How going sober helped me lose weight

I made a lifestyle change to help my mental health. What I didn’t anticipate was significant weight loss.

Tamara McDonald in December 2024. Picture: Brad Fleet

I quit drinking for my mental health — but there was an unexpected, and welcome, side effect.

By December 2023, my hangovers had grown longer, the “hangxiety” more severe, and I realised I wanted to feel 100 per cent at all times.

I was 29 and in the midst of what seemed like an endless onslaught of celebrations – 30ths, weddings, hens parties – but knew it was time to hang up my drinking boots.

While it was challenging navigating social situations without the crutch of booze, there was an unexpected benefit.

Around the time I quit drinking, I had learnt that my BMI had crept well into the “overweight” category.

Tamara McDonald prior to quitting alcohol

I rarely weighed myself, but learning what I had assumed were just a few “Covid kilos” had put me in this tier, I was alarmed.

Within a couple of months of swearing off grog, I had lost about 5kg.

I had not been restricting my diet, and still indulged in plenty of food over the festive season.

It was only then I realised just how many additional calories I’d been consuming while drinking.

From downing sweet cocktails to snacking on late-night Macca’s, followed by Uber Eats while feeling sluggish on a Sunday, drinking had a knock-on effect when it came to my calorie consumption.

By quitting alcohol I had immediately eliminated this from my diet.

Now, more than a year after my last drink, I’ve lost about 15kg.

This is largely due, I believe, to the flow-on effects of quitting alcohol.

Tamara McDonald a year after quitting alcohol

Thanks to no more dusty weekends, I spend my mornings at pilates on Saturdays and Sundays.

I’ve also become more attuned to how exercise benefits my mental health, and made a conscious decision to commit more time to it.

I’ve had more time to spend on meal prepping.

Previously, I did not have any desire to spend my weekends in the kitchen.

But with more time on my hands, I realised cooking was an easy and enjoyable hobby, and started to make healthy meals for the week ahead.

When I socialise, I’ll have an alcohol-free beer or homemade mocktail and then usually switch to soda water, meaning I ingest significantly fewer calories (and spend a lot less money).

I have generally developed healthier habits around food, exercise and sleep, which have overall improved my quality of life and mental and physical health.

And while I may not be toasting with champagne at weddings, my BMI is now firmly back in the “healthy” category.

Originally published as How going sober helped me lose weight