DRY JANUARY 2023! 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 sixth year of DJ and I swear it may have saved my life; 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. Everyone welcome 🙂☕️🧃

The DJ2022 Wagon creaks to a start in just 4 days, but always stops for latecomers 🙂

Please can I join? DH and I are doing this for the first time ever, and are weirdly looking forward to it! We realised we’ve probably never had an alcohol free week or fortnight since we were both about 18 (unless we were ill). Now 60/61 so it’s about time. We don’t drink a lot, but the habit’s become a bit too regular so we’re on!

I’m in

I’d like to join please, I definitely need to. Thanks for starting!

Yey, thank you for starting a DJ thread, I’m in. I do it every January and find it gets easier each year.

Glad to see you all here! Welcome aboard.

Hopefully we'll pick up a few more over the next few days

In previous years I've found it really helps to get in some non-alcoholic drinks before Jan for when the urge strikes (Fri and Sat eves for me, when DH starts drinking). There are some decent options and I usually get in a bottle of alcohol free 'gin' and non alcoholic red wine as a starting point.

Me! I’m in.

I always perversely enjoy a dry January once I get going. We have been drinking far too much.

I'm in too. I've got a bit too fond of wine over Christmas, having it daily. Previously it was my Friday and Saturday night treat (together with plenty of crisps and chocolate, no wonder I can't shift the weight).

I'm going on a cruise on 28th, so I may drop off at that point but I'll see.

And as @Oblomov22 says, where are the decent no alcohol wines? I've seen plenty of nonalcoholic beers recommended but not many wines. If anyone finds any, post them here please!!

I am in too! I have half heartedly tried but never succeeded at DJan before. I use my birthday on January 15 th as an excuse 😞 But not this year !
mo alcohol white wine recommendations please ! Xxx

I'm in too but starting on the 4th. Done it before but this year I'd like to carry on for a bit longer and see how I get on.

I'm in!! I'm going to try the 100 day challenge I have had this awful lurgy for weeks so have started already good luck everyone

I agree with Bleatings the best advice is to be prepared. In the next few days and also once a week during, make sure you plan. To buy/order in something. So you always have a fizzy water/tonic/alcohol free beer/wine/gin/whatever, in the house / to hand, for when you need.

Looking forward to doing Dry Jan for the first time - had a couple of awful hangovers this month (getting older!) which just make drinking totally not worth it and also want to kick start some weight loss :)

I’m sort of in.
I drink way too much and want to use ADJ (almost dry jan) as a kick start to a healthier lifestyle in general, but I’m going to give myself 4 days off (using the drink free days app to track) and limit myself to a set amount of G&Ts on those evenings. No wine!
Ideally I’d like to continue this into February and beyond.
I’d love to use this thread for support if it’s ok. Although I understand if I’m not being strict enough to stay either!

I'm in. Drinking everyday at the moment (know it's Christmas) but can't help thinking I'd feel a million times better without.

DH and I are going to do it. Wvee always tried and failed. We have a big holiday in March we want to look good for and we are creeping back into bad wine habits!

I’m in and... im going to try for the whole year (gulp!)

I have done Dry Jan-March a few times but it always creeps back up. I’m peri too and that post about weight gain resonated!!

Have joined a gym (with spa) and aiming to get healthy in 2023!

I'm in! I did Veganuary one year and an still vegan so these things do work for me. I'd like to do a couple of months of not drinking to give my liver a rest from all the Christmas/New Year fun. Not a problem drinker just up for a break.

Wow, fantastic uptake so far.... good to see you all, however strictly you're planning on taking DJ.

@FlightDeckBuckarooo almost dry January is fine here, too... we're all ultimately doing the same thing here: trying to take some control over the demon booze.

Hello again! Year 7 for me and I'm definitely in.

Some have asked about AF wine. Well, I'm a bit of a 'dry' veteran, and frankly I've never come across a nice one. They're always far too sweet and just taste like Shloer or Babycham, so I don't bother.
I drink AF beer (Becks Blue is my favourite) or find another nice drink. I like a posh tonic with a little ginger for warmth and bite. But yes, as PPs have said be prepared: get some nice supplies in beforehand.

I’m in.

Want to shift some of the lockdown lard (finally!) and reset the liver / brain.

It’ll be the 2nd time I’ve done it and I too perversely enjoy it once I get going.

Waves at PointyThings 👍

I'm in. I've started already, a couple of days ago. I don't just want dry January, I want to stop completely. I hope I can. If only to lose a bit of weight. Good luck everyone.

I'm in! I did the last 2 years. Last year I aimed for dry Feb too but cracked on the 11th (poor show!) This year I'd like to properly do Jan and Feb and not get waylaid by nights out as I don't just want to be able to resist when it's easy.