How To Avoid Drinking Too Much Alcohol

Whether it's because you need to save money or cut calories, or because you're concerned about becoming an alcoholic, you want to learn how to avoid drinking too much alcohol. When your social life and circle of friends center on parties and bars it can be difficult to step away and consciously cut down. A few small changes are how to avoid drinking too much alcohol.

1. Put it in writing. Write down the reasons you want to avoid drinking too much alcohol, and keep these in the forefront of your mind when you get an invitation out or feel like picking up a six-pack on the way home. You can also go a week or so without making a effort to cut down, but write down every alcoholic beverage you have. When you look back on this journal, you might be surprised at how much you consume without even thinking about it.
2. Spend less time in bars. If your friends want to get together, suggest a coffee shop, a picnic, a movie, There are any number of things you can do to avoid drinking alcohol while still being social. Try a light physical activity, take walks in the park, go for bike rides, play badminton. Not only do you avoid drinking, you can boost your health at the same time.
3. Spend less time with hard-drinking friends. Everyone has those friends, the party-loving drinkers who find a way to turn any occasion into a chance to get drunk. It's pretty hard to withstand that kind of peer pressure, though. If you're trying to avoid drinking too much alcohol, cut down on how often you see these friends. Go out once a month instead of once a week. Even better, if you can persuade them to join you in a non-drinking activity, you'll be helping them out too.
4. Make nonalcoholic beverages your friend. Despite your best efforts you will occasionally find yourself at a bar or hanging out with Crazy Drunken Bobby. But that doesn't mean you can't avoid drinking too much alcohol. Order a nonalcoholic beer instead of a regular, or get a soda or juice instead of a mixed drink or wine. If you're worried about what people will think or don't want to be razzed by the big drinkers in the group, order a sparkling water with a twist of lime or a cranberry and soda. Your friends won't know they aren't gin and tonics or vodka cranberries if you don't tell them.
5. Drink lighter. If you're not quite ready to stop, you can still choose drinks that have less alcohol. The reason light beers have fewer calories is because they have less alcohol. Choose a wine spritzer instead of a glass of wine. Ask the bartender to go heavy on the mixer and the ice in your mixed drinks, the opposite of a double, if you will. Sip slowly instead of guzzling your drinking in five minutes. Don't get a refill every time someone goes to the bar. Space it out to every other time.
6. Ask for help. Pick a trusted friend and confide in him that you want to avoid drinking too much alcohol. He can spend time with you in non-drinking situations, and at the bar he can keep an eye on your consumption and tell you when you're nearing your limit. If you fear that your drinking is becoming a health issue or that you might be an alcoholic, see your doctor. She can help you get into a program if necessary, or guide you to support groups for people who are trying to quit drinking.