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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think dry January is a waste if you're going to eat a takeaway!

62 replies

VillaMaria71 · 07/01/2023 23:22

If the end goal is to lose weight. I haven't drunk since NYE. Been very hard as I really like wine (hence my name) last weekend a Chinese was the only thing I had to look forward to and I didn't feel guilty as I had stopped drinking. However now I'm on the 2nd weekend and have just devoured another takeaway. I'm now thinking isurely if I didn't have the takeaway and had half a bottle of wine and a sandwich this would be more beneficial to losing weight? Aibu?

OP posts:
PuppyMonkey · 07/01/2023 23:25

I don’t think Dry January is primarily about losing weight, it’s about cutting down on alcohol.Confused

Peridot1 · 07/01/2023 23:26

Exactly. For most people it’s about having a break from alcohol. And a lot of people end up eating quite a lot of sugar instead as the body craves it.

Bunce1 · 07/01/2023 23:27

Well there are lots of calories in a takeaway but also some nutritional benefits.

drinking half a bottle of wine has no nutritional benefit and apart from feeling nice it doesn’t have any other benefits.

If you want to loose weight then a healthy balanced diet with take always and alcohol are fine in moderation.

TheMightyOak · 07/01/2023 23:27

YABU the aim is to cut out alcohol and if you lose a bit of weight in the process then that's a bonus.

XenoBitch · 07/01/2023 23:30

YABU
The people who lose weight when cutting out drink were drinking far too much to start with. There is something like 600 calories in a bottle of wine.
People also do Dry Jan to benefit their overall health, not just to lose weight.

Sparklesocks · 07/01/2023 23:33

I don’t know anyone who does dry January to lose weight. It’s normally because they overindulged with booze over December and want a break, maybe to save a bit of cash too.

Whyisitsososohard · 07/01/2023 23:41

But the point of dry January for many isn't to lose weight.

In your particular circumstance you can build takeaways in to a calorie deficit, it much easier to do this if you're not allowing for alcohol calories.

BigSkies2022 · 08/01/2023 00:10

I found that by giving up booze, my metabolism sort of reset itself, and I lost weight (about 8kg) without particularly reducing my calorie intake. I was more active and my eating just sort of stabilised around better habits. If Dry January helps move you on to not drinking longer-term, you might find the same effect. But 31 days of not drinking, if you are still 'compensating' for not drinking with treat food, probably won't have much impact.

Miala · 08/01/2023 00:15

You have a plan, just stick with it. Maybe get a supermarket pizza in the freezer for next weekend.

Also would you actually have half the bottle of white, or would you have half and then the other half?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 08/01/2023 00:16

But you might otherwise have had the takeaway and the wine! So more calories. Plus alcohol does make your crave more fatty foods.

I always end up drinking not much in January but only done dry Jan a few times. I don’t really drink day to day though, not at home really, and there are usually few social events in Jan, so end up not drinking much. Was at a celebration today as it happened but driving so again didn’t drink. Has a nice time though.

LikeAStar1994 · 08/01/2023 00:47

Dry January is about giving up alcohol. Not takeaways Confused

Bonjovispyjamas · 08/01/2023 01:16

As others have said, weight loss is not what dry January is about. I'm doing it because of all the over indulging over Christmas (a lot of very strong homemade cocktails) so giving my body a break.

BloomingXmas · 08/01/2023 01:30

I’m doing dry January for two reasons. Firstly to cut down on alcohol, i really overindulged in December. And secondly, I’m trying to give up smoking, I don’t want use vapes or ecigs. Alcohol and cigarettes go hand-in-hand so I’m not drinking for at least 4 weeks to give myself the best chance.
I don’t know anyone who does dry January to lose weight

RedAndBlueStripedGolfingUmbrella · 08/01/2023 01:42

TheMightyOak · 07/01/2023 23:27

YABU the aim is to cut out alcohol and if you lose a bit of weight in the process then that's a bonus.

This

RicherThanYews · 08/01/2023 01:49

I'm in recovery (3 year chip) so I'm having 14 takeaways this month on account of my sober superiority 😉

NuffSaidSam · 08/01/2023 01:52

I think if you want to lose weight then replacing alcohol calories with food calories is pointless, yes.

But that's not what dry January is about.

millerpie · 08/01/2023 02:03

Yeah I don’t think that’s what dry January means to most people.

MarieKlepto · 08/01/2023 02:18

Depending on the takeaway, and the sandwich, half a bottle of wine and a sandwich could be about the same in terms of calories as the takeaway alone. If you are a eater if you have a drink then yeah, I can see how it may make a difference (no burning desire to get through a six-pack of crisps and a Domino's after a few wines).

Bottom line though, you may shift a few pounds by cutting out the empty alcohol calories but as others have said, the real meaning of Dry January is to reset your relationship with alcohol.

Aprilx · 08/01/2023 02:29

Yep, you have completely misunderstood what dry january is about.

aonbharr · 08/01/2023 02:30

look at it this way, you'd have your wine and a sandwich and then get the takeaway anyway the next day. Because you'll want the salt or not want the hassle of cooking for yourself after drinking the night before, so you have still won on the weight front. You can still lose weight having one takeaway a week, just don't go mad on what you order.

CelestiaNoctis · 08/01/2023 02:32

If you lose weight from not drinking for 1 month you're an alcoholic.

WandaWonder · 08/01/2023 02:35

Dry January is about alcohol not food I thought

MrsTerryPratchett · 08/01/2023 02:50

CelestiaNoctis · 08/01/2023 02:32

If you lose weight from not drinking for 1 month you're an alcoholic.

Yeah, this isn't true. Alcohol is dead calories. So if you eat a completely balanced diet, with alcohol on top, you'll gain. And many people find that when they drink they make poorer food choices (has anyone ever eater a kebab shop kebab sober?).

It's also basically sugar, which makes you crave more sugar.

Saying that I have to do a lot more than give up booze to,lose!

quinceh · 08/01/2023 03:58

Agree with what others have said about DJ not usually being about weight loss, but if you ARE doing it to lose weight, or if you think weight loss will be a natural and pleasant by-product of abstinence, then yeah takeaways would be a bit counterproductive.

Shutthegatepeter · 08/01/2023 04:12

I’ve never heard of dry jan being about weight loss? It’s to cut out the units of alcohol. If you want to loose weight then you need to cut the calories and increase the exercise. Eat less, move more.