Cut down on alcohol

In this week's challenge you must Cut down on alcohol. A standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate and a pint of lager has about the same calorie count as a packet of crisps. Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain.The average wine drinker takes in around 2,000kcal from alcohol every month. Drinking 5 pints of lager a week adds up to 44,200kcal over a year, equivalent to eating 221 doughnuts.

Liquid calories

Benefits of cutting down alcohol:

1. Better Mornings

   Feeling better in the mornings



2. Stamina

   Being less tired during the day



3. Skin

   Better looking skin



4. Energy

   feeling more energetic



5. Weight

   better weight management



6. Mood

   There's a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and hangovers often make you feel anxious and low. If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking can make this worse, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally.



7. Sleep

   Drinking can affect your sleep. Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply. So cutting down on alcohol should help you feel more rested when you wake up.



8. Behaviour

   Drinking can affect your judgement and behaviour. You may behave irrationally or aggressively when you're drunk. Memory loss can be a problem during drinking and in the long term for regular heavy drinkers.



9. Heart

   Long-term heavy drinking can lead to your heart becoming enlarged. This is a serious condition that can't be completely reversed, but stopping drinking can stop it getting worse.



10. Immune system

    Regular drinking can affect your body’s ability to fight infections. Heavy drinkers tend to catch more infectious diseases.

Recording how many drinks you have may also help you reduce or slow down your drinking. You can use a handwritten note that you keep in your wallet or record your drinks on your smartphone or PDA, whatever is more convenient for you.Stick to your goal even when you are away from home, dining out or in a bar.People who consume drinks quickly, particularly the first few drinks, are at greater risk of developing alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence.No matter how much you drink, it's always a good idea to drink plenty of water along with your alcoholic beverages.

Tips on cutting down alcohol:

1. Make a plan before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you're going to drink.


2. Set a budget to take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.


3. Let your friends and family know you're cutting down and it's important to you, you could get support from them.


4. Cut back a little each day. That way, every day you do is a success.


5. You can still enjoy a drink, but go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.


6. Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength. You'll find this information on the bottle.


7. Stay hydrated by having a glass of water before you have alcohol and alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other non-alcoholic drinks.


8. Take a break have several drink-free days each week.

Suggested Reading:

10 tips to cut down on alcohol - Learn more here.

How can I cut down on alcohol? - Learn more here.

Rethinking Drinking - Learn more here.