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.

When I went dry a few months ago, I felt the benefits in the first week. My eyes and skin were the first things I noticed. By the end of the month I had lost a stone (even though the first week I treated myself to some delicious chocolate etc trrats)

I'm struggling now as I'm preparing dinner and would normally have a glass of wine doing so. I'm going to replace it with some Schloer have dinner and try and distract myself with a hot shower.

Almost at the close of day 2 and feeling ok. I’m trying to be as kind to myself as possible.
I agree - it’s getting through this first weekend that will be the challenge.

I’m in for dry January. This is my third year doing it & I sort of look forward to it now after the excesses of Christmas & New Year.
Some nice alternative drinks I have used are, M&S apple mango & passionfruit, alcohol free lagers with a dash of lemonade & a slice of lime. I’m going to try some new ones this year so if anything is ok I will post it here.
Would love to hear about anyone else’s alcohol free recommendations.

I drink Appletise or Elderflower cordial and sparkling water. I know they are sugary but I think my body is craving the sugar!

Me too need some good alternatives that don't feel like I'm being deprived. Alcohol free wine just feels like I'm having cheapy Tesco value choc when I'm expecting Cadburys

really spicy fizzy ginger. Scours the back of your throat but seems to kill the desire for wine quite well.

really spicy fizzy ginger. Scours the back of your throat but seems to kill the desire for wine quite well.

Am having a tonic water with ice & a slice, to be honest I'm not missing the gin at all

I've done 3 times (dry Jan) in the last 6 years. The worst January was one that had five weekends due to when NYE fell. I found it really hard.

However, there was a third of a bottle of wine left in the fridge and I'm proud of myself that I tipped it down the sink.

I usually drink Shloer in a wine glass .. just to fool myself. Doesn't work of course but I've managed it before, and I'll do it again!

Waking up to day 3 - had a much better night's sleep last night. I agree with pp re alcohol aggravating the hot flushes.

Well done everyone on getting through day 2, I found that once the crisis time of 6:30pm meal cooking time was over then I was ok last night. I did go to bed at about 8.30/9 though as was shattered (had a busy day yesterday).

Day 2 has been ok..there was a moment earlier when I really fancied a glass of wine (and we have lots left from Xmas), but I went for a run instead (first one in 2 months..it was brutal), and I didn't fancy a drink after that.

2 days down, only 29 to go!

Day two of no alcohol for me to. I have M&S botanical non alcoholic G&T which is rather nice.

Hi all. I've done Dry January and Sober October for a couple of years now. All good. DH struggles but managed Sober October and is joining me for this. He's the bad influence here!

I'm trying to lose some weight. I took up running a few years ago and I know my times would be better if I wasn't carrying a few extra pounds. I'm trying to do low carbs so the booze is out.

Good luck everyone!

Day 2 done! It's 5pm/6pm that's the worst time for me, sorting dinner and the kids are in their witching hour and I often have a glass of wine on the go while I'm in the kitchen. If I can get to 7pm then I find the craving has often passed and I can take it or leave it. The weekend will be difficult too, it's just become such a habit to open a bottle of wine on a Friday and Saturday night.

On a positive note, I've made a small start on a much needed decluttering and have already set aside a bag of clothes for charity. If I could do 30 mins of this every evening instead of sitting down with a glass of wine, my house will soon be looking much better and I feel my mind will be clearer too!

Well done everyone!! Someone mentioned an alcohol feee red wine that's better than the real thing?!! Any real life tasters?

not ragmayo but im going to get some of if.

i linked the website further upthread. they also tested rose and white and non alcoholic gin and rum.

the red wine came out tops and so did a certain mixed g&t and rum&coke which are all non alcoholic.

im definitely going to track them down. im on tonic here sans gin. x

Hello, can I join again? This will be my 4 th Dry January - I'll have to scroll back through and see if I recognise any names from years yore!!! We called ourselves the Penguins as we all huddled together on the ice and supported eachother. In my experience threads like this help a lot.

Anyway, just marking my place and waving hello. All good here so far!

I've just downloaded some of the Annie Grace This Naked Mind podcasts. Have to do some driving today so planning on listening to them in the car. Anyone else listened to them?

I know my trigger points and there's going to be two big ones coming up! Friday and Saturday night!

Fridays we always crack open the wine and then often go up the pub. I'm thinking I just won't go to the pub.
Saturday, I always cook something special. I love faffing about in the kitchen, rubbish on TV, glass of wine in hand. All that has to change and it's the pre-dinner drinks that are my favourite. Once I get to the meal on the table stage, I'm over the worst

11pm here and I have done 3 days! Cannot remember when I last went 3 days without a drink - very pleased

Well done FiveShelties, I'm now in bed after Day 3 done and dusted. Have horrendous headache which may be down to being on the beach all day (40 bloody degrees) or more likely the wine eeking out of my system.

There’s a Penguin thread. I didn’t open it to see what it’s about.

I've been drinking a Robinson's squash, pear and elderberry. Nice with lime and lemonade added