Due to my success with the BSD, I no longer feel able to drink alcohol. I’ve lost 67lb in 14 weeks and I’m only 5lb from goal weight.

I didn’t touch alcohol at all for 14 weeks and decided to indulge in some beer and mulled wine at Christmas drinks with good friends of mine. I had 5 pints of beer and 2 mulled wines.

As soon as the first drink hit my lips, I had a horrible piercing headache. I also ate 10 chips, a southern fried chicken fillet, a battered chicken ball and 4 onion rings. I’m sure this type of food compounded the feelings.

The headache remained for 24 hours and left me thinking that I have to say goodbye to alcohol, even when I’m in maintenance. In fact, my New Years resolution will be to abstain from alcohol.

I’ve never been a big drinker since leaving university. I had my fair share there and now I only really associate alcohol with feeling worse than before I drank it, whatever the goings on were the night before.

Over the last year, I have on occasion been to parties and had no alcohol. Seeing other people’s reactions really shocked me, it’s as if they feel you’re not enjoying yourself.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue before? Either deciding to go teetotal or managing other people’s expectations in relation to you not drinking

Hi cmawp

This line of yours pretty much sums me up.
I’ve never been a big drinker since leaving university. I had my fair share there and now I only really associate alcohol with feeling worse than before I drank it, whatever the goings on were the night before.

I now dont drink at all really and it is the case that some people see no alcohol – no fun. Family will soon get used to the fact you dont want to drink and just accept it. My other half is happy as he has a designated driver!

At parties, although it shouldnt matter what others think that is easier said than done. I find ordering something like a soda water with ice and a slice and people dont think you arent drinking as it could be anything. If you have diabetes or if the risk is there and you feel under pressure from people, just say you cannot drink for health reasons, or if its not with a regular group of friends but rather a work function i have on occasion said I am on antibiotics and cant drink with them.

You shouldnt have to make excuses but sometimes its easier. Anyone close to you should just respect your choice to go teetotal.

Amazing weightloss by the way. Well done.

Thanks for the compliment and the tips Cleverblonde73 🙂

My other half also looked pleased about the prospect of having a permanent designated driver!

It’s such a shame people have the view of no alcohol = no fun. It’s a sad reflection on society.

I’ve realised that virtually all of the times I have had a drink this year were more to please others than for myself for example, visiting in laws who say they have bought beer especially for me or going to a friends house for a party and seeing the smile appear on their face when I eventually had a sip on a beer after not drinking most of the afternoon.

Really interesting thread.

I do enjoy red wine but maybe a little too much!!

Lots of BSDers are concerned about ‘eating out’ because they are concerned about what others will think when they refuse potatoes etc. In fact very few people even notice what others are or are not eating because they are so caught up with themselves.

When it comes to alcohol, however, there is definitely a different mindset. You are so right that others can’t see how you can be having fun without alcohol.

I like your line that alcohol makes you feel worse than before you drank. It’s so true and I wonder what alcohol does for me to make me feel better!! It doesn’t do anything I guess. It’s just a habit like having potatoes every day!

Maybe, it’s time just to stand up and be counted and say ‘I don’t drink’ ! The problem is other people’s not yours!

cmawp …. fantastic loss!!! WELL DONE!

Thanks Verano (today my daily weigh in showed 68.5lb lost!).

I’m loving your positivity towards this subject Verano. It really is other people’s problem and shouldn’t be mine – flipping an issue on its head can sometimes solve everything!

It’s interesting to note the different perspectives between food and alcohol. I must say I now realise this – on a trip to Cote Brasserie a few weeks ago, me picking out potatoes and croutons from a salad nicoise barely raised an eyebrow whereas ordering tap water was ‘strange’.

Physiologically we must eat food, we don’t necessarily need alcohol and yet we notice abstinence from the latter more readily than the former – go figure that one out!

It is sad and definitely is other peoples problem, I don’t miss alcohol, I certainly don’t miss the morning after feeling 🙂 . One wonders when social occasions became more focussed on the food and drink rather than enjoying other peoples company!

I can take it or leave it……..people (family) think I am mad because I don’t get tipsy. But like others I hate the thought of wasting the next day of my life feeling ill.

I faced this problem many years ago. Although I never drank much alcohol, even then, I decided to stop altogether. Partly because I was at slimming clubs and could eat more if I had no alcohol. At the time I used the antibiotics excuse – but was asked if I was pregnant! A male office junior where I worked was pressured to drink at the Christmas party, to the point where he vomited and had to be taken home by the office manager. He told me he didn’t even like the taste of alcohol, but gave in to the pressure. Some of the girls in that office said they’d not had a good weekend if they could remember it! And yes, I was asked often how I could enjoy myself if I didn’t touch alcohol the answer – “easy”.

I’ve been teetotal for about 20 years. The last alcohol I drank was on a transatlantic flight from the USA. One of those tiny bottles of red wine. I didn’t know if I was dying, or if I just wanted to. Not touched a drop since.

Interesting stuff, people are so different. I love alcohol, although not the effects of over indulgence which is why my BSD honed control is coming in so useful at the moment. I like the complexities of taste of red wine, white wine, champagne, and can appreciate most spirits as long as they are not sweetened or drowned with mixers, but drink them very sparingly. I love craft beers and real ales. My sister on the other hand has as far as i know never had a drink of anything alcoholic in her life and apparently this is simply because she hates the taste. If anything is going to derail my maintenance I know it will be alcohol rather than any of the white stuff. I am determined not to let it though.

I think most alcohol tastes yucky! I have an occasional cider, and much rarer fruity cocktail. Since I don’t drink much I go happy… sleepy… sick in the space of about a glass and a half. And my arms ache like I’ve been poisoned. So it’s not a big deal at all for me to say “no thanks”. I basically only drink water and tea. I’d much rather eat my calories.

I’m with Natalie on this one – I’d much rather eat than drink my calories – alcohol has got me into more ridiculous situation in the past than I want to think about, and I haven’t really had a drink in about 10 years. I do drink but I choose very carefully and I never drink when I’m out, just at home. I really enjoy very good, expensive wine and I’ve experimented with damsons this year (gin and vodka) but it’s a taste and then leave it for someone else. I am a foodie through and through, give me wondrous, delicious food any day of the week instead.

Since starting the BSD almost a year ago, I have found that I really don’t miss alcohol and am content to only rarely drink these days. However, like others have mentioned here, the pressure to drink on social occasions bothers me, especially as I used to be known as something of a drinker. This sets an expectation I suppose, making me feel a little awkward if I don’t ‘join in’.

That said, I have managed my alcohol intake prudently throughout the festive season, including a get together attended last night to see in the new year. Have avoided all hangovers and have only gained a pound back.

Happy new year to everyone!

I realised that I would need to do something about my relationship with alcohol first, if I were going to really succeed with the BSD. I happened upon a great program online called ” The Drink Less Mind” by a psychologist called Georgia Foster. It has really helped me to set myself up for my current successful application of the BSD principles. I highly recommend it. It even includes a daily mindfulness meditation similar to the third core principle of the BSD.

I’ve reduced the amount of wine I drink at home to about a 60ml measure which is alot less than a 125ml measure deemed a ‘small’ glass in pubs and restaurants. Some places start with 150 -175ml small glasses. I take more time over it, and if drinking when out, sometimes just leave a third of the wine in a pub measure. At family gatherings I secretly chuck a bit away. I don’t have alcohol every day now, so that I get alcohol-free days. I always have some food with wine, and some water on the side. That said, I’m quite capable of drinking to excess, and of drinking every evening. Alcoholic drinks are very enticing – so much choice and variety – but alcohol doesn’t particularly suit me and I’m quickly affected by it – hence my need to restrict it and drink very modestly.

I also found it difficult to refuse alcohol in social situations as it was definitely regarded as odd not to imbibe. I went from being a near teetotaller to being a regular drinker who liked alcohol very much.

I have found that on the low carb eating style, alcohol affects me much more quickly than it ever has before. As a consequence, I pretty much avoid alcohol these days. Will very occasionally have a small whisky at home and if out socially, might have a small red wine or occasionally a g&t. It was my birthday on Friday and we went out for a meal, so I allowed myself one small sherry, one small glass of red and a small brandy to finish. This represents unusual consumption for me these days.

Have to say, I feel so much better for not consuming alcohol regularly and if you can avoid it whilst on the BSD, it’s probably best to.

When reading through recent posts, I came across frequent references to alcohol so I thought I’d resurrect this not so old thread to put our experiences out there.

I drink very, very little: a glass of champagne for a celebration and since starting the BSD I mostly don’t finish that. It’s not that I didn’t try in the past but alcohol just doesn’t press my buttons. Dairy does! OH who’s following the BSD with me likes a few glasses with dinner and isn’t interested in changing that but we have noticed that the fewer carbs he eats the more wine he drinks. Since November his consumption has crept up till he was starting a second bottle. Not good. Obviously. So recognising that, he’s put some guidelines in place limiting his consumption and I’ve added slow carbs into his meal to help. His tolerance had also lessened so he was getting drunk on much less. That’s just our experience and I hope it might help BSDers out there who are finding alcohol hard to quit.

I know very little about addiction but I do know that when I gave up smoking years ago, I took up eating. Cross addiction I think it’s called, is a real possibility. personally I’m still exchanging one food addiction for another, hopefully less harmful food, and if I have to be addicted to something I’d like it not to have anything to do with food. I’m doing the 1,000 mile walk which is helping.

Sorry for ranting! These thoughts have been running round my brain and I wondered if anyone had thoughts on the subject.

Thanks for bringing this topic back to the top Angela06.

Interestingly I have been ill, well that’s not interesting, but, I haven’t had any red wine for nearly 4 weeks because I really have been taking antibiotics! As a result my weight loss has increased, possibly in part due to my illness, but nonetheless in my heart of hearts I know that you can’t drink and lose the optimum amount of weight.

I guess drinking becomes ‘habit’ in much the same way as consuming carbs does. We don’t really need either.

As for society’s view of alcohol I think that is entrenched and the chances of it changing very slim. Look at the three main UK ‘soaps’ and they all have a pub at their heart. In fact there are very few TV programs that don’t feature alcohol as part and parcel of any social situation.

It took many, many years for smoking to become classed an ‘anti-social’ habit and that in part was due to the fact that it affected non-smokers. I’m sure most people can remember the adverts where a mother is smoking outside the back door and the smoke is drifting into the house where her children are playing, and hence ‘smoking’. Similarly the one in a car. Now the adverts show the horrors of nasty things ‘erupting’ from a lit cigarette.

When did you last see a ‘nasty’ object floating in a glass in an advert for any alcoholic drink??? Alcohol is part of life and many people enjoy an odd glass of whatever with no ill effects. So I guess it comes down to choice again. How many people have heard the words …’ I couldn’t live without bread/potatoes etc.’ Well we all do with no ill effects. Maybe alcohol is the same as carbs… fine for some but ‘poison’ for others.

I have had a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol in the past but manage to be in control (most of the time). Like Verano I am all or nothing, I can’t just have one drink unless it is carefully planned like a glass of wine with lunch and no chance for more. I’m a bit like the joke ‘what to do with leftover wine’ – what the hell is leftover wine. Just have to finish the bottle. It really is just a matter of habit and at one point when I knew things could have gone another way due to some bad things happening in my life, I decided to stop drinking completely. I read the Jason Vale book How to Quit the Booze, Now and I stopped drinking for 18 months, not a drop. One of the things that made me start again was because people were quite distrustful of me, why wasn’t I drinking, did I have a problem, did I have a problem with them drinking, was I judging them. I used to spend the whole evening having to explain myself. Also, we went on a cruise and it was so bloody awful they had to keep apologising for things going wrong and gave us drinks vouchers to make up for things. I finally gave in after a particularly annoying day when we discovered at our first shore trip that they had lost our booking and turns out they had lost everything we had booked so we were stuck on a ship in the Philippines for nearly 2 weeks. Enough to make anyone drink. I made good use of the vouchers.

During the first 8 weeks of the plan I didn’t have any alcohol.

From the experience of giving up I now drink within moderate levels, I can go without or just have one but I can still have a few too many if the mood takes me (but that is rare). However, give me a piece of chocolate and I will enjoy it and not even think of having another. I used to buy multipacks of maltesers (my favourite) and they would be in the cupboard for months and go past their eat by date.

I guess we all have things we cant say no to but as adults have to learn where to draw the line. I am not perfect and still say I won’t drink at the weekend and then give in when offered something but I know I am the one in control, hubby is not forcing me, I can be strong sometimes and sometimes not.

I’ve already posted that I’ve not touched alcohol for many years – I wanted the calories for other things, it made me feel ill. And I don’t like being out of control!

It’s interesting to remember people’s reactions. People wondered if I was pregnant, adidnt think it possible for me to enjoy myself without it.

But I remember another occasion. My friend’s daughter had just graduated from medical school in Galveston and a large family group went for a celebratory meal at a very posh restaurant. You know the type – lots of different cutlery and glasses.

But only two of us didn’t want alcohol – my friends son (a recovering alcoholic) and myself. It was easy to see why people thought I wasn’t drinking. Their faces said it. And ….. although it was so posh, the only alternative to alcohol we were offered was tap water! Not even sparkling mineral water.

It’s fascinating reading about the experiences of so many on here. Whether it be alcohol, sugar, carbs, or (as we’ve just been saying) dairy products and nuts!

As has been said, we can all make choices – if we want to. So many people seem happy with their addiction that they don’t see any need to change things. Until, perhaps, something bad happens.

I’m in the “all or nothing ” group. I know that if I took a mouthful of the bad carbs it could very easily be the start of a very rapid slide down the slippery slope back to obesity and diabetes. Like a recovering alcoholic can’t taste alcohol,again.

I’ve fought that battle with the carbs. The new battle is with cream and nuts. Fortunately, at the moment, I’m ok with butter and cheese. But I’m aware that could change.

We are all learning so much about ourselves, even above and beyond the BSD. It’s great to have such a friendly, supportive, and non-judgemental group on here.

It was interesting reading your posts sunshine-girl and captainlynne. It started me thinking about the people we know and their drinking habits. It took me a while to realise that whilst we do have many friends who have the odd glass of wine when they’re out but wouldn’t necessarily drink at home we only have four who ‘don’t drink’. One is a recovering alcoholic, the second I’m not sure about, she could be, and the last two just don’t drink out of choice.

So, in effect, most people we know do drink, a few quite excessively, so they are the rule rather than the exception. That being said it’s hardly any wonder that ‘non-drinkers’ are viewed with ‘suspicion’. You have to consider that some people may be really envious of your ability to ‘not drink’ and secretly wish they could be like you!

Cream and nuts ….. that’s an interesting one Lynne!!!!

I drink very little and it doesn’t seem to cause a problem but my daughter who’s 29 has never drunk alcohol and finds the pressure to do so so intense that she refuses invitations to girls’ nights out etc. And she’s often nervous that someone will pop a vodka or something in her fruit juice….Shocking, isn’t it?

In reference to another comment, I really hate having my glass topped up before it’s empty….

And back to my original post about alcohol and food addiction generally; I’m fast coming to realise that I’ll never be able to eat carbs, that I’ll have to be on my guard always because “one is never enough”. Funny how these things percolate round your brain then suddenly you know….

PS when refusing a drink I just say “oh I’m on a diet” and maybe because it’s obvious that I need to be on a diet I’m left alone!

Sunshine girl: your cruise sounds like the stuff nightmares are made of!

Yes Angela it was a nightmare from day one. Never travel on a Costa Cruise, should have known when they hit the rock near Italy because the captain wanted to wave to his mates. We are giving it another chance and cruising the fjords of Norway in May but going 1st class all the way on P&O Britannia. Booked everything well in advance and even a table in the Indian restaurant of Atul Kutchner. Fingers crossed it will be the trip of a lifetime and I will be drinking.

Very interesting thread!

Doing the 8 week BSD last summer I dropped 12kgs, but I’ve been a total red wine addict for longer than I want to think about (easily polishing off 4 or 5 bottles a week for the last decade and a bit) and my boozing is the main reason 9 of those kgs have gone back on.

When I did the BSD, I found it easy not to drink because I had a goal… and I thought I’d be able to go back to drinking, albeit more moderately, once the 8 weeks were up. I now know that I was wrong, my version of ‘moderate’ is still too much and it’s simply not possible to quaff lots of wine and be healthy – obvious I know, but alcohol is a drug and people on drugs aren’t exactly known for being realistic 😉

A bit of online digging on the subject threw up ‘How to Kick the Drink Easily’ so I gave it a go too and I’m happy to say it’s worked a treat!

Weight is already coming back off and I’m more than happy to hang out with my friends and family while they booze it up… I enjoy their company and myself just as much as I did before if not more so.

I’m still really enjoying all the delicious food I got into on the 8 week BSD and now I’m happy to be off the booze… all I need is a method that convinces me I love exercising more than watching box sets – any suggestions? 🙂

Hi, great experiences here and well done on the changes you have made and maintained. 🙂 My approach has been a bit different and I have found it works for me.

I was drinking a glass or two most nights prior to starting BSD800 late Sept, due to stress and bad habits. On BSD, I stopped the daily vino and stayed with a Friday night couple of drinks. I love a red wine when we have company or if out for dinner, and the end of the work week is a time of celebration for me. It is recommended not to drink alcohol for the 8 weeks BSD but I really thought this through. I wanted to approach BSD in a way that meant my diet habits could become life habits. OH and I have eaten Med style for years anyway, but I was overdoing the carbs, particularly with added sugar, and portion sizes.

If I feel strictly deprived of something it tends to lead me to throwing in the towel. I am trying to adjust my ‘all or nothing’ thinking, so in picking up with BSD I have deliberately pushed myself to drop the ‘all or nothing’ mantra and it has worked so far. I am pretty much eating the same as I always did, only greatly reduced and that includes the vino. If I overindulge, it is OK and not a beat up – move on and get back in the groove. It all feels sustainable for the long term.

My way re wine is not for most people on BSD, and probably shouldn’t be. Just a another view. tigsxx

Hi tigs, that approach is probably closest to the one I adopted, although I find it quite easy now most days to stop at a glass only. Rarely have I continued drinking unplanned quantities, even now I am on maintenance, maybe half a dozen days since last January when I started my serious push to get healthy and lighter. That may yet change, I only reached my target at the start of this month, and plan to only keep logging stuff until my birthday in June, after that hoping that my new healthier habits are pretty set, as I read somewhere that it takes about six months to do that. I am sipping a lovely glass of Zinfandel now, my only one of the night and which I started about an hour ago. It is still satisfying. During the 8 weeks I did give it up, but mainly for concern at its lack of nutrients 😊

I think I must fall into the ‘all or nothing’ group when it comes to wine although not to food. I can quite happily have just one square of Lindt 90% chocolate and not feel the urge to finish the bar. However, with wine it was different.

I was ill last month and had antibiotics for 3 weeks. I didn’t drink and even when I was well again I felt ‘off’. So for five weeks I had no wine then on Friday I suddenly got the urge for a glass of white. I’m a red wine drinker so why I fancied white I don’t know! Anyway, I had a glass of cold Chardonnay and hey presto it tasted awful, bitter and really unpleasant. It was not the ‘joyful cold’ mouthful I thought it would be! So after a couple of sips I gave it to my OH who said it was actually a very nice Chardonnay!

I can’t say I will never drink wine again but for the moment I’m quite happy with water!!

Sorry I can’t help you exercising Marcus but well done for changing your drinking habits!

We all seem to have a different relationship with alcohol. I have always really enjoyed a drink and, if honest, drank too much to be healthy. I am just about to start week 7 and, to date, have only succumbed to alcohol three times in that time and I am honestly, on the whole, not finding it too difficult. Two of the days I succumbed was when I was on a 10 day holiday, and we spent several hours in a pub every day, so only giving in twice wasn’t too bad, and the other was a birthday (not mine) lunch with girlfriends, when I had just one glass.

I will certainly go back to drinking once I have reached my target, but not like I used to drink (i.e. every single day (often several glasses). One of the pleasures of my life used to be sitting down with my husband at the end of a busy day and sharing a bottle of wine while we talk over our day. However, my difficulty is that I really cannot find an acceptable alternative, particularly when I am in a social situation. At home I have just another cup of tea (no milk or sugar) or yet another glass of water. But it is pretty boring. I have never enjoyed “soft” drinks (and of course, they are loaded with sugar and carbs) and I hate anything fizzy, so even sparkling water is out. I drink masses of water at home during the day , so just drinking plain still water, even with ice and lemon, doesn’t feel at all special or sociable. If I could find a suitable alternative to alcohol, I would be happy more or less giving up completely, but I am really struggling. Any suggestions anyone?

How about iced herbal tea? Last summer I made gallons of a combination of hibiscus flowers and vanilla honeybush and it was delicious. It’s also a beautiful ruby/magenta color which makes it feel much more festive and cocktail-like. Peppermint tea is much better cold than hot and incredibly thirst-quenching. I’ve also made peach ice tea, almond ice tea, chai ice tea (served half-and-half with almond milk) and fennel ice tea.

You have to be cautious with fruit teas — check the ingredients to be sure they don’t use candied fruits or add sugar — but once that’s sorted, there’s a whole world of beverage flavors to explore. You don’t even have to heat up the water. Throw a bunch of tea in an infuser (or a bunch of bags if you don’t have loose-leaf) and steep it in a pitcher of water overnight in the fridge. The next morning fish out the infuser/bags and you’re good to go.

Thanks Esnecca – the herbal teas sound lovely, particularly iced for the summer, and I will give them a try.

However, at home is not really a problem, because I am happy with tap water, and have always drunk gallons of it – it is more when we are out socialising in pubs / restaurants etc. I just struggle to find a drink that is readily available, is BSD friendly, not fizzy, and tastes “festive” for want of a better word – in these situations, plain old tap water just doesn’t “do” it for me – even with the addition of ice and lemon. 🙁

It’s definitely time a clever drinks company came up with some healthy alternatives to beer, wine and champagne for restaurants and bars. It must be a growing market, there’s a vast range of ‘free from’ etc products in supermarkets now – even some of the big boys are getting in on the act.

Have to say, I cannot recommend this whole ‘not boozing’ thing enough. I’ve dropped just under 3kgs in a week and remarkably my appetite has virtually disappeared. I’m still able to eat and enjoy a meal once it is in front of me, but I don’t seem to be reaching the stage of feeling ‘hungry’ at all.

I suspect that drinking red wine in the evening was raising my sugars and giving me an artificially enhanced appetite.

All this feeling great is almost enough to make me want to go for run… well, almost 😉

Hi Theodora, I struggle with this too, although easier for me as I do like fizzy water 🙂
Iced tea has already been mentioned – I love iced Twinings strawberry & loganberry tea.
When you are out, how about a watered down juice? Say 1/4 orange juice and 3/4 water? This is how I drink it at home, well before BSD that is! Also works with other juices, although you’d have to watch the carb count I suppose – I love grape juice and also cranberry juice – again I’m not talking every day here, just special occasions when off 800 calories! I just did a search on My fitness Pal and all of the fruit juices are at least 100 calories and around 20-25g carbs per 200ml, but if you were having Only 50-100ml and topping up with water it’s obviously less.
Interestingly tomato juice is only 10g carbs, not sure if you like that?
In the past I ‘ve had non-alcoholic wine, but I’d imagine that would be fairly high in carbs.
I did a google search for low-carb non-alcoholic drinks and found that Piña Colada comes up a few times – basically coconut milk and pineapple. The coconut milk would be BSD friendly but pineapple probably not!
My husband and I have made a pledge to ‘go dry’ during March, so if I come across anything suitable I’ll let you know!

Tomato juice is a good idea. Virgin Bloody Marys are spicy and delicious and something of a meal in and of themselves. Even if you don’t like tomato juice, it might be worthwhile to give it another chance. The BSD changes your taste. I now love flavors that I used to actively dislike.

Thanks for the suggestions, SueBlue.

I actually love tomato juice, and before BSD, often had a glass with Worcestershire sauce for breakfast. However, it is not something I could drink more than one glass of, as it is so filling and a tad cloying so, whilst I could happily start an evening at the pub with one, it’s not something I could drink all evening or, indeed, with a restaurant meal. And sadly, iced herbal of fruit teas, whilst lovely, aren’t widely available in pubs / restaurants.

As you say, juices, even diluted tend to be too high carb/calorie for BSD800 (and I am keeping my carbs to circa 25 whilst on 800, so even diluted juice would use those up pretty quickly) and, unless I really enjoy it, either on 800 or on maintenance, I might just as well save myself the carbs/calories and use them for something I really do enjoy – i.e. wine 😉 as long as I don’t overdo it.

It’s a real tricky one – I’m sure there is a HUGE business opportunity out there for some budding entrepreneur. Watch out Dragons’ Den………………………………………….

PS Sorry, I’m allergic to pineapple, so Pina Colada won’t work either – but it sounds awfully sweet?