No alcohol in 2024

[Noalcohol2024]

I gave up alcohol for an entire year 10 years ago and I am going to challenge myself to do it again in 2024. Anyone want to join me? I won’t lie I found it really hard. However, it did help me reset my habitual drinking. I feel ready to do it again. If anyone else feels a year off alcohol is something they want to do then join me on January 1st. I am going to take the next few days being honest with myself and reflecting on why I feel this challenge is something I need to do. Anyone who starts on January 1st with me can include their reasons in the introduction (if they wish to). I have a big birthday this year so I know it will be a challenge on that day as-well as Christmas and New Year 2024 but I am determined.

The Gordons 0.0% is lovely.

Thanks @Sonnet and @whereaw. I have started a jigsaw to keep me busy in the evening.

@halfthesun i am also having crazy dreams - school, uni, past boyfriends all popping up!

Day 8 for me. Skin is dreadful, think it must be purging! Not sleeping great but my anxiety is no where near as bad as it was.

Really motivating to read about how well everyone is doing 😊

Apparently tomorrow (10th) is the day that most people give up on Dry January ..

That's weird @pavillion1 I wonder how they've worked that out? Id have thought it would be a Friday rather than a Tuesday...

I did a challenge last year called 101 tokens. It basically meant I could only drink alcohol on 101 days over the year - so about twice a week on average. I was probably drinking 3-4 days a week before that and every day when on holiday. I had no limit on how much I could drink when I used a token.

It was a challenge at times and took some planning, but I managed it and it did make me much more mindful of when I was going to drink (ie saving tokens for special occasions) and cutting out a lot of the week night drinking at home. I think I may do it again this year as not quite ready to give up alcohol completely!

@pavillion1 it's quite sad to think most adults can't go 10 days without alcohol... the type of world we have created, with alcohol being so central in it ... I wonder what we as children we of thought as we as adults. That we were mad I bet!
I was talking to my son about me and daddy stopping drinking and added up how much it would save a year and he said... so innocently... but .. but why didn't you do it before??

Good question 🧐

And 1 in 10 give up by the 3rd ... Thats even worse .. whats funny is that this is based on an American study so i bet the british are even worse .

My sleep was awful last night took me ages to go off and like others the most weird Dreams .. Im looking forward to sleeping better.
I do feel so much calmer in myself and thats nice .. Nothing is really winding me up .

I'm genuinely surprised to find my sugar cravings are off the scale as I've never really had a sweet tooth.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I’m sat with a big bar of dairy milk so that’s a yes.still on it though

The sugar consumption is off the chart 😳😳 i really need to get myself to the gym tomorrow.

@whereaw it is not just the money on the alcohol either for me it’s the added expense of nibbles and food to complement the wine too! I’ve not been to the shops for a while as being AF has resulted in me being content eating what I have in. However, if I was planning on opening a Chablis I would want some nice prawns, blinis, crab and smoked salmon from M & S to go with it which, would mean a trip to the shops and I would then buy more stuff.

Not wasting money anymore on mindless alcohol drinking is a big motivator for me.

The sparkling Vit-hit drinks are lovely. New discovery. My skin is also a bit blotchy but hopefully that will settle down. Went to yoga, now planning a light dinner, shower with the nice Christmas stuff and early night with my book. Saw a pair of jeans I like and saving them for the end of Jan when I see what's been saved by not buying alcohol. :)

I have bought an almost new juicer and am planning to try a new combo each evening to replace the vino. Will let you know how I get on!

I tell you one thing I have noticed. I breeze through my gym workouts now. On a Tuesday I would still be hanging out of my arse and sweat so much more.

I even managed over 30mins on the stairmaster. Jesus, alcohol is such a horrible poison on the body.

@rainbowbee , where do you get bit-hit from please? I'm all about fizzy water at the moment!

I hit 2 weeks today, and am feeling pretty good. I'm sleeping well and eating well (until night time and then I scoff chocolate but hey ho, better than guzzling a bottle of wine).

Just signing in to say day 6 completed and I’m in bed with a pint of water and my book!

a big yes to the sugar cravings too 🤦‍♀️

Im yet to try and AF alternatives but interesting to hear Gordon’s 0 is good as I was planning on trying that 😀

I’m drinking that boost squash.
So far, cravings aren’t that bad. Massive cravings for about 10 mins when I get home from work.
I had night sweats until day 4 (I’m on day 9 now). Skin is blotchy and I’m bloated. Definitely feel more alert at work though.

@Sonnet I too have come up to bed, browse on the iPad .
on day 8 tomorrow but the weekend will test my strength.
Really vivid dream last-night. Dreamt I was running away from danger with 2 yr grandson ….. I don’t have any grand children, woke up confused.
Hope the dreams settle down.

Hi folks. Well dome all for the successful abstinence so far.
I'd like to join too and am on day 8. I've tried doing Dry Jan before and lasted till 28th one time (!) and 18th the other.
I am determined to see it through this time and hopefully beyond too. I am absolutely sick of the effects drinking has on my life. I recently turned 40 and I've come to realise how much it has held me back in achieving things, and contributes to (causes?) a kind of constant low level anxiety.

I am really feeling the positive effects already - so much more on top of things, patient and present with my family, better sleep, less bloated, skin brighter. More self care.
I also eat better during the day, although definitely succumbing chocolate cravings in the evening.
I have had a few evenings where everything has felt a bit dull but I just try to go to bed and read and relax.
A daily yoga routine is also helping.

A lack of social life currently helps, I know I'll find it challenging when I meet up with friends etc but actually I'm starting to realise I don't have more fun when I drink..its just a habit, a deeply ingrained one.

Good luck on this journey, everyone. We can do it!
.

*Day 9 even! Started on New Year's Day.

My challenge will also be socially! I've been doing well so far but I'm not a daily drinker so haven't missed it much yet.
Its when I go out I cant just seem to have the one. It's all or nothing!

And I'm aiming for nothing!
I can't be doing with the hangovers that last 4 days anymore, the sickness, followed by the anxiety and the brain fog, the moods and irritability.

I want to feel like to I do now, all the time!
Calm, happy and content ❤️

@whereaw this paragraph in your post really resonated with me:

I'm excited to walk alongside my children and see the world with a clear head every day and find pleasure in what is real, rather than trying to numb it with some temporary fake pleasure that won't last and actually always brings with it tiredness, grogginess or depression in some way

So true! I've noticed this happening already. Just enjoying the present moment with a clear head.
Also freeing to not waste mental energy on thinking about whether ill have a drink, when I'll start..etc.etc..

I gave up for about ten years after a lifetime of pretty constant binge drinking. Then started again last year - just a glass of wine here and there - and things returned to binge status within a few months. I'm too old for this shit!
Gave up on 30 Dec so now about 10 days sober and oh my lord it's good to be back! Sleeping better. More energy. It is a poison!