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| Good month, need to up that new beer ratio |
Now I don't have a format planned out for each month, more of a let's look at the data and let it tell the story, but I do like looking at the month in halves for context of what seems to change as the beers roll in. February was much like January in that the first 2 weeks were much heavier than the last 2, perhaps more of that observation changing the outcome theory that I postulated last month. It seems to play out and time will tell as March begins if it is indeed a theory worth following. 60 check-ins on UnTappd in the first fourteen days was a heavy 4.57 pints a day and that included a 4 day weekend party for one that saw 29 beers consumed in 96 hours. Maybe not the herculean totals of my 20's and 30's, but at 7+ beers a day, those 4 days drove the bus on the rise in numbers at the beginning of the month. Zoom beers and celebrating GLB's birthday on that weekend were what gave me license to let go a little and while it isn't a frequent thing anymore, it certainly gave me pause when looking at the second half of the month.
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| A heavy start to February... |
The whole purpose of documenting every beer that passes through my glass this year is to examine more closely when and why I drink, can I be honest with myself and by being accountable to whoever follows along, can I change a behaviour I find to be less than desirable? It feels like it is having an impact already, I find myself pausing before grabbing the 4th beer of a random day and wondering if I really want a beer or am I just doing it out of habit or boredom. I have begun to do other things instead of just mindlessly pouring another one and while I have no intention of giving up my daily pint, I do feel like the "bender" evenings or weekends should be less of a regular occurrence and more of a black swan thing.
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| ...a little better on the back end of the month. |
Swinging into the second half of the month, I did see a significant decrease in consumption from the first 14 days at 52 check-ins and only 3.71 pints per day. That drop amounts to an almost 20% (18.75% to be precise) reduction and reflects once again that by making every beer a known quantity, I changed my behaviour to match the vague and movable goals I set on a daily and weekly basis. While I don't have a particular number in mind for a daily average or monthly total, I am feeling like when I have fewer beers on a given day, I feel better about myself the next day. Piling one on top of another beer just to drink to pass the time has become less appealing over the last 59 days and I am encouraged by the trend I see and the attitude I am adjusting inside my own mind.
I know some people find this whole thing odd or that I am encouraging or enabling any sort of over drinking by myself or other people and I get what those folks are saying. I have an incredibly complicated relationship with myself and my past, my alcohol consumption and my own inability to control my impulses from time to time. I enjoy the 2 beer buzz a lot and I continue to advocate for all things in moderation, including letting myself enjoy an extra pint or three once in a while. But it also has become clear that I do slide into the 6 or 7 beer realm a little too easy some weeks, whatever the stress or trouble I am tying to escape may be, more than 76% of my total consumption happened in only half the days. So trying to transform more of those 14 heavy days into the lighter, more moderate ones is a reachable goal for the next month, a modest reduction in pouring one last pint at midnight on my evening off and then falling asleep in my chair would go a long way to helping make that happen. Whatever I do with the numbers I find, I do know that being absolutely open and honest about every beer I pour is changing something about me that I am open to exploring more as the year goes on.
Thanks for following along and we'll do this all over again at the end of March for what should be an interesting look back at my birthday month that has a week's vacation in it and how that plays into the numbers going forward.
Polk
Now for the raw numbers, nerd Polk approved...
Beers by the day
I've been working on my weight this year and I find documenting daily lbs is the biggest motivator. To be able to look back and see overall trends instead of day-to-day behaviour helps to curb the impulse to get super down on myself for missteps. We're all human... we like (and need) to let loose at times. I guess my goal is to get to a place where the odd insane day of food and drink is a reward as opposed to a regrettable mistake. I admire this honest mission of yours and encourage you to keep it up.
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