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.

@SwiftyFifty well done on resisting aswell, making that decision to stay AF on holiday and keeping to it is amazing especially when your with friends who are drinking. Just think of all the lovely food you will actually enjoy and be able to taste tho, I usually race through the food just so I can carry on drinking so never get the full benefits,

Morning.

I’ve missed the weekend chat, apologies.

@SwiftyFifty I am not sure if you know this, but you do have a knack of hitting the nail on the head brilliantly for me. Perhaps it’s because our whys (health) are similar, or maybe it’s because we seem to be at the same stage of the journey in terms of how we feel about alcohol, but you always have me nodding silently to myself. That’s exactly how I would feel about drinking on holiday, and indeed have done, right down to taking a bottle of wine with me on self catering holidays in case we can’t get out to the shops that night. Jeez - when I look back I’m embarrassed about myself in truth. It’s just constant noise in my head is drinking.

Like others, I didn’t start the 100 day challenge to completely stop drinking, just to have a reset. The further I go on, the more I wonder I want to keep the door open. I’ll keep sticking with the ‘I am not going to drink today’ attitude as that serves me well, but it’s not calling me at the moment. I had cravings last week, but this thread reminded me about my Ginger Beer drink Mother Root, and I actually just needed a sort of strong, fiery alternative to water or juice or herbal tea while making supper.

@freshstart2026you know that the alcohol is massively contributing to the anxiety and lack of sleep, you’ve got the 100 days under your belt as experience of that. Theres a lot going on in your life. Could you manage just to not drink today? There is no judgement here on this thread because we’ve all been there. We’ve all poured a glass being almost cross with ourselves while pouring the glass! But that just makes you feel worse about yourself, it’s awful isn’t it?

I’m just listening to Radio 5, Nicky Campbell is talking about alcohol dependence now, after Andrew Lloyd Webber has talked about it. It’s alarmingly close to home to me, and probably us all on here.

Saw this on SM yesterday. Thought it pertinent. I think it minimises the chemical effect alcohol has on us, it’s a drug after all, but that said, you do have to figure out your why.

@Icecreamhelps - Homer Simpson says some very wise stuff!

Enjoy the exercise @Ladymuckypuddle , I genuinely think you’ll feel so much better and even more determined and empowered by the activity.

This is a daft small thing but just wanted to share here...have been out today for a run pre-coffee to see whether it works better that way (turns out even water with lemon still leads to a toilet stop but, oh well, good to experiment!)

It's just really nice to have options...before, coffee was a completely necessary painkiller immediately each morning to function... Now enjoying the coffee post-run!

@freshstart2026 My April is also not looking as good as I would have liked. I had a bit of a bingy weekend; a big day of drinking on Saturday as I was in hospitality at Goodwood for the motor racing. Felt grim yesterday and drank half a bottle of wine in the evening anyway 🙄. I am off to Italy this weekend but my friend doesn't drink so I am targeting no more drinking in April to get me back on track. Let's get back on the wagon together 😊

@2026x thank you for posting and being honest. I promise you can go abroad and not drink, I’ve just done it in Portugal, it didn’t detract one little bit, it only added.

I think maybe it’s just harder to moderate than it is to it drink? Thoughts?

@needastrongone I think the issue with moderating is the creep. Moderating seems ok off the back of a period of abstinence but then there is the creep!

I'm not to disappointed about Saturday - it was a fun day and although I did drink a bit too much, I was with other people and I don't tend to embarrass myself when I drink with others so I don't have the social anxiety side of things. If I could limit my drinking to days out like that I'd be perfectly happy (because they happen very infrequently). However, I know that drinking half (probably a bit more than half) a bottle of wine secretly in your kitchen while you fob your 2 year old off with pepper pig, despite having a raging hangover is not normal. So there is clearly more work to do and perhaps I need to accept I still have some very dysfunctional instincts when it comes to drinking.

Oh, just to add @needastrongone , I am feeling quite optimistic about my AF weekend. Me and the girl I am visiting used to be big partners in crime when we were younger. She quit about 3 years ago and I tend not to drink around her when I see her (she comes back to the UK quite often) as I always think it could be quite triggering for her given how much we used to drink together! It's a good opportunity for me to enjoy a weekend away without booze.

Happy Monday all, checking in dry, day 9 for me.

I woke feeling completely flat this morning, it sounds silly but I think it’s the lack of weight loss. I’m an immediate results sort of girl, I expected to have lost something last week.

That said, I still got up and did a YouTube video this morning and have continue to focus on the healthy eating. Someone asked, do I feel like I’ve lost weight? Yes! My stomach certainly feels flatter so maybe it just hasn’t translated to the scales yet.

All the posts on this thread are so relatable for me. In answer to the moderation question, I can “limit” myself to a bottle if I really try but that never feels satisfying and still leaves me with an awful hangover the next morning. I hate rules around consumption. Just feels miserable. I said I wouldn’t drink at home. I did and then felt shit. I said I would only drink two nights a week, I drank three and felt shit etc etc

I know deep down my life is better when I'm not drinking but I still have that desire to be a ‘normal’ drinker. I can’t say never again because I know I’ll break that at some point. I just want to say not right now and be content with that decision.

Checking in on day 111 🤪 73.2k calories saved…!!! My weight is very much on track and I do a lot of strength training but the glow is very noticeable. I didn’t lose weight as such but the puffiness is gone. No flushed look and no tired eyes. I swerved an all day beach drinking session yesterday - the bubbles were cracked open at 12 at my friends beach hut gathering.. by 2pm they were all talking nonsense so I made a quite exit. So proud I didn’t crack and join in, the pressure to join in was strong from some - that’s the first real tricky one for me and I navigated it well. We are off on a rugby tour in a couple of weeks, that will be a full on session so I’m hoping that I can keep up this resistance. Another mother I know locally called this morning looking for support - she spent Sunday drinking 5 bottles of wine 🤯 I’d have been in A&E!! There’s a lot of people battling this sh*t! A harsh reminder to myself if nothing else.

Checking in day 10. I had a bit of a food binge last night
Annoyed with myself as I haven’t done that in a long time. Hopefully I can put it behind me and not let it derail my progress.
As others have alluded to, life isn’t all unicorns and roses for me right now and I felt something like that building. Glad at least it wasn’t a drinking blow out, so every cloud and all that….
Hope everyone else is ok.

Morning all. This 100 days is certainly going faster than the first.
DIY being done at the villa today so I’m on the beach alone. I did think that a few months ago I would have used this opportunity to be able to drink what I wanted “ in private” then get back and match them drink for drink at dinner too. I was so greedy for it and I realise I especially had a problem with solo drinking
I have asked myself would I be enjoying this holiday as much with wine and I can honestly say no. Never thought I would get to this stage but wine as the marker of every occasion, good and bad, is slowly starting to lose its grip.
Hope everyone is doing ok today.

Hi all, checking in on day 11 for me xx
@SwiftyFifty hope your having an amazing holiday, well done for keeping strong ans for standing by your decision,
@HeadingforaHundred hope you're feeling better x

Day 106, had a lovely day out, lunch, walk by the river and some mocktails.
@HeadingforaHundred i haven't lost any weight but to be honest I've not been trying or worrying too much about it just yet. I was drinking on average 2 bottles of wine a day and eating very little food so at the moment my appetite is through the roof. I'm trying to limit cake but I've rekindled my love of baking so it's not going too well.
@freshstart2026 how are you today?
@PeacheyPeach well done on 11 days, how's your sleep it took me a few weeks to get a good nights sleep now I'm out like a light as soon as my head hits the pillow.
@SwiftyFifty so glad you're enjoying your time away.
@needastrongone I don't have any holidays away booked yet but I'm looking forward to doing so soon. Everyone sharing how much better their holidays were has given me the confidence to go for it.

As of today I've saved £1285 by not drinking. I can't quite comprehend that! How did I justify spending all that money on something that made me feel depressed and anxious.

@Icecreamhelps I have form for being an all or nothing character…. Anyhow managed to avoid all tempting food at work yesterday and get back on track so will chalk that one up.

Day 11 for me. I’m still feeling a bit all over the place emotionally but hoping that levels out soon.

Hi everyone, I've been lurking for a while and I think it's time for me to join if that's ok. I just can't seem to stop once I start.

I am on a different thread but it isn't very active these days, and I like that this one moves quite fast. Last year I did two months AF and felt great, but now I am back to old habits, worse habits actually.

Last night I had a bottle of wine, and a mini bottle of wine. DH decided after a beer he didn't want his wine, and he went to bed. I then proceeded to drink half of his bottle too. I am so ashamed. Safe to say I feel like utter shite today and have got nothing done so far. I need to take this seriously before it escalates further. I drink 1-2 days a week but when I do drink it's far too much. So Day 1 for me.

@Icecreamhelps you can't beat a bit of baking though it keeps you busy and we need some treats to replace the wine!! And the amount of money you' haven't spent is amazing isn't it, I think I'm going to start a pot and any money I might have spent on booze is going in that, sure I'll think of something nice to do with it in a few months xx
My sleep has actually been really good, I have been taking magnesium before I go to bed and I've found that it's really helping, what I'm loving is waking up not feeling slightly nauseous or with a headache, face is starting to look less puffy which is good!
I'm hoping that the calories im no longer taking in will start to have an effect at some point, I must have been having over 500 calories a night extra on top of everything else so that's bound to make a difference!!!

Hope everyone has a good day, enjoy the sunshine even if it's freezing 😂

@paintcolourchart welcome 🤗 I'm a relative newbie on here aswell, we all need a starting point don't we,
Coming on here is great especially if you feel you are going to have a wobble 😉
I'm the same as you, I don't seem to know when to stop, I can always keep drinking, it's just the next day it hurts!

Welcome @paintcolourchart my off switch is broken to 🤣 your in the right place. Old habits do tend to creep back in sadly, moderation is rarely achieved if your off switch is faulty! I’m in that camp and staying in my lane. Keep on going @PeacheyPeach you’re doing fantastic. The first week or so is behind you already and the old habits are starting to fade. Sounds bliss where you are @SwiftyFifty 🤩 Day 113 checked off for me! It seems to be flying by bizarrely-I recall in the early days back in January that April seemed so far away. Now I’m not really counting down more like counting up! Great feeling.

Morning @paintcolourchart and welcome.
Day 108, I always mark my day first thing in the morning in the trydry app as in my head I've already committed to not drink today. It helped me in the first few weeks and still does. If I get a temptation (which isn't as often now) during the day it just seems to stop me as I've already marked the day as dry.
Hope everyone has a lovely day.

Morning everyone. Apologies for being MIA the last couple of days, life has been a bit busy.

Welcome @paintcolourchart - it’s so lovely to have new people on the thread. Hopefully we can help a little on the way. We’ve all been there and had and do seem to have the same feelings, pretty much at the same time.

@freshstart2026 - please check in, how are you? We are here for you when you need us.

I’ve had a non craving week. Last week most nights I had the urge for a drink, much less strong than at the beginning but there nevertheless. This week I’ve had nothing at all, very strange.

I’m another one that ticked off my app first thing, or in truth I often forget these days, which I see as a postive.

I guess my thought for the day is I can’t believe at the start of the year I would get to the point where I feel like I’ve changed my relationship with alcohol. I certainly don’t think it’s normal now, and I absolutely feel I’m a work in progress, but from where I was, to where I am now, it’s light years away. And that’s a very postive thing.

I guess my thought for the day is I can’t believe at the start of the year I would get to the point where I feel like I’ve changed my relationship with alcohol. I certainly don’t think it’s normal now, and I absolutely feel I’m a work in progress, but from where I was, to where I am now, it’s light years away. And that’s a very postive thing.

This is exactly how I feel.

Four months in I am not slimmer but I am happier - much happier. I have left the anxiety, the self-loathing, and the guilt behind. (And my skin is definitely way better.)

@freshstart2026 you have so many many non drinking days under your belt. This stuff is hard and what you are feeling is so normal. You have been such a supportive and insightful poster. Please stay on this thread with us however you are doing.

Just checking in
I've had a lot of occasions recently when I would have celebrated or commiserated with a drink, holiday, work stress, birthday and apart from a fleeting thought have enjoyed or tolerated it all AF.
My reward? Blood tests all normal ( were iffy a few months ago)
So grateful for this thread and I would encourage anyone who is debating if it's worth it to keep trying..it took me years to understand myself and the negative effects of alcohol and it all seems so obvious now.

Evening all and welcome to the new people who have joined us on this merry dry wagon. Nothing to report still dry and loving it especially the sleep, oh my the deep relaxing sleep is amazing! I've managed to fit in a few walks this week as planned, I am honestly so unfit but will persevere hopefully will get fitter soon. Sending you all strength.