[Drinking] Dry January [and beyond...]

Birdie Boy · Feb 22, 2019

Did the first few days of Jan off the beer, a couple of days on it and then did 2 weeks without along with a diet. After 3 weeks I lost 13lb and felt great but then got fed up with the diet had a few bad meals and had a few beers, so put 4lb back on, now lost 9lb in total from day one.

Wife is on holiday for the next week, when she is back I plan on going back to no beer and diet for a couple of weeks. I'm just hoping I don't put weight on whilst she is away! No takeaways just beer.

happypig · Feb 22, 2019

I stopped beer, wine, cheese and bread about 6 weeks ago. I have had a couple of pints a couple of time and one pizza.

A couple of times a week I have a glass or two of brandy and I've never been hungry.

I've lost one and a half stone so far.

dazzer6666 · Feb 22, 2019

Knocky's Nose said:
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!

All sounds spot on but I don't want to replace alcohol with tons of sugar (either refined or natural)..........

I'm drinking a lot more water, but also really like lime and soda water, lime and (slimline) tonic water and, perhaps oddly, slimline bitter lemon which I can drink by the pint. I'm going to have a root around the supermarket at the weekend for some other sugar-free or low-sugar things (low-sugar ginger beer is on the list, then drop some angostura bitters and line in it), plus some more AF beers. My previous Friday/Sat night ritual of a cava or two followed by a bottle of red is now a pint or two of a soft drink, then a couple of AF beers as a 'treat'. Tried a few now - luckily I've never been a heavy beer drinker but any time I did drink beer it was always lager so the AF beers aren't so far removed. San Miguel 0.0 is easily my favourite so far.

Bozza · Mar 5, 2019

Still going - day 62 now, and 20.5lbs lost over that time.

Avoided the pub pre-match on Saturday and took Diet Coke (mango flavour) to a BYO charity quiz that evening. I genuinely do not think about drink at home at all now, which is great. When I re-introduce alcohol, I hope that not drinking at home quite so often is something that sticks.

I had originally planned to get back on it this Saturday when I'm seeing James at the Royal Albert Hall, but I've decided to stay dry and keep going. I may see if I can ride it out until our Summer holiday which would get me to just over 200 days. We'll see - there'll be a lot of temptations between now and then.

AmexRuislip · Mar 5, 2019

Bozza said:
Still going - day 62 now, and 20.5lbs lost over that time.

Avoided the pub pre-match on Saturday and took Diet Coke (mango flavour) to a BYO charity quiz that evening. I genuinely do not think about drink at home at all now, which is great. When I re-introduce alcohol, I hope that not drinking at home quite so often is something that sticks.

I had originally planned to get back on it this Saturday when I'm seeing James at the Royal Albert Hall, but I've decided to stay dry and keep going. I may see if I can ride it out until our Summer holiday which would get me to just over 200 days. We'll see - there'll be a lot of temptations between now and then.

Not doing the whole weekend package and taking in the tea dance :wink:

LamieRobertson · Mar 5, 2019

AmexRuislip said:
Not doing the whole weekend package and taking in the tea dance

Were you after a partner?

AmexRuislip · Mar 5, 2019

LamieRobertson said:
Were you after a partner?

Are you offering dear?

Blackadder · Mar 5, 2019

I had a dry Ferbruary. To be fair I had Flu for the first two weeks of Feb (Missed Watford) and didn't feel like a drink.

I had a few beers on Saturday for the Huddersfield game but not had a drink since.

Not going to stop drinking but I (hope) to reduce it drastically.

Not sure how holidays will pan out?

Marty___Mcfly · Mar 5, 2019

I’m still going- no plans to start drinking again at the moment.

LamieRobertson · Mar 5, 2019

AmexRuislip said:
Are you offering dear?

Depends when ..cant do Saturday as I'm getting hair done

dazzer6666 · Mar 5, 2019

Completed dry February as planned. Didn’t notice feeling a lot better and didn’t lose much weight but quite pleased to have done it, and didn’t miss it much either. Had a few on Saturday night as we had a party for juniors 21st, but felt no great urge to have a drink on Sunday like I usually would, so I didn’t.

Not planning on staying off it entirely, but definitely plan to drink far more moderately.

Well done everyone for sticking to it. Great stuff !

crodonilson · Mar 5, 2019

Bozza said:
Still going - day 62 now, and 20.5lbs lost over that time.

Avoided the pub pre-match on Saturday and took Diet Coke (mango flavour) to a BYO charity quiz that evening. I genuinely do not think about drink at home at all now, which is great. When I re-introduce alcohol, I hope that not drinking at home quite so often is something that sticks.

I had originally planned to get back on it this Saturday when I'm seeing James at the Royal Albert Hall, but I've decided to stay dry and keep going. I may see if I can ride it out until our Summer holiday which would get me to just over 200 days. We'll see - there'll be a lot of temptations between now and then.

That's a great effort, I just hope James isn't drinking on Saturday with you, always hard when someone else is drinking and you're not.

knocky1 · Mar 5, 2019

dazzer6666 said:
Completed dry February as planned. Didn’t notice feeling a lot better and didn’t lose much weight but quite pleased to have done it, and didn’t miss it much either. Had a few on Saturday night as we had a party for juniors 21st, but felt no great urge to have a drink on Sunday like I usually would, so I didn’t.

Not planning on staying off it entirely, but definitely plan to drink far more moderately.

Well done everyone for sticking to it. Great stuff !

Excellent work on Sunday. I would have definitely carried on from the Saturday. That's why I'm forcing myself to go longer term. 51 days and counting.............finding it easyish.

marcos3263 · Mar 5, 2019

I have now drunk on 3 occasions this year. one was dinner at Set in Brighton with friends for my wife's birthday. I had 1 small glass of red - it would have been rude not to. I also went out with friends this Saturday night in London so again had a few drinks although had water with dinner to avoid mixing. I also finished the dregs of a bottle of scotch in part to work out how much a home measure is - it transpires I normally pour myself a triple.

This works out as 60 dry days and a saving of 307,000 calories saved this year (according to my app)

I didn't even consider a drink last night where as previously I would have had a couple of pints as it was a Monday and the start of another long week.

Sadly I don't feel any better and the weight lose has stopped. I'm sure I have saved money but haven't been counting (the app says I've saved £495 but cant verify)

It will be interesting when I have my next drink. will it be a night out or stress or what. will I start to slip back into daily drinking - hopefully not.

I'm glad I have cut down in any case.

Knocky's Nose · Mar 5, 2019

Throughout the whole of February I drank what I'd have done in one evening, so I'd call it a success.

Now getting to where I want to be, which is to be able to 'just have the one' now and again. Went to friends on Saturday night for Dinner, which I was dreading as the couple both drink (lots), so I drove and took my own Heineken 0,0. I had one 'real' beer (Birra Moretti) the whole evening.

If I'm not watchful it'll 2 beers a night, then it'll be three, then a bottle of wine, then a bottle of wine and a beer, then a bottle of wine and two beers... but I'm being very strict with myself. I drank juice and 0,0 all evening yesterday, then had a can of 'real' beer at about 11pm. I didn't really enjoy it, and don't know why I bothered.

It's strange that I find complete abstinence so much easier than moderation... Now is the time which will test my resolve.

dazzer6666 · Mar 5, 2019

marcos3263 said:
I have now drunk on 3 occasions this year. one was dinner at Set in Brighton with friends for my wife's birthday. I had 1 small glass of red - it would have been rude not to. I also went out with friends this Saturday night in London so again had a few drinks although had water with dinner to avoid mixing. I also finished the dregs of a bottle of scotch in part to work out how much a home measure is - it transpires I normally pour myself a triple.

This works out as 60 dry days and a saving of 307,000 calories saved this year (according to my app)

I didn't even consider a drink last night where as previously I would have had a couple of pints as it was a Monday and the start of another long week.

Sadly I don't feel any better and the weight lose has stopped. I'm sure I have saved money but haven't been counting (the app says I've saved £495 but cant verify)

It will be interesting when I have my next drink. will it be a night out or stress or what. will I start to slip back into daily drinking - hopefully not.

I'm glad I have cut down in any case.

That’s over 5,000 calories per dry day....equivalent to about 25 pints........how much were you drinking ??!!

marcos3263 · Mar 5, 2019

dazzer6666 said:
That’s over 5,000 calories per dry day....equivalent to about 25 pints........how much were you drinking ??!!

Not that much! The app must be off. I was having a couple of pints every night with a few scotches as well at the weekends. Plus nights out.

So not 25 pints but too much.

I don't calorie count so took the app at face value.

knocky1 · Mar 10, 2019

Survived a big session yesterday. 4 hours in the Palmeira 7 feverfew ginger ales instead of 7 pints. Great session. Mates carried on with the England Rugby but I happily called it a day.

Day 56/100. Roll on Sunday’s session.

tedebear · Mar 10, 2019

I stopped after a particularly boozy Halloween party last October,which was when I realised I was polishing off a bottle of Cava and a few G&T's every night, 7 days a week, going to work slightly foggy and generally feeling bleurgh. I told myself I'd take a break for a few weeks and yet here I still am...Sometimes I feel quite sanctimonious and sometimes I feel a bit "trapped" I'd like to be able to have a glass of fizz on special occasions, but really don't want to feel like shit with a headache the next day...Had flipping enough of pints of lime and soda though!!

Couldn't Be Hyypia · Mar 16, 2019

Still going - and happily so, not missing booze at all. After 40 odd (and no so odd) years of drinking I find the change quite interesting.

Any how, wanted to share this drink I discovered in Waitrose - T&E No.1 (https://thomas-and-evans.com/)

It's grown up. Very green notes. Quite a dry finish. Probably what I hoped Seedlip would taste like but never did. This has more depth and complexity. Total winner for me and a nice alternative to ginger beer. Couple of quid a bottle.

Hope you like this one. We defo need to make a definitive list of alcohol free drinks at some point.

How are you all doing?

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[Drinking] Dry January [and beyond...]

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