Resolution Reflection: Dry January

I don't remember when I decided to attempt "Dry January." It was something I had been thinking about since January of 2019 when a few friends told me they were doing it, but when January 1, 2020 rolled around we were still on vacation, and I didn't feel obligated or ready to start.  But then, a friend of mine shocked me by confessing to having spent several weeks in rehab last summer, and I began to wonder if I could give up alcohol as my friend had done.

I officially declared the start of my "Dry January" on January 6, one month ago today.  I didn't discover Bright Lines Eating until my doctor recommended the program to me on January 17, and as you will read, it was a happy coincidence that "no alcohol" is a bright line.

In the past month, I've found myself in social situations where other people were drinking alcohol 10 times.  I can honestly assess that I only felt tempted to join them one time.  It was at dinner with friends before a Red Wings game on January 18, and my husband was raving about the red wine he selected for his dinner. When he invited me to take a sip, I took hold of the offered glass with every intention of taking a small "communion style" sip simply to taste it and assess whether it was as good as my husband said it was. But something stopped me.  It wasn't my resolution to be "dry" for the month of January.  To my way of thinking, a small sip of wine would not have been a violation of "Dry January."

Earlier that afternoon I had downloaded Susan Thompson's book Bright Line Eating, the Science of Living HAPPY, THIN and FREE.  I hadn't finished reading the book by that evening, but I had read enough to be aware of the 4 bright lines and what they meant.  The bright line rules are what stopped me from taking the sip of wine.  Taking that sip would have crossed two bright lines; no alcohol means no alcohol, and no bites, licks or tastes means no bites, licks or tastes. I've mentioned a few times in these posts that what I like about this program is the fact that it caters to a rule-follower like me.  So far, this program has helped me re-frame the way I think about eating and drinking. It helps to know that "this" food is a yes, and "that" food is a no.  There is no gray area. Does it have sugar in it? Don't eat it. Does it have flour in it? Ignore it.  Is it lunch time? Go ahead and eat.  Did you already eat lunch?  If yes, then don't eat again until dinner. Is it after dinner?  If yes, then don't eat again until breakfast.

People have asked me if I'm going to continue not drinking alcohol forever.  I can't really answer that question.  To parrot Susan Thompson, I am committed to this BLE program today, and I'm committed to re-commit to the program each day, and with that commitment comes the no alcohol bright line.  That's all I can say for now.  I will say, I don't miss drinking alcohol.  I haven't craved it or had any desire or need to have a drink.  In social situations, I've replaced the alcohol with sparkling water, and I haven't felt like I've missed out on any fun.

So, I guess "Dry January" was a success.  I do wonder if I would have been successful if I hadn't been introduced to BLE mid-way through the exercise.  Without BLE, I probably would have taken that sip of wine on January 18, and it's likely that I would have enjoyed that sip and then poured myself "just one glass, to have with my dinner."  And, assuming I stopped there, by my old way of thinking, I wouldn't have considered that a real violation of my resolution. Who knows, allowing myself that glass may have led to even further sabotage of my resolution.  I'll never know.

Did you make any resolutions this year?  How are you doing?