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?

@VanityWitch yeah exactly. I don’t think it’s a bad thing either necessarily and it obviously doesn’t make you an alcoholic because having a drink of something is a real cultural norm related to certain events/celebrations. I think it’s a mindset thing. I’m in no way virtuous about other things. For example, I’d hate to have Christmas Day without stuffing myself silly on chocolate and cheese - I’d feel really anti-climatic if I was to turn up at hosts house and that wasn’t happening so I know what you mean.

I gave up 16 days ago. My skin is glowing, I thought only teenagers had glowing skin.🙂 the puffiness has gone, eyes are brighter and I’ve dropped six pounds.

I’ve been exhausted and lots of early night have been required, some vivid dreams, I’m still waking at 4.00am.

I’ve tried lots of the alcohol free stuff, the Prosecco was too sweet ( but I drank red, so no surprise) I liked Sainsbury’s mulled wine and all of the beers have been lovely.

Ah that's encouraging to read you've had results do quickly Iris . I haven't weighed myself in months, but might dig out the scales in the name of science!

Day 6 here. No signs of glowing yet. I didn't sleep well last night,but blame a salty dinner and my duvet somehow getting stuck down round my feet.

We also haven't been out as one of my dcs is isolating. We are free tomorrow though, thank Christ.

wow, iris. I have up a few times for a couple of months with zero (visible) effects. Trying again now but hope to stick with it for the long run!

I may have been drinking a bit too much 😂

I think you may have hit on something Iris- if you are are fairly light drinker the results may not be so amazing. I don’t drink during the week but have a habit of getting over excited on Friday night and look awful and feel awful on Saturdays and Sundays. I’ve decided not to drink till Xhristmas day, then not drink till NYE and then only drink once a month. The idea of giving up completely isn’t for me. I enjoy a drink, just want to massively cut down.

You see, the thought of a glass of wine a month sounds worse to me than none at all. I must be a bit of an all or nothing person!

Ha ha- you are crediting me with more self control than I have! I said drink once a month, not just one glass

Aaaaaah . If I had a one session a month policy, woe betide any bottle of sauvignon blanc in the vicinity!

I do think that some people are perhaps just more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and so also see results quicker from cutting it out. I wouldn’t particularly describe myself as a heavy drinker, have pretty good skin and my other vice is running 😂 (I run 4-5 days a week and do up 20km on a Sunday morning), but I do easily notice the extra glow within a couple of weeks of Dry Jan.
I find that a nice glass with just sparkling water and some ice and lemon in feels like quite a nice drink - it certainly seems a bit more special than just tap water.

I gave up in Summer due to perimenopause (I could not get rid of the heart palpitations alcohol gave me - and I was not a heavy drinker, one-two glasses Friday Saturday and Sunday max ).

My skin is now glowing - it really makes a huge difference. I honestly think if most women knew how much of a change they would get, the women I know would all quit - of course I am not going to tell them because they will think I am a proselytising alcoholic

I think my rosacea has calmed down a bit... could it be the lack of booze already? It may be! I get the blotchy variety which then becomes big spots (I know - so attractive). I had three large thumb print blotches across my cheek bones last week. They have shrunk to one teeny spot. Still bloody great circles under my eyes as I didn't sleep well last night and I've done something to my poor back, so that is an absolute fucker. Can't blame lack of wine for that though; it was disco dancing with my bored dcs yesterday and I was stupidly throwing them around the place and carrying them. Too old and out of shape for that! Need to get back to yoga.

I am lurking and watching with interest! I have drunk more frequently and regularly this year than I have in ten years, and I need to seriously cut back. I don’t want to give up over Christmas as have already bought the booze but am going to plan dry January and then see how I feel after that. I was a binge-at-weekends person with definite want more once I’ve started tendencies, but in normal times didn’t drink much during the week. Since March it’s been beer/cava literally every night and DH got seriously into making cocktails and that went up to two to four per night. I made him stop making them every night about a month ago and have noticed my face looks better for having week nights off already (less round), and I have had some incredibly vivid dreams too. I have also thought my skin’s been looking quite dull this year - but stupidly hadn’t put two and two together! I’m usually someone who gets IDed in the supermarket despite being late 30s and have been baby-faced all my life despite drinking a lot at weekends, so to suddenly look older was a bit of a shock. Could do with losing half a stone but think that’s got as much to do with the snacking as the booze. New resolutions will be afoot come January!

Now at the end of day 3. Have slept amazingly, been calmer with DC (and DH ) and eyes look brighter. @VanityWitch this was a very good idea.

That's great @Marmaladegin! Well done to you!

Lurkers and watchers with interest very welcome here! A few people saying they will start in January. Hopefully I can give some encouraging feedback by then about my imminent glowing!

I will be in from January - good luck all!

I gave up drinking exactly a month ago today for vanity and to see if it would ease my menopause symptoms so I thought I'd pop on after watching this thread and report my findings a month in as it might help.
I was a weekend only drinker but when I drank at weekends it was always to excess. I've always admired people who ca just have one glass of wine and savour it as I'm a real guzzler!
First week was hard , sugar cravings were strong really strong actually and I did have extra chocolate . I substituted with non alcoholic gin and tonics and mulled wine which really helped.
A month in and my acne roseacea has calmed significantly no lumps or spots just a mild redness now which I'm hoping will continue to improve. My sleep is amazing I now completely zonk at night and don't wake up until my alarm goes off.
I don't have that horrible feeling of dread and anxiety that drinking seemed to leave me with for a few days . My energy levels are through the roof that's definitely been the biggest improvement I am motivated and want to get out and exercise ( I have always exercised out of necessity but now I actually want to ) I know it's still early days and I'm hoping I have shown the pre sober me that I can do it and don't need to drink every weekend out of habit. I plan to drink over the festive period but I'm going to be much more mindful about what I drink and how much.
I hope this is helpful and thank you @VanityWitch for starting this thread as your post really helped me keep positive in the first couple of weeks

I'm on a limited drinking regime so lurking here with interest, I love craft gin and good red wine too much to give it up totally but I don't love the effects on my face when I drink multiple glasses or have several days of drinking close together. So for me it will be no more than a single glass of wine or a gin and tonic when I do drink, which will only be once a week. And lots of water to wash it down! We've got a coravin to preserve the good wines so there's no pressure to drink them as soon as the first glass is poured.

I did dry lockdown and usually do dry jan. always get compliments on my skin when not drinking but I think that's more because I don't smoke either when I don't drink!

I am 53 and look haggard when I drink. I look and feel far better almost immediately when I don't.

I try very hard not to drink for lots of reasons, but the main one is weight: I don't think it is the alcohol itself it is letting go and eating loads of sugary rubbish, when I am usually quite healthy. I think it is the age I have reached, never used to have to fight quite so hard to keep the weight off.

Is this thread still going? My wine intake has crept up over this weird year and I think if anything will motivate me to give up drinking it will be vanity. Would be good to have a tribe to do it with!

I was thinking about this thread this morning as very pertinent to me. I also have a Christmas UTI - I think as a result of alcohol consumption.

I'm starting 2nd Jan after a last big dinner and wine on NYD. I've drank so much this year and put on SO much weight, I'm genuinely looking forward to a long booze break - hoping that and an increase in exercise will shift the pounds quick without having to change food habits (eat what I want usually!) - good luck all....

I’m starting 1 Jan. Definitely drunk more this year and have put on weight but what really bothers me is the fine lines around my eyes and the hammock of puffiness under my chin. I’ve been reading lots of quit lit and I’m curious to see if it’s as amazing as everyone says it is, being off the sauce.

@friendlyflicka are you on enforced no drinking because of the UTI?