Design elements: Getty Images.

Collage: Cassie Basford/EatingWell.

I have a complicated relationship with alcohol.

a collage featuring a hand holding out a glass of wine and a hand refusing it

Photo:Design elements: Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford/EatingWell.

I went to a college where binge drinking was a sport.

While I tamed things once I graduated, I still had a deep appreciation for beer and wine.

I used to wait in line for special releases at craft breweries.

So it surprised many of my friends and family when I decided to give up drinking.

And I dont regret it one bit.

To be honest, it was a snap decision.

And 30 days later, I cant tell you how good its felt to be booze-free.

Here are all of the benefits Ive noticed so far.

Plus, things are just generallyahemmoving better through my system when Im not drinking alcohol.

That could be becausealcohol is dehydratingand Im drinking much more water now, especially at night.

Now that Ive stopped drinking, that happens much less frequently.

Did drinking alcohol make my night sweats worse?

I think so, but thats just my anecdotal experience.

So I didnt realize how much alcohol affected my sleep until I gave up drinking.

But I think its more than that.

Even if I went to bed at a reasonable time, I was still often really tired and cranky.

Im just overall feeling better now.

I Lost Weight

Ive struggled with my weight for years.

Shedding some pounds, she said, could help bring them back down.

While I didnt cut out alcohol to lose weight, it certainly helped.

The dank, hazy IPAs I gravitate to clock in at 300 calories or more a can.

Now, my nightly canned mocktail or juice and seltzer is a tiny fraction of that.

Plus, its not like I made the greatest choices when I did drink.

If I had even the mildest hangover, I definitely ate more than I would typically in a day.

It all added up.

I dont think thats sustainable, nor do I like rules when it comes to eating and drinking.

But ditching alcohol for more than a month has really shown me how much even one drink affected me.

I like thema lot.

You may be surprised, too.

2023;6(3):e236185.

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6185

Sleep Foundation.Alcohol and Sleep.