Jan so dry

[checkoutgirl]

Why can't you use the wine in cooking?

I will.

[Replies From View]

Stopped drinking fully on December 28th 2017.  Haven't looked back.

[Ferris]

I slept really badly and feel like shit. Back to sobriety for me.

[amputeeporn]

In my worst binges I'd be rifling through the cupboard at 8.00am looking for a drop of anything to make a Frankenstein cocktail of brandy, orange cordial, gin and water to knock back wincingly to keep the buzz going.

When you write this out it looks insane - but this is a part of my own drinking I seem to accept unquestioningly. Gin and brandy and ribena? Sure!

One thing I've seen a lot on social media is people saying 'FUCK DRY JANUARY' in the face of depressing news - which I totally get - but my reaction has been the opposite. In all the turmoil it feels nice to give yourself this gift of health and rest for a minute. I think there'll be so much expectation to socialise when things open back up - it would be nice to face it from a position of health and comparative sobriety.

[Blue Jam]

Bought a bottle of red wine on Friday and managed about a glass.

Had about two thirds of a bottle of white wine yesterday, plus a beer which I also didn't finish.

I think it's happening. Middle-aged lightweightedness. Can't do spirits anymore, struggle with red wine, now having trouble with both white wine and beer. Fucksake.

[jobotic]

I'm sure it's unrelated but not drunk all month and feel like shit everyday. Had two covid tests this month too. Negative.

Also still waiting to feel the benefits of packing in smoking ten months ago.

[Blue Jam]

I don't get that thing other people get where they stop drinking and feel fantastic. I just feel exactly the same.

Mind you I also don't understand how other people can get an endorphin high from exercise instead of feeling absolutely crap afterwards so maybe my body and brain are just wrong.

Congrats on the not smoking though jobotic.

[Replies From View]

Bought a bottle of red wine on Friday and managed about a glass.

Had about two thirds of a bottle of white wine yesterday, plus a beer which I also didn't finish.

Sounds to me you'll be up to three bottles of wine by Wednesday and you can take it from there, really.  What's your ultimate goal?

[Blue Jam]

Hahahaha.... to be serious for a minute I've mostly knocked the mid-week drinking on the head, I'm cycling to werk now and don't want to feel any crapper than I already do after my commute. I really can't handle even the mildest hangover anymore, I'll knock back a couple of pints of water before bedtime in fear of feeling even slightly hungover the next day.

Think beer may soon be the only thing I can handle. Good thing I took up homebrewing over lockdown.

[Ferris]

I don't get that thing other people get where they stop drinking and feel fantastic. I just feel exactly the same.

Mind you I also don't understand how other people can get an endorphin high from exercise instead of feeling absolutely crap afterwards so maybe my body and brain are just wrong.

Congrats on the not smoking though jobotic.

I feel like toilets after running or doing weights, suspect people tell themselves it's an endorphin high to help them keep going. More power to them.

I do, however, feel palpably shit this morning having engaged in light boozing last night and it is noticeable how much better I feel day to day when not drinking. Eating pancakes and sriracha to summon up the energy to paint some shelves.

Congrats on kicking the tabs Jobotic - they're a bastard to quit but you absolutely will feel better. I remember being able to take really deep breaths and having it feel like a super power.

Interested to read people subbing in cannabis for booze. It's legal here - I'm not one for joints (having given up smoking and not wanting to go back to that) but there's all edibles and that these days. Could be worth a punt.

[Replies From View]

I'll knock back a couple of pints of water before bedtime in fear of feeling even slightly hungover the next day.

And of course now that you're going to work every day your mattress will have time to dry out between uses.


win-win

[Buelligan]

I feel like toilets after running or doing weights, suspect people tell themselves it's an endorphin high to help them keep going. More power to them.

I don't think it's immediately after, although I do get that panting laughing sort of elation but after-after, don't you get that light-filled floaty feeling?  Like you could just run up walls and spring over houses?  The giving up drink one, for me anyway, was the ecstasy of no longer waking up feeling like I'd visited Chernobyl.  That's a pretty great feeling, even compared to grim reality. 

[Blue Jam]

I don't think it's immediately after, although I do get that panting laughing sort of elation but after-after, don't you get that light-filled floaty feeling?  Like you could just run up walls and spring over houses?

No :(

Think you and I must be opposites with regards to brain chemistry, Buellers. Feeling crap after exercise and feeling nothing from giving up booze probably isn't a good way to be though. I'd rather my body responded positively to healthy stuff, gah.

[JaDanketies]

I used to despise exercise. I don't know what happened but now I like it. Listening to some great tunes and pushing it until you're exhausted definitely gives me a feeling similar to drugs and orgasms.

[Blue Jam]

For me part of it is having exercise-induced asthma which wasn't diagnosed until last year. At school the teachers thought I was lazy and unfit and the other kids would call me "weakling" and "wimp" because I couldn't run fast or do any cardiovascular exercise without getting out of breath. They did a great job of setting me up with a lifetime hatred of exercise. And the worst part is that my GP said that this is actually a very common situation. Bastards.

...but yeah, even with an inhaler I still don't enjoy exercise. I like cycling and hiking but those are more about fresh air and nature and wildlife spotting for me. Cycling to werk only feels like less of a chore than exercise for its own sake because I'm killing two birds with one stone.

[Ferris]

I don't think it's immediately after, although I do get that panting laughing sort of elation but after-after, don't you get that light-filled floaty feeling?  Like you could just run up walls and spring over houses?  The giving up drink one, for me anyway, was the ecstasy of no longer waking up feeling like I'd visited Chernobyl.  That's a pretty great feeling, even compared to grim reality.

I ran 5k every day for 6 months in my late 20s and don't think I felt elation ever, other than "thank god it is over" then I hurt my knee and I realized it's sort of always over if you never start running again which is where I am now.

Maybe that would be different if I ran less? Grad school and toddler care mean I have fuck all energy to do anything anyway so I won't test that theory in the near future.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I don't get that thing other people get where they stop drinking and feel fantastic. I just feel exactly the same.

Same. I also don't feel 'better' after exercising and didn't feel better after giving up smoking.

However when I drink after abstinence or smoke some joints with tobacco in them or stop exercising I do tend to feel worse, so maybe I just am bad at gauging my current normal or whatever.

[chveik]

Maybe that would be different if I ran less?

I need to run more than 5k in order to feel good. I guess it depends on the person though

[checkoutgirl]

Very bad timing for the abstinence for January this year as the 1st of February happens on a Monday. The choice is either drink on a Monday or wait until the 5th of February. Bit annoying.

[seepage]

I don't usually find drinking on a Monday an issue.

[thugler]

Very bad timing for the abstinence for January this year as the 1st of February happens on a Monday. The choice is either drink on a Monday or wait until the 5th of February. Bit annoying.

Yeah irritating. Luckily I've also given up coffee and am absolutely gagging to have that on Monday 1st.

[Ferris]

Interested to read people subbing in cannabis for booze. It's legal here - I'm not one for joints (having given up smoking and not wanting to go back to that) but there's all edibles and that these days. Could be worth a punt.

Bought some chocco and fizzy pop with all drugs in it, government is shipping it to me now. Could be good.

[checkoutgirl]

I don't usually find drinking on a Monday an issue.

I would have concurred during my 6 month covid layoff which has since expired. Although I'm working from home so no-one need know.

The anticipation and excitement at the prospect of breaking the fast is almost overwhelming at times. I doubt I'll be able to sleep by Sunday. Tempted to bin Monday altogether and start drinking that morning.

[jobotic]

My birthday on the Sunday. Do I really wait until Monday to have a beer?

[Ferris]

My birthday on the Sunday. Do I really wait until Monday to have a beer?

You almost share a birthday with Ferris Jr who is 2 on Monday. I'll try and time it better if we have another one.

To answer your question - skip the booze on Sunday but get plastered all day Monday on the basis that you waited until feb and it is therefore absolutely fine.

[non capisco]

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!

[Ferris]

Wait hang February is only 28 days you complete bastard that's such a better idea than a thirty-oner.

[non capisco]

Yeah baby I am SAILING through life.

[Ferris]

I've been had.

[imitationleather]

Not the first time, I am very glad I'm not Ferris right now.