Exercise

"The important role of exercise in one's life is obvious; it clearly has a positive affect on cardiovascular health, emotional fitness, weight management, and the list goes on. But compelling new evidence points to a direct link between aerobic exercise and craving reduction in alcoholic dependent individuals, as well."

Roberta Jewell
My Way Out

Saficat1... congrats on the new addition to the family -- we welcomed a puppy to our family the day after I started the program and it was certainly an encouragement for me! I KNEW that I had to walk him and couldn't be tempted to have a drink . He kept me sober when nothing else could have. AND the good thing was that I lost 20 lbs in about 10 weeks. (which I could well afford to lose :-)). But yeah...it was stressful to have the puppy -- I was soooooo tired with the calms forte and the topo but, in retrospect, it was very, very, very good for me. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone but if you're a puppy lover and really want the puppy, then definitely go for it. By the way, we got a siberian husky -- quite a handful (and already have 2 cats as well).

It CAN be good -- but most importantly, the program is what is good. Let the puppy encourage you to get out and excercise during those times that you might want a drink. And when the urge to pour a drink comes, just stretch his legs a bit and the urge will go away :-).

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andi

I noticed a difference my first night on the program. When my cravings came back (which seemed to be just before I was getting ready to dose up) I just exercised more and I added in more kudzu.
I think everyone has a different response to the program. I have notice increased tingling but have learned to live with it over the weeks.
My want to drink has not come back at all. I used to drink 12 beers a night. I am now a more of a social drinker. This is so amazing for me. Just a funny note now I cant drink beer at all anymore. If I have just one sip I get an immediate headache.
Personally I dont care for the hypno cds, so I have chosen to leave them out of my program. Try to sculpt this program to fit your needs.
I also take 2 calms at dinner and 2 before bed and thats it just to keep cost down and so that Im not so sleepy all day. It helps me sleep better at night. Ive adjusted alot. I take my walks in the evenings to replace my drinking time so that I have something to keep me busy. That keeps my mind off things.

Anyway good luck.

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sony953

I hate exercise and never did it until in my late 40's when everything started "going south" so I bought a treadmill.

The only thing that makes it bearable for me is that I do it in the morning early and I love alternate music so I have that pounding my eardrums through the headphones.

The only exercise I was ever really good at was the elbow bending kind ...... with a glass at the other end.

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Misha io

Ive been excersing on a regular basis for over 20 years. This past year or so as my drinking got worse I continued to do so, but, my energy and enthusiasm was very diminished. I also stopped getting the endorphin rush. The good news is that with over a month of abstinence the endorphins have returned along with my energy.

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rigpaseeker

As anyone who has read my post on "trading addictions" knows, I am totally in agreement with RJ about the role of exercise in keeping cravings down and mood up. I'm lucky enough to own a Stairmaster (which, to be honest, has been an oversized clothes rack for more years than I care to admit), but, I've dusted it off and have been using it every day for the last two weeks. I LOVE how getting exercise makes me feel! It's an unbelievable rush. I even re-programmed its scrolling message to read "Strength, Power and Endorphins."

So, if you're not exercising yet, I REALLY encourage you to do so. You won't believe the difference it makes.

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HadEnough

It's good to see you. I've been concerned by your absence, and been wondering how you were doing.

You've touched upon a really important, yet very hard to pin down, factor in this battle we all are dealing with. Motivation is one of those very elusive forces of nature. Have you ever noticed how quickly motivation can change? How one minute you're feeling incredibly stopped or ambivalent about something, and then all of the sudden something just 'clicks' in your brain and you feel like you can do anything? And how if someone asked you to explain why it changed, you'd probably not be able to, but if they asked you what changed, you'd probably say your motivation.

As I was thinking about your question I googled 'motivation' and something interesting struck me. Here's a definition I came across: "Motivation is based on emotions, specifically, on the search for positive emotional experiences and the avoidance of negative ones, where positive and negative are defined by the individual brain state, not by social norms."

Seems to me you already have motivation. The problem is, your motivation is to drink. I know this is fairly obvious, but sometimes we see everything but the elephant sitting in the middle of the room.

Drinking makes you feel good. It plays on that emotion which says 'this is positive, not negative' because it takes away the stress of motherhood, the stress of the job, the stress of money, the stress of daily life...that is until you stop drinking. So the question for you may really be "how do I get my brain to go 'click' and turn my motivation around from wanting to drink to wanting to not drink." I won't lie, if the answer were easy, we'd have far fewer problem drinkers in this world.

The first step is by far the most critical, and your success in everything that follows depends on it. Stop hating yourself for drinking. I've said it before, and some people are probably sick of hearing it, but I'll say it again, because it's true. The self-loathing of alcohol abuse is as toxic as the alcohol you are ingesting. And, it is the worst kind of vicious circle. You hate yourself for drinking, and so you drink to escape the fact you hate yourself. Then, you wake up and hate yourself even more. And so you drink even more. It spirals and spirals and spirals, and you end up with a life you never intended to lead, and a body that lets you down.

I'm convinced that if you can learn to forgive yourself for being a problem drinker, you've conquered at least half the battle. Forgiveness gives you the room and permission to start anew unburdened by past transgressions and hopeful towards the future. It is no small, easy task, but a necessary one on the road to sobriety.

It's great that you're still taking your supplements, and you know that you need to exercise and listen to your CDs. But none of us are 'personal trainers' that are going to be able to come to your house and make you do these things. You know that you simply need to make (and then stick to) a schedule to do them. It really is that simple. And, I grant you, that hard. Before I started exercising again I used to look at my Stairmaster like it was the devil incarnate, just wishing it would be swallowed up whole back into earth that spawned it. But I also knew exercising would make me feel great and I wouldn't regret getting on it, and the only thing holding me back was me. So dragging myself kicking and screaming I got on it. And sure enough, I'm working out all the time now, and loving the endorphin rush. I feel strong and happy and young. Not bad for a piece of equipment that almost got branded with 666, huh? …

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HadEnough

Hi, gang. I've been called away but am checking in and have been trying once again to catch up! So sorry to hear of the personal struggles; this makes for such a challenge when tending to your own health.

Post holiday slips are not unusual, so please, please do what you can to take care of yourselves.

Also remember that exercise and sleep are critical--I know it sounds trite and you've heard it before. But those endorphins and hormones will be your best friend right now. The former will improve your sense of well being while supporting your recovery. And the latter will help nutrient and amino acid absorption, plus keep depression at bay. Both will make you stronger in the face of those potential transgressions; I know they come as a blow when you're feeling so good about your progress.

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mwojewell

This topic really hit base with where I am. With three weeks under my belt (something I have not done in over 10 years), I am gaining interest in the things I lost interest in over the last few years. Music and exercise meant so much to me and in the last week I have really seen what I have been missing. I can't believe how I feel thses days. Topamax is the key for me.

Thanks to everyone for posting and letting me learn from your experiences.

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vbb71