Dry January Results

This is about a month late, so I thought about just forgetting this whole post, but, hey, life got a little crazy so I'm giving myself a pass. I got through a month of no drinking, and I enjoy drinking with my friends and my partner, but I didn't give up, so this sucker is getting published.

So I've always been intrigued by this annual ritual, but have never taken part. This year, after a friend's birthday that prompted all day barhopping, I woke up and decided I would abstain from alcohol for the next month.

Ok, so admittedly, I cheated on three occasions. Two were date nights, a concert and then an evening event at a science center literally named "Gin and Jupiter"...I couldn't really pass that up, especially since it was part of a Christmas gift. Then, I had a few beers on Super Bowl Sunday because, well, it was the Super Bowl. However, I started January 7 and went until February 10 so I feel it kind of worked out in the end.

What I realized.

One, I can go out to the bars and not drink. Sure, I got tired and definitely more irritated by the shrieking "woo girls," but, overall, I could go out with my friends and have a good night out without the social lubricant.

Two, football Sundays are a lot harder to enjoy all day when you're sipping on water or getting fancy with some seltzer. I enjoy watching football, especially with a group of friends, but I got a little burnt out on the Pro Bowl halfway through and ended up going home early for a Netflix binge. No regrets.

Three, alcohol is not my answer to easily shedding any weight. I thought cutting wine, gin and tonics and my beloved craft beers from my diet would automatically lead to some dropped pounds, simply because of the extra calories no longer being consumed, but, to my disappointment, I didn't notice any difference. So either I don't drink as much as I think I do or I'm just not one of those people who lose that drinking weight. 

Four, I thought my skin would be more glowy. Nothing changed there either. I'm pretty strict about my skin care routine and I'm pretty happy with my skin generally, so I feel I would've noticed if the dark circles under my eyes faded, but nada. I only noticed a difference once I started drinking again and only the day after a night out. There were no long term effects that I could tell.

In conclusion, I didn't notice any clear differences, but I was happy to learn I don't need alcohol in social situations as much as I previously believed. I can be pretty quiet or shy if I'm not comfortable or meeting new people, so alcohol has been a long time go-to to ease my social anxiety. It was encouraging to realize I don't need this as much any more and have actually grown to hold my own in these situations without the liquid icebreaker. If this is something you also rely on, try a few nights out without the alcohol and see if you aren't giving yourself enough credit as well. However, if you want to brighten your skin or are looking for some true detoxing benefits, either you need to stop drinking for longer than a month or...don't get your hopes up. I'm glad I did it though and I think I'm going to start doing some shorter dry periods simply because I felt good about myself while abstaining. I think it was positive for me and even if I didn't suddenly look like Julianne Hough without makeup, I felt a little better about myself and I think that makes it worth it.

Questions, comments, advice? Hit me up below!