Anyone else give up drinking entirely?
 

So I've read about a lot of people not being able to give it up. I can understand that, but I'm wondering how many of you have and had success in doing so?

I haven't had a drink in over 3months. (including my birthday). Living in NYC it is HARD, I mean there is a happy hour after work EVERY SINGLE DAY! But I sip on water and people just assume it's straight vodka...so whatevz.

Anyway, I'm wondering how many of you have done this and had success. Do you find you are losing more by not drinking?

I was always a BIG drinker. I cannot imagine a birthday since I was 21 where I didn't throw up, I must say it was nice this year not to do that =) I never considered myself an alcoholic, hey, I am not having cravings or anything of that sort. =) But, just wondering if you think this really helps with losing weight for YOU?

Also, I've given up drinking soda (i've never really liked it anyway) or tea or anythinggggg of that sort. I was wondering if I'm alone here too?? =) I only drink milk and that is only AFTER a work out.

I stopped in June 2009 and haven't had any since. Granted, I was pregnant for 9 of those months which made it easy, but I chose not to continue after. Why? Alcohol helps me make poor food choices. I would rather have 300 calories of food than 300 calories of 1-2 drinks.

I can't say if it helped me lose or not (because I was obviously gaining weight for the pregnancy) but I can certainly say that my judgment in restaurants is better without alcohol.

I stopped drinking looong ago and find I still have a good time. I order a 7UP or plain tonic with a twist and nobody really cares what is in my glass.

I love drinking. When I was not being mindful of what went into my pie-hole, I drank a nice double 4 or 5 nights a week. That's not a ton of drinking but enough that it's hard to make room for in a calorie-counting plan.

I haven't eliminated it completely, but most times when faced with the option I decide it's not worth the calories, and pass on it. I miss it, but not enough that it's particularly painful to forego it.

The other night I was out with my partner trying to decide whether to order a drink - and neither of us could remember the last time I'd had a drink. So, yeah, while not completely eliminated I guess as practical matter I've given it up except for very occasional drinks. I just think about it in terms of the calories and it's pretty easy to pass on it.

I used to drink quite a bit. Quit cold turkey and now can barely handle a bottle of beer lol. I have no clue if it helped with weight loss or not, as I made the effort to start losing weight before I quit drinking so...? I'm going to say yes, though, as I do eat more now than I did when I drank

I've had my share of problems with alcohol. I go through periods where it is under control and other periods when it is not. Luckily, I'm fine abstaining but I do not too very well with moderation. The problem with drinking for me is it compounds the weight issues because I always want to get something to eat that is horrible for me afterwards.

So far it has been about a month since not drinking. If I don't go to bars I have no reason to drink as I never liked to drink in my apartment.

It definitely has helped me lose weight.

I gave up drinking not long after I turned 21. A good dose of alcohol poisoning was enough to make me stop. Now there are times when I will have *a* drink, but really I can count on my 2 hands the number of those single drinks I have had in the past 13 years (yes, 21 was 13 years ago for me *gulp*).

I used to drink ALL the time. And then I got pregnant and now...I rarely drink...I can't even remember the last time I had a drink. Maybe an occasional glass of wine...but that's not very often, that's for sure.

I don't necessarily ban alcohol. But I've probably had under 10 drinks in the last year, and 4 of them were on my birthday. I just don't drink frequently. When I do drink, I drink good wine, with meals.

While I haven't given up drinking alcohol....I drink maybe four glasses a wine a year. I never was a big drinker. I was always much more interested in the food. LOL ;)

(seems like one drink puts me to sleep)

I have been either pregnant or nursing for the last 3+ years, so that skews my statistic a little. I will occasionally have a glass of wine with dinner, but I never, ever go out and drink. I never really have, even before I had kids. I didn't ever want to spend $6 on a beer, it irritated me. I will maybe have a drink once a month but usually decide it's not worth the calories.

During the losing portion of my journey, alcohol was out of the question.

But I was not *much* of a drinker any way. I was usually too self conscious and too paranoid about what I would *look like* if I were to *let loose*.

Now that I've lost the weight and am no longer worried about what I look like, I'm not afraid of *loosening up*, so I will partake every now and then. But the good thing is, is that I really enjoy socializing now and don't need a drink to let loose and have a good time.

And drinking by my lonesome is not something that appeals to me.

Did not drinking help with my weight loss? 100%. Lots of empty calories in alcohol. I was not willing to have empty calories and the after math of alcoholic empty calories in particular. Let's your guard down and before you know it, you're eating tons of extra calories.

I have maybe one drink a year. It wasn't weight loss that got me there, I just lost interest after college.

I have a glass of wine when I go out to dinner, and that's about it. I've never drank more than one or two at a time, and if a particular special event came along I'd probably had several. I, too, have the problem of getting snoozy after a little bit of alcohol, so it's never very fun to drink in public anyway.

I haven't given it up completely, but I notice as I get older I'm starting to drink less and less...I still like a good martini or a glass of wine though. :)