How To Reduce Your Alcohol Intake

08 Nov How To Reduce Your Alcohol Intake

Posted at 12:20h in Drinks by

Drinking too much can compromise our mental and physical health and prevent weight loss. If you’re trying to reduce your alcohol intake and wondering where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we take a look at some practical ways to keep your drinking under control.

We work with clients struggling with weight loss and can help you if alcohol is one of the hurdles stopping you reaching your goals. Arrange your complimentary 25-minute consultation call to find out how we can help.

HOW DO I REDUCE MY ALCOHOL INTAKE?

There are some simple steps you can take to reduce your drinking, whatever time of year you’re trying to cut down on alcohol. These include understanding the units in your drinks, understanding the main reasons you drink, tracking your drinking and making behaviour and lifestyle changes to make a difference. Read on to find out more about how to implement these strategies.

KNOW YOUR UNITS

The government recommends a maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week for both men and women. But are you aware of what this looks like in actual drinks? Many people fall into the trap of thinking this equates to two drinks a day, but in actual fact, 14 units equates to six pints of 4% beer, six small glasses of wine or 14 25ml measures of 40% spirit. So that is less than one small glass of wine each day to stay within your limit. Use an app to track your drinking or calculate your intake using Drink Aware’s online tool.

IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS

Think about the situations and feelings that cause you to drink the most. Are there certain people who encourage you to always have one more? Or occasions that always trigger you? Maybe you’re drinking at the end of a stressful day? Once you’ve identified the situations that will potentially lead you to drinking in excess, you can work on avoiding these scenarios or finding alternative behaviours to replace your drinking. For example, if your ritual is to open a bottle of wine at the end of a stressful day, try getting out for a walk or taking a bath.

KEEP A DRINKS DIARY

It’s easy to lose track of how much we drink. A couple of glasses after work here, a few on a night out there – it can soon add up. Keeping a record as you go can help highlight how much you’re really drinking. Use the Drinkaware app to log your drinks easily and discreetly.

PLAN YOUR WEEK

At the beginning of the week, write down when you’re going to have a drink and how many you’re going to limit yourself to. Keep your plan somewhere where you’ll see it to remind you to stay focussed.

FIND SOBER SWAPS

If you’re a habitual drinker that drinks mostly in social situations, try opting for the numerous alcohol-free or lower alcohol alternatives now on the market, so that you can still feel like you’re being rewarded with a high-quality, grown-up drink. Premium alcohol-free spirits such as Seedlip are now widely available in pubs and clubs, while alcohol-free beers and wines are growing increasingly popular.

Read more: Alcohol Alternatives: What To Drink When You’re Not Drinking.

LIFE BEYOND THE BOOZE

Instead of arranging to meet friends for a drink, try expanding your social activities beyond those that involve alcohol. Try a high energy dance or spin class, or meet your friend for a run. Exercise is a much healthier way to get a buzz. If you’re drinking to relieve stress, you could also consider meditation or yoga practices to improve your self-care regime. Joining a class offers a social aspect to the practice.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for many people trying to cut down or eliminate their drinking is their social circle. ‘You can have one more’ or ‘come on, don’t be boring’ might be phrases you are used to hearing. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals will increase your chances of success when it comes to cutting down your alcohol consumption. If you find your friends are not willing to support your efforts, find a new network. There are many great sober and mindful drinking communities online. Visit Soberistas and Sober Girl Society to get you started.

Read more: Are Your Friends Helping Or Hindering Your Weight Loss?

If you think your drinking could be out of control, don’t be afraid to seek help. We often picture individuals with alcohol problems as dysfunctional members of society. The truth is, there are many functioning alcoholics who maintain a relatively normal life. If you struggle to control your drinking, speak to your GP who can talk you through your options for regaining control.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

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Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

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Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

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Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

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INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

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ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

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