The Highs and Lows of Dry January

Day 1 - Wednesday 2nd January
Well its time the first time that I've ever decided to give up alcohol (well I only really drink wine) for a whole  month. Deprivation brings me out in a rash so I tend to resolve to keep alcohol for weekends only and even then sometimes fail by indulging in a midweek tipple when the working week feels tough. But I'm looking forward to having more energy and glowing skin a la Dita Von Teese.

Feeling positive I had a nice brisk walk then headed for the gym. I had a lovely refreshing swim and went into the steam rooms to sweat our the last drips of rioja from the pub the night before. It felt fantastic and I felt excited about being dry. But as the day went on it was bizarre how I fluctuated between feeling so positive then to a bit miffed and bereft of my vin rouge. Would I be able able to enjoy restaurant meals the same? What about my Friday night relax, feet up and the unwind feeling from the grape?

Later that evening Mr V and I had a heart warming beef goulash and I felt slightly upset that Dry January had been implemented as a glass of red would have set it off a treat but really as the meal went on that was forgotten.

Perhaps the thought of wine is more alluring than actually drinking it?

Day 2 - Thursday 3rd January

I was hoping that I would wake up highly refreshed as part of DJ but I had a really bad sleep. However it was an exciting day for me as my first piece of writing and recipe was to be featured in Vintage Life magazine. I just wanted to celebrate and I felt slightly miffed that there would be no real toast as a marker of an occasion. So I bought fresh scallops and prawns to cook a celebration meal instead.

My piece in Vintage Life mag - so proud!

This came with a side dish - I eat you know!

The meal was lovely but the chinking of glasses filled with diet coke didn't have the same ring and felt pretty damp squib like. But just for that moment  - it soon passed. The evening sans vino didn't leave me flat. In fact I was really productive  I made a soup, packed my gym bag for the next day, painted my toenails and read some of my book. Had vino been involved I would have just sat chatting clutching a glass. First challenge overcome. Hurrah!

Day 3 - Friday 4th January
Again I didn't feel refreshed waking up, what's going on here? So Friday is usually a Vivi favourite when cooking is more relaxed and it's feet up time with a glass of red. Not tonight. In order to change the habit I had to change the environment by heading to the gym (in full makeup and Victory Roll of course). Hand on heart I didn't fancy it and had to find another way to make it a pleasure. I told myself I was going to get me some pride. That felt pretty nice. The spinning class didn't and the only thing that got me thought was imagining I was the curvaceous burlesque star Immodesty Blaize training for my next show! Afterwards I had a steam room stint and slapped on a face mask feeling fabulous with my pride at an all time high. Had I chilled at home I think it would have been a real challenge for me and definitely needed to do something different and avoid my usual routine for now.

My thai stir fry was the perfect dish to end the week

Day 4 - Saturday 5th January
My alarm went off at 7am so that I could get up ready for my 8.15am spin class. I turned it off and went back to sleep as I felt shattered which was weird as I've got up on many a Saturday morning post Friday night wine drinks and headed to the gym with zest (kind of) yet here I was alcohol free and going back to sleep. Humph.

I met a friend for lunch and he said my skin looked great so I felt as though the benefits of Dry J were finally making their debut. Whether it was the effects of the face mask or sobriety I took the compliment nonetheless.

If Friday had an element of challenge then jeepers Saturday felt like SAS training. Too tired for the gym I relaxed on the settee with my book and felt cravings for the grape. I missed my vin rouge. Saturday night seemed to lack pazazz without it. And that made me feel ashamed really. But for me le vin punctuates le weekend. Chores done, tasks complete then curtains closed allowing one to shut off the world and listen to the glug of the grape hitting the glass. I go to Twitter for support. Yes, others are feeling it too. As a vintage lover of old school divas, glamazons and the theatrical, sweeping around with a glass in hand feels decadent which is maybe the part I feel missing. So I put on a Burlesque documentary that I'd recorded to fill that void and remind myself that those tassle twirling foxes ain't looking that hot by pouring alcohol down their throats. So I poured a glass of cranberry juice on the rocks instead and allowed the cravings to evaporate.

Not the same as the grape but lovely nonetheless

Day 5 - Sunday 6th January

Heavens! I actually woke up feeling refreshed after a gorgeous sleep. Thank God! So on my to do list was the weekly shop (WS). As much as I love food I see the WS as a mundane chore. So much so I recently ditched it and took the "as and when" approach to my food shopping as that's more fun. This bohemian way didn't help matters as having no food in the pantry constantly is irritating. I've backtracked. Now usually I go to le supermarche in the manner of a petulant child with bottom lip stuck out as obviously I prefer spending my time doing more fun things. But this time I just went and got it done no issues (especially when I discovered the funky graffiti aubergine). Totally urban. So is this due to having more energy for mundane tasks by doing DJ or just recognition I really need to be more organised?

Funky!

I ended the day with a spin class and cooked a lovely healthy version of chicken korma. There aren't any pictures of it though. I was too hungry.

Day 6 - Monday 7th January
Another morning of waking up and feeling fresh - loving this lark! I had treated myself to some Elemis products which arrived that morning (BUZZING!) from the half price sale so after my spin class I hit the steam rooms then relaxed with a magazine while my new face mask sunk in. Yes of course I looked a good 5 years younger. Face masks + Dry January = youth. Well that's what I'm telling myself for now. Feeling good I'm almost at the end of week one. Today it's not felt like a challenge at all.

*Feeling fabulous post face mask

Day 7 - Tuesday 8th January
Bugger. Today it feels like a challenge. Back to work blues fused with sheer monotony and boring tasks. I feel lethargic as a result and moody and all I want is a glass of red wine. Even my brisk walk with my pooch didn't help the way it normally does. I didn't want to go to the gym as I had evening tasks to sort so maybe that would have helped me. I did some blogging and planning for that as writing and that lifted me somewhat. As the night went on it got slightly easier but I just wish it wasn't a challenge at all. Well enough of of this negativity. It bores me.I have done 7 whole English days which is mighty fine by me. Another 24 to go - wish me luck!

Vivi. x





*photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintmarche/6887435734/">Christina Saint Marche</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>