A gym founder who gave up alcohol after more than a decade of waking up with hangovers following boozy weekends has revealed how her life has changed.
Amy Castano, 31, enjoyed going out and having a few drinks with her friends every Friday and Saturday night, which inevitably led to hangovers on a Sunday.
‘Last year when the pandemic hit, I noticed that I was caught in a never-ending cycle,’ Amy told FEMAIL.
Amy Castano gave up alcohol after more than a decade of waking up with hangovers following big boozy weekends has revealed how her life has changed
Amy said she realised she was caught in a cycle of drinking on Friday and Saturday, only to spend Sunday hungover and Monday and Tuesday still recovering
‘Every Friday and Saturday night, I would drink and not eat well.
‘Then I’d spend Sunday recovering and eating junk to feel better, and Monday and Tuesday would be spent sweating out the remaining toxins through working out.’
Amy said she would ‘feel okay’ until Wednesday and Thursday before the weekly drinking cycle would begin again.
The 31-year-old said when the pandemic hit, she assessed everything – realising that drinking didn’t fit with her lifestyle anymore
Amy said she was forced to assess her drinking habits when the pandemic hit and most of her social life came to a halt.
‘I realised what I think I’d known for a long time,’ she said.
‘Drinking didn’t fit with my lifestyle anymore. I love getting up early, working out and eating healthily – and being hungover doesn’t fit with any of that.
‘I knew I wanted to stop feeling hungover, take care of my health and have a clear mind. And so I decided to stop drinking.’
On May 24 2020, Amy (pictured with her partner Jono) gave up alcohol, and she hasn’t touched a drop since
On May 24 2020, Amy gave up alcohol. She hasn’t touched a drop since.
The 31-year-old said the effects have been almost universally positive:
‘Through all the stages of giving it up, I only felt better and better,’ she said.
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‘My skin became more glowing, I lost any bloating I had, my mind is so much clearer and I generally have so much more energy.
‘I never thought I would be someone who would give up drinking but I don’t even think about it anymore and I do not miss it at all.’
Amy said the only downside was the endless questions she gets from friends and acquaintances at the pub:
‘People can’t help themselves but ask “why aren’t you drinking?” and “are you pregnant?”‘ she said.
‘It’s intrusive to ask a married woman if she’s pregnant or trying to conceive, but when you stop drinking to better your health, there has to be another reason.’
‘It’s intrusive to ask a married woman if she’s pregnant or trying to conceive, but when you stop drinking to better your health, there has to be another reason,’ Amy said
Amy said the best advice she can give to those wanting to give up drinking is to ‘not put a time limit on it’.
Amy (pictured with Jono) said she doesn’t know if she’ll drink again but has given up alcohol with the intention of not returning to it
Amy said the best advice she could give to those wanting to give up drinking was to ‘not put a time limit on it’.
‘Had I said I was giving up drinking for a month, it would have given me an excuse to drink when that month was over,’ she said.
‘I gave it up with the mindset that I’m no longer a drinker, and didn’t put any pressure on myself to make it to a certain date.’
Amy said she doesn’t know if she’ll drink again but has given up alcohol with the intention of not returning to it.
She said she no longer craves a G&T or glass of wine at the end of a long day.
Amy is the co-founder of Acero Gym in Sydney, with her partner Jono Castano. For more information about Acero, please click here.
For support for alcohol-related problems and addiction you can contact Turning Point Services, or one of the many other services available, speak to your GP, local health service or call a helpline.
There are trained telephone counsellors available in every Australian state and territory.
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