The First Week

One week in, my husband folded and had a glass of wine on Saturday evening. I was disappointed but still determined to keep going. I was working out almost every day, and I was feeling great! I noticed I was sleeping better and I was hoping to lose weight since I eat healthy, do not have sugar and almost no carbs except for wine. So I was expecting to lose at least a few pounds this week.

After seven days, I weighed myself. I was up 3 pounds! That’s right, UP! I was shocked and ready to break out the wine! But, I decided to keep going and ignore the scale results - there must be a mistake! I have always thought I would lose at least 10 pounds a month if I stopped drinking wine. Since wine is the only unhealthy thing I consume regularly, I was sure the weight loss would kick in. I was committed.

The Mocktail Replacements

Every Friday evening at happy hour, I would serve a mocktail. The goal here was to create a “mind hack” and trick my subconscious into thinking I was having a drink and, therefore, would not miss it. After several attempts, I decided that the mocktails weren’t helping much and the “fake wine” was like drinking white grape juice. I drink wine to get a buzz, and I love to party and have fun. The mocktails were not cutting it, so I cut those out and started drinking club soda in a wine glass with lime.

I will say there was one mocktail that I liked. The drink is an Orange Ice drink with diet sprite. It sparkles like champagne and is tasty. This was a nice change. Both are zero sugar and zero carbs.

2 Weeks into the Challenge

Fifteen days in, my husband and I had an occasion worth celebrating. We were searching for a condo for our daughter, and in the fierce Colorado real estate market, we kept getting outbid. I wrote offer after offer and could not get any of them accepted. Then the perfect condo hit the market, and we got it!

I was so excited. My husband said, “let’s have a toast” He opened a bottle of wine. I was tempted. After all, it was only one glass and a special moment that needed to be celebrated. That is when it hit me; Drinking is used to celebrate, relax when we are stressed, and every other reason in between, which is why it is such a habit.

A Dry January Revelation

I realized at that moment that I had a belief system deeply rooted in the belief that alcohol is needed to celebrate, relax, and have fun. This observation was disturbing. I had to ask myself, “Do I need alcohol to experience any of these things?”. I decided to stay focused and felt more determined than ever to reach my goal. I poured my champagne mocktail, and we toasted. I could tell my husband was surprised as he realized that I was taking this seriously.

A Difficult Moment Arises

Eighteen days in, I was having a particularly difficult moment. My Mother was extremely ill, and I had been up most of the night with the doctors and hospital. I caved and had one glass of wine. Disappointed but determined to reset, I was back on track the next day.

I decided that one day didn’t change all my progress, and one glass of wine would not detour me. So, I refocused and continued the journey. As the days and weeks ticked by, the craving was going away. It was an “out of sight - out of mind” feeling. I was sleeping better than ever, and my mind felt crystal clear.

I have to say that I loved waking up on the weekends refreshed with no sign of the adverse effects of alcohol. The biggest surprise was that I did not lose ANY weight, not one pound! I was shocked, disappointed, and not happy! My body seems to want to be the weight I am, and I accept my body as it is. I am grateful to be healthy.

Dry January: The End

After thirty days, I enjoyed a glass of wine. After just ½ glass, I had a great buzz! This was one of the best benefits of all! You build up a tolerance when you drink regularly, and it takes more and more alcohol to get a buzz. So this turned out to be a great benefit to resetting my alcohol intake.

Conclusion to the Challenge

As I add wine back to my life, I feel more in control and aware of my consumption. I know now that I can stop anytime I desire and do not “need” wine to experience life. This is an old belief system I came up with long ago that no longer serves me or fits into my life. However, I enjoy it, and like most things, moderation is the key.

The conclusion is that I am glad that I tried it! If you tried it, too, I would love to hear your thoughts and results!

In the future, my goal and wish for you is to be healthy so you can achieve your goals and live a Kick Ass Life!

Stay Tuned,