# Anyone given up alcohol?  What happened?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-given-up-alcohol-what-happened/602688>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 12, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-given-up-alcohol-what-happened/602688 "2011-11-12T14:46:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-given-up-alcohol-what-happened/602688/21 "2011-11-13T03:04:07Z")

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I gave it up a few years ago. Since then, I dropped about 25 lbs, and got through a tough course which enable me to have a kickass job. I could stay more focused at work, and relaxed better at night than if I’d had ‘chemical assistance’. I don’t have to worry about hangovers, and I don’t have to worry about smelling even slightly boozy if the phone rings at 1:AM (which, it does).

Tripler  
Yes, it is a kickass job.

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**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-given-up-alcohol-what-happened/602688/22 "2011-11-13T23:00:34Z")

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Yes, I have basically given up drinking, semi-permanently. I did for financial reasons and sleep reasons.

I used to drink quit heavily at times and it was wrecking havoc on my sleep patterns.

i still drink a beer or two occasionally, but no more than two. few and far between though, 4 times this year. Once at a casino, once when Osama was killed and three times after a golf game.

Now if I can give up caffeine and sweets.

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**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-given-up-alcohol-what-happened/602688/23 "2011-11-14T14:58:31Z")

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A couple of years ago I gave it up for Lent. I am a weekend drinker- Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, not to the point where I’m actually slurring and stumbling, but a nice buzz. My wife and I usually drink a 750ml bottle of wine on those nights, but I drink maybe 3/5ths of it. I might also have 2-3 beers watching a football game mid-day.

For the first few weeks, I guess I slept better but noticed no other changes. Then all of a sudden, at around the one month mark, I lost 7-8 lbs all at once. Like, in a matter of a few days. I suddenly didn’t have that extra paunch in my gut that I had come to loathe. As of Easter Sunday I felt and looked great. I celebrated with a glass of wine.

I think I’ll do it again for Lent next year. It’s a nice opportunity to hit the ‘reset’ button.

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