Who's signing up for a "Dry January"?

CarolBT

Just found this thread, the month seems to be going quite quickly, and I am sleeping so well - I go for the fresh orange poured over diet tonic water, just one glass a day - cancer research is getting the cost of all the wine I would have bought.

Husband is sponsoring me £1 a day, and has now also promised me he would shave his horrible beard off if I last until the end of February - May be easier than I thought it would be, but I will wait and see.

He doesn't drink, but I am a large glass (or 2) of wine most nights woman.

purpleshoes_2

Becks blue and erdinger frei are both very nice.

hazyjo

I am starting to feel like I really fancy a drink. BUT managing to stay on the wagon.


If I can get through last Friday, I can get through anything. My belated work Christmas lunch. Me (legal sec) and 10 lawyers. There was Champagne, wine, sherry and shorts in the bar after. I had 3 glasses of tonic water and some water and a cuppa after dinner. Oh what joy.


Unless I think I'm going to die after drinking a lot the night before, there's no way I go out to something like that and not drink. It is very hard for me.


I have zero in common with any of them. They spent hours talking about running and marathons, cycling, fit-watches or whatever they're called, the gym, and skiing. Great. Also, most of them are in their 20s. I'm 44. I am the polar opposite to most of them - not in the least bit sporty.


I stood there like the lemon in my drink most of the time. Escaped around 5.45pm (obviously busting for the loo all afternoon lol).


BUT you know what? I wouldn't have enjoyed myself any more if I had had a drink. I probably would have had way too much (won't mention last year! Ahem!) and totally regretted it. It really helped me address the reasoning behind it. I was picking up my tonic and sipping it and twiddling my straw as much/often as I would an alcoholic drink. That's very telling for me.

building_with_lego wrote: »

I think it was David Sedaris who said that when he went tee-total someone told him that, "The glass is the habit." I always find that so long as I'm drinking something it doesn't matter whether it's boozy or not.

I'm very much relating to the quote Building with lego referred to. My lunch was exactly that.


Jx

Kantankrus_Mare

hazyjo wrote: »

I am starting to feel like I really fancy a drink. BUT managing to stay on the wagon.


If I can get through last Friday, I can get through anything. My belated work Christmas lunch. Me (legal sec) and 10 lawyers. There was Champagne, wine, sherry and shorts in the bar after. I had 3 glasses of tonic water and some water and a cuppa after dinner. Oh what joy.


Unless I think I'm going to die after drinking a lot the night before, there's no way I go out to something like that and not drink. It is very hard for me.


I have zero in common with any of them. They spent hours talking about running and marathons, cycling, fit-watches or whatever they're called, the gym, and skiing. Great. Also, most of them are in their 20s. I'm 44. I am the polar opposite to most of them - not in the least bit sporty.


I stood there like the lemon in my drink most of the time. Escaped around 5.45pm (obviously busting for the loo all afternoon lol).


BUT you know what? I wouldn't have enjoyed myself any more if I had had a drink. I probably would have had way too much (won't mention last year! Ahem!) and totally regretted it. It really helped me address the reasoning behind it. I was picking up my tonic and sipping it and twiddling my straw as much/often as I would an alcoholic drink. That's very telling for me.





I'm very much relating to the quote Building with lego referred to. My lunch was exactly that.


Jx

So you had a sh*t afternoon.

If you had been drinking as usual you would still have had a sh*t afternoon but a bad head and sick feeling on top.

Well done, that was an achievement!

Robinette

I haven't had a drink, but I've realised that I have had alcohol in food (sea bass in a white wine cream sauce and a slice of Baileys and amaretto cheesecake). Am I taking it too far in feeling a little guilty? :think:

pollyanna24

Slipped up a bit, but determined to not go back to my old ways.

Out of 18 days of January, I've been AF for 14 of them which is a huge start for me!

Not planning on drinking until I go out on 31st.

hazyjo

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

So you had a sh*t afternoon.

If you had been drinking as usual you would still have had a sh*t afternoon but a bad head and sick feeling on top.

Well done, that was an achievement!

Exactly. Tried to see the positives. No work all afternoon, a day out, a paid lunch (and tonics lol) - and like I/you said, I wouldn't have enjoyed it any more with a drink.


Am already thinking of reasons not to drink at the next one Determined not to let sh*t things I'm kinda forced to go along to ruin the rest of the day and the next day


Jx

hazyjo

Robinette wrote: »

I haven't had a drink, but I've realised that I have had alcohol in food (sea bass in a white wine cream sauce and a slice of Baileys and amaretto cheesecake). Am I taking it too far in feeling a little guilty? :think:

OMG you've failed big time


Nah, seriously, I don't think that's really the same. It's a flavouring more than anything. I'm sure you're not reaching for a white wine sauce after a really bad day at the office Most of the alcohol is burnt off anyway if cooked.


Unless of course you're having 22 portions of Baileys cheesecake and drinking white wine sauce by the gallon


Jx

Robinette

hazyjo wrote: »

Nah, seriously, I don't think that's really the same. It's a flavouring more than anything. I'm sure you're not reaching for a white wine sauce after a really bad day at the office Most of the alcohol is burnt off anyway if cooked.

Unless of course you're having 22 portions of Baileys cheesecake and drinking white wine sauce by the gallon
Jx

Just one portion of each, I promise!

I now have a vision of people who are finding Dry January hard cooking up an alcohol-infused feast in the kitchen!

CarolBT

I heard this programme last night, the last 10 mins is the relevant part - a health study on a group of people who dry januaried last year found so many positives (including weight loss) - it will help you keep going.


I cant post the link as I am a new user, but if you search BBC Inside Health 21st Jan Not that I have lost anything, as my alcohol alternatives are as just as calorific!