Not planning to go completely dry but once we go back to work I'm aiming to cut my drinking back significantly.This is what MrsC and I are aiming for. She wants to start losing weight again, which is a major driver. And we still won't have any of the usual social activities, of course. The last weekend in January is usually involves a weekend (or at leat a night) away from home for instance.
Not planning to go completely dry but once we go back to work I'm aiming to cut my drinking back significantly.
As ever, best wishes to all who are actively, rather than passively, participating.
As ever, best wishes to all who are actively, rather than passively, participating.
Especially for those for whom it's a BIG struggle...
80 or 800 cal per day? :o800! 80 would be seriously radical!
It's my birthday in just over a week and then we usually enjoy a Burns Night supper on or around the 25th. After that I will try going booze free until at least Easter.
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
It's my birthday in just over a week and then we usually enjoy a Burns Night supper on or around the 25th. After that I will try going booze free until at least Easter.
Facebook informed me of your birthday yesterday. I presume this is similar to another Facebook friend who stated dozens of their friends had birthdays yesterday...
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
For your N=1 case, that is.
It's my birthday in just over a week and then we usually enjoy a Burns Night supper on or around the 25th. After that I will try going booze free until at least Easter.
Facebook informed me of your birthday yesterday. I presume this is similar to another Facebook friend who stated dozens of their friends had birthdays yesterday...
Indeed. I try not to put my actual DOB on social media as a rule
It's my birthday in just over a week and then we usually enjoy a Burns Night supper on or around the 25th. After that I will try going booze free until at least Easter.
Facebook informed me of your birthday yesterday. I presume this is similar to another Facebook friend who stated dozens of their friends had birthdays yesterday...
Indeed. I try not to put my actual DOB on social media as a rule
Something that has just occurred to me: I went through the account deletion process on Faceache well over a year ago, probably two years back. Are you saying that I still have an account there?
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
For your N=1 case, that is.
Also, Erdinger is not alcohol free.
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
For your N=1 case, that is.
Also, Erdinger is not alcohol free.
What is it? 0.1%?
I’m in.Still in
:thumbsup:
I’m in.Still in
:thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
(I’m not entirely sure how this thread works. Is it like the Whamaggeddon one where one reports failure, or is it more your 5 bar gate sort of thing, with a bit of mutual encouragement thrown in?)
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
(I’m not entirely sure how this thread works. Is it like the Whamaggeddon one where one reports failure, or is it more your 5 bar gate sort of thing, with a bit of mutual encouragement thrown in?)
For me it's about making a public commitment. Feel free to shame me if I fall off the wagon.
The encouragement thing is good too.
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
For your N=1 case, that is.
Also, Erdinger is not alcohol free.
What is it? 0.1%?
0.5%
Bah humbug. Christmas is traditionally 12-days and that means it lasts until January 6th. Advent is supposed to be the period of abstinence but somehow its been morphed into a daily does of chocolate (or whatever you have in your calendar).We collectively seemed to have swapped these two around. We have a month of excess, followed by a period of abstinence, probably of about twelve days before people reach for the chocolate, stop going to the gym or whatever.
Giving up alcohol is really not that hard
For your N=1 case, that is.
Also, Erdinger is not alcohol free.
What is it? 0.1%?
0.5%
I'll try to go easy on it then... ;D
I just wanted to give a different, maybe refreshing view, that it can be done and can be done without it being an herculean struggle.
I always found it odd that various bodies support dry January, but nobody has ever supported giving up Heroin for a month or even just giving up smoking for a month.
It seems alcohol has always received a special treatment, almost as if the lobby that is behind it had more funds... despite all the evidence pointing towards no safe amount of units, they have come up with the 15 units guideline, which helps a bit, but also helps a bit the alcohol industry.
Now, the technology is there to de-alcoholise drinks, alcohol free beer is pretty much as good as the other, by all accounts, it's getting better... cider could easily do the same... possibly wine? Never tried... admittedly alcohol free whisky could be a problem... but the point is, there is room for the industry not to go bust if people gave up alcohol and this is the right moment to make the switch... you'll never have a better opportunity to redesign a alcohol free society, just like a tobacco free was achieved.
On an individual level, there has never been a better time to give up alcohol altogether... pubs won't reopen until April at the earliest, by then you'll be weened off... they will adapt to your new choices and thrive, without the booze
I always found it odd that various bodies support dry January, but nobody has ever supported giving up Heroin for a month or even just giving up smoking for a month.
ETA - I can't find any of this on-line any more. I did try some herbal product from H&B that was supposed to reduce cravings but I'm not sure that it was that effective.
I'm in as well. Started on the second as there was a bottle of beer and a glass of wine remaining and I wanted to remove temptation.
We have 76 bottles of gin in various states of depletion
We have 76 bottles of gin in various states of depletion
That sounds more like a shopping problem than a drink problem.
I'm in as well. Started on the second as there was a bottle of beer and a glass of wine remaining and I wanted to remove temptation.
We have 76 bottles of gin in various states of depletion, numerous (probably another 40+) bottles of other spirits, as well as 3-4 cases of various wines in the kitchen/scullery. All sitting there tempting us...
This, really. Good luck to everyone who finds it tough.I just wanted to give a different, maybe refreshing view, that it can be done and can be done without it being an herculean struggle.
I think by definition, anyone posting about their intention in a dry January thread, is unlikely to be doing so, if they find it easy.
I always found it odd that various bodies support dry January, but nobody has ever supported giving up Heroin for a month or even just giving up smoking for a month.
It seems alcohol has always received a special treatment, almost as if the lobby that is behind it had more funds... despite all the evidence pointing towards no safe amount of units, they have come up with the 15 units guideline, which helps a bit, but also helps a bit the alcohol industry.
Now, the technology is there to de-alcoholise drinks, alcohol free beer is pretty much as good as the other, by all accounts, it's getting better... cider could easily do the same... possibly wine? Never tried... admittedly alcohol free whisky could be a problem... but the point is, there is room for the industry not to go bust if people gave up alcohol and this is the right moment to make the switch... you'll never have a better opportunity to redesign a alcohol free society, just like a tobacco free was achieved.
On an individual level, there has never been a better time to give up alcohol altogether... pubs won't reopen until April at the earliest, by then you'll be weened off... they will adapt to your new choices and thrive, without the booze
I always found it odd that various bodies support dry January, but nobody has ever supported giving up Heroin for a month or even just giving up smoking for a month.
It seems alcohol has always received a special treatment, almost as if the lobby that is behind it had more funds... despite all the evidence pointing towards no safe amount of units, they have come up with the 15 units guideline, which helps a bit, but also helps a bit the alcohol industry.
Now, the technology is there to de-alcoholise drinks, alcohol free beer is pretty much as good as the other, by all accounts, it's getting better... cider could easily do the same... possibly wine? Never tried... admittedly alcohol free whisky could be a problem... but the point is, there is room for the industry not to go bust if people gave up alcohol and this is the right moment to make the switch... you'll never have a better opportunity to redesign a alcohol free society, just like a tobacco free was achieved.
On an individual level, there has never been a better time to give up alcohol altogether... pubs won't reopen until April at the earliest, by then you'll be weened off... they will adapt to your new choices and thrive, without the booze
You sound very prescriptive, almost prohibitionist.
Alcohol is a pleasure for many people. Like all things, it has health consequences if it's overdone and there are lots of people overdoing it. On the other hand, you're going to die of something, and a pleasure-free journey from birth to death in the name of temperance seems a bit too Puritan for me.
Yep, prescriptive, as I said.
it's just a bad habit that needs a kicking
Yep, prescriptive, as I said.
Would you disagree that the approach taken against tobacco has produced brilliant results?
Give me a single drawback... I can't see any
I'm in as well. Started on the second as there was a bottle of beer and a glass of wine remaining and I wanted to remove temptation.
We have 76 bottles of gin in various states of depletion, numerous (probably another 40+) bottles of other spirits, as well as 3-4 cases of various wines in the kitchen/scullery. All sitting there tempting us...
OK we'll let you have 10 days to remove your temptation and you can start on the 14th. But you'll have to continue until February 14th ;D
I don't drink that much, so a booze free January isn't so bad, but I'm trying to avoid chocolate, and that is hard!
Lets face it dry January is toastYep.
My downfall is company. If I'm with a good crowd, I love the craic
All power to those who manage a dry month, whether it be easy for them or not.This ^^^^
In light of this evening’s new I wish everyone all the best with sticking at it.
I am eating a box of fudge that I got for Christmas.
In light of this evening’s new I wish everyone all the best with sticking at it.
I am eating a box of fudge that I got for Christmas.
In which way does the news make any difference whatsoever?
Aside from schools being closed and some having to work from home, anything else is different as of midnight?
I fail to see how anyone's resolve to stick to dry January would be affected
In light of this evening’s new I wish everyone all the best with sticking at it.
I am eating a box of fudge that I got for Christmas.
In which way does the news make any difference whatsoever?
Aside from schools being closed and some having to work from home, anything else is different as of midnight?
I fail to see how anyone's resolve to stick to dry January would be affected
In light of this evening’s new I wish everyone all the best with sticking at it.
I am eating a box of fudge that I got for Christmas.
In which way does the news make any difference whatsoever?
Aside from schools being closed and some having to work from home, anything else is different as of midnight?
I fail to see how anyone's resolve to stick to dry January would be affected
You have literally no idea what I or any others have had to deal with in the last year.
At this point, I have to assume you are just trolling us.In light of this evening’s new I wish everyone all the best with sticking at it.
I am eating a box of fudge that I got for Christmas.
In which way does the news make any difference whatsoever?
Aside from schools being closed and some having to work from home, anything else is different as of midnight?
I fail to see how anyone's resolve to stick to dry January would be affected
You have literally no idea what I or any others have had to deal with in the last year.
I'm just trying to spot the 8 little differences between tier 4 (or 3 for what that matters) and what was announced last night...
The local cafe' was quick to tweet that they will continue doing takeaway service, so that's not one of them...
Many will have to spend more time with their kids, is that a reason to run to the bottle?
I fail to see how anyone's resolve to stick to dry January would be affected
Why not be grateful for your apparent good fortune in that you are not addicted in exactly the same way for instance that I am grateful that I am not addicted to smoking, gambling, drugs or alcohol.
Why not be grateful for your apparent good fortune in that you are not addicted in exactly the same way for instance that I am grateful that I am not addicted to smoking, gambling, drugs or alcohol.
I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
I just struggle to see the differences between the different shades of restrictions... we were in Tier 1 in October and that was different... then we had lockdown/tier 3/tier 4 and now lockdown again in the space of 2 months... and it all blended into what seemed exactly the same... I guess you need to be directly affected by one of the small changes, to see the difference and probably I am not...
Why not be grateful for your apparent good fortune in that you are not addicted in exactly the same way for instance that I am grateful that I am not addicted to smoking, gambling, drugs or alcohol.
I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
I just struggle to see the differences between the different shades of restrictions... we were in Tier 1 in October and that was different... then we had lockdown/tier 3/tier 4 and now lockdown again in the space of 2 months... and it all blended into what seemed exactly the same... I guess you need to be directly affected by one of the small changes, to see the difference and probably I am not...
Ok, I tried nicely. Reported to mods for lack of excellence. Now fuck off.
Why not be grateful for your apparent good fortune in that you are not addicted in exactly the same way for instance that I am grateful that I am not addicted to smoking, gambling, drugs or alcohol.
I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
I just struggle to see the differences between the different shades of restrictions... we were in Tier 1 in October and that was different... then we had lockdown/tier 3/tier 4 and now lockdown again in the space of 2 months... and it all blended into what seemed exactly the same... I guess you need to be directly affected by one of the small changes, to see the difference and probably I am not...
Ok, I tried nicely. Reported to mods for lack of excellence. Now fuck off.
I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
I just struggle to see the differences between the different shades of restrictions... we were in Tier 1 in October and that was different... then we had lockdown/tier 3/tier 4 and now lockdown again in the space of 2 months... and it all blended into what seemed exactly the same... I guess you need to be directly affected by one of the small changes, to see the difference and probably I am not...
When I researched this the recommendations I found were to test for 50 days with a month generally considered to be not really quite enough.
I am five days in to Dry January, and it has not been that bad (touch wood). I aim to do two weeks at least, I read this is enough time for a fatty liver to recover. I have no evidence of fatty liver - but I gather you dont get any warning anyway.
I am trying to keep occupied by drinking squash instead of booze.
During the first lockdown I started to take a drink at 5pm when the daily Downin Street press conference was on. This was a bad habit.
I think this is more to do with the science of habit formation than the addictive effects of alcohol, isn't it?When I researched this the recommendations I found were to test for 50 days with a month generally considered to be not really quite enough.
This is really interesting, and useful, thanks. Given that the new lockdown is likely to last at least 50 days, I will try to push on through for the duration. Maybe even until Easter.
I think this is more to do with the science of habit formation than the addictive effects of alcohol, isn't it?When I researched this the recommendations I found were to test for 50 days with a month generally considered to be not really quite enough.
This is really interesting, and useful, thanks. Given that the new lockdown is likely to last at least 50 days, I will try to push on through for the duration. Maybe even until Easter.
I am five days in to Dry January, and it has not been that bad (touch wood). I aim to do two weeks at least, I read this is enough time for a fatty liver to recover. I have no evidence of fatty liver - but I gather you dont get any warning anyway.
I am trying to keep occupied by drinking squash instead of booze.
During the first lockdown I started to take a drink at 5pm when the daily Downin Street press conference was on. This was a bad habit.
A bad habit not least because there was high probability that the conference would drive to several more I would think.
Well done to you all for doing this. I thought PB put it excellently. We’ve lost family to alcohol and I am not so naive to think that my enjoyment couldn’t easily tip into something much darker. You have my respect.
The medic/pedant in me is wondering if arguing about the ethanol content of VERY low-alcohol beverages has any merit in practical terms.
There is a small amount of alcohol in fruit salad that's been hanging round the kitchen for an afternoon or in yeasty bread dough.
The amount of ethanol in some drinks is also pretty trivial. (Liqueur chocolates also provide scant alcohol.)
I really doubt that these minuscule alcohol quantities will do any harm or trigger addictive behaviour, though I stand to be corrected.
Abusive argument is not helpful anyway.
I'm just as happy with fizzy water, sometimes with a little ginger&lemongrass cordial, sometimes neat. I do feel the need to drink something in the evenings and not more coffee!
I bought my wife a Sodastream for Christmas. She does love her fizzy water so she was delighted with it. Haven't used one since I was a kid but they're really good. And much better than buying water in plastic bottles. Highly recommended!
I have certainly seen attitudes to not-drinking improve in my adult life, which I also welcome. I am not alcohol free, but I don't like beer and wine, spirits/etc are a bit much, Kim doesn't drink at all so we don't drink socially. I have noticed that even the low level "why aren't you drinking booze, g'wan" has dropped to being extremely rare.
Anyone else like tomato juice? Tabasco and Worcestershire with a shake of salt? I like the taste and the ritual is nice too, but one is enough.
I have certainly seen attitudes to not-drinking improve in my adult life, which I also welcome. I am not alcohol free, but I don't like beer and wine, spirits/etc are a bit much, Kim doesn't drink at all so we don't drink socially. I have noticed that even the low level "why aren't you drinking booze, g'wan" has dropped to being extremely rare.
I'm never sure whether this is an actual trend, or if we just have better friends now...
I was warned off fizzy drinks (including fizzy water) by my dentist.
Iif I'm doing a dry period I try and stick to water, coffee (I drink decaff anyway) and the morning glass of OJ.
All fizzies (including fizzy water) are bad for the teeth, independent of sugar content.
Anyone else like tomato juice? Tabasco and Worcestershire with a shake of salt? I like the taste and the ritual is nice too, but one is enough.
All fizzies (including fizzy water) are bad for the teeth, independent of sugar content.
Does that include beer?! :'(
Nitric acid from nitrogen in water?
Some beers are fizzed with nitrogen, which I assume is less corrosive.
Some beers are fizzed with nitrogen, which I assume is less corrosive.
Those beers still contain some CO2, as a natural byproduct of fermentation. The nitro is added for canning/kegging.
No idea if it's less corrosive or not, but I don't drink that stuff anyway - the addition of nitrogen is a fake way of adding 'body' to shit beer.
Some beers are fizzed with nitrogen, which I assume is less corrosive.
Those beers still contain some CO2, as a natural byproduct of fermentation. The nitro is added for canning/kegging.
No idea if it's less corrosive or not, but I don't drink that stuff anyway - the addition of nitrogen is a fake way of adding 'body' to shit beer.
Let me guess: neck beard, sandals and a CAMRA life membership?
Isn't that kind of moot on this thread?
Nitric acid from nitrogen in water?Not really, it's carbonic acid from CO2
Some beers are fizzed with nitrogen, which I assume is less corrosive.
Those beers still contain some CO2, as a natural byproduct of fermentation. The nitro is added for canning/kegging.
No idea if it's less corrosive or not, but I don't drink that stuff anyway - the addition of nitrogen is a fake way of adding 'body' to shit beer.
How are we all doing? Got through the first week OK? I've had a pretty stressful week at work so far, but I've managed to work it off a bit by going running (twice!) rather than turning to booze. Feeling smugly virtuous as a result. Let's see how long I can keep it up...I'm fecking over it.
I'd like to have gone out and had virtuous intentions (#REDJanuary, but without, y'know, actual running) but the ice rink starts on the pavement outside our front door.
But last night was a rare 'sky falling' feeling, where I almost felt it didn't matter any more.
I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
Some beers are fizzed with nitrogen, which I assume is less corrosive.
Those beers still contain some CO2, as a natural byproduct of fermentation. The nitro is added for canning/kegging.
No idea if it's less corrosive or not, but I don't drink that stuff anyway - the addition of nitrogen is a fake way of adding 'body' to shit beer.
I don't think nitrogen's particularly soluble in water. At least nowhere near as much as carbon dioxide. It doesn't need to be to pressurise a can / keg.
I don't think nitrogen's particularly soluble in water. At least nowhere near as much as carbon dioxide. It doesn't need to be to pressurise a can / keg.
[OT]
Nitrogen is soluble in water/blood but less than CO2. Increases in atmospheric pressure increase the quantity of nitrogen dissolved.
Divers get the 'bends' if they ascend too fast and dissolved nitrogen forms bubbles in the blood vessels. Decompression sickness can be fatal.
Divers are advised not to fly shortly after a dive.
Large quantities of dissolved nitrogen are narcotic and cause 'rapture of the deep', which is why deep sea divers inhale helium mixtures but Diving Medicine is not my Thing...
I don't think nitrogen's particularly soluble in water. At least nowhere near as much as carbon dioxide. It doesn't need to be to pressurise a can / keg.
[OT]
Nitrogen is soluble in water/blood but less than CO2. Increases in atmospheric pressure increase the quantity of nitrogen dissolved.
Divers get the 'bends' if they ascend too fast and dissolved nitrogen forms bubbles in the blood vessels. Decompression sickness can be fatal.
Divers are advised not to fly shortly after a dive.
Large quantities of dissolved nitrogen are narcotic and cause 'rapture of the deep', which is why deep sea divers inhale helium mixtures but Diving Medicine is not my Thing...
The other aspect is that oxygen is toxic at a relatively low partial pressure. Pure oxygen is actually toxic below, IIRC, 6 metres. So as you get deeper air, as well nitrogen narcosis, actually becomes more toxic. To counter this deep divers will use a helium oxygen mixture. Often they will have various mixtures with an oxygen concentration appropriate to the depth even carrying air enriched with oxygen to speed decompression at a safe depth.
Bit like a box set, I've just read the whole thread from the beginning.
Much better than waiting for each episode to appear!I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
Interesting. This was my experience down to a tee. I know I have the propensity to transport addictive tendencies from one thing to another in a flash.
Some of those activities may be deemed as being healthy, some may be unhealthy, but the level of compulsion is just as intense.
For me personally, what's really, really crucial is to have some kind of awareness about what's going on. When that self-awareness fades, then seemingly benign habits can easily become insidious ones that can really start to eat away at your health. And it's easily done. If you know what's going on, and are honest about your behaviour, then there's always a good chance you can tweek/manage/change it to cultivate the kind of relationship with it that you want.
Seems to me, many more people than you might think, are constantly asking themselves these kind of questions.
Bit like a box set, I've just read the whole thread from the beginning.
Much better than waiting for each episode to appear!I guess... I have smoked for 15 years, so I am not totally clueless about addiction... and exercise is just another addiction which replaced smoking, just a healthy one, for a change.
Interesting. This was my experience down to a tee. I know I have the propensity to transport addictive tendencies from one thing to another in a flash.
Some of those activities may be deemed as being healthy, some may be unhealthy, but the level of compulsion is just as intense.
For me personally, what's really, really crucial is to have some kind of awareness about what's going on. When that self-awareness fades, then seemingly benign habits can easily become insidious ones that can really start to eat away at your health. And it's easily done. If you know what's going on, and are honest about your behaviour, then there's always a good chance you can tweek/manage/change it to cultivate the kind of relationship with it that you want.
Seems to me, many more people than you might think, are constantly asking themselves these kind of questions.
I wish good luck and continuing willpower to those already dry and encourage those who would like to give it a go to do so.
It would appear to me that you have an intellectual relationship with your addictive personality, and are able to monitor and control it. Of course, that’s not the case for a great many people. But it’s not necessarily about a predilection for addiction; it’s about the personal and social tragedies that drive people to destructive behaviours that then become addictions.
It’s quite likely that there are some here, possibly not contributing directly to this thread, who are in that particular hole and are looking for encouragement and help to help them get out of it, rather than a dispassionate or wryly amused look at what we might see as a mild personal dysfunction. I think that’s why the reaction to some posts has been strong.
It would appear to me that you have an intellectual relationship with your addictive personality, and are able to monitor and control it. Of course, that’s not the case for a great many people. But it’s not necessarily about a predilection for addiction; it’s about the personal and social tragedies that drive people to destructive behaviours that then become addictions.
It’s quite likely that there are some here, possibly not contributing directly to this thread, who are in that particular hole and are looking for encouragement and help to help them get out of it, rather than a dispassionate or wryly amused look at what we might see as a mild personal dysfunction. I think that’s why the reaction to some posts has been strong.
Well, it would appear to me that you've chosen to interpret my words in a particular way, and that's fair enough, they are only words on a screen and we need to 'fill-in' the missing parts to get a picture we're happy with. But, as somebody who's struggled with these issues for many years, I am fully empathetic to how difficult life can be and am fully familiar with the personal and social tragedies that people can sometimes find themselves in. Believe you me I can assure you I am not looking at this intellectually. I've got better things to do. Accept that, or not, as you see fit.
As regards encouragement, all I can offer is to repeat what I said in my post - if you're able to hold a sense of awareness about what's going on, then that, in my view is the building block for you looking to deal with the situation. When that is lost, and you descend into a kind of substance slavery - it can turn into a nightmare. Dealing with addiction takes many forms. But the stark fact is - we can only make the decision to reach out for ourselves. And there's plenty of help out there. For some, their addiction has become so damaging that professional help, if they can get it, is their only hope, and the only way out. For others the situation might be manageable on their own.
To be dispassionate is not necessarily an unhelpful state of mind. It basically means, not being ruled entirely be emotion and having a kind of detached rational viewpoint. Surely in addiction recovery an aspect of this is essential.
Sooner or later, we have to be able to see our situation as clearly as we can. Or course it's not easy. It can take years. And it's often the journey of a lifetime.
Nice one Paul. :thumbsup:Cheers
well done paulCheers again.
I fell off the wagon in a big way. Stressful week. minor panic attack about non-essential work. stats over supporting wife as vicar loss of control of streaming from church and loss of role. etc. Opened a 9 year old bottle of red wine from the Rhone, my favourite area. most of bottle drunk plus chocolate plus peanut butter and marmaladeThe try dry app addresses wagon-slides. Says something like 'remember what happened, work out why it happened, and see if you can do something different next time.' It's quite good for stuff like that. That's where I got the tip that got me through this evening (anticipating the temptation so I didn't just slide into it).
I will have a hangover tomorrow but will be able to run later
I think I'm probably in a similar place to you. I've socially drunk my way around the world for 50-odd years, never really caring too much about the damage ISimilar but different. You've socially drunk you way round the world for 50-odd years, and I've just drunk for 50 odd years :-)
My relevant story, I guess, is that my mother was an alcoholic, and quite destructive when she was in full flow. She died over 20 years ago now, and alcohol was definitely part of the cause (there were a few others, which would have been exacerbated by her drinking). Thing is, most of the family didn't know - or didn't connect the dots.
well done paul
I fell off the wagon in a big way. Stressful week. minor panic attack about non-essential work. stats over supporting wife as vicar loss of control of streaming from church and loss of role. etc. Opened a 9 year old bottle of red wine from the Rhone, my favourite area. most of bottle drunk plus chocolate plus peanut butter and marmalade
I will have a hangover tomorrow but will be able to run later
One thing I was told, and that (usually) works for me, is that if you can resist the initial urge /craving for something like 6 minutes (this was back when I was stopping smoking after a decade of rolling my own) then the feeling of needing to smoke/drink now will usually pass. Not foolproof, but often feeling like it will pass helps it to do so.
well done paulThis is what alcohol change uk (the organisation behind the try dry app) says about setbacks: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/2020/setbacks.
I fell off the wagon in a big way. Stressful week. minor panic attack about non-essential work. stats over supporting wife as vicar loss of control of streaming from church and loss of role. etc. Opened a 9 year old bottle of red wine from the Rhone, my favourite area. most of bottle drunk plus chocolate plus peanut butter and marmalade
I will have a hangover tomorrow but will be able to run later
This is what alcohol change uk (the organisation behind the try dry app) says about setbacks: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/2020/setbacks.
This is what alcohol change uk (the organisation behind the try dry app) says about setbacks: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/2020/setbacks.
I'm not doing dry January, but forever grappling with this stuff, that was quite an interesting short read, and not what you might necessarily expect.
It's something I very much agree with, and basically ran along the lines of.... look, if you relapse, don't keep beating yourself up about it, take a step back, see if you can learn anything, and have another go when you're ready. It happens.
While this could be construed as possibly being a bit defeatist, I'm sure there is a tendency for quitters to really pile on the psychological pressure if they find themselves falling off the wagon, the stress gets compounded and the whole thing can become even more difficult. Go easy on yourself.
Blimey. I never knew drinking was so complicated! But then I don't drink spirits of any variety (just don't like them), and I don't drink beer at home except when the weather is very warm. I do drink - and very much enjoy - good red wine, and I will do so again once I decide I've had enough of not doing so. But in fact it's probably the simplicity of choice, in my case (ouch!), that makes drinking a bit too often a bit too easy.
Having this time off has reminded me that a good bottle of wine is a treat, something worth looking forward to and appreciating once in a while, rather than an habitual accompaniment to an evening meal (and the rest of the evening after the meal...). I've no intention of giving that up, but I intend to make it more of a special occasion. But I'm only a week in; it's probably a bit early to be making big commitments!
I like Pauls analogy.
Starting on Tues 5th Ive safely navigated my first Friday and Saturday nights so effectively a weekend in addition to a working week. I had a low alcohol wheat beer (Maesels Weiss - the best imho) yesterday.
Sleep is improved, so much so that Ive already been to Aldi for their 9am opening and back.
Im allowing myself some slack on diet as a concession so Im not anticipating any weight loss, not immediately at any rate.
...
The wheels could come off at any time but its going OK so far, and I now feel that I'm properly invested in it.
...
...
And my regular heartburn has disappeared.
Half a stone off in the first 10 days of Dry January... :thumbsup:
Half a stone off in the first 10 days of Dry January... :thumbsup:
Bloody hell! How much were you drinking...?!
Yes, I'm well aware of the calorific value of wine and beer. But I've not drunk this month, and my weight is down maybe one kg.
Yes, I'm well aware of the calorific value of wine and beer. But I've not drunk this month, and my weight is down maybe one kg.
I'm one of those people that loses weight very quickly in the first few weeks (a stone in 2-3 weeks isn't unknown) with minor changes...
...problem is that it then tends to grind to a halt. :(
15 bottles of wine = 9000 cal = 1kg of body fatHalf a stone off in the first 10 days of Dry January... :thumbsup:
Bloody hell! How much were you drinking...?!
Too much... and of the wrong thing. Wine and beer in particular have very high calories contents.
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools/unit-and-calorie-calculator
Yes, I'm well aware of the calorific value of wine and beer. But I've not drunk this month, and my weight is down maybe one kg.
I'm one of those people that loses weight very quickly in the first few weeks (a stone in 2-3 weeks isn't unknown) with minor changes...
...problem is that it then tends to grind to a halt. :(
It's water...
Bad lifestyle leads to inflammation, which leads to water retention. As the inflammation improves, you lose all that water, hence the large weight drop. You probably weed a lot too.
If you check your blood pressure, you should have experienced a big drop too...
15 bottles of wine = 9000 cal = 1kg of body fat
Rapid weight loss is fluid loss not fat loss.
Realistically 1kg a week is a 9000 cal deficit and is about most peoples limit for fat loss.
Some nice AF suggestions here, including on the comments.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/11/super-dry-10-non-alcoholic-cocktails-to-make-at-home-from-a-hot-buttered-pineapple-to-a-dirty-martini?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Fat is 9 cal per gram. If you had a 1000 calorie deficit that is 111g of fat.Yes, I'm well aware of the calorific value of wine and beer. But I've not drunk this month, and my weight is down maybe one kg.
I'm one of those people that loses weight very quickly in the first few weeks (a stone in 2-3 weeks isn't unknown) with minor changes...
...problem is that it then tends to grind to a halt. :(
It's water...
Bad lifestyle leads to inflammation, which leads to water retention. As the inflammation improves, you lose all that water, hence the large weight drop. You probably weed a lot too.
If you check your blood pressure, you should have experienced a big drop too...15 bottles of wine = 9000 cal = 1kg of body fat
Rapid weight loss is fluid loss not fat loss.
Realistically 1kg a week is a 9000 cal deficit and is about most peoples limit for fat loss.
It's not water. Nor is it for the reasons that Geriatricdolan suggests either. It is to do with a long term condition.
But thank you for your input... ::-)
Paul, I agree with not having any in the house. I like wine, but in the past I would not keep a stock of wines. So I found an excuse to go out most days to buy a bottle. This January not having a bottle available makes it easier.
... My drinking pattern was 'a glass of wine while I cook' - which inevitably leads to another one while cooking, then wine with the meal.
...
...
I'm not finding that I'm missing it very much, and I really do want to stay away from the whole-bottle hangover that was starting to piss me off in the summer.
One of my very useful "regulators" in the past has been only to have a drink when I'm both (a) with her and (b) when she has a drink. She doesnt drink much.
If you look closely at this image, you may just about be able to see where I started Dry January:
....
All seems fine - sleep is probably better in that the pattern is "healthier". When I'm drinking, all the deep sleep happens early in the night and then later, it's much more disturbed, whereas now the deep sleep segments happen at regular intervals throughout the night and I'm not waking at 4am.
I'm not missing it much. Apparently I was a bit grumpy the first week (yeah yeah, OK - grumpier) and I do need some distraction in the evenings.
Not losing any weight - but that's not what I'm doing it for, although intervention IS required in that department - one thing at a time!
Not losing any weight - but that's not what I'm doing it for, although intervention IS required in that department - one thing at a time!
One of my very useful "regulators" in the past has been only to have a drink when I'm both (a) with her and (b) when she has a drink. She doesnt drink much.
Weight dropped during lockdown, as working from home, I was no longer exposed to:I've been WFH for 10 months now. Initially I lost a few kg for reason 2 and 4, but then I put it on and more besides because I would eat when bored at home on my own all day. Sure, it's easier to avoid eating donuts when they aren't on the end of your desk, but it also basically means I eat the same thing day after day, and everything is gluten free in our house so the basics like bread are unenjoyable and sweets are even more tempting.
1) The daily provision of biscuits at the department tea time
2) the inevitable weekly birthday cake, often ultra processed supermarket stuff with up to 50 ingredients and a smothering of icing
3) the fortnightly meetings with lunch provided, consisting of triangular sandwiches with 50 ingredients as well as other ultra processed finger food.
4) the mid afternoon chocolate bar or bag of crisps to compensate for the collapse of glucose after the biscuits have been fully digested
a stone was lost in about 2 months with no effort...
It just made me think whether I want things to go back to normal, some I do, others I don't... office life is definitively one I am not missing
If you look closely at this image, you may just about be able to see where I started Dry January:
Chocolate update - not had any this week. :) Was sorely tempted a few times when lacking in motivation and energy around 3pm. I had raw carrot instead! Down 0.5kg, which is reasonable given I've been doing very little exercise (for many months).
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
OT - I see that registration for SemFed 2021 in Valognes opens today. Bit optimstic if you ask me but it appears so.
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
Given that way that most spirits are made[1] it would be interesting how they make a 0% version. Adding in a second dilution/distillation step and using the leftover water from that second stage as the 0% product could work I guess, but you'd need to make sure the resulting batches of 0% stuff and ~40% stuff don't have half the flavour.
1. In simplistic terms: Ferment something with added things for flavour, distill to ethanol[2], dilute resulting ethanol with water, bottle.
2. You'll never get pure ethanol as 100% ethanol quickly sucks moisture from the air to drop to ~95% concentration.
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
Given that way that most spirits are made[1] it would be interesting how they make a 0% version. Adding in a second dilution/distillation step and using the leftover water from that second stage as the 0% product could work I guess, but you'd need to make sure the resulting batches of 0% stuff and ~40% stuff don't have half the flavour.
1. In simplistic terms: Ferment something with added things for flavour, distill to ethanol[2], dilute resulting ethanol with water, bottle.
2. You'll never get pure ethanol as 100% ethanol quickly sucks moisture from the air to drop to ~95% concentration.
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
Given that way that most spirits are made[1] it would be interesting how they make a 0% version. Adding in a second dilution/distillation step and using the leftover water from that second stage as the 0% product could work I guess, but you'd need to make sure the resulting batches of 0% stuff and ~40% stuff don't have half the flavour.
1. In simplistic terms: Ferment something with added things for flavour, distill to ethanol[2], dilute resulting ethanol with water, bottle.
2. You'll never get pure ethanol as 100% ethanol quickly sucks moisture from the air to drop to ~95% concentration.
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
Given that way that most spirits are made[1] it would be interesting how they make a 0% version. Adding in a second dilution/distillation step and using the leftover water from that second stage as the 0% product could work I guess, but you'd need to make sure the resulting batches of 0% stuff and ~40% stuff don't have half the flavour.
1. In simplistic terms: Ferment something with added things for flavour, distill to ethanol[2], dilute resulting ethanol with water, bottle.
2. You'll never get pure ethanol as 100% ethanol quickly sucks moisture from the air to drop to ~95% concentration.
You can't distill a water-ethanol mix to 100%, it forms an azeotrope at about 95.6% that produces a constant vapour concentration. You can break that for industrial ethanol by the addition of things like benzene.
In the normal distillation industry, its a case of ferment, then distill. Because its not only ethanol that is produced, the first part of the distillation that might contain things like methanol is discarded, the middle bit is kept, the tail end is discarded.
I'm assuming these zero percent drinks are an infusion in water, that is then heated and distilled, or an addition of flavours infused in ethanol, which is then distilled out to levels low enough to attract a zero alcohol label.
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
I haven't tried it, but given the industry I work in we have a name for all of these.(click to show/hide)
https://malt-review.com/2020/02/23/seedlip-grove-42/
It’s better to just add one of these to a glass of tonic with a slice of lime if you can be bothered.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gin-Tonic-Infusions-9-Bags-3-Varieties-Spice-Up-Your-G-T-Cocktail-Mix/264769900005?ul_ref=https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?type=2&pub=5575403537&toolid=10001&campid=5338343596&item=264769900005&customid=eb%3Ag%3Avms%3Aeb%3Ap%3A264769900005%3BCjwKCAiAl4WABhAJEiwATUnEF3aPNTx1qMpvvB_mOjMwLqSevjMf-XVTtvUd5jXERKtCg4eQUd4pFRoCw7MQAvD_BwE&gclid=CjwKCAiAl4WABhAJEiwATUnEF3aPNTx1qMpvvB_mOjMwLqSevjMf-XVTtvUd5jXERKtCg4eQUd4pFRoCw7MQAvD_BwE&srcrot=710-53481-19255-0&rvr_id=2769449653808&rvr_ts=05d335f11770ac3d42e2534dffea71ba&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true&pageci=e79fec48-086b-4f13-9806-9aeebcb90b86&epid=24026951421
In the normal distillation industry, its a case of ferment, then distill. Because its not only ethanol that is produced, the first part of the distillation that might contain things like methanol is discarded, the middle bit is kept, the tail end is discarded.
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
Given that way that most spirits are made[1] it would be interesting how they make a 0% version. Adding in a second dilution/distillation step and using the leftover water from that second stage as the 0% product could work I guess, but you'd need to make sure the resulting batches of 0% stuff and ~40% stuff don't have half the flavour.
1. In simplistic terms: Ferment something with added things for flavour, distill to ethanol[2], dilute resulting ethanol with water, bottle.
2. You'll never get pure ethanol as 100% ethanol quickly sucks moisture from the air to drop to ~95% concentration.
You can't distill a water-ethanol mix to 100%, it forms an azeotrope at about 95.6% that produces a constant vapour concentration. You can break that for industrial ethanol by the addition of things like benzene.
In the normal distillation industry, its a case of ferment, then distill. Because its not only ethanol that is produced, the first part of the distillation that might contain things like methanol is discarded, the middle bit is kept, the tail end is discarded.
I'm assuming these zero percent drinks are an infusion in water, that is then heated and distilled, or an addition of flavours infused in ethanol, which is then distilled out to levels low enough to attract a zero alcohol label.
Amazing. Did you actually read the whole of my post you've quoted?
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
Jeez get that vaccine out Matt so YACF can go for a bike ride!!!!!
Has any0one tried the 0% Gordons 'Gin' which is being advertised? Opinions?
They replace 40% of the content, alcohol, with presumably mostly water and they have the face to ask 17 quid for a bottle... that seems a complete rip off...
** You really can't call it gin.
** You really can't call it gin.
To be fair, they studiously avoid ever referring to it as "gin" (I know this from having worked on some marketing material for them).
I know some people consider it cheating but I've found that low alcohol beers have helped fill the gap between tea/coffee and sugary soft drinks.
Don't see why that would be cheating... the point is avoiding alcohol, not avoiding the drinks you enjoy. Personally I enjoy some alcohol free beers just as much as the real thing, with no side effects, what's not to like?
Yes, your suggestion that 100% ethanol "sucks moisture from the air" is particularly misleading, considering that you wont get there with just heat and you wouldn't use industrial ethanol in foodstuffs.
I'm not quite sure why you are taking personal umbrage here?
As has been said before in this thread (see the last point in this post: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=117948.msg2577735#msg2577735), for some it's not just about avoiding alcohol, it is important to also avoid drinks that are associated with alcohol.
They initially referred to it as a 'non-alcoholic gin'... until it was pointed out that breached EU regulations, at which time they started to call it 'Distilled non-alcoholic spirit'. Mind you, that was before they went mainstream.
Yes, your suggestion that 100% ethanol "sucks moisture from the air" is particularly misleading, considering that you wont get there with just heat and you wouldn't use industrial ethanol in foodstuffs.
I'm not quite sure why you are taking personal umbrage here?
Maybe I'm just being overly grumpy but your post looks like a point by point correction of mine but is actually pretty much agreeing with most of what I said (although I'd agree that my phrasing of the ~95% ethanol limit was clumsy/incorrect).
On the other two points I can't see the difference to what I said and what you're saying, but your post comes across as somehow correcting me. If I was female I'd be holding this up a shining example of mansplaining.
Anyway, it's the straw that broke the camel's back and so the simplest solution is that I'll take some time away from here as this place just seems to be riling me more and more.
Repeating the same misunderstandings about avoiding alcohol isn't really helping.
The plan is working so far. Since the beginning of the year we have only had drinks on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays, which was the original plan. On Wednesdays MrsC has a Cornish class via Zoom, which is quite hard work and involves a lot of talking. Before Christmas that was one of our regular drinking evenings. On Thursday morning, MrsC said she'd prefer to cut out Wednesdays as well. We shall see. To be honest, I'm not sure how bothered I will actually be now.Not planning to go completely dry but once we go back to work I'm aiming to cut my drinking back significantly.This is what MrsC and I are aiming for. She wants to start losing weight again, which is a major driver. And we still won't have any of the usual social activities, of course. The last weekend in January is usually involves a weekend (or at leat a night) away from home for instance.
Eh?
I know some people consider it cheating but I've found that low alcohol beers have helped fill the gap between tea/coffee and sugary soft drinks.I had a 0% Doom Bar Amber Ale last night. It was exactly right. It was close enough to beer and far enough from tea/juice to feel like a treat.
Eh?
I think he's referring to ElyDave whose icon is a polar bear... Just to be confusing and it's not you.
Mine is based on my status in the house, as the sole carnivore, and my attitude to cold.
Plus, polar bears are cool 8)
This lockdown is affecting me far more than the first, probably because of the weather.
It's snowy, dull and miserable here. And about 1º. And it's going to piss down this afternoon. And Boris is still PM. The world is definitely not a Nice Place.
It's snowy, dull and miserable here. And about 1º. And it's going to piss down this afternoon. And Boris is still PM. The world is definitely not a Nice Place.But if you get wasted all of those things will still be there and you’ll have a hangover!
It's snowy, dull and miserable here. And about 1º. And it's going to piss down this afternoon. And Boris is still PM. The world is definitely not a Nice Place.But if you get wasted all of those things will still be there and you’ll have a hangover!
Really well done for hanging in there TC.
World’s not all bad: somewhere out there is a forum kid’s bike which may still be putting a smile on some yoot’s fizzog.
:thumbsup:
Day 19 and three weekends (the most temptation filled time for me) down.
I'm even beginning to consider extending it beyond January - or going for a Dry Lent (17 February - 3 April).
I had a glass of red wine last night, which was the end of a bottle from the previous night. Plus a few shots of cherry brandy left over from Christmas.
I am realising that having a bottle of wine available will mean I will start on it. If it is not in the house then I can go without.
SO lesson to be learned - try not to stock up.
Day 19 and three weekends (the most temptation filled time for me) down.
I'm even beginning to consider extending it beyond January - or going for a Dry Lent (17 February - 3 April).
Day 19 and three weekends (the most temptation filled time for me) down.
I'm even beginning to consider extending it beyond January - or going for a Dry Lent (17 February - 3 April).
Good going.
I started a dry Lent last year, prompted not by religion but by the fact that Id invited myself into a VC167 York Arrow team where I was almost certainly the weakest rider.
I caved a day or two after lockdown I was announced, along with the realisation that the York arrow wasnt going to happen. Ive done a dry Lent before and the beer in York is most enjoyable (even if technically it may have breached a strict Lent observance which Im assured actually ends on Easter Sunday). Lent is also perfectly timed to suit preparation for a step up in cycling fitness too.
19 days dry. I’m delighted with myself and impressed by everyone else.
Alcohol change UK send emails every day and they are helpful. Not patronising or preachy, just insightful and supportive.
Recommend.
19 days dry. I’m delighted with myself and impressed by everyone else.
Alcohol change UK send emails every day and they are helpful. Not patronising or preachy, just insightful and supportive.
Recommend.
Good on you Paul. I'm still in too, but I'm still a stubborn 4 days behind you. :o
My latest soft drink discovery is Bundaberg ginger beer (I didnt look at the calories, I believe they are many). Most enjoyable on its own or with some Roses lime cordial. Not had lime cordial in the house for years, its fantastic!
Ginger beer and lime cordial. Never heard of this, let alone tried it. I've just added it to my shopping. :thumbsup:
19 days dry. I’m delighted with myself and impressed by everyone else.
Alcohol change UK send emails every day and they are helpful. Not patronising or preachy, just insightful and supportive.
Recommend.
Good on you Paul. I'm still in too, but I'm still a stubborn 4 days behind you. :o
My latest soft drink discovery is Bundaberg ginger beer (I didnt look at the calories, I believe they are many). Most enjoyable on its own or with some Roses lime cordial. Not had lime cordial in the house for years, its fantastic!
Ginger beer and lime cordial. Never heard of this, let alone tried it. I've just added it to my shopping. :thumbsup:
Still in. Not looking for alcohol substitutes. Often struggling to find a reason to get out of bed, but I suspect I'm far from alone in that - today is the first for a while that I've been up and dressed before midday! I'm not missing alcohol at all except when I'm feeling low, which, when it comes, is usually in the late evening. I'd never before associated alcohol with feeling bad (not the 'night before', anyway!), so this is an interesting discovery and one I shall have to watch carefully as lockdown looks likely to stretch into late Spring.
Still in. Not looking for alcohol substitutes. Often struggling to find a reason to get out of bed, but I suspect I'm far from alone in that - today is the first for a while that I've been up and dressed before midday! I'm not missing alcohol at all except when I'm feeling low, which, when it comes, is usually in the late evening. I'd never before associated alcohol with feeling bad (not the 'night before', anyway!), so this is an interesting discovery and one I shall have to watch carefully as lockdown looks likely to stretch into late Spring.
I'm finding losing myself in an immersive video game (No Man's Sky, currently) a good enough distraction so far, though I was pretty grumpy last night - despite that.
Still in. Not looking for alcohol substitutes.
Still in. Not looking for alcohol substitutes. Often struggling to find a reason to get out of bed, but I suspect I'm far from alone in that - today is the first for a while that I've been up and dressed before midday! I'm not missing alcohol at all except when I'm feeling low, which, when it comes, is usually in the late evening. I'd never before associated alcohol with feeling bad (not the 'night before', anyway!), so this is an interesting discovery and one I shall have to watch carefully as lockdown looks likely to stretch into late Spring.
I'm finding losing myself in an immersive video game (No Man's Sky, currently) a good enough distraction so far, though I was pretty grumpy last night - despite that.
I think Mr R is relying Assassins Creed - Valhalla...
Still in. Not looking for alcohol substitutes.
That's not the reason I drink the odd alcohol free beer (I know you weren't aiming your comment at me in particular :-) ). It's more out of boredom with plain water (I don't do squash or cordials at all, and rarely buy juices) and the fact that, due to an heriditary lack of saliva, I often need to drink with food - in the case of the beer, with my weekend treat of chesse and bread/biscuits, with which it seems to go well.
As for not getting up - I'm fortunately just not wired that way, I've never been able to stay in bed until lunchtime. Plus I feel I would often miss the best part of the day if I did, although today's nice morning is contunuing into a glorious day.
I'm finding losing myself in an immersive video game (No Man's Sky, currently) a good enough distraction so far, though I was pretty grumpy last night - despite that.
Still in. Not looking for alcohol substitutes.
That's not the reason I drink the odd alcohol free beer (I know you weren't aiming your comment at me in particular :-) ). It's more out of boredom with plain water (I don't do squash or cordials at all, and rarely buy juices) and the fact that, due to an heriditary lack of saliva, I often need to drink with food - in the case of the beer, with my weekend treat of chesse and bread/biscuits, with which it seems to go well.
As for not getting up - I'm fortunately just not wired that way, I've never been able to stay in bed until lunchtime. Plus I feel I would often miss the best part of the day if I did, although today's nice morning is contunuing into a glorious day.
Yesterday, after a long hard week of work encased in home, was very...very...very... hard. But we did not open a bottle. So we have survived to face the final week.Bon courage mon ami.
I find myself really looking forward to one which I dont think is a very good sign. When I do have 1, I'll need to be careful not to over do it.
My daughter made caramel shortbread yesterday, so I have succumbed. But it's so sweet I can't eat more than a tiny piece, so I'm planning on keeping avoiding other forms of chocolate and not feeling guilty.
I still haven't decided what to do after Jan but I already know I won't be having a drink until at least 5 Feb. And when I do have a drink, it'll be on my terms.That's a massive achievement right there.
Yeah, I rarely drink but stuffed my face with chocolate for the past few months (comfort eating). So I decided I would do a chocolate free January and joined in with this thread. I'm not remotely comparing a potentially dangerous addiction to my chocolate binging, but temptation avoidance is the challenge in both cases.My daughter made caramel shortbread yesterday, so I have succumbed. But it's so sweet I can't eat more than a tiny piece, so I'm planning on keeping avoiding other forms of chocolate and not feeling guilty.
Have you got the right thread, DM?
??? ;D
My daughter made caramel shortbread yesterday, so I have succumbed. But it's so sweet I can't eat more than a tiny piece, so I'm planning on keeping avoiding other forms of chocolate and not feeling guilty.
Have you got the right thread, DM?
??? ;D
That's crap PC - big metaphorical hug, and don't beat yourself up about it.
That's crap PC - big metaphorical hug, and don't beat yourself up about it.
Cheers, we are getting there. He refuses his rum ration when we first arrive for our morning visit but then asks for it quite soon after. Then number 4 son gives him an extra ration on his lunchtime visit today! Naughty boy! ;D
That's crap PC - big metaphorical hug, and don't beat yourself up about it.
Cheers, we are getting there. He refuses his rum ration when we first arrive for our morning visit but then asks for it quite soon after. Then number 4 son gives him an extra ration on his lunchtime visit today! Naughty boy! ;D
I was doing OK in my drink less January competing with Mrs PC, she was winning on dry days but I was winning on units using the Dry Days app.That's tough, and completely understandable.
But then my dad was taken into hospital a week ago and I became my mum's support bubblee. He's now been switched from active treatment to end of life pathway so lots close family visits which involved lots of drinking!
28 days (or 24 for BA) done. Almost there.
I really feel different about booze. The friend (notp) who invited me to join her on dry Jan is very much looking forward to a glass of nice red wine with a Sunday roast, whereas I don't feel as strongly about that. I don't know if that's a genuine re-wiring in my head, or maybe a subconscious fear of going back to drinking as I did before.
I've decided not to drink on school nights and not to keep any alcohol in the house. If I want a drink at the weekend, I'll have to go and get it.
Have a good, last weekend in January, all.
28 days (or 24 for BA) done. Almost there.
I really feel different about booze. The friend (notp) who invited me to join her on dry Jan is very much looking forward to a glass of nice red wine with a Sunday roast, whereas I don't feel as strongly about that. I don't know if that's a genuine re-wiring in my head, or maybe a subconscious fear of going back to drinking as I did before.
I've decided not to drink on school nights and not to keep any alcohol in the house. If I want a drink at the weekend, I'll have to go and get it.
Have a good, last weekend in January, all.
My bold.
I successfully did Dry Jan last year.
Followed by Dry Feb (other than the two occasions when I drank 'only when in the company of others who are also doing so' - so that went in accordance with my master-plan).
Then furlough came along in March, and it all went a bit to pot.
However, before March, I really had concluded that (for me) alcohol had become over-rated.
I wonder whether it has been the same for you Paul?
As an aside, well done to everyone who has undertaken to attempt Dry Jan.
28 days (or 24 for BA) done. Almost there.
I really feel different about booze. The friend (notp) who invited me to join her on dry Jan is very much looking forward to a glass of nice red wine with a Sunday roast, whereas I don't feel as strongly about that. I don't know if that's a genuine re-wiring in my head, or maybe a subconscious fear of going back to drinking as I did before.
I've decided not to drink on school nights and not to keep any alcohol in the house. If I want a drink at the weekend, I'll have to go and get it.
Have a good, last weekend in January, all.
My bold.
I successfully did Dry Jan last year.
Followed by Dry Feb (other than the two occasions when I drank 'only when in the company of others who are also doing so' - so that went in accordance with my master-plan).
Then furlough came along in March, and it all went a bit to pot.
However, before March, I really had concluded that (for me) alcohol had become over-rated.
I wonder whether it has been the same for you Paul?
As an aside, well done to everyone who has undertaken to attempt Dry Jan.
So basically you switched from wine to weed? ;D
My dry January has gone well; I started on the 2nd as I had some leftovers to finish off and, aside from a Burns' Night whisky which I'll add another day on for, have stuck to it. Plan is to no longer drink on a school night in the future
...I’m not sure I’d have said “over-rated”, but now you mention it...
However, before March, I really had concluded that (for me) alcohol had become over-rated.
I wonder whether it has been the same for you Paul?
Yes, made it too! Congratulations to all who achieved their aims, whether they were abstention, reduction or just becoming conscious of how much you drink.
As a person who has issues with portion control I thought I'd highlight this.
As a person who has issues with portion control I thought I'd highlight this.
Me too. As my wife likes to say "you can resist everything but tempation".
A few people have said they would open a bottle of wine, but if they did, they'd finish it.
You can get wine in 187ml bottles, in cans (sounds naff but it's not like you'll drink it from the can at home) and in 37.5ml or 50ml bottles. The fact it's in a smaller container makes no difference to the quality of the wine, they're bottled out of the same bulk storage tank as the big ones. There is, admittedly, a smaller range, but it's not tiny.
As a person who has issues with portion control I thought I'd highlight this.
I started my non weekday drinking thing on the 11th as that was our first day back at work. Only managed three out of the four nights for the first two weeks but this week I've done a full run. And without doing it on purpose I've drunk less the past couple weekends than "normal".
It's all an improvement. :thumbsup:
My standard answer to questions like this is "not one of ours, sorry. But I can get it for you for a finders fee"A few people have said they would open a bottle of wine, but if they did, they'd finish it.
You can get wine in 187ml bottles, in cans (sounds naff but it's not like you'll drink it from the can at home) and in 37.5ml or 50ml bottles. The fact it's in a smaller container makes no difference to the quality of the wine, they're bottled out of the same bulk storage tank as the big ones. There is, admittedly, a smaller range, but it's not tiny.
As a person who has issues with portion control I thought I'd highlight this.
Have you got any little bottles of Petrus 90?
Asking for a friend!
I started my non weekday drinking thing on the 11th as that was our first day back at work. Only managed three out of the four nights for the first two weeks but this week I've done a full run. And without doing it on purpose I've drunk less the past couple weekends than "normal".
It's all an improvement. :thumbsup:
Very similar.
A few people have said they would open a bottle of wine, but if they did, they'd finish it.
You can get wine in 187ml bottles, in cans (sounds naff but it's not like you'll drink it from the can at home) and in 37.5ml or 50ml bottles. The fact it's in a smaller container makes no difference to the quality of the wine, they're bottled out of the same bulk storage tank as the big ones. There is, admittedly, a smaller range, but it's not tiny.
As a person who has issues with portion control I thought I'd highlight this.
A few people have said they would open a bottle of wine, but if they did, they'd finish it.About 18months ago I started buying our wine only in half bottles online. I decided that I would pay the same price for the half bottle as I would pay for a full bottle (virtually) so i would get a better quality wine but have less available. So far it has paid off in less but better quality wine drunk. Very rarely will we open a second bottle. Even if my wife only wants a half glass I am still not drinking a lot.
You can get wine in 187ml bottles, in cans (sounds naff but it's not like you'll drink it from the can at home) and in 37.5cl or 50cl bottles. The fact it's in a smaller container makes no difference to the quality of the wine, they're bottled out of the same bulk storage tank as the big ones. There is, admittedly, a smaller range, but it's not tiny.
As a person who has issues with portion control I thought I'd highlight this.
Well, the let's not drink after my Cornish class suggestion from MrsC did not survive the reality of actually doing the Cornish class (it's two hours on Zoom so quite hard work). But I have been revisiting some diaries, 2015, 2012 that sort of date, and we have definitely cut back a lot since then.The plan is working so far. Since the beginning of the year we have only had drinks on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays, which was the original plan. On Wednesdays MrsC has a Cornish class via Zoom, which is quite hard work and involves a lot of talking. Before Christmas that was one of our regular drinking evenings. On Thursday morning, MrsC said she'd prefer to cut out Wednesdays as well. We shall see. To be honest, I'm not sure how bothered I will actually be now.Not planning to go completely dry but once we go back to work I'm aiming to cut my drinking back significantly.This is what MrsC and I are aiming for. She wants to start losing weight again, which is a major driver. And we still won't have any of the usual social activities, of course. The last weekend in January is usually involves a weekend (or at leat a night) away from home for instance.
I've decided to do Dry Lent, starting today and ending on 2 April... :-\
Having discovered I really am 10Kg heavier than I hoped I was, I'm trying to decide what NOT to give up for lent!
Thought Id bump this thread on the basis that January isn't that far away relatively speaking.I also kept the app going after Jan for the rest of the year. It was a real eye opener for me.
Ive kept the Try Dry app updated throughout the year. My chief learning from using it is that I found that after a certain point (around a week, or at least having cleared a weekend) its increasingly easy to continue a run of dry days. Ive also found that my Fridays are surprisingly dry.
Other than January my best month was around 25 dry days. As Id anticipated, things changed a bit a bit when restaurants and pubs reopened in April though until then Id managed to stick to my "12/2" plan. We have eaten out a lot since April, and have tried to justify it on the basis of supporting places that struggled through lockdown (who are we trying to kid :))
Knowing that December often features higher-than-average consumption and knowing how good I felt towards the end of January, Im planning a Dry November 2021 and will try to remember to post progress here.
I don't think I'd ever condemn anyone for drinking. If it doesn't affect your health or life, go ahead and enjoy, even if that includes occasional excess. But for some people it just goes wrong.
There is still a part of me that has a need, once in a while, to get a bit out of it. But most people seem to have some sort of inbuilt safety valve that stops it before it goes too far, whereas I found that I had a self-destruct button that I could not resist playing with. So I don't do it now.
This is me.
Day 11 next ....
I have a nightmare project at the moment, inheriting someone else's mess, with promises made to the customer that can't be kept. The whisky bottle has remained untouched, but Friday night felt very long.Well done. I have several situations that make me want to drink, including work stress. Getting through those situations once makes the next time a bit easier.
Has anyone signed up to the app? It’s quite motivational and the daily emails are very interesting on the effects, benefits and differences between people.
Has anyone signed up to the app? It’s quite motivational and the daily emails are very interesting on the effects, benefits and differences between people.
Try Dry? I did last year, and quite liked it. I ditched it afterwards, but still get the emails. I use the NHS 'drink-free days' app these days, which I feel is a bit less naggy but does hold me to account perfectly well.
Now day 8. Not sure if it is the abstinence or just being away but have cycled three days. All really hard sessions with multiple PBs. Pretty sure it is the abstinence or placebo effect.
I have been drinking tonic zero but had an alcohol free beer tonight.
Overall I am feeling much better and the fitness feels good.
I am finding it weird as I did not think the alcohol had that much effect but it clearly does.
Alcohol inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis.
If you are doing low-carb, there will be little glucose & glycogen available for your muscles. Add alcohol and you reduce scant production...
I now drink so infrequently, it would all hit me quite quickly.I very rarely drink alcohol, and never have drunk much.
Oh well, that's me out. :-[It's up to you, amigo, but you can come back in if you like. One G&T does not a wet January make.
Still, that was a most enjoyable gin and tonic. :demon:
Hoegaarden 0,0 is by far the best low alcohol I've ever had.
Spotted it in Aldi yesterday and bought a 4 pack. Will definitely be getting more.
You have an office bar?
You have an office bar?
Ho yuss!
I've had a couple of drinks. Unplanned but pretty likely in hindsight: I met a friend in a favourite pub (Pie Run Alumni will know it well).
I've reported myself to Sue Grey and sacked one of my press officers.
;D