One Year No Beer: What Actually Happens To Your Body When You Give Up Drinking

Giving up drinking changes your life far more than you would imagine, says the founder of One Year No Beer - a challenge to stay ‘dry’ for an entire year.

Research suggests that people who give up drinking feel about 20% more productive at work - and eat less than people who drink.

Former professional footballer Andy Ramage says that he started the One Year No Beer challenge as he was drinking frequently with clients in his City job.

‘After four years, I had enough of the hangovers,’ Ramage says, ‘I decided I was going to try to stop.

Ramage wrote a book about his experiences - and has launched One Year No Beer as a challenge around the world.

‘We’ve had thousands sign up,’ he says. ‘There are now people from 42 countries trying it. There’s no stigma, no labels. Try 30 days. Try 90 days. See how you’re doing.’

You will stop eating so much

A June 2015 study in the journal Obesity found that people dosed with alcohol ate 30% more than those without.

Ramage says, ‘I lost three stone in weight - and my body fat dropped from 30% to 10%. It’s the knock-on effects of a hangover that are the worst.

‘Once you give up, you can stick to a healthy diet - you’re not throwing in that hungover pizza once a week. I’m now 12st - that’s a weight I could have never achieved when I was stuffing myself with pints of Stella.

You will feel happier

Ramage says, ‘Really the magic starts to happen around the six week mark to two months mark. You started to deal with life’s ups and downs without alcohol.

‘I definitely suffered with terrible anxiety after drinking. It’s terrible for people’s mental health, falling in the hole, the longer it took me to climb out.

‘When I was drinking, it felt like there was always a cloud hanging around me. I’ve never experienced that since.’

You will feel more motivated

Volunteers in a New Scientist trial said they felt about 17% more efficient after a month off the sauce.

Ramage says, ‘I now do a thing called 5am miracle, where I get up at 5am to exercise and meditate.

‘It is something that would never ever have been on my radar. Giving up drinking offers a chance to achieve these dreams.’

You will sleep better

A study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental research found that drinks before bed increase alpha wave patterns in the brain - meaning drinkers sleep less soundly.

Ramage says, ‘Personally, I discovered that even small amounts of alcohol destroyed my sleep. Fair enough alcohol knocks you out, but the quality of sleep you receive is so poor that your body never recovers.

‘When deprived of necessary sleep, performance takes a hammering.’

You will ‘get back’ a lot of time

Ramage says that the ‘knock on’ effects of alcohol eat up a lot of time - in terms of hangovers, and lost productivity.

‘It’s a real blind spot,’ he says. ‘You wake up feeling groggy and rough. If you want to get stuff done, take a break from alcohol. It’s that simple.

‘The energy and motivation that I unearthed, propelled me towards dreams that were almost lost in the fog of hangovers and regret.’