Is it cheating? (Dr...
 

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[Closed] Is it cheating? (Dry January Content)

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To drink non-alcoholic beer if I am doing dry january...it feels wrong.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 9:54 am
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I would have said no but then I am vegan for the month and have just ate fake chicken so maybe not the best judge!


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 9:58 am
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No,

Dry January is an odd idea to me, either you drink too much than you should moderate your intake 12 months a year, not 1, or you don't, so why be a masochist?


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 9:59 am
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That's what it was invented for.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 9:59 am
 Drac
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so why be a masochist?

For Facebook likes of course.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:02 am
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Do we have to moan about folk doing this every January? Do what you want, ya fannies. 😊


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:06 am
 DezB
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You're only cheating yourself


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:07 am
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Less alcohol than orange juice, crack on.

Paulaner do a lovely alcohol-free weissbier, perfect if driving.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:12 am
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Dry January is an odd idea to me, either you drink too much than you should moderate your intake 12 months a year, not 1, or you don’t, so why be a masochist?

Whilst that is a fair and true statement, a psychologist on the radio yesterday suggested it was a good concept. Telling people who drink too much to cut down isn't as effective as telling them to stop and then restart at a more reasonable level. There does seem to be a correlation with the 'shock' tactic leading to longer term sustained reduced intake.

I mean, it doesn't have to be January, or a month, that's a FB/Social media thing (but they did also say that post Christmas binge is a good concept too because it does enable your body to recover the excesses..... but equally if in mid year you recognise your drinking is 'out of control' then there's no need to wait till January to deal with it)


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:13 am
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#nofunsponges assemble!


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:15 am
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To drink non-alcoholic beer if I am doing dry january…it feels wrong.

It's fine, although I understand it (illogically) *feels* wrong.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:17 am
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No. I often go on the Bavaria for a break from the real stuff. Lime and soda water also good but not so much for winter time.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:17 am
 benw
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Non alcoholic beer is great,i gave up drinking for three months in Septmeber and had a couple of them everynight i reckon.I drink water all day at work and don't want to have my dinner drinking water,alcohol free beer was perfect.Is it not just like any other drink that doesn't contain alcohol?


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:20 am
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and to answer the OP, no of course not - it's fine.

I'm trying to cut down on sugar, is it wrong to still drink Diet Coke?


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:24 am
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Sudden stopping did winehouse no favours so I base my intake on that. I too am not a fan of dry january.
Here's the mash' take on it.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:25 am
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Telling people who drink too much to cut down isn’t as effective as telling them to stop and then restart at a more reasonable level. There does seem to be a correlation with the ‘shock’ tactic leading to longer term sustained reduced intake.

Speaking as someone who has given up caffeine & alcohol I can confirm it's *far* easier to give something up completely than to reduce intake.

After a couple of weeks I'd forgotten what tasty coffee or beer was. Now I get as much pleasure from Decaff and Zero alc beer as I used to get from the real thing. ...6 months down the road if I do have a normal coffee or beer it tastes great as a treat and there's no desire to switch back. (Amusingly I'm actually a bit frightened of getting drunk now.)

I'm sure other strategies work for other people.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:25 am
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Yep pretty much no alcohol, still quite a few calories though I think, so you don't necessarily lose a beer gut if you exchange it for the real stuff.
I think there would be a huge opportunity for low alcohol beers but a lot of pubs don't want to stock them as they obviously get their money from getting people drunk and easy with the cash.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:26 am
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Do we have to moan about folk doing this every January? Do what you want, ya fannies

Fanuary innit.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:28 am
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Yep pretty much no alcohol, still quite a few calories though I think, so you don’t necessarily lose a beer gut if you exchange it for the real stuff.

Good point, though it is significantly less more-ish. I'll usually have one small alc-free beer vs a couple of pints of the good stuff.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:30 am
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Yep pretty much no alcohol, still quite a few calories though I think, so you don’t necessarily lose a beer gut if you exchange it for the real stuff.

19 calories in a can of Brewdog Nanny State.

You can drink it like water.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:31 am
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Telling people who drink too much to cut down isn’t as effective as telling them to stop and then restart at a more reasonable level. There does seem to be a correlation with the ‘shock’ tactic leading to longer term sustained reduced intake.

I've found this worked for me. I don't think I drank too much as such, more like too often (very generous G&T or glass of red most nights) so I just stopped for a month or so and now although I still enjoy a G&T or glass of red or (an ice-cold lager on a hot day) I don't drink anywhere near as often as I did and I feel better for it.

I’m trying to cut down on sugar, is it wrong to still drink Diet Coke?

Yes. Coke (the company) is evil and that shit'll rot your teeth.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:33 am
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19 calories in a can of Brewdog Nanny State.

And its a pretty good one.

The wheat beers - Erdinger, Fransizikaner, Paulaner etc are a bit more about 100-150 calories per 500ml bottle. But then I then I tend to drink 1 rather than 4!


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:37 am
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Actually there's only 53 cals in a bottle of Becks Blue, vs around 200 for a pint of real ale.

Bigger difference than I remembered.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:40 am
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Dry January is an odd idea to me, either you drink too much than you should moderate your intake 12 months a year, not 1, or you don’t, so why be a masochist?

Whilst that is a fair and true statement, a psychologist on the radio yesterday suggested it was a good concept. Telling people who drink too much to cut down isn’t as effective as telling them to stop and then restart at a more reasonable level. There does seem to be a correlation with the ‘shock’ tactic leading to longer term sustained reduced intake.

I mean, it doesn’t have to be January, or a month, that’s a FB/Social media thing (but they did also say that post Christmas binge is a good concept too because it does enable your body to recover the excesses….. but equally if in mid year you recognise your drinking is ‘out of control’ then there’s no need to wait till January to deal with it)

Interesting.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:41 am
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Actually there’s only 53 cals in a bottle of Becks Blue, vs around 200 for a pint of real ale.

Bigger difference than I remembered.

yes, another 275ml at least...

The wheat beers – Erdinger...

"A cool glass of ERDINGER Alkoholfrei not only tastes fantastic, but is also healthy – thanks to the vitamins B12 and folic acid, as well as the polyphenols it contains."


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:51 am
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I am already two weeks into not drinking coffee and to be honest don't miss it yet. I don't care about the social media bit but would love to be better at managing my binge drinking.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 10:53 am
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Nanny State is 0.5%, so definitely cheating, as a six-pack would add up to one proper beer pretty much.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:03 am
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Program here - apologies he's not a psychologist but a liver specialist (09:30 on, for about 5 mins)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0001vl8

and the same 'article' is in a written piece here.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/dry-january-benefits-drawbacks

Other interesting facts (to me) were

- there is no safe level of drinking; even the supposed reduction in eg: blood pressure is still offset in the overall burden by increased cancer risk etc.

- beware the rebound - the 'I've done dry January so on Feb 1st I'm going out to get absolutely ****tted'

Bottom line, (my opinion, as someone who used to drink dangerously too much, stopped, reset and now have a 'healthy' relationship with the sauce) is that if you enjoy it, carry on. Irrespective of the risks, life's too short to not have some fun even if it isn't overall good for you. But don't let it control you, keep it the other way round.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:03 am
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Nanny State is 0.5%, so definitely cheating, as a six-pack would add up to one proper beer pretty much.

I've been assuming 0.5 is pretty much trace levels and therefore harmless. You can't get to the English drink drive limit on it and even orange juice has some Alcohol (as does bread.) so 0.00000 is not achievable. Although 0.0 is.

I'd be interested in knowing if "there is no safe level of drinking" applies to 0.5pc drinks. I'd assumed not, that may be wrong.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:25 am
 Drac
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Nanny State is 0.5%, so definitely cheating, as a six-pack would add up to one proper beer pretty much.

3% is a proper beer?


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:26 am
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pretty much 🙄


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:29 am
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When not drinking I prefer to drink ginger beer than alcohol free beer personally. I know it's full of sugar (I tried the diet stuff but it was revolting) but one can is usually enough to satisfy and the thought of drinking real beer afterwards makes me want to throw up!


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:30 am
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i do a dry January most years, this one included. Purely as a bit of a reset after the December excesses of food and drink. I haven't dabbled with the low alcohol beers before, however we have folk in tomorrow evening and my better half bought me some Nanny State yesterday. Had a can last night and was mighty impressed with it TBH.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:35 am
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Nope not cheating if its non alcoholic for sure.

I spent last year cutting down. I realised I was drinking too much. Well, too often really.

Was doing dry months regularly then ended with two months. So going for three months this time.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 11:57 am
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I also do it as a reset after December excess, also cut out unhealthy snacks. By the end of the month I'm usually at pre-Christmas weight and with less habitual drinking and snacking.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 12:04 pm
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A cool glass of ERDINGER Alkoholfrei not only tastes fantastic,

Try and find Franzizkaner alcohol free, its much better. The best of the lot is Schneider Weisse but you'll probably struggle to find it in may supermarkets


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 12:07 pm
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I am doing Dry January and don't consider Nanny State to be cheating. A standard Thursday night for me would see a club ride followed by 4 pints in the pub, instead came home and necked 3 Nanny State and it was great, totally hit the spot in post ride learned response way.

That is 5ml of alcohol though, but compared to 91ml standard


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 12:23 pm
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Do we have to moan about folk doing this every January? Do what you want, ya fannies.

Which reminds me, I'm doing it too but it's a bit unfair on my wife.

I mean, no foreplay for a month.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 12:31 pm
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I mean, no foreplay for a month.

0.5pc of foreplay is fine. (And should be all year round IMHO.)


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 1:28 pm
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Fanuary innit.

Followed by Chebruary?


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 1:35 pm
 Alex
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There’s some myth busting needed around the ‘compound interest’ of drinking ABV 0.5 beer: https://www.brewersjournal.info/0-5-abv-alc-free-the-facts-are-clear-af-chris-hannaway/

Lots of research (mainly German) basically says it has no impact in terms of raising your inherent bloody alcohol content.

It’s kind of amusing the drinks companies get you coming and going. It’s like selling you sugar and diet products 🙂

A lot of the time I just want a beer, not the alcohol. We’ve come along way since Kaliber. Bought a non alcoholic selection box from Brew-Hawk and not had a disappointing one yet. Tried the Franzizkaner Rich mentioned in an earlier post. It’s like a non alcoholic Leffe! Brilliant.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 2:20 pm
 Alex
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Ah this was the article I was thinking about when I wrote my last post.


 
Posted : 04/01/2019 2:22 pm

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