Jan so dry

[Ferris]

Absolute stitch up. Fuming.

[Norton Canes]

I've decided to do Dry February because that's the kind of wackadoo trend bucking behaviour the world has come to expect from ol' capisco the clown prince of confusion, so Monday suits me fine. Gives me the chance of one last crazy hurrah of four cans of San Miguel on my own watching this week's disappointing 1990 Top Of The Pops repeats. Get fresh at the weeeeeekend!

Ha. Planning to open my first delicious doppelbock right as the February 5th shows start, to the inevitably disappointing strains of another bistro jazz cover version, or the final top 40-scraping Sonia single. Or... the night before, if everyone's fucked off from the living room early enough, I might stick on the last two episodes of The Space Museum which I got for Christmas and drown my sorrows.

[JaDanketies]

I sent an online message to the GP surgery asking about my blood test results, and the receptionist answered it to say they were 'normal'. I wanted actual figures, but the GP has stopped taking online requests for the rest of the day. Tbh I don't really want a receptionist to be telling me about whether the cholesterol and liver enzymes in my blood are okay.

[Mr_Simnock]

I sent an online message to the GP surgery asking about my blood test results, and the receptionist answered it to say they were 'normal'. I wanted actual figures, but the GP has stopped taking online requests for the rest of the day. Tbh I don't really want a receptionist to be telling me about whether the cholesterol and liver enzymes in my blood are okay.

How would it be any different to the GP saying the same thing? I had my first drink of the year last night, good to get at least 4 weeks in without booze.

[Replies From View]

Because receptionists cast judgement with every word they speak.  And they famously gossip between themselves about all the juices, online and off.

[JaDanketies]

How would it be any different to the GP saying the same thing? I had my first drink of the year last night, good to get at least 4 weeks in without booze.

I mean for the ALT specifically, the normal range is 0-50 and mine was 53. So if it's gone down to 49, it might look normal to a receptionist, but it'd still be a cause of concern for me. In previous years my ALT was about 25. I would much prefer a doctor to look at the results and tell me that they're okay than for someone who I believe doesn't need any medical knowledge for their job.

[Replies From View]

alcohol laxative taxidermy

[checkoutgirl]

Day 30. Somehow have held firm as Fridays are the hardest and annoyingly five Fridays have squeezed themselves into this January for maximum temptation. A bottle of red wine sits beside the bed as a reminder of something, or perhaps as a motivator.

Will be particularly difficult during the week next week as technically it will be February but want to wait for next Friday. Any perceived health benefits seem to plateau after a week or two as the current state of allertness becomes the norm.

I just noticed the word "heal" sitting snugly inside the word "health". One for the obvious thread.

[JaDanketies]

Family zoom call with the in-laws last night and I drank a 660ml bottle of Asahi, a double whiskey, and two 330ml cans of ale. Calculated it at 8 units. I didn't even commit to dry January anyway, my actual commitment was to drink 14 units a week max.

It wasn't as nice as I had hoped. I even got the Asahi because I thought a crisp dry lager would be the ideal thing to wet the tastebuds with. It was good to have a social drink though and it would be good if my drinking in the future was similarly social.

[TrenterPercenter]

I think collectively I've drank about 30 units tops since the 26th Dec.  It's been fine really.

[shiftwork2]

Coming back to booze after a month is odd.  There's a slight element of wtf (there are fumes coming off it) and the first pint isn't necessarily the Ice Cold In Alex moment I've been itching for.  But it's pretty quickly business as usual and I'm stewed on ethanol once more.

[checkoutgirl]

Day 31. Seems to be getting easier to not drink so reckon I'll make it to next Friday without drinking fairly easily. Strangely I seem to have gained over half a stone in weight, maybe because I eat more now?

Red wine and gin now next to the bed, undrinken.

[Ferris]

^I seem to be eating more sugary stuff which, as a rule, I typically avoid since knocking booze on the head.

Had a cannabis pop on Friday night, didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping - felt aggressively buzzed in a way I wasn't a fan of (I hate feeling out of control), was able to think clearly but kept zoning out while playing video games and it became a chore to focus on things. Still got a load of THC/CBD gummies in the fridge, will give them a go and if I'm not a fan I'll chuck the lot.

May have a chekky laqer tonight though.

[thugler]

So that's another one down. Been absolute piece of piss bar a few days of mega stress. Going to take it easy in feb with just a bottle of wine or so a week

[jobotic]

Well not drinking tonight was easy - fucking awful abdominal pain. Hope its the IBS.

If it goes I'll be having a nice beer tomorrow.

[DrGreggles]

OK, 'Dry January' starts... NOW!

[checkoutgirl]

5 minutes to wet February. Seriously Friday is going to be a shitshow. Nudity and a bag of whiskey.

[JaDanketies]

So on 8th December 2020 I had the following:

Cholesterol: 5.6 (healthy levels: 3.0 - 5.0)
ALT: 53 (healthy levels: 0-50)

And then on 22nd January, after abstaining from alcohol, eating healthily and exercising regularly from the 4th Jan:

Cholesterol: 4.8
ALT: 32

So it makes a difference! Gotta keep at it, get my BMI well into the normal range, and get my blood pressure within safe limits.

Also I was 14st 2lb on 4th January and this morning I was 13st 3lb. (The top end of the normal BMI for me would be 12st 10lb).

The blood pressure seems to be 'best of three' for me but sometimes I get results that look good-ish and I never used to. The systolic is always above the 120 threshold, and usually averages out at under 130; the diastolic is usually like 70 and 80 is the danger threshold. This seems to mean that my blood pressure is still 'elevated' but that I'm not past the hypertensive threshold; it was always past the hypertensive threshold before I changed my lifestyle. Fingers crossed that when I get my BMI down my blood pressure is okay too.

[thugler]

So on 8th December 2020 I had the following:

Cholesterol: 5.6 (healthy levels: 3.0 - 5.0)
ALT: 53 (healthy levels: 0-50)

And then on 22nd January, after abstaining from alcohol, eating healthily and exercising regularly from the 4th Jan:

Cholesterol: 4.8
ALT: 32

So it makes a difference! Gotta keep at it, get my BMI well into the normal range, and get my blood pressure within safe limits.

Also I was 14st 2lb on 4th January and this morning I was 13st 3lb. (The top end of the normal BMI for me would be 12st 10lb).

The blood pressure seems to be 'best of three' for me but sometimes I get results that look good-ish and I never used to. The systolic is always above the 120 threshold, and usually averages out at under 130; the diastolic is usually like 70 and 80 is the danger threshold. This seems to mean that my blood pressure is still 'elevated' but that I'm not past the hypertensive threshold; it was always past the hypertensive threshold before I changed my lifestyle. Fingers crossed that when I get my BMI down my blood pressure is okay too.

Good for you mate!

[Blue Jam]

1st of Feb and I'm having a Doom Bar Zero. Ha.

[Ferris]

Balvenie 12 year for me. Very nice it is too.

[jobotic]

Stomach still hurts and it's a bit late now for this grandpa. Beer tomorrow.

[holyzombiejesus]

OK. I'm going to try and do a month (or 3 weeks and 4 days) starting Monday but I'm really going to struggle. I usually try and abstain Monday to Thursday but really really look forward to wine on Friday and Saturday nights. It's an integral part of my weekend and evening weekend routines involve it. Friday night is usually staying up late, playing records and chatting with friends online, and it's so nice to open a bottle when you do that. Saturday night, we watch a film or two, eat pizza and again, imaging it without booze seems so shit. I've also got in to the habit of having an old fashioned before bed on a Sunday night but that doesn't feel like it'll be too tough to give up. It doesn't feel that it's the alcohol consumption that's key, just the whole routine around it that I really look forward all week (as well as the alcohol). Imaging tonight without a drink just feels so joyless. I used to be able to go a month without booze no problem but that was before I developed these routines. Got any tips? (I am not going to switch to soft drinks so don't even bother suggesting it.)

[JaDanketies]

have some chamomile tea.

That dry January fuckin ruined booze for me. Had a drink yesterday and I've got a small hangover. I probably always had a hangover but never noticed it. And I used to imbibe slowly and continually, but now I'm drinking less often, it's like when I start drinking I can't wait to get a buzz going.

[holyzombiejesus]

I'm not drinking chamomile tea like Quentin fucking Crisp or what have you.

I'm actually think I might just do the whole hairshirt thing and not do anything fun for 3 weeks and 4 days. Just going to bed early and reading. That's nice in itself and should mean I don't struggle too much on Friday nights but still can't imagine having pizza and watching some shit film that my wife chooses on Saturdays without popping a cork.

[JaDanketies]

A little bit of weed really helps bring shit films your wife chooses to life.

[Norton Canes]

Got any tips? (I am not going to switch to soft drinks so don't even bother suggesting it.)

Is there anything you eat/drink that you don't then normally like to follow with alcohol? I got into the habit of having a bowl of cereal w/milk around mid-evening time because I hate having beer after milk. 

[holyzombiejesus]

Hmm, maybe. Although that could feel quite depressing, swapping lovely red wine for bran flakes. I agree with not liking milk before beer btw. Imagine it all curdling when it mixes.

Did yous find the January thing easy? The thought of not being able to have a glass of wine of an evening is filling me with all kinds of dread.

[holyzombiejesus]

Just been thinking that if a distant relative or a friend that I didn't like much dies, it would be a good excuse not to go through with this.

[Norton Canes]

Just been thinking that if a distant relative or a friend that I didn't like much dies, it would be a good excuse not to go through with this

Fingers crossed!

This was like the 10th one I've done so I know what to expect, the highs & lows etc. and am used to dealing with them. I did the first one because I'd drunk such a ridiculous amount that NYE I was physically incapable of ingesting alcohol for 2-3 days, which helped me through the cold turkey. Not sure I'd recommend that course of action though.

I have to say, if you really think it's going to be a joyless hair shirt exercise, don't do it. I've always said to myself when I've given anything up - meat, refined sugar, alcohol (short term) - if it's really hard and I'm suffering, I won't bother. Don't outweigh your sense of achievement with misery. I'm quite bloody-minded and hate half measures (no pun intended) which helps me get through difficult shit like this but not everyone's the same. Ask yourself if you really want to go alcohol-free. If not, just cut down, it can still be a test. Don't embark on anything if you're not confident. You have to say, "I'm doing this because I can". You have to have conviction.