Before-and-after pictures showing how drinking less alcohol can have a huge impact on your body

If it's your goal to lose a bit of weight and slim down, most of us will immediately think the first step is to join the gym. But, while it's extremely beneficial to exercise regularly for all kinds of reasons, experts constantly remind us that our weight is influenced more by what we put into our body.

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This means we need to be eating plenty of vegetables and good proteins in place of highly processed and sugary foods, but it also means we need to think about what liquids we're consuming too. Most people swap out sugary juice and artificial sodas in place of water, and while this 100 per cent will make a difference – we mustn't turn a blind eye to our weekend escapades. Yes, getting drunk and consuming excessive amounts of alcohol – particularly the high-calorie or sugary kinds – also has a big impact on our weight.

This Swedish blogger has shared exactly how much alcohol can impact your body weight, sharing before-and-after pictures of when she was 20 and partying all the time, to now at age 27.

The Instagram influencer Jelly Devote told Cosmopolitan she used to drink a lot of beer and cider, saying: "I don’t know how much I drank — just that it was a lot." She says she used to go out on the town with her friends three times a week – at least. After gaining a lot more weight in her late teens from drinking so regularly, Jelly saw an unflattering picture of herself in a bikini one day which encouraged her to change her lifestyle.

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Along with a bunch of other healthy changes, Jelly decided to quit drinking alcohol. But rather than cutting it out entirely, she now only has a glass or two of wine or Champagne once every few weeks. The difference is astonishing, as can be seen with the picture she posted to Instagram comparing then and now.

She described how swapping a few unhealthy habits to better look after her body helped her achieve a lifestyle and a new sense of self-confidence. The 27-year-old says her old diet included "not a single vegetable" and that instead, she thoughtlessly consumed processed foods like fries, soda and fatty sauces. "All I did was party and stay on the sofa."

Jelly first started eating better and doing workouts at home, and after seeing an immediate difference in her body, she decided to really dedicate herself to a healthier lifestyle – leading her to ditch alcohol.

"It's simply impossible to have a healthy body and mind with that much consumption of alcohol," she said. She started drinking more water instead, and also focused on eating vegetables, healthy fats and plenty of protein. Sticking to five small meals a day (rather than three big ones like she used to), Jelly lost 30 pounds in just four months.

Now, she's a keen gym-goer, and she's found opportunity in working as an Instagram influencer thanks to her weight loss journey. However, while she does post the images we see all-too-often of perfect bodies and enviable lifestyles, Jelly does try to keep things real.

As well as showing an eye-opening comparison of the impact of alcohol, Jelly is also very open about the "reality" of her most flattering pictures. She posts side-by-side images of her in different poses, revealing how much posing can really make a difference to how you look in photos. She's honest about having had a boob job and lip fillers, and insists that: "I don’t hide anything, I don’t lie about anything. What you see is what you get. I’m confident, stronger and a better person TO MYSELF then I was back then!"

Good on you Jelly, and thanks for reminding us about the impact alcohol can have on our bodies, other than the hangovers.