A few weeks ago I wrote about my goal to be alcohol-free until September 25, 2020. I update a calendar on that post, daily, indicating whether or not I drank on a given day. I’ll save you the click and inform you that I haven’t had an alcoholic beverage in over 2 weeks.

I accurately predicted that this wouldn’t be much of a challenge during the week. We very rarely consume alcohol during the week anyway. It has certainly been difficult on the weekends, however, as so much of being social in this day and age involves having a drink. I’ve faced the temptation more than once.

I have some updates on my alcohol abstention goal.

Update 1: Added “cheat day” on August 29th

Yes, I know… my goal was for total abstention until September 25th. A couple things have led to this decision to add a cheat day in the middle of the goal period.

First, my parents are coming to visit Raleigh and it’s my stepdad’s first time visiting. Him and I share a love for bourbon and I plan to enjoy a few of my recently-acquired bourbons with him.

Additionally, and arguably more importantly, I signed an offer of employment a couple weeks ago after a lengthy job search. We’ve made a reservation at a new steakhouse to celebrate the offer. In my opinion, a celebration of this caliber warrants some drinks! I hope you agree.

Update 2: Significant Weight Loss Progress

This is less of an update and more of a progress report. I provided, in my original post, that a motivator for this goal is to further my intentions of losing weight.

These are essentially the only methods I’m employing to lose weight:

• Intermittent fasting
  • Various degrees of intensity, but typically 16/8 plan
  • High-quality, nutritional food
• Walking a few miles several days per week
• Abstaining from alcohol during this goal time frame

I could have added a weekly game of ice hockey to the list pre-covid… R.I.P. to that season. We’ll also mix in a hike on occasion.

Anyway – take a look at my results thus far.

Body Weight

The line chart above shows my body weight over time, on days that I remembered to step on the scale.

Without going into too much depth, I’ve been losing weight for quite a while. I was very unhappy with my weight mid-2019 and decided I needed to make a change.

My unofficial goal is to get below 200 pounds. Based on these results, I believe that should be obtainable by the end of this goal. I’m very happy with the results thus far.

Walking Distance

The chart above displays my outdoor walk distance recorded by an Apple Watch. These values are from intentional walking workouts, not the sum of all walking on a given day.

I used to do strength training/weightlifting 4 days per week (again, pre-covid), but since gyms are still closed in North Carolina my strength training has been basically nonexistent. I gave in-home, body weight workouts a try for a little while… not my cup of tea.

Instead of working out in a gym, my workouts have consisted of long, vigorous walks almost exclusively. Strength is a sacrifice I’m willing to make in the near-term as I get rid of body fat. These walks will continue at a steady pace well past the end of this goal on September 25.

You can expect another checkpoint similar to this one in mid-September!