May Modders

[j-vo]

May Modders

Rebirth and Eve,
I'm on board with you to lose 10 lbs. I've been working out a lot lately, both toning and cardio. I feel so much better when I get a good workout in. It's just getting downstairs to start that really is difficult. It's just like cleaning...you hate to do it but when it's done, you feel great.

Welcome Lolo and Jennyneric! Good to have you. Lolo, I don't crave anymore during the week. The weekend may have me looking to have a relaxing few, which is a huge improvement for me from last several years. I also did the AA thing for 6 months, but some of the stories you've been hearing from Rebirth have happened to me as well. No one bothers to text me or call. Yes, it hurts! But what can one do. I have other friends and a busy life.

Jennyneric, great plan. I'm sure you'll do tweaking along the way.

BTW, there are a few new people here. Several of us here have bought the book "Responsible Drinking" which has so many good modding tools. It's a great resource book. Check it out if you have a chance.

[EastCoastDave]

May Modders

Welcome to Lolo and Jennyneric and hello to Rebirth, J-Vo and Eve! Thanks to all for the reading recommendations, hopfeully some of them will be available on the Kindle so I can start this week.

Rebirth - I didn't work out yesterday, ended up at the office until 8:00 pm. However, I was able to take a nice long run in the spring air this evening.

I spent some time last weekend listening to some AA podcasts as I was trying to figure out my next steps. Although there were some common threads, I definitely noticed a significant gap in the severity of their experiences and mine. Much like other traits central to human existence, I've begun to understand that our reactions to/relationships with alcohol fall across a very broad spectrum.

[EastCoastDave]

May Modders

Also, congrats to everyone who is shedding the pounds and increasing their exercise - that is fantastic and you should be proud of yourself for improving your health on multiple levels.

[rebirth]

May Modders

Hi modders,
Hope your day is treating you well,

Lolo- you say you have too much spare time. Could you somehow fill it up to stay busy? Exercise classes or anything else that will prevent you from thinking about your cravings too much?

Jenny- That’s a really good plan! I abstain during the week because I dedicate my free time to exercising and it sure does make you feel much better within yourself! I absolutely love my healthy regime at the moment. Also wise to cut down if you feel hangover because It’s your body saying that it was too much..I have not had a hangover in nearly a year but there were a few times when I woke up feeling very tired and usually it’s because the measurements I drank were larger than I thought or I mixed up the alcohol. So I always make sure I know my measurements and know what I am drinking and the speed I am drinking. Never more than one drink an hour.

j-vo – What’s your exercise routine? I usually do strength training for 20 mins and then another 20 mins of cardio. Cardio will be either taebo or treadmill. There is a difference in my body already after three weeks. I have become obsessed with my weight loss but I don’t mind this obsession. Better than my previous addictions!

ECDave- I have been upset by the way I have been treated by some AA members but on the flip side the meetings have been very helpful in my recovery. Llistening to the horror stories really kept me in check with where I was in my own addiction. But AA is purely about abstinence and nothing else. It’s about being powerless over alcohol which I don’t believe I am.

It will be nearly a year since I changed my life around and nothing has changed on the outside but inside I am a completely different person. I am able to feel my emotions without fearing them. Ihave no desire to drink on them. It has become automatic. A friend of mine( A normie) had a bad day yesterday and told me that she went to the pub because she was desperate to get drunk and forget. This is how I started. If I feel upset with myself I don’t drink at all.

[j-vo]

May Modders

Hi Everyone! You sound Fantastic Rebirth! Yes, I was thinking the same thing on my way to work this morning. I love the fact that I'm never, ever hungover going into work like I used to be. My face looks good, as it's not bloated by advil or alcohol. I have spunk and listen to my radio on the way in. And having a bad day is not grounds for drinking ever. I agree. I will never get stuck in that routine. If I find I'm depressed and it's prolonged depression, it's time to see the doc. Speaking of, I had my three month visit with him yesterday to go over how I'm feeling, check on the meds that I take, and just routine visit. Everything looks good! As far as my exercise routine, I usually do my cardio on the treadmill as it allows me to read on my nookbook, or I have a few good cardio DVD's I've purchased. My strength training is DVD set I purchased back in March, called Chalene Extreme. It's pretty intense. I do that about twice a week. It's a great work out.

ECD, yes, everyone's relationship lies on that spectrum, but some of our reasons for abusing alcohol seem to be the same, and the consequences are as well. We need to keep extremely vigilant because we are not normies. After attending AA for 6 months, I couldn't do it anymore, as the monotony got to me, as well as the time expected to put in "if you are working a good program." The control issues were another one of my concerns as well as some condescending attitudes of the oldtimers in the groups. But to each his own. And I'm working what works for me.

Everyone else, have a great day!

[Cherbear]

May Modders

Hi everyone! and WELCOME to Jenny and lolo!

Very active thread this week . I love it. You guys are all so inspiring, I too am trying to lose weight. I have to stop the sugar, thats the biggie for me.

I really like what someone said about people being addicted to AA! I totally agree, when I was in AA I couldn't believe how it consumed people's lives. It just wasn't for me. I need to remind myself I have a "problem" with Alcohol but not "dependent" When I had my 9 months abstinent I realize that this allowed me to break bad habits and figure out triggers.

Lolo, you sound like you are having a tough time right now, be mindful and find other things that make you feel good. Exercise is key for me and my quilting passion, which ( imagine that) I actually finish projects now that I'm not focused on drinking. I know for me Isolation is a bad trigger.
Jenny, sounds like an intense moderation plan, GOOD LUCK!

[j-vo]

May Modders

Cher,
I'm going to piggyback on what you said. The big thing with my six months was that I learned to break the bad habits and live without al. Because I could identify anything as a trigger, it was excuse after excuse. What's nice now is that I'm so used to not drinking, have such a regimented schedule, and evenings are not for al consumption. They are for getting things done after work, family stuff, exercising, and relaxing while I watch tv or read. I love my evenings. I'm into so many fun reality shows and I'm addicted to them! It's great entertainment, and when I was drinking in the evening, I lost out on all that fun.

But...as Rebirth said, the important thing is watching when we do drink. Intake needs to be slow. A glass per hour, eat, enjoy the conversation. Responsible drinking has a load of tools.

[gyco]

May Modders

life is what it is

rebirth;1110084 wrote: Hi modders,
Hope your day is treating you well,

Lolo- you say you have too much spare time. Could you somehow fill it up to stay busy? Exercise classes or anything else that will prevent you from thinking about your cravings too much?

Jenny- That?s a really good plan! I abstain during the week because I dedicate my free time to exercising and it sure does make you feel much better within yourself! I absolutely love my healthy regime at the moment. Also wise to cut down if you feel hangover because It?s your body saying that it was too much..I have not had a hangover in nearly a year but there were a few times when I woke up feeling very tired and usually it?s because the measurements I drank were larger than I thought or I mixed up the alcohol. So I always make sure I know my measurements and know what I am drinking and the speed I am drinking. Never more than one drink an hour.

j-vo ? What?s your exercise routine? I usually do strength training for 20 mins and then another 20 mins of cardio. Cardio will be either taebo or treadmill. There is a difference in my body already after three weeks. I have become obsessed with my weight loss but I don?t mind this obsession. Better than my previous addictions!

ECDave- I have been upset by the way I have been treated by some AA members but on the flip side the meetings have been very helpful in my recovery. Llistening to the horror stories really kept me in check with where I was in my own addiction. But AA is purely about abstinence and nothing else. It?s about being powerless over alcohol which I don?t believe I am.

It will be nearly a year since I changed my life around and nothing has changed on the outside but inside I am a completely different person. I am able to feel my emotions without fearing them. Ihave no desire to drink on them. It has become automatic. A friend of mine( A normie) had a bad day yesterday and told me that she went to the pub because she was desperate to get drunk and forget. This is how I started. If I feel upset with myself I don?t drink at all.

hi rebirth ,:Hthe funny thing today i can go anywhere and feel comfortable,life is what WE make it , not anyone else,people tend to try to make you feel the way THEY:upset: do,i keep saying it, what we learned from our for fathers or mothers, was not necessarily RITE,have a wonderful day gyco:thanks:

[rebirth]

May Modders

Thanks Gyco. x

[rebirth]

May Modders

j-vo;1110342 wrote: Cher,
I'm going to piggyback on what you said. The big thing with my six months was that I learned to break the bad habits and live without al. Because I could identify anything as a trigger, it was excuse after excuse. What's nice now is that I'm so used to not drinking, have such a regimented schedule, and evenings are not for al consumption. They are for getting things done after work, family stuff, exercising, and relaxing while I watch tv or read. I love my evenings. I'm into so many fun reality shows and I'm addicted to them! It's great entertainment, and when I was drinking in the evening, I lost out on all that fun.

.

Hear hear!

J-vo-Funny you should mention your reality shows cause I am addicted to all the weight loss shows -Biggest loser, 10 lb Bootcamp, I Use to Be Fat. Lol. They keep me motivated and stop me from snacking in the evenings. If these people can lose weight then so can I!

[rebirth]

May Modders

In my drinking days I use to pour myself a glass of wine AS SOON as I got home. Then before you know it, the bottle is empty and I have fallen asleep on the sofa by 9.30 pm so I would then crawl into bed unwashed.
I never got very drunk during the week because I worked the next day but people must have smelt it on me..cringe.
My weekend hangovers varied in intensity. Most times it was bearable and every few weeks it was excruciating. I run a retail business and I would crawl into work on the weekend with this thumping headache...just wanting to die.. How on earth did I manage that?? I was half the person back then.

Now I workout five days a week and I am equally active during the weekend..in the park with my son, cooking (without burning myself and the food), doing gardening..active active active. It's wonderful!

I must never forget how far I have come. I was in alot of pain back then.

[j-vo]

May Modders

Excellent post Rebirth! What a great feeling...to enjoy life.

[Cherbear]

May Modders

funny rebirth, I always wondered how I kept cutting myself and burning myself in the kitchen, never attributed it to drinking. tee hee. go figure.
I'm addicted to American Idol ugh.

things could be worse.

[j-vo]

May Modders

My three guilty pleasures:

American Idol
Celebrity Apprentice
Dancing with the Stars

Watch some of Survivor if time, and Biggest Loser was always one of my favs but I've run out of time to watch it! On Tuesday, Dancing is on, and although I love the show, I'm hooked this season on routing for Hines Ward!

Oh...I'm so sad this is Oprah's last season. I've been taping her everyday when I can't watch. Love her.

From time to time, I like to watch the intervention show. Very interesting. I'm reading Belinda Carlisle's memoir right now. She is/was the lead singer of the Go Go's in the 80's then went solo. She was a big coke addict/alcoholic. She's been sober for 6 years. I've read so many memoirs and I never tire of them. I like to make connections between the people and myself, see how devastating life can become using alcohol in the wrong way. I find these books to be inspirational.

[Cherbear]

May Modders

Celebrity apprentice for me too.

Gary Busey was a hoot, I miss him on the show!!