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?

Well done everyone!
I'm also going to carry on for the 100 days. I must say that I've slept really well the past couple of nights, so am wondering if it's taking my body a bit longer to regulate itself and am hopeful that I will continue to see improvements over the next couple of months. And I fully expect to see super model levels of beauty by the end!

What happens in the next 30 days? My favourite thing is the improvement in my looks.

I just signed up to the experiment yesterday (dry February?) so I'm glad to find this thread. I'll read from the beginning and join in late. I'm hoping your stories will motivate me!

Weight and measurements done (no wonder I'd put off doing that!)
Day 32 for me (Heck!) so definitely joining The 100 Club.

A friend commented on a photo of me yesterday asking if I'd lost weight - so maybe there is a difference that I can't see.

My daughter opened a bottle of wine on Saturday night (after asking) and I can honestly say it didn't bother or tempt me.
I am scared of attempting moderation - seen too many stories on here of it being tried and then drinking has crept back up. So it's The 100 Club for me.

I was utterly, utterly determined on 100 days, but DF had a stroke today. I can’t visit and I don’t know what to do with myself. DH’s firm also chose today to send a bottle of wine. For today, I’m having a glass and will resume sobriety tomorrow. But I felt like I needed to confess to you all!

@Bomblette I am so sorry. My thoughts are with you and I hope you and he are ok and he is being looked after well.

You don't need to confess to anything xx

This happened to my Mum about 10 years' ago and it is very shocking - look after yourself

Just found this thread - going for the 100 day challenge this year! Unfortunately I don't think I look better off the booze or maybe it's fortunate I don't look worse on it - 🤔
Anyway, doing to support dh, who needs to loose weight and we both drink way too much and it's the easiest way to get his weight back in check - it's not just for him though, my sleep has improved enormously - along with my mental health and I would like to loose some boobage - they just seem to be getting bigger and bigger and big boobs as we all know are hard to dress.
Can't think about never boozing again - that's way too scary! I think I'd given up smoking for 3 years before I could commit to calling myself a non-smoker - before that I'd say I just wasn't smoking today.

Thanks flicka xx

@Bomblette Not checking up on your units of alcohol...Just wanted to find out how you you are?

My skin is terrible age wine. Puffy eyes, the works. I look like I've been dug up.

Thanks @friendlyflicka. They’re still running tests, but he’s mobile and seems to understand what’s going on, so that’s positive. Doing ok here - back on the AF beer. On the vanity front, have washed and blow dried hair. Always feel I can face anything if my hair looks decent - does anyone else have that??

I do @Bomblette - clean hair makes everything more bearable. Will keep my fingers crossed for your dad

Morning all, weighed myself this morning, another pound off, so that's 4 in total, I'm going to measure again at the weekend and take another progress photo, that gives me more of a push than the scales!

I planned to drink this Friday just gone and went for it quite spectacularly I'm afraid. I enjoyed the wine but my goodness the after effects the next day were just not worth it. I looked and felt deathly so I'm back on the wagon and rolling steadily forward. It did me good to remind me how dreadful it makes me look and feel.

Good that it’s put you back on the wagon though collywobble.

Impressive weight loss fiftysixth - I’m hovering between 2-3lb lost. Probably want to lose a bit more to get back to my pre lockdown weight, but I’m pretty pleased as my face is way less puffy and jowly.

Haven’t had another drink since I found out my dad was ill. The wine didn’t make me feel terrible, just ... meh. (He’s stable but still in hospital, not much news on that front).

I'm down 4lbs since 16 Jan (when I bought the scales) not sure what I weighed when starting DJ, but possibly I'm down about half a stone. I have started to see a difference, some clothes are not as tight, and I wore a dress on Friday that has never fit me properly since I bought it, so I was really pleased. I wore a long cardigan with it as I was a bit self conscious but it did give me a boost.

Trying to walk for 10 minutes each day(started last week) - not much but 10 minutes more than I've done before. It's easy to do, as I can just walk around the campus, so hoping to get into a daily lunchtime routine.

Just having a couple of nice things (the dress and a friend asking if I'd lost weight) has really given me motivation to carry on.

@Bomblette How is it all going? Bearing up ok? I hope so.

I have lost about 6 lbs now and feel a lot lighter and nicer. And I can get up in the morning (not that there is a lot to get up for)

I’m ok flicka, thanks for asking. I had a further wine slip when I found out DF has contracted covid in hospital. Unlike the first time, which (wine-wise) just felt blah, I felt completely rotten after the second slip. I had three small glasses, but it REALLY did not help how I was feeling and ruined my sleep.

Not fun times, but made easier by avoiding booze, in conclusion!

As you don't drink that much anyway, it should be quite easy to give up. I would advise you to give up, because you will feel better, mentally and physically.

I say this as someone who has had 'difficulties' with alcohol. since I have stopped completely, I have lost weight, my skin and hair are in better condition, and I have so much more mental energy as well as sleeping better.

You honestly won't regret it!

Still going. 46 days in so nearly halfway. Minimal change here. No weight lost tho feel slightly less bloated. Last 2 periods have been lighter which could be a coincidence.
Keeping going.

Similar for me to Ginger. 47 days. Lost about 4lb so coming off slowly. My skin has improved, again slowly.
The headaches have finally stopped, thankfully. I woke every day groggy and with a headache and sometimes it lasted all day.
Sleep has been shocking too (alcohol was probably masking that!).
I took a Nytol yesterday and for the first time I slept well, only woke once.
I felt good when I woke up this morning - it was a lovely feeling. This is what I imagined stopping drinking would do but from day 1! Must've taken 47 days to get the poison out of my system.

I’ve been watching this thread from the beginning, and wanted to share my experiences of cutting out alcohol for the last 7 weeks.. I didn’t drink a huge amount- maybe 1-2 bottles of wine over a week, but it was enough that on non- drinking nights I missed it and felt deprived. I also was a bit of a party animal back in the day, so plenty of horrendous stories that were fun at the time, but if I’m really honest, are evidence of a not-so-healthy relationship with booze. However my main motivation for cutting out wine was vanity.

So... I don’t feel my skin has improved to be honest, but the bags under my eyes have reduced, and the whites of my eyes are clearer. My hair has seen the biggest improvement- very soft and shiny. My dds have been asking to borrow my ‘new’ products as my hair looks so good. I am using the same stuff I always do!

But, by far the biggest change has been in my pms related breast swelling and pain. I literally used to go up 2 cup sizes around ovulation and spent two weeks every month in excruciating pain. I had multiple cysts I could feel and even see. This has all but disappeared! No lumpy, swollen breasts! My bad pms related mood swings and anxiety have also subsided. The last month I felt the same all the way through for the first time in years.

This is a revelation and what started as a beauty experiment has now become something I’m considering long term for the general health benefits. Apparently alcohol causes inflammation and can increase oestrogen levels in the body which could account for this. I’ll give it another couple of cycles and report back though.

I don’t own scales but it took a good 5-6 weeks before I noticed bloating had reduced and clothes fit better so it can take a while for the weight to come off. Don’t give up!

Hi ladies - still going here. Chocolate has been replacing gin so attempting to give it up too for Lent. That said, it’s pretty miserable right now so I won’t be too disappointed with myself if I crack into a Twix! Feeling better, hopefully looking a bit fresher. Not missing it - maybe because we can’t see friends?

I'm still going strong too and definitely aiming for at least the 100 days.
MrsLion That's really interesting as I also suffer badly with PMS symptoms, really bad anxiety for 2 weeks of every month being the worst. But, I noticed this month that it was massively improved and only lasted a day or 2. I"ve also not had any of the usual PMS bloating.

Only on Day 4 ... feeling quite positive but then the weekend is looming ...

Reading The Sober Diaries for inspiration & encouragement!

Will be back for some support!!