If you’ve ever quit drinking and found yourself struggling with food, body image, or control… this conversation will hit home.

In this episode, Sara sits down with sober dietitian Lindsay Sparks (@soberandnourished on Instagram) to unpack the deep connection between alcohol, disordered eating, and the pursuit of control. From growing up in diet culture to navigating sobriety, Lindsay shares how healing her relationship with food ultimately led her to question her drinking, and later, her relationship with weed.

This is an honest, layered conversation about what it really means to feel at home in your body without numbing out.

Links, Resources, and Sponsors:

Athletic Brewing:

Upper Left Strength Co.:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Remember, you only get one life. The question isn’t “why quit?” It’s “why stay disconnected from it?”

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

What if being alcohol-free didn’t feel like a daily battle… but just who you are?

In this episode, Sara breaks down the shift from relying on exhausting willpower to stepping into true empowerment, where sobriety feels natural, aligned, and even effortless over time. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “white-knuckling” your way through this journey, this episode gives you practical ways to change that.

Athletic Brewing:

Upper Left Strength Co.:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Remember, you only get one life. The question isn’t “why quit?” It’s “why stay disconnected from it?”

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

In this episode, Sara sits down with Jessi Hartnett, host of the Honor Your Heart Podcast, to talk about breaking free from cigarettes, weed, and alcohol, and what it really takes to stay free.

You’re not just quitting a substance—you’re learning how to come back to yourself.

Athletic Brewing:

Upper Left Strength Co.:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Remember, you only get one life. The question isn’t “why quit?” It’s “why stay disconnected from it?”

***************************************

Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

Quitting drinking when your partner doesn’t can feel isolating, but it’s more common than you think.

Athletic Brewing:

Upper Left Strength Co.:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Remember, you’re not too much. You’re not broken. And you’re not imagining things.

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

👉👉 Join the Alcohol Free April Challenge today and start your 30-day reset with daily support, tools, and community. www.nomorewasteddays.co/alcoholfreeapril 

In this powerful conversation, Sara sits down with mindset coach and speaker Jill McKnight to explore the connection between alcohol, emotional manipulation, and learning to trust yourself again.

Jill shares her personal experience navigating a narcissistic relationship and how alcohol can both mask and intensify the confusion, self-doubt, and emotional exhaustion that often come with it.

Together, they unpack how to recognize red flags, rebuild self-trust, and begin reclaiming your identity, whether you're still in the relationship or starting your healing journey.

If you’ve ever felt like you were “too much,” questioned your reality, or used alcohol to cope with stress or anxiety, this episode will help you see things more clearly and remind you that you are allowed to want more.

In this episode, we cover:

Athletic Brewing:

Upper Left Strength Co.:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Remember, you’re not too much. You’re not broken. And you’re not imagining things.

***************************************

Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

If you’ve ever quit drinking… started again… and then wondered why it feels harder the next time, this episode is for you.

Because it’s not about willpower.

In this episode, I break down why the start-stop cycle makes cravings, anxiety, and day one feel heavier each time, and how you can finally break that loop.

You’re not failing.

Craving → Drink → Relief → Crash → Repeat

And each time it repeats, it gets stronger.

Join Alcohol-Free April (starts April 1):

Athletic Brewing:

Upper Left Strength Co.:

Instead of asking, “Why can’t I get this right?”

Ask:

If this episode helped you, be sure to follow, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it 💛

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

What if quitting drinking wasn’t the end of the fun… but the beginning of your second act?

In this episode of No More Wasted Days, Sara sits down with Melissa McGowan, also known as The Sober New Yorker. Melissa shares how she transformed her life after alcohol and created a vibrant, joyful lifestyle filled with creativity, travel, community, and confidence.

From Broadway dance classes to sober retreats in New York City, Melissa proves that an alcohol-free life can be anything but boring.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s possible on the other side of quitting drinking, this conversation will inspire you to think bigger about your own future.

Download Sara’s Free 10 Mantras

If you’re working on shifting your mindset around alcohol, Sara created 10 powerful mantras that helped her in early sobriety.

You can download them here:

Melissa shares the story behind her decision to quit drinking after years of social drinking slowly became something that no longer felt good. A wake-up call from her doctor and the loss of a close friend helped her realize it was time to change her life.

*Transcript* Episode 164_ Inter…

Together, Sara and Melissa talk about:

Melissa’s story is proof that removing alcohol doesn’t take away your personality, it amplifies who you really are.

When you’re drinking, you give up everything for one thing.

When you quit drinking, you give up one thing for everything.

Melissa McGowan is the creator behind The Sober New Yorker, where she shares her alcohol-free journey and inspires others to live fully without alcohol.

She is a:

Melissa is known for her vibrant social media presence where she shares her love for Broadway dance, travel, and living life out loud without alcohol.

Follow Melissa and learn more about her work:

Instagram: @thesobernewyorker

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who might need to hear that life after alcohol can be bigger, brighter, and more joyful than they ever imagined.

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

Perimenopause can feel like a rollercoaster. Mood swings, anxiety, sleep disruptions, and night sweats can leave many women searching for relief. And because our culture constantly tells us that a glass of wine is the perfect way to relax, many women turn to alcohol to cope.

But what if that nightly drink is actually making perimenopause symptoms worse?

In this episode, Sara breaks down the science behind alcohol and perimenopause, explaining why drinking during this stage of life can intensify symptoms like anxiety, poor sleep, hot flashes, and mood swings. She also shares why midlife women are particularly vulnerable to alcohol’s effects and what actually helps support your body and nervous system during this transition.

If you’ve been feeling confused about what’s happening in your body during this stage of life, this episode will give you clarity, compassion, and practical steps you can take to feel better.

➡️ What perimenopause actually is (and why it can start earlier than many women realize)

➡️ Why alcohol hits women harder than men, especially in midlife

➡️ How drinking can worsen hot flashes, sleep issues, anxiety, and mood swings

➡️ Why many women start drinking more in their 40s

➡️ The connection between alcohol and breast cancer risk

➡️ How alcohol disrupts REM sleep and emotional processing

➡️ The role alcohol plays in bone density loss during midlife

➡️ Why nervous system regulation matters more than numbing out with alcohol

➡️ Simple strategies that support your body during perimenopause

Instead of relying on alcohol to cope, research shows that these practices can support your body and hormones during this stage of life:

✨ Prioritizing quality sleep

✨ Regular movement and exercise

✨ Stress-reducing practices like breathwork, yoga, or meditation

✨ Finding connection and community

✨ Talking with a doctor about options like hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

My ✨ Reboot & Refresh: Alcohol Free April ✨ is starting soon, and it’s designed to help you explore what an alcohol-free life could feel like with guidance, tools, and community support.

👉👉 Join the waiting list to get early enrollment and a special discount:

🔹 Dr. Stacy Sims

🔹 Dr. Mary Claire Haver

🔹 The Flo App (cycle tracking)

🔹 The Unplug App

🔹 The Gabby App

If this episode resonated with you:

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

Female Biology & Alcohol Metabolism

Alcohol & Perimenopause Symptoms

Alcohol Use Trends in Midlife Women

Breast Cancer & Alcohol Risk

Today, I’m sitting down with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of the book Drunk-ish and host of the Drunk-ish Podcast. 

If you’ve ever tried to “moderate,” justified blackouts, or worried you wouldn’t be fun without alcohol, this conversation will hit home.

Stefanie shares how her drinking escalated after becoming a mom, the mental gymnastics of rule-making, and the moment she knew she couldn’t keep going. We talk openly about shame, driving drunk, mommy wine culture, and what it really looks like to quit with young kids.

Stefanie proves what so many of us eventually discover: alcohol was never the source of the personality. It was just a crutch.

➡️ Connect with Stefanie at https://stefaniewildertaylor.com/

🎙️ Listen to the Drunk-ish Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drunk-ish-a-sobriety-podcast/

📚 Grab her latest book Drunk-ish - https://a.co/d/09o8C3Gg

Join the Day Makers Community

And if you’re craving deeper support, structure, and community in your alcohol-free life, come join us inside the Day Makers Community - https://nomorewasteddays.co/day-makers-community/. Try your first two weeks for just $1

If this episode resonated, leave a review or comment on Spotify and Youtube

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial

I quit drinking in 2019.

🔹 Why I used weed after quitting alcohol

🔹 What changed when it became daily again

🔹 “Weed is medicine” – the nuance behind that statement

🔹 Cannabis use disorder and withdrawal symptoms

🔹 Brain fog, dopamine, and healing after THC

🔹 How harm reduction helped… and where it delayed growth

🔹 The signs it was time for me to quit

🔹 Exactly how I did it (practical tools that worked)

🔹 The identity shift from “stoner” to fully sober

And if you’re craving deeper support, structure, and community in your alcohol-free life, come join us inside the Day Makers Community - https://nomorewasteddays.co/day-makers-community/. Try your first two weeks for just $1

If this episode resonated, leave a review or comment and let me know if you want more conversations about ditching weed and full clarity living.

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Follow the podcast on Social Media:

IG: @nomorewasteddays.pod

Follow Sara on Social Media:

IG: @no_more_wasted_days

TikTok: @no_more_wasted_days

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoMoreWastedDaysOfficial