Dry January 2020. A new relationship with alcohol. Who’s joining me?

[ParanoidGynodroid]

It’s that time again!
I did my first dry January around 5 years ago, having seen it on here. It was a great thing to do: really helped my get control of my drinking. Since then I’ve done it every year, along with at least one or two other dry months.

DJ may help you:
Lose weight. ...
Get better skin. ...
Make healthier food choices. ...
Save money. ...
Sleep better. ...
Have more energy. ...
Improve your mood. ...
Improve your general health

and make you feel virtuous!

It’s not necessarily easy though, so it’s good to have support; especially if you’re feeling week and like you may give up. We can support each other here.

Join me!

@suneetime that's my challenge too. I want to continue having a drink when I go out - especially if I go for a meal, it's part of the while experience and sparkling water just won't cut it on those occasions.

My challenge is what that means in terms of drinking at home. It can't be the bottle a night I was on previously - 2019 was a tough year and I just feel into the bad habit of opening a bottle every night. But I'm not sure what I want my new normal to be once I've finished this month. Not drinking at all at home sounds quite extreme. But maybe that's the healthy balance I need to aim for. Tricky...

Day 7 here and feeling good. Planning a walk today again and sleeping really well. Im doing a walking challenge this year so having clear headed weekends will help.
I go back to an active job on Wednesday and I feel more ready than i did a week ago when i felt sluggish and foggy.
My belt buckle went down a notch too, (well, the one it went up over Christmas ) but I'm also doing Veganuary and that always helps me feel less bloated. Cheese and wine do nothing for my belly. And because i wasn't drinking last night i didnt have my usual mass of crisps and snacks.
Roll on today. Well done everyone

I've realised breaking routines are good too. Friday nights are my downfall. Its kind of easier at the moment because I'm not back to work so out my usual rhythm but I'm always exhausted by Friday night usually so next week will be interesting.

But last night I drove up to my daughter's and had dinner there, so no wine obviously as I had to drive home.
I need to find a new routine for normal end of working week bone tired Friday nights to help change the habit.

Maybe having a plan for Saturday morning that needs me to be clear headed? I work once a month on a Saturday and never drink the night before (but i just move my Friday night drinking to Saturday).

day 4 and it's feeling easy so far, probably because i overindulged so much over xmas and also coming down with a pretty bad cold, so at least that means I won't feel like drinking this weekend

I do feel clear headed though and less sluggish. I think we can do this girls!

Hope you all feel clear headed and rested this morning.

Slept for hours. Feeling good.

Trying to get on top of all the mess and washing accumulated over the Xmas hols before birthday dinner for friend this evening.

Got through Friday fine too. Had a sandwich at 10:30 before bed so not many saved calories but I'm still on Christmas eating hours so not too worried - will get back into a routine when back at work on Monday. Took a while to get to sleep again but slept for 8.5 hours for the first time since pre--kids 20 years ago I think!! Feel great this morning

Breathmiller - re breaking routines. I agree that driving somewhere to do something nice is a good way managing things. Which is why I'm driving tonight.

In DJs past I have totted up the money I've saved and put it towards something on a Fri night like going to the cinema etc but I realised that this is easier if you haven't got young DC who need babysitting.

I often think that a lot of "mum" drinking is a way of relieving the sheer boredom and grind of being trapped at home with young DC. Unfortunately a bottle of wine is much cheaper than paying for a night out and babysitters.

Not that I don't love my DC and all that

Finding it easy so far, but only because I last had wine on NYE (Tuesday) so last night didn't feel like a Friday.

Silvia I think you are right.

I slept very well but for some reason feel really anxious and on edge. Been reading about withdrawal and apparently this is a symptom. Really makes me realise how much I was drinking.

Got a nice plan to take DD to the cinema today while the other one is at a party. Tonight we are having a takeaway but there will be no wine. I was thinking of having sparkling water with cucumber slices.

Thought I should check in!

I've been - I am - a bit ill, so being dry has not been too difficult. I'm sure within a day or two the cravings will sneak back in, though. I'll brush the buggers off.

Well done to everyone who's managed so far, especially those who've been coping with stressful times and/or were habitually drinking too much. I remember my first DJ - it was awful, such a wrench, but it's no exaggeration to say it has had lasting, positive effects. As a fat, middle aged drinker, it may even have saved my life.

The info about fatty liver a pp posted above was very sobering (pun not intended but works well!). I also liked the ideas about counting the calories and money saved.

I'm sort of sleeping OK, but have to get up to wee at least once a night; I suppose I must be more hydrated now.

Good luck today, everyone.

Morning everyone, it is taking me longer to get to sleep but I am definitely sleeping better. This is partly due to doing more exercise but also down to the lack of booze I'm sure.
One of the things I hadn't really thought about being a bonus is driving. I would never think of getting in a car after having a drink but I would often feel I should wait until the afternoon before driving after a night out. It was so routine I just stopped noticing I was doing it.
Now on day 4 and knowing I couldn't possibly be over on a sat morning is a good feeling.

I hope you feel better very soon @ParanoidGynodroid

I’d like to thank (again) the poster who wrote about fatty liver - more than anything that info is stopping me reaching for wine

But I think Saturday will be my hardest night so far - going to look at non alcoholic wine today. Any good ones?

I can buy soft drinks too - but my sons will likely have finished them when I want to drink them.

Never thought I’d do dry January (never felt the need), but I think it’s doing me good. Thank you x

The info about the fatty liver is literally very sobering! First time I've been involved with any threads on here but finding it really useful and supportive hearing everyone else's experience of DJ. Also don't feel like I'm the only person who has been drinking too much - the feelings of guilt are awful sometimes. Supermarket shopping today when I'd usually buy wine but will avoid the wine aisle today.

Newyearnewarse thank you. It's just a bad cold and a slight backache, I'll survive!

I think someone just popping on to post "fatty liver" here and there should be enough to keep us all on the straight and narrow

The fatty liver info is terrifying! It's exactly what I needed to hear.
And when this is over, I'm sticking to

I’m on board! Started on NYE so 4 days down. I really fancied some red wine last night even though I’ve only been in work 2 days lol.
I didn’t have any but though it weird that I felt such a hankering. I love always waking up feeling clear headed. I was definitely building up to 2 glasses a night towards the end of the year.
I use it as a punctuation mark after work since my job is loooong hours. Not shifts just the kind of job where I’ll easily work 50 hours and 7 days.

Here’s an example. Threw my back out on Thurs evening - I’m 35 but an old lady in spirit - called in sick yesterday ( very rare for me ). Request was acknowledged but then basically ignored fir the rest of the day and I worked 10 hours for in my laptop from bed while doped up on codeine. So it makes sense why I would have fancied a glass I guess but need to find a better way of disengaging from work. Exercise bike perhaps

What app is everyone using?

I’m joining in! I doubt I will do a whole January due to my birthday and my children’s but want to be committed to knocking out pointless at home drinking... And also I want to find a way to just have less when I do drink as I’ve always found it hard to stop after a couple which is what I would prefer to do! If I wrote it all down I know it would show I have been minimising the effects of alcohol for years but the hangovers/post-drinking tiredness have changed in recent years so I need to try harder to cut down. I’m on day 3 of dry so good start to the year. I did dry August last year bar one birthday party so am hopeful. Need to eat less snacks too which are so linked to drinking/post-drinking for me.

Where was the fatty liver post? Sounds like I need to read it but couldn’t find it scrolling through...

BettyJean I’m using Try Dry. It’s the yellow one.

Good afternoon! I would like to join if I may.

day 4 here. Last year my Dry Jan continued on for 5 months. It was brilliant. I am hoping to carry on after this Dry jan too.

Last night I had the Friday night triggers so cleaned the kitchen like a demon. 1 hour and i did the cutlery drawers all to the dulcet tones of youtibe videos. It was great!

Woke up this morning after only 6.5 hours if sleep feeling refreshed and totally buzzing. I am not a buzzing in the morning person. I'm combining dry January with healthy eating so that's probably helping.

Just cleaned the bathroom, had a shower and now have nothing to do today except chill with family. Got a box set from Christmas to start on tonight so think that will keep my mind off booze.

Good luck for today everyone.