Alcohol free January

Eirel

I think I am going to give it a go. I had some gin last night - i haven't drunk gin for a long time, and i feel atrocious this morning . I think i'm losing my taste for alcohol lately anyway - i was drinking to be sociable last night! But nobody needs to be THAT sociable!!

Lots of benefits are mentioned at www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/27612 even if you don't do the whole month.

Hangover today after a lovely NYE party. So a good start for dry January. Have stocked up on the lemon and ginger tea which will now be my evening tipple.

I don't like taking anything to extremes so I shall be doing 2/5. That way I can choose which days to be alcohol free. That's the 2 by the way.

Liz46- wouldn't it be nice if you could choose to go 'all inclusive' at much cheaper rates, where only a small amount of alcohol and normal amount of food is consumed. I'd really resent going 'all inc.' and pay for the massive excesses of the few (or too many). I'd much rather pay for what we actually eat and consume- as all inc. really leads to massive food waste.

An al inclusive buffer restaurant near where we live has started a new policy of 'eat all you want but don't waste it' - and they will charge an extra 5Euros if you throw food away- great idea. I went to a Hôtel in Sharm-el-Sheik with a friends, all incl. and it was truly sickening to see (sorry, an observation I'm afraid, not prejudiced, Russians mainly) - have 2 plate fulls then have a third- and just leave it on table untouched, again and again. Considering that staff and their families often did without- even more so.

Yes granjura. I hate food waste, probably because I was born just after the war and brought up not to waste anything.

We also had an all inc holiday in Egypt and the vodka drinking started in the morning. One morning I went to the bar to get a cup of coffee and a Russian lady in front of me was very rude to the barman, instructing him to put more vodka in the glass etc. He served her with an expressionless face and then turned to me with a big grin and said 'Hello darlin' what can I get for you'.

Going to try this for the first time with my husband this year. My kids have done it but I have never had the discipline! Not sure how we will get on....Really enjoy a glass of wine with our meal but it has become a real habit and always turns into two glasses. I know half a bottle between two isn't bad but would just like to prove to myself I can do it. Want to see how much better I feel without alcohol too. If it isn't a lot, then back to the bottle in February!!!

Well, I can't bear waste so I am not going to waste the rest of that bottle of Prosecco we opened last night!

Already missing a nice glass of Merlot with our roast beef dinner tonight, but I am determined to keep my promise to myself.

Onward and upward.

It does get easier as the days go by honestly You can do it NanKate I can promise you will feel better for it Cambia - I found it quite an eye-opener when I did it in September!!
Not really sure why I started again ...
Keep going ladies

I would probably give it a go if my other half would do it with me but his excuse is that he doesn't like gimics.

Ive been reading this thread with interest. What on earth do people like in alcohol. Ive had one glass of baileys today as it is New Year and Ive got a head that is spinning, the rest will either go to my DD who loves the stuff or more likely down the drain.

I hate it when I go into a pub and everyone is laughing like idiots, I hate talking to people who are drinking as they just laugh, alcohol is a potent drug and we are damaging our bodies, I don't think I will drink again ever apart from alcohol free wine maybe.

I agree with you ethel. I drink more than you do but I frequently go weeks without drinking. What amazes me is that so many regular drinkers, I do NOT mean problem drinkers, say how much better they feel, physically and mentally after doing a dry month, in which case why on earth do they drink in the first place or return to it afterwards?

Relaxing with an alcoholic drink is more a mental construct than a physical one. It is associated with pubs and parties. Decide that you can relax with a elderflower drink or a lemon tea and only drink it for relaxation and it will soon be associated with that, as a way of winding down or stopping.

I have never had any problems with drinking non-alcoholic drinks when everyone else is drinking alcohol. Not now, not even when I was at university in the 1960s. Nor does it stop me enjoying a glass of wine with a meal and the occasional nightcap.

This thread doesn't sound very supportive methinks. Too many people who have no need for a dry January as they barely touch the demon drink, and (.whether they mean to or not) sounding rather smug.

NanKate I'm off to the September Dryathon thread that JG flagged up, where there will be great support . Do feel free to leap over the wall, as it were, and join us there

Elrel; I did a complete detox a few years ago and cut out tea and coffee [and a sponsored fast a few years prior to that] but don't think I could face not having a cup of tea now. Coffee I could possibly do without, alcohol is something I only drink occasionally and wouldn't miss it. I have had some wine, Cherry B, Babycham and Snowballs over the Christmas period but that's almost gone now. I may try drinking only water for one day and see how that goes; I don't drink anywhere near enough water these days. Could easily not eat for a day but the thought of no morning cuppa is a nightmare. I'm totally bemused by people needing to drink alcohol every day; if that sounds smug sobeit but I never realised that people did drink alcohol on such a regular basis. I pretty much gave up when my children were born as it took me all my time to stay awake and I won't drink at all if I'm driving or there is a possibility of having to drive.

Not smug but genuinely puzzled why people want to drink alcohol frequently and enough to feel a month without drinking is really difficult.

There is no virtue in what I do. I am not abstemious. I do not drink alcohol much simply because I have never particularly enjoyed the taste of most alcoholic drinks. When I do drink I do not enjoy the fuzzy effect alcohol has on me when I have more than one drink nor do I like the results afterwards.

I do not understand why other people enjoy the unpleasant side effects of alcohol and I would be interested to hear from people who do drink more regularly why they enjoy the taste and effects alcohol has on them when they are so unpleasant - and most drinkers say they feel so much better if they don't drink or only drink occasionally. So why do it?

Anya
Searching for (((sinking ship))) emoticon

JG couldn't find an emoticon of a rat so will this little mouse do instead? ?

Abandon ship immediately ????

Anya - I'm not drinking anything except tap water during January. It's a sponsored challenge for WaterAid. I did it ok last year but it's not such a novelty this year. This evening I sat near an open bottle of rose at the table and glared at it!
Tegan - yes please, have a day on water to keep me company!

Monica I didn't say some people were smug (perish the thought!) I just said they sounded smug - there's a big difference.

Eirel you sound like my kind of person - glaring at that bottle of rosé

And RESPECT if you can just drink tap water all month!

I shall endeavour to earn your respect!!?

Just made it Anya - come on over - I've just poured you a nice glass of wine red-grape shloer

You definitely have my respect Elrel - good luck