Alcohol, sugar or virus?

[Gavster]

Feeling like crap today and can't figure if it's:

a) Comedown from 2 weeks of boozing
b) Sugar withdrawal from 2 weeks of excessive chocolate, cake, pudding and mince pie consumption
c) That covid-esque virus everyone's getting

Regarding alcohol, I started thinking before xmas that the trade-offs of alcohol are beginning to exceed the benefits in my life. Having a long dry spell a few years back really showed me how good life feels with zero booze.

The only reason I'm reticent about cutting it out completely is because of the fact that sharing any mood-altering substance with other people is a social experience that cannot be substituted with a non-mood altering substances. E.g. having a coffee is way better than grabbing a glass of water, having a ciggie cannot be replaced with standing outside a pub doing nothing, and grabbing a beer creates a convivial camaraderie that you simply don't get with non-alcoholic replacements.

[Broccers]

I've the mega cold. I also had a super stressful month at work so didn't have time to be ill. All catches up with you.

[duncs500]

I've been feeling a bit below par, I think it's a combination of things. Certainly Christmas come down is a factor, also got a bit of a cold.

I still don't think immune systems have got over lockdown, we all seem to keep getting a cough for a bit, then it goes got a few weeks, then it's back. Assume they're all different coughs but it must be from all the years of good work being done on my immune system being binned off during lockdown!

[Brannen]

I was ill over Christmas, and still feeling the effects of it a bit. Random cough and runny nose which I can't seem to get rid of, very annoying! It seems that there's a lot of illness going around, I know a lot of my family have had something, friends and people at work etc. Wouldn't put it past being that.

I've definitely cut down on the treats, but not cut them out completely. Hoping the slow lowering will help rather than craving and bingeing on sweet stuff. Doesn't help that you get given so much over Christmas! In the past I would try and eat it all before the end of the year, but that was never sensible

I've never really been a big drinker, so find I can do without drinking for long periods of time. I'll just have some in social settings, but wouldn't just have a drink at home as an example.

[ZedLeg]

Chances are it's all of the above.

I'm back on black coffee, water and simple food after a couple of weeks of not eating a single vitamin

[Gavster]

I still don't think immune systems have got over lockdown, we all seem to keep getting a cough for a bit, then it goes got a few weeks, then it's back. Assume they're all different coughs but it must be from all the years of good work being done on my immune system being binned off during lockdown!

That's so true, I was soooo ill last year! Had covid in Jan, then Flu in feb and periodic bouts of lurgy before that. Need to go and lick some handrails and dance in a club full of sweaty people to rebuild that immune system

[Gavster]

I've never really been a big drinker, so find I can do without drinking for long periods of time. I'll just have some in social settings, but wouldn't just have a drink at home as an example.

As a rule, not drinking at home is the absolute best to prevent unnecessary boozing. When I have dry periods I put my booze collection in storage.

@ZedLeg the normal, simple food tastes so good for some reason

The more I think about it, this might be the sugar. It has some absolutely wild withdrawal effects, including sleep disruption, headaches and fatigue, which are the same as the start of a cold/virus.

[ZedLeg]

@ZedLeg the normal, simple food tastes so good for some reason

Yeah, I've mostly just been eating soups made from all the veggies left over from christmas this week

[Broccers]

Re smoking and drinking - I've met most of my friends doing this where having a coffee I have met zero people, and I do work in many coffee shops, drinking coffee.

This time of year you really need to take vit D or get a sunbed.

[duncs500]

I still don't think immune systems have got over lockdown, we all seem to keep getting a cough for a bit, then it goes got a few weeks, then it's back. Assume they're all different coughs but it must be from all the years of good work being done on my immune system being binned off during lockdown!

That's so true, I was soooo ill last year! Had covid in Jan, then Flu in feb and periodic bouts of lurgy before that. Need to go and lick some handrails and dance in a club full of sweaty people to rebuild that immune system

I've been (in relative terms) terrible since covid. I very rarely used to get ill, but so many coughs and colds since. TBF I do have to factor in a few things, like having a small child bringing stuff back from nursery, and just the psychological effect whereby pre-covid you'd probably just shrug off most coughs etc as nothing, and not even remember them. Now I probably blame lockdown for everything!

[ZedLeg]

Y'all are wimps . I've not been sick since I caught COVID last summer and that's with my partner getting that death cold at the start of Dec.

[mik]

I’ve had a beer pretty much every night over the last couple of weeks - I think I’ve now built up a greater tolerance so will need to up the ante going forward.

[duncs500]

I’ve had a beer pretty much every night over the last couple of weeks - I think I’ve now built up a greater tolerance so will need to up the ante going forward.

[dinny_g]

I didn't have a bad Christmas food wise but did drink a fair bit. I'm now doing my own version of Dry January - School night Dry January (No alcohol Sunday to Thursday) because, well, I am Irish

I've also cut right back on Coffee but to be honest, I'm not really sure how much caffeine is in a Tassimo Pod. I drink loads of water anyway.

[duncs500]

I'm on the full dry Jan, and dieting pretty hard this month. I'll then probably move on to the @dinny_g version of dry Jan from Feb (six nations is on after all!). Probably tone the diet a bit from Feb too but it is here to stay for a while now.

[240PP]

b) Sugar withdrawal from 2 weeks of excessive chocolate, cake, pudding and mince pie consumption

My money would be on this, I’m feeling much the same at the moment.

After prolonged periods of eating crap I find that that’s all I crave and have no appetite for anything decent. Normally takes up to a week of forcing healthy stuff into my system to reverse it.

[Beany]

I've had a couple of days of the world falling out of my arse, I think everyone mingling over christmas has just spread all their kids bugs everywhere.

[ZedLeg]

b) Sugar withdrawal from 2 weeks of excessive chocolate, cake, pudding and mince pie consumption

My money would be on this, I’m feeling much the same at the moment.

After prolonged periods of eating crap I find that that’s all I crave and have no appetite for anything decent. Normally takes up to a week of forcing healthy stuff into my system to reverse it.

I'm the opposite, after eating like shit last week while my partner was away, the idea of another bag of sweets or takeaway makes me feel queasy

[dinny_g]

I'm on the full dry Jan, and dieting pretty hard this month. I'll then probably move on to the @dinny_g version of dry Jan from Feb (six nations is on after all!). Probably tone the diet a bit from Feb too but it is here to stay for a while now.

Look at the two of us - proudly proclaiming this - on Jan 5th...

And I didn't start until Tuesday...

[Mito Man]

I don't think I've drunk booze since the small glass of fizz for new year. Been too ill and only felt better yesterday
Then again I don't drink much, can go weeks without booze. I'm quite into my running and find my performance goes to crap even after a single beer and the disappointment of a bad exercise session is much greater than the slight satisfaction of sipping on a cold one.