I’ve decided that I’m giving up alcohol for Lent.
While I am not Catholic, I do respect the principles of the Lenten season and how people use this opportunity to deny themselves of worldly excesses, if only for a brief period of time.
So where did this come from? Why have I made the decision to quit drinking now? Keep reading to find out!
[bctt tweet=”Starting my journey of giving up alcohol for Lent… #sweatpink #runchat “]
No Alcohol for 46 Days – Why?
A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about how successful I have been with limiting my sugar intake as part of the Runner’s Reset and wondering how I can keep it going and even take things to the next level.
I have been trying to cut back on my social drinking of alcohol for a while now, and since one of my goals this year is to drink less alcohol, Lent seems to be the perfect opportunity to test it out and see how I do.
So from February 10 to March 25, I won’t have a single drink! Here are my 5 biggest reasons for giving up alcohol for Lent.
I Want to Save Money
Purchasing alcohol, whether at the bar, liquor store, or beer distributor, is expensive! I love a fine craft cocktail, but they usually cost at least $12 a pop, maybe $10 if I’m lucky. And I usually get two! Even if you opt for beer, all it takes is a few drafts or bottles during the night to rack up your tab very quickly.
Do you know how much a case of good beer costs? $30, $40, $50…insane!
We may go out only once or twice a week, max, but the amount of money spent on alcohol is outrageous. It’s even worse when you go to expensive cities like NYC and DC.
As part of this journey, I should probably try to keep track of how much alcohol I would have purchased during Lent to see how much money I’ve saved!
And maybe I can use those savings to splurge on something I need…like more running clothes!
I’m Tired of the Empty Calories
After completing the 21 Day Reset, I don’t want to go back to eating and drinking junk all the time. Beer is loaded with excess calories and cocktails, my favorite, are full of sugar. I’ve tried the lighter and “skinny” options of drinks, but they really don’t taste that good.
Everything’s best with moderation, but I really want to see the impact that giving up alcohol will have on my health over the next month and a half. Will I lose a couple of pounds? Will I feel slimmer? Will my running be positively impacted somehow?
I know that it will be challenging to find alternative drinks when I am out, but if I have to stick to water, so be it! You can never have too much water, right?
I’m Tired of Being Singled Out in the Bar
This is one of my less serious reasons for quitting drinking, but for me, the most annoying thing about drinking, especially in the past year or so, is that I am constantly carded wherever I go!
Can I rant for a second? How is it that the older I get, the younger I look? I’ve been over 21 for almost 10 years! I’m totally fine with it when everyone in the group gets carded, but usually, it’s just me that gets singled out!
And no, it’s NOT a compliment for a 30-year-old to be told they look like a teenager!
Last year at the 5K Run for Clean Air, I was excited to get my free post-race Victory beer…until I got carded. Meanwhile, a coworker, about 5 years my junior, was swiftly handed her beer without a problem! This is my life!
Needless to say, I will be relieved to no longer get the once-over every single time I ask for a drink. It’s something that I just can’t get used to, so it’ll be GREAT to have a break from being singled out, if only for a few weeks.
I Don’t Want to Use Drinking As a Social Crutch
I’m sure you’ve heard of liquid courage. When you’ve had a drink or two, it can be so much easier to interact with other people in social settings. You let loose, you have more fun, you kill it in karaoke or bust out on the dance floor with everyone cheering you on.
I have to admit that I’ve used drinking as an opportunity to “relax”, but getting drunk isn’t my idea of a fun time. Why can’t I do those things without having a few drinks?
I believe that there is a lot of pressure to drink in our culture, whether people want to admit it or not. People look at you funny when you don’t participate, especially in my generation. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been teased for declining another drink when I’m out.
By giving up alcohol for Lent, I want to see what it’s like when I don’t have that in my back pocket and actually have to rely on being my normal sober self in social settings. I’m not an introvert, but I’m not always the most charismatic or exciting person to be around either, haha. I’m hoping that through this process, I’ll grow to be more comfortable with just being Janelle and not some pseudo-cool person with a drink in hand.
I Want to See What Happens
More than anything, I’m curious to see how abstaining from drinking will turn out! I’m always challenging myself in one way or another, but this is a challenge that is really intriguing to me. Because drinking such is a big part of society, I think that through this process I will learn how much it really impacts my life.
How will people react to finding out that I’m not drinking? Will they judge me? Pressure me to drink? Laugh at me? Or will they be supportive, or maybe even inspired?
How will I feel during the process? Will I feel healthier? Will I be frustrated to not be able to go to happy hour after a stressful day? I have a very strong willpower but this may be more difficult than I realize.
I’ll be blogging about my alcohol-free journey on Mondays so that I can document how everything is going, so hopefully you can follow along! It’s a little bit scary, but I’m really excited to take on this new challenge!
Is there anything that you are giving up for Lent? Have you ever given up alcohol for a period of time?
Love all these reasons, girl. I think it’s much easier to stick to giving something up, if you have well thought out reasons for giving it up!
Thanks so much, Jen!
Good luck! I can’t wait to hear how this goes for you!
Thanks, Maureen!
I think this is great. Like you, I am not Catholic but I have been giving up something for Lent for the past 5-6 years. This year I’m giving up all junk food – candy, chips, etc. I find that its just too easy to grab a cookie after dinner or celebrate a long run with some ice cream, so I’m usuing the Lenten season as a re-set!
That’s such a great idea to cut out the junk food, Kimberley! I recently finished a reset and I definitely feel more refreshed coming out of it.
Good for you on making a choice that works best for you! We are complete opposites on the carding thing, so wait til you’re in your 40s. I love people who think I look 28 🙂
Thanks, Mar! I remember when I realized you are in your 40’s, I still don’t believe it haha!
I’m really curious to see if you miss it at all! What a cool experiment.
And, it is a blessing to look younger than you are :-)))))
Thanks, Julie! I’m so curious to see how it goes. And yes, I need the looking younger to kick in when I actually need it, haha!
Empty calories indeed! I have not really ever been a big drinker but I also gave up alcohol for January and didn’t miss it at all. I would rather have the calories in chocolate 🙂
Hopefully I’ll get to that point where I’m not missing it…I think it gets easier each day!
All great reasons but I still can’t/don’t want to do it. I so enjoy my daily glass of wine or two. Sigh.
Haha, that’s totally fair. I’m not a big wine drinker (I can never tell them apart!) but it will make the BYOB’s a lot less interesting for me, lol.
OMGoodness, thank you for the heads up, or Lent would have snuck past me this year. I love giving up something for Lent! I’m not Catholic either but I think it’s a great exercise in self-discipline.
One year I gave up driving over the speed limit. What ended up happening is that I’d leave the house with plenty of time to spare. Driving was never stressful and I’d get to places & appointments early–like I had my sh*t together. (One year I gave up cursing but that didn’t last.)
That’s a great idea for Lent, I never would have thought of it, and it’s good to know that it worked for you! Haha, I used to never curse (and was teased about it), now I don’t think I’d be able to get through that challenge for even a week!
This is a great practice for Lent, and you have great reasons. I haven’t figured out how I am going to observe Lent, ….
Thanks a lot, Coco!
I stopped drinking naturally as I began running more. I do drink once in a blue moon, but I just don’t enjoy it much anymore, especially the cost! I hope your 46 days off pay off! 🙂
Interesting that you drink less since running, I’m sure that has benefitted your running overall. Fingers crossed that it all goes well for me!
Good luck on giving up the booze. I always give up alcohol for a goal race. This past fall I gave up alcohol for two months before the Philadelphia Marathon. In addition to helping save money like you mentioned, it also helps me cut weight which helps me run faster.
Thanks! And it’s good to know that abstaining had some great health benefits for you! It is probably a good step to take for training seriously, so I’m looking forward to seeing the effects!
All I have to say…why would you want to do something silly like this?! ;p Just kidding…kind of. I don’t think I could ever cut out my wine! I get carded ALL of the time and to be honest, as someone who is turning 40 this year, I think it’s a compliment!!
Haha, we’ll see how it goes for a little while. Oh and you’re turning 40? Never would have guessed!
This is awesome!!! Good for you! Even if it’s not a problem for you, it’s so cool to see how life without something so normal will be. I look forward to hearing how it goes!
Thanks, Haley!
haven’t decided what I’m doing for Lent. Maybe a Whole30 situation? But similar to your idea… empty calories are a no-go for me.
Whole30 is so intriguing to me, it would be a great challenge for Lent! Did you end up deciding what to do?
yup! In the middle of everything now! How goes the non-alcohol 5 weeks?
So far, so good! I had nonalcoholic beer for the first time…yuck! Haha
All great reasons of course! Ahh don’t feel so bad that you are still getting carded. You must have a youthful glow!
Extremely youthful glow, unfortunately!
Good luck! I had a roommate in college who gave up soda for Lent one year and then never really went back. I’ve never really liked beer because of the extra calories and the bloat I felt, so I stopped drinking beer after college.
Thanks! I only like certain types of beers. I’m not quite a snob but definitely discriminating tastes lol…I think I’ll miss the fancy cocktails most of all!
I don’t celebrate Lent (Is that the right term? I am sorry, I don’t know the correct wording!), but I have given up alcohol once… for a week. Lol, I know that’s not very long but at the time I was just feeling very dehydrated and not 100%. I figured giving up alcohol until I was feeling better wouldn’t hurt!
I haven’t counted how many days I’ve gone without drinking, but this is going to be a really long drought for me! I’m so curious to see how it’ll go!
I admire you for doing this because in social situations, it can be challenging when friends are drinking and they expect you to as well! I hope you’ll find it revealing and rewarding!
Thanks, Sonia! It is definitely going to be a challenge but I’m going to learn so much!
I think this is great and with your thoughtful decision I bet you won’t be in a hurry to start drinking after lent. You may be surprised at how your workouts go during this time. I think less booze equals better running!
Pam, you’re probably right! I think in the long-run, this will be really great. I’ve been drinking a lot less the past couple of years, but if quitting over Lent somehow improves my running, that’s an easy choice!
Good for you Janelle! We all could learn a lesson from the goal setting and discipline side of this. It will be interesting to follow back up with you and all you learned from this and maybe what you’ll do next. Wishing you great success from this friend!
Thanks for the support Tricia, I really appreciate it! 😀
I thought about giving up wine for lent (i’m not catholic, but i still observe lent sometimes) but I realized I don’t drink enough to miss it when I give it up. Way to go, though! I’m sure your body will thank you
Thanks a lot, Nina! As soon as I get everything else in balance (too many sugars now!) my body will definitely be happy!
I rarely drink as I have kind of just lost the taste for it the last few years. I do feel much better when I don’t do it. Good luck!
Believe me, in a few years you’ll look back on your annoyance at being carded and just hope for one more time! lol
I think you should take the money that you would have spent and set it aside as you go. Have a “booze bank” then empty it at the end. Obviously, you’d have to estimate, but you know your habits. Then buy yourself a nice gift.
I’m giving up alcohol, hopefully temporarily, for a different reason. One of my RA meds affects my liver and my liver enzymes are elevated. I’m not happy about it and I can’t believe how much I miss my daily wine. I get my blood drawn next week, so we’ll see how things look.
I’m giving up alcohol, hopefully temporarily, for a different reason. One of my RA meds affects my liver and my liver enzymes are elevated. I’m not happy about it and I can’t believe how much I miss my daily wine. I get my blood drawn next week, so we’ll see how things look.
We cut out alcohol completely around here about 6 months ago. And although I still have the occasional glass of wine with dinner when we’re out, I not only don’t miss it, I feel better. Lots of alcoholism in our family and with 3 teenagers in the house, just seemed like a good idea to model the behavior we’d like to see in them. Looking forward to see how you feel!! Great call!