I did this last year and it worked out great.
While I work out all year, no amount of exercise can counter the intake in the Nov-Dec period. Wine with lunch, fantastic bread, dessert and more dessert, and starches everywhere (so many fantastic potato dishes). And so many fantastic wine-themed dinners. And drinking means you wake up wanting carbs.
So last year I weighed in at 175 on 1/1/16. I increased my workouts to daily, trying to average a minimum of 5 miles a day and 2 weightlifting sessions a week (most weeks more). Carbs to zero (lots of salad, fish, chicken). Alcohol to zero. 6 weeks later I was down to 154, BMI was great, cholesterol numbers fantastic.
I held under 160 (tasty summer with lots of barbecues and lots of wine didn’t help but was fun!) until late October. Between late October and 1/1/17, I bounced back up to 171. So 4lbs better than last year.
Today is day 11 of no alcohol, lots and lots of exercise (both cardio and weights, about double what I normally do in a week), no carbs. I substitute hot sauces for things with carbs, works out ok.
Anyone else doing something like this? For me I really like that you can purge 2 months of fantastic fun with 1 month of complete abstinence and effort.
I am considering this for a month in the summer, perhaps June.
I turn 50 in two weeks. Not going dry this month for sure.
Nope. Can’t go ‘dry’ for your 50th. That should be a soggy/wet day and week and month!
I have to commend your hard work, Peter!
I lost about 20 pounds last year, probably through the simple steps of walking (almost) every day, drinking almost no softdrinks, and consuming fewer calories. I rarely drink more than a glass of wine on any occasion.
I can testify to the fact that by making foods spicier, you will eat smaller portions. Congrats on your health gains!!
Going to try this in Juvember. Promise.
It’s so hot here in the summer, I usually go without at least a month.
Oui. Difficile.
I am doing a pretty dry Jan… 1 bottle per week shared (on Saturday…) and maybe a beer here or there… Exercise is up… half marathon (Brooklyn) for May 20 booked.
Gonna turn 70 this month… no dry for me!!
We’ve had almost 20" of rain so far this month. Far from dry.
Oops, wrong thread. 
I hold a consistent weight through masses of carbs and even more exercise.
I’ve given up for a month twice before. Didn’t notice any impact on weight or general health (did on wallet though).
I don’t think you need to pick January as a month to lose weight, any month will do. I also don’t see how I could go down 20 pounds in one month’s time either. Weight is hard to put on, hard to take off, sort of an equilibrium.
I didn’t overeat during November and December and kept the same exercise and wine drinking regimens. If you take off the entire month of January, you have to make it up in February and that could be brutal.
I did 38 days (Jan 1 to Super Bowl) last year and it felt great. This year I am going Jan 2 to Cubs Home Opener (April 10), which is 98 days. At least I am going to attempt to go 98 days… Definitely going until Super Bowl, again.
I am going dry during the week this month and only indulging on weekends. I was going to do the whole month but decided it would be more tolerable in moderation. Even moderation in moderation as they say. Good luck!
GF and I are doing pretty much the same thing, as we both got above our comfort weight towards the end of the year.
No drinking, eating clean, low but not no carbs, no increase in exercise though, as we were already working out a lot.
The first week of healthy eating without drinking is always a HUGE drop in weight.
My issue is not wine. It’s business travel. No time, little exercise, bad sleep, too much food.
I’m in for a mostly dry January and ½ of February. With one thing and another (stress of building a house/living in a tiny ill-equipped apartment, a ton of work travel, 2+ weeks on a food binge in Asia in December…), it’s been a tough second half of the year on me and my husband when it comes to our waistlines. He wants to lose 30 or so pounds and I’m supporting him in his diet effort. I’d also be curious what 15% body fat looks like on me, and whether it’s worth the effort.
So he is going completely dry and I am limiting myself to a glass with dinner on each of Friday and Saturday (with one party exception which was already on the calendar). Along with that, it’s no added sugar, grains, legumes, pulses, potatoes - essentially just vegetable carbs, and none of those starchy vegetables. Plus minimal dairy (just a touch of milk in coffee) and only minimally processed food like olive oil, mustard, etc. . Extremely limited restaurant meals, really only when traveling. It’s the way I eat 65 - 70% of the time anyway, except for the restaurants, this is just extending it to full time. I don’t need to adjust my exercise regime, which is already intense.
The zero non-vegetable carbs thing is the most difficult for me, though I’m accustomed to a limited empty-carb diet already. That last little bit is tough. And I miss restaurants. I miss wine, too, but that’s emotional, not physical. I feel pretty good. The biggest difference I notice is my sleep and resultant energy level, which is much better without alcohol. It’s totally not worth it, of course, but it is nice.
Lifestyle options that can be tough to obtain that’s for sure.
Why would you try that? Do you realize it involves no wine for an entire month?