Dry January – Final Thoughts

Today is February 1, which means I’m “free to go” & jump off the wagon. Yep, I made it through the month without even a sip of alcohol… and I’m still around to talk about it. So here, hold my beer.

Well I woke up this morning, I got myself a beer

Roadhouse Blues, The Doors

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When I woke up this morning, I did not get myself a beer. In fact, it’s now late in the afternoon and I’m still “dry.” There’s a very good possibility a few beers will be included in my evening plans. But this is the first song I thought of this morning (Roadhouse Blues), which includes the lyric above. I really felt the need to go down in the basement and dig this out of my classic album archives, so the photo you see here is actually an original “hot off the press.”

Dry January – it’s not just for alcoholics. It’s not something you consider doing to punish yourself. It’s also not something that’s as particularly easy for the average “social drinker” as some might imagine. There were moments I felt “strange,” uncomfortable, and even a little perturbed at times. While on the wagon, I went downtown to a concert (& spent the night at a hotel – I could’ve drank as much as I wanted!), out to eat several times at places I would normally have a drink, and celebrated my son’s college graduation party where I felt “tested” multiple times. I think it’s mainly the idea that you “can’t” even though in reality you certainly “could”.

When I decided to partipate in the Dry January Challenge, I made sure to tell others early on. I went a step further and created this blog to really go public with it, partly because I enjoy writing and wanted to share my journey, but also because I knew if I said it (publicly making my intentions known), I would have a better shot at sticking with it. As I suggested in my first post, when you really want to achieve something, it’s a great idea to let others know to really solidify your goals. You might also be pleasantly surprised at the support you will receive. Even if you don’t find that you are receiving support, you benefit from hearing yourself say it, and then you can just make it your bitch!

Overall, I do feel refreshed, accomplished and strong. Yes, physically and mentally strong. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my choice didn’t have much to do with dieting, as I don’t diet. But it sure did boost my energy level and motivate me to get to the gym more often and work much harder. In the first week, I shed about 4 lbs. The scale didn’t change much after that, but I feel that my body continued to make healthy changes and my clothes are fitting nicely. I feel stronger than I have in quite some time, and it’s only been one month! I’m sure my gains were enhanced by not drinking alcohol, which can actually contribute to muscle loss. This just motivates me further in continuing to challenge myself, physically & mentally.

So tonight I will celebrate my “gains” with a few cold ones, but thanks to this whole dry experiment, I now see things a little different when it comes to partying. I’ve learned that I can still have a good time without alcohol, but I really don’t like not having the freedom of choice. To me, there are benefits to enjoying beer or wine in moderation, and I plan to pay much more attention to the amount I imbibe in because I sure like how I feel now! Cheers!

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