DRY JANUARY 2022! Been overindulging? Drinking crept up? Want to begin a healthy new you? This way please. All welcome!

[HPLikecraft]

It’s that time of year again... the late Christmas present to our livers!

You may be thinking of doing Dry January to:

*detox a little after seasonal overindulgence, or
*help you cut down a bit generally, or
*help you start to get out of a harmful alcohol habit, or
*just be a bit healthier for a month...

It’s good for all of those things!

I find the MN DJ threads excellent for support, encouragement, sharing info, ‘we’re in this together’ camaraderie, suggestions for grown up drinks, aversion techniques and just fun.

This is my fifth year of DJ and I swear it has made all the difference to me; it was so hard first time, but having succeeded I did dry June and October after that, and do so most years. It has broken my habit, banished much of the craving and reset my relationship with booze. I imagine it's added years to my life.

I won’t be finding DJ too difficult this year, but some will. Hopefully this thread will help.

Throw your hat in the ring, pull up a chair and let's do this together. 🙂☕️🧃

The DJ2022 Wagon creaks to a start in just 5 days, but always stops for latecomers 🙂

Morning everyone! I am so proud of myself. My day/evening yesterday was the worst yet for almost buckling. I feel bad because there's so many on here struggling with so much worse. But I talked to my mother, something of a major trigger, and usually done with a (large) wine in hand, had both girls home, raising Cane, and had a rather cold, hard dose of reality to take in, and didn't give in. Second Saturday down! Go us!

Had a lovely evening yesterday - spicy curry, AF beer and watched Don't Look Up. Genuinely didn't notice the lack of booze.

@hivemindneeded I watched Don't Look Up on Friday night and can't stop thinking about it.

I am jealous of everyone losing weight! Feel very bloated, but I think that is because I have just gone veggie this week too.

Watched "Don't Look Up" last weekend - amazing!!

Also started "The Tourist" yesterday - gripping but I'm trying to pace myself so won't watch the next episode until next weekend.

Both recommended on here so thanks!!

PS: first dry Saturday in forever and I feel a lot better for it. I think I need many, many, many more dry Saturday's to get myself back to peak mental and physical health but for now I'm taking baby steps.

I finished Srew on All4 last night, worth a watch but not as good as Time on iPlayer.

The Tourist is good, I enjoyed it but there are themes (without wanting to give too much away) that won't be suitable for younger teenagers.

I think I'll go for a spa night and Don't Look Up tonight - thanks for the recommendation!

I'm still super tired and wonder if it's all the proper sleep plus back to work but feel so much more motivated to do stuff like cleaning and far less sluggish

And I've been for a run! Very short. Very breathless but first since I had a chest infection in October. Woooooo!

Me too @polkadotpjs - no sluggishness here which is rare for a Sunday!!! I have been on fire!!!!

Mocktail recipe - lime juice, grapefruit juice and tonic. It's delicious!!

That sounds lush. I'm off to shop again soon (because I've not started cooking, wine in hand) so I'll buy grapefruit juice !

Hi! I'm starting a bit late as missed new year due to a house full of covid. So doing dry 'the rest of' January! Joining you all, no wine with Sunday dinner today yay me! Back to work tomorrow so going to have a nice relaxing evening and feel refreshed!

Welcome to the group @Sparklingwaterforme!

Ugh, weighed myself today for the first time in a long time and was really shocked at how much I have put on. Alcohol might be the least of my worries!

A shout out for Peroni Libera 0.0% beer, it's bloody gawjus!

@space21

Me too *@polkadotpjs* - no sluggishness here which is rare for a Sunday!!! I have been on fire!!!!

Mocktail recipe - lime juice, grapefruit juice and tonic. It's delicious!!

That sounds lovely. Might get the ingredients in for next weekend.

Evening all. Been busy all day returning DC to uni. I do mis them but don't miss the massive piles of washing, boxes and other stuff that fill the house every time they return.

Plus out of sight is out of mind - less worrying about them when I can't see them.

Feeling v tired - s;ept badly last night and long day of driving. Its Call the Midwife and bed for me. Remaining DC loves watching it even though it is getting a bit cliched these days

Day 9 done for me. A good tired today, weather so much nicer so got the dog out for a couple of long walks today and got 15K steps in. Dog is snoozing next to me. Bath, The Tourist and then bed for me.

Checking in on nearly the end of day 9.

I wish I was feeling motivated, I guess I am doing more but the weather here is atrocious. It's getting very waring and all I want to do is lie cuddled up on the sofa. Though yesterday I had a nice thought, I had housework to do (as bloody ever) but couldn't be arsed, I ended up going out with a friend safe in the knowledge I wouldn't have a hangover on Sunday so I'd could get it all done today. I usually always drink on a Saturday night so can never face doing chores on a Sunday.

Sleep marginally better, I'm hoping tonight is the night I sleep right through. I'd actually be happy with 5 straight hours tbf.

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday evening.

Another day ticked off here. Tonight I think I'll watch an episode of 80 days around the world and get an early night.

Monday to Thursday should be an easy run for me, I don't normally drink on the weeknight.

Weekend, done. 9 days here, not craving booze but missing the weekend routine so had a tonic and ice in a posh glass Friday, a non beer on Saturday and the the wine glass of Lidl shloer when cooking.

One thing that's jumped out is the initial feeling guilt/sadness in the morning if I've got a dry mouth/can't remember what I did the night before/see my empty wine (shloer) glass on the side/wonder if I'm safe to drive yet but then I remember I didn't drink at all and I shrug it off. That's a great feeling.

Bye bye day 9!
Went out for a roast today, it was so hard not to have alcohol. Had my first glass of zero alcohol Sauvignon, it arrived and was fizzy?! It was alright. Even ordered another! I felt like I was joining in, if only in spirit

Not feeling tempted tonight, don’t usually drink on a Sunday evening, so hoping for a relatively easy 4 days.

Day 7 here, had a lovely night out at the theatre last night, lovely bf didn't drink either, bless him. He's promised not to when I'm around. However was followed by a not so great evening as DD who was meant to be having a sleepover with grandparents, had a meltdown and had to be collected at midnight. Still didn't cave though! Did cave to a smoke but had 0% gin and was happy. Will manage most nights ok until the weekend again, don't get a break now till Thursday at the latest so it'll be a long week. Got to remember it will be a much longer and harder week if I drink.

Day 9 done here too. Sunday is hardest for me as cooking roast /eating roast are my usual red wine times, definitely the hardest day of the week. Got through though.

Depressingly weighed myself tonight and have gained 6lb this week....

DH telling me I shouldn't weigh myself in the evening... so not going to panic yet in case it looks better in the morning.

@honestogod I have gained too but had lost this morning back to only a 1lb gain. I'll try and tackle the sugar cravings this week now I've got a few days under my belt.

Just finished Don't Look Up. Excellent recommendation.

Anything else I can watch this week. I've seen The Tourist.

I honestly thing I'm the only person in the world who thought Don't Look Up was disappointing pap.

It was so hyped, everyone raved about it.

But when I was watching it, I kept waiting for it to get better and it never did.
I was surprised how disappointing it was.