Studies show Dry Jan benefits last longer than a month

[dcn]

I cut way back last year and now have mostly switched to non alcoholic beer. There’s some really tasty ones, and it is nice to still have the unwinding aspect but without the alcohol.

[neverfstop]

I've done it to varying degrees over the years & agree that it's a great reset. I'll do February though since we have 2 vacations in January. The older I get, the less I drink overall, but I would still like to cut back further. I love a new year, fresh start, and a chance to re-focus on good habits and break bad ones. After making sleep a priority and seeing how elevated alcohol makes my heart rate at night, it was a much easier trade-off most nights to skip a relaxing drink.

[okla]

Dec 27, 2022 19:08:25 GMT -5 dcn said:

I cut way back last year and now have mostly switched to non alcoholic beer. There’s some really tasty ones, and it is nice to still have the unwinding aspect but without the alcohol.

What are your favorites? I’ve been drinking a lot of Athletic and just got a variety pack of Bravus to try.

[dcn]

Dec 27, 2022 21:14:36 GMT -5 okla said:

Dec 27, 2022 19:08:25 GMT -5 dcn said:

I cut way back last year and now have mostly switched to non alcoholic beer. There’s some really tasty ones, and it is nice to still have the unwinding aspect but without the alcohol.

What are your favorites? I’ve been drinking a lot of Athletic and just got a variety pack of Bravus to try.

I keep a stock of athletic mostly! Brooklyn’s are good too.

[lucybrown]

Dec 27, 2022 21:24:13 GMT -5 dcn said:

Dec 27, 2022 21:14:36 GMT -5 okla said:

What are your favorites? I’ve been drinking a lot of Athletic and just got a variety pack of Bravus to try.

I keep a stock of athletic mostly! Brooklyn’s are good too.

okla. Our favorite is Clausthaler. I like the Amber.

If anyone can recommend a gluten free, NA beer, I’ll owe you one million GBCN dollars.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Dec 27, 2022 18:59:20 GMT -5 katfco said:

Dec 27, 2022 15:55:40 GMT -5 rubytue said:

AJL, lilac05, let’s do it! No Diet Coke for a month! Think of the money we’d save with the current prices!

I need to do this. I don’t drink alcohol ever, but I drink a lot of Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke—it’s those and water. I had really reduced the amount just before the pandemic hit, but,…well, pandemic.

This was me, exactly. I tried to give it up last year but I got terrible headaches so I cracked on day 3.

[rubytue]

StrawberryBlondie, join us. I’m doing it. I’ve been trying to learn to like coffee to get the caffeine.

I tried to tell H. He replied “oh shit, can yo wait til I find a job. I don’t want to be around for this.” 😂

[taratru]

My problem is that I actually like drinking wine and such. I'm not stress drinking or trying to cover anything with it. It's good and I like it, so it would be like cutting out cake or coffee, and I am trying to stop cutting the things I enjoy. I also considered whole 30 in January, but the loss of things I enjoy seems like...not worth whatever good effects happen.

That said, I only drink on weekends anyway, so it wouldn't be all that hard. I dunno.

[wildrice]

I should probably do this. I seem to go through cycles where I'll cut back on drinking and then slowly creep up to drinking more consistently again. I think I actually didn't go too crazy in December (other than for the last few days when I was visiting family) but it will be good for me to be more intentional in the new year.

I know we're going on a weekend trip with friends who drink in mid-January so I won't abstain then, and maybe not if I do a social happy hour or two with friends, but beyond that I think I can skip alcohol when it's just me and my H or we're at home.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Dec 27, 2022 21:55:43 GMT -5 rubytue said:

StrawberryBlondie, join us. I’m doing it. I’ve been trying to learn to like coffee to get the caffeine.

I tried to tell H. He replied “oh shit, can yo wait til I find a job. I don’t want to be around for this.” 😂

I *hate* coffee so that's a no.

I might just try to cut back first and wean myself off since cold turkey was real, real bad.

[beerlover]

Dec 28, 2022 7:10:58 GMT -5 taratru said:

My problem is that I actually like drinking wine and such. I'm not stress drinking or trying to cover anything with it. It's good and I like it, so it would be like cutting out cake or coffee, and I am trying to stop cutting the things I enjoy. I also considered whole 30 in January, but the loss of things I enjoy seems like...not worth whatever good effects happen.

That said, I only drink on weekends anyway, so it wouldn't be all that hard. I dunno.

This is me; I genuinely enjoy having a craft beer or good glass of wine (or a couple). It makes weekends more enjoyable and its something to look forward to. I don't really drink during the week for the most part so that's how I keep everything in moderation. I also enjoy making cocktails and it's a fun hobby for me. I would be sad cutting it out completely so I'll never do it.

[rubytue]

Dec 28, 2022 10:58:56 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

Dec 27, 2022 21:55:43 GMT -5 rubytue said:

StrawberryBlondie , join us. I’m doing it. I’ve been trying to learn to like coffee to get the caffeine.

I tried to tell H. He replied “oh shit, can yo wait til I find a job. I don’t want to be around for this.” 😂

I *hate* coffee so that's a no.

I might just try to cut back first and wean myself off since cold turkey was real, real bad.

So, a year ago I would have said this. Then I was on a trip where I couldn’t find my beloved, and I ended up in line at Starbucks with a friend. I saw someone get a cold brew cream thing. And I tried it, and it was good! I determined I like cold brew with lots of milk. For me, it’s a temp thing. I like cold beverages, but not ice cold. Basically, Diet Coke can from the fridge with a koozie temp. So, that’s what I make! Half cold brew coffee, half milk. And I often mix in some chocolate protein powder for breakfast. Not my zero calorie beverage of choice, but I started this to reduce my consumption by a little bit, because of the cost. 

I have talked myself into doing this. Maybe I’ll be a fiery hosebeast and H will motivate to find a job faster 

[waverly]

I too don't really drink that much to matter in terms of a dry month. If I try to drink while emotional/ angry it just makes it worse. I don't really see it as a problem solving type thing for me, so I don't use it in that capacity. I've actually been more interested in just making different flavors with the alcohol rather than the actual content of the alcohol, for example I have left over brandy but not a huge brandy fan, so I think going forward, I will use less alcohol in the drinks so that the other flavors come through in the cocktail.

I think where I run into trouble is going for a third glass, so I need to just firmly stop at 2. But the times I have 2 glasses of things are maybe every 3 months lately. We used to do a fun wine night tradition but it hasn't been fun lately due to DH's job stress, so we've been holding off on that.  But otherwise, we stick to just 2 drinks on occasion.  

[StrawberryBlondie]

Dec 28, 2022 16:42:39 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Dec 28, 2022 10:58:56 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

I *hate* coffee so that's a no.

I might just try to cut back first and wean myself off since cold turkey was real, real bad.

So, a year ago I would have said this. Then I was on a trip where I couldn’t find my beloved, and I ended up in line at Starbucks with a friend. I saw someone get a cold brew cream thing. And I tried it, and it was good! I determined I like cold brew with lots of milk. For me, it’s a temp thing. I like cold beverages, but not ice cold. Basically, Diet Coke can from the fridge with a koozie temp. So, that’s what I make! Half cold brew coffee, half milk. And I often mix in some chocolate protein powder for breakfast. Not my zero calorie beverage of choice, but I started this to reduce my consumption by a little bit, because of the cost. 

I have talked myself into doing this. Maybe I’ll be a fiery hosebeast and H will motivate to find a job faster 

I spent a large portion of my 20s trying to be a fancy coffee person because law school and I'm not going back to that.

I just hate coffee and I'm ok with that.

[rubytue]

StrawberryBlondie, totally get it. I feel that way about wine. Finally just accepted I like Reisling and Moscato, and that’s OK. Now I just don’t have any.

[icedcoffee]

I cut back to weekends/social events only during dry January a few years ago and continued to do that pretty permanently. It’s crept up a bit with all the holiday stuff so I’ll do a social events only January and no more than 2 at a time.

[erbear]

Dec 28, 2022 13:26:10 GMT -5 beerlover said:

Dec 28, 2022 7:10:58 GMT -5 taratru said:

My problem is that I actually like drinking wine and such. I'm not stress drinking or trying to cover anything with it. It's good and I like it, so it would be like cutting out cake or coffee, and I am trying to stop cutting the things I enjoy. I also considered whole 30 in January, but the loss of things I enjoy seems like...not worth whatever good effects happen.

That said, I only drink on weekends anyway, so it wouldn't be all that hard. I dunno.

This is me; I genuinely enjoy having a craft beer or good glass of wine (or a couple). It makes weekends more enjoyable and its something to look forward to. I don't really drink during the week for the most part so that's how I keep everything in moderation. I also enjoy making cocktails and it's a fun hobby for me. I would be sad cutting it out completely so I'll never do it.

Me too. I’m really committing to beer only on weekends (and driving, so I can’t overindulge) in January. A moist january, so speak

[eddy]

The habit I am trying to kick is- you go out for a social event and say have two drinks. Okay NBD. But then I come home and I want to make another drink or two. I want to be satisfied with the two I had in the social setting and not feel like I should have one more at home. That is where the creep happens for me.

[melmaria]

Dec 29, 2022 16:05:51 GMT -5 eddy said:

The habit I am trying to kick is- you go out for a social event and say have two drinks. Okay NBD. But then I come home and I want to make another drink or two. I want to be satisfied with the two I had in the social setting and not feel like I should have one more at home. That is where the creep happens for me.

I feel this too.