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31 Days of Sobriety: Week 1



It's not technically a New Year's Resolution if you're only doing it for a month. Nonetheless, I've decided that for the month of January, I'm going to completely swear off alcohol.

I'm not giving up drinking; I think that changing your life for the better is all about moderation, not extremes. Giving up something you enjoy permanently isn't the way to go, unless you've got a serious condition that could seriously jeopardize your life (alcoholism, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, heart conditions, etc.). I'm grateful not to have to deal with any of these (yet, and hopefully never).

What I'm hoping will happen is this:

  • My tolerance will go down, allowing me to enjoy getting a buzz on a far more efficient amount of booze, saving me money in the short term, and saving my liver in the long term.
  • My sense of smell and taste will improve, making food taste better.
  • My memory will improve, making it easy to think clearly, allowing me to get done a lot of shit I want to get done this year.
  • Without booze, I'll have to try harder to find ways to entertain myself, especially on the weekends. This will lead to me doing more things I enjoy, and having senses sharp enough to enjoy them.
  • I'll lose weight, which is always a plus.
  • By the time the month is out, I'll be used to drinking less and doing other stuff more, translating to a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle going forward. 

I'll be logging my progress here every Tuesday for scientific research purposes. To what end, I'm not sure.

Mainly I want to keep a personal log of my experience doing this - I haven't had such a solid break from drinking since I started drinking, really. 

Unlike other bloggers who've done similar experiments, I want to make this seem more like a positive experience and less like a struggle. If you're curious about taking on a similar challenge, hopefully this blog will inspire you. 

Starting Condition: Hungover. - January 1st, 2018

I woke up yesterday morning to move my car before 9. It was -10 degrees Fahrenheit. When I was done, I went back inside, collapsed on the couch, and proceeded to sleep for another 3 hours.

I woke up at noon and got lunch with the friend whose house I'd been at the previous night. I realized I hadn't taken my coat, gloves, or hat off before falling back asleep, yet I had gotten under the covers regardless.

I spent the rest of the day in a fog, watching Netflix and playing Civilization IV (shut up it's my favorite shut up).

I realized I planned the beginning of this venture well - there's nothing like a night of heavy drinking to make you want to swear off drinking for awhile.

Starting weight: 165 lbs soaking wet
Starting height: 5'11"

I don't anticipate my height will change during the duration of this exercise.


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