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Original poster

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

630 replies

Doshusallie · 01/01/2013 14:54

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 Grin

OP posts:
Snowkey · 01/02/2013 06:25

Well it's over! I've lost just under 10lbs and I've gained a sore throat, am thinking a glass of the strong stuff will help;)

We're wetting the glass at a local pub today, over lunch. Steak & chips for dinner with a big glass of red! Oh the joy.

Thank you for your company this January - don't think I'll make it back for June but I'll definitely be here again after Christmas begging to be detoxed and set free from over consumption and greed. Grin

Snowkey · 01/02/2013 06:31

Gazza I do 5:2. There's no investment, no contract, no money needed, you just don't eat. Tell your DW to give it a try, if it doesn't work out for her, she's lost nothing. There's a very long thread on the subject on the Slimming forum. I've had my ups and downs with it, dh finds it easier but we both want the health benefits - and we find it very easy to maintain our weight while we are on it without thinking about limiting our food too much on feed days.

glitch · 01/02/2013 08:23

Wow, it's the 1st! Well done everyone. We did it Grin
Twinklestar, how is the not smoking going? Still getting on OK?
Matilda, you brave lady you, no caffeine? I don't think I could go there, no tea??? Grin Good luck to you.
Happy Belated birthday Neither Shredding, enjoy your celebrating this weekend.
So what are the plans today for everyone? Diving back in straight away or easing back in gradually?
I'm going for the slow approach. I may save drinking until I have company, which means next Friday for me. In fact that is a good idea, I will have a no solitary drinking February I think.
Thanks Dosh for starting this thread, even though you didn't make it to the end.

twinklestar2 · 01/02/2013 09:09

Glitch I'm still not smoking :)

NeitherShreddedNorSmug · 01/02/2013 12:14

Well done twinklestar2!

Well done on the weight loss Snowkey. I'm tempted to try 5:2 in Feb.

glitch - I'm waiting until tomorrow, when I visit DH in our new home (I'm working overseas for a couple of months). When I spoke to him on Weds he said he was having a few days off drinking in preparation for my arrival Confused. I'm going to try to limit it to weekends while I'm with him, and will go back on the waggon when I'm back here on my own in 2 weeks.

gazzalw · 01/02/2013 17:18

Hurrah and even though I've had the day off we haven't had a glass of anything alcoholic...

Almostfifty · 01/02/2013 22:32

I have. It took most of the first drink to wonder why I'd bothered.

gazzalw · 02/02/2013 07:59

hope no-one's woken up with a hangover this morning......;-(

Yes, I think we're with you Glitch....only high days and holidays and special occasions....

Good luck to everyone - hope 2013 proves to be a positive year for everyone...

Will check in every so often. I really think we might make this a June and November thing too...

twinklestar2 · 02/02/2013 10:45

I had a couple of glasses of wine and a glass of champers intertwined with lots of water. Head feels ok this morning.

How about everyone else?

NeitherShreddedNorSmug · 02/02/2013 10:46

I was on an overnight flight, so stuck with water and juice. But will be raising a small glass to all of us this evening if I last that long

twinklestar2 · 02/02/2013 10:49

Just remembered I also had a Baileys coffee Grin

Ruprekt · 02/02/2013 10:51

I managed Dry January and am now heading to Dry February!

Don't miss it at all.

Didn't post here much as I got involved in the Low Carb thread and have lost a stone since 7 January. Am very pleased.

Here's to No More Hangovers!

twinklestar2 · 02/02/2013 11:59

Well done on the weight loss Ruprekt. Fab result.

ImNotDrunkIJustCantType · 02/02/2013 12:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gazzalw · 03/02/2013 11:45

Hope you're feeling better today ImNotDrunkIJustCan'tType! Nothing like a bad hangover to put you off drinking ;-)

Well I had some bad news yesterday. Ironically because I've kept away from going to the pub I missed finding out a friend had died ;-(....So I cracked open a bottle of wine in his memory... Second 'drinking' friend whose died ahead of his time in the past year. DW commented that perhaps it's the drinking and smoking that is the reason why they've died ahead of time...

Anyway back on the wagon now....

glitch · 03/02/2013 12:26

Sorry about your friend Gazzalwa.
I'mnotdrunk, hope you are feeling OK today.

I think I could be joining most of you on a dry Feb. The wine in the fridge called me last night so I had a glass, then my stop drinking button failed on me and so I drank 2 more glasses. Rotten nights sleep, rotten mood this morning. Shouting at dogs, shouting at DS, shouting at anything that moves basically. Not sure I want to feel like this so a lesson learned I think. I knew alcohol made me feel crappy the next day but I hadn't realised just what an impact it has on my mood.

twinklestar2 · 03/02/2013 13:09

So sorry to hear about your friend gazza.

I went out for dinner last night and had a glass of wine which I didn't finish and I asked my friend to buy me a cranberry juice and he stuck a double vodka in it! So I added a big glass of pomegranate juice to it to dilute it. I also smoked half a cigarette, it was enough to give me a head rush and think it was gross.

No drinking now until at a friends on 16th.

Matildaduck · 03/02/2013 16:14

Sorry about your friend.

I had two glasses on friday and didn't really enjoy it!? Felt drunk and didn't sleep that well. Woke up groggy.

Last night i went out and drank soft drinks...felt good this morning.

I'm confused i thought i would be desperate to drink...i'm not.

gazzalw · 03/02/2013 17:59

Thanks everyone...very sad...

However don't think the wine did anything except make me feel sadder so will be resisting again!

Also I'm actually enjoying spending my hard-earned cash on other things...it's been a bit of an eye-opener in that respect.

Yes, I think we're all beginning to realize that alcohol is not such an attractive proposition after all...

twinklestar2 · 03/02/2013 19:48

Gazza - the wine exacerbated the no baby issue for me on Tuesday. Made me realise I don't want to get drunk again.

tribpot · 03/02/2013 19:57

Just popped back in to see how people were finding the end of dry January. My cousin is similar to many of you - had a couple of glasses of wine on Saturday, felt like shite and is now back on the dry/low alcohol February route!

Keep up the good work ...

twinklestar2 · 03/02/2013 20:31

Trib - I think we are all finding that its just not worth it!

tribpot · 03/02/2013 20:36

Well, yes - I'm trying not to be too zealous about the whole thing as I am in recovery so 'dry January' is all year round for me Grin

I totally recommend a good month off the booze to anyone, though - I think if you do it mindfully and use it to look at what you do and don't like about drinking it can get you to a much better relationship with alcohol. It would have made sod all difference to me, incidentally, but that's another story!

NeitherShreddedNorSmug · 04/02/2013 00:23

Sorry to hear about your friend gazza.

So I had some white wine and some red wine last night with dinner. I enjoyed it, but could have taken or left it. DH kept trying to top my glass up and I kept asking him not to - I think know when I don't drink it makes him think about his own drinking.

I was tired and groggy this morning, but that could have been the jet lag.

Back on water this evening, and for the rest of the week.

gazzalw · 04/02/2013 07:38

Thanks everyone...

Tribpot, I really admire you...I commented to DW that it seemed bad enough (initially) giving it up for a month let alone trying to keep to it forever! Yikes...Thanks for your support.

Oh dear NeitherShreddedNorSmug hope you are feeling better today?