Getting sober

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FitGamerSmoak
FitGamerSmoak Posts: 224 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey all! So I wanted to hear some motivational stories of those of you who got sober, quit a bad habit whatever the case may be and how you did it.

I’m currently trying to lose weight, get sober, quit smoking and it’s hard because I have someone else in the home that does all these things. But how did you mitigate your weight when quitting your habits? Sometimes I just want to eat because I guess I’m bored lol.
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  • smolmaus
    smolmaus Posts: 442 Member
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    I tackled them one at a time. I lost weight first which meant reducing my drinking anyway, then I stopped making so much room for alcohol in my calorie allowance and focused on adding exercise and proper nutrition. I still vape so I haven't kicked the nicotine habit completely but starting running definitely helped with motivation to quit smoking cigarettes, just so it didn't feel so much like my lungs were going to fall out! (Would definitely recommend an e-cig btw, I don't miss "real smoking" at all anymore, no cough, lungs feel back to pre-smoking condition and it's cheaper.)

    I don't think I could have done all three at once. Succeeding at one gave me more motivation to start working on the others.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    Drinking...eating and smoking are never good ideas for filling boredom. Pick up some other habits that will actually benefit you. You just actually haven't become addicted to feeling GOOD yet.
  • Dutchgirly
    Dutchgirly Posts: 57 Member
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    Find an AA meeting❤️ Try gardening! Take up a new hobby- the weight will fall right off! You can do it! One day at a time!
  • FitGamerSmoak
    FitGamerSmoak Posts: 224 Member
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    88olds wrote: »
    Best think I ever did was quit drinking. Weight loss was almost automatic for a while. Watch out that you don’t replace the alcohol calories with sugar. Abstaining from alcohol can mess with your blood sugar at first. Try some fruit juice maybe, but watch it.

    You sure you aren’t taking on too much at once? Fortunately, I’ve never been a smoker. One more bad habit would have kilted me.

    I’m trying not to take on too much but since smoking and drinking go hand in hand for me, I have to do them both together. And yes I’m trying to watch what I eat as well because I know plenty who have quit and just packed on the pounds and I don’t want that to happen.


    smolmaus wrote: »
    (Would definitely recommend an e-cig btw, I don't miss "real smoking" at all anymore, no cough, lungs feel back to pre-smoking condition and it's cheaper.)

    I’ve never tried an ecig and maybe that’s how I need to go about it. ☺️
    dsboohead wrote: »
    Drinking...eating and smoking are never good ideas for filling boredom. Pick up some other habits that will actually benefit you. You just actually haven't become addicted to feeling GOOD yet.
    .

    Very true....



  • flagrantavidity
    flagrantavidity Posts: 218 Member
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    For me, I quit drinking (again). The last time I quit was for a little over a year then got back into my six pack a day habit. I’m back on track now - I keep reminding myself I need to get healthy now ( in my 30’s) so I am healthy when I’m in my 60’s, when it’s time to retire. I want to be healthy by the time my career is over and be able to enjoy myself when I don’t have the commitment of work. Thinking long term helps me keep on track instead of thinking in the present.
  • FitGamerSmoak
    FitGamerSmoak Posts: 224 Member
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    flagrantavidity wrote: »
    For me, I quit drinking (again). The last time I quit was for a little over a year then got back into my six pack a day habit. I’m back on track now - I keep reminding myself I need to get healthy now ( in my 30’s) so I am healthy when I’m in my 60’s, when it’s time to retire. I want to be healthy by the time my career is over and be able to enjoy myself when I don’t have the commitment of work. Thinking long term helps me keep on track instead of thinking in the present.

    That’s awesome and a great reason. Keep it up and thanks for the encouragement . I have a 4 year old and I want to be there for him and my husband for a long time to annoy them lol. And sober while doing it lol
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    The major thing i've done to improve my health and lose weight is stop drinking every day. i'm a social drinker not an alcoholic....but i knew i just had to give it up if i want to live a long healthy life. It is nothing more than a bad habit..i made a rule,that i'd never buy alcohol in the house, and no weekday happy hours. i do have a drink if I go out to dinner...that's it.

    it has changed my life for the better.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    elisa123gal wrote: »
    The major thing i've done to improve my health and lose weight is stop drinking every day. i'm a social drinker not an alcoholic....but i knew i just had to give it up if i want to live a long healthy life. It is nothing more than a bad habit..i made a rule,that i'd never buy alcohol in the house, and no weekday happy hours. i do have a drink if I go out to dinner...that's it.

    it has changed my life for the better.

    I copy this statement with every shred of truth!
    Alcohol is a waste of perfectly good calorie expeniture!
  • myboa
    myboa Posts: 5 Member
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    I quit smoking first with Chantix, it did help me quit without the withdrawal but I had serious side effects that were definitely not worth it. I gained quite a bit of weight after quitting smoking because I turned to drinking more. So I have quit drinking now with the help of a very good book by Allen Carr called Stop Drinking Now. he also has a book to quit smoking and if it is as good as the drinking one it should definitely help you with both addictions. As for my weight, I had to tackle the other problems first and once I had my footing I have been losing pretty consistently by tracking everything on MFP. Don't try and do it all at once or you might just go off the rails with everything. Check out those books, I read and re read about 3 times to really let it sink in and then it was almost too easy to quit.
    good luck!
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    I quit drinking for a year, and didn't lose a pound - just maintained. But - a lot of other problems went away that made exercise easier (gerd, anxiety..) It's never a bad idea to stop drinking if you think you're having too much, but it won't be a magic bullet, you'll still have to make sure more calories are being burned than you're taking in.
  • Govenor25
    Govenor25 Posts: 24 Member
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    If you are trying to get sober (seriously) take life one day at a time, go to AA, and listen. Life gets easier. You will crave food, eat but make it healthy food. Remember don’t trade one addiction for another.
  • Annalee82_
    Annalee82_ Posts: 320 Member
    edited May 2018
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    dsboohead wrote: »
    Drinking...eating and smoking are never good ideas for filling boredom. Pick up some other habits that will actually benefit you. You just actually haven't become addicted to feeling GOOD yet.

    This exactly. I quit drinking 10 years ago, and you can't replace it with another bad habit. You need to find things to fill your time that actually make you happy. You also can't allow other people's bad habits to become a justification for your own. If you really want to quit, you have to be ready and able to deal with other people drinking around you especially in social situations.

    If it wasn't someone else in the house with you, I'd say separate yourself from people that are drinking completely until you feel comfortable enough with your ability to be around it and not be tempted. Maybe if they didn't drink around you for awhile or if there wasn't alcohol in the house.
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
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    I still drink heavily. I have tried multiple times to stop or at least keep it only to the weekends just come back double time. I just want to lose the last 10 pounds and i know that it is just get the booze sitting there.
    I smoke as well but not very much.

    I live with people who drink smoke everyday.
    Alot of my friends drink smoke everyday.
    Its a hard cycle to get out of.

    Best of luck!x
  • FitGamerSmoak
    FitGamerSmoak Posts: 224 Member
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    Thank you everyone. I’m on this journey on Sunday. Smoking is tomorrow. I’m actually pretty excited and I know it’s going to be a challenge but I hope that my journey is one that my husband can follow too. I want him healthy as well and I know that we have to be individuals but do it together I will just start my journey first.

    When I got pregnant I stopped drinking and lost 14 pounds because I replaced it with healthy eating and a ton of water. So I’m going to do that again. I just have to take it one day at a time.

    And I will check out the Allen Carr books I’ve heard nothing but good things about them.
  • HealthyAndSober2018
    HealthyAndSober2018 Posts: 25 Member
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    I just joined this site and have been sober for a few months now. Probably in the minority here as hard drugs were my main vice, not alcohol. I got off of the hard stuff about a year ago, but it took me a bit longer to quit getting sh!tfaced at parties.

    Glad to hear that someone else is going through a similar thing. Can't imagine tackling all of those things at once. For one of my friends, it was harder for her to get off of cigarettes than when she got off meth.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    In less than 2 weeks I will hit the 11 month mark. This is the 4th time I have made it past 6 months. Like losing weight, I am more committed to it this time than I have been before. Approaching "the decline" and don't want the slope to be any steeper than what is natural. I want to be healthy and active through my 60s and 70s (maybe even beyond). Heavy alcohol use by seniors dramatically reduces average additional years of life left and the quality of the ones you get.

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