Dry January – Benefits + Reasons

A little backstory on why I started this last year. Okay first, why did I wait until 2019 to do this? If I had known what I would feel like and how it would effect the ENTIRE rest of my year, I would have started this the year I turned 21 years old. I had never even heard of this until Ryan and I started dating back in 2009. It was something his mom had asked his older brother to do to help get him started off on the right foot at the beginning of the year and so Ryan followed suite. Many January’s that Ryan and I were together – we weren’t actually together. He was away at training or deployed so it was just me and the kids most January’s. I didn’t really think to do it myself. I tend to drink a lot less when he’s not here anyways because I am so busy juggling the kiddos and by the time they go to bed I pass out too. No time for a “wine down.”

Anyways, that is how we started doing this and now it has become sort of a fad kickstart diet – but for GOOD reason. Side note. Ryan and I do not drink during the week unless we are on vacation, it is the Holidays, or we get a random date night. But 9 out of 10 week’s we do not drink any alcohol Monday-Friday afternoon.

So a little break down of Dry January. Don’t drink any alcohol. At all. Obvious I know, but you would be shocked at how many people say, “wait, you don’t drink any alochol at all?” lol

Benefits: (these are things I personally experienced)

Sleep better

More patient / in a better mood

Removed bloat (in stomach and face)

Lost weight

More Energy/more productive

Save money

 

Breakdown: (2020 edition)

January 1 (Wednesday)- You are going to be hungover (a little or a lot) haha, depending on how your New Years eve went. Plan to do NOTHING this day. We will be coming home from a staycation so I will be doing laundry, cleaning, and gearing up for back-to-school.

January 3 (Friday) – You will think to yourself, what the heck am I going to do tonight? DO NOT go out to eat, do not hang out with friends (haha I like us to be alone and start our weekend rituals on the first weekend) So, Ryan and I typically start a new series on TV that we want to get hooked on. So we typically have a healthy family dinner and then put the kids in another room to watch a movie and we start a show. Tip: Find a hot tea or bubbly drink you enjoy drinking that isn’t water. It will help!

January 4 (Saturday) – You may think tonight, why am I doing this – it cant be worth it. I’m a little bored and a little anxious. Keep going! Watch more of your show, start a book (I really love self-help and motivational books during this month) You got this.

January 5 (Sunday) – We love to go to brunch on Sunday’s so this day is actually harder for us at first but we replace brunch with an outdoor family activity to get everyone moving and exercise. We ride bikes, go down to the beach, go for a trail walk, etc. Get out – do yard work, go to Lowes, whatever! Do something productive and moving!

January 6 (Monday) – You did it – and you will feel great. This is the day to REALLY start your new routines. Workout, pick your protein drinks, plan meals, go grocery shopping. Whatever – Plan for success and for the results you want.

January 10 – 12 (Weekend again) – Go back to that new series, that book, whatever. Go to bed early so you wake up early Saturday wanting to get out and work out and be productive. Instead of your weekends being lazy and ‘relaxing.’ You will be shocked at how productive you are and how many things you get accomplished. We tend to clean out our storage and closets. Touch up paint around the house. Start home projects. It’s actually really fun and a great bonding experience for your marriage. We also love to workout together these weekends when we are both home.

January 13-31 (rest of month) – Everything becomes so easy now and a new routine – and YOU FEEL AMAZING! You find new things you love to do together as a couple, alone, and as a family. I do find – we don’t spend quite as much time with friends this month for two reasons. If they are drinking in front of you – that’s no fun for you! haha and You are seriously so busy being productive (you feel like you can take over the world) You kind of feel like you just want to keep moving and doing! Just don’t forget to call and text your bestie! ((Except you should make her do it with you so you can workout and not drink together, especially if you are single!))

February 1 (Saturday) – You are not going to want to drink. Sounds nuts, but you will look at your glass of wine and be like, whyyyy am I drinking this? I don’t think I finished a drink until my birthday (which is unfortunately on February 5th), hopefully yours is much later. LOL! No but really, I found that throughout the entire rest of the year I was so much better about drinking water between my drinks on the weekend and not over drinking. I couldn’t believe how it changed my thoughts on alcohol the entire year.

How I Lost 17 lbs last January:

Okay, so now for exactly what I ate and drank in January, <<This has been SUCH a huge requested post, and I recommend following me on instastories as I share recipes and what I am eating and drinking daily! Anyways, I am going to have to do another full blog post on that too, but for now….

Last January I also cut out soda completely! I replaced my Diet Coke with Bubbly and La Croix and still only drank one of those a day. Other than that – I drank one protein shake a day and water only. I also didn’t go to Starbucks or a fast food place once.

I ate VERY little carbs. And when I did eat carbs – they were healthy and easily digestible.

I became a runner. The first week of January I decided I wanted to be a runner and I wanted to love it. << It worked – took a few weeks…but still running 5 times a week!)

This January, I actually do not want to lose ANY weight (maybe 3lbs of bloat). I want to remove bloat and tone. So, I am going to incorporate more protein and weights into my diet. I will share this on stories too and make sure to mention things I am consuming that you may want to avoid if you are trying to lose weight.