Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => Health & Fitness => Topic started by: Chris S on 01 January, 2020, 12:42:25 am

Title: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Chris S on 01 January, 2020, 12:42:25 am
Here we go again!

Chris S's Liver: "Ahhh.... my holidays. At last!"
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Kim on 01 January, 2020, 12:44:44 am
Good luck everyone!
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: hellymedic on 01 January, 2020, 12:46:48 am
Good Luck!
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Wowbagger on 01 January, 2020, 04:29:56 pm
The trouble with This Sort of Thing is that there is so much left over from Christmas that has to be consumed or thrown out. I'm talking about food rather than booze here, but January is a good time to start a diet.

Whatsapp conversation with My Pal Jon, whose house we are going to this evening for a buffet conflab:

Jon: "I say old bean! I have 3 pint of Doom Bar and 3 pints of Timothy Taylor. Plus copious amounts of vino. Hopefully that will meet your needs! See you later!"

Me: "I'm doing dry January*...

...but if it was bought in December or by someone else, it doesn't count. So yes indeed! Looking forward to it"

*This was in jest. Although I am intending to cut down greatly. My rule for the last 2 or 3 years has been that I don't drink alcohol unless I'm with someone else drinking alcohol. It works pretty well. Kept me down into single figures of pints for the entire month.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: T42 on 01 January, 2020, 04:50:32 pm
Good luck all.  I'll have been on the wagon for 25 years come February.  Trouble nowadays is that if I have something cooked with alcohol that hasn't been adequately boiled off I get a splitting headache about an hour later, so my advice is this: come February, keep on drinking.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: PaulF on 01 January, 2020, 05:41:21 pm
I’m giving it a try
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: L CC on 06 January, 2020, 11:10:11 am
I can report that tea consumption chez nous has rocketed, and the perks of my employ are being virtuosly ignored.

Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Tewdric on 06 January, 2020, 02:57:27 pm
I'm doing it again having managed it last year.  I look at it as an annual liver respawn! :)
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: mike on 06 January, 2020, 08:04:19 pm
yup, we're both on it too.  The kids are helping by marking off the days on a calendar with a star when we make it to bed time without, and one of them threw out some 'alcohol free' beer that they spotted was 0.5% ABV to remove temptation..   First major test is wednesday when I have a rowing club committee meeting which is normally followed by a trip to the pub for 3 or 4 quick pints.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Chris S on 06 January, 2020, 09:17:38 pm
Sleep was a little disrupted for the first two or three nights, but seems OK now. Resting heart rate down from an average of about 67, to 56 this morning - so looks like I'm out of the perma-hangover you get from daily drinking.
I feel a bit more upbeat and motivated - but that could just be a random thing. Early days.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Regulator on 07 January, 2020, 10:55:37 am
Now that the Epiphany event is over my liver is getting a break.  Hopefully it will also give the weight loss a boost.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 08 January, 2020, 03:03:01 pm
Dry January is fine.  Snack free January is driving me nuts...
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: hellymedic on 08 January, 2020, 03:24:12 pm
Dry January is fine.  Snack free January is driving me nuts...

Ain't that the truth? Nuts are supposedly good keto food.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Ruthie on 10 January, 2020, 01:05:35 am
I just finished reading 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace, about boozahol.  It was all right, has anyone else read it?
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: PaulF on 15 January, 2020, 10:25:19 pm
Well tonight was a major test; business trip with my boss which usually ends with post dinner whisky.

I passed
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: L CC on 16 January, 2020, 12:03:20 pm
I had a business dinner earlier this week, and didn't pass. The MD insisted I tried the wine, as it was one of ours. I don't even like wine.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: HeltorChasca on 16 January, 2020, 12:40:33 pm
I tried dry January a few years ago. I succeeded and stayed dry. I’m just starting my 5th year and I’m not looking back. It has been great for my body and mind and phenomenal for my wallet.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: mike on 27 January, 2020, 05:45:47 pm
Am still going!  And the urge to stop for a beer is fading too - this might last longer than a month...
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Chris S on 27 January, 2020, 05:56:21 pm
Am still going!  And the urge to stop for a beer is fading too - this might last longer than a month...

 :thumbsup: Same here!
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 29 January, 2020, 12:56:03 pm
Still dry, still snack free.  Plenty of nuts in my breakfast.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: PaulF on 29 January, 2020, 01:54:02 pm
Me too - even survived another business trip :)
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: mike on 29 January, 2020, 04:19:20 pm
Me too - even survived another business trip :)

toughest day yet for me....  lunch with an ex, we regularly used to get through 2 bottles of wine - she had one glass, I stuck to H2O! 
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: pcolbeck on 29 January, 2020, 04:34:45 pm
I have had too much on in Jan including a jolly to Finland which really would have been no fun sans booze.
So I'm going to do attempt a dry month starting Monday Feb 3rd.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: hellymedic on 29 January, 2020, 04:35:17 pm
Looks like I've done it, more by accident than by design.
Missed out on the bubbly at our party.
Would have quite liked a double G&T on Monday at the Harvester but as D was getting the drinks to go with the meal, I asked for a diet cola. Poor soul walked round the place looking like a lost soul in search of the drink dispensers to fill our 'bottomless' glasses.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Redlight on 29 January, 2020, 04:41:50 pm
Still going strong  :thumbsup:.

Have managed to coast through: two trips to the theatre (with dinner beforehand) by arriving late enough to not have time to go to the bar and staying seated during the interval; my birthday; and a visit from my parents (my stepfather put away one bottle and started another, which I gave him to take home with him). 

No noticeable weight loss, but that's probably because I'm working towards a deadline, so spending a lot of time at home and, thus, grazing too much.

I'm not finding that I'm missing it at all so may carry on after Friday (although if there was ever a reason to get mind-destroyingly drunk and not wake up for several years, it's "Brexit Night").  I've been trying exotic tonic waters and find that one of them is enough to give me that 7pm 'treat' sensation that I'd normally get from a glass of wine and once I've eaten dinner I prefer to have a herbal tea.

If I put a price on the wine we haven't bought or have but haven't drunk, I reckon we've saved about £200, which is both shocking and satisfying.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 21 March, 2020, 07:35:17 am
I didn't do Dry January this year, but I am doing 'Dry Lockdown' - haven't touched a drop of alcohol for a week, since I started WFH.

Let's see how long I can last... it helps that we currently don't have any booze in the house.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Speshact on 21 March, 2020, 08:51:42 am
#drysolation
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 21 March, 2020, 06:39:32 pm
#drysolation
:like:
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 26 March, 2020, 01:01:53 pm
It's Lent so I've been drysolation so far, but that will change come April 12th.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 26 March, 2020, 01:15:54 pm
Second week of #drysolation and going strong. It's actually getting easier, now the DTs have worn off (joke) - and it helps that I haven't been shopping this week, so no opportunity to buy booze.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Chris S on 26 March, 2020, 01:30:35 pm
BN: Fboab works in a wine factory.
GN: She's working from home

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: DrMekon on 26 March, 2020, 04:40:43 pm
Been dry since Jan 21st. Staying off the booze until I've got back to 71kg. It's weird, but as soon as I stop drinking, I really don't miss it at all. Did about 18 months previously, which was fine except for a lapse when there was an Orval event at North Bar in Leeds, where they had Orval at ages from 1-5years. Was totally worth breaking my dry spell for that.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 26 March, 2020, 05:34:57 pm
Orval event at North Bar in Leeds, where they had Orval at ages from 1-5years. Was totally worth breaking my dry spell for that.

 :o

Absolutely 100% definitely worth breaking your dry spell for.

I discovered today that my local brewery (the one that hosts my audax event) is still open for takeaways and deliveries, so I feel I ought to do my bit to support them in these troubled times. I guess as long as I'm only coming off the wagon for beer that is actually worth it, that's more or less OK. It's the drinking out of habit, drinking too frequently and too much, and being indiscriminate about booze choices, that is the real problem for me. What you might call 'mindful drinking'.

Haven't broken my streak yet though. Will save it for the weekend.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 16 June, 2020, 09:54:08 am
It's the drinking out of habit, drinking too frequently and too much, and being indiscriminate about booze choices, that is the real problem for me.

About a month ago, in part because I was in the same situation as above, I decided I'd stop drinking for a while. Thinking back at the time, I couldn't recall a period in the last 20 years of longer that a week when I'd not had a drink, and most weeks (generally weekends) there'd be 2-3 bottles of wine consumed. And the cost was around £50 a week, so not insignificant.

I stuck with it for the month, then last weekend I relented, and bought a couple of bottles of middling red for the Tesco delivery.

Friday night I opened one. It was quite the anticlimax. It was an OK wine, but, apart from the pleasure of having something other than water, OJ or cola to drink, it was all a bit underwhelming. I didn't even feel the effects of the alcohol more keenly, nor was there a resultant hangover.  I guess (fortunately) it was just habitual, and I've not felt an overwhelming desire to revert to my previous habits (the wine on this week's shopping list is for cooking with mainly), which is a bonus I wasn't expecting.  And as my better half doesn't drink, that makes cutting down a lot easier.

I did, however, still finish a bottle an evening. I'm not good around open booze, so that's still to be worked on!  Plus it's coming up to Pimms season, and that I can drink (suitably diluted) like water!

Still, it's a start, and my liver is no doubt thanking me.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 16 June, 2020, 12:15:22 pm
Last day with 0 units was May 26th, but overall my consumption is down, most of the days are just a single beer (2 units, 1 if shared) in the garden in the evening. That period did include half term, my birthday and a few other things.

Ideally I'll look to do Sunday->Thursday with < 4 units and that gives me 10 units to play with for Fri/Sat nights.

That's hardly "dry" but 14 units/week is considerably less than I used to drink many years ago.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: chrisbainbridge on 17 June, 2020, 12:54:41 pm
We decided to take ourselves in hand at the beginning of June.  We have a policy of only buying half bottles of wine unless we have friends round and prior to covid would drink perhaps 3 half bottles between us per week.  However in the lockdown this had gone upto at least one half bottle every night.
We therefore went dry for June and also went back to keto properly.  So far 10lbs down in 2.5 weeks.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: DrMekon on 17 June, 2020, 01:12:11 pm
Still dry. Am down to 73kg now. Still not missing booze. GF has taken to having a G&T on Fridays and Saturdays, but I have no interest in joining in. I'm on the extremely vulnerable list, so I've not found myself tempted by new interesting beers in the beer aisle. I've got a 4 pack of Punk on the shelf that's been there since January.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: hellymedic on 17 June, 2020, 02:28:43 pm
Shared a bottle of Prosecco for my birthday meal at home 10 days ago.
This looks like it was was our first alcohol this year.
D says he wants to go teetotal.

We just don't drink much.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: sojournermike on 17 June, 2020, 04:50:59 pm
I managed a wet January and a dry lent. Not drunk much across lockdown until the last couple of weeks, when we’ve had a beer or wine each weekend. As we tend to not finish a bottle in one sitting this can run into the week. Sunday’s is waiting for its third night and emptying in the cupboard and we seem to have agreed that we’ll have a couple of weeks off then. Given that Sue doesn’t drink much at all and the 18 year old likewise, I’m the prime culprit.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 26 June, 2020, 09:57:00 am
Last day with 0 units was May 26th, but overall my consumption is down, most of the days are just a single beer (2 units, 1 if shared) in the garden in the evening. That period did include half term, my birthday and a few other things.

Ideally I'll look to do Sunday->Thursday with < 4 units and that gives me 10 units to play with for Fri/Sat nights.

That's hardly "dry" but 14 units/week is considerably less than I used to drink many years ago.

4 days without booze, first time I've done that for probably a year. Now to hopefully reset myself to under 14 units/week.

(That's quite dry for me on a long term basis...)
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: DrMekon on 14 September, 2020, 01:19:31 pm
Still dry. My GF rewarded my 6 months with a box of alcohol free beers from Sober Sauce. Down to 70kg now.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: tonyh on 14 September, 2020, 01:23:07 pm
Congrats DrM!
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: hellymedic on 14 September, 2020, 03:49:57 pm
Well done DrM!

Not touched any alcohol since June myself.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 27 September, 2020, 10:22:31 am
Good work, Dr M.

I've been feeling the effects of excessive boozing lately so gave myself a week off completely and realised a) I'm not missing it at all, and b) it makes a difference to my bank balance, never mind my health. So I'm going to commit to 'Sober October'.

No chance of any social life for the forseeable so I'm only drinking at home anyway.

Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 27 September, 2020, 10:28:24 am
As part of a regim3 to try and loose some weight, I stopped drinking alcohol at the beginning of September. I do have a couple of alcohol free beers on a Friday and Saturday evening, but so far have managed quite well. And as  Citiyen says, it makes quite a difference - £30-40 - to the weekly budget. That’s enough to buy some new bib knickers and longs (I now favour Endura over my ageing Assos, not least due to cost) except I don’t want to whilst I’m losing weight  ;).
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Von Broad on 27 September, 2020, 11:03:01 am
Good work, Dr M.

I've been feeling the effects of excessive boozing lately

Good work to all those succeeding in their endeavours.
The longest I've ever done is three months.

I was thinking of starting a thread yesterday dedicated to those eternally at war with themselves about booze [beer in my case] - but quite honestly, I can't see a great deal of mileage in discussing a subject that would stay in perpetual motion along the lines of "I drink a lot after work, I enjoy the crack, the wind down after hard graft, work hard, play hard and all that, it's satisfying, but it builds up and I eventually start to feel crap, and it affects my sleep. I feel it would be good to stop, but I don't, because...I love the beer, and quite honestly, who the hell cares.'. The problem is, I can never find that really sincere deeply rooted part of myself that is committed to stopping. I found it with smoking, no problem. Got to the other side of the river with fags. But to stop drinking would be a huge life change. Cutting down never works and feels more like punishment than anything.

Certainly affects my cycling and general fitness that's for sure.

Goodness me, what a state. On and on it goes.

Although there is a bit of temporary reprieve with the latest restrictions - it's irritating and much less enjoyable to be drinking beer socially [don't drink at home...thank god], in what feels like a restrained cultural environment more akin to something that the Stasi would have been proud of than anything we're been privileged to know. It's going to be a bleak time over the next few months I feel, so if I can keep the stuff out of the flat, then it could be a worthwhile period to dry out a bit.

Sorry...not looking to divert the thread.
Best wishes to all, who seek, and are getting a cleaner life.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 27 September, 2020, 11:19:58 am
Sorry...not looking to divert the thread.

Don't apologise, it's all part of the discussion about why and how to give up/cut down. This is more about understanding and being in control of your relationship with alcohol than seeking peer approval for abstinence.

I'm very much the same as you. I like beer. I like the effects of alcohol (up to a point). I don't want to live without either of those.

I just need to find a way to get my health back on track because I remember what it was like being *really* fit and healthy and I liked it. A lot. I feel that cutting out booze in the short term might help get me pointing in the right direction. It's hard though. Very hard. Signing up to Sober October is making a public commitment to this goal.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Von Broad on 27 September, 2020, 12:35:57 pm
This is more about understanding and being in control of your relationship with alcohol

And this is the key to it really. Awareness about what is going on is crucial. And taking responsibility.
I was able to make a decision about my relationship with smoking [eventually] - I ended it. Best thing I ever did.
But with beer, I can't really see me going down the same road. Not sure I want to either. So I've got to find another way, and the only other way is to exert some kind of control and moderation and to hold a sense of gratitude for my life.

I should have more of a sense of gratitude actually. My mental/emotional health has always left a lot to be desired, but I've always been blessed with reasonably good physical health [a lot of that I can attribute to doing a manual job for the most part], and as a 61 yr old who's drunk as much as I have I'm probably not in that bad a state, but I can really feel it slipping [hardly surprising at 61], and it's crazy to treat your body like an 18yr old and expect it to recover like an 18yr old. Totally crazy.

I went to three funerals last year of people in their mid 50's whose death was inextricably linked to smoking and drinking.
Maybe we are like computers after all - rubbish in, rubbish out at the end of the day.

I just need to find a way to get my health back on track because I remember what it was like being *really* fit and healthy and I liked it. A lot. I feel that cutting out booze in the short term might help get me pointing in the right direction. It's hard though. Very hard. Signing up to Sober October is making a public commitment to this goal.

Yes, I think I'll join you in that. The social restrictions will help in my case. I need to pull back now. I thought the lock-down this year would see me get fit, healthy and 'clean' - but it's been the complete bloody opposite!!! It's been parabolic.
And I can relate to the feeling of fitness in the body. That tends to come in waves with me though, especially with something like preparing for PBP. The build up, the rides, the event and then the come down. I tend to indulge in the come down probably a bit too long than is good for me though  :)
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 09 October, 2020, 08:52:17 pm
Three weeks without booze now. Only three more weeks to the end of October...

Had to go into the office yesterday for a meeting, which we held in the bar area. (Yes, our office has a bar.) Since the sun was over the yard arm, my colleagues all availed themselves of a G&T but I managed to resist the temptation.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: DrMekon on 14 October, 2020, 04:10:50 pm
Been dry since Jan 21st. Staying off the booze until I've got back to 71kg. It's weird, but as soon as I stop drinking, I really don't miss it at all. Did about 18 months previously, which was fine except for a lapse when there was an Orval event at North Bar in Leeds, where they had Orval at ages from 1-5years. Was totally worth breaking my dry spell for that.

Got down below 71kg, but decided not to start drinking again yet. I don't have any will power, and it's easier not to drink than add the question as to whether an after lunch beer on a Tuesday is a good idea to the list of other stupid ideas I have to resist thinking about (mainly related to unnecessary tech / running purchases, whether I can justifiably bunk off work, and whether a 5th espresso is sensible).
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 14 October, 2020, 06:16:41 pm
It's not all that long ago that I was under 71kg - and I still remember how good it felt. But if I held off drinking until I was back at that weight, I'd probably never drink again...

Been hovering around 84kg for a while now. A few weeks off drinking hasn't made the slightest bit of difference to that! (Not that I expected it to.)
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 15 October, 2020, 06:14:57 am
It's not all that long ago that I was under 71kg - and I still remember how good it felt. But if I held off drinking until I was back at that weight, I'd probably never drink again...

Been hovering around 84kg for a while now. A few weeks off drinking hasn't made the slightest bit of difference to that! (Not that I expected it to.)

Giving up drinking in the winter stopped me putting weight on in the winter, but didn't have much impact on losing weight.  Giving up snacks and portion control, on the other hand - got my weight down last winter/spring from 90kg to 80kg.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 15 October, 2020, 10:58:01 am
I've been "dry" for the last 6 or 7 weeks, I'm not sure when I last had a drink. It's probably helped with weight loss, given my alcohol consumption was less than moderate , amounting to at least an additional days calories each week. It does, or course, have other benefits - it's the longest break my liver has had for decades.

Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Lightning Phil on 15 October, 2020, 06:23:26 pm
It's not all that long ago that I was under 71kg - and I still remember how good it felt. But if I held off drinking until I was back at that weight, I'd probably never drink again...

Been hovering around 84kg for a while now. A few weeks off drinking hasn't made the slightest bit of difference to that! (Not that I expected it to.)

Surprised at that as cutting back alcohol is exactly what I do if I want to trim the weight a little. No other changes required. Currently sitting around 71kg (5’11” / 1.80m) as not visiting pubs at moment which keeps my alcohol intake at its minimum.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: citoyen on 30 October, 2020, 02:17:05 pm
Damn, slight cock-up in the calendar department - bought a can of pop yesterday to enjoy this evening to celebrate having made it all the way through October without touching a drop but realised the month still has another day to go. Boo! Will have to save it for Sunday.

Generally, there have only been a couple of occasions where I felt I really needed a beer but I've overcome those - having a set target of lasting through October has made it a little easier to resist temptation, I must admit. Question is whether I'll still feel motivated to exercise moderation from next week onwards.

I knocked up a homebrew kit last weekend, which may be ready for bottling this weekend, and I might have to allow myself a taste. But then it will need a few weeks maturation before being ready to drink. Perhaps I can set that as a new target. I really have no desire to be permanently teetotal, I just need to avoid going back to routine drinking out of habit.

Surprised at that as cutting back alcohol is exactly what I do if I want to trim the weight a little.

As per CET's comment, the problem is perhaps more down to calories from other sources. But even if my weight is unchanged, I'm sure my liver has appreciated the break.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 30 October, 2020, 09:12:52 pm
I may well have my first alcohol in nearly 2 months, and hopefully celebrate a concomitant 1st weight loss - I’m at 13.88 lbs thus far. After that I’ll be off it again until Christmas or the next stone down, whichever is the sooner.

ETA I’m not claiming the lack of booze has been responsible for the weight loss, that’s down to cutting down carbs and upping the exercise as well! 
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: hellymedic on 30 October, 2020, 09:46:45 pm
I should imagine the bottle of fizzy wine that we shared for my June birthday will be my only alcohol in 2020.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 01 November, 2020, 09:42:58 am
Thinking of doing a dry lockdown. No pubs will be open and the only social event booked in so far is a school fundraising Zoom quiz (which I'm being quizmaster for part of it) and that doesn't require booze.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: DrMekon on 02 November, 2020, 01:56:28 pm
Still dry. Still don't miss it. I would have a bit more money, but "£££ssential winter running gear" has more than seen off any savings. GF buys me alcohol free so I can have a drink when she has a G&T. Can't say I'm really that arsed by it. Don't get me wrong, I really love beer. I just don't enjoy the challenge of not drinking it all the time. Same with ice cream / biscuits / salted liquorice etc. I'm just so shit at willpower, it's so much easer to remove choices and have a rule that I don't have it in the house.

I would really go for some salty skulls right now.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 02 November, 2020, 07:06:27 pm
Yep, I’m with you on the (lack of) willpower front.  I too have alcohol free beers available (my wife doesn’t drink because medication) but even then I only have a couple on a Friday or Saturday evening with cheese and biscuits.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 10 November, 2020, 07:55:54 pm
Thinking of doing a dry lockdown. No pubs will be open and the only social event booked in so far is a school fundraising Zoom quiz (which I'm being quizmaster for part of it) and that doesn't require booze.

Last drink was the Wednesday before English lockdown 2.0.

Let's see if I can keep this up until the end of lockdown...
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 11 November, 2020, 10:02:59 am
And what did I try last night that wasn't bad at all? Guinness 0.0

What do I read this morning has been recalled by Guinness due to microbiological contamination? Guinness 0.0

At least I only had one.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Chris S on 11 November, 2020, 10:33:56 am
At least I only had one.

It might only take one...

INCOMMMIIIIIIINNG!!!
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rob on 11 November, 2020, 10:38:08 am
I hadn't seen the guinness offering.

I have recently tried Hoegarden 0.0 which was quite authentic.   Also see St Peters Without - I hadn't tasted bitter for an awful long time but I really like this.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 11 November, 2020, 08:24:04 pm
A colleague recommends Brewdog Nanny State. Not tried it yet.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 11 November, 2020, 08:34:54 pm
A colleague recommends Brewdog Nanny State. Not tried it yet.

Brewdog have a whole bunch. All rather hoppy. I tend to go for Nanny State or Punk AF.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: SteveC on 11 November, 2020, 08:49:58 pm
Agree with Greenbank.
When we have a need for alcohol free beers and MrsC is doing the online order, I just ask for 'anything from Brewdog'.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rob on 11 November, 2020, 08:58:21 pm
Nanny state is 0.5% along with a few others claiming to be AF.  Depends how strict you are.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 11 November, 2020, 09:02:24 pm
Nanny state is 0.5% along with a few others claiming to be AF.  Depends how strict you are.

Fresh orange juice and burger buns will probably contain more alcohol than modern alcohol free beers.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rob on 11 November, 2020, 09:07:22 pm
Nanny state is 0.5% along with a few others claiming to be AF.  Depends how strict you are.

Fresh orange juice and burger buns will probably contain more alcohol than modern alcohol free beers.

Yes but you’ll agree that a beer that advertises itself as alcohol free but is actually 0.5% is a tad misleading ?
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 11 November, 2020, 09:26:03 pm
Nanny state is 0.5% along with a few others claiming to be AF.  Depends how strict you are.

Fresh orange juice and burger buns will probably contain more alcohol than modern alcohol free beers.

Yes but you’ll agree that a beer that advertises itself as alcohol free but is actually 0.5% is a tad misleading ?

That's the pesky EU for you, they allow you to put "Alcohol Free" on anything that is below 0.5% ABV.

In the UK if they use "Alcohol Free" it has to be under 0.05% ABV.

https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2020/01/31/Low-alcohol-and-alcohol-free-EU-and-UK-regulations

Companies don't bother to change the cans because they don't want different packaging for different countries.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rob on 11 November, 2020, 09:32:45 pm
I nearly got caught out buying beers in Calais*. You have to read the labels quite carefully.  I will drink the trace alcohol beers (0.05%) but not the 0.5% ones.

I’m quite enjoying the range of gin-like drinks and M&S now do 0% white and rose wines.




* those were the days
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 12 November, 2020, 12:02:31 pm
Ian has explained at length elsewhere, but there's probably little that is truly alcohol free- bread contains some. And the 0.5% is an absolute maximum, and likely represents the minimum readily detectable level. So even if it says "AF" the small print will contain some refernce to not exceeding 0.5% I suspect.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 12 November, 2020, 12:05:46 pm
Ian has explained at length elsewhere, but there's probably little that is truly alcohol free- bread contains some. And the 0.5% is an absolute maximum, and likely represents the minimum readily detectable level. So even if it says "AF" the small print will contain some refernce to not exceeding 0.5% I suspect.

Read the link I posted. Or this one: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/alcoholic-drinks-and-units/difference-between-alcoholic-and-non-alcoholic-beers

In the UK "Alcohol Free" must be under 0.05% ABV.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: rafletcher on 16 November, 2020, 09:26:05 am
Ah, I got my decimal point in the wrong place!

A minor success this past weekend. The previous weekend, as a reward for managing 2 months "dry", plus getting down to 13st weight, I had some wine.  In itself that was quite good in that I had just one bottle spread over fri and sat evenings.  Then this weekend, I once again was able to resist temptation and have a "dry" weekend.  All the better because I now have wine down in the shed, whereas previously I had none in the house.
Title: Re: Dry January - 2020
Post by: Greenbank on 22 November, 2020, 09:38:04 am
Still on dry lockdown 2.0. Getting through a lot of AF Brewdog though but not missing real booze.

Hopefully this will reset my home drinking once pubs open again.