Quitters Club
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KanCrav
Posts: 439 Member
Welcome to the Quitters Club! ~the club where everyone is a Quitter!~!~!
We encourage alcoholics, addicts, smokers, boozers, drunks, chongers, junkies and their friends to support each other through our constant struggle for a healthy, sober, empowering life.
Our Mission~ To have a place where everyone can feel free to share their Hope, Experience, and Strength in quitting something that just didnt fit into their idea of a "healthy lifestyle."
I will try to post a "Daily Reflections" quote or something equivilant a few times a week. Feel free to share on the given topic or share on a great day you had, or ask for strength through a rough one. Hell, share something you found inspiring!~! The important thing is that you share!~!
~~~~ A little background on myself. I am new to AA and FINALLY getting it!~! Its amazing to me that just a few months ago I was waking up on the bathroom floor yet seeing no problem with this still finding a reason to drink a few hours later. Well, thats done!~!~! I started going to meeting and yes, it was hard at first... But now I REALLY want this.
The problem with my timing was that I also decided to kick myself into gear and start exercising and eating well in the same month I decided to get sober. Now we all know that neither getting sober or learning a healthy lifestyle is a program that has an "ending", we will be wroking on both until the day we die! So a lot of people have told me to lay off the exercise and MFP (unheard of!~!~) and only concentrate on my sobriety. While I agree to a certain extent, I dont want to stop learning how to be healthy. Cant I learn how to be sober and skinny at the same time>????
We encourage alcoholics, addicts, smokers, boozers, drunks, chongers, junkies and their friends to support each other through our constant struggle for a healthy, sober, empowering life.
Our Mission~ To have a place where everyone can feel free to share their Hope, Experience, and Strength in quitting something that just didnt fit into their idea of a "healthy lifestyle."
I will try to post a "Daily Reflections" quote or something equivilant a few times a week. Feel free to share on the given topic or share on a great day you had, or ask for strength through a rough one. Hell, share something you found inspiring!~! The important thing is that you share!~!
~~~~ A little background on myself. I am new to AA and FINALLY getting it!~! Its amazing to me that just a few months ago I was waking up on the bathroom floor yet seeing no problem with this still finding a reason to drink a few hours later. Well, thats done!~!~! I started going to meeting and yes, it was hard at first... But now I REALLY want this.
The problem with my timing was that I also decided to kick myself into gear and start exercising and eating well in the same month I decided to get sober. Now we all know that neither getting sober or learning a healthy lifestyle is a program that has an "ending", we will be wroking on both until the day we die! So a lot of people have told me to lay off the exercise and MFP (unheard of!~!~) and only concentrate on my sobriety. While I agree to a certain extent, I dont want to stop learning how to be healthy. Cant I learn how to be sober and skinny at the same time>????
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Replies
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I think it's actually a good thing to do both at the same time. You've decided that your current lifestyle is neither healthy nor desireable. So you're fixing it. Congratulations on your newfound enthusiasm for healthy living!0
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Very Brave KanCrav
Posting up your drink concerns and the fact that you have seen the light and are prepared to face shedding pounds and drinking sensibly at the same time! Wish you luck and the strength to see it through.
My small contribution is that having joined MFP 30 days ago I did reasonably well for the first 3 weeks and then had a "foodie bender" at the weekend and put on almost 2 lbs, but dead chuffed cos I worked really hard yesterday to right the wrong of the weekend and even though I didn't do a great deal of exercise, by and large I ate sensibly. I got rid of all the weekends escesses and got down to a mind boggling 188 lbs, the best since I started this program. Onwards and downwards I hope!0 -
Hiya, what a great post n a great idea, I sabotage my efforts as no other could. I am not at the point of abstaining from booze so I may not be welcome here but I hope I am coz I identified immediately..... I am debbie by the way, gave up smoking in 2007 been getting my weight under control for a year or so, I eat my emotions and can't have one glass of anything.... Would like to go on this journey with ya if there's room. Good luck anyhow !0
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I just wanted to say that perhaps using MPF will actually help you to achieve this even more so because you could create a category in your diary for alcohol. If using a food diary helps you stay accountable for what you eat, perhaps it will help with what you drink?
I'd just like to extend a great big Internet hug to everyone working towards quitting their addictions. You're wonderful and strong people.0 -
Hey all! This was a joint idea between Kan and myself. As we both are QUITTERS. Adventuring into a healthy lifestyle isn't just about what you do put in your body but also what you don't. Unfortunately, the reality is that addictions can often overtake our intentions and cause us to err in our mission, setting us back or causing feelings of failure or inadequacy thereby undermining ongoing efforts.
This is why we decided to do this. Just like changing what we eat, averting ourselves from long standing and very powerful (bad) habits is a process. Some will do better than others for longer but we're all fighting a similar battle against ourselves.... for ourselves. Most of all, it's not something that should be done alone. So, here we are.
KanCan! ;-) Ha ha... my new nick for you. lol
Well, you know my story already... smoker trying to become an ex. Quite 12/09, but still had you know.. just the occasional one here and there.... was shocked I could and not go out and buy a whole pack! That is untillllllllll................ 12/10. Went on a 6 week smoking binge. Re-quit on 1/5/11 and it's been HELL. Because I've been trying to not smoke at all, it seems so much worse. I've not succeeded. The other day I had 1 whole one and last night - very late trying to stay up to read for class, my friend who watches my son smokes and we permit it in the basement, and she often leaves fairly large butts so there's a few drags at the ready....
*sighs* Those won't last long.0 -
This is a great idea! I need to quit smoking and gambling as well as losing this weight. I have been afraid to quit everything at once.
I am going to take it slow, one day at a time and see how I do.0 -
I believe getting sober and getting healthy go hand in hand. We need a proper diet and eating habits to feel better. Walking or what ever you choose to do to work out will help also. We are removing a negative from our lives and replacing it with a positive. Filling a void should be helpful. You can friend me if you would like to. I like this idea and will certainly support you!0
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~ClioandBoy... I hope you join us here. You have quit smoking for a while so I think your experience and support will help alot of us!
~Lauriedav... Have you tried quitting already and just it didnt work out? Or do you just know that you have to and havent started yet? It is very hard to break any kind of habit, be it smoking, drinking or gambling. I hope you come back everyonce in a while and keep us posted on how you are doing. You got it, one day at a time!~!
~Aimingforpretty... I cant log in my alcohol.. lol.. I used too, but I cant drink at ALL!~!... if I have a glass of wine or a beer, it will be a few days, or weeks until you all see me again. There is no stopping to an alcoholic. One drink is too much and 1000 isnt enough.
~muth3rluvx2.... I am glad you found the thread!~!~! Im glad we are doing this together (together is the most important part there) I wish I could understand more what you are going through with smoking. Drinking is much different, and to make it worse, I smoke. Lol, I am going to wait til I am sober "enough" to try to kick that habit. So just know that I am going to compare your smoking, to my drinking usually when I share my experience. It is really hard to quit something that is so ingrained in out daily activities. I know drinking shouldnt be a daily activity, but it was for me. At first I allowed my husband to keep alcohol in the house but after 4 weeks of relapsing on the weekends, I realized I couldnt handle it. So maybe you need to ask your babysitter not to smoke in the house anymore. Or explain to her that you are trying to quit so it would help you if she emptied the ashtray before she left. Then you wouldnt have "big butts" to temp you.0 -
~ClioandBoy... I hope you join us here. You have quit smoking for a while so I think your experience and support will help alot of us!
~Lauriedav... Have you tried quitting already and just it didnt work out? Or do you just know that you have to and havent started yet? It is very hard to break any kind of habit, be it smoking, drinking or gambling. I hope you come back everyonce in a while and keep us posted on how you are doing. You got it, one day at a time!~!
~Aimingforpretty... I cant log in my alcohol.. lol.. I used too, but I cant drink at ALL!~!... if I have a glass of wine or a beer, it will be a few days, or weeks until you all see me again. There is no stopping to an alcoholic. One drink is too much and 1000 isnt enough.
~muth3rluvx2.... I am glad you found the thread!~!~! Im glad we are doing this together (together is the most important part there) I wish I could understand more what you are going through with smoking. Drinking is much different, and to make it worse, I smoke. Lol, I am going to wait til I am sober "enough" to try to kick that habit. So just know that I am going to compare your smoking, to my drinking usually when I share my experience. It is really hard to quit something that is so ingrained in out daily activities. I know drinking shouldnt be a daily activity, but it was for me. At first I allowed my husband to keep alcohol in the house but after 4 weeks of relapsing on the weekends, I realized I couldnt handle it. So maybe you need to ask your babysitter not to smoke in the house anymore. Or explain to her that you are trying to quit so it would help you if she emptied the ashtray before she left. Then you wouldnt have "big butts" to temp you.
*Ditto to clioandboy
*lauriedav - i'd like to know this as well - and reason will become clear shortly.
*KanCAN - smoking and drinking are vastly different with the exception that they're both exceptionally unhealthy addictions. But that's where the similarity ends, I think. One of the reasons I know this is my bf is an alcoholic. Not raging - as in he doesn't drink to get drunk (usually) but he *has to* have so many beers a day or he gets "sick". The severity of the disease for him is relatively new information to me and I'm constantly trying to wrap my head around a certain level of acceptance, knowing that no addict can quit until THEY are ready. So, what you have to share will probably help me so much more than you could possibly imagine and I'll bet that you'll be able to avoid some pitfalls and hurdles from me sharing my experiences as I go through them for whenever you're ready to quit smoking. :-) We will be a great support system for each other, I think - along with whoemever else decides to participate, whether it's periodically or regularly.
One thing I have figured out about MY addiction is that being (currently) an unemployed and fulltime graduate student, I'm home and on my hiney wayyy too much. Without someplace to be and something to do every day (a job!), I'm not occupied enough to "forget" about my addiction. It has time to sit and hover and fester in my mind for days at a time. How on earth do you fight THAT???
My answer? ha. I have potentially the *equivalent* of 3 jobs + full time school + kids + house coming down the pike over the next few weeks in the form of an actual job, an internship (FINALLY & HOPEFULLY - 2nd semester trying to get this!) plus another job as an RA with a professor I work with frequently doing various projects for him. Managing the work schedule and internship schedule will be interesting if they don't end up being at the same site. BUT, this will be MORE than enough to keep me "distracted".
What about you guys? What's your biggest trigger and how do you manage it?0 -
Help.
I'm being unmotivated and have alot to do and part of my hang up is the belief (which does hold *some* truth) that I'll have more energy and get more done if I just have a cigarrette...
and I've gotten nothing accomplished in the last 3 hours while I debate how much more I'll get done if I just have a smoke.
*sighs*0 -
~muth3rluvx2... how will smoking help you be more productive???? Thats like me saying that I cant get motivated to work out unless I have 2 bottles of wine first!~! I understand though, there are times that I feel like I cant cook something delicious unless I have wine to drink while i do it. The problem is that you are spending too much time thinking about smoking instead of thinking about other stuff. And what sucks the most is that i cant say anything wonderful to change your mind.
I find that when I start thinking too much and not doing anything, its best to just get up and walk around. Just get up, put on your shoes and walk around your house. Then go do something else. Its all in your head. I wish I could say something better, something that will shine the beautiful light of a non-smokers life, but I cant. You know you dont need it, you know you dont want it. So fill your mind with thoughts that matter. Think about how lucky you are to have the life you do, dont waste your precious thoughts on something that will kill you. Good Luck!~!~!
~~~~~~As For me... I went to another meeting today. I had a great time! I am excited that it is thursday and I get to spend another weekend sober with my husband. I have to look to God and thank him for the strength that He has given me to not drink. It is a struggle everyday, a struggle that starts with my own selfishness and doubt. But I am stronger than that. I can do this. AND, since I am staying sober and getting healthier, I can also look forward to getting up in the morning (without a hangover) and going to the gym. Its time to get my sexy on!~!~!
I hope everyone else has a wonderful night. And remeber, we are all MIracles.
Daily Reflections for Feb. 17
"It was the changes I saw in the new people who came into the Fellowship that helped me lose my fear, and change my negative attitude to a positive one. I could see the love in their eyes and I was impressed by how much their “One Day at a Time” sobriety meant to them. They had looked squarely at Step Two and came to believe that a power greater than themselves was restoring them to sanity. That gave me faith in the Fellowship, and hope that it could work for me too. I found that God was a loving God, not that punishing God I feared before coming to A.A. I also found that He had been with me during all those times I had been in trouble before I came to A.A. I know today that He was the one who led me to A.A. and that I am a miracle."0 -
*sighs*
Okay, small caves aren't horrible are they?
Here's the thing with smokers trying to go non-smoking - after researching (this was a few months ago) it takes the average smoker 7 attempts to actually quit. Now I know why. You logically KNOW you don't want to smoke but there's a broken record litany of a addiction-habit speak that goes on in your mind and like a finger on your arm, it doesn't hurt at first but after several hours, the pain becomes excruciating. You cave and then you realize how utterly gross it is...so you go a while and the pattern starts all over again. This is the stage I'm in and I'm so struggling with shutting up that voice that's not really a voice but a driving need that I just can't quite describe. It's....... almost like the need to eat. Yes, that's a fairly decent analogy except that eating keeps you alive while smoking shortens it, but that same level of need: the need to smoke is very like the sensation of being hungry. The longer you go without, the worse it gets and it doesn't improve until you satisfy your appetite. There's not a hump to get over, it doesn't get better, it doesn't go away and it doesn't diminish. At least, not for a VERY VERY long time (like a year plus, depending on the person, from what I understand).
As far as smoking helping to motivate, nicotine works in a number of ways: 1) its a stimulant 2) aids in focus & concentration (it's been found that former smokers are less likely to suffer from alzheimers & dimentia) 3) appetite suppressent 4) diuretic..... and these things are particularly affected in those who are ADHD (me). *sighs* (thank you psychopharmacology!! actually remember some of this stuff! lol)
You see, nicotine for all its addictive qualities, isn't totally bad for you. The method of delivery and everything else found contained in the delivery system is very much not however and therein lies the rub. Unlike alcohol, nicotine improves brain function. One of the few addictive drugs that does. Perhaps the only one. Weird, huh?
BUT, I did cave and had more than just a drag - had half a one and ... its so gross. I still want it but ... I don't. I HATE THIS! I just want the "hunger pains" to go away. For good and right now. I don't want to want to smoke. I want this to be over. :-( There are days when it's downright depressing because I want one so badly on one level but on the other, I'm really angry with myself for that.
A part of me thinks I should continue being a part time smoker until I'm really ready to give it up altogether.... I'm not sure I am; I've heard so many stories fo people who quit cold turkey and never smoked again and never looked back. Maybe there's a middle spot and I'm stuck in it. Where you want to be ready to quit but you're just this side of that readiness.... ? I need to talk to my doctor.....0 -
I tryed not drinking with alcohol in the house and that didnt work. Then I got rid of it, and now Its easier. WHen I decide I want a drink I cant just go grab one, I need to think about it more and decide if I really want to go through with it. Try getting rid of all the cigs in the house. And not letting the babysitter leave her butts in the basement. That way when you want one, you cant just have one.0
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I should do that... you're right.
But I'm my own worst enemy on this one. She's only here once a week.
I'm going to try a new approach... I'll let you know if it works. :-)0 -
New trial: when want, drink (water).0
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