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Great post elray.
The people who say "meh, no point" should read that and ponder it.
Thanks bud! Just my experience so far after a very short time indeed. I think a lot of it is a mindset thing - I've tried to sack it off for a break a couple times but it feels like it has a bit more weight behind it this time for whatever reason.
Yeah that's a great post elray.
I had a good dry period of about 6 weeks last year and can recognise a lot of the benefits you are talking about.
Unfortunately I fell back into some bad habits, but still fairly restrained. ( did not go back to being as bad as I have sometimes been).
Wasn't going to do a dry January but you have kind of made me want to do it again (well it might be half a dry January but then carry on after)
I even had a Guinness 0% after the ride last night instead of the usual double Charnwood Vixen as per normal.
Just poured a can of it - finding it quite palatable and not really missing the bit that makes you pissed - yet!
Can feel my resolve weakening and a cider inbound:(
This is going to be quite an important Dry January for me. I turned 40 November just gone and set myself a goal for the next 10 years to get super healthy.
To say booze got me into some scrapes in my late teens and 20s is an understatement. Didn't really start drinking until I was nearly 18 as I was a late bloomer socially. I never, ever used to drink midweek but did follow the classic binge drink pattern at weekends then laying off the booze for a couple of months at a time after a particularly nasty hangover. Rinse and repeat for nearly a decade.
I had completely rowed it back to once every couple of months when I hit 30 but a prolonged period of unemployment and subsequent depression saw me getting into midweek / day drinking. Finally landing a job as an assistant manager of a wine shop didn't help and for around 3 years of my life I was low-level drinking (half a bottle of wine or a couple of pints) Thursday - Sunday.
The last 5 years I've barely drunk at all. I just don't really enjoy the feeling of being inebriated any more although I do love the taste of decent beer / wine. Did Dry January back in 2021 but extended it until the end of March so 3 months in total. I was amazed by the mental clarity I had. The aim this year is to get that feeling back.
Still dry here and it has not really bothered me too much. Defo lost some weight and my resting heart rate is lower so all good.
What are the symptoms of quinine overdose?
Stick with the program tcomc, you'll not regret it
Eveyone still on the train? Friday night can be a difficult one.
Eveyone still on the train? Friday night can be a difficult one.
Yep. And I've been in a pub every night this week.
Gonna have a coffee and get ready to ride my bike
I'm still on the wagon and finding it quite easy going. I'm also trying to eat better which is pretty easy going after I scoffed the entire Xmas cake in 3 days. Nett result is I've lost 1kg in about 8 days and certainly sleeping better. I feel brighter in the morning and don't have any brain fog in the morning.
Had a rough week with two eye migraines which may be due to changes in my sleep patterns without the booze. Still finding it easy enough but did have some pangs for a pub visit this week, and was fantasizing about beers and bbqs come the summer!
Yes, still not had a drink. Even stayed strong after a midweek group ride, choose to have a Erdinger Alkoholfrei in the pub after🍻 Weirdly tasted better in a pub than at home.
The never ending rollercoaster of colds and illnesses means I've been able to stay dry since new years having previously been dry from mid November to boxing day. I've lost 4kg in that time when in a normal year you woukd expect some weight gain so I'm very happy with that.
If I can lose another 4kg through carrying this on for another 2 or 3 months then that would be ideal
Yep, 2 weeks in and going well. Too many evening snacks still, so about 3lb on so far but cutting them out now and expecting to see some decent weight loss over the next few weeks.
Slightly stronger beer urge last night, but still easily manageable.
Keep forgetting to weigh myself but don't expect to have lost any weight.
Run speed getting slightly quicker.
The never ending rollercoaster of colds and illnesses means I’ve been able to stay dry since new years having previously been dry from mid November to boxing day. I’ve lost 4kg in that time when in a normal year you woukd expect some weight gain so I’m very happy with that
You are me and I claim my £5!!!
My "fighting weight" has ALWAYS been 70kg...
For the past few years it's been 72, then 74...
Over the last 2 weeks I've dropped below the 70mark!
Being I'll has helped, but I fear some of it is muscle mass too as I've been unable to exercise.. just coughing and wanting to sleep all the time!
Feeling fresh and calm in the mornings..
My OH iss having the odd glass of wine, but isn't drinking mid week..
We've been chatting and realize my approach to alcohol, like everything in my life, is sadly "all or nothing"... I'll guzzle wine/spirits to the hilt..or nothing at all!
If I do go back to booze, I'll DEFINITELY be reflecting on my ability to have just one or two...
DrP
Still off the booze. Only a week and a bit for me as I stopped drinking on the Thursday last week.
Been a couple of points where I've fancied a drink, all when cooking as I'd usually have a beer or wine thenl. But the urge is becoming less strong, so I'm clearly retraining my brain.
Evenings are a bit boring without booze but I can deal with that.
Also trying to eat more healthily so not sure if that will have an effect. Have found I've got a real sweet tooth ATM. Assume my body is craving the sugar from booze. So trying to satisfy it with fruit but I could have murdered for a packet of digestives with a brew yesterday.
Sleep is normally fine, apart from last night where I randomly woke up between 3-5am!
One thing I am struggling with is getting up in the morning. Never been my strongest point but I've found I'll lie in until about 5 minutes before I start working, from home! So need to get that sorted. Hopefully the lighter morning will help sort that out. Or my OH will kill me as I know it gets on her goat.
Away with work for a couple of days next week seeing customers. Good bunch and I expect beer will be involved, no set plan for that so will play it by ear. If it's all fosters I won't be bothered but some nice beers and I may be tempted.
Oh also weighted myself the other day as a reference point, will be interesting to see what happens on that front. BMI is 24 so not massively overweight, but carrying a lot of chub it's fair to say 😀
Yes, still going strong. Had to fight another middle-aged bloke for the last four-pack of Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects in Waitrose though.
It’s confirmed my triggers for drinking: work stress, boredom in the evenings and habit (I always have a glass when cooking and I always cook). So I can adapt to cope without alcohol by managing stress, doing something with my evenings etc.
Final post is a FYI - the Liver Trust offers free scans at their roadshow: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/love-your-liver/free-liver-scan/
Dates and locations for 2024 tbc.
Damp January is where it’s at. Not dry, but not full on sloshed.
It’s confirmed my triggers for drinking: work stress, boredom in the evenings and habit
They are my triggers too. Although the frustration of kids bed time triggers me more than.
2.4kg lost so far although I'm also cutting down to snacks which helps just as much. And when not drinking the snacking urge is reduced.
It’s confirmed my triggers for drinking: work stress, boredom in the evenings and habit
Same here. Tonight has taken some will power. It's been a long week, and a particularly tough day. Recently given up my career as a musician so boredom levels on a Saturday night are fairly high currently.
What a terrible idea, if ever there was a month where a glass of red or a pint of beer was justified, this is it.
Just don't drink too much, stop after one or two, its not hard.
Just don’t drink too much, stop after one or two, its not hard.
Rather patronising
For some people it is hard to stop at one or two
What a dick
Yeah gotta be honest if I have one alcoholic drink I want another. Bit like just sticking the tip in, I want to go all in 😆
Last year I had an accidental point of Guinness on the 31st, dry January slipped my mind until I was a good halfway through the pint 🤦🏻♂️
Family New Year dinner was had on the first with a couple of beers, but no alcohol since then. Most notable thing is not needing a pee through night.
Not missing it too much so far. Occasionally craving a nice glace of red wine with Sunday lunch or while cooking.
Guinness 0% is a game changer. Not really tasted anything that comes close to the alcohol version but that is really close. I stocked up on it. £1 a can at Morrison's.
There's an interesting documentary on Amazon Prime called Alcohol. The magic potion, that's worth a watch.
I'm feeling hungover despite not drinking. The cold I thought I'd shifted has decided it's not done with me yet. Got a stinking headache. Although it's a free headache rather than costing a load of money in the pub ladt night so that's a plus of some sort I guess.
It’s confirmed my triggers for drinking: work stress, boredom in the evenings and habit
This is the same for me, but also sugary treats.
I'm worse with the sugar to be honest so cut back both.
Not had a drink since boxing day, I was just getting headaches so stopped and nearly cut out the sugary treats to the point where on little chocolate ball last night was enough as it was so sweet.
Both me and the misso havent had any ETOH since NYE.
No take-outs or junk food. No pasta / spuds / rice too.
She's coeliac and I'm type 1 diabetic and we both feel great and lost a couple of kg each. We're not doing dry January per se but just being realistic about our alcohol use and feel the habit of couple of glasses of wine with dinner could be done away with. I'm not saying I'm never drinking again, just, not for now.
Wife did suggest getting some alcohol free booze but I said what's the point you'll just wish it had some alcohol in it. Best to just avoid.
Next stage is to seriously reduce my caffeine consumption.
Wife did suggest getting some alcohol free booze but I said what’s the point you’ll just wish it had some alcohol in it. Best to just avoid.
Alcohol free beers does seem like cheating to be honest, but then it's more my wife who's the drinker than me.
Only downside so far was admitting to doing dry January at a comedy night & then generally getting roasted by the compere.
Ah... comedy nights usually go like this.... Me trying to sink into my seat and not attract attention. Wife calling out and answering every question the comedian has. I recall one gig when the compare said I was punching above my weight. My wife saying she "used to be fat" then the comedian asking me if I get them when they're chubby then starve them! At this point my wife goes to the loo and he asks if she's going to stick her fingers down her throat? I said I hope not, I'd just bought her a meal... Made the comedian laugh (can't recall who it was but it was a set before Michael Macintyre before he was "famous".
Week 3, how are folks doing ? Easy here, not actually missing it at all really. Sleep is better, no changes in energy levels or weight.
Had to use all my willpower to resist a couple of times this weekend. Friday night was homemade pizza night when I would normally have a couple of beers while navigating the chaos between stretching dough, frying pan and grill x6 pizzas. Made do with a big glass of lemonade instead and that seemed to do the trick of just having a cold drink to grab and swig when needed.
Then MrsPP was away for the weekend leaving me responsible for the children which seemed to involve a lot of Dad-taxi duty. By last night I could really have done with a nice glass of beer to sit and chill with. Instead I ended up doing a bit of DIY so I guess that's a bonus for my productivity.
I'm not normally a big drinker, rarely more than 2 or 3 beers in a night and mostly only on weekends. My tactic is to not have it in the house then the temptation isn't there to just grab one out of the fridge.
I managed from the 31st of December until Friday there, when I just really fancied a beer. Started but never finished an Erdinger Dunkel. Had one blonde sitting outside the pub on Saturday afternoon, and a bloody Mary later that evening. Got bored with a Chimay Bruin yesterday and didn't finish it. Last night was the worst night's sleep I've had this year. Whether there's a correlation or not, I couldn't say. I'm not drinking for the rest of the week now, because I'm not feeling like I 'need' to.
I've set myself a challenge not to buy any more beer this year. I'll fail at some point, obviously, but it's still worth a try.
Onto the third week! Went out for dinner in the local with OH and a couple friends after watching CX nationals on Saturday, and to be quite honest was expected to be tempted as I love that place. However I ordered an Erdinger Blue which I have always really liked, and after about two sips realised I was quite content not having 2 pints alongside my massive burger. It's funny with AF beers or just soft drinks, in that you feel appropriately quite full after having half a litre of liquid, but with normal beers it doesn't seem to affect me haha. Funny to think people including me will go out and have like 2.5L of beer in a short time period - imagine doing the same water.
Interestingly I have also been eating very light and healthy meals since New Year too, and I felt almost as bad as hungover after that big greasy slab of mince the next day. Went to go a ride but had to turn back and spend some time on the throne.
Down about 2.5Kg but feel like I have less bloating too. Jackets feel and look looser. All good so far.
I have also been eating very light and healthy meals since New Year too
this is my week 3 and onwards challenge, having now successfully completed first fortnight without any booze !
19 days done and I'm sure once I shift this lurgy I'll feel great. Currently feeling like I had a heavy weekend despite not touching a drop of booze.
Received 5 bottles of various good red wines yesterday. Tough to not have a glass last night, but managed to keep myself distracted. Thats always been the key I find - distraction. Same with snacking. Nice clean week for me - less than 2200cal/day, no alcohol, no caffeine after 2pm, +10000 steps/day, 25km ran, +3 bootcamps, 2ltrs water/day, plus a weekly challenge. I find the calories not too far off my normal day - its just no snacks in between. Its also taken me a bit of time to work out how much more I can eat for each meal, rather than be overly cautious and end up starving by dinner time and with bags of cals left in locker. Not weighed myself yet
Is it ok to join halfway through January? I’m signing myself up. I’ll let you know how it goes.