January - No Drinking

First month of the year is over! I gave up drinking for January and it went really well. Toward the end of last year I was drinking lots of wine, beer, and hard cider. I found that I didn't really miss most of it, although I am looking forward to a nice glass of red wine sometime soon.

I have developed a few substitutions over the month that I plan to keep incorporating into my lifestyle. Instead of a glass (or two) of wine at the end of the day, I have been enjoying tea in the evenings to help me relax. I think this a very good alternative and I plan to continue this to cut down on the amount of alcohol I am consuming. 

The other thing that I really missed was social drinking, it just feels more intimate to sip a drink while sitting around talking at the end of a meal. I have started drinking cranberry juice out of a wine glass in these occasions and I feel that it helps bridge the gap.

I have still enjoyed going to my favorite bars and pubs, and usually get water or tea (some pubs have amazing tea selections!) I haven't missed drinking in this occasion at all.

All together this month I have made good progress on developing a healthier life style. I have lost close to 9 lbs by not drinking, tracking my calories on My Fitness Pal, and started running again.

My goal for February is to focus on my yoga practice. I want to do yoga every day, and practice a more mindful approach to life.  Today I moved out of the room I was renting and am becoming a nomad for the month. I will spend two weeks bouncing around between vacations and couches, and then the last part of the month will be down in Coos Bay with my family and dog. I think focusing on yoga during this time is going to be both challenging and very beneficial for my situation.

I'm hoping my practice looks a little more like this: 

And not at all like this: