Anyone doing a dry January 2020? - join me!

Mrs_Z

engineer_amy wrote: »

Im doing it! so far so good. Last had a drink at 11.50pm on New years eve.
I'm planning on running it right up to 27th February, as im on an 8 week gym programme, which ends then, and its also the day I travel to NEW YORK!

Brillant and welcome! - :beer: - hmmm, ok maybe it should be :T
I toasted the New Year with a cup of mint tea.... having had the last glass of wine at some point in the evening and it was just as good!

That's a great challenge! Secretly I'm actually thinking that i'd like to carry on a bit longer but let's see how we are doing at the end of Jan.

Mrs_Z

thriftylass wrote: »

I'll join you! If not now then when. There will always be something to celebrate. And I'm guilty of saying "oh couldn't possible stop now there is drinking to be done for x, y and z" Why do we think like that? I also stopped smoking on the 1st. Not done that for years. Here's to a healthy 2020. Also I want to change my attitude towards that strangely socially acceptable drug alcohol. As I get older it agrees with me less Plus I used to get comments like (about just having one or 2 cigs a day) why don't I just leave it. When I replied why they don't just not drink that glass of red after work I get blank looks.\
We can do this!

Welcome!!!
Yes, it's interesting... when I told OH that I was considering doing a dry Jan, come New Year's Day - he opened a bottle of fizz and offered me a glass. :mad: I could not believe it - I thought we had this conversation last night = not drinking during the week definitely and possibly even a dry JAN. "Oh, but it's New Year's Day" - as if it didnt count - and it was a Wednesday. In OH's mind, the challenge would start from the following Monday which was already a whole 6 days in...."

thriftylass

Mrs_Z wrote: »

Welcome!!!
Yes, it's interesting... when I told OH that I was considering doing a dry Jan, come New Year's Day - he opened a bottle of fizz and offered me a glass. :mad: I could not believe it - I thought we had this conversation last night = not drinking during the week definitely and possibly even a dry JAN. "Oh, but it's New Year's Day" - as if it didnt count - and it was a Wednesday. In OH's mind, the challenge would start from the following Monday which was already a whole 6 days in...."

Mine did pretty much the same. :rotfl:

stripeyfox

Mrs_Z wrote: »

Hello there!
Is anyone else out there doing attempting a dry January this year? I'd like to go for it but have not found anyone in my circle of friends to join. Everyone says - yes, we'll support you (but you're on your own) as far as any of them joining me goes. Why is this? Is it really so hard to go one month without any alcohol?
I'm not a big drinker but like few drinks at the weekend, especially my gin & tonic on Fridays after work to mark the end of the working week. I tend to have wine with my meals at the weekend too, mostly really because OH is bit of a foodie and likes wine, so there's always a bottle (or two) open.
I have done dry January once before - long time ago - and found that after the first 2 weeks it got easy and I was just as happy to have my gin & tonic without the gin.
I'm not expecting to feel much different but I am hoping that cutting off alcohol will help towards losing 2kg that I've seemed to have put on during the festivities.... I'm not a fan of diets, so am trying to cut out the unnecessary calories (alcohol, cakes, biscuits, ice cream - but NOT dark chocolate :rotfl:)

Yes, I am. I've done ok so far, no drink at all since 1st. To be honest I'd been drinking regularly for years. 3 - 6 beers a night, every night and sometimes share a bottle of wine with the wife.

I decided to do Dry January but was panicked by the thought of it - I thought it would be a right struggle and wasn't sure if I actually "wanted" to do it enough!

But so far so good. Have been enjoying sparkling water with a slice of lemon and lime and the odd 0% beer as well and have been trying to utliise the usual "drinking time" in the evening by doing something useful - going to the gym, reading a book or catching up on TV etc.

I'm hoping that a few weeks off will help me re evaluate my need for alcohol. Ideally I'd like to be able to scrap drinking at home completely and just have a drink on a special occasion, or when going to the football etc.

coffeehound

Count me in please. I've done it almost for the last three years, but two of those I gave in on the final weekend before the end of the month.

It's a boredom problem for me; watching a DVD or trolling MSE just isn't the same without a couple of units in the system But I have a couple of online courses lined up on Udemy to occupy the evenings instead.

engineer_amy wrote: »

Not to mention the snacking on nuts and crisps etc in the evening that are "mandatory" when having a wee drink in the house.

It's not just that night either -- I tend to have cravings for unhealthy foods for a couple of days after drinking as well. All in all a good way to shed a few ibs then hopefully :T

[Deleted User]

Mrs_Z wrote: »

Welcome!!!
Yes, it's interesting... when I told OH that I was considering doing a dry Jan, come New Year's Day - he opened a bottle of fizz and offered me a glass. :mad: I could not believe it - I thought we had this conversation last night = not drinking during the week definitely and possibly even a dry JAN. "Oh, but it's New Year's Day" - as if it didnt count - and it was a Wednesday. In OH's mind, the challenge would start from the following Monday which was already a whole 6 days in...."

Mine did that with my diet, one day in he turned round to me and said "shall we get a Chinese for tea tonight then?" :wall:

thriftylass

stripeyfox wrote: »

Yes, I am. I've done ok so far, no drink at all since 1st. To be honest I'd been drinking regularly for years. 3 - 6 beers a night, every night and sometimes share a bottle of wine with the wife.

I decided to do Dry January but was panicked by the thought of it - I thought it would be a right struggle and wasn't sure if I actually "wanted" to do it enough!

But so far so good. Have been enjoying sparkling water with a slice of lemon and lime and the odd 0% beer as well and have been trying to utliise the usual "drinking time" in the evening by doing something useful - going to the gym, reading a book or catching up on TV etc.

I'm hoping that a few weeks off will help me re evaluate my need for alcohol. Ideally I'd like to be able to scrap drinking at home completely and just have a drink on a special occasion, or when going to the football etc.

I would like to achieve the same end goal. Rather than needing it to wind down (even if subconsciously and not admitting it) I rather really have it on a special occasion instead of finishing work or the monsters being in bed being the special occasion :rotfl:

I also try to keep busy in different ways that I don't associate with drinking like reading more.

I will also need to change a few habits especially for those last two ciggies I have a day. I see them as an adult treat, stepping out after a hard day at work, clinging on to outdated rewards. Non of which they are. I couldn't even imaging having one in the morning or at lunch time now. I want the same change for the evening ones.

We'll get there.

Day 7 done and feeling good. Preparing myself for Friday when hubby will inevitably ask: fancy a drink. I need to break that habit loop of saying yes almost on autopilot.

engineer_amy

thriftylass wrote: »

I will also need to change a few habits especially for those last two ciggies I have a day. I see them as an adult treat, stepping out after a hard day at work, clinging on to outdated rewards. Non of which they are. I couldn't even imaging having one in the morning or at lunch time now. I want the same change for the evening ones.

Just before I quit smoking, I realised that the majority of smoke breaks were taken out of habit, rather than an actual real craving. once I realised this, I went cold turkey and just tried to occupy my hands more often. tried knitting, handheld Gameboy /puzzle console, reading etc. it was easier than I thought. and when the cravings occurred, I challenged my self to see how long I could last without a ciggie, before I knew it a week had passed, then a month and so on. so it was mind over matter.


Hopefully with the drinking, I wont be forced to have a "stress busting" glass of wine some day after work, given some of the numpties and moonbeams that I work with

stripeyfox

thriftylass wrote: »

I would like to achieve the same end goal. Rather than needing it to wind down (even if subconsciously and not admitting it) I rather really have it on a special occasion instead of finishing work or the monsters being in bed being the special occasion :rotfl:

I also try to keep busy in different ways that I don't associate with drinking like reading more.

I will also need to change a few habits especially for those last two ciggies I have a day. I see them as an adult treat, stepping out after a hard day at work, clinging on to outdated rewards. Non of which they are. I couldn't even imaging having one in the morning or at lunch time now. I want the same change for the evening ones.

We'll get there.

Day 7 done and feeling good. Preparing myself for Friday when hubby will inevitably ask: fancy a drink. I need to break that habit loop of saying yes almost on autopilot.

I guess it is a lot harder if only one of you is doing dry January. I'm lucky that both my wife and I are doing it because if she wasn't, and she offered me a drink, I'd cave straight away!

stripeyfox

engineer_amy wrote: »

Just before I quit smoking, I realised that the majority of smoke breaks were taken out of habit, rather than an actual real craving. once I realised this, I went cold turkey and just tried to occupy my hands more often. tried knitting, handheld Gameboy /puzzle console, reading etc. it was easier than I thought. and when the cravings occurred, I challenged my self to see how long I could last without a ciggie, before I knew it a week had passed, then a month and so on. so it was mind over matter.


Hopefully with the drinking, I wont be forced to have a "stress busting" glass of wine some day after work, given some of the numpties and moonbeams that I work with

I always use work as an excuse, particuarly with some of the cretins I work with, but actually a few days off the booze as sharpened my focus at work and dare I say, I'm even a bit more tolerant and patient with people at work!