Sober October: What Cutting Back on Alcohol Does for Your Weight

Sober October gives many people a reason to take a break from alcohol. If you are working on your weight, it is also a chance to look at how much you drink and when. Alcohol can add more calories than you realise, affect your food choices and disrupt your sleep. Here is what cutting back could change, whether you stop for the month or decide to drink less.

The calories in your glass

Alcohol contains around seven calories per gram, almost as many as fat. Mixers and other ingredients can add more. A pint of beer or a large glass of wine can contain a few hundred calories, although the amount varies with the strength and serving size.

Those drinks can make a difference to your overall intake, especially if they are a regular part of your week. Checking the size and strength of what you usually order is a more useful starting point than assuming every drink is the same.

It can affect what you eat, too

After a few drinks, it can be easier to order a takeaway or keep picking at snacks when you were not planning to. Alcohol can affect appetite and decision-making, so the calories from a night out may go beyond the drinks themselves.

This does not mean one evening undoes a week of healthy eating. It is simply worth noticing whether drinking changes what, or how much, you eat.

And it can disrupt your sleep

Alcohol may help you fall asleep at first, but it can interrupt your sleep later in the night. A poor night’s sleep can leave you tired and make it harder to stick to your usual meals and routines the next day.

Sleep, appetite and weight management are closely connected. If you often feel worse after drinking, sleep may be part of the reason.

A word if you use a GLP-1 medication

If you are on a weight loss medicine, there are two extra things worth knowing. Alcohol can worsen the nausea and stomach upset, and its empty calories work directly against what the medicine is helping you do. Some people also notice they simply want to drink less on these medicines, an effect researchers are now looking into, though that is early and not a reason to take a GLP-1 medication. .

What a month off might show you

If alcohol is a regular part of your week, a break may mean fewer calories and better sleep. You might also notice when you usually reach for a drink: after work, with dinner or when meeting friends.

Weight loss is possible, but not guaranteed. It depends on how much you drank before and what, if anything, replaces it. The value of a month off is also the chance to decide which habits you want to keep afterwards.

If you think you may be dependent on alcohol, speak to your GP before stopping suddenly. Withdrawal can be dangerous.

You do not have to go all-or-nothing

Sober October may suit you, but drinking less is a worthwhile goal too. Try a smaller measure or a lower-strength drink, alternate alcoholic drinks with water, and plan drink-free days. An alcohol-free option can help when you want the occasion without the alcohol.

If you drink, UK guidance recommends no more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over three or more days. Drinking below that level reduces risk; it does not remove it. Our article on keeping your health goals while enjoying summer has more ideas for finding a balance that works in everyday life.

The benefits beyond weight

Drinking less may benefit your blood pressure, liver health and sleep. It also reduces exposure to alcohol, which is a known cause of several cancers. These are reasons to cut back even if your weight does not change.

Looking after your heart involves several habits working together. You can read more in our article on your heart and your weight.