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Alcohol free January

(458 Posts)
NanKate Mon 28-Dec-15 23:17:40

My DS and DinL regularly have an alcohol free January and I am wondering whether to join them. Anyone else tried it ?

Cheers wine

suzied Sat 16-Jan-16 06:10:43

Still on track ! I'm enjoying my large fizzy water with a slice of lemon in the evenings and sometimes a cup of camomile tea. Plus my shopping bill at Aldi is considerably lighter! So that's a bonus. Sleeping much better as well, but awake early as have to whizz to the bathroom as a consequence of all thar fizzy water. Will definitely try to keep up the alcohol free weekdays which means I'll have to continue until February 5th?

jogginggirl Fri 15-Jan-16 23:55:46

I'm not sure I'll never drink alcohol again Anya - but I do get what you are saying. I have enjoyed all the 'replacement' drinks, and, although no weight loss, no weight gain either - win, win....smile

Maybe it is true that it's possible to change habits in 66 days - just another month or so to go then ...? hmm

As you say NanKate it does help having the support on here smile

Welcome JoyBloggs xx

Dry day 15 tcrgrin

Cambia Fri 15-Jan-16 21:19:47

Thanks banaNANAgran3! I am ashamed my willpower is so weak though!

Purpledaffodil Fri 15-Jan-16 16:56:53

Must admit I didn't start until Jan 4th for various family reasons. So I will do what a Muslim friend did in Ramadan ( obviously re fasting, she never drinks alcohol) and add those days on at the end. I find sleep is better, but as others have said I do miss the weekend wine. In fact I had to cancel my January Laithwaites box, [smug emoticon] because there was no space for it.

JoyBloggs Fri 15-Jan-16 16:29:54

Cheers Thanks, NanKate!

Elrel Fri 15-Jan-16 15:54:41

Just found these! ?????
I was only looking!!

Elrel Fri 15-Jan-16 15:36:45

A friend wasn't at tai chi so I thought I'd go and see her. She offered me lunch, soup and homemade strudel, and suggested we open a nice bottle of red as it was her son's 60th, he lives in Australia. I felt so bad refusing, perhaps there will be a suitable occasion in February.
It's the morning cuppa and bedtime chocolate I'm really looking forward to though.
Half way!!

NanKate Fri 15-Jan-16 15:20:56

Do join us Joy I must admit the company of all you lovely GNs has helped me through half a month, which feels more like half a year. grin

Greyduster Fri 15-Jan-16 10:45:18

Brilliant, Pittcity! Keep me a place at the bar!

JoyBloggs Fri 15-Jan-16 10:28:30

I've been doing Dry January and so far so good..! I was pleased to see this thread, thanks, NanKate, may I join you all? I'm another one who often enjoys a glass or two of red with my evening meal.

Having tried various alternatives to wine I'm very happy to have re-discovered tomato juice with Worcestershire sauce. The stuff I'm drinking claims to provide 1 of your 5-a-day so that's a bonus for me as I struggle with this. I like the fact that it isn't sweet/sugary like so many of the other juices.

I've lost weight and I'm sleeping better, which I find encouraging.

Pittcity Fri 15-Jan-16 09:33:26

Link doesn't work try again bit.ly/1ldaVoh

Pittcity Fri 15-Jan-16 09:31:16

Anyone like to join me in this helpful pub later?

Imperfect27 Fri 15-Jan-16 09:07:09

Well done to all of you who are exercising will-power at the moment I was once told I have a 'will of iron - iron filings' as I so easily succumbed to something when only slightly encouraged to do so!

February will get me soon enough!

Greyduster Fri 15-Jan-16 08:58:00

I am still in, and there have been times when have missed it - mostly the occasional glass of wine with my dinner. We took a good bottle of red to DS's last weekend and i would have liked a glass. But, hey ho. With good luck and a following wind, I'll still be there on the 31st.

Imperfect27 Fri 15-Jan-16 08:32:03

Apart from Christmas and Easter we tend to have a drink at the weekends - 2 glasses of wine for me on a Friday evening and maybe another one on Saturday, but otherwise, not much alcohol in the house. However, January tends to be my most alcoholic month smile as we buy in sherry and advocat and port etc. for entertaining at Christmas and always have some left over (shame smile ) which we then polish off in the weeks that follow. (The same applies to all the chocolates, biscuits, etc. we have bought / been given). So February tends to be my time to start being good. Thank goodness for Lent!

NanKate Fri 15-Jan-16 07:43:41

I haven't touched a drop but have missed the feeling of having a tipple as a reward for a tricky day or a celebration. Merlot goes well with roast beef, so yet again I missed having a glass.

I am not sure I feel better physically without wine, I will pop on the scales shortly and see if there is any difference there.

The one benefit is that I realise now that I am saving calories and I think it would be good to have the calorie count on all alcohol.

I shall be very relieved to get to 1 Feb. smile

Anya Fri 15-Jan-16 07:16:48

I may never go back to alcohol as I've developed a serious cherry juice habit. Who could have forseen the addictive qualities of this seemingly harmless fruit? I started taking it for insomnia earlier this week - 3 teaspoons (of the concentrate nothing added stuff) in a glass of slimline tonic, so it looks like a sparkling wine

I'm a very happy camper and yes, sleeping better too grin

wonder what it tastes like mulled?

jogginggirl Thu 14-Jan-16 23:37:36

You will be more than half way there by then grannyqueenie - maybe your DIL can make you some yummy n/a smoothies cocktails hmm

But anyway, you've done so well - see how you feel when you're there hmm
Perhaps you can have a couple of 'damp' days just for your visit ... wink

grannyqueenie Thu 14-Jan-16 23:18:54

I'm still in but temptation looms, my daughter law is experimenting with boozy smoothies aka cocktails with her new nutribullet, we're due to visit next week.....wink

jogginggirl Thu 14-Jan-16 22:39:30

Two Dry Weeks!
Who is still in ...?
tcrgrin

baNANAGran3 Thu 14-Jan-16 13:44:29

Cambia sorry just scrolled back and seen your previous posts - my heart is with you - enjoy

baNANAGran3 Thu 14-Jan-16 13:36:03

Cambia, have you actually had a glass yet? I don't think you'll be able to come to the party on 1st February if you start again which would be a shame. Know exactly what you mean about the nice meals, tonight we're having a lovely meal which would go very nicely with a glass or two of red (DH probably will have, he's having a damp January) but I'm determined to resist. Will you have a rethink? (Am just trying to encourage!)

Cambia Thu 14-Jan-16 12:04:08

Granby that is what we have settled at! It was getting properly miserable cooking really nice meals and not having a glass of wine with them. Our standard of food started to deteriorate!! Since we only share half a bottle at most, I am not going to worry. Four free days is good enough I think.

Greyduster Thu 14-Jan-16 10:45:40

I may consider bringing along the bottle of Oban malt whiskey that DH remortgaged our house to buy for me bought me for Christmas, and which is currently languishing in the bottom of my wardrobe in case my son in law finds it so that i am not tempted!

Greyduster Thu 14-Jan-16 10:39:22

Gosh! Beetle drives! That's a blast from the past! We have the Build a Beetle game and GS is addicted to it. Fun, though!