Dear January

[Mamabear12]

I decided to get a head start and begin the New Year sober. I did not drink and instead made a fresh apple ginger juice. I had a plan in place. I bought bath salts, veggies, fruits etc. I had cupcakes and chocolate at hand in case I had craving. Surprisingly, I did not crave those...maybe today.

My plan for today is to do a gym class, take a walk and soak in the beautiful park with my dog and dc. I plan to do another cozy night. I am hoping to have better sleep. Although, I have gone a month during summer no drinking and my sleep was still crap.....so not getting my hopes up lol. This time around, I will take a magnesium supplement, as I heard that may help. If anyone else has tips for sleep please let me know. I probably should make a seperate post on that.

I will continue to update on here as I feel like it. I think it might be helpful as well when I look back.

Good luck to anyone starting their day 1 today!! Happy New Year! 2022!

Lovely positive post! Looking forward to your updates

Good luck!

So jealous of you being able to go to the gym today, I feel that would really help me today but I have Covid and can’t go out 😭 makes it even more tempting to “start dry January next week” but I won’t. I’m going to give the house a good clean and drink shit loads of water 😂

Can I follow? For inspiration! I drank too much out of sheer nerves that the evening is supposed to amazing, I think a lot of people may do this?
So a massive well done from me, you are super sensible, enjoy your day feeling great.
It’s even sunny!

Thanks everyone :) This morning is almost complete. I did my gym class, had a carrot apple ginger juice plus oatmeal w berries and nuts. I am suddenly feeling so sleepy....thanks to not a great sleep last night! I will probably take a nap today as I feel I need it....but I know in a few days, I will just need to suck it up and get through the day even if I am tired after lunch. This will hopefully help me sleep better at night. I have a 2 year old who naps after lunch, so I have been doing the same since my nights are always broken. Probably would sleep better if I just did not sneak a little nap in!

LibbyVonTrap - perhaps focus on doing things to heal, ordering veggies/fruits online to be delivered if you do not have, vitmains and supplements to build immune system and to take to help replenish whatever alcohol depleted in the past. I read B vitamins, C etc are depelted from drinking...so it helps to take those or increase naturally through diet. Vitamin C especially when sick. Freshsly squeezed OJ. YUM!

Feelingoood at first I debated about drinking purely for my fear of not drinking for all of January...I thought perhaps I needed to live it up and drink great wine etc on the 31st...but then I realised....what the heck...I do not even feel like drinking, feel slightly hungover...so why would I drink? I then put my focus on making a cozy night.

Tonight, I will do the same....just thinking of what I should eat...hmm. I decided until the third, I will allow myself treats and comfort foods - whatever I want...but then I will start to clean up my diet again...as during the holidays I have been eating less healthy...and really want to focus on my health and feeling good. The main things are diet, exercise and sleep. That really helps you feel good and of course making sure are satisfied mentally with a fun hobby, good book, movies to watch...friends and family to speak to :)

Today, I am feeling way less anxious then yesterday....so I am happy about that. Previously, my anxiety was still strong on second day sober...so I am happy about that..but I know it can change by night time so lets see.

Well done. You're doing great.

Just be aware that your sleep could be a bit hit and miss at first. Your body has to learn to get off to sleep itself and that might take a bit of time. All your healthy new habits are going to serve you really well. Keep going

Day 2 almost complete :) I dumped a half bottle of red wine out that I realised was in the fridge....no problem. I took a long nap and felt quite tired even when waking (forced myself up because I had to wake my dd or she would be up to 10 at night if I let her sleep too long lol). I did have a moment of feeling anxious and thinking I feel not great (but I think that was more from being groggy when I woke and hungry). Still doing too much screen time....which I also want to reduce majorly....but baby steps. I am giving it a few days and then want to stop screen time from 9pm and then 8pm. I think that would help my sleep a lot.

I watched youtube by fit recovery and felt that was helpful. It was about supplements and vitamins to take. I think this would be helpful especially to more heavy drinkers. I was not too bad, because I do not like feeling sick or out of control, so I was always able to limit my drinking amount, just not my days drinking. I found the days off were a struggle so would drink a few nights a week.

I find it quite helpful and comforting to come on here and post about how I feel and how it is going.

One thing I am wondering, why is it so much easier for me to fall asleep at nap time then night time?!?

Meant to say, the bottle I dumped out was half full. We had opened it the other night, but did not finish it. I would not have dumped it out if it was a closed bottle. This house is full of closed bottles (maybe like 30 bottles of wine at least!).

Day 3 and I am oddly feeling bloated. I went to the gym in the morning and ate as normal. But I allowed myself some juice yesterday and today. Plus I had a cupcake last night. Maybe the sugar? But I figure for a few days I will allow sugar since I am not having wine, which is full of sugar! I think tomorrow it will be time to cut the sugar! I was so tired again today after my mini nap. Again, I think its because I do not sleep well at night still. I know it takes time. That is all to report really.

Well done! I’m on Day 3 too. I had a wobble after work today but resisted the wine. I just keep reminding myself that I’m aiming for less anxiety and less belly.
I think I’ve been drinking 3-4 bottles of wine a week, but lately I don’t even enjoy it, I don’t know why I do it.
I haven’t decided if I’m doing Dry January. At the moment I’m just taking one day at a time.

I’m on day 2 although not very far into it obvs! I stayed dry last night whilst hosting people at home (who had brought alcohol and were drinking etc) so was quite pleased with that.

Day 2 - feeling really positive about it. I’ve been reading Alcohol Explained and it really makes you look at alcohol in a different light. I’m not even missing it so far.
The real test will be at weekend.

Sounds like you’re doing really well OP.

I definitely find that too much fruit and veg juice bloats me. Is the high fibre content maybe?
Perhaps have a couple of days just cutting back on the juice to one a day?

In terms of sleeping at night, I have found that sleeping podcasts really help me nod off so if I can’t sleep at the start or if I wake up in the night I pop one on my headphones and it really works.
There are lots out there but I’ve been listening to one called Sleepy Bookshelf and it’s a lady with a very calm voice reading things like Pride and Prejudice or Alice in Wonderland.
It’s been a life saver for me on nights I’ve really struggled.
I’ve listened to the whole of Alice in Wonderland apparently but I couldn’t tell you a thing about it

@TheElusivePotato that is similar to what I was drinking. Usually, I would share the bottle with my DH, 4-5 nights a week and perhaps one night, we would open a second bottle to have a little more. I started just feeling like crap and wondering why I was doing this to myself. The interesting thing is since dry Jan started on 31 December, I have not really craved it at all. I think its bc in my head I told myself I am not drinking this month and that is all there is to it. But really, I want to go 3 months at least to reset my body and get my health back. Well done on resisting the wine! Keep it going! Each day gets easier and easier I think as you start to feel better.

@UnsuitableHat well done! Not easy to host and not drink while others do! I have been there before...I am always ready to end the night before the others are (obviously, I do not end the night until everyone naturally winds down is ready to leave lol) Keep it going!

@LibbyVonTrap well done! I also have the book. I read some of it and need to go back to it. The weekend feels no different to me because I do not work....I just do not have a weekend though because of the kids lol. Every day (including the weekends) they have activities etc. I do try to fit my own thing in by going to the gym every morning and watching a movie in the evening (before w wine at night, but now no more). Will get back to reading the book tonight.

@Ohpulltheotherone thanks for the tip. I will try that. I used to listen to stories when I was younger, but I am the type who always makes it to the end and does not fall asleep while listening lol. Just like I never fall asleep while watching a movie. My best friend would always fall asleep most nights when we used to live together and watched a movie at night...I never understood how she could do it! But its a good idea to do if I cant fall asleep anyway. It could be my body just adjusting to the changes. Today, I am thankfully not feeling bloated any more. I have decided to cut back on the juices, as it is not good to have anyway. The veggie juice made by me is fine....but not the juice (it was more like a flavoured water w cucumber and lime, but in a can) so that is not good. I think natural is best.

Last night I did not sleep well and today I could not sleep for my nap either! Yikes. I am hoping this means I will sleep well tonight. No cravings yet, but have been eating some junk here and there (small bag of cheddars, cheese and chocolate covered almonds)....so its not too bad. My meals have been pretty healthy. I think tomorrow will be my time to cut out the junk food and see how I feel. I think if I could sleep well I would feel better and more energetic. But feeling tired from lack of sleep is fine. Thank goodness my anxiety is pretty much gone today (lets hope it stays this way!).

No improvement on my skin. I was hoping I would see some improvement. My eyes do not look brighter either lol. But I guess that is also lack of sleep. Some people are so lucky, they go a few days no drinking and suddenly their skin is amazing and eyes bright.

@Mamabear12 you’re doing great . The benefits will come

@Adm1010 Thanks :) I hope they come sooner then later!

I had a strange dream, woke at 3am with a headache....then got anxious on why I was waking with a headache...had to go downstairs and make myself a cup of tea and take paracetamol. It was not a bad headache...but I am an anxious type plus have health anxiety...so of course now can't sleep an hour later...

I always get headaches around day 3/4 of being AF. Not sure why.
Right, today is where it starts getting tricky as we are back to a normal routine. I need to have plans for the evening. Once I have dinner I’m fine, so maybe early dinner? I bought a little cross stitch project to do in front of the TV to distract my hands too.
Keep going everyone!

@TheElusivePotato thanks for letting me know. That makes me feel slightly better. I still have the headache. At least it is not too bad. I can go about my daily routine. I just get anxious and worried from it. I hope it goes away soon. I am the type to worry about any little thing in my health. I saw a spot on my finger and thought omg what is this? Is it skin cancer etc....3 days later it was gone. So wish I did not have this kind of anxiety. I am hoping being AF will help it become less. I agree with you about the early dinner. In the past if I craved wine, once I had dinner I did not crave it. In the early days of my drinking my dh and I could never finish a bottle, because once we ate we no longer really wanted the wine. Good idea to keep you hands busy in front of the tv.

Atm I have no cravings. I think it is because I am keen to start feeling better again instead of always slightly hungover and now being tired/headache etc. I know it takes time for the body to recover and balance out. I think it would help greatly if I could just sleep well at night. After I woke last night I was up for 1.5 hours starting 3am and then woke for the day at 7:30am because my dog barked and then my daughter woke.

The weather is so crappy out......argh. Wish we could have some amazing sunny weather to get some natural feel good sun! This weather always effects me. I do not feel like drinking....but I do feel a little blue.

I hate January and February, although at least it’s not as bad as last year when everything was shut!
I don’t have sleep problems luckily, but I do have cravings for wine…every day!
DH wants to do dry January, so I’m going to do it with him and try and fill our evenings and weekends with nice things!

You are so lucky not to have sleep problems. I have had them the last few years....ever since I have had kids I do not sleep well. It gets worse with each kid :( I am hoping if I stop drinking I will get good sleep in a few weeks. I did stop one month in summer and unfortunately, I cant say my sleep was great....but maybe it just needs more then a month. Good luck and I am sure the cravings will stop soon. It gets less with each day.

Happy to report, today I woke up with no headache! And the small tension headaches I have been having seems to have gone as well....or if its there on a scale of 1-10 its a barely 1 :) I hope it keeps this way, as i keep having a fear that my headache will return.

Last night, I had a bit of a low point when my head was still hurting and my BP was 153/99!!! I monitor it because I had troubles with it in the past after having my third. I have managed to get off pills and mainly it ranges from 111/69-120/80. However, I know that when you stop drinking it can go up. It just freaks me out how high it goes, when in my mind I did not drink THAT much. But maybe for my body it was a lot. I was freaking out, anxious and thinking what if I am having a stroke, do I need to go to the hospital? This is how my mind wonders when anything goes wrong. I managed to calm down and it went down to 146/80...still not great, but less worrying. In the morning it was 129/84....again not ideal....I am hoping eating right sets it right.

Also, I stopped having any sugar treats...as I think those can increase headaches. I always feel better in the mornings....lets hope this continues. The rest of the family have returned from ski holiday....so its a busy house again and kids return to school tomorrow (2 out of 3)....

Happy to report - my skin is showing improvements! I suffer rosacea, and it has made great improvements in just one week no drinking. Last time it took 3 weeks to see a tiny bit of improvements. This time it happened after one week, so I am very happy :)

Morning! I have a migraine today, but I suffer with them regularly so probably isn’t related to dry January.
I’m starting to find it a bit easier, so we’ll see how the weekend goes.
I’ve noticed recently that I have a touch of rosacea, so I’m hoping that improves too.
I’ve been eating a lot of leftover Christmas cake, panettone and chocolates so not expecting any weight loss yet, but once I get through this weekend I’ll tone down the sugary snacks intake too.
Today is day 7! That’s almost a quarter of the way through.

@TheElusivePotato it could be all the sugary foods that contribute to headache? Once I cut those out, I felt much better. Keep me updated if you notice your skin improving. I also cut out caffeine. I can feel after drinking it my face feels itchy.