Dry January 2024

[Anonymous]

10 days down! Way to go, everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another Feb birthday here who does ~7 weeks of dry Jan-Feb until I turn a year older. I think this is my 4th one? At least my third. I look forward to it so much bc the holidays leave me feeling bloated and gross. I love the reset.

I pair it with “no eating/snacking after dinner” and that makes it even better.

+1 the “no snacking after dinner” is actually harder for me this year than no drinking .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10 days down! Way to go, everyone!

Thats awesome!

I'm back to my pre-xmas weight, so I'm glad to have lost those extra lbs from all the holiday fun.

I'm definitely sleeping better, and taking extra good care of my skin. Through the holidays if I was drinking I would get so sleepy and just want to go to bed and would either skimp or entirely skip my routine. Meals have been home cooked, even work lunches, so we're saving money too which is nice.

I should (but dont want to) go through my spending in dec and see how much we spent on booze. I'm a wine snob and noticed our wine spending was creeping up steadily. Maybe once January is done I will go back and calculate how much was saved. Really compound the benefit of dry jan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10 days down! Way to go, everyone!

Thats awesome!

I'm back to my pre-xmas weight, so I'm glad to have lost those extra lbs from all the holiday fun.

I'm definitely sleeping better, and taking extra good care of my skin. Through the holidays if I was drinking I would get so sleepy and just want to go to bed and would either skimp or entirely skip my routine. Meals have been home cooked, even work lunches, so we're saving money too which is nice.

I should (but dont want to) go through my spending in dec and see how much we spent on booze. I'm a wine snob and noticed our wine spending was creeping up steadily. Maybe once January is done I will go back and calculate how much was saved. Really compound the benefit of dry jan.

Same! And my kid practices 3 nights a week at a field next door to a Total Wine We were tearing it up in December. Lol. Now I bring the dog and walk or read a book in the car instead of heading to Total Wine followed by Trader Joe's---also next to field for the snacks that went with the wine.

[Anonymous]

What is everyone up to prepping for the weekend? Have you been using a "substitute"? Flavored soda water? Mocktails?

[Anonymous]

My substitutes are kombucha, adaptogen seltzer with magnesium for “calm” and lemon ginger tea. I was in a crap mood and tried one of those athletic non alcohol beers a hazy ipa and it kinda scratched an itch, although I’m more of a wine person.

[Anonymous]

I don’t drink ever so don’t have this problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t drink ever so don’t have this problem.

What makes people like you respond to threads?

I’m always baffled.

[Anonymous]

This is my second dry January, and I actually looked forward to it this year. I decided to use this month to reset lots of things in my life that I've been neglecting (clutter, finances, house work, cooking, stuff that needs fixing, making time for exercise, skin care, etc.). I am enjoying finding healthier ways to feel good than vegging on the couch with a couple of drinks, and some of the benefits (like a more organized house and mind) last longer than the effects of alcohol. I'm honing my sense of what makes me feel good - like walking outside, lighting candles, good smells, warm socks, going to bed early, snuggling my pets.

I do miss having a drink after a tough day, but having something else tasty to drink helps. The flavored Pellegrino sparkling water from Costco has been a nice treat. I also like raspberry lemonade Crystal Light Pure as a break from water. I might break out some hot tea this weekend.

Last DJ I didn't lose any weight and maybe gained some, but this year I'm also trying to walk and exercise more and not eat junk. Fingers crossed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My substitutes are kombucha, adaptogen seltzer with magnesium for “calm” and lemon ginger tea. I was in a crap mood and tried one of those athletic non alcohol beers a hazy ipa and it kinda scratched an itch, although I’m more of a wine person.

Try “spring in a bottle” by Wolffer. It tastes exactly like rose.

[Anonymous]

I am enjoying waking up early on this Saturday morning and not having a twinge of a wine headache and feeling extra sluggish. Had a great night sleep and feeling motivated to get stuff done around the house...I wish I could bottle up this feelings (no pun intended) and remember it when I am itching to pour myself a glass of wine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am enjoying waking up early on this Saturday morning and not having a twinge of a wine headache and feeling extra sluggish. Had a great night sleep and feeling motivated to get stuff done around the house...I wish I could bottle up this feelings (no pun intended) and remember it when I am itching to pour myself a glass of wine.

I saw someone encouraging people to "play the tape forward" when you want a drink. That really resonated, and absolutely worked for me last night when I was craving a cocktail.

If I "play the tape forward" I see that I will certainly have 15 minutes of feeling great as I relax, drink it, and begin to feel the effects. But then I'll have three more while I binge eat, text things I shouldn't, "watch" something on TV that I will barely remember, make drunk Amazon purchases, and maybe get in a dumb mini-argument with my spouse. I'll wake up feeling sluggish and not be present for much of the next day.

When I really think that through, it is easy to decide to pass on the cocktail.

Just passing that along if it works for others!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is everyone up to prepping for the weekend? Have you been using a "substitute"? Flavored soda water? Mocktails?

Sounds weird, but the apple cider vinegar sodas from Trader Joe’s are perfect. Any time I feel like having a drink, I put that in a cocktail glass with a big ice cube and maybe some bitters. It totally satiates any desire for a cocktail. They’re also only 45 calories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My substitutes are kombucha, adaptogen seltzer with magnesium for “calm” and lemon ginger tea. I was in a crap mood and tried one of those athletic non alcohol beers a hazy ipa and it kinda scratched an itch, although I’m more of a wine person.

Try “spring in a bottle” by Wolffer. It tastes exactly like rose.

Is rose a flavor people like? I never have. Smell is great, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is everyone up to prepping for the weekend? Have you been using a "substitute"? Flavored soda water? Mocktails?

Sounds weird, but the apple cider vinegar sodas from Trader Joe’s are perfect. Any time I feel like having a drink, I put that in a cocktail glass with a big ice cube and maybe some bitters. It totally satiates any desire for a cocktail. They’re also only 45 calories.

I make something similar. I make True Lemon lemonade or another flavor, then add a couple tablespoons of ACV. I put it in a wineglass with ice. 10 calories and has that slightly bitter tang that I like about wine, although it's obviously much sweeter. I've even done this outside of Dry January when other people are drinking and I don't want to deal with questions about why I'm not. It just looks like I'm having a cocktail.