CUTTING DOWN – TIPS TO STAY ON TRACK
Alternatives to alcohol
The good news is that you can always safely cut down on your drinking to lower your risk levels.
The best way to cut down is to:
- Reduce the number of days per week that you drink; and
- On the days you do drink, reduce the volume and strength of your drinks
Instead of drinking on a day you normally drink, make an alternative plan on that day to:
- Exercise, walk, swim or play sport
- Find an activity you enjoy and pursue it
- Take up volunteering or other hobbies
The benefits of cutting down will be:
- feeling better in the mornings – improved energy and mood
- being less tired during the day – improved sleep
- your skin may start to look better and you’ll start to feel fitter
- you may stop gaining weight
- you’ll have more money to spend on other thing
You could set yourself a target to save your usual drinking money and instead spend it on something you’ve always wanted.
Tips to drink within the guidelines:
On the days you do drink, there are many different ways you can cut back – try these tips:
- Make a plan - Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you’re going to drink – why not aim to drink just 3 or 4 days a week, within the guidelines
- Keep track of your drinking – find out about units and the recommended guidelines - make sure you know how many units you’ve drunk so you can keep yourself within the lower-risk guidelines
- Set a budget - Only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol
- Eat beforehand or with your drink – you’ll feel better if you only drink on a full stomach or with food and you’ll probably drink less while you eat
- Make it a smaller one - You can still enjoy a drink but go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small 125 ml glass of wine instead of a medium (175 ml) or large one (250 ml)
- Have a lower-strength drink - Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV in %). You'll find this information on the bottle
- Stay hydrated - Drink water before and during drinking, and don't use alcohol to quench your thirst. Have a soft drink instead
- Take a break - Have at least 2-3 days each week when you don’t have an alcoholic drink
Make a note of how much you’ve saved, or how much weight you’ve lost due to cutting back. Well done!