I started following the 'one and non' drinking rule. Adding mocktails cut my drinking in half and helped me lose fat.

"The CDC says even moderate drinking can increase health issues; going above the line, even more so. It recommends no more than one drink a day, which means around seven a week, for women (the amount doubles for men). Based on the NIAAA's guidance, having four or more drinks in a day counts as binge drinking, no matter how spaced out the drinks are. This was a rule I also broke fairly frequently at parties and weddings."

"Plus, going cold turkey doesn't work for everyone. In 2025, Reframe, an alcohol reduction app, analyzed its insights from over 220,000 users who self-reported their habits. It found that social settings and weekends are the most common causes of "slips," and that Damp January - drinking less without abstaining - was overall a more approachable and sustainable strategy for users than Dry January."

The CDC recommends no more than one drink per day for women; NIAAA defines binge drinking as four or more drinks in a day. A person exceeded healthy limits in 26 of 52 weeks and drank four or more drinks on 19 days, including during weddings and travel. A month of abstinence proved unrealistic, so a harm-reduction approach was chosen rather than quitting entirely. Reframe's analysis of over 220,000 self-reported users found social settings and weekends drove most slips and that Damp January—drinking less without abstaining—was more approachable and sustainable than Dry January. Tracking intake and alternating drinks halved alcohol use while keeping social benefits.

Read at Business Insider