Alcohol & Smoking: Advice?

Hey,

I think for both alcohol and smoking it goes the same way as with food - will power. If you really want to quit, you will.

Now, about the smoking, I can understand that it must be difficult to quit the addiction. I do smoke every now and then but I am fortunate enough that never in my life did I ever feel the NEED to smoke, I'm absolutely fine without it. However, I've seen my dad struggle to quit for YEARS, and so many times he has done so, but then he goes back to it. On the other hand, my grandfather once came home saying "I'll never smoke again" - and he never did. From two 20 packs a day to zero just like that. My dad tried substitute it with gum, or even started collecting the money of a pack everytime he felt like buying one and after a couple of years, he bough a car with it !!! (after a few months of having the car he went back to smoking, though). So what I'm saying is - find either a substitute or a mechanism that rewards you for not doing it. Or just go brave and just STOP.

As for drinking - I do drink too, and no way I'm giving it up all together, I enjoy it every now and then. The way I see it, though, even if I'm with friends, is that I don't need to be falling on my face to enjoy the party (been there, done that, not anymore lol). I do drink quite a bit on ocasion, and do enjoy myself but, in fact, I go out so rarely that I believe it doesn't harm me to let myself go a bit when I do. Just go out less, maybe? Once a week, or once every two weeks keeps your social life intact and makes you drink much less than if you go out more regularly.

Hope this helps, sorry for the big text!

I love my vaporizer..I use 24 mg oil and there are dozens of flavors! So many people have quit using this method! Although it's still nicotine, it's far less harmful than smoking. About alcohol-I don't exactly know what to say because for me it's all or nothing. I'm not just your average drinker or even a heavy drinker-I'm an alcoholic. I haven't had a drink in 7 1/2 years now. I get how you feel when you're sober and everyone around you is drunk! It's as if everyone is having fun and connecting and I've missed the joke..good luck with your goals!

As a Scotch-Irishman, I hear you on the alcohol front. I'm friends with a lot of ex-punks, all of whom drink heavily. I usually try to set aside a day or two a month to go out with friends and drink without concern about the calories (my Irish cheat day) so as to not feel excluded. Otherwise, I usually content myself with a very good beer or two so that I can justify to myself slowing down and savoring the beer rather than throwing back shots. That way, I still get to participate in the social event, but I don't blow my calories out of the water.

Thank you for not using the word "journey" anywhere in your text. Pet peeve of mine.

You should definitely try an electronic cigarette. I quit in Jan 12 and I used one of these. You can get them all over Ireland so it should be easy enough to find. I was a really heavy smoker and it really helps when you are around other smokers because you can still join in. You can slowly reduce the strength and stop completely when you are ready. Doing some really heavy cardio made me realise just how out of breath I was due to smoking. A spin class nearly killed me when I joined the gym. I just couldn't breathe!!! Good luck!!!

As for drinking I have just cut back. I still go out every week but I just don't have a carry out and try not to go too mad when I go out. I try to stick to cider and west coast cooler rose, etc. By the end of the night I'm still rightly and have good craic but I'm not too hungover and can still make good food choices and work out the next day. Plus the more drunk I get the more I want to party and I just end up drinking all night! Which is never good

Go to a smoking cessation clinic (usually free) and take their advice. I went along used patches for 3 weeks then found they weren't really helping much so stopped them too, that was 3 and half years ago. May not be that easy for everyone but I really wanted to stop and that gave me the determination.

I have had a few drinks in my time but these days I just drink occasionally, I have never been a addicted to the drink so practicing moderation is easy.

Apart from smoking I haven't deprived myself of anything during my weight loss journey and am slimmer and fitter as a result, this week I moved from obese to overweight in the BMI charts so it is working. Set your goals realistically and don't expect too much too soon. You may have to concentrate at changing 1 thing at a time which could be smoking then weight loss or if you are really fortunate you can combine both elements with some degree of success. Whatever improvements you make it will be worth it

I gave up smoking 4 years ago, never regreted, the best thing I have done in my life. I was a chain smoker for nearly 16 years. I do my wine fridays, I have a bottle of red wine 650 calories, I make sure I eat less on that day or exercise.

I can recommend Allan Carr's Easy Way book for the smokes.

No advice to give on the booze

I'm with you completely on the smoking problem. I'm a smoker, living with smokers. I actually think it's almost impossible to quit in this situation. Studies have shown that smokers are HIGHLY sensitive to cues. Lighters, ashtrays, definitely the sight of someone else smoking are massive triggers.

My wife has continued to smoke around me she is still on 40 a day and whilst it was hard while initially stopping it is still possible to quit with a smoking partner (you do notice how smoking smells on someone though).

That's wonderful! Good to know it can be done.

I have done well in the past - had quit for 1.5 yrs; then for 5 months; another time, for 6 - but only when in supportive environments. Or, when the place I lived in was a non-smoking place from the start. Finding it v hard now, since I've smoked in this place from the first day.

@k9education: that's terrible, about your dog

Best of luck with your mission. It certainly sounds as though you're in the right head space to be doing this, so you're already on the path to success
I quit in Jan 2012, Cold Turkey....just decided that I was going to do it this time. I used a phone app called Quit Now which really helped...I still have it on my phone and sometimes still check it to see how much healthier and richer I am now My husband was also a smoker. I didn't ask him to quit with me, I just decided that I wanted to do it regardless of what those around me were up to. However, he switched to the e-cig and now only uses it occasionally (apparently he was worried that I'd be turned off by him smelling of smoke.....clever guy). So, now we breathe a lot easier and finances are way better.....it's such an expensive habit.
We also hit the booze pretty hard (he's Irish too) but I'm tackling that habit now. I decided to go completely dry for 3 months and then see if I could limit drinking to weekends, social occasions etc. It has been easier than I thought....first week was pretty tough, though. I was so used to coming home and pouring a large glass of wine lol. I'm now 11 weeks in and, to be honest, not fussed about going back to drinking. I think I might even leave it a bit longer

I quit smoking and am now a runner.
But, I will NOT quit drinking.