Your weekly drinking results

You're reducing your risk of long-term health problems

You're reducing your risk of long-term health problems

52%

You drink MORE than 52% of men your age

This week you've drank the equivalent of 4 doughnuts (not counting any other snacks or mixers!)
10
To burn off the calories that you've drank this week, you'd need to walk for 10 miles
How drinking less could benefit you

Less alcohol = less calories.

It's shocking to see how many calories are hidden in alcohol. Cutting out a drink here and there can really reduce calories and help you lose weight. For every large glass of wine you don't drink, you'll save 235 calories. For every pint, you'll save 180 calories. Avoiding spirits and mixers can save you lots of calories too.

Save money.

If you start drinking less you should quickly start to see the money you're saving pile up. Keep this money in a safe place and use it as additional motivation. The less you drink the more you'll save!

Drinking less can help you sleep.

Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep, making you feel tired and sluggish. When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into a deep sleep quicker, but as the night goes on you spend more time in the less restful Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep. This can leave you feeling tired the next day, not matter how long you stay in bed. To help you sleep better, stop drinking earlier before bedtime. This will give your body time to process the alcohol you've drunk. On average it takes two hours to process a glass of wine or pint of beer. For more advice to help you sleep visit www.nhs.uk/livewell/sleep/pages/sleep-home.aspx

Click here to see more benefits of drinking less
Your top tips

Now we know more about how you drink, we'd like to suggest some simple tips that you could try using to drink less. You don't need to do them all. Pick what works best for you and your life.

Red wine does more harm than good.

Although media stories that red wine is good for you are very popular, the catchy headlines can be misleading. Many of the studies quoted in these stories have limitations or flaws that cast doubt on their findings. Alcohol should not be promoted as a way to improve health. There is no safe drinking level, and regularly drinking too much increases your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, liver disease and some cancers. The way to enjoy a longer healthier life is to drink less alcohol, eat a healthier diet, exercise more, and quit smoking.

Swap to a lower strength to cut your calories.

Knowing the alcoholic strength of what you are drinking is really quite important. A simple way to reduce the amount of alcohol and calories you're drinking is to swap strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength. The strength can be seen on the side of cans/bottles and on pumps in pubs as "% ABV", which stands for alcohol by volume. This is sometimes written as "vol" or "alcohol volume". A 1% difference may not sound much but it adds up over a few drinks.

Find a way to relax that you like - that doesn't involve having a drink.

We all need ways to unwind from our busy lives. Drinking alcohol may make you feel relaxed at the time, but can make you feel worse afterwards. Simple activities like exercise, reading, yoga, playing music, cooking something new or making time for a hobby can all help you wind down. Find what works for you.

Drop a drink size.

A really easy trick to drink a little less without feeling like you are missing out is to go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.

Keep wine for longer.

Why not save some wine until tomorrow? Most wine keeps for a couple of days if you use a bottle stop.

Keep an eye on how much is in your glass.

It's easy to drink too much when you're at home. Pay attention to how much you or your friends and family pour into your glass and always make sure to finish one drink before pouring another. Topping up drinks makes it harder to keep track of how much you've had and to know when you planned to stop.

Fact or fiction

Is red wine really healthy?
Are beer and wine safer to drink than spirits?

Find out the truth here
Health effects
of alcohol

Alcohol can affect your physical and mental health

Find out more here
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