I’m feeling good right now and plan to keep going – Colby Swann

“Today I am 166 days alcohol-free – I pass the liquor store and don’t even realise it’s there.”

I’ve spent most of my adult life either overweight or obese. After university, with kids, family life and a desk job, I was mostly sedentary. I tried countless diets and exercise programmes, but I could never shake the binge tendencies – especially with sweets.

Back then, I only drank occasionally: big nights out here and there, maybe some weekend drinking. Food was my main coping mechanism.

Hitting a breaking point

In May 2017, I went on a local morning TV show to promote a new retail store we were opening. As soon as the camera came on, I was horrified. I could see what I’d been avoiding for years: I was over 320 lbs.

My mind had been telling me a different story, and I’d always dodged photos. That day, I was forced to face the reality that my weight – and my life – were out of control.

I chose weight loss surgery. It changed everything physically. My BMI went from 43 to 24, and over about a year I stabilised in the mid-180s. I was healthy, exercising, eating better and, for around six months, alcohol-free.

But my brain was still running the same old patterns. I hadn’t dealt with why I used food for comfort. So my coping mechanism simply shifted: from food to alcohol.

From food to alcohol

Because my stomach was smaller and my body lighter, alcohol hit me hard and fast. One drink gave me a buzz, three drinks put me in a stupor. That quickly became my new normal.

Beer was rough on my stomach, so I switched to hard liquor – especially bourbon. Before long I was getting through around 1,000 ml of bourbon a week. Most of the time I drank alone, almost every night after work.

On weekends, I’d start around noon and keep going. Some nights I even took a bourbon on the rocks to bed, my last sip coming seconds before my head hit the pillow.

The alcohol started to push my weight back up. I crept up to 198 lbs – a terrifying number for someone who’s had weight loss surgery. Hitting 200 again is the worst nightmare.

I also noticed withdrawal symptoms. I would literally twitch when I drove past the liquor store. I tried to quit cold turkey, but I never lasted more than a few days.

The turning point

On May 28th (U.S. Memorial Day), I decided enough was enough. I’d seen OYNB ads on Instagram and Facebook and started to read more. It felt like it was built exactly for people like me – not necessarily identifying as “alcoholic”, but clearly having a problematic relationship with alcohol and wanting support to change it.

I signed up for the 90-day challenge. This time, something clicked.

I wanted to:

• Break my dependence on alcohol

• Understand why I was drinking

• Learn what alcohol was actually doing to my body and brain

• Find healthier ways to handle stress and emotions

The education inside the programme was huge for me – the science, the psychology, the habit change strategies. Pair that with the community, and I finally had a structure that made sense.

My experience going alcohol-free

From the start, I decided to take it one day at a time. I was nervous because I’d failed before, but I was also determined. The surprise was: this time it felt easier than I expected.

Key shifts for me:

• I stopped seeing it as “I’m not allowed to drink” and started seeing it as “I choose not to drink.”

• The Facebook community normalised saying, “No thanks, I don’t drink,” in social and business settings.

• Understanding the mechanics of alcohol dependence made it less mysterious and more manageable.

The results:

• I dropped the 10 lbs I’d regained and settled back into the high-180s.

• My confidence at work soared – the constant low-level paranoia and second-guessing faded.

• Physically, I feel better. I notice nature more, I’m more present in relationships (even as an introvert), and I’ve removed one major source of stress from my life: drinking.

What I value most about OYNB

A few elements really stood out:

• The challenge structureIt’s non-judgemental and time-bound. “Just do 90 days” feels achievable. But that break is long enough to create real distance from alcohol and let you see your life clearly without it.

• Whole-person focusIt’s not just “don’t drink.” The content digs into the deeper reasons behind dependency and gives you alternative strategies and tools.

• The communityBehaviour change is hard to do in isolation. The group support, sharing wins and setbacks, and being able to support others all strengthened my own commitment.

166 days and counting

Today I’m 166 days alcohol-free, with no blips. I walk past the liquor store and barely register it’s there. The cravings are practically gone – in many ways, it’s been easier to suppress the urge to drink than to manage my old food urges.

The biggest shift? I’m now proud to be alcohol-free. I can talk about it openly with friends. I politely decline whiskey and beer at business dinners and social events without feeling awkward.

I feel good – lighter, clearer and more in control – and I plan to keep going the same way I got here:

day by day, one day at a time.