Calling Time on Wine - the next 100 days after the first 100 day reset | Thread 3: Continuing to support and navigate together.

[needastrongone]

As promised, a new thread.

As the title states, this is the third thread. It started for those of us who wanted some support and a safe place to navigate a 100 day alcohol reset. Most of us on the thread wanted more time and space than Dry January to fully reset and maybe reflect more on our relationship with alcohol than one month.

What we also found was the most wonderfully supportive and uplifting set of folk, all with the common intention of being AF from January for 100 days. A few blips along the way for some (including me at the beginning) but for those that have, we’ve tried to understand why they happened and most of us have continued to be AF going forward and managed 100 AF days since January.

We are going for another 100 (we all liked the idea of breaking being AF into chunks of time) and I don’t think it matters one bit if new folk want to climb on board and start from here, we can all offer a friendly and non judgmental place here.

Hello @freshstart2026 I haven't joined this thread until now so just catching up - I am sorry you are feeling low. You've done the hard yards before and you can do it again. You know you will feel better in a few days, you just have to wait for time to pass. Try not to beat yourself up too much.

@SwiftyFifty that sounds really refreshing. Passing a Lidl tomorrow will stop in and get some to try. Thanks

@thisoldcity it was late last night and I read your post wrong. I was just curious about people who had a long break and how moderation is going for them. A sober wedding will be fantastic, you will be able to remember every special detail.

@InItToBinIt welcome and sorry to read about your dad. Sounds like you have been through a lot. Good luck on your journey.

@Icecreamhelps these look perfect for Summer nice and thirst quenching. Thanks.

@needastrongone still trying to figure that out really. Looking back wine definitely became a problem for me it sneaked into every part of my life. What I am really enjoying is not having the whole will I drink tonight or not thoughts daily. The break is peaceful.

@freshstart2026 glad you are feeling better today.

@Ladymuckypuddle they are in the Food to go section - also ginger and turmeric and collagen shots

@2026x its lovely to hear from you, glad you are doing well!

@SwiftyFifty all this talk of ginger has reminded me I need to get some ginger beers in - the fierier the better.

I noticed a few mysterious bruises on myself today - the kind that always appear after a heavy session of drinking, probably because you crash into things in a drunken state without noticing. Grim. I haven’t had those for a while.

I also WFH today and fell asleep in my lunch hour! Thank God I had set an alarm. It’s not like me at all to sleep in the day so my body is clearly still in recovery mode.

Anyway, that’s day 99 done and dusted and ticked off on the Try Dry app. Tomorrow will be my day 100! Night all.

Good Morning, I'm 100 days today.
I'm so grateful for all the support on here, I honestly feel like I've shed several skins.
The next 100 days don't feel as daunting, I'm sure I will still get cravings and moments where the urge to have a drink will happen but each morning for the the next 100 days I will commit to not drinking that day.
I'm off work today and it's a bit dreary at the moment so I'm just enjoying a coffee and crocheting. I'm going to dust off the sewing machine later and give it a service.
Has anyone else noticed a creative spark returning?
A big welcome to all the new posters, it's so nice to read other people's achievements.

@IcecreamhelpsYes! I am on my third blanket. I find it really helps in the evenings to have something to do with your hands and engage you!

Congrats on 100 days @Icecreamhelps!

I’m checking in on day 4. Had a walk last night after work and then watched a bit of tv with a yoghurt. Then had the best sleep I’ve had in a week, so that’s positive. I made sure I only had one coffee yesterday so I wonder if that helped too.

Checking in on day 106!! £1,100 saved 😮
congratulations @Icecreamhelps on reaching your 100 days and beyond! @freshstart2026 the bruises - something that always baffles me.. I often woke up with a shiny new one from the night before. Also congratulations to you on your 100 days today!! 🏆 so good to see you all passing through to original target and now focusing on the next phase of this amazing journey. One more sleep and the teenagers will be back home! I’m amazed how well I’ve coped to be honest, I was sure I’d hit the wine for some sort of comfort but it just didn’t seem right to let myself down like that. Someone asked me yesterday - do I miss it? NO! Not in the slightest, this made me think quite deeply about how my relationship with alcohol was so bad. In all honesty, I’ve never felt so free as I do right now! Here’s to another great day alcohol free 🥰

100 days for me today too hurray!
thanks to you all for sharing your thoughts and feelings. This has been such a wonderful support.
A few things I noticed:
I didn’t start sleeping until 90 days passed
i have only lost 5Ibs!
my friends keep mentioning ‘when you are drinking again we’ll go here’ - except I don’t know if I will drink again, I haven’t told them this.
I now feel a peace and calmness within me that’s helped me in my exec job with a very demanding boss.
I am not constantly thinking about whether I will drink tonight.
At the age of 52 coming up to 53 next month I am my most authentic self, single, happy and loving life with my beautiful dog.
I was sober from April 2020 until December 2022, throughout the lockdowns, but I never felt the full benefits of sobriety because I was in a toxic relationship I was desperate to get out of but couldn’t because of the pandemic and my job ws awful. Now I am totally self reliant and seeing life exactly as it should be on my own terms.
i know I can’t moderate, after my sober stint it wasn’t long before I had a bottle of red wine a day habit. I am so grateful that I was able to pause again now, and I am going to do at least another 100 days which takes me to July.
Who knows how good life will be then? It can only get better right?

What an amazing post @IjustbelieveinMe well done you!! I’m a year older than you, also in a demanding job and juggling life with two teen boys and a very controlling ExH. My outlook is similar to yours - too much goodness has come from the reset to let it just fade away. I’ve had many friends say the very same about ‘when you’re drinking again’ I’m not yet at the point of saying to them - it won’t be, but in my head that’s exactly my thinking. ☺️ Congratulations on your 100 days, such a huge achievement.

@IjustbelieveinMe Congrats! I’m 106 days and can resonate with everything you said. I am only starting to feel the benefits now- I was absolutely exhausted right up to the 100 days. I was in a kind of stupor but the old me is coming back! I just spent my lunch hour deep cleaning my bedroom, throwing out masses of clothes etc - it was so satisfying.
A little part of me secretly now thinks of myself as a non drinker. I think ( for me) if I tell anyone they will recoil I’m horror so will say nothing just that I’m carrying on and trying to do another 100 days.
This thread really keeps me accountable and as it’s anonymous you can really share your feelings. Even if no one responds ( although people always say lovely things) just getting it down helps.

Afternoon.

Hope everyone is well. We’ve had a busy day, so I’m just catching up now.

For some bizarre reason last night I had such strong cravings, but not exactly for alcohol. I was very stressed and anxious yesterday about some (rather boring but important ) home stuff - . I really didn’t want a drink, but really did want a drink too. It was really weird. It went away after we’d eaten, as did the anxiety.

Never mind the toxic relationship, sober new authentic life and general positivity @IjustbelieveinMe - we need a photo of the dog!! I am of course only joking - I love your post - the phrase peace and calmness really resonates - it feels like I can cope with so much more and so much better now.

Sorry for a quick post today - it’s been a busy one x

Absolutely agree!
@freshstart2026
I echo everyone else's sentiments here.. you have done so well and I totally believe you can get back on the wagon and continue to be inspiring (hope im bot making you feel bad here!).
Im very sorry to hear about marriage troubles. That really doesnt help!

Hi all xx wow you are all such an inspiration x and especially going through stressful times and sad times you've been amazing, ❤️
It's so lovely reading your experiences, can't wait to get to my 100 days xxx
First little victory for me this evening, just been out for dinner with DH and DC and i had sparkling water!
We have a social event on Saturday coming up and I'm still unsure if I'm ready for that yet , but to prepare myself I've emailed the venue and they've sent me the list of mocktails and non alcoholic drinks so if we do go I know what I will have xxx

Another wave of tiredness today, after having lots of energy the past week.
@PeacheyPeach well done on your victory today. I have sparkling water now with a squeeze of lemon, lime and ice. Good thinking to plan ahead, I've only just started going out to places where people are drinking. I've been fine, a lot better than I thought in fact. Watching people get drunk has put me right off drinking.

Day 100 done 🥇 For me that means I’ve been sober for 100 days this year and drank on 5. That’s a pretty good ratio really isn’t it, compared to the bottle (or more) a day I was drinking last year.

@SwiftyFifty there is nothing better than a good clear-out IMO - it’s so good for the mind.

@IjustbelieveinMe your post is so inspiring - I too have a stressful job with demanding managers and it’s a great feeling knowing I can be cool, collected and able to handle whatever is thrown at me. When I think back to how I’d frequently go into work feeling ill from drinking I shudder - I honestly don’t know how I got through the day.

I have a hygienist appointment booked for the first time in years. I know my teeth are in a state but taking proactive steps to look after myself feels good. I constantly put the dentist off when drinking.

Deep cleaning the bathroom (also long overdue) is next on my list.

Night all!

Congratulations @freshstart2026 and everyone hitting their 100 days :) very inspiring.

Day 5 for me. I was a bit twitchy last night so went for a walk again. I bumped into a friend on their way home from work and felt a bit embarrassed when she asked me where I was off to and I said I was just out for a walk. Not sure why. Seems a bit weird to walk the streets alone but don’t feel safe in the park.

Anyway, I won’t be deterred because I didn’t binge eat anything last night for the first time in ages. And I hit my exercise goals so will put the unreasonable embarrassment out of my mind and crack on with the evening walks.

Morning.

@HeadingforaHundred - I think day 4/5 is about peak twitching time! You start to feel better generally as the alcohol is starting to leave your system and your brain is already tricking you into thinking you never felt that bad anyway after drinking, or that you deserve a glass. Could you think about exactly what your trigger was and examine that reasoning? For me, a big one was cooking supper and feeling like I was relaxing - I strongly associated pouring a glass of red with that process. In truth, that’s still my biggest trigger, although the cravings are so much fewer and not as strong. Keep going!

Had an easy night last night in terms of cravings, didn’t think about drinking. Hope everyone is okay and feeling similar.

@HeadingforaHundred hey that sounded like a good idea going for a walk when feeling that itch x I often want to go out for a walk in the evening but I'm the same don't feel safe enough time walk in the park , so it would be just walking along a main road and that's not as pretty haha but well done for getting out there xxxx
@needastrongone have you got something in place for when you have your cravings around Cooking dinner, I think I read on here about using the same glass but different liquid, so could you have something nice to drink but use the glass you'd normally use , xxx

You need something that gives you that kick at the bank of the throat. A lot of people initially switch to af options - the lagers are good and tanqueray gin is fabulous. Do anything you need to get through the habit of the first month. I used to come in from work and neck a soft drink and I was ok then- I used to drink wine when I was actually thirsty. Good luck with it all- going for a walk is a great idea - I’m glad I o have a dog!

Walking is a good idea @HeadingforaHundred better still listen to a podcast on quitting to reaffirm the message whilst you pound the streets. Delighted to say the boys are back home this evening and I’m very excited to see them - but also not so keen to have any sort of interaction with the ExH. On day one of the holiday he sent a message to see if ‘I was OK’ and tried tempting me to join them ‘you can still get a flight out and join us’.. needless to say I didn’t reply. He was a massive trigger for my alcohol consumption-firstly to block out all his lies and infidelities and then after we’d left the constant nonsense he threw at me to make life difficult. Had I got on a flight and joined them I’d have been knocking back wine pretending it was all fine 🤯 he drinks wine like water (always has) I can’t be around him. I’m very happy to have kept on my path and just ticked off day 107!! Today is a good day 🥰

Checking in dry on day 106!

Sounds like you are all doing well navigating through sober life. Nothing to report really, except has anyone else noticed memories coming back? For me they are like random bubbles appearing from no where. For example at work today a memory just came to me from when I was a child outside in the garden on a Summer's day, colouring in and my favourite colour was yellow. I remembered everything so vividly from the garden to the weather.

I wonder if that's a sign my brain is re wiring itself?

Sending you all strength for tomorrow. Remember one step at a time, break the day/night into chunks if you need too 💐

Day 106 here and still going. I feel like now that alcohol is just simply not an option so I don't think about it much day to day. It helps that DH doesn't drink and our friends aren't particularly drinky either.

For drinks, I agree with Swiftyfifty about something hitting the back of the throat. I have an AF lager nearly every night as a treat. at the beginning when one of my triggers was drinking while cooking dinner I would pour one in a glass and have that when cooking- it really helped. Tonic water works too. Some of the Belvoir farm drinks are lovely but I prefer something not sweet.

At the beginning I also noticed that I wanted a glass of wine when I was hungry or thirsty so i would deal with that. As a result I am the only person here who seems to have gained weight!! Still I haven't had a drink and that's what matters this year.

I'm on four weeks today and have lost zero weight @anewyearthisyear ! Am just thinking about whether focussing on doing something about that for the next month would be helpful (or whether not having the chocolate and replacement drinks will derail...)

Checking in on Day 4. In awe of those who are 100 plus, and inspired by you all to keep going. Major urge yesterday when having lunch with a friend. She wasn’t drinking but someone at the next table had a glass of chilled white wine and the sun kept catching the glass and I thought about buying a bottle on the way home. I didn’t give in and am so grateful for that this morning…