Ten Things That Happen When You Quit Drinking Alcohol
As I approach my one year anniversary of complete and total sobriety— I’m reflecting on all of the positive changes that have happened—all as a result of ditching alcohol.
I used to drink a lot. It was kind of my thing for most of my twenties.
Then, as I began my health journey, I downsized to an occasional glass of red wine.
After about a year of this, I realized that whenever I drank a glass of wine (even just one glass!)— I felt awful for the next couple of days. I got a headache. It threw my digestion off. I was super hungry the next day. I couldn’t sleep well. Etc. Etc.
So, I decided to go from sober-ish to all in. And it was one of the best decisions of my life.
I like science here on Well Curious, so here are some science-backed reasons why drinking alcohol (especially in excess) is actually not great for us:
Raises blood pressure
Increases your risk for certain types of cancer (including breast cancer)
Causes inflammation of the liver
Weakens your immune system
May lead to cardiovascular disease
May cause weight gain
May increase your risk for depression or worsen your depression
Whether or not you choose to include alcohol in your life is ultimately up to you. Studies have shown some positive health benefits when drinking in moderation.
In my personal experience, ditching booze for good was one of the most transformative decisions I have ever made— catapulting me to the life I actually want to live.
Here are ten things that changed when I said goodbye to alcohol.
1. Weight loss.
There’s several ways that alcohol leads to higher body weight or weight gain. First of all, it’s usually pretty high in calories. And devoid of nutrients. So, you’re just consuming lots of extra empty calories. Secondly, it slows your body’s ability to burn fat. And, to top it off, it makes you really hungry. Both when you’re intoxicated and the next day.
So, its safe to say that when you ditch alcohol, you’ll probably lose weight.
I definitely did. It’s impossible to say how much of my weight loss was simply attributed to cutting out booze, because it also led to other positive life changes that result in weight loss (as you’ll see.)
2. Major improvements in mental health.
Regular alcohol consumption and anxiety and depressive disorders share a positive association. Meaning that research has found that as one increases, so does the other.
It works the other way around, too.
Studies show that someone with a depressive disorder who stops drinking alcohol shows a substantial reduction in symptoms.
I can attest to this first hand. As someone who has experienced mental health issues for most of my life, no medication or therapy worked better for me than sobriety, exercise, and clean nutrition.
This may not be the case for you. We are all different.
But, it’s definitely worth experimenting with. It could lead you to feel the best you have ever felt.
3. Consistent exercise.
When you’re hungover, chances are you aren’t making it to the gym. Or your yoga mat. Or out for a run.
Chances are you’ll be curled up in bed eating chips.
Quitting alcohol means you’ll never feel hungover again.
(Read that again.)
You will never again wake up with a pounding headache and a dry mouth wondering why on earth you do this to yourself.
Instead, you feel good. You feel nourished and rested and balanced.
For me, this led to consistent exercise. Not only did ditching alcohol make me feel better, but it created a sense of self accomplishment and self trust.
If you can do one hard thing, surely you can do another.
(Here’s more on developing a consistent exercise routine.)
4. Better sleep.
On top of not feeling hungover, quitting alcohol also usually leads to a better night’s sleep in general.
In fact, chronic alcohol use is associated with negative sleep effects like affecting your REM sleep, increasing snoring, causing sleep disturbance, and shortening your sleep duration.
Consistent quality sleep is one of the most important factors in our overall health.
As I mentioned earlier, I noticed that even when I had a glass of wine with dinner, I had trouble falling or staying asleep that night.
If you don’t sleep well, you’re probably not going to eat well, be productive, exercise, or feel well the next day. So, it’s super important.
5. Healthier food choices.
As you might be noticing, these are all tied in together.
Ditching alcohol means better sleep and not feeling hungover, which can lead you to choosing healthier food.
This was the case for me. Alcohol caused my hunger cues to just go crazy. I would eat bowls of breakfast cereal or four slices of toast or half a bag of chips. It’s bizarre to think about now.
When you’re alcohol free, your body’s hunger cues aren’t thrown off. You are much more likely to choose healthy, nourishing meals. Especially if you are also moving your body daily.
And this of course ties into weight loss and better mental health. It’s all connected.
6. More time.
So, if you’re not out at the bar anymore. Or a party or wherever you usually drink. Where are you? What are you doing?
If you’re not hungover in bed all morning— where are you? What are you doing?
It’s very likely that when you ditch alcohol, you’ll find yourself with a lot more time.
For me, this led to earlier mornings and creating energizing morning rituals.
It led to hot yoga classes, long runs, and cooking healthy meals from scratch.
It led to cleaning, organizing, and and taking better care of my home and my belongings.
It created more time for me to be intentional with my life.
7. New hobbies.
Another thing that happened with all of that extra time?
New hobbies.
Hot yoga, running, pilates, learning about nutrition, reading more, creating art, meditating.
These were mine but the options are endless.
Find whatever calls to you. Try something new that’s going to actually improve your life.
8. Improved relationships.
Ditching alcohol will also bring better relationships into your life.
When you quit negative habits and work on improving yourself first, you’ll be naturally drawn to people who are also making healthy choices.
(And those people will naturally be drawn to you.)
You’ll be able to recognize the good relationships in your life— and let go of the toxic ones.
9. More money.
Okay, another thing I noticed when I was just getting that one glass of wine with dinner— it was like ten bucks.
Alcohol is expensive.
What could you be using that money on?
Make a list. Write it down.
Decide what is more important to you.
10. Simply feeling and living better.
Take all of these things and add them up.
What you get is a better life.
(In my personal opinion, I suppose.)
Quitting alcohol has resulted in me living a more intentional, balanced, nourished, fulfilling life.
I wake up everyday feeling energized and present.
I have deep, meaningful relationships with healthy people and have let go of all the toxic drama from my past life.
I only choose healthy, nourishing meals and I consistently move my body.
I’m living the best version of my life.
Give sobriety a try. Give it thirty days and see how you feel. I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
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