Kelly Ripa reminisces about her decision to abstain from alcohol almost eight years ago. On the January 22nd episode of "Live with Kelly and Mark," hosted temporarily by Andy Cohen while her spouse, Mark Consuelos, was away filming a new venture, a fascinating conversation unfolded. Cohen, 56, disclosed his participation in "Dry January," abstaining from alcohol for the entire month. As he elaborated on his experience, Cohen noted that historically, he's noticed some weight loss post-abstinence, but this year, "it's just not happening yet."
"When I quit drinking," shared Ripa, 54, "I anticipated this magical weight loss that everyone seemed to warn me about, thinking I'd become too skinny. But quite the opposite happened. I actually gained 12 pounds and couldn't fathom this mythical weight loss everyone talked about."
"I think I turned to sugary foods instead," she continued, "because alcohol contains a lot of sugar that you barely notice due to its bitter taste."
Back in January 2020, during an episode of "Live with Kelly and Ryan," Ripa revealed her alcohol-free diet始于 2017年. The subsequent month, she told PEOPLE magazine that she and her friends embarked on a sober month challenge. Upon completing it, she realized she "felt great" and preferred this newfound state.
"It wasn't a deliberate decision. I just felt and looked fantastic, and hangovers were a thing of the past. I wasn't a heavy drinker; I never got drunk. But even two glasses of wine at a girls' night dinner would leave me feeling its effects the next morning," she recounted.
"I didn't feel the need or desire to go back to drinking," she went on. "It wasn't a conscious choice; it was more like, 'Oh, I guess I don't drink anymore.'"
Comparing her journey to quitting smoking in the early '90s, which required considerable thought, Ripa emphasized that quitting alcohol was "very easy" and barely crossed her mind. "I'm not equating cigarettes with alcohol," she clarified, "but for me, it was simply a case of, 'I don't do that anymore.' I felt better, so I just stopped."
