I make no assertions about the absolute number of calories these feats involved historically, only that by all accounts they were more than ususal. It’s the desire to have more than usual that we’re discussing here.
I mean, depending on how far back you’re talking there’s also much larger disparity in caloric intake by social class in the not so recent past. At least in this country, by purely caloric intake alone, the pendulum has likely flipped.
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Honestly, if people are giving their reasons, I am not sure I am getting it. Seems to be a form of dieting, and for some people at least, seems to include cutting carbs generally or even meat?
obtuse it is. Feel free to just move on then.
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Scott beat me to it.
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It’s not that hard to understand. Most people eat a lot of food and drink a lot during the holidays and would like a month of doing less of both.
Yep. And I gave a whole bunch of other good reasons, but Howard has me blocked. 
Going to a dinner or party every 3-4 days for the last month of the year and combining it with 5-6 hours of daylight is a solid recipe for overconsumption. It’s easy for me to get into the habit having a glass or few with dinner each night while I wait for the arrival of Spring.
Resetting every January/February while focusing on diet and exercise always helps me find my baseline each year.
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Because it’s there.
Thanks.
I started because you folks were talking about and I wanted to see what the temptations to drink were.
I have noticed two ‘triggers’ so far.
At the start of winding down the day one evening, I thought a hot chocolate with Bailey’s would be nice, but it was fine on it’s own.
Starting to cook dinner last night, I had a reflex to grab something to quaff while I cooked.Once I remembered, it wa fine.
Seems like, for me, it’s a sort of reflex impulse with certain triggers.
Kind of interesting: What are the triggers that you are noticing?
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Looking outside . . . .
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Day 5 for me and no problems.
Although Friday was tough; I missed the ritual of starting the weekend with my wife with a few sips of a sparkler or a rose…
And then my daughter had her 25th birthday, so we did a video session and toasted with freshly squeezed tangerine juice…
And as the evening went on, we had some Linguine with truffle butter for our usual Friday night pasta dinner - without wine, and that was a real challenge.
So several triggers, but the hardest part is having good food without wine accompaniment.
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You have my biggest trigger covered here. I tend to have an open bottle around while I’m cooking.
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After dinner, in living room, on couch, feet on coffee table, cracking open a new book to read.
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As I mentioned earlier, I don’t do formal dry periods, but I planned to return to my pre-holiday levels of limited consumption—only at restaurants, friends’ houses, or for special occasions. Last night, I had my first wine of the year. I brought a bottle to dinner at a restaurant. My wife didn’t drink, my son had one glass, and I had two. I shared the rest with the manager, bartenders, server, and chef. It made the entire experience so much more enjoyable, and I slept well and feel great today. For those participating in Dry January, I wish you success, happiness, and all the health benefits that come with it. For me, moderation without resolutions or guilt works best.
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That’s how I feel, for sure! Whatever works for someone is not for me to judge. Everyone is different.
I do have one question. Sincere apologies if I’ve asked this before (I may have last year?). Is there anyone who is doing Dry January that is over 65?
I’ve said elsewhere that being 70, life is short. Who knows when I may have to drastically cut back. I take a break when I simply feel like it, typically a day or two.
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No wine, no problem.
Not that I could get used to it, but aside from the butternut squash soup, I haven’t had a dish that has really called out for a glass.
This morning, I visited an old wine buddy in the hospital who is recovering from CAR-T therapy. It was nice to catch up for a few hours, and we didn’t really even talk that much about wine. As @Larry_Stein said, life is short.
Tonight’s tune is the closer to From Dusk til Dawn, a Robert Rodriguez film written by Quentin Tarantino.
The groove is smoking. The vocals are smoldering. It kind of has the feel of a tango or bolero.
Stay dry, folks.
My in-laws both do it, and they’re 75 and 78. They both tend to lose about 20 pounds each time.
For me, Dry January requires real discipline as you only have yourself to check you. To fib it is to go back on your own word to yourself. I find it beneficial.
I ended up making butternut squash soup yesterday. I actually didn’t want wine with it, though I would not have turned down a glass of sherry.