Tag: dry january

Dry January – The Aftermath

 

First off I want to say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored me for Dry January. I didn’t quite hit my target but I did raise £103 for Dementia UK – you can still donate if you’re feeling generous!

So it’s officially February and I have completed the Dry January Challenge – hoorah! It’s truly amazing what a month of not drinking does to you. Whilst I spent most of it with this horrible, malingering cold, I did still feel the benefit of feeling mentally sharper, less bloated and ended the month with a few extra pounds in the bank.

I didn’t think that I would struggle over January but as a habitual drinker I didn’t think I would find it so easy. The worse part of it was having to think about what to drink when out or over the weekend when it’s customary to cwtch up with a glass of red and a takeaway. That and finding activities to take part in the didn’t involve drinking (or sport!).

The money aspect was probably my favorite part of the experience. I found that because I wasn’t buying wine I didn’t need to go to the supermarket. Now, I’m one of those people whose a marketers dream. I pop in to a supermarket for a bottle of wine or to get something for tea and come out considerably poorer, with things that I don’t need.
Since I still needed to buy food (I’m rubbish at getting organised and doing weekly/monthly shops) I turned to my local shops! So as well as giving my liver and purse a bit of a rest I also helped support my local community (if anyone needs me this weekend I’ll be at home, polishing my halo).

Losing weight is also another good factor to consider when giving up booze. I failed on that score as anyone who tuned in to my audio diary on BBC Radio Wales will know. Over the month I managed to finish off the Christmas chocolates and found a new appreciation for hot chocolate. But I did feel less bloated…I never really realised how bloated alcohol made me until about a week in when the difference was VERY clear, I felt great and my clothes fitted better.

Overall the month was pretty easy. I AM looking forward to settling down tonight with a cold glass of wine and a meal sourced from my local shops but on the whole I think I will be cutting right back on the amount of alcohol I consume. Not only in the week but on the weekend too. I’ll also be keeping my new found habit of shunning the supermarket in favour of smaller, local stores.

Now it’s time to quit the hot choccy and start the post Christmas diet!

I kept an audioboo diary which you can hear here: audioboo.fm/rachaelphillips

listen to ‘Feb 1st – we made it! #dryjanuary ’ on Audioboo

Dry January…

You all know I love my vino but after the excesses of Christmas and well, the past year I’ve decided to take part in Dry January. 31 days without alcohol!
8/365 Red Wine...

I want to do it to feel a bit better, save a bit of cash and also to raise a bit of money for Dementia UK. I know a lot of people are doing the same thing for Cancer research but Demential UK is such a fabulous charity. They are committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia.

If you could spare any money to sponsor me then I’ll be so grateful…

My page can be found HERE

Why give up alcohol for 31 days? Well that’s enough time for you to give your liver a rest, bloating should go down, skin will get clearer and that wine fog should clear!

Sarah Wilson (who is a patron for the Australian equivilent FebFast) had gives some good reasons to quit:

  • Eliminating alcohol from your diet is a quick way to lose weight. One beer is the caloric equivalent of a meat pie. Two glasses of champagne is one fifth of your recommended energy intake for a day. Ouch!
  • If you have an autoimmune disease, or any health concerns, alcohol makes things way worse. It’s highly acidic stuff, and disease can only be cured when we alkalise our systems. Less acid and we heal faster. Having a month out will really give your body a chance to heal.
  • I believe in rest. Pausing. We go so fast, so hard, we get stuck in ruts. To pause, to take time out from anything gives our bodies and psyches a chance to recalibrate. Breaking a drinking habit (however strong or weak) refreshes…so that when you have your first drink in March, you choose it and you enjoy it and things feel new.
  • Just doing something different, seeing what you’re capable of when you don’t revert to a “drink after work” or a “night at the pub” is special. It gets you creative, alive to yourself and your friends and partner.
  • And if you’re quitting sugar: Wine, spirits, champagne and beer ARE low in fructose (it’s the sugars that       ferment to become alcohol). However, the toll on your liver is HEAVY and while you’re detoxing sugar, it’s VERY much worth assisting your liver as much as possible.


I’m going to do an audio diary for BBC Radio Wales so you can keep up with my progress if you’d like…I’m also going to be uploading it to audioboo (details to follow)

Are you with me??