Dry January - a month off the booze - anyone want to join me?

[Doshusallie]

I am determined to do this - I drink most days, it's become a habit, just a glass or two, more at weekends, but really want to give myself an extended break.

The worst time of day for me is between 6-8 pm, before we eat. So am going to try and eat earlier and it would be great if I could come on here and get some support about that time of day!

does anybody want to have a dry January with me?

And yes I do have a hangover today

I think I might cave tonight. Friends coming for dinner and dh just came home with lots of nice wine

I've been dry since Jan 6th and hoping to keep it up till Feb 14th. I can honestly say I'm not missing it that much - I think because it's January and all the cold and dark make my bed a more inviting proposition, so I'm getting lots of early nights.

I get up every morning at 7 thinking 'ugh, this is horrible, but it would be so much MORE horrible if I'd had too much wine last night'.

Not sure I'd be able to do it at a pleasanter time of year, mind you. (And I am eating too much crap so not noticing a particular weight loss effect.)

Walked past a few pubs tonight and thought how nice if would be to sit and get slowly fuzzy until it didn't feel cold anymore

But I get paid at the end of next week so I'm skint and can't afford to go to the pub anyway!

Feeling reassured that others are struggling this weekend. I've sort of forgotten why I'm doing it now and nearly caved with a coffee and baileys earlier.
Money saving is good and having a clear head in the morning is another plus. I like wine though....I want a glass!

Another one struggling here........lots of teen meltdowns this weekend that would usually have me opening the fridge...but I have resisted. I have seriously overdone the coffee today and now I can feel my heart racing!! Java Lava!!
Stick with it everyone. The sense of achievement will be great. (I'm trying to convince myself here!!)

Glitch I nearly had a Baileys coffee the other day by accident!

I'm still glad we are doing this though!

Hi all,
Its so reassuring to know that I am not the only one who is struggling a little... glitch I feel the same I have kind of forgotten why I am doing this! Having said that, i've had my ginger cordial and lady grey tea and am now tucked up in bed watching take me out and have no interest in wine! Glad I didn't crumble last night!

Well done all! I shall toast us all on my night out on Feb 1st

EMERGENCY!!!! Support needed!!!
DH has brought home a bottle of red to go with the joint of beef in the oven...it's snowing and I WANT SOME!!!!

Now that is a tough challenge. Are you still resisting? Do you have anything else nice to drink in the house that isn't alcohol?
How nice a bottle of red is it? Could you promise yourself a far nicer one if you make it to the end of the month? (Personally I would rather wait for a really really nice bottle than any old red)

Just eaten the dinner- delicious but my god that was hard!. Still is as bottle is now open and I can smell it!!! Down to earth with a bump after call from boss head teacher to discuss whether we will open tomorrow- we will and I will have to be in school extra early to help admin man the phones............clear head needed. Disaster averted.
Just off to find some pomegranate and fizzy water.
Thanks for the support Glitch!!!

Well done Spud I'm impressed. I made beef bourguignon for dinner - used a whole bottle of wine - the smell was heavenly. Not long to go now, one more weekend and we're nearly done! I have lost 8.5lb since 1 Jan.

8lb wow well done!

Well done resisting, tough one and so mean of dh spud.

So countdown begins... 11 days to go.

I have to confess I had a couple of small white wines in the pub earlier.

I agree that the novelty is starting to wear off!

Will pledge not to drink any thing else till feb now (have a night out on the 1st).

Well done on resisting spud. And brilliant weight loss Snowkey!

I ran a half marathon today, so had a good reason not to drink this weekend despite spending a fair amount of time in bars/restaurants before and after running .

Still on the wagon, but agree twinkle the novelty is definately wearing off! Never mind about the wine, no harm done. Atleast the habit is broken, I am not thinking about wine unless work stress triggers it. Need to keep on top of that. Lost NO weight, feel a bit silly that I have let myself eat like a horse when i could have really made the most of the reduction in calories....

Tuffin I only lost one pound last year when we did this. This year I was determined to make full use of it to recover from Christmas.

Am definitely starting to think more and more about next Friday, yep novelty has worn off, determination hasn't yet!

I don't think I've lost any weight either, despite kicking booze, chocolate and coffee (and the milk that goes with a large latte every morning) this month AND exercising/shredding most days. Sigh.

I only started on the 12th, so I haven't had the suffering of many on here, but it still has been a struggle at times. I have had to avoid being in certain situations usually would involve booze.

Roll on Feb!

Shredded I have gone a bit hardcore on the diet front for most people's taste. I went cold turkey on sugar on Christmas Day - that's how bad it was, I'd had enough of my inability to control sugar intake. I do the 5:2 fasting, and I don't eat much starchy carbs - a few small roast potatoes once a week. But I eat loads of nice cheeses, hams, fry ups, I don't tend to overeat on the savoury. And I run 3-5 times a week. All that combined with the lack of alcohol meant the scales just had to move. Apart from the alcohol, will easily continue with it all in Feb, as long as I stay off sugar I'll be able to maintain.

10 days to go!

My scales havent moved that much, about 2 lb( i only needed to loose 7lb) But i have lost a lot of the middle fat. I have a feeling its turned to muscle.

It's the improvements in my skin that has been the most suprising and that is what will make me limit my consumption going forward.

I have cut the caffiene down a lot ( two cups tea a day now)

I might cut the carbs a bit next month ( i love carbs)

I think it's about a better balance for me.

Well done to all.

Yes, well done everyone....at least it's not too long to go now - ten days....

Yes, I think it seems as if we've all gained positives from doing this which hopefully we'll take forward into the rest of the year....

I feel guilty about yesterday - I should have resisted!

Sometimes these things happen....don't beat yourself up about it....think this is the time when we are all vulnerable to the lure of a glass of vino...

It was the lovely warm pubs... The way they looked against the snowy background... So inviting!

That does sound nice Twinkle, must admit a glass of wine would have gone down very well after a day of sledging.