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 🙂

I'm joining in as I am doing DJ (as I usually do) after a fairly hedonistic December. Not feeling 'better' as such, though sleep is less fitful. On the whole, it's saving money that appeals more at the moment. I am still very much of a mindset that alcohol in moderation can enhance life.

Maybe the people that were drinking the most (the most 'poisoned!) feel the change to a greater degree? Or maybe it's an individual thing.

I wouldn't say I have loads more energy but I do feel more positive and less stressed. Plus sitting down later in the eves (as no attraction of wine to sit down with) so being more productive (not massively - I mean small things like emptying the dishwasher or hanging the washing out in the eve instead of putting it off until the next morning)

It sounds preachy, but I am also glad of DJ to show the kids we don't need to drink all of the time. We were only ever tipsy in front of the teens on Christmas day and NYE, but still, it's good to show the importance of self-control.

Still plugging away. Feel a bit ill actually but I'm awaiting blood test results so I suspect it has nothing to do with not drinking.

There is a bottle of Gavi in the cellar that has my name on it but haven't been so far tempted.

I was drinking a fair bit too, so disappointed I don't feel all that much different really... Definitely of the view that moderate drinking is a life enhancement - I'm confident I can cut down 75% after this and still get the benefit.

I've done this a few times amd never notice a difference until week 3+

I thought I'd be up at the crack of dawn everyday raring to go. Sadly not!! My house is a bit tidier, washing gets done, and I'm part the way through a declutter having reclaimed the wine time. My skin no longer feels like sandpaper and is quite 'plump' and feels rehydrated so I'm hanging onto that to get me through.

On the subject of feeling better I realised something... my chronic back pain and tendonitis in my ankle are both greatly reduced in the last week or so. The difference is actually remarkable.
I'm convinced it's the alcohol free effect.

Definitely of the view that moderate drinking is a life enhancement

Same here. My goal is 20 units (two bottles of wine) per week once the DJ process has finished. I know teetotalism is the ideal, but wine is such a big pleasure for me - I very much want to cut down a lot, but I don't want to give it up completely.

That's interesting HP

My appointment today was overwhelmingly positive (despite my moaning!) and my pain has noticeably decreased since the new year, to the point I'm looking to return to work at the end of the month. Until you mentioned it I hadn't given any consideration to my alcohol consumption having any bearing on my recovery, but who knows?

Off to weight lifting class 😂

Feeling better here, more positive and definitely lost a pound or two. Out in London tonight with work colleagues I havent seen in months. This is going to be a tough one

Good luck @Hedjwitch

Funnily enough I've also noticed I have less aches and pains - I hadn't connected it to alcohol consumption either, but maybe there is a link?

That is a tough one @Hedjwitch - hopefully some others will be doing DJ too?

Well done everyone! I've done a week today, so not as much but still pretty good for me 😊

My sleep is so bad, this was last night. So many dreams and needing to get up to use the loo - I never do this normally. Hoping it will improve soon. I'm so cold of an evening too, I must slip a beer blanket on usually!

Orange is awake btw!

Finding it easy, but not feeling any better.

Sorry for earlier grump! Drinking AF mulled wine now in my onesie and feeling better.

@JonSnowsCupbearer

I hope your sleep improves! Your app looks interesting. I have been meaning to download load one. Do you mind me asking which one it is and would you recommend?

Well, even if you're not feeling robustly or obviously better @Oblomov22 (great book, BTW) you're still doing yourself a whole stack of good by having this month off.
For example, you're likely to lower your blood pressure, reduce your diabetes risk, lower cholesterol
and reduce levels of cancer-related proteins in the blood. All in one month. Worth doing.

Gosh, well it looks like we'll need thread two tomorrow! Don't worry I'll keep an eye out and set it up in time.

Last year, I set up the second thread on the 28th of January; this year it's likely to be the 11th. That's fantastic.

Perhaps now we're in the post COVID-restrictions era we're all feeling more positive and looking ahead to the future. Maybe.

@HPLikecraft I was having lots of aches and pains too and I was feeling generally unwell post a virus (that seemed awfully like Covid but RAT tests negative) My body seemed to hurt everywhere. Feeling much better now. More energy.

I’m loving that my evenings are more productive. Today the kitchen is clean, my clothes ironed for work and packed lunch ready. I’m studying in the evenings too.

@Hedjwitch Good luck on your night out. I’m still fretting about visitors coming on Saturday

Dreams last night we’re very busy and bizarre last night. Cat fish that just looked like normal cats swimming under water!

Day 10, double digits. Yay!

Oh. My. God

Back from my weight lifting course.

I must have done 100 squats having never really done more than 10 before

I literally can barely walk

Dh has brought me my phone and an AF beer to the sofa and here I will stay.

That's fantastic @Greatly well done you... hope you don't ache tomorrow!

It's about time I got back on the treadmill... it's taunting me when I hang up the washing in the room it's in!