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