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 🙂

Thanks very much! @IWanderedLonely x

Checking in and grabbing my fish 🐟
Day 16 finished with a cup of tea. I had a really good day. I just feel less tired, less irritable, less short tempered. Like I’ve turned a corner. Maybe it’s because I have those 2 weeks under my belt I feel more in control.

Makes a change for me to feel like this on a Sunday. Normally I’ve got a mix of beer fear from the night before plus anxiety at the week ahead. Doubting myself and whether I’ve forgotten something important.

Just goes to show the difference even a couple of weeks can make.

Well done everyone! I'm taking my fish too! It's nice though that this thread isn't judgemental, and some people are on different days, having the occasional slip up. I think it feels balanced and quite healthy.

@footcushion I hadn't thought of water retention. I don't really fully understand that but it sounds plausible! Will see where I am in a couple of days maybe. Don't mind if I don't lose weight but I don't really want to gain half a stone!

I went through my Sunday roast torture again today, but it was arguably marginally better than last week. Have discovered kombucha, elderflower, in a wine glass, can almost convince myself, with tiny sips, that it is white wine. It's not sweet, which is good.

Thanks whoever recommended Saint Etienne, from Aldi. Best AF lager yet.

Well that’s 2 full weekends done and 16 days dry!

Never thought I’d get this far. Well done to everyone else who has as well. Like some others I am sleeping so much better!

2 weekends to go. DH (who has still had a few beers each weekend) is going to join me for the rest of the month.

Diet not going that well though …. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Day 14 of dry January completed. Easier than I thought so far and haven’t really been tempted to have a drink yet. Early days though and haven’t really been tested so far with a night out or particularly stressful day. I've put two bottles of Becks Blue in the fridge just in case I get a craving but haven't needed them so far.

I actually found the first seven days of DJ quite tough in that I felt exhausted and also had disturbed sleep and night sweats. My diet was terrible too as I think I was overeating to compensate for not having a drink.

Week 2 is much better and I have more energy. I’ve started working out every morning again and it was lovely to wake up this Sunday without a hangover.

I’ve also managed to lose 4kgs, which is crazy as I don’t really feel any thinner so I’m not sure if that is just the alcohol bloat going? Who knows.

Well done everyone, it's great to hear all the updates.

Day 16, thanks for the 🐟
Well my I don't even need Alcohol Free stuff didn't last as I'd hoped. Had a rubbishy day yesterday, just silly niggles one right after the other so brought a 0.0 Muscat? I think from Waitrose. Would not recommend.
But has a much better day today, going to do the much needed, but much dreaded phone upgrade tomorrow. And I get a free fit bit, so excited for that and getting to hopefully start loosing some weight. That being said, very jealous of your chips @FanGirlX
Well done guys, another weekend done. 🎉

Well done on getting through the weekend, everyone! Been a bit of a strange one for me. Had a lovely time with friends, but have been arguing with DH and feel a bit sad. Haven't really thought about drinking since Friday, so I guess that's a positive. Actually there are lots of positives, I just have to make myself try to see them.

Found tonight tough too - bored with not drinking - not giving in but I really want to. The witching hour is my problem 6-7pm just when I’d be having my first tipple.

@KendallRoysRabbit (great name btw ) I am so jealous of the 4kg weight loss. I never lose weight on Dry Jan. Probably due to the sudden massive sugar intake and tea with milk addiction I develop to compensate.

Sunday roast today and I did fancy a glass of wine with it. But had cranberry with sparkling water instead.

@footcushion so pleased as today had been even more challenging. I think I'm getting into the habit of NOT reaching for wine when the going gets tough. Makes it more manageable too which my brain doesn't always recognise when I am under enormous stress. Thank you.

Well done everyone, halfway through! Have been racing about today so haven’t missed a drink, unlike on Friday night! Just a couple of weeks of January left…

Morning all, checking in for day 17 and the second half of dry January. Its my last day in my current job today, I have so many last minute to do jobs whizzing round my brain I've had to get up to make a list. As always it's much easier without the hangover.

No weightloss here either. In fact my diet has gone out the window due to sugar cravings. I've decided to be kind to myself and deal with one thing at a time, I figure success is more likely without too much deprivation.

Morning all. Weighed in this morning and I have only lost the 2lbs that I lost in week one. I lost nothing in week two, despite the fact that my diet was better in week two 🤔. So I think the 2 lbs I lost in week one must have been water retention / alcohol bloat.

Morning all.
@FanGirlX I just weighed myself and have lost nothing at all this past week (I didn't weight myself on the 1st), started last Monday.
I've been exercising and (I thought) doing pretty well with my food. And obviously no drink. Bit deflating tbh.
Still keep at it.
I've a bit of a headache this morning but I slept kind of okay.
Hope everyone has a good Monday

Has anyone woken up today wishing they had a hangover?
Thought not. I'll be keeping that in mind next time I fancy wine.
Have a great day.

Morning everyone!

I don't wish, as your OP, to be discouraging but I must confess that I've never lost an ounce whilst DJing. In fact, I did a 100 day dry stint about three years ago (that was tough!) and nada.

However, the health benefits still very much make up for it: long term drinking of too high an amount (and frankly, that's why we're all here) leads to heart and liver damage, a higher cancer risk, a weakened immune system, memory issues, mood disorders.

Abstaining from alcohol for 31 days may mean -even if you don't lose weight (though you may!) - you sleep better, have more energy, concentrate better, lowered your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduced cancer-related proteins in your blood.

I'll be pleased about this now and resolve to stick to my 5:2 diet and go to the gym in February!

And if you're looking for a percentage today, then by 8 this morning we had done 52.6%

Well done everyone, however much or little you've done of DJ 🐧🙂

Morning all.

Was dry yesterday after my planned night off on saturday. And slept really badly. Was awake for hours during the night. Sod’s law. Frustrating but at least I wasn’t beating myself up for drinking.

No temptation now for a few days. Possibly meeting a friend on Thursday for dinner but will drive as am flying back home on Friday and need to be up early. It will be easy to resist as we will be going out early as all hospitality venues close at 8pm here currently.

Checking in for day 17. Still AF. Feels good to be past the half way mark. Keep going everyone.

Checking in, day 15 for me, I'm so pleased with myself.
I'm starting low carb bootcamp today though, so the sugary drinks need to go...lime and ginger in sparkling water is all I can think of to have 😬
I'm really not missing it. Friday will be hard as my bf has a funeral of a close family member, despite struggling he's only had half the booze he normally would have had, which is great for him. Think Friday might be too hard for him to manage, but I'll stay strong.i even at one point Friday night said oh I might just have a small gin, he said no! Said I'd done so well, don't stop now..I didn't!

Checking in!

Day 18 for me.
Lost half a stone but doing 5:2.

I'm back at work after 2 weeks study leave so I will forget to post as often. Unless work is slow, anyway!
Apparently in our area, people haven't been popping out babies much in the last two weeks!

Evening all. Slept dreadfully last night so going to bed early. Plus now I don't have Downton there is not much to stay awake for. I need a new hobby ,,,,

Day 17 done. Had a sneaky late night craving yesterday but stuck to cheese instead.

Defo feeling blue Monday here. Shitty day at work too. Thankfully I generally don't drink in the week but I would love a glass of wine right now just to mellow my head.

I know my triggers are boredom and stress and I know I need to find healthier ways of dealing with them.

Checking in for the night. Felt a bit better today, I ran and it was so much better, really feeling the benefit there I think.
Tonight I just drank tonic water with a few mint leaves in. Might be weird but I like it!

Checking in. Day 17 done.
Decided to weigh myself given the mixed results on here. I’ve put on 4lbs. Given all the Christmas chocolates I’ve eaten, I’m not surprised.
I went back to that exercise class tonight. Although I’m not sure if one class a week is going to make much of a difference.
May need to up my game in February but happy to just focus on DJ for now.