The DrinkLess Club - SuperDry September

[Eleanorba]

Hi everyone, and a very happy September to you. It's the start of the year if you are in/work in education, and it's the beginning of Autumn - so a great month for a new start!

If you've just come across this thread, it's for anyone who wants to cut down on their alcohol consumption, or to give up altogether. So you might be planning a completely Dry September...or just a less Wet one! A very warm welcome to you either way.

If you're not going completely drink-free for September, we in the DrinkLess club would advise you to give yourself a concrete goal for how much you're doing to drink each week this month, or how many dry days per week you're going to have - anything concrete that you can commit to. That's my only real advice for giving up anything (apart from coming in here and getting support, of course!).But all you need to do to join the DrinkLess club is to post your goals for cutting down on drinking here, and pop in from time to time over the month to cheer people on (the more responses to other people's posts the better) and let us know how you're doing.

If you've not been on this thread before, or really thought about cutting down on alcohol - why cut down on alcohol and why discuss it on a weight loss site?

1. It's empty calories - drinkers often consume far more calories than they think they do in their drinks.

2. It's sugary calories - the sugar in alcoholic drinks, just like any sugary thing, leads to a sugar spike then a sugar slump, leaving you wanting more sugar!

3. It drains your willpower - if you've had a drink you're much more likely to say 'oh to hell with it!' when it comes to overeating.

4. It lowers your mood the next day.

5. It interferes with your sleep, and if you haven't slept well you're more likely to eat more and be less motivated to exercise

6. All the other health reasons for cutting down on alcohol of course! Healthier liver, better skin, more energy...

If you think you may have a problem with alcohol dependency, the NHS site is a useful starting point for getting help - go to nhs.uk then put Alcohol Support in the search.

SO, how was everyone's month? I had a 2 week holiday in August and that was a bit boozier than normal. But I felt I was drinking in moderation and I had some planned dry days. This month, its back to my limit of 3 drinks per week, usually wine. I look forward to chatting to new and old friends - and promise to keep in better touch this month! I was rather screen-avoidant in Aug!