This is the thread for Berserkers choosing to participate in Dryuary 2025, i.e. no alcohol for the month of January. It is the 5th year we’ve done this!
This thread only comes around once a year. It’s like BerserkerDay but a lot less fun.
If you do not want to go 100% dry, but rather modify your alcohol intake, feel free to stick around. On my end, I’m planning to go straight through, even though my birthday is on January 16th. We’ll see how that goes.
You can also use this thread to discuss other behavior/dietary mods, e.g., intermittent fasting, exercise, eliminating refined carbs, starting a workout routine…
We’re all in this together, so post early and often.
Thanks, Patrick! We’re in as always. Both Jonathan and I will do Dry January starting Jan 2. He will take it through at least the end of Feb. I will reevaluate at the end of January, but predict February will be slightly damp for me.
I’m doing about 5 weeks of keto/IF starting today until around the end of January, without alcohol, although I don’t drink that much anyways, probably won’t have much of an occasion to until mid/late February to gear up for paulee.
I did this a few months ago. Zero alcohol and my diet was primarily sous vide chicken breasts and steamed broccoli (no oils, butter, sugar) some kimchi, (hot sauce and vinegar made it less boring, giving myself a mild cheat day about once per week and a specific exercise routine. Lots of electrolytes and hydration (2 LMNT packs in 1/2 gallon thermos drank each day) and added some vitamin/mineral supplements. It took about half a week to adjust but once locked in it was fairly easy (reiterating boring). Results were good so I’m game for Jan. Social time was soda water, bitters, lime wedge an maybe a diet Pepsi as a treat.
Going GF in January. I used to religiously do a dry month, but besides noticing how much alcohol advertising exists, I didn’t really feel a difference.
this will be my 5th Dry January , seems to get easier every year…Have also done a few dry months mid year as well…have scaled back my drinking…That being said, I did promise my son in law I wd open 1986 Leoville Las Cases for him tomorrow night…1986 being his birth year…fingers crossed
I will be participating again. It does get easier each successive time.
Let me be clear: Everyone should structure the exercise as they see fit. There are multiple benefits and multiple approaches, based on each person’s needs and circumstances.
That being said, I find the greatest value in NOT taking any breaks or exceptions during the month. Or “make up” days.
It takes resiliency to say Yes to invitations to over-the-top wine lunches and not partake. Or to go to Vegas for someone’s 50th birthday weekend and then abstain. Or to go to a Kings hockey game and drink Coca Colas.
These are all things I have done in past Dry Januarys.
Again, no judgment or boasting here.
Just my take that, for me, the best “test” is fighting ALL impulses and powering through the whole way.
Agreed - and the rigorousness I find, after an initial adjustment, feeds me the longer it goes.
We always combine it with a serious diet reset, so find it easier to turn down invitations altogether as, if you can’t eat the celebratory food in addition to abstaining from wine, it tends to make others uncomfortable, even if we can power through with careful ordering.
Maybe not the right thread for this, but I had the 86 a couple weeks ago and it was fabulous. Red to blue fruit, softened tannin, and so much weight/depth. I loved it, a good deal better than the 89, IMO. Should be a great moment for you and your son-in-law.
I find not drinking alcohol very easy as I don’t routinely drink on a daily/weekly basis; sticking to a rigorous diet is somewhat less easy, but I find it’s easier to stick to a keto diet than a IIFYM diet with a calorie cap.
I’m in as usual for this one. Last year was a bit weird with our boy in hospital with a nasty pneumonia for the first 10 days of the month.
Also just hitting five months since ACL reconstruction, so have had to make a lot of adjustments to dietary intake already.
I was burning about 7000 calories a week on the bike and haven’t managed more than about 2500 per week since surgery, so had to cut about 700 calories a day from my normal intake.
Adjusted to coffee only before lunch, which just about took care of it. Also went back to the “real food diet” — basically eat whatever whenever as long as it is made from scratch. Net effect is I mostly eat fruits, vegetables and meats. Some butter and cheese and my own homemade sourdough rounds it out. Works great
On calorie side, I tried intermittent fasting a few Dry January agos and have stuck with it year round. I eat two medium sized meals between noon and 7 p.m.
I am a moderate exerciser and have found surprisingly that I can do a surf session in morning or play/walk a round of golf and have plenty of energy despite not eating anything when I wake up.
Yeah for sure. I can do a 2+ hour moderate intensity ride ~230w when totally fasted. Or a very high intensity 60-75minutes @>300w. Glycogen stores should last 90mins at intensity no matter what the sellers of gels and carb drinks claim!
IF doesn’t work for me at all. I wake up ravenous, almost every day, before even getting out of bed. Whether I exercise or not, I sometimes even have waves of dizziness or nausea until I eat something. I’ve worn a CGM, so I know it’s not a blood sugar issue, and none of my doctors show any concern, so I just shrug and eat breakfast.
Our Jan/Feb diet is much like yours, Dan. Real foods, nothing from a package except olive oil, mustard, vinegar, spices etc. The result is low carb since we don’t make bread. I do allow seeds, nuts, a small amount of fruit, and occasional cheese. I lift heavy 5 days a week and have a serious cardio schedule as well, so I have to be careful to eat enough to avoid losing muscle, while still running a deficit to take off the few pounds I inevitably put on during vacation and the holidays. Having gone through bulk and cut cycles in the past, I know right where my calorie breakpoints are. I don’t actually mind weighing and logging food, though I probably don’t need to anymore as my eye is now very good at estimating the weight of familiar foods. I definitely function well with higher fat, and find it more satisfying, so that’s the way I lean.
Nutrition and exercise science are a hobby of mine. It’s fascinating how variable human beings are!
I always intend on doing a dry January but it never happens. I already have three wine tastings lined up for January. Maybe I’ll do a dry February instead.
Yes, there is probably so much to learn about how all of these things operate differently across people. I suppose it is a central theme in medicine…
For me, I’ve never been attracted to Dry January, largely because I have dry Mon-Fri all year. And as I’ve gotten older, it’s increasingly easy to go out for dinner and social events and not drink, regardless of whether others are drinking. I love wine (and all sorts of alcoholic beverages), but unless it’s really good stuff, I don’t need the physical downer in the middle of the week.
Will be participating again, and unfortunately dieting again. Got a couple of oddly timed events that I have to work around this year. Will probably try to keep it going into February until we leave for vacation in March.
thank you for the timely,thoughtful and encouraging note…daughter,SIL and 2 adorable,hyperactive rugrats have arrived …will update after te opening event…Queen Mother still busy in kitchen and I am trying my best to stay out of her way and intermittently washing pots and pans.