Dry January Doers

How are you feeling? I had a glass of cava last night and got no pleasure from it then slept badly so I think am just not going to drink any more.

This does leave me with a bit of a social anxiety dilemma but I am sure something will turn up. 

Heroin or something.

I am annoyed that I don't seem to have lost weight (esp as have been walking literally miles) but the carbs thing is probably the reason. And the deep fried artichokes. Although maybe those are kind of carbs.

It does feel good tho eh. My brain is definitely enjoying the zoom.

Generally feeling much better. Had one drinking session earlier this week and it tasted like crap, screwed up my sleep that night and generally left me feeling rubbish so right back on the wagon I went. 
I wouldn’t worry about social stuff. Loads of people aren’t drinking anymore and there’s usually an alcohol free beer or mock tail to sip on at most does. 
 

I don't mind being a non drinker, it's more that without alcohol there's nothing to stifle the sensation that every second lasts an hour and I have nothing to say for myself and o God why am I so worthless etc.

But the nice snooze afterwards is good. 

Last night I had a terrible dream about water dwelling cannibals who kidnapped people and kept them in cages partially submerged in water and tldr i did not get back to sleep.

I am not completely dry because that would be meh but I am having many more dry days

The sleep is ace but a lot of social things are pretty fvcking dull without a drink

I did dry Jan last year and it went a bit like this

Week 1: Bored

Week 2: Mental dreams

Week 3: Ow, my head hurts all the time

Week 4: Feels good man

End of month: Barkeep, give me all of your alcohol at once. I have earned this.

I am only doing it because I got sick two weeks ago and seem to have lost the taste for it. It's very annoying in some ways but probably good for me overall. I suspect it will only last as long as this bout of reasonably upbeat brain.

Thuggy16 Jan 20 16:03

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The issue is the people you’re hanging out with not the alcohol. 

 

This may be so, but they are my wife and kids and friends, and colleagues.  And at 40, I'm very unlikely to change a massive proportion of them now.   

I have been doing reduced alcohol January. The only alcohol I have had sine the first is the five pints I had the other Sunday.

 

I don't feel any better, haven't lost any weight, but  do have more money

not deliberately doing dry Jan as I think the concept is retarded, but:

two weeks of no alcohol or sugar and v low carbs = have become completely indoctrinated and no longer have any interest in booze or carbs.

I have also been having mental dreams.

no idea if I have lost weight as I refuse to do scales fookwittery but I do feel less bloated and also feel I should look amazing but don't

exercise is hard work without carbs though

That may be true Clergs. But my point here is if everyone including spouse and children and colleagues are intolerable ie it’s pretty much everyone else then the ishoo is probably you. 

I am respectfully unable to disagree with my questionably learned colleague Thuggy J.

I’ve known plenty of fine people who didn’t get on with one or two of their fam but anyone I’ve ever known who’s fallen out with their whole kith and kin, the problem’s been them.

Yes but that issue needn't be a flaw - it might just be a characteristic that makes you struggle with the day to day unaided. I think you have to be in quite a good place to abandon your crutches and test the alternative.

Or trapped in bed until you go cold turkey.

I went back to caffeine tho and wonder now if that was foolish but I'm really not a total purist person and honestly if I didn't have coffee I don't know what I would do with my days.

I am the only person in my entire family that still actually speaks to everyone when hardly any of them talk to each other

I have managed to do this by having as little to do as possible with any of them 

Yeah but taking a depressant on a regular basis really ain’t the aid to get through is it?

as to caffeine, a couple cups of coffee a day is fine. I don’t see why you’d bother removing that. 

Thuggy16 Jan 20 16:14

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If you cannot tolerate your family sober then I suggest the issue is actually you not them. 

I love my wife and kids, but fook me they can be annoying sometimes.

On the topic of discommunicating my own family, that's a looooooong story, and I would suggest given the seriousness of that step one should probably be slow to apportion blame.

I don't drink coffee but I love a nice strong tea and I refuse to give up my lovely Diet Coke/Vanilla Coke Zero

I don't care it is rotting my insides and melting my teeth

It's a sedative so depends on your sitch I'd say.

Re caffeine, because a skewed biochemistry can be catastrophic (but actually I don't think caffeine affects me badly - although I thought that about wine so I could be wrong).

I think coke zero is fine, Big Aspartame seem like fine lads.

(I accidentally bought caffeine free yesterday because the cans are all weird colours here and :( )

In my case I think it adds to the resilience of my gut flora, which are fundamental to serotonin balance and inflammation control (but I don't think everyone reacts in the same way).

As a normally daily drinker have found it surprising that after two weeks I have practically stopped thinking about booze - has helped that it has been quite a quiet time socially and work socially mind.   Only side effect has been finding it harder to get to sleep but easier to sleep on in the morning...

Of course everyone is different but that does seem to run contrary to the published studies. (I accept that they are quite small in scope and number of participants)

I had a bottle of wine last night over a steak dinner and feel bloody fantastic today.  All fuzzy and warm and relaxed.  I could do with a bonk though, have the raging hangover horn.  Thank god it's Friday.

Have been a daily drinker all 2019 to cope with stress of new job, so decided to cut out alcohol during the week.  Its been surprisingly easy, apart from the dreams, and has made me realise that I am now on top(ish) of the job and the drinking had become a habit.  Not going totally dry January though because I want to put something in place that can be permanent, and because fook that.   

Thuggy - I find a very mild hangover (which I have) can be quite relaxing.  Minimal bad symptoms, just feel a bit silly and happy.  I should probably stop posting online - surefire way to bring yourself down.

Congrats on the fook, linda, I'm going to have to fook myself I think.

All that’s happened to me is that I’ve had a massive skin breakout (this may have more to do with post pregnancy hormones and be a coincidence but is still effing annoying)

I do feel quite “clean” but I think that’s psychological more than anything. 

Seriously, if you cannot think what you’d do with yourself without drinking you really might wanna reflect on that a bit. 

Last night: Quick stop to pick up a few bits for dinner on way home. A non alcoholic Brew dog was chugged when I got in. Then cooked a chicken korma from scratch while Linda finished up some work, dinner together, watched a movie, the aforementioned fook and sleep.  

I am definitely feeling brighter and perkier especially in the mornings and am now having a smoothie which might be a cause or effect of that alertness - not sure 

I am sleeping more deeply

had a couple of alcohol free beers and Holland and Barrett do a great alcohol free sparking wine called Naughty which I tried the other day - very palatable and took away the desire for a glass of wine

I can see the sense in having a new attitude to booze - breaking the often daily habit and focusing on overall health

I’ve lost 3 kilos too which is nice but I have been spinning and hot yoga’ing a lot

Keep up the good work guys! New decade of positive health vibes 

Toronto - massive congrats on the new addition :) lovely news xx

 

 

Or could be that it’s similar to the general tone adopted by most folks I mentioned above - it’s as unimaginable as if they were asked to switch (or take on a) religion or the like. 

Must say that the folk you see down the Edgware Road who presumably don’t drink don’t look like the healthiest people in the world. Suggests that lack of drinking is compensated by lots of food and shisha. 

Have finally lost a few lbs, but have also upped my training so who knows how much is booze

 

am gagging for a pint, so post race on Sunday I shall be enjoying my holiday having many beers in the sunshine.

@HSB

9.8 bus deaths in London (pop 8.9 million)on average per year since 2014. 

Some 5,900 alcohol specific deaths in England (55.9 million) in 2018. And that excludes things where alcohol is highly likely to be the main/significant contributor. 
 

Busses ain’t the problem I’d wager. 

Will do 3 or 4 weeks off again. Or maybe 3 months of dry Mon-Thurs. 

I've been dry monday - thursdays this month and find I am absolutely gagging for a glass of wine on Fridays.  

Starting to sleep a bit better though... I expect cutting out the booze 24/7 would make a bigger difference but I just don't want to. 

I've only been drinking on the weekends, maybe a beer and a glass of wine on each day. The wine is nice with the food, but the beer I can do without, especially since it is Sam Smith--I just like reading at the pub and feel strange ordering a coke or something nonalcoholic.

3 weeks in, feel great to be honest.

Discovery of BrewDogs miraculous Nanny State 0.5% IPA has really helped on social occassions - feels like I am drinking but miraculously still sober at end of evening

There’s a stout too. For a regular lager style beer is try Free Damm (blue can) which is also pretty cheap cf Brewdog. 
All of these are empty calories tho so if you’re aiming to lose weight too bear that in mind. 

You are correct - even better!

Someone has entered it incorrectly into myfitness pal app, knew got that from somewhere! 

In which case it’s deffo a better option than any of the others I’ve suggested. 

Yes, tastes like half decent beer, alcohol content so low it is basically irrelevant and 55 calories a pint - my only complaint is the small bottles pubs serve it in means it works out far more expensive than alcoholic beer per pint but then without the alcohol driver there is less motive to consume 3-4 pints of the stuff....