Dry January 2024

[Basil]

Anyone else planning this?
I'm in again.  However, I was a tad disappointed, last year, by the fact that it didn't seem to improve my general health, fitness and mood.

As far as I am concerned, January does not begin until I get up in the morning, so a tipple at midnight for new year will be ok.

[Paul]

Yes. Though there's a chance that it might turn into a dry year.

(Just typing that makes me a bit anxious)

I've done 3 dry Januarys now, and each successive 11 months I have drunk more than the last (I've been recording my drinking since January 2021). It's clear that even if a month off does me some good that month, it isn't improving things in the medium/long term.

A friend is in the same situation and is going dry for the year. i might join her.

[Basil]

Well, I'm still in.
 

[Paul]

 Good effort 

[αdαmsκι]

Yes, but starting on 2nd January and I will continue until a few hours after my mid February marathon😂.

[citoyen]

I’m in. Need to a) give my liver a break, and b) stop spending so goddamn much money on alcohol.

I never bother with staying up boozing on new year’s eve so I’m already a day ahead of most of you.

[numbnuts]

I didn't even have a drink last year 

[hellymedic]

I probably had a drink or two in the course of 2023 but drink so little I don’t really watch or count.
I was definitely dry in November and December.
Might have had some cider for our summer birthdays.

[Jurek]

My New Years Rezzy went kind of out of the window.

[Graeme]

I enjoyed seven months of "beer free in '23" before celebrating the French ride. So this year, "beer no more for '24"... will hold me until mid July-ish when I'm having a celebration for the pointless joy of it. I know none of this makes any sense, but ~6-8 months of beerlessness is the vague plan.

Also: no added sugar. I've found giving up products with blatant sugaryness much better for my joint health than anything else.

Bon chance everyone.

[rafletcher]

I definitely won't be dry - there's far too much Brandy in the Christmas cake that we've just started to eat! - but I do intend to drasticaly reduce my intake of alcohol. Good luck everyone.

[T42]

I wish the goddamn weather would opt in.

[Regulator]

Jon and I are doing it.  I may extend it past January (to help get some more weight off).

[TimC]

I did dry August 18 - December 22nd. I've had quite a few wines over the festive season, but now dry probably till March, and maybe beyond.

[Kim]

As ever, in by default.  Best wishes to everyone making a proper effort, and what T42 said about weather.

[L CC]

However, I was a tad disappointed, last year, by the fact that it didn't seem to improve my general health, fitness and mood.

Mr Smith claims similar, however, from the other side of the table

• His mood definitely worsens at first- this week and next he is and will continue to be noticeably more irritable from about 18:00 each day
• His resting HR drops about 10 - from high 60s to high 50s
• Ditto the blood pressure

For us, the cost is nearly nothing (*cough - job perks - cough*) but getting him out of the habit of daily drinking is a Very Good Thing.

[vorsprung]

a couple of years ago a friend of mine did "Winuary" aiming to get through several bottles a week

he got gout two weeks in

[L CC]

a couple of years ago a friend of mine did "Winuary" aiming to get through several bottles a week

he got gout two weeks in

Lightweight. Mr Smith gets through a bottle a day. 2.25ltr Bag in box does not last 3 days.

2023 he did a Dry January which lasted till June. Then had most of August off. The pre-Christmas drought (nominally 50 days ending 20th Dec) didn't last because we went away for my birthday and he fell off the wagon. I reckon he'll go to Easter this year.

[Regulator]

a couple of years ago a friend of mine did "Winuary" aiming to get through several bottles a week

he got gout two weeks in

I've just worked out, with the stocks in the kitchen, I could do 'Ginuary', with a different gin every day... 

[Paul]

Is sherryuary a thing?
What about Norumber?

[Polar Bear]

a couple of years ago a friend of mine did "Winuary" aiming to get through several bottles a week

he got gout two weeks in

I've just worked out, with the stocks in the kitchen, I could do 'Ginuary', with a different gin every day... 

I have a scarily similar issue with "singlemaltscotchuary ..."

[ian]

I did a dry January 2nd. I may stretch it through this evening. Tomorrow, I'm going to a gin-tasting thing, but it will be dry gin, so I feel in the spirit, literal and figurative. I do usually only have a small glass of Chateau Sainsbury on school nights with my dinner.

[rafletcher]

...I was a tad disappointed, last year, by the fact that it didn't seem to improve my general health, fitness and mood.

I do find a notable difference, pricipalyy because I sleep much better (not well, I've always been a very light sleeper and have always had broken nights) if I don't drink. Probably because I usually have a bottle if I drink wine, rather than a glass.  And, because alcohol is a depressant, I also find I don't, when I do wake, worry fruitlessly ablout stuff.  All that results in my feeling more alert in the mornings.

[citoyen]

I'm coupling Dry January with some other regime changes - cutting out caffeine post midday, and getting into the routine of getting out of bed at the same time every morning (I'd got into the habit of vegging until two minutes before it's time to saunter down to my desk on WFH days, now I'm setting my alarm for 6 every day).

I've already found it's making a difference to my sleep patterns. I woke up naturally at 5.45 this morning and didn't feel like death warmed up.

I don't anticipate it making any difference to my weight unless I also make changes to what and how much I eat. But maybe I'll find it easier to do that if I'm feeling better generally and therefore less likely to turn to food for comfort.

[The Family Cyclist]

I'm not 100% committed due to burns night which may derail things but certainly going to try. I'm not a large quantity drinker but had become rather frequent in December but nothing since NYE and have certainly been sleeping well. I've also thus far refrained from zero alcohol beer or grognotgrog as its called in our house as its not really very cheap and normally the bottles are tiny so whack through and hoping may save a bit by just drinking water and tea

I do agree Jan is a rubbish month for it with it being dark, bleak and so far very wet.