Also attributed to Dorothy Parker, Jack Lemmon, or half of the Rat Pack

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

No one's ever had a social event without alcohol. Just impossible.

Ha, this is similar to how I am. It's weird, I'll have a couple of cravings when I stop for a period of time, but I can generally handle it without trying too hard. When I'm on, it's beers every night, though I'm more of a 1 turns to 4 kinda of person, I don't think I've made it to 10 since college. I make up for it though since I don't take Sunday through Thursday off.

It's interesting to read about everyone's experience/challenges/take on No Alcohol January! Definitely all over the board.

Going to what is essentially a sports bar to have dinner & watch my team play basketball tonight. They are having a terrible year, which is going to make it even harder to not have a beer or two. I'll make it though.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

We’re in week two territory now! Over a quarter of the way there. Excellent effort by all!

Today was hard. Long tough day at work, stressful drive home, and then sat in a very heated book club with my lush neighbors for several hours. Thankfully I was not alone in dryness- my neighbor does whole30 every January- so that ended up being a silver lining. I also ate way too much sugar for dinner in lieu of my giant glass of book club red wine. Tomorrow will be easier!

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Good luck! Stay strong!

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Thank you! My team lost again but I didn't cave! Still totally dry for the month so far!

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Nice! Glad you had some support.

Thankfully, I’m on cruise control. Weekdays have proven easier than I hoped. Doesn’t hurt that I’ve been going to bed at 9:30 as I’ve also started the 5:30 am workouts again.

Double digits tomorrow people!

Don't know about you, but when I do that, I wake up with a mild hangover!!! Very similar symptoms. I used the excuse that I wasn't drinking to do my share of polishing off the leftover holiday sweets, and wow do I feel it the next day.

Similar to carb loading, you need to drink a lot of water w/ all of the sugar or otherwise your body will pull water from other places to store the glycogen, leaving you feeling dehydrated (similar to being dehydrated after drinking).

started on the 27th of December so was happy to get through NYE's without any cravings - keep it up folks!

Dry-Uary is here again! 9 days in and no problem. If we get a home playoff game next Sunday, big problem.

Happy day nine to us! Almost 30% of the way there! 30% is the hardest amount for me to deal with for anything (swim, run, dryness, etc) so this is a good milestone cluster of days.

I am so tired today. It made the craving a zero out of ten. I cannot wait for delicious sleep tonight.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Yes and onto our second weekend.

Since winter is NOT coming (to NY anyway) any apres ski temptations have been eliminated for me.

Looks like some outdoor cycling is a real possibility (60 friggin degrees ?!?!?!). I'm starting to see the scale move in the right direction and that sure keeps the motivation up!

Let's go everyone. Keep yourselves busy and your mind distracted and we'll be through our second weekend! We got this!!

Thats right, stay occupied and do some other productive things! Going to work on my car tonight, lots of little things need to be done.

TGIF teetotalers! Over 30% of the way there now!

Today was pretty easy. I slept like a rock last night, had my very wet cider at our local place tonight, and am looking forward to another great night of sleep before a long ride tomorrow.

One of the more challenging aspects of this month for me is that the hubs is NOT on board. He should be, which is another story altogether, but it makes things less than fun at times. For example, we made pizza for dinner and always use a beer crust recipe. He did it without thinking earlier today, and then whinged that it was "JUST a small amount" in the dough. So I had to make my own after all. And then bring said pizza to said local beer farm for a night out. It's never easy but I made that concession years ago when I started doing this. I warned him that I'm tired and cranky and to be a bit more considerate.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Renewed focus on diet and attempting no alcohol but something had to give so I popped a top. It all must fit the in the calorie budget but I need some joy in my life. Ha! Also 1st attempt to post a pic here employing all my limited IT skillz which may fail.

Dang, you go all in. Since alcohol is cooked off in baking (at least per my understanding), I would have given that a pass, like I would an NA beer.

But I like where your head's at. No compromises.

I'm going well, no issue so far.

Still dry for the year. :-)

1st event of the year today: mountain bike race!!

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

(since Jan 5 for me, waited til after the "holiday week")

One interesting thing for me is to observe how easily we find an excuse for alcohol: it was a stressful day, need a glass of wine. Or, it was a good day, need a glass of wine to celebrate. Monday Night Football is on, good reason to open a beer.

There's always a reason.

I then find that the less I do that, the less I want to do that (find a reason to drink). But it takes longer to get to that point than it does to go the other direction. Once I start again, it's easy to drink with regularity.

Also finding, which I had forgotten about, how I tend to go to bed earlier. Not just getting better sleep, but feeling like I want to go to bed earlier (which is a bit counter-intuitive).

Thanks for doing this thread -- interesting reading, and props to all.

Tried their Run Wild IPA last night and it was surprisingly good. Light and crisp like a session IPA but still has decent flavor.

I've been doing fine so far but I had a particularly shitty day at work yesterday. I had to give a younger employee a performance review that was a bit of a reality check for him, then ended the day by firing someone under very difficult circumstances. By the time I left the office I was jonesing for a beer. Instead of stopping at the liquor store I stopped off at the pool and channeled my energy into a surprisingly good swim session, which almost never happens for me.

My biggest goal this month is to recalibrate so that one or two beers doesn't always become three or four. I was on the fence about drinking non-alcoholic beer because in a way it seems to undermine that goal, but I actually think it can help in the recalibration process. Having a couple non-alcoholic beers allowed me to enjoy the taste and get part of the experience without the alcohol feedback loop that makes me always want more, so hopefully it can help develop better habits. We'll see.

Great job everyone and thanks for supporting each other.

Nope, total myth. There’s still booze in your boozy food. He knows that too, which is why I was all OH COME ON about it.
And yes, when I put my mind to something, I don’t mess around :)

Glad it’s been a good month for you too!’

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Woop woop! Get it!!

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

Still going strong. This can be tough for retirees as well. It is super easy to incorporate evening drinking into the daily routine when you no longer have to worry about getting up early for work. But I love my mornings and appreciate them even more with a clear head and well rested body.

IndianaCyclist, thanks so much for mentioning that book (This Naked Mind). It is early to say it, but it might well have changed my life. 30 days seems like a layup now.