One Year...No Beer - Completed!

I'm pleased to report that last night as the bells chimed for 2014, I completed my year without any alcohol!

And because I enjoyed the alcohol free lifestyle so much I'm going to continue being a "non drinker", and I enjoyed waking this New Year morning with no hangover.

A massive thanks to everyone who supported me on my year without beer, whether it was online or in person. Thank you all!

If your thinking of cutting down on drinking alcohol I'd recommend checking out the website - http://soberistas.com/ - as there are lots of good tips and advice on there to get started on your journey into the wonderful world of no booze!

So I'll sign off for now, but may update this blog from time to time. The blog will certainly be a nice memento for me of 2013 my alcohol free year.

Here's to a happy and healthy, hangover free, new year!

365 days - no beer!

Only six hours or so left of 2013, and it looks like I've almost done it - a year without drinking any alcohol.

Not drinking this year has saved me an estimated £780 (not including any money I would have spent in pubs, or taxis that I would have taken to and from nights out etc).

I also weigh half-a-stone lighter than this time last year (not a huge amount I know but the goal wasn't about losing weight).

Having no hangovers has been fantastic.

I thoroughly enjoyed not drinking alcohol. I'm going to try to stop using the phrase "giving up" alcohol because I feel I've not actually done without anything - and the list of gains are by far more significant and substantial.

Are you thinking of giving up alcohol for a year (or more)? Do it, do it, do it, I would say.

As I said on this blog exactly 12 months ago today - here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Day 364

Its 30th December 2013 and there is only one day left of my year without any alcohol!

It has been a really interesting experience, and one I'd highly recommend for anyone thinking of giving up the grog themselves.

This time last year I was getting inspiration reading the blogs of other non-drinking-for-a-year-pioneers such as this one http://givingupdrinkingforayear.blogspot.co.uk/ - and this one - http://suspect.me.uk/

After tomorrow night when the year is finished I'll leave this blog up, and perhaps it too might inspire others to try giving up alcohol - whether it be for for a week, a month or like me - a year.

Giving up Alcohol for a Year - 3 days to go!

Today is day 362 of my journey into 2013 with no alcohol. It doesn't seem that long ago since I made the decision on 31/12/12 to attempt to go a whole year with no beer, wine, spirits (or any other form of booze).

I wasn't a big drinker, but I binged on regular occasions, and when I did drink I did not enjoy the hangovers the next day, which seemed to be getting worse with age (I'm 34 now).

One of the highlights this year health wise was completing my first (and probably last!) marathon in Edinburgh. I did it with a really slow time, but I believe not drinking alcohol played a big part in helping me train for it and complete it.

If you are thinking of giving up alcohol for 2014 I would highly recommended it. It is great not to feel tired and hungover on weekend mornings, but to feel refreshed and hydrated. I found that after about three to four weeks alcohol free, the tendency or craving to "have a couple of beers" faded away.

Will I drink alcohol in 2014? Well I believe that after a period of time without alcohol the brain re-wires itself and you no longer feel the need to drink, and that's the way I'm feeling right now. I would also say that that the advantages of not drinking far out way any perceived advantages of drinking alcohol.

For anyone considering giving up the booze for a while, why not sign up for Cancer Research UK's Dryathlon. You will save money, feel much better and perhaps raise a few ££s for charity along the way!

One Year No Beer - 23 days to go...

Today is day 342 of my year without drinking any alcohol, which means there is only 23 days to go!

With 93% of the year completed, an alcohol free Christmas season awaits me. But will this be the final hurdle in my alcohol free year and will I slip up with such a short time to go?

Hopefully not! Looking forward to a booze and hangover free festive season!

Year without Beer - Six weeks left...

So today is day 322 of my year without beer, which means there are only about six weeks to go!

It does really does not seem like that long ago since that night on 31 December 2012 when I decided to try giving up alcohol for a year.

So if anyone out there is thinking of giving up alcohol for a while - go for it! Its really not as hard as you might think.

Kick the Drink Easily with Jason Vale

My first alcohol free stretch took place between early November and December 2012. I think of those 8 weeks as a sort of pre-cursor to the main event - enjoying the year 2013 without any alcohol.

During those later weeks of 2012 I read the book Kick the Drink Easily by Jason Vale (best known as the "Juicemaster"). It was an easy read, very funny in places whilst also being bit of an eye opener in terms of the effects alcohol can have on your health. In general it helped put the whole "not drinking thing" into context for me.