Dry Jan 2026- anyone care to join in?

[BigButtons]

Since there doesn’t seem to be a dedicated dry Jam thread I thought I would start one and see if I get any company.
I so need this. Drinking has made me feel sluggish, anxiety ridden and awful. I remembered how great I felt doing it last year but slipped back into old habits far too easily.

Day 3 here too but the question is, what to drink? I tried 0% Madri and found that upset my stomach. AF Rekorderlig is too sweet. Any other ideas please.

For beer I like Corona Cero. I would drink the proper one on holiday, I had a couple today, thought it was ok and cheaper than the proper stuff.

Hi DJers, glad to hear some of you are feeling benefits already, I too am very hungry, sleeping better already though. Feel so tired in the evenings without my wine buzz. Lots of early nights for me.

I enjoy the AF kopperberg in a wine glass.

I really fancieda wine tonight and almost gave in but didnt. I reminded myself it was purely a wine craving nothing else. I also reminded myself of the calories saved. I am aiming to lose 8 pounds by the end of jan through a combination of no alcohol, a healthy diet and lots of walking and workouts. Hopefully its achievable as I feel so fat.

Hi ill join too please, there's another similar I've joined today but good to support and be supported as much as possible. Im doing it as I've got GAD and OCD and often use wine as a means to put my bad thoughts aside, this is where im struggling. Bad thoughts are particularly bad right now as would usually drink on a weekend to try and forget them!

I like ginger themed infusions for the evening - this one currently;

https://www.pukkaherbs.com/uk/en/products/three-ginger-tea

I’m not keen on fruit teas either. Peppermint tea is also quite good imo.

I had a can of this. I’m not keen on sweet drinks. This was nice and sharp.

I’m in please. Day 3 complete and apart from struggling to go to sleep it’s been fine. I had wine 350 odd days of last year and need to break the cycle. DH doesn’t want to cut down so I’m on my own. If I can do dry Jan then I’ll see how long I can keep going. It’s just become a ridiculous habit at home. Ironically I don’t drink socially as I’m usually driving, just at home. I want to get back to the point where I feel a buzz from that first drink; at the moment I’m not getting that, so it’s definitely time for a reset. Hopefully I’ll lose a few pounds too!

Hi can I join too? Day 3 and I am really missing a glass of wine or 2 or 3 tonight especially whilst watching The Traitors. I don't think I have ever not drunk on a Friday or Saturday night!! My kids don't think I will last but I am determined to do it. I think it is more habit than anything but I have about 10 bottles of wine in stock so it would be so easy to just crack a bottle open!

That would be even harder if they're in stock!

Hello! I’ll join too - every year I do it and I love it/hate it! Have done all the quit lit and O ficking hate it - makes me want to drink more!!! But I’ve learned to feel less annoyed about it. Still I’m excited to feel better for a few weeks, it does me the power of good to take a break from it all. Good luck everyone!

Guinness Draft Zero v nice ( drop of blackcurrant a pleasant addition x)

Love all these drink recommendations. Agree about Guinness draft.a couple of DJ ago I had to go to my Dad's 80th birthday, big event, lots of emotions. Had about 6 pints of it! Really felt like I was properly drinking. Def my pub recommendation. The choice of AF stuff is so good now. When I think about the Becks Blue limitations of pregnancy a decade ago.

Have had such vivid dreams last couple of nights so I looked it up, its called REM rebound where your body makes up for the lack of quality sleep you've had when drinking and you have more REM cycles for a while to repay the sleep debt. Evens out after a couple of weeks apparently.

I’m in. I have a bottle of wine a night habit. Numbing boredom and stress. My only night off is Monday, which strangely never bothers me at all. I’m also a binger and can be horrible when drunk. But my biggest concern is the blackouts. I routinely can’t remember the tv programmes I’ve watched or conversations I’ve apparently been fully involved in. Terrifying. I’m on a big holiday later this month but would like to make it till then at least.

Struggling a bit as I knew I would. I tend to be a negative thinker so get into a habit of thinking how hard something is going to be before it’s even happening. Usually a Sunday is a big roast with family over. DM is going to be AF too, which is supportive, but DH will be sloshing the red about which will not help. he is not known for his empathy.

be easier when we get into the weekdays I hope, as I find it easier to think that almost all my work colleagues don’t drink on ‘school nights’ and I need to not drink when driving early in the mornings. Weekends are so hard though!

It’s making evenings seem a bit ‘flat’ I’m finding, so my usual cooking and a glass of wine about 6pm is just plain old boring cooking.

Hello - can I join you? Also on the 100 days thread but not sure if I’m committed to abstaining for that long. I have completed DJ for the last few years but I slip back into my bad habits. I am never drunk but DH and I drink a bottle of red an evening far too often. I am currently in the not able to sleep phase of quitting. I have problems with insomnia anyway as a peri symptom and I think I am using alcohol to get to sleep - if I’ve had a drink I drop off no problem but then am often awake 3 am. Now I can’t get to sleep either! My alarm went off 7am this morning as my son needed a lift and I am hanging!

Day 4 and the sun is shining. Supposed to be doing a cold water dip today in the sea but it is baltic! I think I'll chicken out.
Keep going on the DJ everyone. We're half way through the first week already.

I came very close to drinking something yesterday. I was ratty and tense. Hadn’t eaten enough and am also tapering off nicotine. I felt utterly miserable. Had some food and AF lager instead/
There thought of coming in here and saying I had fallen off the wagon helped my resolve.
Saturday night is always awful.
sleep is a bit better I think/
Hope you all managed ok last night.
welcome to all the new people🥰

@BigButtons Well done for keeping strong! I too felt ratty last night so decided to eat and eat 😂
Hey you know what, we are doing it
4th day bring it on!
Good luck all

@BigButtons that's a lot of pressure to quit smoking and drinking but clever too as I know when I smoked, I definitely smoked more when drinking

I'd love to join! Do it every year and usually manage about half the month. Started yesterday I earnest. My drinking varies from 4 days off on a good week with close to a bottle of wine each day of the weekend. But I've hardly had a day off since November. I desperately need to lose about a stone and as I'm 57 and have been drinking since my twenties, I definitely want to make changes as I can't go on like this forever!

I would love to join too... I have been watching this thread for the last few days.. I am a bottle of wine a night drinker and need to set a better example to my kids and feel healthier. My wine o clock has dangerously crept up and up and I am utterly fed up of drinking now 🤪

On day 4 and feeling crappy but I know it's the withdrawals and am determined to push through.

Good luck, we've got this!