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!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEcziF5K-tA/?igsh=ZWJnemp0cTVnZ25t

tee-hee

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Day 5. Slept reasonably well last night. Mood and energy really good today – battled through the snow to get emergency Sodastream canister refills 🤣 and while I was at Sainsbury's stocked up on some more AF drinks:

Pepsi Max (caffeine free) which is nice with the 0% rum
Erdinger 0% which I love
Guinness 0%
Kopperberg 0% cider - bit sweet but OK
Martini Floreale - will try this evening

I'm really enjoying the AF drinks. Favourites are still probably the Oddbird sparking Blanc de Blancs, which I'm eking out as it was expensive, sparkling water with bitters, and Sentia.

I also spent 1.5 hours packing up the Christmas tree and decorations and carrying everything up four flights of stairs to our top floor attic. So no need to go to the gym today .

Good luck for tonight everyone! 💪💪

@MenoMamma see AF suggestions as above. Also slimline tonic with slice of lime (or grapefruit) or even a Virgin Mary as per @SereneCapybara 's recommendations. I'm loving them! Totally agree about the ritual – I always use a nice glass and sit down with my drink when the evening "starts".

My hairdresser (big hunky bodybuilder bloke!) did DJ last year and said he saw a noticeable improvement in his joints – he gets some pain in shoulders etc due to the job. Since then he only drinks at weekends, and always has AF beer during the week. He says it's made a massive difference to him.

@TeaRose29 I also noticed that stopping alcohol got rid of joint pain the last time I gave up for a month (many moons ago). Interesting that someone else had the same experience.

I’m doing okay tonight - it’s been busy getting the DC ready for school so haven’t had much time to think about alcohol really. I’m relieved the weekend is nearly over as weekdays are far easier in terms of not drinking.

I'm on day four and my sleeps not been great but I've got more energy. I did a long walk today and I felt good. Im now contemplating starting the couch to 5k again and I haven't run for about 9 years!

Day 5 done for me and now the weekend is over I feel confident going into next week. In all honestly last night and Sunday lunch today felt flat without a glass of wine but I've proven to myself it can be done. I can't remember the last time I did 5 days sober so I'm proud of myself.

The next challenge will be next weekend. Back to work tomorrow so the week nights shouldn't be too bad.

We had a nearly full bottle of white wine in the fridge on 1st January. I didn't pour it away as I thought adult DD might drink it - but she has been out or not drinking every night since.

I absolutely can't stand waste, so I decided to cook with at least some of it. The resulting chicken, leek, mushroom and spinach dish is currently simmering in the oven. I had to pour a large glass of it for the recipe, didn't turn a hair. If anything my pride won't let me fail DJ and I know I can do it as I've done it many times before.

I do believe there are health benefits in giving up for a month or other long stretches, or even for just a few days at a time. My mantra is always "doing something is better than doing nothing". Not everyone wants or needs to give up alcohol forever. Most people, I'm sure, feel a little about an unsolicited lecture telling them they're doing it wrong on a support thread like this.

Day 4 done for me. Today was a hard one - I was travelling all day on a work trip & friends were chatting on WA about how pointless DJ is & how they were going to give up. I’m staying at a pub tonight & really wanted a drink to go with my meal but managed to stick with AF beer. Now back in my room drinking herbal tea 😇

Day 4 done for me. A whole sober weekend. I know I will struggle mid week onwards especially Friday which is when I normally cut loose.
My sleep is worse than ever which is annoying but that is mainly due to ongoing hip pain. I'd feel more positive if I looked and felt a bit fresher.

Day 5 done, no urge to drink but have decided to get a pack of sparking waters, fed up of cola and lemonade artificial flavours. Best of luck for the rest of the night to you all!

Day 5 done here. Missed red wine with weekend food but otherwise fine. I’ve slept well which is rare, so hope that continues. My weeknights will be easy I hope, as I aim to keep those AF usually plus I think DP will also be AF. Good luck all.

Wow, I didn’t even think about a drink tonight. Flew through the danger zone (4-6pm) without even a thought of it.

This weekend has been my first 100% sober weekend in many many months and I’m so bloody pleased with myself. Well done everyone!

I’ve done fine on the no drinking which is a surprise given our heating has chosen these recent 24 hours to develop a fault, I have a poorly chicken isolated and tucked up in the utility, and I have come down with a mouth full of ulcers. I also have to go back to work tomorrow after 2.5 weeks off. If I ever needed some it was tonight, but I was fine with a non alcoholic G and T.

Day 5 done, unfortunately my back went yesterday morning resulting in a not-so-fun weekend characterised by ibuprofen and heat packs. I haven't felt the need to self-medicate with gin for one second, thankfully.

Another one reporting in at the end of day 5. Also busy with life today and no noticeable craving.
I have done several extended periods AF over the years and a number of DJs. My observation is that the focus/craving reduces earlier than previously and being AF becomes more the norm for me rather than a daily challenge. But, as I say, I have been trying and learning for some years. Of course when I do try 'just one' my alcohol (white wine mostly) drinking quickly becomes disordered and the 'one' is more likely a bottle than a glass after a couple of weeks.
So I am enjoying a much more relaxed time in your company for now.

Day 5 done for me, a little pang at 4ish but in a ‘it would be nice to have a drink tonight’ rather than ‘I need a drink tonight’. Was fine when that moment passed. Mid week will be easy for me as I don’t drink during the week anyway, will be on Thursday when I start thinking about a Friday night with no wine that I’ll struggle I reckon

Oh that's really interesting! I'm hoping for some improvement in my dodgy hip!

Wooh first weekend done, no cravings but I reckon the sugar cravings are creeping in... I had a NA beer with lime when cooking tonight, as an alternative to tea/water more than as an alcohol substitute. Interested to see how next weekend goes as we'll be back in the usual routine...

Just checking in to report success with a Corona Zero last night and no cravings today. However - the dreams!!! Not nightmares just incredibly vivid dreams. One last night then again when went back to bed for a lie in this morning. Full of people I haven’t seen in ages, really lifelike and clear dreams.

I can only think when drinking a lot my brain was dulled into not remembering dreams? Or having more REM sleep (I think this is dream sleep, off to Google). What do you think, anyone else had this?

@Melodyfair Just catching up on the thread and sorry but I disagree.

I feel the benefits of not drinking after just one weekend. No it doesn’t improve my skin but then my skin doesn’t seem to be affected by alcohol but by hormones. My anxiety however is massively improved on days I don’t drink. I also have more energy and more patience with the kids.

I drink at a fairly low level but I do drink most weekends and I definitely notice the difference when I don’t touch a drop all weekend. So I will definitely see benefits over a month!

I do intended to drink again in February, I use January each year as a reset, a break for my body and a recovery period after Christmas. It helps me break the habit of having a drink every Friday and Saturday - yes it doesn’t break it for ever but each year it does make me reassess my drinking and just gives my body a boost.

I know you said to ignore you if you didn’t agree but that’s not how a forum works and I wouldn’t want anyone feeling bad for just planning on doing dry january. If you want to quit for longer, great. If you want to read sober lit or whatever is called, genuinely that’s great. But equally if you just want a month off and look forward to a drink in February that’s great too and people should still be applauded for giving it a go.

Off to bed now. Another day ticked off.

Ive been binge watching ‘The split’ over the last few nights. Missed it when it was originally aired. It’s great, but something I have noticed is that nearly every other scene ( perhaps slight exaggeration) has someone drinking wine. Every celebration, bad day at work, argument with the kids, after work meeting, etc, involves booze. No wonder I constantly crave red wine in the evenings.

Those five stars are looking so good on my app.

Haha, exactly the same! Been binge watching Fat Friends, didn't see it at the time, and every episode has copious amounts of booze! 🙈😅 Maybe I'm just especially sensitive to it at the moment though!

Off to bed too, hoping for another good nights sleep tonight. Congrats on the 1st AF weekend of the year folks!

Day six done, and it was a dreadful day with problems with water coming through the roof and the central heating packing in. Back to school for one child tomorrow and work for me. Finding life a bit tough, but clinging to DJ as a positive!