Success experiences of IkPas participants

Of course we have the results of the previous campaigns, scientific studies and survey results that say that putting your alcohol consumption on hold is good for you. That it works well and is doable. But it only becomes real when you experience the success yourself. Four IkPas participants tell about their success experience.

Husband is excited too

Yvonne Hendriks-Gerringa: “My greatest experience of success is that my husband also participated in IkPas. I never expected that and I'm super proud of him. Participate in Ik Pas together. And it went well too.”

Cook Klaas flips the switch

“Let me introduce myself: my name is Klaas Visser, 56 years old and I work as a cook, technical service employee and prevention employee, as well as as a hobby sports instructor. In 2019 I started drinking more and more alcohol, especially the last 3 months of the year. On Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings it was already 5 pm for drinks. Wine before and during dinner and if there was a discussion on the table then I drank well, so that one evening a bottle of wine or rosé was empty. Then after 10 p.m. another nice and heavy boy (11 percent beer) came after and went to bed afterwards with a sedative.

I woke up in the middle of the night because I had to go to the bathroom from all the alcohol I had drunk. Then I went back to bed, but then I slept very restlessly because I was afraid that I would overslept (because my alarm went off again at 6 am).

In the last 3 months I have also gained a lot of weight from 94 kg to 103 kg. Because if you drink, cheese, sausage and chips are also delicious to take with you. For me, every night was just the weekend. I exercised 3 times a week but drank and ate it again just as quickly.

Before January 2020, I stepped on the scale and was shocked by my weight. Then the switch turned.

As of January 1, 2020 I have decided to participate in 'IkPas'. The first week was quite difficult. Commercials on televisions with people enjoying a glass of wine or a nice glass of beer… And then the sleep, I couldn't fall asleep.

But after a week I already felt a lot better, I picked up my hobby again: mountain biking and I am fanatically sporting again. I now take my racing bike out of the closet with great pleasure and ease and cycle with my friends on Sunday morning. Something I neglected in 2019, because the drink was my friend. I am now sleeping better again and I just feel fitter in the morning.

My brain is running at full speed again, because I can now think and work better. I can therefore advise everyone not to consume alcohol for a month. I will continue with 'IkPas' even though January will soon be over. For me it has been a success and will continue to be. I will certainly have a glass of wine or beer again, but never every night again.

I have now lost 6 kilos so I now feel a happy, but above all a fitter person.”

The role of alcohol in our society and more eye-openers

I pass has brought me:

– awareness of / amazement about the obviousness of drinking alcohol in our society

– how illogical that really is

– that I also thought a glass of wine during the week was logical – but the consequences of it were not pleasant at all

– that the campaign has helped me immensely to give up those wines

– that my immediate environment is not at all concerned with my alcohol use (i.e. no social pressure to drink anyway)

– that after a month of no wine I now feel like a glass or 2 – but then again not for a while

– that I also think it's a good thing to set a good example to my teenage son of 14 (who still encounters enough temptations) with my new alcohol use habit. According to Debbie Heijne.

Flying on the racing bike

“My biggest success was last Sunday when I rode a Gran Fondo on Strava with my road bike for the first time in my life in January. That means at least a continuous distance of 100 km and that in winter conditions….. previously (read: in combination with alcohol the day before) I always suffered from cold feet and around kilometer 40 everything started to hurt so much that I had to return home to warm up again.

This is a reasonable 'eye-opener' for me in this area, because in recent years I have been looking more than once for warm insoles and the like to dispel that annoying cold.

It turned out afterwards that I was the cause of it myself by drinking a few beers or wine the day before.

Yesterday the weather was not so wintery, but I again drove almost 100 km, in short, my slogan for the past few weeks is #IkPas gives you wings!”

Maarten Amkreutz