I’ve drank like a b%$tard for a lot of 2018, going to do my first complete dry January as of tomorrow. Join me?

[Exisonfire]

As it says in the title.

2018 hasn’t been kind to me, and the drink has been relied upon far too much.

I’m fed up of moping, and want to kick start a better year with my first ever complete dry January tomorrow.

Who’s in?

I am drinking Belvoir juniper & tonic, very cold, in a nice glass with lime. For a moment there I felt like it was the real thing.

I'm surprised how tough I'm finding this. It makes me want to stick it out though because if I couldn't last 30 days without drinking then I would say I have a problem with alcohol.

Just enjoying a glass of Lucky Saint low alcohol beer - best one I've tasted - would consider even having this after dry jan.

So we're into day 13, hopefully starting to feel the benefits.

I'm sleeping really well, almost 8 hours last night, which is unheard of for me, and my resting heart rate has gone from 78 to 63 bpm in just 13 days.

My thought process is improved, and I feel better in myself. I may be kidding myself, but I think I look better as well. I've lost 3.5lbs, and only need another 6 to be back at my gold target, which I'm aiming for at the end of February.

I'm tracking my changes on my fitbit, so whilst not completely accurate, it's certainly a good indication.

So for those of you who think you are seeing no change, it could be imperceptible from the outside, but if everyone's heart rate is improving like mine is that's got to be a good thing!

Hosting a big family Sunday lunch today, but have explained that we're doing dry January so we haven't bought any wine, quite frankly my parents are glad we're trying it, so they'll be very supportive.

Hope everyone is feeling positive this morning, let's keep chatting I think this thread is really helping.

Screamqueenz reduced heart rate is definitely a thing - when I used to wear a fitbit I noticed the same thing - even though my heart rate was very low - it still moved from top 50's to low 50's - so if you have a heart condition I can see how reducing alcohol could be a factor in your healing.
For those of you struggling with Dry Jan and hope to moderate afterwards, doing a dry 30 is recognised as the best way to start that journey so even if you are finding it hard and you are not feeling the benefits - they are happening, you are breaking the chains and that is always going to be hard but it's also going to be worth the ultimate goal of moderation. Breaking a habit is hard - if it was easy you wouldn't be here. And doing a dry 30 does not mean that when you slip up you fail - don't make slipping up = giving up - get back on it - new week, fresh start.

My resting heart rate has decreased too. I have gone from 73 bpm during the booze soaked Christmas period to 62 bpm now. I know if i overdo the alcohol i wake at night with my heart hammering and this used to worry me a lot. It is lovely to sleep well without this. I am also averaging 8 hours sleep a night which is amazing for me!

Morning all.

I’m another one who had a faster heartbeat at night, I put it down to my anxiety about knowing I’d drunk too much and it was waking me up.

I’ve found a lot of Instagram pages and people who are sober ; I’m following them to keep me on track and remind me why sobriety is the right path for me.

Hope everyone is feeling ok and doing what’s right for them , enjoy Sunday.

Okay managed Sunday lunch with the family, I did melon, prawns and smoked salmon, roast pork with all the trimmings (including Yorkers, we are in Yorkshire and they go with every roast dinner here), poached pears with a walnut and maple crunch and Greek yogurt.

A few glasses of red with the pork would have been bliss, and we did buy a bottle with a screw top so my dad could have a few glasses and take it home with him. (Mum and the kids don't drink). However, he arrived with his own mini bottle and just had that (they arrived in his classic car, so he had to drive it home, mum refuses, it doesn't have power steering).

So now we've got a bottle of good red in the house (my weakness) so I've asked DH to hide it somewhere, I don't think I'm going to be able to cut down, I'm very much an all or nothing person.

Hope everyone else is having a more chilled day.

It'll be easier when I'm back to work tomorrow, it's an early start as well, so early night tonight.

Yorkers should be yorkies or Yorkshire puddings. (Clearly my iPad is not from round these parts).

Had a really nice day on Saturday which ended with a few glasses of red wine. Had trouble leavening myself out of bed this morning but apart from that I feel ok. I am back being sober tonight and for the rest of the week. I feel a bit bad about drinking but keep telling myself it was just one night and not the bottle every night I was drinking before

Day 12 for me. This weekend was hard work! I now know that booze isn't as good a friend to me as I thought it was, but God, do I miss it. The fact is that apart from tea and coffee, there aren't any drinks I like that don't have booze in them.

@Screamqueenz I'm in Yorkshire too!

Well done guys, the red wine is still sat in the kitchen, but I've filled up on cranberry and sparkling water, (and some pasta and ratatouillle) so I haven't room for the wine anyway.

Almost halfway there, I was hopeful that I could carry on after dry January, but I don't think that's possible, at least it doesn't feel that way right now.

Oh and waves to fetchez god's own county

Another weekend almost down, only two more to go. We can do this!

I'm feeling pretty good today actually. I feel like I could get used to sober weekends once in a while. I would rarely drink enough to have a massive hangover, but often/ usually spend the weekend feeling a bit groggy.

We are in Yorkshire too! It’s going to be Dry January central

Had a good day today - walked to the pub this afternoon with dh and the dog, had a couple of Heineken alcohol free beer which tasted great and didn't miss the alcohol much at all. It all felt pretty normal and made us feel much better about being dry. Two weekend down people!!!

Sounds like a lovely afternoon leave, feeling a bit better now, DH and I had a chat, I thought he was finding it much easier than I am, but it turns out he just hides it better.

It's his birthday on Tuesday, so I'm planning a special meal to celebrate rather than a lovely bottle of wine (which is what we'd normally plan).

Blimey @Screamqueenz, you two are NAILS if you can manage a dry birthday! DP's is the 29th and I'm planning on stopping DJ for the occasion.

Hello everyone!
Back dry today. Glad to see everyone is doing well.

So I've weighed myself today for the first time this year.

Remember I'm mainly in this to:
a) prove to myself once again that each January I can reign my drinking in, can actually last the month.
b) mainly for weight loss.

I am seriously fucked off. Majorly pissed off. I've been trying for 2 weeks. Low carbing. Monitoring my diabetes Uber majorly. I've lost 2.6 lbs. is that it? Is that all? FFS.

So, Dry January. So where's my supposed weight loss from that, then ?

First really good night's sleep last, god that was nice...no 3am tossing and turning...I could get used to that.

Screamqueenz Good luck with staying the course tonight. Respect!

Welcome back Orlandointhewilderness

Oblomov19 be patient the whoosh fairy will cometh and deliver your well deserved weight loss - they must be quite busy in Jan Back when I dieted - I used to only lose weight at the end of 2 weeks, it's was quite something, the weight loss was fine - it just didn't show itself on the scales immediately - have faith.

Good luck for the week ahead everyone. May the cravings be few and the benefits be many!

I drank to excess on Sunday - I must have had a bottle and a half of wine. Spent yesterday feeling terrible and very depressed and anxious due to my hangover. I’m back to not drinking Monday to Thursday now, but this week my goal is to somehow figure out how to moderate myself on my drinking days.

Still, because I’m doing four days off the drink each week I’ve reduced my weekly units from 70 to 40. It’s still way too much but 30 units less per week is an improvement.

Name you're absolutely right, the amount you are cutting down has to be beneficial to you. Having a break Monday to Thursday is still changing those bad habits.

I know what you mean about feeling anxious the day after, I use to feel so low and so worried that I might have upset or offended someone.

It's DH birthday today, and I'm being interviewed on local radio, so I'm very glad not to have a hangover and I'm thinking clearly. Hopefully I won't make a fool of myself today and DH will enjoy his alcohol free birthday dinner.

Screamqueenz how exciting for you being interviewed - hope you enjoy it - read Jack Monroe's story about how her alcohol problems escalated as her fame grew and she used to use alcohol to help prepare herself for media interviews - not tempted? Happy Birthday to your dh.
none staying off 4 nights a week is massive progress - it's my aim at the end of this process and before I started Dry Jan I was really struggling with just one night off. Keep moving forward and be nice to yourself, this is a challenging process.
I must say I am finding the alcohol experiment very useful in dealing with my habitual drinking - it helps you examine your drinking in detail - very though provoking, no judgement either and I feel it is helping me mentally prepare for the challenge of moderation.

Really starting to feel the benefits now...4lb down (but I am watching the calories too) and slept for 9 hours solid last night! Hope this continues