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!

I’m not losing any weight at all. But I feel more clear headed.

No weight loss here either.......I am hopeful that’s a “yet”.

No weight loss here either. I'm hoping all those clear skin, weight loss etc. benefits are just around the corner! I do feel sightly less sluggish in the mornings, but that's about it really. Just have to keep reminding myself that there are lots of invisible health benefits, so it is worth it really.

Wanders off muttering about fatty livers...

Even after 6 almost 7 days I thought I’d be sleeping better, feeling better and loosing weight! Errr... none of the above!! Obviously sticking with it but I did think there’d be some upsides by now.

I feel so much more energetic and positive. Sleeping is a bit better but just started a new role and my head is spinning. I might even try to go a bit longer than a month or do one month af and one month (moderate) drinking. Its the fatty liver articles that really hit home plus my DS is keen for me to stop or drink less...

Another one who's had a couple of shitty night's sleep. To be fair I struggle with this on and off anyway so am used to it.

One week down, 3 to go!

Day 7 and it has been weirdly easy.......so far.
I think my liver must have definitely needed a break.
Also weirdly I’m more knackered than when I’m drinking and have more headaches. Waiting for the day I throw off the duvet and feel energised.

Well done everyone.

I gave up caffeine this morning too. Feeling a bit headachy - don’t know if it’s withdrawing from alcohol, caffeine or sugar though.

Another thumping headache but I’ve driven for 4 hours today and sat in a meeting room for another 7 so no wonder.

Posts re not drinking beer substitutes...do any of the previous DJers remember the year (@dementedma might) where we deliberated angostura bitters for days. Bitters are 40% proof, but two tiny drops in a glass of tonic makes the most amazing fake g&t. They add that lovely dry flavour. We debated it long and hard (does 2 drops constitute a drink?) and in the end one of us emailed the angostura people and they replied saying 2 drops in 300ml equates to a drink which was something like 0.03%. If anyone is happy with that then it’s a lovely lovely drink. I just can’t be bothered to spent the £7 odd on a new bottle of bitters!

Someone else posted about fatty liver not necessarily leading to damage. No, fair point, but up to 35% does and seeing as there are few symptoms or warnings involved I’m not about to risk where my fatty liver might end up.

My aunt died 2 years ago. She was 59. 10 years ago she suffered almost total liver failure with no warning. She got jaundiced and was sent to hospital where she admitted she had been drinking to excess - but only in the medium term. She started when her only DC went off to uni and she was basically bored and had anxiety, home alone all day. She was drinking half a bottle of vodka (20 units) a day, which is basically a couple of bottles of wine, for a few years but not that many. Her liver went into failure. She survived with a small % of her liver which meant she was really quite poorly for the next few years but stopped drinking obviously. However she then got liver cancer and died. Some people (we always hear about ‘these’ people!) drink a litre of whisky a day until they are 98 and never had a problem...but some (lots) do, and spinning that roulette wheel isn’t a game I want to play any more. Drinking too much ‘might’ damage you, drinking sensibly won’t.

Off to the bath and cranberry juice for me....

I like AF drinks because if they keep you off the 'real thing' then it is only to the good.

I went to my boss today and said I was applying for some new jobs and could he give me a reference. he responded by offering me a pay rise....

Wish I had known I would get that sort of reaction years ago!

I think Seedlip and the like is Emporer's New Clothes. At the end of the day it is flavoured water. Zero calories anyone?

Excellent result there, Maple. This evening all my positivity and joy has vanished, but I am not two glasses into my half of a bottle of Rioja as I usually would be (I hate Tuesdays). I have had two small glasses of Eisberg 0.0% Sauvignon Blanc which, while clearly not wine, has distracted me enough to step away from the kitchen and get into the bath. Go me. 20% of the way there!

Enjoying hot spiced apple cordial here. It hits the spot nicely!

That's brilliant maple.

(As an aside - how do I highlight posters without using @?)

On the AF drinks debate, I found them really useful at the beginning when i decided to take a long term off, it gave me that feeling of having something similar. And I'll use them for Friday nights i think. I bizarrely don't usually drink cider but I like the kopperburg AF fruit cider. And I dont usually drink beer but will have a few bottles of AF beer. I think its only because I've yet to find a decent AF red wine. And I think I'm better just staying away from it. All the AF wines have just made me think why bother? Although i dont mind the tesco fake fizz now and again.
The thing is I have one or two glasses and then I'm done. I don't have the same 'can't stop' factor that I get with alcohol.

I haven't had the notion for it really the last few days but I will get a treat drink for Friday night

Had to actually do some work today. Hmmph

I am deliberately not weighing myself until Friday. I don’t need to see all that Christmas weigh. By Friday, hopefully my exercising and not drinking will have started to have an impact. I’m also back on the 16:8 IF band wagon (which I find to be the easiest way to lose weigh these days). Friday will be day 9 of that so hopefully the number won’t look quite so horrific.

Appetite starting to be under control again. I needed a mid afternoon flapjack but it was a small one from M&S. had a vegetarian dinner and a half a bar of decent chocolate. So not exactly 1000 caps but Much better than yesterday/the weekend.

I'm on evening 4.
Not too bad! Im over the danger zone for tonight I think.
Dh is working tonight and usually I like wine and crap telly on my own once DC in bed.
Not bothered really. It just shows, if I had bought the wine in preparation I'd be a glass down by now or at least pining for it. All to the good!
So that's a learning. Dont go to the shop unless in strong minded mood, so shops early in the day.

I still have no energy and not much increase in productivity BUT I am actually a lot more patient and good humoured with the kids. (Thanks to you all for NOT holding my arse to the fire over my self pitying rant above a few days ago)

Words of wisdom from this thread:
Fatty liver
A craving only lasts 7 minutes

Well done on the controlled eating Free.

We had a quick dinner tonight of spaghetti and a jar of sauce and rather than my usual cooking enough pasta for the entire Universe I went for a recommended portion size. Bloody hell, no wonder I'm overweight, it was barely worth dirtying a plate for.

Feeling a bit shit today. First day back in the office, my boss wants a chat and got a weird feeling I'm gonna be in trouble for something.

Not sure if it's some kind of withdrawal paranoia??

Really struggled today. V glad there was no wine in the house or would have cracked. 2 bottles of Heineken 0 and bed at 8pm got me through but it was a close run thing!

I'm also flip flopping between feeling super tired and not being able to sleep plus a bit bored which is usually a queue to have some wine. Which doesn't really make me feel less bored - more like gives me permission to do nothing instead of the unappealing choice of boring household tasks on offer.

Ho hum. Will just have to get on with some tidying.

Keep it up everyone, you are all doing so well.

I meant to share this, as it's been helping me.

alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/2019/benefits-of-dry-january-and-when-you-can-expect-to-see-them

I've also been reading the Catherine Gray book, which is a real eye opener.

Not sure if this counts as a plus or not - just had to go to supermarket to buy ingredients for DS food tech tomorrow. Would usually have a had a drink/been over the limit. Would have meant either paying over the odds at local shop or mad dash before school in the morning.

Thames for that link.

Now we can add 'stiff' liver to our fatty liver incentive.

What is our goal? A skinny, floppy liver? 😂

And yes to not being over the limit after 5 oclock. I live rurally and one of the benefits is I can drive in the evening.

Thames?! Haha thanks

My typing and proof reading hasn't improved with sobriety

Thanks for recommending the Try Dry app.
The little teacups are huddling together for now but its actually very motivating.

Well done everyone! Last night was difficult, just really fancied some wine with what I was cooking and felt a bit grumpy at being 'deprived'. Today was absolutely fine though, I barely thought about it so hoping I've settled into it now.