Do You… LOVE to have a drink or three… but HATE:
- … feeling absolutely destroyed the next day AND/OR
- … not being able to remember what happened that day/night AND/OR
- … losing control and doing/saying really stupid/dangerous/regretful things AND/OR
- … not being able to stop drinking when you know should (usually in hindsight) AND/OR
- … suffering any other ill-effects* from a little too much alcohol
We all know that so-called drinking in moderation, sounds great in theory, but is just too damn hard to stick too. But there is another way…..
Go ONE FOR ONE!
This means: for every ONE drink of beer, have ONE drink of water.
Specifically: for every glass of beer you have, have the same quantity of water. Period. No ifs/buts/exceptions.
(the same principle applies to other types of alcoholic drinks, but for simplicity sake, let’s stick with the beer example. How to apply this to other drinks is mentioned a little further down the page).
To break it down – to make it crystal clear – this is what I mean:
- Consume one serving of beer.
- Then, consume one serving of the same size of water.
- Consume next serving of beer.
- Then, consume one serving of the same size of water.
- Repeat as many times as required.
As I live in Australia, my serving of beer is usually either a schooner or a pint of beer. For more info on servings of beer in Australia, go to this link.
How Does It Work?
- Since you are having water in between drinks, the concentration of alcohol consumed is greatly reduced (potentially halved), since the volume of liquid you consume is doubled (due to the water).
- The total time over which you are consuming your alcohol is also extended (potentially doubled), since additional time is taken to drink your water between drinks.
- You remain hydrated throughout the drinking session, which greatly reduces your hangover the next day. As most of you are aware, one of the main reasons you feel hung over is because your body is so dehydrated.
Reasons Why I Like ONE FOR ONE So Much:
Using the ONE FOR ONE strategy is great because:
- Essentially, you don’t have to rely on will power to try to moderate your drinking. As long as you have your water in between drinks, you can have as many drinks as you want!! It’s not the total number beers you have to restrict, it’s just a matter of sticking to the water in between drinks (but the condition, is that you drink the full quantity of water you’re supposed to be drinking – no shortcuts!)
- Even with your water intake, you will still feel the “buzz” of the alcohol. The beauty about this method, is that, even while you’re enjoying your alcohol, the water intake ensures that you don’t go “blind drunk”, and completely lose it. You are buzzed, but also in control the whole time, hence much less likely to wake up the next morning wondering where you are/who you’re with/or what you did.
- It’s flexible. Every one is different. Some people will need to have more/less water in between drinks than others. ONE FOR ONE is just a guideline. For example, you may need to increase the water intake to ONE-point-five (waters) FOR ONE (beer). Alternatively you can lower the ratio, depending on how well your body reacts to alcohol. For example, if you are a “strong” drinker then you could drop the water intake a little, such as: ONE midi (285mL) of water FOR ONE schooner (425mL / 15 Oz) of beer.
- The principle can be applied to all alcoholic drinks. The actual ONE FOR ONE (1:1) ratio will generally be best suited for beer. All you need to do is tweak the ratio depending on what type of drink you are having. A general guideline that I find that works well is:
For every “standard” drink, have one middy (285mL / 10 Oz) of water.
Examples of 1 standard drink includes: 1x 30mL (1 Oz) shot of spirits / 1 x 100mL (3.4 Oz) glass of wine / 1 x 285mL (10 Oz) glass of beer. This is based on the Australian definition (though I’m sure it’s not that much different in other countries across the world). For specific measurements you can refer to this link.
Existing Drinking Strategies That Don’t Work Well:
I have tried numerous different ways to try to somehow, continue to enjoy my drink but not end up with the physical/mental regret the next day. Here are a few things which we may have tried, but we know, rarely works well for many of us. I have listed some of these strategies:
- The “Cinderella Time” Strategy (I will claim I created this term, as I have not heard anyone else use this phrase =)
This is when you plan to leave the venue at a specific time, for example: I promise myself that I will leave the bar at <insert time here>!
I’m sure we’ve all been there! I am not sure I have EVER kept this promise.
Here’s why Cinderella Time rarely works:
As you consume alcohol throughout the night, your desire for more alcohol also increases. As more alcohol is consumed, your concept of time also deteriorates. Time goes much faster than it feels like it should be going… often resulting in, you looking at your watch and then yelling “OMG! I can’t believe it’s <insert time here> already?!?”
Now by the time you realise the hour you are supposed to leave is close, or recently passed, your sense of judgement has also deteriorated, along with your inhibitions, sense of responsibility and awareness of consequences for actions/words. This usually results in you saying one of:
– I’ll just have one more drink…
– I’ll go soon… just not right now…
– I’ll leave at <revised time>.. I’ll just sacrifice a bit of sleep… should be OK.
– Screw It! Party On! I’ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow!!!
…. and as they say, the rest is history…
So the problem with this strategy is that it puts you in a state of mind (due to the drinks already had) that greatly reduces your likelihood of actually sticking to the original game plan. - The “I will drink water regularly” strategy
The problem with this, is that it is too vague hence not very helpful. You tell yourself that you will drink throughout the night without any specific rigour around it, resulting in you drinking much less water than you should. It also tends to have an emphasis on reducing just the hangover the next day, rather than also helping things stay a little more in-control during the actual drinking session.
- The “I will drink slowly” strategy
This is when you try to slow down the drinking rate. This just doesn’t work (well not for me anyway). As you consume more alcohol, “slow” will gradually become quicker. It’s unrealistic and too hard to stick too.
- The “Cold Turkey” strategy
This is the extreme method, which is when you get to the point of “I really need to stop drinking like this”, and try to stop drinking altogether. This is usually a promise we can’t keep and is very difficult to stick to. Of course, stopping altogether is great from a health perspective, however for me, having a couple of drinks with colleagues, friends, family, etc… is an integral part of every day life. Don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for those who refrain from drinking. It is something I consider to be very admirable, however, not something I choose to do (nor believe I can do! =)
What Are the Downsides to ONE FOR ONE?
I believe the benefits of ONE FOR ONE far outweigh any potential downsides, but they be should be mentioned to help you in your practising of ONE FOR ONE.
- Yes, you will need to go to the toilet more often since you are drinking much more liquid. Having said that, once the “seal is broken”, even without drinking water, you have to go to the toilet frequently throughout the night anyway (since the very of nature of alcohol makes you pee more than you normally would). Going a couple more times throughout the night, to keep the night and the next morning happy, is a small price to say wouldn’t you say?
- You may get laughed at or bagged out initially by your friends/colleagues when you are carrying that water back from the bar. Hang in there! Odds are they will join you as a ONE FOR ONE advocate once they see the positive benefits of it for themselves. Eventually you’ll all be shouting CHEERS with your waters, as well as with your beers! Even if that ideal isn’t achieved, you’ll be the last one laughing when you’re up and about the next morning after a great night, and your mates are feeling wrecked leaning over the toilet bowel, or lying in the foetal position somewhere… growling that universal white lie we all tell ourselves… never again…
Click here to check out the ONE FOR ONE drinking guidelines.
* by ill-effects, I am referring to the short term impacts of drinking such as losing control, getting sick, blacking out, feeling hungover etc… This does not refer to the overall ill-effects alcohol has on one’s health when consumed in excess on a regular basis.