles of wine per week.
I'm sick of it and have had one hangover too many.
I drank out of boredom, loneliness and truthfully, traumatic divorce and rejection.
I've cut down to the odd glass now having read Annie Grace's famous book.
I have looked terrible lately. Old and haggard and I'm only 50.
Should I expect to see such results.
The vanity aspect will also keep me spurned on to regain my power....
In your experience or those of others you know my age????

A bottle of wine is about 650 calories, so 5 bottles a week is 3250 calories, which is enough calories for an extra 1.5 days a week!!!

So absolutely if you're drinking that much you'll see the weight come off.

Chemicals from the wine affect your brain, so they actually cause depression and anxiety even though they make you feel good after drinking! This should ease after a few months.

Alcohol also dehydrates your skin, so in theory you should also see better looking skin, although again this takes time. I guess that depends on how much water you also drink.

For me, I know that drinking means poor quality sleep, and sleep when I've not been drinking means I feel so much more refreshed and look better in the mornings!

Yes, you’ll see a difference if you drop five bottles of wine a week. Improved hydration and better sleep will always make you look better, vastly reduced calorie intake is likely to lead to weight loss. Of course it depends - if you replace the wine with a nightly ice cream and pizza fest maybe not, but if wine is your only vice you’ll start to see the different quite quickly.

Yea I've noticed massive improvements in people I've known who gave up alcohol. Fresh skin, vibrant eyes, normal body shape.. just more life. It really wrecks how we look. I see the ones in the city centre and they stand out a mile away, it does very specific things to the body.
Depending on how bad the alcoholism is you can still see the signs of their past addiction, but they look so healthy.

Last sentence refers to people I've known who have given up.

Not to be the annoying one but weight loss isn't guaranteed for lots of reasons. And didn't happen for me.

You'll look better in general though.

I gave up alcohol about 5 years ago. I don't even fancy it any more, not even remotely. I still go to the pub with friends and have a mock tail or a coke. No one cares.

I do not miss hangovers and I feel like it's really improved my life overall. Can't quite put my finger on it, but I just feel lighter. Family and friends also know I don't drink, so they don't force it on me, which is nice. I've had a few awkward conversations where people have asked me why I don't drink and I've said that I just decided no to and I suspect they might have thought I was an alcoholic (no shade on people who are but I'm not) but 🤷‍♀️ who cares.

I would say it's easier if you have a sober friend, then you can plan sober outings. I found this useful in the beginning.

But yes, you'll feel better and you will look better. A hangover is your body recovering from poisoning, after all.

You will notice changes. People who drink alcohol, even in moderation, often seem to age more rapidly.

There's also the saying, I've forgotten how it goes, that you never see a young looking alcoholic.

I don't drink and never really have to be honest, don't enjoy it and hate the taste of alcohol. I'm not sat here in possession of a youthful gleam, sparkling eyes and radiating good health.

Ultimately if it's to excess then giving it up probably will result in a person looking a bit more put together- surely waking up without a hangover in itself will help that. Alcohol can be quite dehydrating, takes a toll on functions of the body and is certainly not calorie free so yes, in theory if you maintained calories elsewhere and dropped those you get from alcohol then you may lose some weight (or be less bloated) or enjoy less dehydrated skinwhich willing turn look better. You'd probably also feel better and brighter in yourself which always helps but ageing is ageing and it won't reverse that.

My friend hadn’t drank for 40 days, and when I saw her this week the change was very noticeable! She looked fab and sparkly 🤩

Yes, i gave up 7 years ago and i often get mistaken for age. I sleep better, drink loads of water now. Make up just sits better on my face, i use less make up too. Face less puffy, lost weight. Im sharper in mind and focus better I no longer have anxiety or the fear of saying something wrong etc. i wouldnt go back to drinking now. Life is better on the other side !

I am 45 and currently 20 days alcohol free.
My skin is looking really good, i sleep better, my horrible wine belly is really shrinking and I'm really pleased to say I have lost 8 pounds so far

I definitely have a spring in my step and can just deal with everything better in every aspect.

I was drinking a bottle of wine a night and often more at the weekends. So probably about 9 bottles a week. (Which sounds horrendous to me now but at the time it was just the norm)