DRY JANUARY 2025! Join us for a healthier start to the year! All welcome 🥤☕️🧋

[HPLikecraft]

It’s that time of year again!
If you need a detox, to lose weight, to be healthier, to undo some seasonal overindulgence, to sleep better, to look better, to have healthier skin, to save money, boost liver function, improve your memory, or to decrease your likelihood of dying earlier of various nasty illnesses (sorry for the sudden hard ball!) then you’ve come to the right place!

The MN DJ2025 Chat thread is for anyone who wants to reset their relationship with alcohol; whether you’re a weekend tippler or a problem heavier drinker.
This is a friendly, non-judgmental thread where we support and encourage each other, exchange ideas and information, share alcohol-free drinks recommendations etc.

Hopefully we’ll have some fun along the way. Please hop aboard the good ship DJ 2025, everyone welcome!

@Majorityofthree23 that’s exactly what I found. Well done and enjoy your book.

I've just started today after having a social event last night. I feel so bloated and crap so looking forward to a good detox! Gonna try and ride things out until April though, I've nothing on and want a reset of some bad behaviours

Has anyone started feeing/seeing any benefits of not having been drinking yet?

I know it’s very early days, but I am a lot less bloated. I would imagine it’s down to the lack of junk food that I eat when I get the wine munchies. I always end up raiding the kitchen cupboards when I’m tipsy.

So the lack of alcohol and accompanying snacks is already staring to show in my less bloated stomach.

Safely in bed and sober for another day. Thanks to those who encouraged me this evening when I was struggling.

One benefit I’ve noticed is my skin - my chin has been prone to outbreaks but I genuinely think it looks better. Doubting myself though as I’ve only been off the alcohol four days. I can’t imagine it would have had an effect already.

I thought I was less bloated on day 3 but today I’m bloated again… although I think I haven’t drunk enough water. So far:

Good things that have happened:

• clearer head
• anxiety almost gone (physical and emotional)
• clearer pee so more hydrated (sorry tmi)
• less hungry, think sugar levels more normal maybe? Eating proper meals and not wanting to snack between
• Good resolve, feel like I can do this esp as I did it last year so can do again
• No worries getting into car ever

Not good things that have happened:

• terrible sleep
• weird and vivid dreams
• dry skin and mouth (but think it’s the weather)
• foul mood tonight as had major craving (more than other days)
• bit distracted as am thinking about DJ quite a lot, it’s quite a big thing for me to stop for that long, think this will get better

Amazing 👏 Great job, not easy when those cravings kick in. Hope you sleep really well

I'm in!
I do love a glass of wine so doing dry Jan to help me lose weight, feel happier in myself and generally be more healthy.
How's everyone getting on this weekend?

It’s ok so far. Ask me again on the third weekend of Jan!! You?

Glad it's going ok!
I'm enjoying my quiet cosy weekend so far. It was wonderful waking up this morning fresh faced and able to do a really good work out today because of it.

Day 3 done ✔️ was actually surprisingly easy this weekend- drank lots of herbal tea. Found eating dinner with the DCs made it easier as I’m more tempted to crack open some wine with dinner once they’ve gone to bed so eating with them removed that association!
Feel really bloated still though - although that might still be the effects of all the cheese & chocolate over Christmas 😂

Day 4 done! I'm def in the 'substituting any old crap for alcohol' stage! Have mainlines Heroes tonight and I never crave choc at home. Start a new job on Monday and nervous that the end of my first week I'll be desperate for a drink...!

I must admit I'm quite bored. Watching TV with DH ( who has drunk 2 craft beers, which is fine!). I had a fancy tonic water. I think it doesn't help that I've been sleeping really badly, and have worked Monday-today with only NYD off. I'm supposed to be semi retired, doing just occasional 'bank'! So I guess I'm tired. I'm praying I get some proper sleep soon as this is miserable; and I slept much better with a bottle of wine on board! 😬

I can not believe how easy I found this evening

I was getting anxious about it , especially around 4pm, as thats the time we usually pop down the pub for a couple. So I found myself some paperwork for work to be doing between 4 and 5, which involved a lot of piles of paper all over the living room floor

Cooking supper was easy for me as well, thats a huge trigger, but I left everything last minute so was busy juggling everything to get us fed - no time to pour a drink, and as per usual, once Im fed, as long as I havent had a drink before hand, I dont want/need one after

One thing that different for me this DJ is Im not getting the dry mouth I usually experience when Im itching for a drink

Well I had 3 fake G and Ts. Missed the buzz I suppose but that's the first weekend of not drinking just through choice I have done in a long time. A very long time.

Another dry day, done and dusted. We're now a whopping....

12.9% (call it 13!)

of the way through DJ2025. Well done all.

If you've caved, or think you will, don't panic, and certainly don't do it; come here and talk about it instead.

You're so much better, in so many ways, without booze 💪💪

I'm in... albeit a little late.

Day 4 done. Bring on day 5

Morning. Definitely sleeping much much better. (If I've had wine the water glass by my bed is always empty by the morning... now not touching it at all) much clearer head too. Sunday generally ok fingers crossed.

Day 4 done, no urge to drink - went to the gym at 5 pm, so that drinking slot was filled and DH cooked dinner while I washed and pampered, so again no habitual drinking with cooking. I sleep like a baby these last 4 days thank to no alcohol and working out more. And with clear head and not feeling sleepy / tired, stayed up to research and book a holiday last night! After 3 hours of searching, we have booked same place we have been to to twice before but at least we have done the homework and it still looks he best. Roll on day 5!

Morning all. When does the sleep thing kick in!? I'm furious that I just can't get off until about two and last night woke up several times and was awake for ages each time. Surely having five days done this should be improving. I shall be buying nytol today that's for sure!

Thanks for the thread {mention:HPLikecraft}{mention:HPLikecraft}@HPLikecraft@HPLikecraft.

I have no idea why I have tagged you 4 times!
I can't delete it.

Anyway I do dry Jan every year as I need a reset. No problem so far apart from a dreadful headache. Good luck to all you penguins. 🐧🐧🐧

Relieved to get to today! I work in a school and go back tomorrow, I don’t drink sun-thurs during term time so I won’t be “missing” anything for the next few days. Next Friday after a week of work will be very very hard!

Absolutely lousy sleep last night. Probably not helped by looking at the UK snow map app throughout the night 🙄. No snow here, just torrential rain, so I’m planning my menus and drinks for the coming week. I’ve just booked the online shop. It’s amazing how much cheaper it is without wine and nibbles.

Had another broken sleep last night, but it could be due to the anxiety meds I’ve just started. Apparently they can affect sleep in the early weeks. Going into town with the family later, which will be hard - we’d normally pop into the pub for a few drinks.

Feeling a bit pleased with myself and DH as we had loads of relatives over for a twelfth Night party yesterday and offered them wine but DH and I stuck to elderflower and cups of tea. He even froze the rest of a bottle of red for cooking. Not sure he has every done that before and we've been married 30 years!