would anyone like to try a dry January with me?

[coppercolouredtop]

i really struggle with not drinking daily.

i have tried before and cheated. my dp hates how much i drink and i would like to try and see if i can do a month without and see if it breaks the habit a bit.

i can easily sink a bottle of wine plus a cocktail and still want more. i go two days without simply because i work nights two days a week.

i am getting fat. i am choosing drink over food. i am reliant on treating myself with alcohol almost daily.

i can give up anything else really easily - smoking? stopped with no help when i decided to stop.
put a box of chocolates in front of me and i can take a couple and leave the rest.
open a bottle of wine and its gone. and i want more and i dont get hangovers so there is no incentive to stop!
ive gained 6lb recently and i know its booze - dp and i used to work same hours and i moderated a bit better when he was around but now im not.
i know he hates what i drink and the annoying bint i become after the third glass.
i have lost motivation to do anything. i dont get up early. i cant be arsed to do much anymore ( i know i am depressed which doesnt help. and i think i depress the people around me)
despite being quite outgoing and bubbly i have no friends and no social life. my kids are grown up and dont see me much. i moved to a village i dont know 4 years ago and know not a soul. i also got pregnant which i was ecstatic about but then found the baby had a disability that would have been life altering for me and her, but i always felt being a mum kept me going and motivated and now my life feels completely empty and hollow. im in a job i hate. with a partner who doesnt like spending much time with me. my kids are gone, i have no friends here and alcohol fills the gaps.

ive decided to try and get to grips with that one problem and bin the booze for a month to see if it makes any difference to anything. (waist line would be good!) i never used to drink like this.. (though i did smoke about 3 cigarettes a day)

does anyone relate? anyone fancy giving this a go and supporting each other? im going to find it extremely difficult but i want to try it.

I have no off switch.

And I get less and less responsible and make worse choices. So I might think twice about the first glass, but I won't think once about the third!

Sorry to everyone losing their jobs.

Sorry to hear that oldowlgirl, what a horrible time of year January is.

Yes, my off switch is wonky too!

My DH's hobby is wine so I have no choice but to be surrounded in the stuff. He orders it by the case so there's no avoiding it here! However, I'm still going on... last tricky night tonight, and I woke with what I would class as the mother of all hangovers this morning - all while drinking elderflower cordial. Not fair!

Thanks @Roussette I'm trying to keep things in context & realising there are a lot of people going through far worse than me. Feel like shit today though from the wine, so will try to go back to not drinking again for a while!

For all those who have stayed strong, not long to go now!

Hi all

oldowlgirl I'm sorry about your job (and hangover) it totally sucks.

It was Australia Day here yesterday, we went to a bbq and I took along some AF sparkling chardonnay. My friend who works for a large wine company found it all v interesting as we (us non-drinkers) are a large emerging market for her company. However the wine was pretty rank (like sweet expensive grape juice) and I felt like the boring one at a party of laughing pissed people.

I had to get up at 5.30 this morning to take dd to sport so it's now 8am on Sat morning, I have done the ironing, done a load of washing watched an episode of Tidying up with Marie Kondo (now that's a boring program!) and am ready to go back to bed.

I do feel great though, boring but great.

Oh and my hair is SHINEY - has anyone else noticed an improvement in their hair?

mine is still unplesantly dry grumbles

I have given up on 0% wine. The beers can be lovely but the wine, no.

Only 4 days to go and tbh it's gone so well that I think I might try 60, with one day off for a whiskey tasting that's been booked a while. Just feel so so much better overall that I kinda want to hang onto that feeling, even though I miss a nice red.

I have stuck it out but my god am I looking forward to a g&t on Friday.

I got given some beautiful G&T glasses for Christmas and they've had nothing in yet, so I am promising myself one on Friday! I am going to carry on with no alcohol during the week - that's the best I can do!

SeaEagle I'm going to try for 60 days too, and have just marked April 11th in my calendar for 100 day . . . not gonna make any promises to myself but am going to make it a quiet aim.

Rousette congratulations on DJ, enjoy the G&T!

Thanks Cecilia and good luck to you with 11th April. That would be some achievement!

I also got given some craft/artisan small bottles of gin for Christmas... as yet untouched, so that's what's going in the glass!

Well done everyone who's done DJ, even if there's been a couple of blips. According to the DJ app, I've saved myself nearly 5,000 calories this month - shame I've eaten more and lost the benefit of that! I've been incredibly hungry this month.

Well almost there! Can't say I'm not looking forward to Friday evening with some family over for a very large glass or Pinot
I didn't drink anything different, tea in the day and water the rest of the time as per usual and also ate healthily. Had a dental abscess and rotten cold through it all so will be pleased to get January out of the way, it's been a long long month

I have cut back and I must say I feel better. Its tough going though!

I'm still going, and intend to continue into Feb as I feel so much better! Sleeping at night is far better than it was and I have to say I feel more alive. I've saved over 6000 calories and that can only be a good thing. Well done everyone!

My January hasn’t been perfect but a massive change to my normal drinking habits. It’s DPs birthday at the weekend so will probably drink then but after that I’d like to stay dry in the main.

I’m still finding I get very bored and irritable between 5 and 8pm though. Does that ever stop? Or does anyone have any advice on how to get over it?

good job orange, it's been a challenge hasn't it?

The first time I did it I was drinking a bottle a night and Dry Jan was incredibly hard. Now my drinking is a fraction of what it was and this DJ was the easiest yet. It does get better, if you keep going!

I’m still finding I get very bored and irritable between 5 and 8pm though. Does that ever stop? Or does anyone have any advice on how to get over it?

I bought fancy wool and circular needles.

I can't drink Friday because I'm cabin camping with a bunch of foster children Back late Saturday so might just write off this weekend. Maybe I'll turn into one of those people who is all like "just a small one" at Christmas.

I’m still finding I get very bored and irritable between 5 and 8pm though. Does that ever stop? Or does anyone have any advice on how to get over it?

necking 0% beer or throat-scrubbingly harsh sparkly ginger drink; handling the kids; going out more in the evenings ...

whoa we almost made it! I'm gonna continue on but would love to read everyone's well earned tipsy messages tomorrow night

Well done everyone, no matter how many days you managed. Every little helps!

I've managed my 31 days so am pleased.

I have a dilemma..going to a friends house tomorrow evening for dinner with 2 other girlfriends, and there will be an abundance of wine.

I can't decide if I should:

a. not drink - could drive over there, take one of my posh non-alco drinks with me, drive home and not feel rough on saturday (have a Pilates class at 9.15am)
b. Drive over there..have one drink, then non-alco for the rest of evening. Drive home.
c. Walk over (15 min walk), have a few drinks, get an uber home

I know when I get there and the girls are on the wine I'll REALLY want some...but on the other hand I am proud of my DJ achievement and kind of want to keep going..but LOVE wine too..auugh!

I also don't want to feel shite on Saturday as I haven't drunk all month and so any I have will prob have an effect. My horrible hangovers/low moods have been a big part of me wanting to cut right down on the booze.

Any advice oh wise ones??

tbh dave I'd say stay dry. That feeling of wellbeing is just fantastic and it's amazing how quickly wine saps it

But maybe one glass, if you can stop at that? (I wouldnt be able to!)

Stay dry. I run Saturday mornings and even a couple of drinks... yuk.

Yes you're both wise and sensible!

@SeaEagleFeather I can't do 'just one glass' easily either..once I get a taste for it, I want the whole bloody bottle!

I just KNOW I'm going to want to drink when I see them all tucking in though, especially with a nice dinner

sympathies ... Im going out tonight and theyóll have Glühwine ... argg!

Dave I know what I'd do if it were me and it'd involve an Uber

I'm proud I've managed 31 days but I'm buggered if I'm not having a drink tomorrow night. I feel I've done what I set out to achieve - reset my drinking. I shan't have any Sunday-Thursday any more but I never intended to become teetotal....

Also, I'm not sure but I think I may have eaten more which I can't afford to do!

Hope you enjoy your night Dave whatever you do!

Hey - other DJ'ers - just popping over from the other thread to say congrats to everyone who made it. Well done to all!

Well done everyone - I didn't quite manage it but still happy with my efforts!