DRY JANUARY ANYONE?

[Jewel Runner]

First timer here also

I'm doing dry january and also not smoking spliffs so it's kind of a trifecta (no alcohol no weed no tobacco)

I've been thinking about doing this since early december not because I feel like I have a problem with any of these but to challenge myself and show ME that I can go by without it and so far so good

[TheBoognish]

Wasn't really planning on it, but I had a bunch of drinkypoos on New Years Eve with friends and was so goddamned miserable the next day. Hangovers at 35 are no joke.

Didn't really decide to stop or anything, it's just that I haven't drank since, nor do I feel like it. I've got 3 Moretti's in the fridge and not once have I felt the need to drink one. And Lord knows I love me some ice-cold Moretti's.

Since that party I've only smoked weed once also, and it was one tiny bowl two days ago that got me so fucking high I almost had a panic attack in my own living room. For reference, I've been a daily smoker for 20 years and LOVE exotic sativa's that are usually too potent for most people. Didn't think stopping for only 8 days would have that much of an effect on my tolerance. This was no fun at all.

I had a super mellow work schedule in 2023, so I was drinking more beer than usual (4-6 almost everyday) and smoking more weed than I should have. I was starting to feel all of this when I trained and it sucked. I want to get in the best shape of my life this year, so partying seems like the obvious thing to cut out.

So all in all, wasn't planning on stopping, it ended up happening on its own thanks to that abhorrent hangover. Have I stopped or is this just a break ? I don't even know myself, all I know is I feel amazing even if it's only been 10 days and I don't feel like drinking/smoking at all.

It's worth it just for the sleep quality alone (the dreams are back something fierce, holy shit) and not waking up groggy in the morning.

Let's see how far I can go with this.

[Sleazy]

don't want to disrespect OPs intent but might make sense to have these conversations in the sobriety thread (https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=107177.0). lately it's mostly people trying to quit drinking and there's lots of good shares in there for getting through that first month or so. big ups to anyone drying up! i did a dry 30 last year, then a second mid year after trying moderating and ended up quiting drinking. dry 30s are a great tool for gauging things. i reshared my sleep scores from last year below which i shared in the sobriety channel.

[Jewel Runner]

don't want to disrespect OPs intent but might make sense to have these conversations in the sobriety thread (https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=107177.0). lately it's mostly people trying to quit drinking and there's lots of good shares in there for getting through that first month or so. big ups to anyone drying up! i did a dry 30 last year, then a second mid year after trying moderating and ended up quiting drinking. dry 30s are a great tool for gauging things. i reshared my sleep scores from last year below which i shared in the sobriety channel.

Hell yeah that's a nice chart

What was the sleep score based on? How rested you felt? Just asking out of curiosity

[Sleazy]

Expand Quote

don't want to disrespect OPs intent but might make sense to have these conversations in the sobriety thread (https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=107177.0). lately it's mostly people trying to quit drinking and there's lots of good shares in there for getting through that first month or so. big ups to anyone drying up! i did a dry 30 last year, then a second mid year after trying moderating and ended up quiting drinking. dry 30s are a great tool for gauging things. i reshared my sleep scores from last year below which i shared in the sobriety channel.

[close]

Hell yeah that's a nice chart

What was the sleep score based on? How rested you felt? Just asking out of curiosity

i use a garmin watch to track sleep score and other metrics. what the graph doesn't show is that since i've stopped drinking i haven't really had a bad nights sleep. but while drinking i'd have a few horrible nights a week minimum.

other benefits for me:

- i've lost 15lbs and for some weird reason i stopped working out and dieting after quitting drinking. i've always had a well above average fitness routine and never been able to loose weight. probably one of the biggest positives. i'm way more casual about what i eat but 15 lbs lighter and way less bloated. my wife even complemented me on "you look great".
- my resting HR has also been way lower. i've been told that helps with over all health, things like not getting sick and recovering quicker
- work productivity is way up

main negatives
- 7-9 is usually kind of boring
- i don't like things i used to enjoy. i don't like sitting in a nice restaurant for 2-3 hours for example. gilling is less fun, etc. i still really enjoying to shows though and i usually go with my 13 and 15 year old kids so being sober, setting a good example and having a chill ride home goes a long way. weddings, networking happy hours, ect are chill. i drink some NA beers, and if i get really bored it means there's not really anything interesting going on conversation wise so i leave. by then everyone is drunk and i'm not missing anything.

[whale]

I’m doing it, sort of.
Started a little late, last beer was jan 2nd and a coworker has his 50th birthday end of this month.
He’s got this expensive bottle of vodka saved up that he’s been hyping up since he got it.
I’d feel rude not even tasting it if he uncorks it there.

Not a big drinker, but do have a couple bit too often.

[fineslime]

I’m doing it, sort of.
Started a little late, last beer was jan 2nd and a coworker has his 50th birthday end of this month.
He’s got this expensive bottle of vodka saved up that he’s been hyping up since he got it.
I’d feel rude not even tasting it if he uncorks it there.

Not a big drinker, but do have a couple bit too often.

that's where I was at with my alcohol consumption. I was having 2 or 3 like 4 times a week. when you add that all up, that's a lot of drinks per week. I went pretty ham on NYE while I was just hanging at home... I had like 14 or 15 beers throughout the entire day and into the very early morning.

since then, I've only had two drinks on the 7th after getting stuck somewhere in town while waiting for a tow. I'm already starting to slim down a lot and I've also been taking tongkat ali (starting the end of the first week of December) and fenugreek to help naturally raise my testosterone. because I was drinking the month of December I didn't really feel any effect from the supplements until week 3, but since then and since cutting the beers out, I feel incredible. I was walking around downtown last night on a really nice night and the idea to stop and have a drink entered my head, and I'm really glad I didn't! I have had long periods of not drinking and the first couple weeks are always the most difficult when it comes to not falling back into bad habits.

my sleep has been better. my mood is way more stable. I feel this balanced and healthy sense of aggression that I haven't felt in a long time. I am just ready to attack! my sex drive is greatly elevated my appetite has been greatly diminished too.

if you are in your 30s and are cutting out the alcohol, consider adding tongkat ali into your daily routine (after researching it of course.) I have tried other natural test boosting stacks, the kind you get at GNC where it's a shit load of different ingredients and none of them ever worked for me. tongkat is legit!

[MOE SYZLAK]

I ended up doing a dry December (still going into January) not really by choice , but because of some new medication I’m taking. I had one beer when I first started it and it made me so sick. Not drinking also helped me cut out cigs. Since I only bought a pack if I was going out drinking.
Being sober definitely made me realize that I actually do not like bars and I was actually drinking way to much when I was out as a way to cope with my social anxiety.

[Sleazy]

I ended up doing a dry December (still going into January) not really by choice , but because of some new medication I’m taking. I had one beer when I first started it and it made me so sick. Not drinking also helped me cut out cigs. Since I only bought a pack if I was going out drinking.
Being sober definitely made me realize that I actually do not like bars and I was actually drinking way to much when I was out as a way to cope with my social anxiety.

that's really cool thing to become aware of. i had the same realization with fancy restaurants. you thinking about keeping it going after your meds are done?

[MOE SYZLAK]

Expand Quote

I ended up doing a dry December (still going into January) not really by choice , but because of some new medication I’m taking. I had one beer when I first started it and it made me so sick. Not drinking also helped me cut out cigs. Since I only bought a pack if I was going out drinking.
Being sober definitely made me realize that I actually do not like bars and I was actually drinking way to much when I was out as a way to cope with my social anxiety.

[close]

that's really cool thing to become aware of. i had the same realization with fancy restaurants. you thinking about keeping it going after your meds are done?

I’ll likely be on these meds for a really long time. They are mood stabilizers and have already improved my mental well-being and my relationships in a month, so I’m sticking with them.

[Frank and Fred]

Another January 2024 about to be a wrap. Hope everyone who tried gained something from it.

I'm feeling pretty good about keeping it going. Still aiming for end of May.

See you all next year, or in the Sobriety thread...

[Jewel Runner]

Another January 2024 about to be a wrap. Hope everyone who tried gained something from it.

I'm feeling pretty good about keeping it going. Still aiming for end of May.

See you all next year, or in the Sobriety thread...

Yeah I'm pondering on keeping it going or not

I don't know why but I'm having anxiety/guilt feelings thinking about me drinking/smoking

I know it never hurted me before so I don't know why I'm feeling like this

This dry month just proved me that I can drink/smoke if I want to and if I don't want to I have the willpower to not do it

On the other hand I learned I still have some anxiety and feelings that I thought were caused by weed in one way or another

[coyote2425]

Expand Quote

Another January 2024 about to be a wrap. Hope everyone who tried gained something from it.

I'm feeling pretty good about keeping it going. Still aiming for end of May.

See you all next year, or in the Sobriety thread...

[close]

Yeah I'm pondering on keeping it going or not

I don't know why but I'm having anxiety/guilt feelings thinking about me drinking/smoking

I know it never hurted me before so I don't know why I'm feeling like this

This dry month just proved me that I can drink/smoke if I want to and if I don't want to I have the willpower to not do it

On the other hand I learned I still have some anxiety and feelings that I thought were caused by weed in one way or another

Agreed. This was a much-needed mental reset. Planning to re-introduce some wine/beer this weekend (wife’s bday) but on a much more restrained level, and keeping weeknights dry.

I don’t feel ready for the Sobriety thread just yet, but this showed me what life could be like.

Cheers to all who partook, we made it!