Dry January

Lodious

I've just been getting my bike ready for a ride tomorrow AM, sipping a cuppa tea, listening to Henry Rollins on 6 Music. Not a bad way to spend Friday night.

bluechargeboy

Drinks consumed at last night's gig: 1 fizzy water with lime cordial (horrible) and 1 fizzy water with a slice of lime (nice). There was an urge to have a pint upon seeing our bassist's Guinness on the table in front of me after we played, but it passed.

I like not drinking actually, it makes me feel like I've got a secret advantage. Like Bruce Wayne. Not feeling the need to label myself as teetotal per se, but I think I can downgrade alcohol to an occasional indulgence. The next interesting experiment for me will be work trips in foreign lands, and conferences and such. Usually a rollercoaster of getting pissed with customers and then hiding hangovers in meetings with different customers.

@Lodious Rollins makes a perfect role model for the unapologetic non-drinker IMO!

eSully

Was that the last big test in January? I've managed to avoid putting temptation in my path, avoided pubs all together for the month and kept the beers at home out of sight and mind. At the moment it does already feel like my attitude to beer has changed but I guess the test will be if that remains when I start back up again.

bluechargeboy

@eSully yes, to be honest I haven't socialised much in January, and that was our first gig, so there has not been this constant onslaught of weird pressure or anything. In general most of my pub attendance is as a performer, so I've got a ready-made excuse of needing to be on my game.

Nobody has had a problem with me not drinking so far, and as of today I have decided my attitude is that if you feel uncomfortable with me not drinking around you, well, I don't care.

Conferences may be challenging though.

eSully

The 6 nations will be my challenge. That damn competition usuay leaves me in need of a drink or 5

bluechargeboy

Also, open mic night acts can drive one to booze, I'll have to watch that one.

Tone71

4 pints of Guinness after golf yesterday.............felt shit this morning!

eSully

Tone71;954685" said:

4 pints of Guinness after golf yesterday.............felt shit this morning!

I have some rather strong homebrew I'm going to have to be very careful with when I do get around to drinking it.

Still dry, only a few hours left of January so who's made it this far? Not @tone71 obviously

tone1

I'm still alcohol free..even free from non alcohol beers..I've probably damaged my heart with the amount of caffeine I've replaced it with though!
Still waiting for that massive energy boost and massive weight loss

Lodious

I've stuck with it. I think it's starting to feel easier. I'm aiming to stay off it this week until Friday night. I'm aiming to limit it to 3 pints on Friday & Saturday nights.

Time will tell if it's been worth doing the dry January, but I think (hope) it's had a lasting effect on my attitudes to booze.

bluechargeboy

I found it pretty easy, but I have been drinking less lately anyway. No immediate plans to drink, although I am not ruling it out.

I am thinking that if I chose to give up chocolate for January I would have killed like 50 people by now.

eSully

tone1;955169" said:

I'm still alcohol free..even free from non alcohol beers..I've probably damaged my heart with the amount of caffeine I've replaced it with though!
Still waiting for that massive energy boost and massive weight loss

Same as, I didn't bother with the non alcoholic beers. It weirdly felt like that would somehow be cheating. Coffee and cheese i replaced the beer with. I've eaten my own weight in cheese this January, this may explain the lack of weight loss

ICBM

I think I'd rather drink my own pee than the non-alcoholic beers I've ever tried.

ICBM

Well I got through to February - without cheating. Tonight I had a half pint of beer (driving back from pub quiz, so no more allowed) and a single vodka when I got home (half as much as previous habit). I will now try not to have any more before Thursday - gig night, so beer is on the cards.

The interesting observation is that after a month off, it tastes different - especially the vodka - sharper and not as nice.

bluechargeboy

Nice one @ICBM.

Most people experience their first drink as an unpleasant taste, because the body is alerting them to the fact that they are drinking poison. Society convinces the new drinker that the benefits are worth overriding the body's response. I think after a period of abstinence we can return to that state a little bit.

eSully

Had the opportunity to have pint of reverend james yesterday and turned it down for a coffee. I thought I'd be excited to have a beer but it's the opposite. I'm putting it off.

richardhomer

bluechargeboy;957078" said:

Nice one @ICBM.Most people experience their first drink as an unpleasant taste, because the body is alerting them to the fact that they are drinking poison. Society convinces the new drinker that the benefits are worth overriding the body's response. I think after a period of abstinence we can return to that state a little bit.

One thing I've found is that I can REALLY feel the effect of just one glass of wine.

As I stated earlier in the thread, my aim was to 'recalibrate' my drinking - and I seem to have succeeded. Not drinking feels 'normal' now. I have no sense of deprivation on the nights I don't drink and no sense that I 'should' have a drink as a reward/pick-me-up or whatever.

It's very liberating.

tone1

eSully;957082" said:

Had the opportunity to have pint of reverend james yesterday and turned it down for a coffee. I thought I'd be excited to have a beer but it's the opposite. I'm putting it off.

Same for me..and @richardhomer 's comments in that it's very liberating but I can still see a slippery slope ahead..so the jury's out and I'm going to give it a bit more time before having a drink.
Well done to all those who had a period off from drinking however long it was

eSully

Seems a good point to thank you all for the moral support. This thread was a big help in succeeding in doing the dry January, particularly earlier in the month when I really was craving a beer. Cheers all

eSully

@tone1 / @richardhomer. Couldn't put it better. Exactly right. I feel like my attitude to drink is definitely recalibrated. Friday night without a few beers no longer feels strange