After the first two weeks, the good stuff started to happen! – Catherine Smith
- OYNB
- Nov 17
- 4 min read
My head was in exactly the right place, and I had the support network I needed
Before finding OYNB, I didn’t consider myself to be a “drinker”. Like many of my friends and colleagues, I was a two large glasses of wine (or more) a night kind of girl. It usually started while I was cooking dinner and by 10pm I was asleep in front of the TV, missing “who did it” in yet another show.
I always meant to cut down, but because I was functioning well and still exercising, I told myself it wasn’t really a problem.
“If I’m holding down my life, it can’t be that bad… right?”
When the warning signs started to add up
Every now and then I’d type my weekly intake into the DrinkAware calculator. Every time it told me I was in the danger zone and drinking too much. I was shocked and ashamed, but I brushed it off as an over-reaction.
What hit me harder was the numbers on the screen:
around 700 extra calories a day from wine and
the extra snacks I ate while drinking
My weight had crept up. I was about a stone heavier, and every outfit seemed to highlight my growing wine belly.
Then there was my last “real session”:
pre-drinks at home
more in the restaurant
up on stage at a “disco for grown-ups”, attempting a full Legs & Co routine
crashing the sound system with my clumsy moves
insisting I felt “fine” at midnight…
and then my legs buckling as the night air hit me on the way home
The whole neighbourhood heard my return as my husband half-carried me inside, turned down my drunken advances and lectured me about my behaviour. It wasn’t a good look.
Lockdown: when “harmless” habits escalated
When lockdown hit, it almost felt fun at first. More time at home, sunshine, a slower pace. It quickly turned into:
“Oh, it’s sunny—let’s sit on the decking with a glass of wine as the sun goes down.”
Within four weeks, that “glass” had become a bottle of wine a night.
I was heavier, uncomfortable in my clothes and unhappy with what I saw in the mirror. Cutting those 700 calories of liquid seemed like the obvious place to start.
My first attempt at going alcohol-free
The first time I quit in lockdown, I followed the 28-Day Alcohol-Free Challenge book and managed nearly six weeks without alcohol. I felt proud and thought:
“Yes, I’ve got this. Now I’ll just moderate.”
Then summer arrived. My husband came back from working abroad for four months. He drank every night. Within a couple of weeks, I was back in my old rhythm. Part of me blamed him as a trigger; part of me knew it was my own unfinished work with alcohol.
The psychological approach in the book stuck with me more than the usual “alcohol is bad for you” messages. It made me realise something deeper had to change.
Starting again – this time for real
I went back to the book and looked up the full OYNB challenge. By then, something had clicked:
I’d had a taste of life without alcohol
I knew wine didn’t actually make me happy; it just helped me escape
I could see I wasn’t really in control
So I signed up. I enrolled thinking:
“I’ve got nothing to lose now.”
My mindset had shifted. I understood that wine wasn’t a reward, it was a trap. Even my “relapse” became useful—proof that moderation wasn’t working for me and that I needed something more structured and supported.
The second time round: head in the right place
This time, it felt different.
“My head was in exactly the right place, and I had the support network of the OYNB Tribe, which became far more important to my success than I realised.”
There wasn’t much support at home. My husband:
didn’t like drinking alone
called my challenge “boring” and “unnecessary”
Instead of derailing me, that resistance made me more determined. I could now clearly see him as one of my triggers—and choose differently.
When the benefits started to show
After the first two weeks, things started to change:
I felt physically better and more productive
I started to sleep right through the night, which felt incredible
By week four:
I was binging on sugar a bit (part of detox),
but I was sticking with it
By week seven:
the weight started to drop
I could run faster
people at work commented that I looked well and slimmer
I felt:
“High on life—and you can’t buy that.”
Hitting an unexpected wall: PAWS
Around Day 70, a wave of fatigue hit:
exhausted by 4pm
sleeping for hours
forgetful and absent-minded
I posted in the OYNB Facebook group and quickly discovered:
I was experiencing PAWS – Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, or Stage 2 withdrawal.
Other members suggested:
taking vitamin B12 (after doing my own research)
being gentle with myself while my brain and body adjusted
Within a couple of days, I started to pick up again.
That phase was crucial. It showed me:
this was more than just a 30-day detox
years of habit drinking take longer to unravel
if I wanted a real reset, I needed to see it through properly
What helped me succeed
A few things made all the difference:
The OYNB bookIt gave me facts and psychology, not just scare tactics. It helped reframe why I drank.
The OYNB Facebook group
a place to share wins and wobble moments
people who felt exactly like me
no judgement, just real stories and support
Accountability + a “ready-made excuse”Saying “I’m doing a challenge” made it easier to refuse drinks socially without long explanations.
Seeing people at all stagesReading posts from people at 40, 60, 365 days gave me a roadmap and proof it was possible.
Where I’ve landed
Now:
I sleep deeply and restoratively
my weight has dropped and the “wine belly” has gone
I feel fitter, sharper and more energetic
I’m proud of myself in a way alcohol never gave me
Most importantly, I understand:
My relationship with alcohol has fundamentally changed—and I want this to be permanent.
I’m not just someone who “cut down”. I’m someone who chose a different life—and backed that choice with action, support and a mindset shift that finally stuck.
