Tips and Tricks for Drinking Moderately

Abstain Monday thru Thursday and drink what I want on the weekend.

 

Two things have worked for me:

1- knowing how much I’m actually drinking, as in how many “standard drinks” I’m having (one standard drink is 12oz of 5% abv beer). Two 16 oz cans of 7.5% abv IPA is the equivalent of 4 standard drinks. A 1.5 oz. pour of 40% whiskey, which I drink from time to time, would count as one standard drink.

2- setting a number of standard drinks I allow myself per week. I set my number at 10 standard drinks. So if I have the aforementioned two pints of 7.5% abv beer on a Tuesday night, then I would have six drinks left for the week. I’ll ocassionally suspend/ignore this amount for things like vacations or the days around Christmas. But, other than those times, 10 is my limit. Honestly, I find I'm not even making it to 10 most weeks.

I really think item one is very important and something a lot of BAs are ignoring. This is part of the reason why I love lower abv beers. I like to drink volume, I don't want to sip it. I enjoy a nice barleywine every few years, but it's not something I'd drink regularly because it takes too much of my weekly limit. I recently came across a beer called "The Future is Unwritten" from Small Change. It's a 3.1% abv. dark mild. I can down three pints of that beer and it only counts as 2.5 beers for the week.

 

Already a couple great pieces of advice.

Started drinking a bit more towards the end of 2022, which has now given me a health issue as well as weight gain (probably tied to the health issue).

Went from being very fit to overweight in a matter of a couple years and consuming more alcohol obviously didn’t help.

@BigIronH has a great plan and gives you something to look forward to at the end of each week. This is something that has worked quite well in the past as far as keeping alcohol intake to a minimum and controlling weight.

 

Like anything, it’s more about changing your routine over time.

The first year of the lockdowns I would drink about 2 beers a day at home, going out was a lot less frequent than in the past. My tolerance decreased since I drank more while working (1990s-2010s).

Over the past two years I consciously switched my at home drinking to one beer per day (about once a month I’ll have two, the second with a rare late night meal). I look forward to and enjoy a single beer more than when I had 2-3 beers in a day.

Also, on brewery / bar visits, I now have about one per 45 - 60 minutes, usually 1-3 in a visit and that’s plenty. I’m good with the changes and consider myself a moderate drinker at this point. One “tip or trick” is to have a full pint of water with each beer. Will naturally slow you down, and keep you hydrated (a win win).

 

For those people that are “at home” drinking recommend keeping busy as long as possible before you have your first beer and when you normally go to bed/ stop drinking. This will condense your beer drinking timeframe and thus help reduce the opportunity for multiple beers. If you tend to over indulge at bottle shares or going out to breweries with friends, simply cut back on the frequency.

 

1. Don't drink when you're sick.
2. Don't drink when you're on prescription meds.
3. Quit drinking at least 2-3 hours before you sleep.

 

Muck like @Providence I use the standard drink calculator, which helps, I have found my weekly intake to vary anywhere between 8-11 drinks per week.

For me personally the styles I enjoy help me with this too but on top of that I'm rigid, in everything, which is good in this case but bad in others.

I have a few rules...which I tend not to break, rigidity...

1) no beer monday
2) one drink tuesday-friday (if it was a long friday once and a while two)
3) two saturday, two sunday

Something that helps me I guess is that if I go over two drinks, I almost always get a sinus headache and feel like crap. It keeps me in check on a night I may want to do one more...I'm not sure if my metabolism, my low body weight, or something else but it has helped keep me moderate so I can enjoy something that brings me a lot of joy. Being present, and enjoying each sip of beer I take...

 

I use this one: http://aodtool.cfar.uvic.ca/index-stddt.html

Not an app but you can mess with units and it allows decimals as well...

 

Good post. This is very top of mind for me currently and has been since March of 2022. For many years, I didn't eat terribly well and drank too much (2-3 beers per day and I like them strong). After a blood test which revealed elevated cholesterol and a subsequent cardiac calcium scan which revealed significant calcification (not good), it was time to cut back on beer consumption and eat healthier. Even at 52 years of age, weight wasn't an issue for me since I have always been very active. Surprisingly, eating healthy (Mediterranean diet) was more challenging than cutting back on drinking. My method for monitoring beer consumption is somewhat similar to "Providence" post. I keep track on an Excel spreadsheet each night how many drinks I had that day. I count a 12oz or 16oz beer as 1 beer each regardless of ABV and I count a 22oz bottle or 750ml bottle as 2 beers each regardless of ABV. Many people that read this may raise an eyebrow and think, wow, that is still a lot of consumption and very conservative counting. I agree, but I had to start somewhere since drinking was somewhat out of control. The amazing thing about the spreadsheet is that it keeps me on top of my beers per day average throughout the month. It makes me challenge myself some nights and just skip beer to bring down my average which makes me feel good about my efforts. I'm not having a "dry January" by any means but I'm currently on pace to have my lowest beers per day average for any month since March of last year. And I'm excited about that. Cheers!

 

Great thread idea. I certainly struggle to moderate my intake. The only thing that's worked for me when accomplishing extended breaks is sheer will power and determination. My big hang-ups are always sleep, oral fixation and sheer boredom. I'll share some tips that have helped me overcome those obstacles:

Sleep - I'm not proud to admit I often use alcohol as a crutch to help me sleep. I'm a light sleeper, always have been and beer is a surefire way to help me get to sleep (or rather, pass out). When taking breaks, I've found Melatonin (specifically liquid Melatonin, the absorption rate is faster, so you can take it right before bed and it does the trick) will at least get me to a dream state, if not full REM, which is better than staring at the ceiling. The quality of Melatonin matters though. Buy it from a reputable supplement shop/website, not the grocery store. Lower quality Melatonin tends to lead to fucked up dreams. I've also discovered GABA but haven't used it enough to determine if it works as well as melatonin. GABA is different in that it's not a full-on sleep aid, it just promotes relaxation. So the idea is to take one in the day and one at night to just keep your mind relaxed so you can get to sleep easier. More high maintenance obviously, which is why I haven't been able to form a full opinion just yet.

Oral Fixation - To me, replacing beer with N/A beer isn't really helping the issue. You're still spending money since some of the really good N/A beers are just as expensive as the "real" stuff and the goal shouldn't be substitution, it should be conditioning yourself to not "need" the fix. However, the oral fixation issue is one that's particularly strong for me, so it's sometimes necessary to employ the substitution tactic. I like the Lagunitas Hop Refreshers since IPAs are the only style I actively crave and they're not quite as pricey as some of the high end N/A beers. Also, especially this time of year, I like to make Golden Milk which is turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and a little bit of sweetener heated up in a milk alternative (I prefer oatmilk). So, if you have a particular hot beverage you like such as mulled cider, hot chocolate, chamomile tea, etc. that can curb the nagging of the oral fixation habit.

Sheer Boredom - Definitely the toughest to tackle. No magic secret here. Try reading, focusing more on a hobby, exercise more or start exercising, immerse yourself more in work but try not to replace it with work or you could become a workaholic, do some community work. Any other suggestions?

I tried @Providence 's approach a couple times of limiting myself to even 14 standard drinks a week but was unsuccessful. I kept trying to bend the rules and social outings involving alcohol would pop up after I had already drank my allotment for the week. One thing I haven't tried is @ChicagoJ 's idea of a full pint of water with every drink. I heard way back that, if you do that, you won't get too inebriated no matter how much you drink, and it certainly would slow me down at the very least. Maybe I'll give that a shot.

 

Outside of abstaining from alcohol, this consumption habit change has produced the most positive benefit to my sleep and recovery.

It also works nicely to limit your consumption, i.e. if you have a set bed time, you can only consume so many beers in the window between returning home from work, and your 2-3 hour sober period before bed.

 

What really helped me was tracking my drinking in terms of US Standard drinks (12oz of 5% beer) and being intentional about trying to stay under the 'heavy' drinking limits (for a man, 4 drinks in a day, 14 total in a week).
I made a spreadsheet to track my daily/weekly drinking. Average daily drinks over the course of the year, how many days with no drinks, etc.

With the ABVs in craft beer, and often large package sizes (pint cans, stovepipes, bombers, 750s), it's easy to drink more than you realize. At least in terms of standard drinks.

 

When you say "Very Fit" does that mean that you were actively working out or you sayin you just weren't what you are now?

Working out regularly helps offset all of that weight gain immensely. I know not everybody can do lift weight and do intense cardio , but thats what i do to maintain specific Weight. ,

Building Muscle mass also helps keep your body less susceptible to injurys which is great as you age.

Hope ya can cut the beer and get back to where you were before!

 

I hate to state the obvious here, but it seems like it's worth mentioning.....a good way to moderate drinking is to have other ways to combat anxiety and sadness other than with drinking.

 

Last drink I had was 1January. Dry since. I have been drinking N/A and some are ok and as someone posted they still take a chunk from your wallet. I feel much better not drinking. I too was also getting a sinus headache after a few hoppy beers. I have been averaging over 2 beers a day for a long time. I don’t count ABV or size so that 2 a day is an average of all beers logged into Untappd. Split a bomber 4 ways is 1 beer, a can of spice barrel Bigfoot is one beer. My goal this year and beyond is to keep my beers to no beer when I need to be up and at work early am and try not to have one when I get home at 11pm. This one is tough as unwinding and then getting in early just yells beer me Unless I’m on holiday I’m not a big day drinker so most of the time I drink while prepping food and eating said food. The other thing I noticed prior to January was I felt like shit the day after having 3-4 beers and I was also getting more buzzed than I was used to on the same amount of beers. Guess that’s just my body yelling at me.

In theory if I can stick to no beer before an early work day, no beer at 11pm that cuts out 5 days a week and I should then only be having beers twice a week, days will vary based on my odd schedule. I am going to keep buying the zero alcohol SN and try the Lagunitas. These seem to scratch that itch. If I can get to this point I can also then buy beer that is more $ than I will pay now since I will in theory be drinking much less.

Shall see how it goes. If I remember I will come back here and post my weekly drinks once I start drinking again.

Enjoy

 

I usually let myself drink 4 nights a week.
What keeps it in check is whatever im going to drink that night I already put in the fridge in a specific spot. Thats what I'm going to have ,I know it,and I can't act stupid later and pretend I didn't have too many.

 

I also try to stick to the Monday thru Thursday rule and eat well on those days.

I try to lift weights and do cardio 4 times a week (I average 3 days)

Problem is I eat and drink like an asshole Friday, Saturday, and Sunday....basically negating any progress I made during the week. So I start every Monday from 0.

This worked fine through my 20's and 30's, but in my 40's this is not sustainable.

Still trying to find my balance.

 

Lower abv beers. I didn't really start gaining weight untill I started drinking IPAs and multiple pints a day. I need to incorporate some n/a beers.

I always try to eat better than I already do. I rarely eat sweets/deserts, especially if I'm drinking I pass easy. Exercise of course.

This 1 is big. Days you want to go lighter or just have 1-2 or drink na. Find your triggers that make you say fuck it and have a extra few, or fuck it to that hangover.

 

did any of you gain a lot of weight from drinking heavily?

 

Some great comments and advice in this thread and I have tried just about anything you can think of over the years and some lessons I can share:

• You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet.
• Not drinking during the week and then going big on the weekends doesn't work. If you don't believe me do the math on how many calories/carbs you consume, not only from the drinks but what you may eat after you get cravings from the alcohol. Now add that up over a month and then a year.
• Alcohol will effect your reasoning and inhibitions so put the one or two drinks you want during a session at the front and hide the rest if you need to.
• Alcohol effects sleep and some beers do effect me in other ways e.g. sinus issues (I see others mentioning this also) so no two beers may be equal.
• Alcohol will effect your nutritional absorption so keep this in mind with meals.
• Keep track of how much you are actually drinking and one 8% beer is not the same as one 5% beer.
• Constantly think about how long it will take to burn off what you are consuming and/or how much work you put in that day and how it can all be offset by a few drinks.

I have had to drastically reduce my beer and alcohol intake and am pretty close to giving it up altogether. It was a fun hobby and I enjoyed the years immersed in it but it did get a bit out of control and it took some time for me to take off the extra weight I had put on and was not happy with, and this is coming from someone who worked out constantly and can't sit still and had a good diet.

 

Cool thread @AlcahueteJ I’ll chime in that scotch (or bourbon if so inclined) with a pint is a nice way to stretch a session but not go crazy. I find it helps me maintain thoughtfulness. Kinda sucks banging through a 4/6 pack of something you really like and not really *tasting* it because your palate’s blown or you’re into a session and it’s all the same.

Practically speaking - I drink NA beers, usually only drink on weekends but also look for some spontaneity. Meaning, say I have an early tee time on a a Saturday maybe I’ll just have a couple NAs and take a Friday night off so I’m feeling fresh in the morning. I also try to pick out what I’m going to have that night and put it in the regular fridge, that way I’m deciding on my intake before my head is cloudy.

I think just being deliberate and intentional about what one consumes is good. Staying mindful while you’re drinking (or eating) is never going to be a bad thing. I think moderation comes inadvertently when you’re thoughtful about your consumption (and that’ll be a different threshold person to person)

 

@AlcahueteJ I use an app called drink control. Have been about 2+ years now. Def is eye opening to see how any 16oz beer over 7.5% is putting you over daily limits. Love the app though and I like tracking. I still drink plenty of beer just am much more careful how many days a month I drink and how much on each day

 

Industry here, tagged in the post but choosing to reply and resuscitate my personal handle.

It is helpful and interesting to see all the ways folks deal with this sensitive issue. When I quit smoking over a decade ago, I was finally successful just doing it cold turkey and not talking about it to anyone. At that point I had tried plans, limits, hacks, etc, and found no success.

I think what I learned about myself at the time was to be thoughtful about my goals. I wanted to be healthier, I wanted to boost my sensory perception and I wanted to stop an expensive crutch of a habit.

So personally, I don't have any great plan. I try to be mindful about what I consume, where and with whom. I rarely have more than a single beer at home with my family; I never have more than two if we aren't hosting guests. If I open something and I don't like it, I toss it. No time or attention span for bad beer!

Sampling for QC purposes is never the same as drinking. We do it in small quantities, or at home with an app-based program.

Oh, and on a trip last year I learned about glutamine rebound - which is what happens when you drink too much and wake up at 3am, wide awake. I hate that and try avoiding it at all costs, which usually kills the temptation for a third beer right quick.

 

Before a kid and COVID, I drank the two nights for which the next day I didn't have to get up for work. I also tried very hard to usually combine these with days that I wouldn't be exercising the next day (e.g. going to the gym). Well, that plan doesn't really make sense with a 3 year old, a wife that has 2 part time jobs with odd hours so that we can balance each other's work schedules, no childcare, etc. There's never a moment that I am not "on", so I just try to be conscientious of when I drink.

I'm more likely now to have many nights that I am up late, and I drank too much the last few months due to being perpetually sick, and having to work a LOT of long nights. So, I'm trying to get back to the 2 beers a week. The only thing is that 2 beers a week is sometimes 2 12-oz cans, 2-16oz cans, or perhaps 2 500ml bottles. The last 2 days I have opened two 500ml bottles (one 12%, one 10%). That's more than I'd like, but I've been pretty good, and I really wanted to drink both of those. So, I feel satiated. If I am only drinking lagers, I'll let myself have 3 or 4 instead of just 2 in a week - IF I want.

This is incredibly easy to control if I am getting reasonable amounts of sleep and/or going to the gym instead of sleeping. It's very difficult for me to control if I have week after week of late nights. It's miserable. Beer makes it less miserable. That's an unhealthy attitude, but it's true.

 

Working 12 hour night shifts instantly reduces the number of days I can drink by a huge amount.

Other than that I just wing it. Honestly I probably average 3-4 beers per week. It’s not a lot but I appreciate each one a whole lot more than when I was drinking 2-4 a night.

 

If I feel like drinking, I drink. If I don't feel like drinking, I don't. Haven't had a drink since last Wednesday. Also, I tend to take at 1 or 2 days a week off from drinks intentionally, mostly as a calories reducer, as I'm a sizeable human as is.

 

I have cut down on my consumption considerably over the past three years due to weight and health issues. I'll still drink whatever and whenever I want, but I have zero qualms about dumping half (or more) of an expensive beer down the drain if I don't feel like drinking all of it. I finally got back into cycling last summer after a long layoff; however, I absolutely hate exercising indoors, which makes it tough to lose weight during these brutal winters in the upper Midwest. Just cutting back on the alcohol makes a big difference.

TL/DR: Half a beer instead of a whole one.

 

Props

 

I love The Future Is Unwritten! I was disappointed to find that Dark Milds from some other breweries around here are in the 4-6% range.

Some things I try to do are:

• Focus on buying beers that come in 12 oz cans. This is about lower alcohol and lower cost. I haven't run the statistics but I feel like beers available in 12 oz cans have a lower, um, average ABV. Lately I'm enjoying the Zero Gravity variety pack, New England Face Hugger, Dogfish Head Nordic Spring, and Oxbow Northern Lager. I still buy fancy fourpacks but I try to think of them as treats.
• Ask myself what I want when I reach into the fridge for a beer. Am I just thirsty? Is it habit? Or am I really going to enjoy the flavor profile of a particular beer?
• Specific to me: be wary of the Tree House can list. Now that Tewksbury is open it's almost convenient for me to go on any given weekend. Of course they hype the 8% hazies but I try to focus on the lower ABV offerings.

 

Two methods:

Keep a low stock. I generally don't have more than 8-10 beers in my fridge at any given time. When it does get over 10 (usually when I go to Tree House), I stop buying until I get it down. Every once in a while, I'll get down to 0 which creates an opportunity for an exciting trip somewhere to load up. Keeping a cellar full of beer is a slippery slope, don't let it happen.

Have a weight goal, and adjust drinking habits based on whether your over/under. This keeps me in check more than anything, as I'm into fitness/nutrition.

 

For me, the best way to reduce beer consumption is to not have any in the house. The best way for me to not have beer in the house is to not go to the store. The best way for me to reduce going to the store is to not go on BA. I go on BA every day, but for the moment, I’m doing a good job at not going to the store. Having said all that, I confess that I am planning on going to the store tomorrow. I blame the Duvel tasting thread for that one.

 

There's a piece of me that wishes can/bottle sizes were calibrated to produce one standard drink, regardless of abv. The 3.1% abv dark mild I mentioned earlier would be in 19.5 oz can. My 5% abv House Lager from Jack's Abby stays in its current 12 oz can. The 12% abv Sucaba that's been sitting in my basement for five years would be in a 5 oz. bottle (Don't tell @Hotajax, ha). Obviously this would never happen, but if it did, I'd like it.