Originally Posted by Reindeerflame

My wife and I opted for a dry January. During 2020 we had added a gin and tonic almost daily to our routine and then had about a half bottle of wine with dinner. We figured we could each skip about 200 calories each day from eliminating the alcohol. We also eliminated virtually all snacks, including chips, popcorn, and ice cream/dessert, as well as lunch, and implemented smaller portions at dinner. We made an exception for January 20, when champagne was served with dinner.

We also walked 159 miles during the month, with almost 19000 feet of elevation gain, and 133000 steps.

The results were quite impressive. Before the end of the month, I had fully achieved my target weight reduction, and my wife was happy with her progress as well (she had not established a specific goal). I have now created two further tiers of weight goals for myself.

We substituted diet tonic water with a squeeze of lime for the gin and tonic, and found that for our purposes it tasted essentially the same.

This worked out so well for us that we have extended the no alcohol program into February, with exceptions to apply on the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, a late arriving Christmas package from Europe arrived on 2/1, with various holiday sweets.

In the future, we will continue to adhere to the smaller portions concept, and may limit wine to the weekends and for special occasions, and when we're travelling. During 2020, our average cost per bottle has gone up substantially given the reduction in travel-related expenditures.

Like many commentators, water has been a good beverage for us as well.