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!

Looks like the first night is in the bag for me. If I’m going to drink, it’s almost always when I start cooking dinner. So we had an early dinner tonight, and I have zero cravings at all.

I can 100% relate to those who have children going through tough times. My 25yr old is autistic and has some severe MH issues. The stress is unreal, and I know I’ve used alcohol as a way of coping.
But I need to do better, for myself.

First day in the bag for me too ✋️. I've passed the moment and it wasn't too tough....probably because I'm still hungover from yesterday but feeling positive about tomorrow. Well done everyone 👏

Evening all! Sitting with a Sprite Zero after an early tea of leftover ham, dauphinoise and lots of salad. Lovely. Predict weekends will be harder (need. Friday night plan!).

Checking in! I started yesterday and am happy to be doing AF Jan.

@Fancytrike i also need a Friday night plan.
I think I’ll head to the gym instead of just sit around at home.
I finish work early on Fridays too, so it’s too easy to pop into Tesco and get a bottle of wine.

Hung over on New Years Day - I am in.

I know this would help me, but I look forward to a nice meal and evening with OH on Fridays- I’ll be trying the alcohol substitutes I think as he’ll be having his usual couple of whiskies. There is a brand called medahuman that sainsburys sell, a CBD drink, not fizzy and not too sweet. Might get those or a pretend Prosecco for Fridays.

@glindathegoodbitch Thank you! ❤️ Let's hope we can get a good stint in again, I'm definitely not cocky after my dampish Autumn!

Some prep completed for the start of the year and to get ahead for tasks for the end of the week.
Dinner cooked. Unused wine poured down sink straightaway.
Quiet evening ahead. Hope to tick off a couple more small jobs left over from the 2024 to do list.
Should stay AF for today.

First day fairly easy (emptied everything open this morning) and no hangover to deal with as took it easy last night.
Looking forward to sleeping and hopefully looking less tired.
Think after initial honeymoon period things will be harder as only too easy to grab a glass of wine when I'm bored of an evening. OH and I often share a bottle watching TV and think I'll miss that

Totally agree with PPs saying it’s the cooking early evening time and meal that is such a trigger. Love cooking with wine then enjoying wine with dinner, once I’ve eaten I’m fine. More than happy to have some chocolate and a cup of tea.

Got through is this eve with a bottle of 0% Becks 😅

I use Try Dry - has a yellow icon. I’ve used it for a year so spend ages today looking at all the graphs and charts of my drinking in 2024, am a bit of a data geek.

Once I am done with DJ am going to aim to moderate better in 2025 and if I can’t do that it might be time to give up altogether in 2026. But that’s a terrifying prospect to be honest.

I have bought alcohol free flexinet wine and alcohol free kopperberg (to put in a wine glass). I also have arranged an early morning hill hike with a good friend of mine who is doing dry January to and booked tickets for a historic Scotland castle on sun morning. I have to drive to both places so can't drink the night before. Do you have any friends doing dry Jan that you can arrange something with early at the weekend with?

I’ve poured most of a bottle of Monopole champagne down the sink and started the year with a Peroni Zero.

Super excited for Traitors at 8pm! Anyone else watching?

Checking in on Day 1! Had a fair amount last night with friends, I have to admit.. I may have mentioned I was doing DJ - no-one offered to join me, but it does mean I can't back down now! I also now have another reason to do DJ and possibly beyond - I agreed to join a holiday in July where there'll be a lovely swimming pool. I'm far too tubby at the moment to feel comfortable in a swimming costume in front of friends. So, I need to get fit and shed some pounds - neither of which will be easy if I'm drinking.

Day one update and feeling good. Just got the dc in bed and this is the exact moment I'd be heading to the fridge for a drink. Dh and I did have rather a lot last night and I'm also full of cold so that's probably helping with my resolve today! The weekend will be the real test.

Happy new year anyone and let's keep updating and supporting each other xx

I'm in! Need a reset and ready for it. Two stone to lose and lots of fruit and veg to eat. Have just joined a local Pilates class too. Just need to dig out some sort of gym-wear and see if I can squeeze into it

Evening all, and welcome (back) to our newcomers and previous DJ alumni!

Well, it’s the first evening the DJ. Stay strong folks. You won't feel the benefits of dryness immediately, but be rest assured they are many and far-reaching.

A major development in booze news this year has been the reappraisal of previous alcohol studies. It has been found that, contrary to previous advice, NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IS GOOD FOR YOU.

Remember all that "A little bit of red wine is actually healthier than not drinking at all don't you know" guff? Turns out it's a load of complete bollocks. Flawed studies and flawed interpretations of results led to this notion, but it's now debunked.
The WHO started the "all booze is definitely bad" call in late 2022, but it has since been further backed up. I read this article in the New Scientist earlier this year.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2441154-why-many-studies-wrongly-claim-its-healthy-to-drink-a-little-alcohol/

It's worth reiterating: Any amount of booze is bad!. ☠️☠️ 🍾🍷🍺 ☠️☠️

Stay strong everyone 💪💪

I never want to feel hung over like this again - it’s hideous.

@newme2025 you need sugar, carbs and fat, by afraid it’ll be tomorrow before you’re 100%! I’ve achieved nothing today if it makes you feel any better, my skin feels like it doesn’t fit 😂

Checking in - sitting here with a cup of tea rather than a glass of something. Have eaten a few too many biscuits but glad to have started. Got an invitation for dinner next week so need to be armed and ready. Back at work tomorrow.

Don't worry about what you eat just don't drink the wine! This worked for me last time I did it. Worry about cutting out the biscuits in a few weeks- you can't do it all.
Already I have noticed that I am making plans for Saturday morning early meet ups when usually I would factor in the hangover and spend ages thinking up a plausible excuse that I haven't used for a while.
Ironically giving up alcohol makes be more sociable....
also I think it's so common now that there is no need to justify why you are not drinking. Is dry Jan innit!!

Day 1 complete and no desire for a drink. I had a bottle of wine and some Buck's Fizz last night (so 6 glasses in total) and a cider. Don't feel bad today, just tired and miserable because of this god awful weather. Sat in bed most of the day binge watching the new Harlan Coben series on Netflix!
My issue with drinking is getting to Thursday each week having not drunk Sunday-Thursday and 'rewarding' myself. This results in a couple of glasses of Pinot on the Thursday, the remaining and another bottle on the Friday, then 1 or 2 bottles on the Saturday. Im an absolute lightweight too so often don't remember going to bed and wake up with random bruises on my legs. That's what I need to stop.
Using dry Jan as an opportunity to reset my relationship with alcohol. And if I do go back to drinking then not doing it 3 nights a week to excess.
I think I'll be totally fine this weekend. But next weekend will be more of a struggle as it's my friends birthday and we're going out. Will need some support then I reckon!
Good luck to all xx

Just had a bath and am in bed. Pleased that I’ve achieved the first day; it’s not easy when you’re hungover and struggling with the January blues. I’m looking forward to waking up tomorrow and hopefully feeling fresher for my first day back at work.

@lespameo I also get the random bruises sometimes and have no idea how!