S/O - Dry or moist January - Alcohol

[icedcoffee]

Jan 11, 2023 11:40:30 GMT -5 eddy said:

 was proud of myself for not going home and making myself one more drink. That is normally my achilles heel.

I had 2 drinks at my in laws on Saturday and I was going to have a nightcap when I got home, but I remembered you saying this earlier in the other thread and I thought of it and it stopped me.  LOL   Another drink when I get home is almost ALWAYS a bad idea.

[okla]

Jan 11, 2023 13:23:17 GMT -5 melmaria said:

I’m doing what erbear mentioned and not drinking Monday-Thursday.

I’m frustrated though, because it has had ZERO impact on my sleep and that’s really what I was hoping for. I still sleep like shit on the days I don’t drink and I can’t tell a difference in my sleep between drinking vs not.

It can take 5-7 days sober for the affects of alcohol on sleep to get better. So if you’re drinking weekly, that may be why.

[okla]

I cut way back in April and am doing Dry January now. I highly recommend This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment by Annie Grace for anyone wanting to learn more about alcohol’s affect on the body and/or wanting to cut back/quit.

I’ve liked all the Athletic beers I’ve tried and I’ve tried probably 5 or 6 varieties. And I’m someone who LOVES beer. I have a bottle of Monday “gin” that I haven’t opened yet, but might dig in this weekend. I’ll report back.

For just a plain NA drink without the substitutes, I like ginger beer or ale with cranberry juice and a squeeze of lime.

[loira]

I'm doing Dry January and I decided to stop drinking completely as I felt it would just be easier to not have alcohol in the house (well, my H has his beers but they are his alone). I don't have much of an outside social life so turning down drinks at restaurants etc hasn't been an issue. I think for me a glass or two of wine or beer at the end of the day or while cooking had become totally ingrained in my "wind down" routine, so I've tried to start new routines. I listen to podcasts while I cook. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of my workday. If I'm really frazzled after dinner, I take a hot shower. So far I've been dry since January 1.

I have noticed an improvement in my sleep and a definite improvement in my skin. I'm also hoping to save some money because inflation is killing my finances.

I'm hoping to drink less often following January, so we'll see what happens there.

[jane6672]

We’re doing it, but a bit shorter since we’re taking a trip on the 25th and will indulge then.

I’ve actually found it much easier than I expected, but I tend to have an all-or-nothing mindset which often is *not* helpful, however in this case since it’s a just not doing it at all for a big chunk of time vs. dialing back here and there it makes it easier for me.

Ditto to PP disappointed their sleep hasn’t improved. I would say I feel better mood-wise and a bit more energetic overall, but I’m having a hard time falling asleep (more so than normal) and staying asleep, and especially dealing with H’s snoring because I’m not sedated at all.

And I gave up coffee for the time being as well!!

So overall still feel positive about breaking the habitual aspect and saving $$ but annoyed that I’ve seen little to no improvement in my sleep since that was one of my main motivators.

[jane6672]

Actually the main thing I feel frustrated by is not having an easy place to be that’s not home. In the winter it gets dark so early and the weather is shitty, if I’m in the mood to be out spur-of-the-moment it’s just… bars pretty much.

I could shift my workouts to the evening so I could be at the gym instead, but that’s the busiest time.

I know there’s at least one coffee shop that is open later, I guess I could go for a cup of tea with a book.

[melmaria]

Jan 11, 2023 14:40:13 GMT -5 okla said:

Jan 11, 2023 13:23:17 GMT -5 melmaria said:

I’m doing what erbear mentioned and not drinking Monday-Thursday.

I’m frustrated though, because it has had ZERO impact on my sleep and that’s really what I was hoping for. I still sleep like shit on the days I don’t drink and I can’t tell a difference in my sleep between drinking vs not.

It can take 5-7 days sober for the affects of alcohol on sleep to get better. So if you’re drinking weekly, that may be why.

Well. WOMP. Lol.

I don’t see this happening in my life, so I guess I will sleep like garbage forever. I like weekend beer too much 😂

[starburst604]

I'm back to doing intermittent fasting and part of that is no flavors/calories after dinner, so that eliminates alcohol or mocktails, but I do allow myself drinks on Fri & Sat nights. I just don't need to be sitting at home on my couch having drinks every night of the week and I know it's doing my weight no favors at all, among other things I'm sure. So far I've done pretty well with it and I have to admit that I sleep a lot better, my skin/face look better and less puffy, and I have more energy to get up and work out in the mornings.

I learned last night that even having a drink WITH my dinner is a bad idea because I'll just want to have more, which I did after having a marg while out to eat after work yesterday. I feel like my drinking increased first after becoming a parent, having that needing to wind down feeling and also just being bored at home in the evenings. Then it ramped up to a whole new level when we were quarantined. I find that keeping busy in the evenings helps deter that craving. Removing myself from sitting on the couch watching tv with a drink helps, because those 2 things are intertwined for me. This needs to be a full time change for me, not just January.

[glitzy07]

Someone I follow on IG (@meaganfrancis) did a 21 day dry challenge last January and posted a ton about NA cocktails/wine/beers. You'll have to scroll back to last year, but she has tons of posts with the different kinds she tried and her reviews.

I'm doing dry January, for the most part. I did have beer at the NHL game I went to on Sunday, but that's the only time I've had anything all month. We have an out of town trip with friends on the weekend of the 27th, so that will be the end of my dry January. That said, I'm trying to be much more mindful of my alcohol consumption overall so I'm hoping some of the habits will stick. Some of my other habits like being more consistent with my nighttime skincare routine have been much easier to keep without having alcohol in the equation.

[starburst604]

Jan 11, 2023 16:41:21 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

Someone I follow on IG (@meaganfrancis) did a 21 day dry challenge last January and posted a ton about NA cocktails/wine/beers. You'll have to scroll back to last year, but she has tons of posts with the different kinds she tried and her reviews.

I'm doing dry January, for the most part. I did have beer at the NHL game I went to on Sunday, but that's the only time I've had anything all month. We have an out of town trip with friends on the weekend of the 27th, so that will be the end of my dry January. That said, I'm trying to be much more mindful of my alcohol consumption overall so I'm hoping some of the habits will stick. Some of my other habits like being more consistent with my nighttime skincare routine have been much easier to keep without having alcohol in the equation.

Same! I don't know if my skin looks and feels better because of no alcohol, or because I just don't wash and moisturize and say fuck it to everything else because I'm buzzed and tired. I've also upped my flossing game. 

[mrsukyankee]

Just sharing because - one of the whiskey groups I'm part of does a dry week every few months as a reminder to keep an eye on alcohol creep. It's so easy to have that one glass every so often grow to every night and then multiples per night. So, for me, I definitely do dry weeks throughout the year. I had the realisation that I was becoming alcohol dependent when I had to abstain for multiple months in a row and found it to be very, very difficult (understandable when alcohol plays a huge part of life in England).

[aurora]

Jan 11, 2023 14:40:13 GMT -5 okla said:

Jan 11, 2023 13:23:17 GMT -5 melmaria said:

I’m doing what erbear mentioned and not drinking Monday-Thursday.

I’m frustrated though, because it has had ZERO impact on my sleep and that’s really what I was hoping for. I still sleep like shit on the days I don’t drink and I can’t tell a difference in my sleep between drinking vs not.

It can take 5-7 days sober for the affects of alcohol on sleep to get better. So if you’re drinking weekly, that may be why.

That's interesting; I didn't realize. I started mostly-dry January-February a week late due to some other plans and was really annoyed to still be awake in the middle of the night last night. I'll give it a few more days.

[buckeyegirl]

I realized I drank because I was bored in the evening and then kept drinking until bedtime. I don't drink anything else except water. I have started making a lemonade around 5 and that helps a bit. I don't like most other drinks. My sleep is better, I wake up more refreshed, I also don't wake up most night in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. My skin is better but that's most likely because I also went fully dairy free at the same time. However, I'll take it. My hardest time is the weekends. Friday was hard because we were home doing nothing. Saturday was easier because I went to Hamilton and dinner with my Mom which took up most of my day.

[eddy]

A dry week is a really good idea. I am going to incorporate that into my plan.

Even a week this month made a huge difference in my outlook. Breaking the habit, for me, is really key. Just get out of the motion. Feel the discomfort a bit. Also feel the benefits. Also realize, eh it is boring, but also isn't as hard as I expected.

Even in these first 12 days I have encountered some of my normal triggers and for the most part stayed dry. 1. I am bored as hell because it is January. There isn't much to look forward to. 2. I had a death in my circle, which brings up a lot of memories of my own mom. I also knew I was going to have to go "home" for the funeral which brings up even more uncomfortable feelings.  3. I got my period. This can be the only time I use alcohol to numb as it can help with not feeling the pain. 4. Went out to eat in one of my favorite bar and grills and got an ice tea.

[breezy8407]

I was really hoping to see improvements with puffy eyes and face in the morning, but I am sad that I didn't. I guess its just part of getting older? I have all these eye patches and de-puffing masks I use each morning. It doesn't seem to correlate with anything, except does seem worse with PMS. Sigh.

[chickadee77]

Jan 11, 2023 9:43:09 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Also--I mistakenly drank too much on NYE (I stuck to my 2 drink limit but the bar made one of them SO strong) and I have an Oura ring and that night it showed my resting HR and OMG it was a very good reminder to me that I need to not drink too much.

Curious what you saw - too low, or too high? I've noticed on nights I drink my heart rate never really goes down, which I think is why I don't sleep as well.

I haven't cared for many of the NA beers, with the notable exception of de-alcoholized Labatt - the catch is I can only find it when I go to Canada. It actually tastes like beer, not like sucking on a stale corn chip that most NA beers taste like to me 😞

[icedcoffee]

Jan 12, 2023 10:09:05 GMT -5 chickadee77 said:

Jan 11, 2023 9:43:09 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Also--I mistakenly drank too much on NYE (I stuck to my 2 drink limit but the bar made one of them SO strong) and I have an Oura ring and that night it showed my resting HR and OMG it was a very good reminder to me that I need to not drink too much.

Curious what you saw - too low, or too high? I've noticed on nights I drink my heart rate never really goes down, which I think is why I don't sleep as well.

I haven't cared for many of the NA beers, with the notable exception of de-alcoholized Labatt - the catch is I can only find it when I go to Canada. It actually tastes like beer, not like sucking on a stale corn chip that most NA beers taste like to me 😞

My resting HR was very high (for me..I have a very low resting HR in general) and I did sleep very poorly.

[beerlover]

icedcoffee, I have a friend who had heart surgery (valve replacement) in May. He was always very into beer and trying new types. After his surgery his resting HR is always super high when he drinks now (even if he just has a couple), so he hasn't been doing it as much lately. I never realized alcohol can increase your resting HR and I'm def. going to look at mine next time I drink, b/c I'm curious.

[icedcoffee]

Jan 12, 2023 14:31:31 GMT -5 beerlover said:

icedcoffee , I have a friend who had heart surgery (valve replacement) in May. He was always very into beer and trying new types. After his surgery his resting HR is always super high when he drinks now (even if he just has a couple), so he hasn't been doing it as much lately. I never realized alcohol can increase your resting HR and I'm def. going to look at mine next time I drink, b/c I'm curious.

It's crazy, but it makes sense.  It also increases my anxiety which goes up when my resting heart rate is high.  The oura ring has been cool to see how different things effect my heart rate.

[underwaterrhymes]

I significantly scaled back and haven’t had a drink since the 2nd. I plan on having a drink tomorrow night because we are going out, but won’t have another until February.)

I like having a seltzer in a wine glass and adding two fancy cocktail cherries. It makes me feel festive.

[isabel]

Jan 11, 2023 10:49:21 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Oh!! Trader Joes had a cranberry ginger beer that is really good and definitely gave me the bite was looking for!

Do you like kombucha? I am not intentionally doing a dry January, but after a couple of rough mornings the last quarter of the year, I decided I really need to be deliberate about when and how much I drink. Kombucha is generally pretty satisfying when I want something besides water.

[mrsukyankee]

I'm quite happy about what I've been doing so far. I had a beer on Wed when celebrating my birthday (belated) with my MIL and H. I would have liked to go home and have a bourbon but I didn't, nor did I have more than one pint. Before this, I only had one glass of wine with dinner. So, not too bad. I'll probably have a drink or two this weekend but then nothing from then until the following weekend, unless an outing happens (unlikely).

I'm working on drinking more water and seeing if there are any herbal teas I'd enjoy (as I've also cut back on caffeine - why, me, why?). Kombucha is a great idea but I tend to only drink it in very small amounts at a time (per the instructions of the guy who sells it) so I don't think it'd satisfy me entirely.

[icedcoffee]

Jan 13, 2023 0:05:05 GMT -5 isabel said:

Jan 11, 2023 10:49:21 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Oh!! Trader Joes had a cranberry ginger beer that is really good and definitely gave me the bite was looking for!

Do you like kombucha? I am not intentionally doing a dry January, but after a couple of rough mornings the last quarter of the year, I decided I really need to be deliberate about when and how much I drink. Kombucha is generally pretty satisfying when I want something besides water.

I’m scared to try it. LOL. But my H drinks it almost daily. Maybe I’ll try it tonight! He has a ginger lemonade one that sounds good…

[litebright]

I am definitely cutting way back. I'm not quite getting to the completely-dry January (I've had two drinks), but I'm getting close.

I like mixing cocktails, so I enjoy experimenting with mocktails. Honestly, to me just about anything with tonic water in it tastes alcoholic, so sometimes I'll just go tonic water + something else, like cranberry juice. I'll do a Moscow mule and just put in tonic water instead of the vodka.

But I have tried quite a few NA liquors. My favorite brand so far has been Lyre's, they make a wide variety of NA liquors and then their canned pre-mixed mocktails are tasty, too. I also like Monday NA gin (very good gin substitute IMO). Seedlip is kind of meh for me, their varieties aren't really an analog to specific liquors, so mixing is harder -- you kind of need to know what "goes" well with the flavor profile. That said, I did re-buy their Grove 42 and drink it usually with tonic water.

Curious Elixirs has been super hit or miss for me. Really enjoyed #1, but I tried #5 and couldn't even finish one because it tastes like cough syrup. I haven't tried any others because man, they are awfully expensive to risk not liking them as much as I didn't like #5.

[chedifuen]

This is our second year of completely dry January. We combine is with putting a ban on eating out or getting take out. That helps make it a lot easier for me because we love to go to breweries for dinner and to grab a few beers.

[jwright]

I'm doing Dry January as well; I plan to have a few beers after my 5K on Jan 28 and I drank on Jan 1, so really just 27 days. Making it through the first weekend was a success; we don't have kids so once we are done with the gym and chores on the weekends we typically go to our local bar with friends or watch sports and that involves drinking. At about 3 on Saturday I was thinking.. what are we going to do for the rest of the day? I've found I've spent more money on shopping because I'm bored.

I do feel better so far, my workouts have been stronger and I think my skin looks a bit clearer. It's definitely a good practice and I hope will lead to reduced consumption all year long.

[isabel]

Jan 13, 2023 8:25:57 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Jan 13, 2023 0:05:05 GMT -5 isabel said:

Do you like kombucha? I am not intentionally doing a dry January, but after a couple of rough mornings the last quarter of the year, I decided I really need to be deliberate about when and how much I drink. Kombucha is generally pretty satisfying when I want something besides water.

I’m scared to try it. LOL. But my H drinks it almost daily. Maybe I’ll try it tonight! He has a ginger lemonade one that sounds good…

It's a little vinegar-y. I suppose it can be an acquired taste, but I think even if you don't love it, you probably won't think it's awful.

[lust2hart]

Jan 13, 2023 7:43:03 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

I'm quite happy about what I've been doing so far. I had a beer on Wed when celebrating my birthday (belated) with my MIL and H. I would have liked to go home and have a bourbon but I didn't, nor did I have more than one pint. Before this, I only had one glass of wine with dinner. So, not too bad. I'll probably have a drink or two this weekend but then nothing from then until the following weekend, unless an outing happens (unlikely).

I'm working on drinking more water and seeing if there are any herbal teas I'd enjoy (as I've also cut back on caffeine - why, me, why?). Kombucha is a great idea but I tend to only drink it in very small amounts at a time (per the instructions of the guy who sells it) so I don't think it'd satisfy me entirely.

I really like honey lavender tea. 

[heygrey]

Jan 12, 2023 14:52:30 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I like having a seltzer in a wine glass and adding two fancy cocktail cherries. It makes me feel festive.

I do this too. I have a glass that I love and even pouring carbonated water in it feels nice to drink. I realized it's more about the ritual of having something to sip in the evenings than having alcoholic drinks. 

[StrawberryBlondie]

Jan 13, 2023 20:57:34 GMT -5 isabel said:

Jan 13, 2023 8:25:57 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I’m scared to try it. LOL. But my H drinks it almost daily. Maybe I’ll try it tonight! He has a ginger lemonade one that sounds good…

It's a little vinegar-y. I suppose it can be an acquired taste, but I think even if you don't love it, you probably won't think it's awful.

I think Humm brand is a pretty good beginner kombucha.

Plus, their elderberry flavor one is effing delicious.