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Haven’t seen one posted up yet, so here goes !
I do this most years, though having completed the sober October one a few months back, haven’t really had much regular booze, bar the past week .
I normally find within a few days my Zwift numbers are on the up and sleep and mood improves, coming from a baseline of a couple of bottles of wine a week and a few home measure GnT’s of a weekend, so not a huge amount but more than is healthy.
i do find that now, in my late 50’s, my tolerance of alcohol is reducing fairly rapidly and I suspect I’ll be knocking it pretty much on the head this year.
I'm in! I failed the sober October, so here goes.
I had a drink after midnight so already failed.
I'm in too. Never really felt the need before and have never really considered myself a big drinker (similar to the o.p - a couple of shared bottles of wine on a Friday or Saturday and a G&T on a Sunday afternoon) but I semi retired in May and my weekends are now longer than my working weeks and my daughter has remarked before Christmas how I'm now drinking on more evenings than not.
I'm going to try but not until after the weekend as want to enjoy the rest of the break. I have a horrendous month at work ahead but also want to halt the middle aged spread and frankly I think I enjoy the improved sleep and mood more than drinking these days
I do think that a dram at or after the bells on 1st Jan is ok, so no need for disbarring on that account !
Nope, my Saturday night down the pub is sacred. Don't drink at home.
Nah, Trad tunes session this afternoon in the pub.... There will be drinks involved .
I am in but I don't think it will be very hard as I have lost the desire to drink beer, which is about all I drink.
I'm doing it this year, perhaps longer than Jan. I like A beer while cooking dinner generally, but I do wonder if it's just something cold and fizzy rather than the alcohol so will be substituting with AFs. Otherwise it's generally a few too many pints on a night out that just destroys me mentally and physically for a few days that I can do without.
Done it for the last two years, felt so much better for it.
I'm in 🙂
Anyone that says "well if you're drinking is so unhealthy" or whatever is a douche flute.
I'm in, albeit I'm really doing 3 months as part of training for some long mountain runs this year.
Was dry last night due to being in charge of drunk teens, so going to have a beer or 2 tonight instead. Generally, not dry for January but not drink much either as I can't anyway nowadays and need to get a bit fitter.
I think its entirely acceptable to start dry January from waking up on the morning of New Years day.
I'm doing dry January until the 29th, so moist January/damp January? as I've a few days away with Mrs Wombat at the end of the month and not having a pint at the end of a day in the hills is a step too far for me.
I’ll probably do a form of dry January but I’ll start the clock when I go back to work on Monday.
Got a very nice bottle of red to go with our steak tonight as is tradition.
I'm in, need to lose some weight and wake up feeling better + will save me a fortune which I can put in holiday fund.
As I write this the sound of my recycling being picked up and dropped into the lorry is making me wince….there is ALOT of bottles of all types of alcohol.
in and hoping to make it far beyond january
^I took ours to the tip as was overflowing! In, and need it this year.
Anyone that says “well if you’re drinking is so unhealthy” or whatever is a douche flute.
Could you try that one again please? I'm intrigued what you were actually trying to say
Any recommendations for low/no alcohol real ale substitutes?
I’m in…..drank far too much last night. Bedroom was spinning and felt terrible this morning.
I drank far too much last year and piled the weight on. Going to cut out all alcohol in January and see if I can last longer.
I do love my beer though. It’s going to be tough!!
Give it a go.
I have stopped for long periods in the past, well about 2 months. But I now just drink far less in a month I had to. I now run a 3 pint rule if I’m out , unless it’s an occasion. I have also reduced how often I go out, despite now having more time.
I'm in, failed in October, want to make amends. The overflowing recycling bin is quite embarrassing tbh.
Thornbridge Jaipur AF
I'm in.
I have had plenty of drinks over the Christmas period but a lot fewer than in previous years and what I have had, I really haven't enjoyed it that much to be honest (still got loads of beer left over).
Upside is that I've done loads of riding over Xmas because I haven't been properly hungover - and that's been great.
I think that's partly off the back of a very boozy December overall (due to work xmas parties, leaving dos, birthdays and other social events all crammed in). Just sick to death of the actual booze, and also that eventually it just gets very, very boring just sitting around doing more and more drinking and more and more chatting shit (not really doing anything productive or fun - which is what I would rather do, honestly)
As mentioned above, these days I'm finding that there are more and more downsides and fewer and fewer upsides to drinking. I had a good long dry spell (6 weeks) about 18 months ago and aside from the odd craving really enjoyed the sleep and clarity of thinking benefits.
Can’t be arsed - I’m not a heavy drinker, the fact that I finished off a half-bottle of bourbon last week that I’d started last Christmas/New Year, and I’ve got a bottle of Bunnahabhain from before last Christmas that I haven’t even opened yet, let alone the other spirits I bought before this Christmas tends to indicate it’s not a high priority for me.
Maybe if I was drinking a fair amount regularly, but I just don’t.
bikes, beers............ one without the other would make me a unhappy fellow. so its a no from me.
Did January to August last year.
Doing at least the first third of the year this year. Starting tomorrow. Not back at work until 6th and always fancied having a drink NYD. Christmas and New Year have been bobbins this year
I did October and was amazed how much better I felt. Even more amazing (for me) is that I’ve carried on right through the festive period which I’m really chuffed with. Definitely going to do January and see how it goes from there.
Not from me - my birthday is middle of the month, so will maybe leave it to February. I've put some AF beers and wine on the Sainsbury order tomorrow, so will scale back a bit (from a not-particularly-high level)
I probably only drank on half a dozen occasions last year so more often than not a dry month happens without even thinking about it. I don't drink at home, very rarely when I have guests, and because of where I live I usually drive when I go to a pub.
Although I did have a whisky at midnight which I really enjoyed
I don't do dry January but have done dry February for the last 10 years or so. I find the first weekend the hardest (only drink on a weekend) then I don't really miss it. We're usually skiing in Jan and March which is why Feb is my dry month. Skiing, beers .....like Ton, one without the other is not ideal
I'm already out of dry January but last year I went from the work Christmas party on the 16th of December to mid July in Morzine.
Ex-big drinker who took a long time to wind it down to sensible levels. I'll never be teetotal but everything is better without alcohol.
Yep. Leftover Xmas beer moved up to the top shelf. Assorted AF I've been stocking up on fill the rest of the fridge. That Impossibrew is very good (well the pale ale not so much the lager), but not buying it at full price.
I actually more of a moist than dry as we have four days in Alicante end of the month and I'll defo be having some wine and beer with food. Not a single hangover over Xmas, but still ready for a few weeks off.
^^^ that Impossibrew stuff is great ,isn't it !
My formal 'dryness' actually starts today, as there was the remains of a bottle of nice red that would otherwise have gone down the sink.
Started y'day and drank tea, water and tonic. My sleep scores last night are much improved, and my HRV is waaay better than over the rest of the Xmas period. I am going to keep going for a moist first quarter with the occasional social glass of wine w friends over dinner.
Tonic water w slice of lemon or lime works for me as a 6PM substitute. Peroni 0% works pretty well too, as does Heineken, lucky saint, Juicy AF. Don't drink stout so Guinness 0% is not an option. the impossibrew looks interesting, but wasn't sure if that was just an IG ad scam like all the cod psychology apps that are filling me feed at the moment.
Local craft haunt always has a LA option on tap, but often so hazy it looks like milk. When it's lager rather than hazy that works well.
off out saturday so no, that said, i think i've only drunk
2 ciders, 2 beers and a few rum and cokes in the past 15 days.
never really drink at home, no kids so no need
he impossibrew looks interesting, but wasn’t sure if that was just an IG ad scam
Yeah I was of that opinion. It came up with 50% off and another 10% for first purchase so I gave it a go. The Pale Ale is really good, the lager is a bit meh. As for the fabled 'buzz', I dunno I drank 2 and it wasn't obvious to me, and even at the discounted price I wasn't going to carry on. Seems like a way to get you to drink more! If the pale ale was the same price or a bit more than equivalents from other brewery's, I'd get some more but at list, no way.
Local craft haunt always has a LA option on tap
Our local has Clearhead from the Bristol Beer Factory on tap and it's excellent.
I've just ordered a starter mix pack of impossibrew, but didn't get a money-off thing. I'll see how it goes. I was having a new year good intentions moment and ordered a stick blender too thinking i am going to make lots of soup. I'll see how well that goes too 😉
I've did it the last couple of years and honestly not felt any different.
I think it's my niece's head wetting this month but until then I'll probably stay dry.
I'm still on Dry January 2024. It took me a long time (30+ years) of drinking to realise it wasn't for me. Glad I got there in the end. Good luck to those giving it a go this year.
Mid-ride pint in a good pub and/or a bivi flask are still on the table, just no booze in the house. One needs to maintain a sense of perspective regarding such matters.
I started a dryanuary 20 years ago today and am still going strong. It was a particularly pissy Xmas and New Year that year and obviously had a profound effect on me. I don't regret it especially when listening to pissed up bores telling the same story for the fifth time but at ever greater volume. I may well have been that bore...
If there was any evidence required for why I'm doing it, my state of mind yesterday and today (following NYE) has been appalling!
I'm in 3 months and looking for longer. drinking way to much last year and topped off with a 4am finish and now 2 day hangover. On nye .
im 46 , piled on 10kg last year .. hardly rode .. its effecting work , personal relationships mental health and generally holding me back .
Time to take back control.
"I may well have been that bore…"
It's a sobering thought and one I have had more than once.
I'm starting on Tuesday when I head back to work. Drinking too much, and would like to shift a few kilos too.
I’ve been involuntary doing dry January and dry December as I’ve been absolutely full of man-flu, which I can’t seem to shift, and have been mainlining lemsip instead of the more usual Malbec.
However, I fully intend to make up for that and get seriously on it once I’m feeling human again. Someone has to compensate for you lot and keep the pubs in business 😀
The Mash has a timely reminder of the horrors that await you and I suspect that most of us fall into the catagory of ‘Steve’ in the first paragraph anyway
If the pubs responded to the changing behaviour of a lot of people they would perhaps do a bit better. It is still very difficult to find a good range of alcohol free drinks. Hull is perhaps an exception to this as there are several alcohol free pub crawls!
Went to a pub the other day and they had a local brewery non alcoholic on draft. It was great and they said it had sold really well. Definitely changing of attitudes.
Easy. I'm in.
I'd pretty much knocked drinking on the head for 4 months up to Christmas. I was drinking daily, get home from work, crack a bottle or two. Not a good habit to have. I did drink over Christmas but after a couple on NYE I'm going back to not drinking again. I did notice weight loss, less tummy issues and my mood was much better w/o booze. I also find that even just a couple of drinks make me crave utterly crap food.
I had already resolved to try and reduce my crisp intake, which is getting borderline self destructive! And since beer + crisps go hand in hand I might need to try and cut back on the beer.
My usual substitute is to enjoy my whisky collection instead but since that seems to go with oatcakes and cheese I'm not sure it's any healthier...
Tonic water w slice of lemon or lime works for me as a 6PM substitute.
This, I've found no better substitute than fizzy water with ice and a generous squeeze of lime, it has a bitterness and crispness that it much preferrable to the sort of malty sweetness of most AF beers...
Well, as expected, both my HRV and Sleep Score have improved by 10%-15% and my Resting HR dropping below 50 (so bit less than 5%) in the two days AF so far. It's depressing how bad alcohol is for you.
Already out, but was pondering "no drinking at home January" and I may do Dry February - found that works better for me before (and not just cos it's shorter!)
Kudos to anyone using it as an opportunity to reset or question their habits.
I'm in having had far too much over Christmas and only just feeling human again after a NYE party. Sleep score already improving and heart rate decreasing.
Last year never got going personally for a number of reasons, the biggest of which being my Son's major heart surgery in April, that we knew about coming in to 2024 and spent the rest of the year emotionally recovering from (he's fine now). Got plenty of goals to hit this year and having a much clearer head will help this so hopefully January will spur me on!
Well I'll be put to the test tonight, meeting up with the usual Tuesday night riding crew in the pub as we couldn't manage pre-Christmas. Thankfully I think Erdinger is on sale at the chosen venue. I'm so bloodyminded that I think I'll be fine lol
Wish me luck......
I did it last January with no bother at all. December 2024 was a heavy month for me with the first two weeks on holiday in Thailand for the missus 50th then Christmas so i'm dry until my birthday in March this year.
couldn't help think of this thread when I saw this 🙂
I've not done dry Jan before but I'm off the booze as I've not been well and want to give my stomach a rest. I quite fancy a zero Guinness
Are alcohol free beers full of carbs and calories like normal beer?
Are alcohol free beers full of carbs and calories like normal beer?
Yes, but there's the nutritional info on the bottle to give you an idea of how much weight you're gonna put on.
Thanks
Guinness Zero is a winner, it's definitely made the last year of sobriety easier when out with mates.
Well I survived a night in the pub thanks to Guinness Zero, it's great.
So nice to wake up without the cloudy headed feeling, and I didn't raid the fridge when I got in after midnight so it's a double win!
I’ve not had alcohol since May last year after cutting down incredibly for a year before that. After over fifty years of excessive drinking I decided enough was enough and I’ve now stopped. I’m in danger of becoming a bit like the ex-smoker who then becomes boringly(?) anti smoking but I won’t apologise. I now see drinking as a real problem in our society, deaths from road traffic collisions, increases in violence, relationship problems, various health problems are caused or made worse by alcohol - a poison. Drinking alcohol is widely openly encouraged and accepted in our society, from television presenters discussing with sports people how they’re going to “celebrate” to Jane McDonald talking how you have to have plenty to drink whilst cooking Christmas dinner, hangover cures are a perennial subject on daytime tv. Advertising also sells alcoholic products as a “cool” lifestyle and the “night time leisure industry” (pubs and clubs) rely on selling as much alcohol as possible, even to people who have obviously had enough. Alcoholism is seen as shameful, not the illness it is. It’s time we had some education programmes, stopped alcohol companies advertising - everywhere - like for smoking. I hope dry January is the start of better health for many of you, for those who only drink small amounts and not very often I hope that carries on, for those of you, like me, who drank too much I hope that you can stop. The main benefit that I found (I’ve always been able to sleep on a clothes line) is that I feel free! These two articles below may help, one describes the effect that alcohol has on your brain and the other is from the USA where alcohol is the third largest cause of cancers after smoking and obesity. Good luck y’all!
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/24/the-truth-about-booze-how-alcohol-really-affects-your-body-from-first-flush-of-happiness-to-hangover-hell?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/03/alcohol-cancer-link-preventable-cause
Is anyone planning longer than January?
As above, I intend to carry on!
Is anyone planning longer than January?
Not me. I'll be gargling on it on the 1st February.
Is anyone planning longer than January?
Yeah, March maybe my birthday, but that's midweek and not a significant one, so who knows. [shrugs emoji]
I'm currently on Day 4 (in the big brotherhouse) and woke this morning with an all mighty headache.
On the plus side, I slept really deeply last night.
I may continue past January, would like to, but will see how I fare.
I’m not an alcoholic but over the last two or three years I noticed that my binge drinking has increased massively. Pretty much every Friday at 6pm I’m either in the pub or opened my first can of beer at home. Going to the pub I would regularly drink 5 pints of Guinness and an equal number of shorts. Saturday I would have maybe three beers and a half a bottle of wine, quite often also finished off with a couple of shorts. I’ve put on at least three stone. Most weekends I’ve had terrible sleep and hangovers.
This weekend has been my first alcohol free weekend for years. I did really fancy a beer after work on Friday, but was made easier by me not making any plans to see friends etc.