S/O - Dry or moist January - Alcohol

[erbear]

Jan 12, 2023 3:25:34 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

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).

I do this too. I have an addictive personality and I like to make sure I could stop every once in a while if I wanted to.

[erbear]

Mid-month checkin:

I’ve stuck to my plan — no drinks Monday - Thursday and limiting myself to 2 on Fridays, Saturdays and sundays. Nothing at home when we come back from being out. I feel good. My stomach has been bothering me for about a year now — enough so that I made a dr appt — and that has stopped entirely. We will still go to our breweries but I’m drinking a water in between drinks and trying to be mindful. I’m sure I’ll slip up but this feels sustainable. I still am craving a glass of wine after work some nights but I agreed to try a workout instead, then have the wine if I still want it, and that has worked — I haven’t still wanted wine after a run.

How are others doing?

[icedcoffee]

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 tried his ginger lemonade one! I like it! It definitely gives me the bite I’m looking for and it’s good for you! Win!

[campermom]

I am on Day 42 of the 75 Hard challenge and haven’t had a drink. I no longer crave it, and when I’m faced with it I think gosh that would be nice but I’m not fighting an urge. But I have this all or nothing goal and if I had a drink I’d have to start over.

The lack of alcohol is only one part of the challenge so there are other things at play here too but overall I physically feel better, I sleep better, I have less negative/hard to manage emotions. I have more perseverance both physically and emotionally. My heart rate is down and I can run again.

[wanderlustmom]

I am doing the Hard 75 too with a bit of cheating and it's been really good for me to not drink. I was a pour one or two glasses of wine a night person. I'm almost 50 and it needs to reduce. The best part for me is the better sleep. the first week I had trouble falling asleep but then had great sleep. Now I want to go to bed earlier and I sleep restfully with no waking for eight hours. I do find it sometimes hard especially on weekend nights and it can be a bit boring. My goal will be four to six drinks a week when this is over and some days with no drinks. My favorite (that I did for about a year) was measuring one glass of wine each night and no more.

[litebright]

Good weekend. No drinking. It's a lot easier if 1) we don't go out to eat and 2) I exercise, which kind of kills my desire to drink anything but water.

I think, for better or worse, that this is also helping me discover that my anti-anxiety med is giving me insomnia. I'm on a very low dose and had to go without for a few days because it was backordered at my pharmacy, and my sleep immediately improved.

I had been hoping it was another variable, but with no drinking in the mix and exercising more often in the past three weeks, it's definitely the presence/absence of the med that makes the difference in whether I am awake for 2+ hours in the MOTN. Dammit.

[loira]

I did a lot of unpaid labour this weekend and felt pretty stressed out by life. Last night I felt myself really wanting a glass of wine, so I think maybe it was more than just part of a wind down routine for me - I was obviously also using it to relieve or manage stress. Not sure what this means for me going forward but if I do plan on drinking again after January I will have to be more mindful about when and why I am drinking.

[gretchenindisguise]

I went out with a friend on Friday and drank a sipper of tequila and then wine was on sale, so I got a bottle with the intention of having a glass and bringing the rest home. I did good and brought it home, but I shouldn't have bought it and drank a glass in the first place. The tequila was enough. I drank a sip from the bottle last night and decided I really didn't want it - so dumped it and the rest of the bottle. I feel bad for the wasted wine, but oh well. The good news is, that's all I had all weekend.

[eddy]

The wheels fell off a bit this last weekend. I had too many fun things happening. Friends came into town for lunch. My dad visisted. We went to a college BB game etc. ANYWAYS, back to the grind.

The one thing I did notice is the noticable difference in my workouts the next day if I had alcohol. That is my main motivator. My Monday workout felt like garbage. I was lethargic and not into it.

I am meeting up with friends tonight and it is going to be hard to resist. I keep going back and forth so we shall see what I end up doing.

The one good thing is that I am pretty committed to ending casual drinking at home. Or greatly reducing it. So that is going to go on past January. I feel so much better when I don't do it. I have now sat in the discomfort of a boring weekend nights several times and it was NBD. So even though I haven't been able to stick with totally dry January, I am feeling good about making some long term changes to my habits.

[glitzy07]

I haven't fully followed my commitment (no drinking Jan 1-27th), but I've done much better than my usual 2-3 nights a week. I've had drinks twice in 18 days. Once at an NHL game and once sitting at my sister's house (my most frequent wine drinking spot). I wish I hadn't done the night at my sister's and had the willpower to abstain in that environment, but I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. Complete sobriety is not my end goal, moderation is. I'm achieving that and hope to continue a significantly reduced frequency even following the end of January.

ETA: I've also had WAY more Cherry Coke/Dr. Pepper this month in the absence of alcohol, so I need to rein that in too!

[mmmomof2]

I’m Day 18 into a Whole 30 and I’m noticing so many non-scale victories - glowing skin, lower HR, better sleep, etc. I have a sinking feeling it’s mostly due to no alcohol. This should be the incentive to stop most drinking, but I like wine too much. Would like to try to keep it to just weekends and social events. We will see how the reintroduction goes.

[tiramisu]

A suggestion for people who like the ritual of having something to sip in the evenings: finding an herbal tea you like can/might full that niche for you. I've been drinking a chamomile-rose-lavender tea most nights. I started it to replace hot chocolate when I'm just wanting warmth. I think it helps me relax and be ready for bed.

[icedcoffee]

So far it’s been pretty easy for me (I only drank weekends anyway and honestly I was just too busy last weekend). We have a party this weekend and I’m limiting myself to 2. That will be hard because I haven’t seen these people or been out with friends in a long time and I know I will drink them down quickly. We will see what happens. Hopefully I can stop at 2!

And the kombucha I’ve realized I don’t like the smell so I drink it with a straw. I also started watering it down with seltzer a bit and that is a good balance for me.

[buckeyegirl]

The goal was no drinking for the month. I have had drinks 3 times. So much better than the near daily I was drinking. However, out of the 3 days I have had drinks, two of those nights I slept like crap. I think I'm noticing a pattern. What a bummer.

[breezy8407]

Along the lines of kombucha, if like me, you don't like sweet drinks but like the "bite" of a cocktail, I have been experimenting with some apple cider vinegar concoctions. Mostly mixing with a flavored seltzer water, but there are a lot of recipes with it out there.

I wish I liked tea more. I've tried a lot of herbal teas, and can't do caffeine after about 2pm.

[taratru]

I went to a staff party tonight and had one glass of sangria, after ordering a marg that I just didn't want and gave to a friend. I was surprised at how easy it was to stay chill. I also left only 1.5 hours in, instead of closing it down.

I'm gonna be happy tomorrow when I don't wake up feeling like garbage. I realize this seems minor, but I am always the party person at staff things, so I'm really proud of myself.

[jane6672]

Jan 20, 2023 9:55:55 GMT -5 breezy8407 said:

Along the lines of kombucha, if like me, you don't like sweet drinks but like the "bite" of a cocktail, I have been experimenting with some apple cider vinegar concoctions. Mostly mixing with a flavored seltzer water, but there are a lot of recipes with it out there.

I wish I liked tea more. I've tried a lot of herbal teas, and can't do caffeine after about 2pm.

Vinegar shrubs are very easy to make and tasty!


They’re like a tangy fruit simple syrup you can use in cocktails or with just sparkling water.


this is a good general guide and there’s loads of specific recipes out there: food52.com/blog/13831-how-to-make-shrubs-aka-drinking-vinegars-without-a-recipe

[icedcoffee]

I planned on drinking yesterday at a party and limiting myself to 2. I ended up having 3, but they were smallish and not super strong so I consider this ok. I alternated with seltzer and drank a full can between drinks. I slept like garbage and feel kinda crappy today. I’m excited to get back to dry January today.

[mrsukyankee]

This weekend, I had two single bourbons. One each night. I'm happy with myself. Next weekend will be a different story as it's my H's 50th birthday. I will drink and probably sleep like shit and eat all the food. And I won't care.

[aurora]

I haven't gone completely dry (my goal was not to drink at home, just if we were out), but I have to admit I've noticed my sleep getting better. Definitely incentivizes cutting back long-term!

[erbear]

I fell apart completely this weekend. How do those of you who are drinkers handle weekends, especially in the winter when there is nothing else to do but go to a bar and watch a game?!

[dontlook]

Jan 22, 2023 20:10:21 GMT -5 erbear said:

I fell apart completely this weekend. How do those of you who are drinkers handle weekends, especially in the winter when there is nothing else to do but go to a bar and watch a game?!

Surprisingly (to me) watching sports has been the only time ive wanted to drink this whole month. I’m watching less sports but when I do I drink something else (sparkling water or tea). This first weekend was the hardest but it’s been easier each weekend. I’m not going out but I’d just order a mocktail and some good dessert if I did.

[waverly]

Jan 22, 2023 20:10:21 GMT -5 erbear said:

I fell apart completely this weekend. How do those of you who are drinkers handle weekends, especially in the winter when there is nothing else to do but go to a bar and watch a game?!

DS and DH watched part of the games at home. DD and I are working our way through the Marvel movies. A football game is a long time to be at the bar. I’d probably go late and leave early and nurse a beer or two. I try to always keep it to 1-2 anyway because I have low tolerance.

[beerlover]

Me too, erbear. We went out with friends for dinner. Had two drinks there, but then we went somewhere else after to continue hanging out, and I had 4 Michelob Ultras. Like, why? No one needs 6 drinks in a night. I was having a good time and keeping up with everyone else. At least I chose a lower calorie option I guess, lol. Oh and I'm fine today because my tolerance is stellar, lol. Which probably isn't something to be proud of.

[loira]

I had a beer tonight after a trying day. But I only had one, which is definitely different from my usual if I drink, so I'm trying to be kind to myself.

[mrsukyankee]

Jan 22, 2023 20:10:21 GMT -5 erbear said:

I fell apart completely this weekend. How do those of you who are drinkers handle weekends, especially in the winter when there is nothing else to do but go to a bar and watch a game?!

I choose a number of drinks I'm going to have and then spread it out by having non-alcoholic drinks in the middle. So I might have a beer, followed by tonic with lime, then a beer, then a pint of water with a lemon slice, etc. It helps a lot. And I typically don't drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks (there are exceptions) so I make sure they are the best and more enjoyable - so I savour them!

[erbear]

Jan 22, 2023 20:46:56 GMT -5 beerlover said:

Me too, erbear. We went out with friends for dinner. Had two drinks there, but then we went somewhere else after to continue hanging out, and I had 4 Michelob Ultras. Like, why? No one needs 6 drinks in a night. I was having a good time and keeping up with everyone else. At least I chose a lower calorie option I guess, lol. Oh and I'm fine today because my tolerance is stellar, lol. Which probably isn't something to be proud of.

Exactly my situation.

[aurora]

Jan 22, 2023 20:10:21 GMT -5 erbear said:

I fell apart completely this weekend. How do those of you who are drinkers handle weekends, especially in the winter when there is nothing else to do but go to a bar and watch a game?!

Saturday I hung out with non-drinking friends at their place, so that made it easy. Sunday I baked cookies.

That said, I also have a kind of overwhelming job where I worked both days and definitely find myself thinking "there is not enough time to get work done for the week!" instead of being bored. I don't recommend this strategy, though.

[gretchenindisguise]

I did good this weekend. I went to a friend's house for dinner, but apparently half of our group is doing dry January. My usual close pusher of alcohol is not, and I knew she'd be drinking champagne and keep filling my glass - so I brought tequila to sip. I drank so much less than I would have normally.

[mrsukyankee]

I thought I'd share this article that I just saw in the paper I subscribe to in the UK. While I'm not planning on giving up alcohol, I definitely drink a lot less now and feel better for it. It's not surprising to me that the Boomers and Gen Xers are the heaviest drinkers in the UK - I see it a lot. My H's workmates go out every Thursday night and have hangovers every Friday morning. It's not unusual for some of them to have drinks with lunch or start drinking at a "work meeting" at 3pm at the pub. I'm working on getting my H to stop joining in that hamster wheel because it's definitely showing up in his body more and more.

‘I jumped off the hangover hamster wheel’: midlife drinkers who gave up booze – and got happy


In the UK, those aged 55 to 75 are the heaviest drinkers, with the generation below not far behind. But many are turning their backs on alcohol and discovering surprising benefits

Sharon Hartley considered herself a fairly average drinker. She had followed a similar pattern to that of other people she knew in their mid-40s – teenage drinking that continued at university and in her 20s, then drinking at home in her 30s and 40s. “It crept up on me and I got to 44 and I thought: when was it deemed normal to be drinking a bottle of wine a night? And maybe opening it a bit earlier – not at 8pm, when the children have gone to bed, but 5pm, when you’re making dinner for the family.”

She didn’t consider herself to be addicted to alcohol, but says: “I knew my relationship with alcohol wasn’t going in a good direction.”

Hartley, now 49, had tried dry January, and sober October – the month-long campaigns that encourage people to cut out alcohol – but would be looking forward to the following month, when she could “drink my body weight in rosé”, she says. “I knew in order to experience a life without alcohol, I had to take a longer break.”