Doing Dry Jan but have been feeling so good that I think I may just stop indefinitely.
Anybody else ever just quit? Do you regret or not regret?
Doing Dry Jan but have been feeling so good that I think I may just stop indefinitely.
Anybody else ever just quit? Do you regret or not regret?
I cut out alcohol in mid-December in anticipation of doing an extended dry January and I've also been feeling markedly better. Typically I drink 2–3 times per week and on those occasions I have anywhere from 1–4 drinks.
Since cutting out the alcohol five weeks ago I've noticed a few positive changes:
+ Better quality sleep. When I have two beers at night, I usually wake up feeling a bit groggy even if I get 7–8 hours of sleep. Now when I get that amount of sleep I feel great.
+ I don't need as much sleep. A couple nights of 5–6 hours rest doesn't affect me nearly as much as when I was drinking a couple times per week.
+ I'm recovering more quickly from workouts, likely from the deeper sleep.
+ I'm less irritable.
+ Saving a few $$$ but I'm probably spending a similar amount on Le Croix, which I've been crushing as my beer replacement.
Similar to the OP, I'm considering extending the dry spell past January. The temptation still arises to grab beer or wine after a stressful day, but that temptation has been decreasing each week. It's also been easier to give up the booze since I hardly go out these days due to the trifecta of parenting/running/work so I don't have to face regular social pressure to drink.
I look forward to hearing the responses of others who are doing dry January.
How much did you drink before?
Your observations seem intriguing, but I’m thinking that I drink little enough already that I wouldn’t notice a difference like you do. I find drinking to be a lot of fun on rare occasion, but I think that it’s rare enough that there’s no point in pointlessly holding back when the occasion occurs.
Ive quit for the last day. Feel great.
Imbiber wrote:
I cut out alcohol in mid-December in anticipation of doing an extended dry January and I've also been feeling markedly better. Typically I drink 2–3 times per week and on those occasions I have anywhere from 1–4 drinks.
Since cutting out the alcohol five weeks ago I've noticed a few positive changes:
+ Better quality sleep. When I have two beers at night, I usually wake up feeling a bit groggy even if I get 7–8 hours of sleep. Now when I get that amount of sleep I feel great.
+ I don't need as much sleep. A couple nights of 5–6 hours rest doesn't affect me nearly as much as when I was drinking a couple times per week.
+ I'm recovering more quickly from workouts, likely from the deeper sleep.
+ I'm less irritable.
+ Saving a few $$$ but I'm probably spending a similar amount on Le Croix, which I've been crushing as my beer replacement.
Similar to the OP, I'm considering extending the dry spell past January. The temptation still arises to grab beer or wine after a stressful day, but that temptation has been decreasing each week. It's also been easier to give up the booze since I hardly go out these days due to the trifecta of parenting/running/work so I don't have to face regular social pressure to drink.
I look forward to hearing the responses of others who are doing dry January.
You and the OP are the same person.
Drinking 2-3 times a week lol and "stopping" like wtf is that? I mean that's nothing at all. How would stopping that make you feel better? Ridiculous.
I drink basically 3+ drinks every night and feel great. Sleep like a rock. Run like a gazelle.
Mounty Pylon wrote:
How much did you drink before?
Your observations seem intriguing, but I’m thinking that I drink little enough already that I wouldn’t notice a difference like you do. I find drinking to be a lot of fun on rare occasion, but I think that it’s rare enough that there’s no point in pointlessly holding back when the occasion occurs.
I agree. If you notice a difference you were drinking too much. I can stop for a few weeks and not notice anything. But I only average probably three beers per week.
I’ve done a dry month or two several times leading up to a spring marathon. Then I’ve always gone back to it to reward myself after a tough training cycle. I usually drink a six pack over the weekend, no weekday drinking for the most part.
So this year I have no spring marathon to train for but decided to do dry January after drinking too much during the holidays. I feel great. I find myself wondering why in the hell I drink at all. I’ve been out twice so far in circles where I’d normally have 1-3. Wasn’t difficult at all to abstain. And my bill was a lot cheaper without drinks.
I’m in my early 40s and I feel a lot less bloated. Other benefits I notice are better sleep and not going through my weekend mornings in a fog. Not sleeping in until 10 on weekends means I can get up and hang with my two kids who are early risers. Getting miles in seems a tad easier too. It’s life from a different perspective and it ain’t all that bad. I think I may do dry February as well.
I was a 2 drink a night, every night guy. I probably missed 10-15 days over a 5 year period. I got real drunk in March 2017 and spend the entire next day throwing up (definitely not the first time). For some reason that one put me over the edge and I was just done. I haven’t got drunk since. I probably have about 1 drink every 2-3 months now when it comes up in social situations.
I find myself sometimes missing the routine of it. Especially when I’m grilling. I started to feel amazing almost instantly after I stopping. Sleep, mood, and weight were the biggest changes. I felt like I had been in a fog the last decade. I had a lot of fun partying in the past, but every time I think about it all I can think of is the feeling of being horribly hungover.
I haven’t missed a night of drinking since I was a freshman in college, so like 13 years, as long as you balance with water intake it shouldn’t be an issue.
I’d maybe be able to drop 5-7 lbs if I didn’t drink for a couple months though.