Dry January 2023

[closetohumping 17,431]

Anyone participating?  How's it going?  I'm 0-4.

Edited January 6, 2023 by closetohumping

[conVINCEd 21,469]

Whoever started this needs to be tarred and feathered.

[Celery Man 20,929]

[That Guy 955]

I’m doing it. I sleep better, feel more smarter, and engage more with folks around me. Not sure why I don’t do this more often. 

[UT_OB1 2,213]

5 minutes ago, That Guy said:

I’m doing it. I sleep better, feel more smarter, and engage more with folks around me. Not sure why I don’t do this more often. 

Do you now?  Maybe you should start drinking again. 

[dcbc 14,464]

This is my first year not doing it in years.  Earlier this year, I started working some carbonated water and water in between beers to cut down a good deal.  Since that has worked out pretty well, I'm not going to worry about taking January off.  But good luck.

Edited January 6, 2023 by dcbc

[South Austin 52,431]

Might do a dry mid-January to mid-February. I’m going to Cali wine country for MLK weekend, so there’s that. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by South Austin

[Sbbruin 21,825]

9 hours ago, That Guy said:

I’m doing it. I sleep better, feel more smarter, and engage more with folks around me. Not sure why I don’t do this more often. 

 

[closetohumping 17,431]

Alright.  1-4 now!

[Al_4_ISU 12,447]

I've never done dry January, but when we're in planting or harvesting season (totals about 3.5 months of the year) I rarely if ever drink (rain days, I suppose, but there aren't many of them).

I usually don't drink on weeknights either.  I lean on NA craft beer (big fan of Athletic) and sparkling water to fill the void.  They definitely tide any desire to drink while I'm at home.  The more I do it the more I find that desire to have a drink or two after work go away almost completely.  Drinking is something I do with my friends when I'm socializing anymore.

After 4 drinks my sleep is pretty significantly affected.  The older I get, the more I value a good sleep.  Tying one on is limited to situations where I'll get a recovery day these days.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[Storm the Field 5,289]

I think this is my 5th year. Really seems to have caught on more widely the last 2 years. My whole work lunch crew is doing it this year.

Primary point of course is to drop some weight. I was 9 lbs heavier at initial weigh-in this week than the weekend heading into Thanksgiving. Aside from all the calories you're cutting out, it's a lot easier to commit to exercising and eating healthier when you're never hungover and sleeping better. 

Second is to press reset on your relationship with booze after over-doing it for an extended period of time. For me, between Astros playoffs, football weekends, weather conducive to happy hours, company parties and extended breaks, it's way too easy to get in the habit of drinking more often than not October-December.

One final side benefit is seeing your credit card bill for January. Grocery trips are cheaper and restaurant tabs are WAY cheaper without alcohol. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by Storm the Field

[midtown 3,345]

I'm in.  Old, fat and tired is no way to go through life.   5-0 so far.   I only have one real challenge and that's Louis CK in a few weeks.  Gonna be hard not to have a few for that show.

Also motivated mostly by wanting weight loss. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by midtown

[SydneyCarton 48,051]

I'm doing it with my wife, just as a good reset. 5-0 so far, although there are a couple nights this month we will drink so we'll probably move into mid-feb. Mostly my wife needed motivation, so she drug me with her because it's cruel for me to have a martini while she gets no wine, so here we are. That being said, it's probably good for me as well, it was a pretty heavy month of drinking in December. 

14 hours ago, That Guy said:

I’m doing it. I sleep better, feel more smarter, and engage more with folks around me. Not sure why I don’t do this more often. 

I'll field this one: Because everything is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring. 

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I've never done dry January, but when we're in planting or harvesting season (totals about 3.5 months of the year) I rarely if ever drink (rain days, I suppose, but there aren't many of them).

I usually don't drink on weeknights either.  I lean on NA craft beer (big fan of Athletic) and sparkling water to fill the void.  They definitely tide any desire to drink while I'm at home.  The more I do it the more I find that desire to have a drink or two after work go away almost completely.  Drinking is something I do with my friends when I'm socializing anymore.

After 4 drinks my sleep is pretty significantly affected.  The older I get, the more I value a good sleep.  Tying one on is limited to situations where I'll get a recovery day these days.

If you're into non alcoholic beer, a good one I've found here is Partake. Not sure if they're available in iowa, but they're also low carb, which is a diet I mostly adhere to, and  they taste pretty fucking good. Although it looks like you'd have to have them shipped to Iowa. 

[Al_4_ISU 12,447]

5 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I'm doing it with my wife, just as a good reset. 5-0 so far, although there are a couple nights this month we will drink so we'll probably move into mid-feb. Mostly my wife needed motivation, so she drug me with her because it's cruel for me to have a martini while she gets no wine, so here we are. That being said, it's probably good for me as well, it was a pretty heavy month of drinking in December. 

I'll field this one: Because everything is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring. 

If you're into non alcoholic beer, a good one I've found here is Partake. Not sure if they're available in iowa, but they're also low carb, which is a diet I mostly adhere to, and  they taste pretty fucking good. Although it looks like you'd have to have them shipped to Iowa. 

I've seen Partake advertised online.  I can buy Athletic in stores in Iowa, but I usually just get it shipped.  There are some decent ones available in the town I live in, but I really like Athletic and their website has a much better selection than any liquor store near me.

I'll actually mix them in when I'm drinking too to just keep a good pace and what not.  In my corner of the Midwest, it's customary to get a small glass of beer (a chaser) with Bloody Marys.  The Midwest's equivalent of a Michelada, I guess.  When I make Bloody Marys at home and I'm not going to be watching football all day or something, I use NAs for my chaser.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[closetohumping 17,431]

41 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I'm doing it with my wife, just as a good reset. 5-0 so far, although there are a couple nights this month we will drink so we'll probably move into mid-feb. Mostly my wife needed motivation, so she drug me with her because it's cruel for me to have a martini while she gets no wine, so here we are. That being said, it's probably good for me as well, it was a pretty heavy month of drinking in December. 

I'll field this one: Because everything is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring. 

If you're into non alcoholic beer, a good one I've found here is Partake. Not sure if they're available in iowa, but they're also low carb, which is a diet I mostly adhere to, and  they taste pretty fucking good. Although it looks like you'd have to have them shipped to Iowa. 

Thanks.  And life feels boring without it. Now I’m not go to club bottle service guy but just things like watchign tv or taking my kids to the zoo is enhanced by drinking.  Itd gotten so bad that it takes a lot for me to feel the effects and there are times where I don’t remember the last day that I DIDNT drink.  Both are worrisome.  I’m not young anymore

[Al_4_ISU 12,447]

7 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Thanks.  And life feels boring without it. Now I’m not go to club bottle service guy but just things like watchign tv or taking my kids to the zoo is enhanced by drinking.  Itd gotten so bad that it takes a lot for me to feel the effects and there are times where I don’t remember the last day that I DIDNT drink.  Both are worrisome.  I’m not young anymore

I make a point every single week to have a day where I don't drink at all, because between 18-31 I probably did have at least one drink almost every day.  A lot of weeks it's more than just that one day.  I find just always having that regular reset keeps things from becoming too habitual.  When I found myself grabbing a road beer for the drive home from the farm every day about 6-7 years ago, I knew it was time to dial it back.

The thing I've found is thinking about your future plans without any kind of alcohol feels boring, but when I'm not drinking, I rarely feel bored in that moment.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,819]

13 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

 

The thing I've found is thinking about your future plans without any kind of alcohol feels boring, but when I'm not drinking, I rarely feel bored in that moment.

There’s the thing. I used to not really care about myself, or my wife, and once the kids were grown it was kinda like what’s the point?  But then I got myself I grandson and man, he holds me accountable.  The worst thing in life would be to disappoint him because of alcohol. 

[EdTomBell 31]

Year 5 for me.  Combined with restarting regular exercise and no eating out/delivery, it has been really effective at shedding the Fall weight gain every year. But I wouldn’t call it my favorite month.  
 

Now I just need to figure out how to not gain 10-15 pounds between Labor Day and New Year’s. 

[Js1 85,258]

I do it.  It's easy.

It's easier than some friends who do Whole30 for January.

[troph 24,781]

7 hours ago, closetohumping said:

Thanks.  And life feels boring without it. Now I’m not go to club bottle service guy but just things like watchign tv or taking my kids to the zoo is enhanced by drinking.  Itd gotten so bad that it takes a lot for me to feel the effects and there are times where I don’t remember the last day that I DIDNT drink.  Both are worrisome.  I’m not young anymore

This is my 4th year doing it and your statement of not knowing when you last didn’t drink and needing it to enhance all aspects of life were my reasons.  So far so good, sleep isn’t better yet but it will come. Holidays were stupid how much I had of food, wine, and no exercise it was obnoxious.  The reset is good, it reduces total annual consumption by probably 30-40% with how the spring goes with occasional drinking instead of daily.  Apart from that, the best part is decoupling alcohol from pleasure. Plenty of things should be pleasurable and alcohol hijkacing that and demanding it be at every moment is a dependency I didn’t like. It takes 2 weeks or so but when it breaks the world wakes up and everything is better. 

[SydneyCarton 48,051]

16 hours ago, EdTomBell said:

Year 5 for me.  Combined with restarting regular exercise and no eating out/delivery, it has been really effective at shedding the Fall weight gain every year. But I wouldn’t call it my favorite month.  
 

Now I just need to figure out how to not gain 10-15 pounds between Labor Day and New Year’s. 

Easy. Quit watching football.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,506]

I cut back on the drinking over the past 4-5 years and I’ve discovered that finding friends that don’t drink as much is the key. It doesn’t mean you need 100% sober friends but rather those who drink at the level you want. You might think you can hang with your old drinking buddies but there is a decent chance some of them don’t want to hang with you. It bothers them if you don’t keep up.

[Wiler77 1,566]

This is our first year trying it.  We usually back in Jan, but never tried to go totally dry.  The workweek wasn't hard.  Busy days and we were both tired all week.  We went out to dinner last night and it really wasn't an issue sticking to water.  Today has been the hardest.  I got a ton of errands done, worked around the house, played soccer with the kids, got in a run/bike combo, and now it's getting dark, football is on, and I feel like relaxing with a fucking beer.

[Clintonaldo 2,572]

I normally always do it and usually go about 43 days. I stopped Thanksgiving weekend and didn’t drink until NYE watching football. I am going to at least go 15 days this month before I have a drink so I guess I am doing Damp January. 

[gmr548 16,575]

I decided to do it because I gained about 10 unwanted pounds over the course of 2022 and wanted to kickstart correcting that. Far from an everyday drinker anyway, though my consumption was up over the holidays. I do feel a little less bloated, so that’s cool.

[Spur08 382]

I'm rocking a moist January. Keeping it strictly to the weekends and low volume.

[troph 24,781]

Definitely getting old, but it’s about the half way point for me to break any latent dependency, the price for at least 4 months of drinking something every day. I drank probably 6 Waterloo sparking waters and an kombucha tonight trying to avoid the boredom. Another week to go and it should be fair winds and calm seas. 

[closetohumping 17,431]

17 hours ago, Wiler77 said:

This is our first year trying it.  We usually back in Jan, but never tried to go totally dry.  The workweek wasn't hard.  Busy days and we were both tired all week.  We went out to dinner last night and it really wasn't an issue sticking to water.  Today has been the hardest.  I got a ton of errands done, worked around the house, played soccer with the kids, got in a run/bike combo, and now it's getting dark, football is on, and I feel like relaxing with a fucking beer.

Hard to explain it to a non drinker, but after any sort of long, stressful day, a couple of bourbons really does settle me.  

 

Got some N/A Heineken I'm gonna try tonight.

Edited January 8, 2023 by closetohumping

[huge 3,793]

Year 4 here but I’m not militant. Hunting trip Jan 26 will be the end this month.

My go to is sparkling water with a lime and a shake of bitters.

[Storm the Field 5,289]

21 hours ago, Wiler77 said:

This is our first year trying it.  We usually back in Jan, but never tried to go totally dry.  The workweek wasn't hard.  Busy days and we were both tired all week.  We went out to dinner last night and it really wasn't an issue sticking to water.  Today has been the hardest.  I got a ton of errands done, worked around the house, played soccer with the kids, got in a run/bike combo, and now it's getting dark, football is on, and I feel like relaxing with a fucking beer.

If your weekends typically involve alcohol, then getting through the first one is usually the most challenging part of Dry January, and that goes for first-timers and veterans alike. Laying off during the week is a piece of cake comparatively. 

Even during the parts of the year when its not overindulgence season, there's a 99% I'm cracking a beer very soon after getting home from work on Friday. And Saturdays almost always involve booze from early afternoon until calling it a night.

Takes some getting used to spending your relaxation time on the weekend without pouring drinks. 

[Storm the Field 5,289]

33 minutes ago, huge said:

Year 4 here but I’m not militant. 
 

IMO, there's really no need for anyone to be militant about it. Gotta remember that it's a voluntary thing you're doing for your health/as a challenge to yourself. You're not a kid who's been grounded until February.

If there's an event coming up where you really really really don't want to be sober, don't feel too bad about having a cheat day, unless you're the type where doing so will blow the whole thing up.

My firm always does our big holiday party in January. It's coming up on Saturday and there's just no way I'm not drinking there. Going 29/30 on the month ain't too shabby. 

[PantsTent 2,002]

Hop water got me through the weekend. St Elmo’s is pretty good but it costs almost as much as beer so don’t get the money saving side effect.

[immamac 42,832]

This whole concept is fucking weird to me, but good for those who do it.

I can slam some back with the best of them, but I drink maybe 1 day a week, sign me up for a good bender though I'm very into weekend long benders. It will take me at least 2 months to get through a case of beer at home by myself, and the last time I had a handle of Weller 12 which was my go to bourbon if I was having one it took me about 7 months to finish. If I have a crawfish boil or I'm partying with my friends I can drink 2 beers/hr for the entire time I'm awake. 

[troph 24,781]

1 hour ago, immamac said:

This whole concept is fucking weird to me, but good for those who do it.

I can slam some back with the best of them, but I drink maybe 1 day a week, sign me up for a good bender though I'm very into weekend long benders. It will take me at least 2 months to get through a case of beer at home by myself, and the last time I had a handle of Weller 12 which was my go to bourbon if I was having one it took me about 7 months to finish. If I have a crawfish boil or I'm partying with my friends I can drink 2 beers/hr for the entire time I'm awake. 

most of us who do this are or were daily drinkers. I can't speak for the others but while I used to drink daily year round, I now only drink daily from about October through the holidays because of this. The early part of the year it's just a couple days a week.  The longer term break severs the dependency/habit and resets everything. For me though, while I often have a glass of wine after work, I don't drink that much more on the weekends. 2 drinks max during the week, maybe 3 drinks, usually never 4 on the weekend. the idea of getting drunk on the weekend is not my idea of fun. I want my coffee time in the morning to be peaceful and I want to be awake and I want to feel great. 

Edited January 9, 2023 by troph

[Gil Bang 25,907]

I'm on beer number 5, and I worked today.  

[Gil Bang 25,907]

30 minutes ago, troph said:

most of us who do this are or were daily drinkers. I can't speak for the others but while I used to drink daily year round, I now only drink daily from about October through the holidays because of this. The early part of the year it's just a couple days a week.  The longer term break severs the dependency/habit and resets everything. For me though, while I often have a glass of wine after work, I don't drink that much more on the weekends. 2 drinks max during the week, maybe 3 drinks, usually never 4 on the weekend. the idea of getting drunk on the weekend is not my idea of fun. I want my coffee time in the morning to be peaceful and I want to be awake and I want to feel great. 

I can and do drink 12 beers, and wake up at 6 AM with bright eyes and a stiff dick.   Maybe I'm just a functional alkie, I dunno. 

[troph 24,781]

9 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

I can and do drink 12 beers, and wake up at 6 AM with bright eyes and a stiff dick.   Maybe I'm just a functional alkie, I dunno. 

 

jk. Functional alkies come in all shapes and sizes. Most would say if you can’t remember the last day you didn’t have a drink then you probably are one. Who knows, all I know is I like to drink and I like being 100% free from its influence and impact on my system. 

[Homercles 10,205]

My past alcohol issues are laid out in several threads around here…but relevant here is that tolerance from regular heavy drinking made each subsequent foray like the Aggy coaster:  feeling good, feeling fine, having fun, then off the cliff disaster-level wasted.  It became a stupid, dangerous, pointless balancing act every time I drank.  
 

Once I got stressors/mental shit fixed, was able to change my relationship with alcohol and it wasn’t a regular part of my (near daily) routine.  With that came low tolerance, and I could have a few drinks on occasion without having to balance it like fucking Goldilocks to chase that ‘just right’.  Also gone was the mental gymnastics of ‘will I or won’t I tonight’. I could take it or leave it.  
 

Obviously my case was more extreme than many of y’all but my point is that a break can be a beneficial reset of your physical tolerance and mental relationship with alcohol…not to mention a good ‘test’ to ensure you’re not white knuckling over it, and if it’s an ordeal then maybe time to think that habit over a bit.   
 

I actually enjoy dry Jan not necessarily for myself, but after all the social gatherings in Nov/Dec where alcohol is everywhere with unspoken pressure to join in…everyone else calming their tits naturally means a quieter social life in general for awhile, and therefore I barely drink too.  
 

/sorry for YGIF’ing 

[South Austin 52,431]

Dry January can be good coming off of a holiday period during which a lot of us tend to drink heavier, and I'm included in that camp.  But several years ago I stopped drinking during the week.  Somewhere between Kid No. 1 and Kid No. 2 I started having a few glasses of wine or Scotch every night to decompress, and the older I got I realized it impacted my quality of sleep, even if I didn't wake up with any significant hangover.  And sleep quality has improved a lot of other aspects of my overall health and well being.  So while taking a whole month off from alcohol is certainly good for the liver, reduction of empty calories, etc., for the most part I limit my drinking to the weekends throughout the year, so I don't feel the need for a Dry January.

[closetohumping 17,431]

On 1/8/2023 at 6:44 PM, Gil Bang said:

I can and do drink 12 beers, and wake up at 6 AM with bright eyes and a stiff dick.   Maybe I'm just a functional alkie, I dunno. 

I’m more of a bourbon guy. Beer makes me bloated and have to pee in middle of the night. 
 

milestone. I did not drink last night and football, we’ll sort of, was on.  That makes me …….checks sheet……..quick math……carry the 4……..2-8 in January 

[troph 24,781]

10-0 baby (last drink was 12/30).  I’ll go 32-0.  I think my sleep’s improving.  Kombucha (lower sugar brand) and waterloo sparkling water are doing fine as replacements. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by troph

[troph 24,781]

23 hours ago, South Austin said:

Dry January can be good coming off of a holiday period during which a lot of us tend to drink heavier, and I'm included in that camp.  But several years ago I stopped drinking during the week.  Somewhere between Kid No. 1 and Kid No. 2 I started having a few glasses of wine or Scotch every night to decompress, and the older I got I realized it impacted my quality of sleep, even if I didn't wake up with any significant hangover.  And sleep quality has improved a lot of other aspects of my overall health and well being.  So while taking a whole month off from alcohol is certainly good for the liver, reduction of empty calories, etc., for the most part I limit my drinking to the weekends throughout the year, so I don't feel the need for a Dry January.

This is what we all should do. Dry January resets me to something like this for feb - may, so almost 1/2 the year. 

[closetohumping 17,431]

25 minutes ago, troph said:

10-0 baby (last drink was 12/30).  I’ll go 32-0.  I think my sleep’s improving.  Kombucha (lower sugar brand) and waterloo sparkling water are doing fine as replacements. 

1 day at a time for me.  Last night was a big win. Bourbon was sitting right there. And I was about to have one or two while watching the game.  Right before bed. Bullet dodged

[South Austin 52,431]

I've given up alcohol a couple times for Lent, and it was during a time when I drank more frequently than I do now.  It was tough during those first couple of weeks, but by the end I felt like a different person, largely due to sleep quality.

Alcohol really isn't good for you, for a lot of reasons, even in "moderation." 

[immamac 42,832]

I had 6 beers last night watching the game at a bar with my friends and slept like a baby. 

[Js1 85,258]

38 minutes ago, immamac said:

I had 6 beers last night watching the game at a bar with my friends and slept like a baby. 

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing? This isn’t the “Imma drinks in January” thread 

[troph 24,781]

49 minutes ago, immamac said:

I had 6 beers last night watching the game at a bar with my friends and slept like a baby. 

Tell me you’re in your thirties or early forties without telling me you’re in your thirties or early forties. 

[troph 24,781]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I've given up alcohol a couple times for Lent, and it was during a time when I drank more frequently than I do now.  It was tough during those first couple of weeks, but by the end I felt like a different person, largely due to sleep quality.

Alcohol really isn't good for you, for a lot of reasons, even in "moderation." 

The whole resveratrol craze made wine drinking “in moderation” a health thing. The amount needed to provide the heart benefits would put 25 French wine connoisseurs in immediate liver failure.  It was so misleading it was a completely false health claim. The reality is alcohol has almost no redeeming health benefits.  Social and psychological, sure to a point. But the harm far out weighs the good. 

[Al_4_ISU 12,447]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:46 AM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I cut back on the drinking over the past 4-5 years and I’ve discovered that finding friends that don’t drink as much is the key. It doesn’t mean you need 100% sober friends but rather those who drink at the level you want. You might think you can hang with your old drinking buddies but there is a decent chance some of them don’t want to hang with you. It bothers them if you don’t keep up.

This is mostly not a thing at all in my friend groups.

I have a buddy who almost never drinks.  He doesn't completely abstain but I doubt he has 12 drinks a year, but often hosts parties where everyone else is drinking.  The only person that ever pressures him about drinking is the buddy in the group who pretty clearly drinks way too much, and it's lead me to the conclusion that anyone that feels the need to pressure someone else to drink is probably pretty insecure about their own drinking.

[Al_4_ISU 12,447]

On 1/8/2023 at 6:24 PM, immamac said:

This whole concept is fucking weird to me, but good for those who do it.

I can slam some back with the best of them, but I drink maybe 1 day a week, sign me up for a good bender though I'm very into weekend long benders. It will take me at least 2 months to get through a case of beer at home by myself, and the last time I had a handle of Weller 12 which was my go to bourbon if I was having one it took me about 7 months to finish. If I have a crawfish boil or I'm partying with my friends I can drink 2 beers/hr for the entire time I'm awake. 

This sums me up pretty well.  I hardly ever drink when I'm just at home with the wife and dog.  Hanging out with my buddies I can and do put down quite a bit.

We've got our first kid on the way in July, so I expect that the amount of hanging out with my buddies will go off a freaking cliff and I'm looking forward to the reduction in empty calories.  But most of my friends have kids and still make time for 2-3 weekend benders a year, and that's where my big drinking will come in in the future.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Al_4_ISU