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

[Deleted User]

Hi,

well, here's my plan.

If I have a good swallie over New Year, taper off for 5th Jan, then abstain until St Patricks Day, then that's ten weeks, I'll save a £100 a week, so save £1000.

I'll feel a lot better, sleep better, lose a bit of weight, (would like to lose half a stone, just over 9, but feel bloated with lager).

So, good.

carrielovesfanta

I'm in for dry January!


I need to do it because I feel horrified at the idea of going a whole month without a drink.

onlyroz

[Deleted User] wrote:

If I have a good swallie over New Year, taper off for 5th Jan, then abstain until St Patricks Day, then that's ten weeks, I'll save a £100 a week, so save £1000.

You spend £100 a week on alcohol? :eek:

purpleshoes_2

onlyroz wrote: »

You spend £100 a week on alcohol? :eek:

Im wishing I did, because Id be rich if I gave it up:rotfl:

Person_one

So many people are drinking far too much without really realising, because its so normalised in our society that we think its perfectly fine to have a couple of glasses of wine most nights, or to 'need' a drink as a reward or to unwind after a long day or after the kids are in bed.

Sorry to be preachy, but if the thought of going a month without drinking seems like a challenge or a long stretch, then please have a glance at this and see if you need to make some changes the rest of the year too:

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/understand-your-drinking

onlyroz

Person_one wrote: »

So many people are drinking far too much without really realising, because its so normalised in our society that we think its perfectly fine to have a couple of glasses of wine most nights, or to 'need' a drink as a reward or to unwind after a long day or after the kids are in bed.

Sorry to be preachy, but if the thought of going a month without drinking seems like a challenge or a long stretch, then please have a glance at this and see if you need to make some changes the rest of the year too:

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/understand-your-drinking

I agree that it's easy to get into the habit of routinely drinking, e.g. a beer/wine with dinner and something else later on in the evening when the kids are in bed, and then maybe splash out a bit on Friday and Saturday night with 2-3 extra drinks on top. It might not seem like a lot but it does add up and people underestimate the effect on their health (and their waistline - most people discount the calories from drink).

I abstained through both of my pregnancies and while breastfeeding and so the thought of stopping for a while doesn't "fill me with horror" - but it is easy to start thinking of alcohol as a nice reward for a stressful day, and it is difficult to get out of that mindset.

I've decided now that I'm going to give it a try, partly because I think I should cut back and partly because I can feel my jeans starting to get a little tight again. I might also take back up the 5:2 diet for a while as well. New beginnings and all that...

lostinrates

Most of my adult life I have gone from new year to the end of march with out drinking alcohol. ( I kept two nights in the bank, but didn't always use them)

I no longer do this as I cannot drink at all because of medication.

The reason I chose to do this is that I do ( did?) like to drink, not heavily but regularly and I believe one of my parents to be a functional alcoholic. I felt that if I found the idea of giving up alcohol for a quarter of the year, or the need to binge after it, a problem, then I would have to consider giving up entirely. I picked jan to march as those long evenings were evenings I was often invited to particularly boozy things where drinking a non alcoholic drink was 'harder' ( sparkling water or water in summer passes if you want it too) and I wanted to be a bit 'in my own face' ( rather than other people s ) about what I was doing.

I always liked those three months and miss them. I wish you all not just luck but enjoyment. Its not torture at all. There are nights you'll 'quite fancy' a tipple, but a hydrating drink will do. Your skin might thank you, depending what you drink/ replace with your teeth might be less stained.

ecgirl07

Germany produces good alcohol free beers

This is great
http://www.erdinger-alkoholfrei.co.uk/en/alkoholfrei-uk-highlights.html

I had 6 one night and it was weird: my mouth and bladder was telling my brain I should be drunk but my brain said nope alcohol free:beer:

Ill run dry jan into lent and see it out to easter!

lee111s

I don't drink that often anyway but I'll be going dry in January. I save a fortune by being a pretty much non drinker except on occasions such as Birthdays/Weddings etc.

purpleshoes_2

ecgirl07 wrote: »

Germany produces good alcohol free beers

This is great
http://www.erdinger-alkoholfrei.co.uk/en/alkoholfrei-uk-highlights.html

I had 6 one night and it was weird: my mouth and bladder was telling my brain I should be drunk but my brain said nope alcohol free:beer:

Ill run dry jan into lent and see it out to easter!

The erdinger alcohol free one you find in the supermarket isn't actually alcohol free, I really like that one, the wheat kind, but its got half a unit of alcohol a bottle, ten times the amount of alcohol in a bottle of becks blue.