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!

Looking forward to a dry Jan. Thanks for starting the thread.Will catch up tomorrow with fellow thread travellers.

Morning all.

I'm in (again). Had long periods of abstinence (3 years longest).
Not sure I'm cut out for moderation, drinking always creeps up.

See you tomorrow

I'm in! Need a reset of diet/ self care/ everything
Thanks for the thread

I’m in! I’ve managed 6 months previously but now can barely do a week…
the main triggers for me are boredom and work stress. I’m looking to improve sleep and increase exercise (which will
hopefully help with the stress)

I like the idea of the visual chart from a pp!

I'm sure you're aware of this but do you know sparkling tea contains caffeine? I got a bottle for DJ 2023 and I couldn't drink it as it would have affected my sleep at night. Hopefully not a problem for you but just thought I'd mention it just in case!

Yes, I'm aware. Thanks.

I'm in.

I have a couple of glasses of wine most nights, with occasional dips where I try and reduce it. My evenings are much more productive when I'm not waiting for it to be time for a glass, so I'm looking forward to getting more done.

I won't mind if I lose some weight, either.

I’m in too! Have done the last few years - except 2021 during Covid misery. Last year I downloaded the Try Dry app to track my DJ progress and carried on and logged every single drink of 2024. I’ve drunk 118 units in December so far and will be drinking today being NYE… so in need of a reset!

Drink alternatives are an issue for me. I generally only drink 3 things - coffee, water and wine, with the occasional herbal tea thrown in 😂. I'm going to be mixing some vidrate hydration sachets in to fizzy water. They do a sleep one which will be good for the evenings. Maybe fizzy water with a slice of lemon or lime. I don't like beer and the alcohol free wines are not nice

Okay, I'm in. Haven't done DJ for a few years and I know the first week is the worst then it's a lot easier. I like flavoured tonic water as a little treat in the evening instead of alcohol as it's nice to have something instead of water. I hate sugary soft drinks, but tonic is more bitter which I like.

Also in! Need to lose weight and drinking is a big part of why I gain. I do have one family social event coming up in January, but will go into February to compensate. With me a lot of it is habit, so I need to find new habits/rituals for Friday evening in particular.

I'm in and looking forward to it..I find abstinence much easier than moderation

I have found the Lyres Classico Sparkling a good alternative for a glass of wine. Interestingly I never sink a whole bottle, unlike the lure of Prosecco, Nyetimber etc.
If you like a more 'Campari' taste the Lyres Amalfi Spritz is also pleasing.
These are both sold in single serve cans - which initially looks wildly expensive until you think what a bottle of wine costs.

For those wanting a 'shorter' drink - try Pentire's Margarita - also premixed.

We have also made Nojitos with the Lyres white 'rum' alternative - muddle some mint leaves (the end of a wooden spoon works), add a squeeze of lime juice (the bottle version is fine) and a 1/4 tsp sugar and muddle again, 50ml or so of the Lyres and top with the Fever Tree Mojito mix.

If you are Gluten Free and aiming for AF - the Drop Bear Beer company do a range of GF beers - IPA, Stout, Lager.

I've been thinking about stopping wine in the New Year for a little while now, and having just found this thread, have found actually posting really hard!
Since my divorce my wine consumption has gone up, along with my weight, it's a habit to have a couple of glasses most evenings.
I want to improve my health, weight and bank balance!
Tomorrow will be most difficult but also critical, if I can not have a glass with lunch on New Year's Day, then I can avoid the feeling of immediate failure!

My main reason for drinking usually is habit and the idea of a little 'treat' so I'm hoping I can easily re-set that for a month. My birthday is the start of February, so it's a natural end to it as well and maybe I can buy myself something from all the money I'll have saved!

I would also like to join please! I have never drank habitually until 30, then met DH and his family enjoy a couple of wines glasses few times a week, and I got sucked in. Quitting for weight loss, better sleep and better skin. However, he will not support me and I do get deflated by “everything in moderation” and “life is too short to not enjoy yourself”, so any advice on how to cope with these without an argument would be great. It’s not that he tries to get me to drink, but more to justify his own.

Also recommendation on great quality hot chocolate as a sugar treat will be much appreciated! Then at least I have that for “life is too short”.

@Chorizmo I would just ignore the comments and do what’s best for you. My DP usually says he is doing DJ with me and will unless there is a night out or a golf match or a birthday etc. And he’d still claim he is “doing dry January”. I used to pull him up on it and say “your not doing DJ if you drink in January whenever you fancy” but in reality he drinks far less in January and doesn’t drink at home so I see it as a win and have stopped concerning myself with it.

Will post again later today and perhaps respond to some posters individually, but for now just wanted to welcome everyone aboard!

We can do this! 💪

Would also love to join after yet another Christmas where I have wasted whole days being hungover. I can’t moderate and I’m making myself so ill with the wine. Come from a large sociable family where drinking is very much the norm.
Very nervous about going to a work conference next week where I will be expected to drink but really don’t want to. Thinking of saying recovering from an illness or on antibiotics.
Will try and do dry January with the hope that I will continue on. My husband will be joining me which massively helps. Want to be more present with my children and to feel healthy physically and mentally.

I’m in! I’m thinking of it as a January Glow Up and will be eating healthily and exercising more too. (So many times I skip the gym because I’m feeling too lethargic after drinking ).

I’ve got 18 bottles of Oddbird’s AF sparkling wine all lined up and ready in the wine rack. It’s pretty ok but unfortunately not cheap 🤨. I’ve also got some Sentia spirit which I love with slimline tonic or soda - but also not cheap. Fridge full of lean meat, fish and salad, so I’m all set and very excited!

Starting J1. Good luck to everyone!

Thank you. Then I am definitely in! Looking forward to it.

We still have a lot of san pellegrinos left over from a teetotal guest staying at Christmas, and a few diet cokes, and some nice cordials, so that will get us started.

I'm enjoying a last glass of fizz before I go dry tomorrow. Bottoms up and HNY!

I'm one bottle down already and contemplating a 2nd. But tomorrow is a fresh start. I'm lucky in some ways as unlike others my partner is teetotal and has been for over 7 years as he's had his own issues with booze. I admire his strength and he will definitely support me.

Happy new year all, hope we can all achieve what we want to next year 😊

I’m stoping at 2 glasses of wine tonight, I don’t actually fancy more. That’s very unusual for me, I think my body is sick of alcohol.

I know this sounds silly, but I’m actually wondering what the hell to do with my evenings during DJ.
Normally I start drinking when I’m cooking dinner. 1 glass while cooking, 1 glass while eating, and then 1 glass after dinner. All of a sudden that’s a bottle gone!

Then the evenings are spent on the sofa watching TB because I’m tipsy and wine makes me so tired.
This is happening more frequently recently, 3 times a week or more. That’s so embarrassing.

I can’t wait to give my body a break, I’m so worried for my health. But I know I’ll find it difficult.

Watching TV*