Dry January is Over-Now What?

 As you all know, I did participate in Dry January.  I stopped alcohol intake on Jan 4 and had my first glass of wine on Jan 30.  I know it was not the entire month, but it was the majority of the month.  Now what?

I decided to give Dry January a try because I wondered if my alcohol consumption was getting out of control.  I wanted to make sure that I was controlling my two glasses of wine every evening and that it was not controlling me.  Alcoholism is in my family history, and I do not plan on going down that road, so I thought, why not give it up for a few weeks.  

Drinking wine in the evening has become a habit for me, just like enjoying several cups of coffee in the morning.  So the first question was could I stop my evening indulgence?  I have found that I can stop drinking wine without any physical symptoms.  It was good to know that I am not addicted.  

I believe that drinking wine for me is a comfort and a habit.  Now that Dry January is over and I have started drinking wine again, I find myself right back where I was when I started.  The last several nights, I have had two glasses of wine in the evening.  

I don't want to return to my old habits, so I need to make a plan.  I don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying a couple of glasses of wine in the evening, but I don't know if it is a healthy habit.  I don't need all those empty calories and the adverse effects of alcohol on my body.  

Let's head to Google to devise a plan...

I was reading an article on a website called Alcohol Rehab Guide.  The article is called "Are You Drinking too Much Wine?"  Here is a quote from the article.

"Experts strongly advise women against having more than 3 drinks of wine per day,"

That comment is reassuring.  I only have two glasses a day, so maybe I am ok right?  I feel that I don't need to be drinking that much.  Let's continue to develop a plan.

I found a website called Wine Folly.  This site breaks down the good and bad associated with wine.

Here is their definition of drinking in moderation,

The Definition of Moderate Drinking in the US

• Men: two 5 oz glasses of 12% ABV wine (~200 calories)
• Women: one 5 oz glass of 12% ABV wine (~100 calories)

No more than 7 drinks per week for women and no more than 14 drinks per week for men. 

You might be wondering why men can drink more than women, and there’s actually a scientific reason for this. As it happens, men have more of the enzymes needed to metabolize alcohol than women do by about a factor of two.

They say that for me, a woman, I should not have more than 3 glasses of wine a day.  Considering my pours are more than 5 oz/glass, I would say 2 should be my limit.  

I am sitting here debating a plan.  I know I will probably have to change things up as I go but here are my initial goals.  

I don't want to drink every night.  I will plan to have three dry nights a week.  When I do enjoy my evening wine, I will have a limit of two glasses that night.  If I go out, I can enjoy two glasses of wine, but with Covid going out is a rarity. 

To sum it up, my plan is simple.  When I do drink, I will limit my consumption to two glasses.  I will also have three dry nights a week.  This sounds doable. I will start my first dry night tonight.

Let's enjoy our wine but in moderation.

Kathiey V