Practical accountability

How to stick to a drink limit on a night out

A limit is easier to keep when it comes with a pace, an exit and a sentence you can use when someone offers another round.

By the HeelClick team · 6 minute read · Reviewed 7 October 2026 · Editorial standards

Quick answerChoose the limit before the first drink, check serving sizes and strength, plan pauses and alcohol-free options, and tell one supportive person. Log each drink before ordering another. A limit is a stopping point, not a number you need to reach.

Choose a limit you will actually use

Decide what you intend to drink before going out, rather than choosing a number after the first round. Think about your health, transport and what you need to do tomorrow. A personal limit is not a guarantee of safety or a target you need to reach. Alcohol affects people differently, and no drink count can tell you whether you are safe to drive. If alcohol wearing off causes withdrawal symptoms, seek medical advice before trying to reduce or stop drinking.

Be clear about what one drink means

A glass is not a fixed amount of alcohol. A larger serving or a stronger drink can contain more alcohol even if you record both as one drink. Check the serving size and alcohol by volume (ABV), the percentage strength shown on the label or menu.

Same wine, different servingAt 12% ABV, 125ml of wine contains 1.5 UK units. A 250ml serving contains 3 UK units. Both may arrive as one glass, but the larger serving contains twice as much alcohol.

The example describes alcohol content, not a recommended amount or permission to drive. The NHS alcohol-units guidance bases the calculation on serving size and strength. Check a serving in the alcohol calculator, using the measure for your country, and read how units and standard drinks differ. If you cannot confirm a serving or its strength, record that uncertainty rather than treating the estimate as exact.

Give the limit a pace

A number alone does not stop three drinks arriving in the first hour. Add a simple pace: avoid automatic rounds, order for yourself, alternate with water or an alcohol-free drink, and pause before replacing an empty glass. The NHS recommends keeping a drinking diary, alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks and choosing lower-strength options when cutting down.

Plan the moment you reach it

  1. Choose the next drink: water, a soft drink or an alcohol-free option.
  2. Choose the sentence: “I’ve hit the number I planned, so I’m switching now.”
  3. Choose the exit: know when and how you are leaving.
  4. Choose the ally: tell one person who will not turn it into a debate.

If the plan slips

Stop counting the night as lost. Log what happened, slow down, move to a non-alcoholic drink and revisit the journey home. One extra drink is information, not permission for the rest of the plan to disappear.

Keep the limit visible with HeelClick

Set the drink limit alongside your leave time, hard stop, budget and journey preference. HeelClick lets you log the night as it happens and review where the plan held or drifted.

Set your next plan in HeelClick ↗

Know when to get help

If you repeatedly drink more than planned or find it difficult to cut down, speak to a health professional or an alcohol support service. A tracking app cannot diagnose or treat alcohol dependence. If cutting down causes sweating, shaking, nausea, anxiety or other withdrawal symptoms, get medical advice before trying to reduce or stop. The NHS warns that suddenly stopping can be dangerous if you are dependent on alcohol. Severe shaking, hallucinations, confusion or seizures need urgent local emergency help. Find official support and prepare for the first conversation.