Wrong-Direction
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2013
- 13,631
Having a pint with the misses, first in 5 weeks! Surely that's alright on Valentine's?
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[Drinking] Dry January [and beyond...]
- Thread starter Marty___Mcfly
- Start date
I am pretty sure I drank every day in January due to a combination of circumstances, which of course followed December and all that entails. I’d also habitually drunk a reasonable amount at home - miles over the recommended units per week, but without ever getting pissed (I save that mostly for the annual boys golf trip).
It’s not deprivation in my case - more a slight concern that it was getting just a bit too easy. Coupled with that, I’ve got a few big running targets coming up and a bottle of red (it was always a bottle, I can’t do a glass) the night before a 3 or 4 hour training run isn’t overly helpful (even though I got used to doing it, and could do it).
So, no paragon of virtue here, just a little test of self control, and an experiment to see if I feel any better as a result. I’ve no intention of going teetotal, but every hope of going back to it in more moderation. We’ll see.
Up to 50 days now. Being dry on holiday in the sun is quite tough, particularly when the person on the other side of the table is enjoying beers and cocktails etc.
Nearly there though - fly home on Saturday night - and then being dry at home should be a breeze again.
Anyone else still going?
Nearly there though - fly home on Saturday night - and then being dry at home should be a breeze again.
Anyone else still going?
Day 20, still very mixed feelings.
Been much easier than I expected (guess I’m not an alcoholic), but can’t say I’ve noticed feeling any better at all. Haven’t touched a drop in the 20 days.
Been much easier than I expected (guess I’m not an alcoholic), but can’t say I’ve noticed feeling any better at all. Haven’t touched a drop in the 20 days.
Good work. Tough ask not boozing on holiday
Agreed....don’t think I could do it (or would want to) but big kudos for managing it [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION]
Dorset Seagull
Once Dolphin, Now Seagull
Did January ok and was waking and getting up at 6am full of energy. So far in Feb I have had a couple of beers each weekend but not much more. I rarely have cravings and don’t feel the need for drink at all now and just have the odd one at weekends by way of a change as much as anything.
Seem to have fallen back in to my old sleep pattern and am not jumping out of bed at 6am again which is a bit disappointing as this was the best bit. This maybe because I have had the virus that’s been doing the rounds and maybe haven’t got over it fully yet.
I think the big test will be the 2 weeks we spend in the Algarve every April as normally we drink lunchtime and evening and then can’t stop when we get back home. Hoping I can crack that one this time especially if I can mainly stay off the booze between now and then.
Seem to have fallen back in to my old sleep pattern and am not jumping out of bed at 6am again which is a bit disappointing as this was the best bit. This maybe because I have had the virus that’s been doing the rounds and maybe haven’t got over it fully yet.
I think the big test will be the 2 weeks we spend in the Algarve every April as normally we drink lunchtime and evening and then can’t stop when we get back home. Hoping I can crack that one this time especially if I can mainly stay off the booze between now and then.
Knocky's Nose
Mon nez est retiré.
I've had 3 days of light drinking since Feb 1st.
One beer with a curry, then a pint somewhere (I actually can't remember), then yesterday I was up in town staying at the Millennium & Copthorne Chelsea FC (wore my Brighton scarf wandering around just to feel smug, but everyone just assumed it was the blue and white of Chelsea and never noticed!) and had a pint with lunch, a pint with dinner, and then a pint watching the Citeh game in 'Frankies' opposite the hotel. Almost had a second pint, but then thought "do I really need another?" and the answer, for the first time in many years, was "no" - so I left.
No cravings this evening really. I got home and had a Heineken 0,0 with dinner, then a 'fresh orange juice with a cranberry and ginger ale top' over lots of ice whilst watching cold feet (recorded from Monday) and felt no great desire for alcohol.
I've actually managed to train myself to see a really nice soft drink as a 'treat' as opposed to a poor compromise on alcohol. It's working... I actually look forward to my fresh orange juice with cranberry and ginger ale top as much as I did a massive glass of ice cold chardonnay. How about that! A part of the Alcohol Experiment teaches you about mindset - and that's what I think I was lacking... Soft drinks are not a punishment.
My aim was to be a 'normal' drinker, who could dip in and out and not let alcohol be a big thing. I'm well on my way there, but I'm not out of the woods yet.
Referring to the post above, I used to liken my drinking to an air raid siren. A 'big night' on it would rev it up to screaming - and then when I stopped it couldn't stop dead, it needed to rev down. I'd be gagging for a drink the next night, then a bit less the next, and so on.
One beer with a curry, then a pint somewhere (I actually can't remember), then yesterday I was up in town staying at the Millennium & Copthorne Chelsea FC (wore my Brighton scarf wandering around just to feel smug, but everyone just assumed it was the blue and white of Chelsea and never noticed!) and had a pint with lunch, a pint with dinner, and then a pint watching the Citeh game in 'Frankies' opposite the hotel. Almost had a second pint, but then thought "do I really need another?" and the answer, for the first time in many years, was "no" - so I left.
No cravings this evening really. I got home and had a Heineken 0,0 with dinner, then a 'fresh orange juice with a cranberry and ginger ale top' over lots of ice whilst watching cold feet (recorded from Monday) and felt no great desire for alcohol.
I've actually managed to train myself to see a really nice soft drink as a 'treat' as opposed to a poor compromise on alcohol. It's working... I actually look forward to my fresh orange juice with cranberry and ginger ale top as much as I did a massive glass of ice cold chardonnay. How about that! A part of the Alcohol Experiment teaches you about mindset - and that's what I think I was lacking... Soft drinks are not a punishment.
My aim was to be a 'normal' drinker, who could dip in and out and not let alcohol be a big thing. I'm well on my way there, but I'm not out of the woods yet.
Referring to the post above, I used to liken my drinking to an air raid siren. A 'big night' on it would rev it up to screaming - and then when I stopped it couldn't stop dead, it needed to rev down. I'd be gagging for a drink the next night, then a bit less the next, and so on.
Cheers for that....pretty much where I’m hoping to end up. Good work [emoji106][emoji106]
TrickyOne
New member
I stopped in August, had a few beers 3 weeks ago which sured up why im not drinking! Im much happier n altogether on it! Keep going!
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
Still moderating well. Went to Peru and Ecuador for work, and didn't touch a drop. Had a Sales Kick-off in Moscow and had 3 glasses of wine and 2 beers over 2 nights. Won't drink again until 2nd March. This is where I want to be, so it's pleasing that apart from one small blip I feel I've changed my relationship with alcohol and am far more responsible with it.
Dorset Seagull
Once Dolphin, Now Seagull
You touch on the biggest issue for me which is finding different soft drinks to substitute for the alcohol. Maybe we should start a list of decent and different soft drinks that we can share to widen our own limited options.
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
Seedlip (with tonic) is my go-to drink now. When I do have an AF beer it tends to be Nanny State. I used to drink quite a bit of AF beer, but hardly touch it these days... I think my journey with alcohol has gone past the need for it
Doing ok.
Have had a dreadful lurgy and have been in bed for almost a week. Not felt like drinking, but had a couple of glasses before that, which is fine, because it is not my intention to give up booze, but just to moderate it!
Weight loss is going well in conjunction with the booze cut and has been given a boost by feeling like shit for 6 days and not wanting to eat much; there has to be some silver lining to suffering this lurgy!
Good luck to all.
Have had a dreadful lurgy and have been in bed for almost a week. Not felt like drinking, but had a couple of glasses before that, which is fine, because it is not my intention to give up booze, but just to moderate it!
Weight loss is going well in conjunction with the booze cut and has been given a boost by feeling like shit for 6 days and not wanting to eat much; there has to be some silver lining to suffering this lurgy!
Good luck to all.
Knocky's Nose
Mon nez est retiré.
This is exactly what I was looking for back at the start of January. Some recommendations.
However, it's like saying 'can someone recommend a nice bottle of wine". You'll get so many opinions from so many people it'll bamboozle you, and most of which you won't like much. I found the same with soft drinks.
Personally, it all has to start with a pint glass full of ice cubes. Then, I just bought a load of fresh juices and started experimenting. 3 for £2 at the co-op for fresh juices and I just started mixing them up to see what happened!! Ginger Ale was recommended, and Fentimans has a lovely kick (and was on offer at £2 a bottle at co-op) so I usually do a 'top'.
Whatever you settle on, make it your 'regular' and associate it with that moment you sit down and properly relax for the evening. Make yourself look forward to it. Get excited about it. Once you've nailed that, it boots alcohol off the winners podium and you're well on the way there. As mentioned, it's all about mindset. We release loads of dopamine in the build up (anticipation) to our first drink of the evening, which our little brain loves. If you can fool it to be all excited about a soft drink you find you forget about an alcoholic one!
Dorset Seagull
Once Dolphin, Now Seagull
Yes we drink Seedlip and a champagne/Prosecco substitute that is a bit sweet but you get used to it. My AF beer of choice is Becks Blue but I don’t tend to have many of them as prefer a soft drink. I just need to venture out and find a whole new world of low cal low sugar soft drinks to widen my choice
Dorset Seagull
Once Dolphin, Now Seagull
Still going here. 52 days. Not even thinking about it now. Should be good until next Friday (curry with the boys followed by a gig; will allow myself a couple of pints).
Did not drink at all in Jan. Have drunk twice in Feb including wine on valentines day as it was a nice occasion. Not really been bothered but I am currently sat in the sun in Cyprus on hol and a beer does look so lovely! Moderation though, I may have one or two but not more than that.