I made it. I actually did it. I decided to do a Dry January and take a month off from drinking wine.
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In case you missed my previous post on attempting a Dry January, here’s the story. I was feeling really toxic after a holiday season, New Year’s Eve and the Rose Bowl and decided it might be a good time to give my aging liver a rest. I felt cranky and exhausted. Would a month without that yummy glass of Pinot Grigio make me healthier? Happier? Thinner?
Here’s the rundown on the benefits, the changes and what I learned during my Dry January so you can make see if this month off of booze might benefit you too.
It’s not as hard as it seems, until it is.
Most nights, I didn’t really miss that glass of wine. I did miss the experience of it. Opening the bottle, hearing that swooshing pour into my glass. Mostly I missed the signal to myself: RELAX. Without that tangible signal, I felt that I wasn’t really off duty.
Then some nights it just flat out sucked. Like when my teenage daughter was exceptionally teenage-y. Eye rolls, sighs, attitude. Wanted a glass of wine.
When I got an email full of vitriol and rage from a mentally ill family member, I didn’t just want a glass that night, I needed a glass. So instead, I ate two bags of microwave popcorn. An entire sleeve of rice crackers. Then a frozen sorbet bar. A single glass of wine might have been better on second thought.
One night I just went to bed early rather than be a grumpy wine-less mess.
The Second Week Went On Forever.
The first week was not as difficult as the second, when I’d fantasize about a glass of wine as I was driving home down the freeway. The second week limped by. This was the week when the snacking got seriously out of control.
I cheated. Twice.
On my birthday, I had a glass of champagne. I had a hard time even finishing the entire glass.
Then, after a two day, 66 mile bike ride. I’m sorry but I freakin’ deserved a beer after that ride, plus the beer helped deaden my severely sore butt. Ouch made better with a chilled Corona. Ahh…
If you have a partner doing it with you, it’s much easier.
I talked my boyfriend into doing this experiment with me. Thank God. It was really helpful to not have to watch him order a beer with dinner. And we could share stories about how we were, or weren’t, coping. If you’re planning on trying this, definitely enlist a friend or partner. It gives you a sympathetic person to keep you accountable. And it gives you someone to bitch to.
Sparkling Water is Your Friend.
I bought cases of Perrier and Le Croix sparking water. My water uptake was way up because I used the sparkling water as my crutch to have something a little more “jazzy” than flat water to drink. It worked. It satisfied me most nights. I did end up drinking a ton more water and being really well hydrated. A side benefit I wasn’t expecting.
There was a cascade of benefits which created even more benefits.
I had more energy when I worked out in the morning. My workout were still tough but I felt like the same workout was now 10% easier than it had been while I was drinking wine with dinner.
I didn’t feel as moody. My moods seemed more stable and I felt less “down”.
I slept a million times better and woke up feeling much more rested. (Could be the reason why my moods were more stable.) It was easier to fall asleep and I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night like I normally do if I’d had a glass of wine.
Sleeping more soundly meant waking up took a lot less caffeine. My coffee consumption dropped by a few cups in the morning.
Less Puffy Face.
My face, especially underneath my eyes was less puffy, especially in the morning, my face didn’t have that “just woke up” swelling that gradually wears off as the day begins. And who doesn’t want to wake up looking better?
I Lost A Whopping Two Pounds.
I really, really wanted to lose some of my wine belly and shave off a few inches from my waist. Maybe such a drastic change was not realistic for only 30 days. But I did feel a tad more svelte and less jiggly in my midsection. I was lifting weights during this month so the lack of weight loss might be offset by muscle gain. Or more likely, my lack of weight loss was due to the carbs I inhaled to replace the wine. This was the only thing I was a little disappointed by.
(If I do this again, I will plan ahead with snacking options or other “treats” I can use when I’m feeling stressed and snacky so I don’t resort to free range carb-ing.
Long term benefits.
Now that the month is over. Drinking doesn’t seem as important. I don’t seem to fantasize about a glass of white wine. When I did finally have a glass I drank it very slowly and I didn’t even finish it.
Would I recommend this month without wine experiment to others?
Yes, it was helpful to complete my Dry January. It helped me examine my habits. It was a good exercise to flex your self control muscles and see a challenge through. It pumped my self esteem to stick to my resolution.
Now that my month without wine is over, I don’t think I’ll go back to having an alcoholic beverage on most nights. Instead, I’ll stick to treating myself on Friday or Saturday night.
I’m really enjoying getting a good night sleep, feeling slimmer and less puffy and feeling more emotionally centered.
I’m truly glad I took on this challenge.
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