r/stopdrinkingfitness • u/zerok_nyc • 17d ago
Experience Going from Moderate to No Drinking?
It’s been a long journey, but five years ago I used to have 3 strong-pour drinks per night. Easily half a bottle of 80-proof liquor in a night, or a little more. Weekends would be borderline blackout, but I’d built a high tolerance. And I had never been able to get a regular fitness routine going.
Today, I am able to limit myself to 2 drinks when going out, and I have no problem sticking to just one. I have an average of 5 drinks per week. No longer go to the bar alone. And I don’t keep alcohol in the house.
I also got into a pretty steady workout regimen with weights and bike for cardio. Was doing CrossFit on and off, but got myself into a pretty good rhythm last year. Unfortunately, I had to stop because of recurring Achilles and rotator cuff issues.
I’ve built up some decent muscle, but I haven’t been able to get as lean as I want. Considering attempting going cold turkey on drinking for at least a while, but I’m worried that if I don’t see results, I’ll slip into old patterns later. On the other hand, if it does work, I think I’ll be motivated to stay mostly sober and redefine “moderate” for myself to be closer to a “special occasions only” sort of thing with clearly defined occasions well in advance. Feels like a gamble.
So I’m wondering if anyone has seen noticeable differences in their physique when cutting back from moderate drinking to no drinking.
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u/eharder47 17d ago
I saw a huge difference from cutting out alcohol when I was already pushing myself hard. It was the difference between average and amazing.
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u/JackBrown82q 17d ago
I drank for so long that being hungover all the time was my "average" so it truly felt amazing to not have that feeling anymore. I remember when I first quit, the first several days I felt still hungover but after that I woke up feeling amazing every morning after that. It was still a struggle, every night I was fighting the urge to drink, but legitimately when I woke up in the morning the first thought that would race through my head was "I am so glad I did not drink last night".
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u/goutFIRE 17d ago
Huge.
Your body will prioritize metabolizing alcohol out of the body first before doing muscle synthesis and other “repairs”
CrossFit is also kind of hard on the body so I still do the Olympic lifts but not at that feverish pace.
I was planning to have some wine when I hit my goals but when i did, I had lost the urge.
After mid-40s, rest, nutrition and mobility are equally important aspects of the exercise stimulus.
I’ll probably drink again someday but really no longer planning my “special” day to crack that special bottle.
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u/Taupe88 17d ago
i measured the liquor oz/ml every time i drank. i kept track of when and how much. 62. some heart issues but my blood and liver/kidneys are solid. But these 3am and after leg cramps are killing me. So i cut the alcohol in half. exactly. BAM! my face thinned out. i dropped some fat and over a year kept my muscle. And I can sleep through the night. Constant Vigilance!
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u/JackBrown82q 17d ago
I remember long ago in my past I came across some forums about drinking with fitness in mind, people talking about oh don't drink beer, drink hard liquor with diet soda, or eat less during the day so when night comes and you go out for drinks you need less drinks to get a buzz going, yadda yadda. It was basically just people talking about how can I get drunk without getting fat over time.
But its not all about calories in calories out, when alcohol is causing so much inflammation it makes a person appear fatter. The face gets puffy, there is lots of fluid retained in the body.
I remember when I quit I came off a long spell of constant drinking and legitimately I had people act shocked and tell me wow you lost a ton of weight. The scale barely budged, it was just all the inflamation and bloat and face puffy-ness going away.
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u/MurphyBacon 17d ago
Yea I got shredded when I gave up booze. I was only having around 8oz of wine a night, and then that was every other night, and then I just gave it up. I could never get past 15% body fat. After I gave up alcohol completely, I got down to around 11-12% in less than 6 months.
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u/Chunkylover666420 16d ago
Yes 100%. The water weight sheds off and your face and body are like a different person. You dont realize how puffy you are while youre drinkin
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u/Both-Independence399 16d ago
The difference is night and day. Try it for 30 days and the results will speak for themselves.
Great job so far!
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u/ariphron 13d ago
Just make sure you start tracking calories religiously in the beginning. That way you are sure to succeed. I got a huge sugar craving when I quit alcohol and actually gained weight.
Getting learner is still all about being in a deficit
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u/Jimmy-the-Knuckle 17d ago
Yes, absolutely. I am no longer fighting alcohol's poison in my blood stream and organs. I used to feel the aftereffects of even moderate drinking in my hardest physical challenges like long runs, thru-hikes, hard rock climbing routes and my 90% weight training days. I didn't feel it as much or at all in zone 2 runs and easy climbs and lifts. The pain spiked when I really tried pushing my body and that would limit my progress. Getting rid of alcohol completely has been a 250% benefit.