Dry January ... again!

[dpedin]

Trying to go 3 months without any alcohol and get a wee bit fitter. Almost did it last year but my resolve broke half way through March. Day 4 and going ok so far, even with a half empty bottle of NB Navy strength gin sitting teasing me in the fridge door. Already feel sleep has improved. Wish me luck! Anyone else on the wagon.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Trying to go 3 months without any alcohol and get a wee bit fitter. Almost did it last year but my resolve broke half way through March. Day 4 and going ok so far, even with a half empty bottle of NB Navy strength gin sitting teasing me in the fridge door. Already feel sleep has improved. Wish me luck! Anyone else on the wagon.

Best of luck with it.

I am not on the wagon for January for the first time in a while. I've never had physical issues with not drinking, just social ones. Being in the pub with friends and not drinking is the challenge.

[Hal Jordan]

Tonight will be the test - end of the working week and my son's first day back at school.

But I avoided the wine shop on my lunchtime walk, so there's that.

[Sandstorm]

Nope, not for me this year. Missed so much of December's "Out outs" because of sickness, that I have lots of catching up to do.

[Insane_Homer]

IMG_20240106_200911_772.jpg (56.45 KiB) Viewed 1455 times

[LenCohen]

IMG_20240106_200911_772.jpg

Aye bollocks to that nonsense

[Sinkers]

[dpedin]

Bunch of miserable bastards - exactly the response I thought I would get.

I have made it through first week alcohol free plus been to gym twice and played three rounds of golf. Just another 12 weeks to go!

Gym again tonight.

[dkm57]

I cut out alcohol at the start of September as part of my trying to get fit, delay being chemo'd and generally being as healthy as I could to stand the ravages. Had a pretty big lapse on Hogmanay , strangely I was less hungover on New Years day than I had any right to expect. Back on the wagon now.

[Gumboot]

I cut out alcohol at the start of September as part of my trying to get fit, delay being chemo'd and generally being as healthy as I could to stand the ravages. Had a pretty big lapse on Hogmanay , strangely I was less hungover on New Years day than I had any right to expect. Back on the wagon now.

The very best in your battle.

Fuck cancer.

[Tichtheid]

Best of luck dkm57

[Sandstorm]

I cut out alcohol at the start of September as part of my trying to get fit, delay being chemo'd and generally being as healthy as I could to stand the ravages. Had a pretty big lapse on Hogmanay , strangely I was less hungover on New Years day than I had any right to expect. Back on the wagon now.

The very best in your battle.

Fuck cancer.

+1

[dkm57]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

[Slick]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

Well done mate and best of luck.

[dpedin]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

Well done mate and best of luck.

Ditto - doing all the right stuff. Hope things go well for you.

I had a couple of health issues myself, nothing as serious as yours, and decided that if I was going to live longer then I needed to be fitter and healthier if I was going to enjoy it and do as much as I can with what I have. The last thing I wanted was to live a long life but be miserable and sedentary. Dry January is just a kick start for me to try and lose weight, get healthier and stay mobile.

Stopping drinking inevitably means I stop eating so much (less nibbles with the G&T) and if I do a bit more exercise then I will lose weight without too much effort. I try and substitute foods/meals with more healthy options but ones I still enjoy. For example instead of some toast with butter/peanut butter for breakfast I have porridge (Scots Old Fashioned) made with water and a pinch of salt. Ditto snacks, easy to swap some peanuts/crisps for a nice apple or banana. Lots of green veg, roasted vegetables and chicken and fish - avoid bread, potatoes, pasta and rice as well as anything processed etc. As long as I get the volume I need I am happy. For me it is all about changing a few bad habits and swapping them for better ones.

[dkm57]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

Well done mate and best of luck.

Ditto - doing all the right stuff. Hope things go well for you.

I had a couple of health issues myself, nothing as serious as yours, and decided that if I was going to live longer then I needed to be fitter and healthier if I was going to enjoy it and do as much as I can with what I have. The last thing I wanted was to live a long life but be miserable and sedentary. Dry January is just a kick start for me to try and lose weight, get healthier and stay mobile.

Stopping drinking inevitably means I stop eating so much (less nibbles with the G&T) and if I do a bit more exercise then I will lose weight without too much effort. I try and substitute foods/meals with more healthy options but ones I still enjoy. For example instead of some toast with butter/peanut butter for breakfast I have porridge (Scots Old Fashioned) made with water and a pinch of salt. Ditto snacks, easy to swap some peanuts/crisps for a nice apple or banana. Lots of green veg, roasted vegetables and chicken and fish - avoid bread, potatoes, pasta and rice as well as anything processed etc. As long as I get the volume I need I am happy. For me it is all about changing a few bad habits and swapping them for better ones.

So very true, it's opened up a whole new world of flavours to me, first cut out the cr@p and start putting in good stuff. There is so much healthy foodstuffs out there and I find I'm never hungry like I used to be, I also do 16:8 intermediate fasting, some times I go longer, it was much easier than I thought. Almost everything I eat/drink now has cancer inhibiting/ health boosting properties.

Recommend 'Eat to Beat Disease' by Dr William Li
Videos - Dr Sten Ekberg explains things very clearly
Curexa have some good info even if it's presented to appeal to kids and MOMs

[Mr Tim Buktoo]

I do sober october every year. And its always successful. I say i will do dry january also but it never come to pass. It was the plan this year but the brother showed up on Jan 2nd so that was that. January is a shit month.

[Slick]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

Well done mate and best of luck.

Ditto - doing all the right stuff. Hope things go well for you.

I had a couple of health issues myself, nothing as serious as yours, and decided that if I was going to live longer then I needed to be fitter and healthier if I was going to enjoy it and do as much as I can with what I have. The last thing I wanted was to live a long life but be miserable and sedentary. Dry January is just a kick start for me to try and lose weight, get healthier and stay mobile.

Stopping drinking inevitably means I stop eating so much (less nibbles with the G&T) and if I do a bit more exercise then I will lose weight without too much effort. I try and substitute foods/meals with more healthy options but ones I still enjoy. For example instead of some toast with butter/peanut butter for breakfast I have porridge (Scots Old Fashioned) made with water and a pinch of salt. Ditto snacks, easy to swap some peanuts/crisps for a nice apple or banana. Lots of green veg, roasted vegetables and chicken and fish - avoid bread, potatoes, pasta and rice as well as anything processed etc. As long as I get the volume I need I am happy. For me it is all about changing a few bad habits and swapping them for better ones.

Yup, been having exactly the same conversations with myself. I've committed to a year off the booze, no ifs, no buts, and everything else flows from that - exercise, diet etc. Going to the docs in a couple of weeks for a bit of an MOT. I look at my young kids and just think I'm a fucking idiot sometimes with the way I live when drinking, so a great motivator

[sockwithaticket]

A friend of mine gradually started drinking less and less in our mid-20s and joined me in teetotalism before he turned 30 several years ago. According to him the longer you go without drinking the less you feel like starting up again, especially once you see the other benefits start to stack up - chiefly weight loss and more money in your pocket.

With how much my mates were drinking in their teens and reading about what that can do to developing bodies I decided to go teetotal at 17 and have never really looked back. Down the years people have asked whether I feel like giving it up and just having one or two drinks, but I've never seen the point in opening that door when I get along just fine in total abstinance.

[duke]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

Good luck with the treatment if and when needed dkm57.

I have follicular lymphoma which was first diagnosed back in 2013, had the PET CT scans and the bone marrow biopsy at the time at which they said watch and wait. That situation went on for about 8 years until it morphed into a T Cell Lymphoma (lump on the lymph node in the groin) which led to a DVT in my thigh and a need for Chemo. After the ups and downs of the 6 cycles of that followed by radiotherapy (and getting flattened by Covid but that's another tale), I am now just over 2 years post treatment and the medics are happy with where I am. My advice if facing treatment is to be relentlessly positive.

The most painful aspect for me at the moment is getting quotes for travel insurance!

[dkm57]

Thanks folks.

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud, yes I have a form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma and as yet it's one of the ones they they can't cure, they can only 'manage' it. At the moment mine is 'smouldering', as the doc says it'll do what it wants, either smouldering in the background or become aggressive and really do me over. The most painful bit so far was when he used a corkscrew to drill into my pelvis to take a bone marrow sample.

My efforts are to try and keep it at bay as long as possible through diet and exercise and being as healthy as I can before it kicks off. I've cut out sugar, alcohol (ahem), grains, lost 12 kilos, and upped my exercise levels, even joined a gym last week Target is to get my BMI to just below 25 and cholesterol BP etc., firmly in the 'healthy zone and keep them there.

Good luck with the treatment if and when needed dkm57.

I have follicular lymphoma which was first diagnosed back in 2013, had the PET CT scans and the bone marrow biopsy at the time at which they said watch and wait. That situation went on for about 8 years until it morphed into a T Cell Lymphoma (lump on the lymph node in the groin) which led to a DVT in my thigh and a need for Chemo. After the ups and downs of the 6 cycles of that followed by radiotherapy (and getting flattened by Covid but that's another tale), I am now just over 2 years post treatment and the medics are happy with where I am. My advice if facing treatment is to be relentlessly positive.

The most painful aspect for me at the moment is getting quotes for travel insurance!

Sorry to read of the follicular lymphoma, hope they can keep it in abeyance. Travel insurane is a different ball-ache.

[dpedin]

I'm still going! Day 23 of no alcohol and now at point of stopped thinking about Gin O'clock every evening. Started diet on 8th January once all the giant Toblerone was gone. Golfing or gym 6 days out of 7 - although with this weather it is mostly gym. Lost about 6lbs so far. Will try and get to the end of March on this regime and see how much I have lost but the 6Ns is always a struggle. Actually feeling better for it, gym seems easier, sleeping better and trousers fitting properly now. My sugar intake, either from alcohol or foodstuffs, has gone down markedly and this is probably having the biggest impact on my health and well being.

Anyone else still on the wagon and/or New Year diet? DMK and Duke how is the healthy lifestyles going?

[fishfoodie]

Unintended consequences.

I'm doing a damp January, joined a bit late, & trying to break out of bad habits. I managed to sleep an unheard of 9.5 hrs on Saturday, Hurrah ! ... well not so much; I sleep on my side & must have spent almost the entire time lying on my shoulder, & it's taken two days to be able to raise my arm to shoulder height.

Getting old is a pox

[dpedin]

Unintended consequences.

I'm doing a damp January, joined a bit late, & trying to break out of bad habits. I managed to sleep an unheard of 9.5 hrs on Saturday, Hurrah ! ... well not so much; I sleep on my side & must have spent almost the entire time lying on my shoulder, & it's taken two days to be able to raise my arm to shoulder height.

Getting old is a pox

Well done and welcome to the old farts club. The 2 yards between my bed and the en suite toilet is the hardest 2 yards to walk for me in the morning, getting down the stairs for breakfast is a slow process. I'm like the Tin Man in desperate need for a squirt of oil. Takes about 30 mins for all my joints to realize my brain is asking them to move.

Only 2 days to go ... and I have foolishly committed to going dry to the end of March.

[dpedin]

Done! Not a drop since Hogmanay.

Also trying to cut back on food to lose a bit of weight. So far lost 10lbs, resting heart rate down by 10%, blood pressure much more stable and around 120/80, been to gym/out golfing more often, feel fitter and saved a fortune.

Roll on Dry February.

[dpedin]

Half way through Dry February and still not a drop. Also half way through to end of March target - Day 46 of 91. Survived rugby weekends although the French game pushed me close to a drink! Lost just over a stone and feeling good. The end is in sight!

[dpedin]

Finally succumbed to the evil alcohol last night after 90 days without a drop. Feeling a bit hazy this morning. I enjoyed the G&Ts but not as much as I expected!

My personal target was to go alcohol free for 3 months, play golf or go to the gym every day and diet to lose weight. I think I missed 2 or 3 days of exercise, did 90 days alcohol free and ate an average of less than 2,000 calories a day for the period. I actually found the challenge fairly easy to do once I got into a rhythm but did have a period in mid February when I seemed to run out of energy for a few days so I ate a few more calories. So far I have lost 24lbs in weight but I reckon I have lost more than that in fat as I have also bulked up doing weights at the gym - I have lost about 4" off my waist size. My gym routine is 15mins of stretching, 15 mins of core exercises and then 30-40mins of weights. Given my age and wear on joints I don't lift/push anything more than 50kgs but will do more and more repetitions so I am lifting the same total weights as I used to. My resting heart rate has dropped by about 10-15% and my blood pressure is normal or even a little low at times. My sleep has improved and to be honest I feel as good at 64 as I have for a long time. Being retired helps too!

I intend to keep going with my diet and exercise but will allow myself to have the odd drink or two but as pat of my calories for the day, it seems a shame to ditch my new habits and go backwards. I reckon I can lose another 16lbs and be at my ideal weight. Losing the extra weight will also take a big load of my arthritic knees when playing golf and exercising. The biggest motivation for me when I struggled at times was that I had told family and friends what I was doing and they were all very supportive and the fear of letting them down made me stick to the plan.

[Sandstorm]

Finally succumbed to the evil alcohol last night after 90 days without a drop. Feeling a bit hazy this morning. I enjoyed the G&Ts but not as much as I expected!

My personal target was to go alcohol free for 3 months, play golf or go to the gym every day and diet to lose weight. I think I missed 2 or 3 days of exercise, did 90 days alcohol free and ate an average of less than 2,000 calories a day for the period. I actually found the challenge fairly easy to do once I got into a rhythm but did have a period in mid February when I seemed to run out of energy for a few days so I ate a few more calories. So far I have lost 24lbs in weight but I reckon I have lost more than that in fat as I have also bulked up doing weights at the gym - I have lost about 4" off my waist size. My gym routine is 15mins of stretching, 15 mins of core exercises and then 30-40mins of weights. Given my age and wear on joints I don't lift/push anything more than 50kgs but will do more and more repetitions so I am lifting the same total weights as I used to. My resting heart rate has dropped by about 10-15% and my blood pressure is normal or even a little low at times. My sleep has improved and to be honest I feel as good at 64 as I have for a long time. Being retired helps too!

I intend to keep going with my diet and exercise but will allow myself to have the odd drink or two but as pat of my calories for the day, it seems a shame to ditch my new habits and go backwards. I reckon I can lose another 16lbs and be at my ideal weight. Losing the extra weight will also take a big load of my arthritic knees when playing golf and exercising. The biggest motivation for me when I struggled at times was that I had told family and friends what I was doing and they were all very supportive and the fear of letting them down made me stick to the plan.

Skills mate, keep up the exercise and the occasional pint won't matter.