Cutting Back On Alcohol

I enjoy my single malts, porters and stouts. I savored a lovely dram of this gorgeous 40-year-old in sherry cask from Tomintoul specially bottled for Quaich Bar. Distilled in 1977 and bottled in 2017, this bottle is at cask strength. One dram was enough.

I've consciously cut down on alcohol for a whole year and three months. My favorite bar definitely misses me. Haha. Well, I ain't giving it up, but alcohol is certainly not ingested in the way it used to be done. Has my social life suffered? Honestly? No. Friends who love me, will accept that. Acquaintances or friends whom I don't care about, won't be drinking loads with me either. There used to be this joke because I only see some people in the night when alcohol is present, and I've never met them in the day! Now, I see them at the gym or wherever else for coffee. Oof.

Sure, the spending on alcohol has drastically reduced and my bank account's pretty happy with that. I gotta admit that those numbers (spent at bars) that used to appear on my credit card statements were rather shocking. The greatest difference felt, is to my body. Pilates and gym classes effectively keep the desire for alcohol in check. Alcohol intake is limited to one pint of beer or one dram of whisky the night before a class. On many occasions, I opt for non-alcoholic options.

Putting aside food in this discussion only because I eat fairly clean, and the diet hasn't changed very much. Carbs are not avoided, just not eaten in huge quantities. With the huge decrease in alcohol consumption, and hence, unnecessary sugar, the body feels so much better. I feel stronger, cleaner and generally less sluggish.