[Closed] Benefits of not drinking?

Not wasting an entire Sunday feeling sorry for yourself?

You reduce your risk of various cancers, but unless you're a heavy drinker the reduction in absolute risk is tiny.

My main benefit is sleep being vastly improved.

I'm a massive lightweight when it comes to the next day, couple of pints is enough for a hangover.

Friend was dry for six month While marmotte training. Reckoned it made no difference, she spent as much finding nonalchoholic interesting drinks.

Everything in moderation.

You'll;
- have more money to spend on shiny bike bits
- get up the hill quicker
- get out for a sunrise ride
- be able to eat more pie/chocolate/chips with less guilt
or something like that..

Not drunk anything in January so far. Don't feel any different. Saved a few quid though.

I've seriously cut down, never one for a pissup, but a couple of pints and a whiskey or two per week, but now down to one beer a week, one whiskey.

Only benefit so far is that pint tastes sooooooooo goooooooood 😆

I came up with weight loss as a benefit.

Easily achieved by getting slaughtered on Gin & slimline tonic and one eye on myfitness pal.

suspect better sleep pattern, more alert (not not hungover way, just a bit more zing); am seriously considering it for a period as while not caning it, is consumed quite regularly 🙂

[i]Not wasting an entire Sunday feeling sorry for yourself? [/i] - No real hangovers after 10 pints of 4 bottles of wine
[i]have more money to spend on shiny bike bits[/i] - Lucky enough to be able to buy booze and bits
[i]get up the hill quicker[/i] - possibly but I have never been good uphill
[i]get out for a sunrise ride[/i] - always preferred to wait until it warms a bit
[i]be able to eat more pie/chocolate/chips with less guilt[/i] - I eat without guilt

I guess there is little real benefit just need to moderate down from 8-10 pints a night then 🙁

[url= http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/a-bottle-of-wine-a-day-is-not-bad-for-you-and-abstaining-is-worse-than-drinking-scientist-claims-9271010.html ]A bottle of wine a day is not bad for you and abstaining is worse than drinking, scientist claims[/url]

[url= http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/people-who-drink-alcohol-outlive-those-who-abstain-study-shows-8995879.html ]People who drink alcohol outlive those who abstain, study shows[/url]

🙂

Not wasting an entire Sunday feeling sorry for yourself?

I guess there is little real benefit just need to moderate down from 8-10 pints a night then

I didn't give up booze for january but was very careful about consumption (Gone from drinking a beer or 2/3 most nights to none during the week and only a couple on friday/saturday).

I feel a lot better for it. Went out on Saturday night with friends, got absolutely hammered and felt like shit all day sunday and still pretty crap on monday. Don't think I'll bother again.

People who drink alcohol outlive those who abstain, study shows

I dont drink

No hangover would be one but i doubt you will magically become healthy from this act alone

As its a poison its hard to argue it is not bad for you but how bad i really dont know.

OH reckons her skin is better as a result of no alcohol but suspect most of us fellas would not notice on ourselves

I stopped drinking for a month or so in the summer, and yeah, saved money both on drinking, and on stuff you buy from ebay after drinking. Definitely makes it easier to be a "morning person" and get up and train. Mentally I felt I was stronger when it came to pushing myself in training. Definitely lost weight, again a double benefit of drinking less calories, then also eating less calories because I havent drunkenly ordered a pizza. After 3 or so weeks I was definitely mentally sharper than usual, and all the problems and puzzles of the work day seemed easier than before.........But it is so boring, it's not sustainable, now I just attempt to hit moderation

on stuff you buy from ebay after drinking

Stops punching of and wrestling with wildlife

Removes goggles

Saves much money

ahh yes, the old ebay alcohol interface. bringer of many surprises in the post.

A friend of mine ordered a biltong oven after a night out.

After 3 or so weeks I was definitely mentally sharper than usual, and all the problems and puzzles of the work day seemed easier than before

How much were you drinking previously?

Not wasting an entire Sunday feeling sorry for yourself?

Forgot about eBay - That does count as a benefit. I once woke up with a TVR to collect the next morning but I blame that on the wife watching Dancing on Ice so I had to go on the internet while drinking

Easily achieved by getting slaughtered on Gin & slimline tonic and one eye on myfitness pal.

I'm not a strict non-drinker, sometimes I like to have a beer (last year I had about 8 I suppose...) - the ultimate advantage is that the beer tastes soooo bloody good after few months of no intake!

No hangover after 10 pints?! Hat's off to you sir, I haven't been able to drink that much and come out unscathed for about 10 years.

Edit: Just re-read your statement in cokies post. Is that 10 pints of wine? I'm even more impressed!

@peterfile - Probably too much say a bottle of wine to 1.5 bottles of wine in an evening - once in the week and again on Fridays/Saturdays.

What surprised me was that it wasnt a case of, abstain, get it out of your system, feel better in 48 to 72 hours, there was a marked constant improvement for a period of about 3 weeks

Not wasting an entire Sunday feeling sorry for yourself? - No real hangovers after 10 pints of 4 bottles of wine

No hangover after 10 pints?!

Probably too much say a bottle of wine to 1.5 bottles of wine in an evening - once in the week and again on Fridays/Saturdays.

The biggest improvement could have been to the quality of your sleep, which was giving you the added clarity the next day?

I used to have a bottle of beer or glass of wine every night after dinner, which obviously isn't a lot, but noticed a marked improvement in my sleep when I stopped for a while. For some, I don't think it takes much to disrupt sleep and I reckon at a bottle a night your sleep was being impacted to some extent.

No hangover after 10 pints?!

Cheers! 😀

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Ive done the dry January for the last 3 years. Always lost weight, this time 5 pounds. That said I did drink to excess in the months leading up to christmas. Usually a bottle of red every night. More at weekend.

Aside from the weightloss, sleep has been so deep and restful. You know that feeling of waking up after a proper full deep sleep. Its been ace.

That said I have missed a fine red and some proper real ale.

Welllll...... in my case my bloodwork looked a lot better:

My Bilburin levels plummeted to the lower end of the scale and my eyes no longer looked yellowish, plus my skin looked healthier and I lost weight.

My Gamma GT levels halved (I now know I don't have bone disease), in fact everything looked a lot better after 3 months on the waggon (except my albumin/globlin ratio which has increased to almost worrying levels).

Oh, I was richer too.

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”

You know that feeling of waking up after a proper full deep sleep.

For me, the main benefit of not drinking is just the much, much easier ability to train and maintain fitness. Leaving aside the extra calories of booze (even in moderation), the dehudration, lack of sleep and general feeling of shit the next day means that I am far happy not drinking that I was when I drank.

Alcohol is a very damaging addiction that, for some reason, people find more socially acceptable than smoking. I hate smoking for the damage that it did to my fitness for years, but I detest alcohol for the damage that it has done to my relationship. My wife's drinking was the main (and probably only) reason that I very nearly got divorced last year. I'd like to see it taxed to shit.

Alcohol is a very damaging addiction

I'd like to see it taxed to shit.

i'm doing the dry january and out of interest i'm going to continue into march so i can see about the 63 days to break a habit thing. but thats irrelevent to the op, for that i can say that the difference, for me, in not drinking now for 26 days is quite apparent. i have a lot more energy, my overall mood is better, i'm definitely less anxious and in my running/swimming i have noticed that i am getting back in the flow way more rapidly than this time last year when i still drank. i also deal with stuff rather than go to tesco for some booze. for me, its a good thing that i've needed to do for a good few years now and i do feel liberated not having to go buy booze every day. and goodness its lovely to be able to definitely know you are not going to be hungover next day. each to their own really.

Long term health benefits of not drinking will be good but if you wish to be sensible then why not enjoy small pleasures in life.

Alcohol is a very damaging addiction that, for some reason, people find more socially acceptable than smoking.

Well for one people drinking doesn't cause none drinkers to develop many diseases and illnesses, where as smoking does.

I am doing a dry January! Longest time off the beer for 20 something years.
I normally drink to much, most days - a hangover from years of running pubs.
Do I feel 'better'? No. I feel no different. And I'm not sleeping as well. I have lost 3kg (need to lose 30 though!).
Worst part, WCA and family / friends round and they all got pissed! I drove them home... 😯
After rides, I really fancy a pint - drinking Bavaria alcohol free stops the craving.
Can't wait till next weekend - after then I will cut down on my pre-January drinking.

WCA, cut down, not out 😉

BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

Why? because you and/or your partner don't know how to drink in moderation? Why should i have to pay for your inability to control yourselves?

Steady now.

[i]WCA, cut down, not out [/i]

That's kind of my plan. I am hoping to achieve this without much change in diet other than reduced beer and wine and hopefully getting out on the bike a bit
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"I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me"

Winston Churchill

..... and he lived to be quite old

I haven't read all the responses.
I did Sober in October and didn't touch a drop.

The biggest thing you'll notice is how much more money you have in your wallet at the end of the month.
Obviously that depends on how much you drink but it's surprising.

No hangovers/feeling shit/written-off Sundays.
I found it quite easy apart from once or twice when I really fancied a beer - I found it much easier not to go to pubs than drinking soft drinks in a pub - hope that makes sense!

I didn't notice any weight change TBH but then I didn't weigh myself - I found I ate more though, oddly.

I felt quite proud actually, especially given the reason why I did it.

I didn't feel more energetic/sharper/less tired either.

Maybe I'm just odd 😉