[404mm]

Just curious, how did you quit?

I always enjoyed a good beer, wine and whiskey. But during the covid year, I took a few months break. Then when I had a drink again, I could see how much it affected me. So I didn’t do it again for a few weeks. I tried couple more times but each time it was just not worth it for the next 1-2 days. (After one or two drinks, that is).

Now I just don’t miss it anymore, and I love it!

[wjamesg]

Opposite for me. Been drinking way too much since Covid. Need to take a break

[jefft255]

Same for me. Me and my partner had to set an artificial rule to never drink on weeknights. Especially at the beginning, the stress induced by the pandemic made it really easy to want to pop a beer open at 5 every day. It mostly worked, in that there was an obvious benefit even though we slipping every now and and then.

[sjg007]

Your strategy is basically the best way. You have to actively remember how bad you feel after drinking and that changes your psychology.

[mpfundstein]

but what if you feel great after drinking?

[scrozart]

I believe they meant the next day/several hours later.

If you don't feel any adverse effects later, you're probably drinking responsibly (never more than 2, always with food), or are still on the younger side.

Age is a huge factor in how we process booze. As you get older, your liver gets worse at handling the byproducts of alcohol, specifically acetaldehyde. It's the poison that leads to longer, worse hangovers. I didn't get hangovers until my early 30s, and they've gotten considerably worse over time, while simultaneously being _much_ easier to achieve. If I drink at all on an empty stomach, even just a single beer, I really feel it now in my early 40s. Maybe not later as a hangover, but rapid onset sluggishness. The effects on sleep are no joke, and as you get older sleep is harder to come by for a number of reasons, which we've learned is incredibly problematic.

You get to a point where you have rules: always eating something first (which could affect other health goals like calorie counting), drinking water between drinks/every other (which leads to feeling gross and bloated, possible hyponatremia if you're not careful), and taking supplements like NAC before bed/every 2-3 drinks. It becomes clear at some point that not drinking is the only real solution.