Giving up alcohol for vanity?

[VanityWitch]

So, I'm thinking of going teetotal, yes, for my health, but mainly because I am terribly vain and my skin is crap at the moment and my sleep quality is also crap. I don't drink much, as in, I tend to only drink at weekends plus one week night, so Friday, Saturday and Sunday or Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, for example. Usually one or two glasses of wine. Not bucketfuls, but not thimbles either! So I guess that is a bottle of wine a week?

I'm sure by MN standards this makes me either a raging alcoholic or a puritanical stick in the mud, but you know.

Anyway, I'm planning to quit as an experiment, to see if I glow!

Is anyone thinking of doing similar? Would anyone like to join me on here to document our journey to glowage?

@Bomblette

100 days! Congratulations! You’re my hero. I’m on Day 2 & oh so proud of it

@EyesWithAFace
Bodies can be bizarre. I don’t think low carbing is great as it’s not sustainable. I’d say just get LOADS of veg into you at every meal & drink water/green or herbal tea like mad between meals & in time it will fall off you.

@Readingandrighting I hate low carbing. It seems like a good idea but makes me really nervous and bad tempered. I think I need a few healthy carbs to ground me!

I am doing well after my 1 day lapse. It did confirm to me how bad I feel and look when I drink, and I am continuing to lose weight and feel as fit as you can feel in a storm, half-way through January, in a global pandemic....

Reading I’m so happy to be a hero, although I’m actually only 20 days into my hundred. I’ll take it though

2 days is good though. You’ve done the hardest day!

Sorry I got that wrong! The good news is 20 is still a lot better than 20 so afix the cape & fly!

a lot better than 2 I meant. Sorry I don’t sleep enough!!!

Hope the sleep gets better Reading

Thank you @Bomblette I’m only on Day 4 so I guess it’ll take time. I’m already feeling sad at the thought of no wine tomorrow night but once the first weekend is done it probably gets easier.

I actually find find weekends ok, so I guess it’s a habit. That said, had a stressful day at work yesterday though - would have killed for wine. I bought a coat instead. I’ll need to find an S&B support group for online shopping next!

@Readingandrighting I think getting through the first weekend is the tricky bit. After that, it’s much easier.

My skin and eyes are really bright and glowing now. I’m not overweight, but also definitely feel leaner - although I have also been trying to cut down on processed sugar. Tbh, I’m feeling (and looking ) so good that I think I’m going to go on and aim for the 100 days.

@Bomblette

Interesting. Maybe it’s because you’re under less pressure at the weekends. I can so relate to craving wine when stressed.

@TheHoundsofLove

Great username! Go for it — be great to get to 100 days!

I’d say you’re right - once I get through this weekend, it’ll get easier. I’m going it for many reasons - improving my skin is definitely one but to sleep more & feel happier are the main ones.

doing it

How are you doing Reading? Hopefully reflecting on how beautiful you’ll be when you wake up tomorrow!

I find weekends hard and they are no different for me really than any other day of the week at the moment. I just think I anticipate that I need some habit to make it a rewarding night of the week. I keep remembering how terrible I felt last Sunday morning after drinking, and that is working...

I had a few non-alcoholic beers & a lovely long zoom with friends. Took my mind right off alcohol! I’m feeling optimistic about this! Day 5

I fell off the wagon last night! Was 5 days in and feeling much better apart from being very thirsty all the time does anyone else experience that?! I had 2 glasses and feel rough today so I’ll be back to it from today. Disappointed in myself really :( but had stress from my ex and just needed to unwind unhealthy I know.

@Glitterandglow

Don’t beat yourself up. You’re still making progress. It takes time, it really does.

I fell off last Saturday and had difficulty last night but stuck to not drinking. Just get back on again, very glad I did,, and I was much worse than you

I’m finding the non alcoholic beer to be a lifesaver.

I just drink fizzy water with lemon which is what I always have. Or if I want something more substantial I have tomato juice with lots of high maintenance, worcestershire sauce, tabasco, lemon etc.

It really is just the weekend I struggle. I seem to need something to separate it from the week. I cooked something nice today - definitely helped.

And I have lost 5lbs and look a lot healthier.

A friend of mine is 43 but looks much, much younger no lines, sag or redness etc just plump smooth creamy skin. She’s never drank any alcohol.

I’ve been drinking for 25 years! ... & plenty at that ... so I wonder how long it takes to undo the damage!!

I managed to keep it off it Friday and Saturday. I am so grateful for the morning after and keep trying to remember that feeling in the evening when I am tempted. And also remember how terrible I felt last Sunday after falling off the wagon.

I have done 23 days out of 24. Lots of physical and mental improvement as a result.

That’s great @friendlyflicka

I’m on Day 7. I must admit I didn’t feel much different this morning & yesterday morning ... but it’ll take time for sleep to improve I’d say.

I felt very different after 5 days, but I was very aware of sugar cravings, which passed quite quickly. I think now I have settled into a more steady feeling and I am taking better care with my eating. I am a good cook but hadn't really bothered with myself since I became single.

The thing I am most aware of is my pattern of drinking in the past. Weekends and binge drinking - so trying to tackle this.

I was a very heavy smoker before children and my husband stayed smoking. I gave up with great difficulty still living with him and have stayed a non smoker. I reached a point with smoking where I just couldn't tolerate myself as a smoker so even if I gave in and had one, I couldn't swallow any justifications for it. And that was why I was able to give.

I think 25 years on, I might have reached that stage with drinking. It went backwards for a bit when I had major traumas a few years ago and I got into binge drinking as a weekend reward.

I think I am not really posting about vanity any more and should probably change myself to the very much more popular threads on addiction areas of the website. But I am a very vain person, and I don't want to go into too much depth about psychological issues, even on an anonymous board, so I would rather stick to talking about behavioural and appearance issues and stay put...