Dry January 2024..

As usual with any dry month+ for me, I notice absolutely no difference in HR, weight or how I sleep.  I started my customary 6 week abstinence a few days before the end of Jan and so now, two weeks in, it feels no different.  I guess that even in normal periods, I don’t drink enough for it to have a significant effect.

I notice far, far more difference during periods of heavy work stress and when it finally stops.

My wife discovered this at Home Bargains- 79pence! Czech brewed with proper ingredients, non of the rice that you get in the American copy. It’s slightly fizzy but no worse than many other bottled beer and has a nice refreshing taste. I didn’t do dry January but have made massive reductions in my alcohol consumption since last March (as posted elsewhere), these beers have a wonderful placebo effect and have helped me greatly.

Still chugging along nicely here. Enjoying the mental clarity.

Still going. It will be 7 weeks without booze on Tuesday and I’ve not missed drinking at all. The plan now is 3 months dry at least. I’m surprised how easy it has been considering I was drinking every day.

Still doing well here. Had a couple of glasses of wine last weekend and had two nights of poor sleep. Had a couple of glasses on a business trip to Paris, and again slept poorly, that might have been sthg to do w rich food too

Back on the AF beer and tonic and back to feeling good.
That mental clarity and good sleep is so good!

I’ve had four nights of shit sleep in a row, and I’ve had literally one beer this month, over a week ago. Wondering if it’s just the full moon, though.

Not in any great rush to drink at the moment, and passed up on the whisky festival here this weekend. Not feeling bad about missing it, tbh.

I’ve had four nights of shit sleep in a row, and I’ve had literally one beer this month, over a week ago. Wondering if it’s just the full moon, though.

It was a new moon this weekend! The full moon isn’t for a couple of weeks

Didn’t really notice any change when not drinking through January, but by god my sleeping took a tumble after having a large glass of red the other night after a month of abstention.

Still on the wagon, and not feeling like I’ll be falling off it anytime soon.

I’ve also gone veggie, and determined to stick to that as well (done this a few times but never stuck to it), so overall i feel pretty fit and healthy. I’m running a lot at the moment. getting a good nights sleep (dozing off in front of the TV at 9pm is definitely one of life’s pleasures!), and waking up raring to go.

I know I’ll drink again, but I’m not sure why i will….

Still going strong here. It appears to be more of an issue with my fellow 6-Nations watching mates, who really can’t understand it and are blaming me for the 500 or so pubs closing each week (data according to them).

Off the wagon, but I feel like I’ve got the potential to change my drinking habits a fair bit.

Think I’ll have a couple of dry weeks again now, just to reinforce it.

I’ve still not had anything to drink since 2nd Jan, apart from one small glass of fizz for my Dad’s birthday.
I am not entirely sure why I am persisting now, although am not feeling a particular need to start drinking again. I am sure I will at some point, and might even have a drink on Wed if we have a nice meal for Valentine’s day.
Quite fancy catching up with my neighbour soon and that normally involves a trip to the local micro-pub.

Weight is still not dropping off particularly quick, but then I’m not really trying that hard in all honesty. 4lbs since the New Year & it’s weigh-in day tomorrow. But, not been very good in the last week so expecting to stay the same – maybe another 1lb off if lucky.

Sleeping – not sure I’ve noticed much difference. I suppose it’s easier to get out of bed in the morning when I haven’t had half a glass of wine the night before. I don’t really feel much different, but that might be to do with the cat taken to waking us up at least once in the middle of the night.

Fitness – doing OK at the moment, but mainly due to good consistency I think, rather than lack of booze.

Off the wagon at the weekend, had a couple of pints with my birthday meal on Friday night and wine/whiskey when we got home.

Spilt over into Saturday as a family member had kindly bought me a few bottles of Chimay, didn’t go mad though.

Back to stopping dry now, Mallorca in 4 weeks will be a real challenge as the rides always finish with a visit to the local Dutch bar with Duvel/Westmalle/Kwaremont etc.

To be honest I might just enjoy the week and sort myself out again when I get home!

Having got out of hospital after a 2 week stay I had a few beers over the weekend to celebrate, first drinking since New Year.

Didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would and intend to now not drink again until a trip to NYC in a couple of months

8 weeks of sobriety completed.  This weekend will be a tester as I am away with work and free beer is the best kind of beer.  It’s very difficult to say no when someone else is paying.

Anyone else keeping it dry this month too?

Just discovered this brand….

Shades of IPA.

Still on it. They have Asahi zero in the pub I’m staying in.

OT, but Woodstock is rather posh (home of Blenheim Palace)

How we getting on troops? Anyone still at it?

I had a trip away at the end of February and had a couple nights on the beers then – first since before Christmas. It was good fun and not gonna lie it was kinda nice to enjoy a few pints again, but Jesus Christ I felt only like 50% for about a week afterwards. So I’m back on “Dry (whatever month)”.

I’ve lost 7Kg since Christmas! Mad.

Still not sure if I will be teetotal from now on but kind of half considering it. What a difference in so many ways.

A stag do later this year might be annoying.

Still going, 13 weeks and counting. I went out out on Saturday with friends who were drinking. I had no interest in it and didn’t write off Sunday with a hangover. Every day without alcohol makes me think teetotal is the way forward.

Nope. Started with the best of intentions, but all I ended up doing was snacking more instead. I’m still mildly determined not to buy any new beer this year – radler doesn’t count – and get the stocks I’ve built up down to a sensible level, but I’m not going to deny myself a few beers or a whisky over a week.

still going strong.

injured at the moment, with Manchestr marathon in two weeks, and diet is a bit of a car crash at the moment, so there have been occiasions where I could have said, “I’m getting on it”, but hasn’t real entered my mind.

target is staying booze free till i finsh the lakeland 50, but depending  on Manchester, and if i can’t run, i might book into a mara in october, than would keep me going…

Still in the game. If I make it to the end of the month then I will have matched the January 1st to March 30th record I set in 2021. Definitely notice the mental health benefits and overall clarity of mind. Physical effects – can’t really say I feel that much different.

@devash – nice going, you will easy beat that.

I think for me the physical effects – weight at least – is less to do with the alcohol calories and more to do with the lack of motivation and general laziness that seemed to build up over the past couple years of enjoying fancy beers on the weekends. Definite carry over into to the rest of the week and was doing less riding, craving more easy food, and moving less.

After a few weeks of dry Jan I noticed I was actively looking forward to getting out and doing stuff again and that inspires me to make better food choices too. Hence weight falling off that way, and other good things like BP and RHR going down.

At least, I hope that my calorie deficit is not all from solely avoiding beer, not enough to drop over a stone anyway!

Still in there – gone from an every night pissed person to not touching a drop for three months.

Not feeling like I want to start any time soon – might go for a full year

Just to finish this one off.

I’m now considering myself teetotal.

Initial goal was January, then to end of March, then beer garden weather (which we witnessed briefly last week).

I don’t have any targets any more (albeit full on summer and festivals may be a challenge), just going to run with it.

Life is a lot better without drink. For me and also Mrs STR

Well done. I hit the 2 year mark myself this month. Wouldn’t say I was tea total if asked but no plans to start again but never saying never either. Not missing it so don’t see myself starting again anytime soon.

Well done!

im still going strong. 106 days I think. I’ve had a couple of days out at football, and a family week away, where all my relations were drinking.

goal is till Lakeland 50, then I’ll decide if it’s a year thing or not.

at the moment I don’t see any compelling reason to start again.

16 weeks dry here and not missing it at all.  That’s going from drinking pretty much every day.  I’ve started to like myself a lot more which is helping me to be more social than I was.  Properly social, not just drunk social.  I’ve started riding again, I’m saying yes to anything I am invited to, my skin looks better and I have more money to enjoy myself with.  My mate didn’t come out yesterday as he was hungover and it underlined how I don’t want to lose time to that anymore.  I would consider myself teetotal and confident about the future.

How are we all doing? Still living and loving the sober life?

Well, I didn’t do dry January or Feb but haven’t had a drink since beginning of March. Apart from some af beers. Don’t miss it at all. Properly don’t fancy a “drink” although weirdly got into a heated debate (which being sober I walked away from) with an eejit in the pub. Who noticed there was an af beer in the round.

Still going and feeling better for it!

Yeah still going. To be honest, I don’t see it as keeping going now, I just don’t drink.

Life is better in so many ways – and I’m not so much of an ass on here to boot 🤣

Hats off to you that are still going/now none drinkers.  I’m creeping back in to drinking too much again.

Still going except for opening a bottle of Margaux on my birthday that hadn’t been kept very well (like me). I think brewers doing alcohol-free beer must be doing very well.

Still going too, with the help of the non-alcoholic beers. I don’t even get the urge to drink a normal beer now.