What I’ve Learned Cutting Out Alcohol

What Two Weeks of No Alcohol Has Taught Me

When we rolled out our TRAIN HARD FIVE Nutrition Protocol (TH5), I’ll admit there was one pillar of the protocol that made me the most nervous: cutting out alcohol.

I don’t consider myself a big drinker. I enjoy the occasional social drink on weekends—wine at dinner, a couple of beers at a friend’s house. But if I’m being honest, those “couple” of drinks easily add up to 6–7 across Friday and Saturday.

That felt like moderation to me. I looked good, felt good, and still hit my workouts hard. So, I didn’t think alcohol was holding me back.

But just two weeks into TH5, the difference has been massive.

I’m sleeping better. I feel sharper when I roll BJJ on weekends. Overall, I just feel better. I think the structured 3-meal approach in TH5 is also playing a role here (more on that next week), but cutting out alcohol has been eye-opening.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know. I honestly thought alcohol wasn’t impacting me at all — until I removed it.

Reestablishing a New Normal

TH5 calls for zero booze for 12 weeks or until you hit your specific goal. It’s not meant to be a forever thing; it’s a reset. It helps you reestablish what “normal” with alcohol looks like in your life.

For me, will this be permanent? No. I already have a date marked on the calendar: Ava’s Kitchen, the fundraiser my wife and I host each year to support families impacted by pediatric cancer. Sharing great wine and food at that event is a tradition I’ll never give up.

But what I can tell you is that my new normal after these 12 weeks will look different. And all it took was two weeks to figure that out. Ultimately, this experience has been a powerful reminder of how much you can learn about yourself when you get outside your comfort zone.

Shoulder to Shoulder

Some of you might look at a CrossFit Games champion who seemingly has always been healthy and fit and think: Jason doesn’t struggle like I do.

But I promise you, we all have our challenges. We all have opportunities to grow.

I’m doing this shoulder-to-shoulder with all of you, and I can’t wait to see where we all are at the end of these 12 weeks.

To the thousands of you who have joined me in TH5 — whether through the App or one of our programs, thank you for showing up. I know everyone is working on something, and that fires me up to work on myself.

Change starts with a single decision.

Here’s to the next 10 weeks and beyond.