Effect of sobriety on fitness

[cassy]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

Hi

its a great inspiration to hear you are all sober and getting fit.
My blood pressure is elevated though not yet on medication and I,m going to try the power walking 4 times weekly routine.

i have some broken veins on face..alcohol related no doubt so need to do the skincare stuff.

My diet is planned and full of seasonal fruit and veg with the occasional choc.

so here we go!1 at the age of 54 with 35 yrs drinking under my belt some syuff is irreversible..(like brain shrinkage, liver damage..not confirmed ..just likely after the amount of wine I have consumed.

Maybe my memory will improve..i pretende dit was the menopause effect but deep inside I think its alcohol related

good luck all you people and thatnks for sharing

Cassy

[FallenAngel]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

I know that Doubter was pressed for time today, so I have taken the liberty to copy & paste his post from another thread & add it here.


How wonderful it is when our goals become reality!

doubter;530321 wrote: Hello all mwoers,

As most of my friends and long timers here know, I found mwo on 1st March last year and have been completely sober, except for a tiny, inconsequential slip on two consecutive days. I thought that I was a social drinker but looking back, my drinking had escalated to a point where I had got involved in a very embarrassing bar room brawl with my drinking buddies. I still feel absolutely mortified reading my first post here, on 1st March 2008.

My first post :

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f7...tml#post282292

The initial days of the quit were tough, especially because I had to make drastic changes in my lifestyle and also find fulfilling activities to fill the vacuum with. The support and motivation that I received at mwo during the initial phase has been instrumental in keeping my quit going. And I found a lifetime worthy friendship too.

One such activity for which I rediscovered my long forgotten passion was running (Reading and volunteering being the others). Became an adult-onset runner & started running fairly regularly again. Staying away from booze gave me the time, energy and discipline to keep at it. I?ve been posting on and off on the fitness thread about my fitness activities.

We have a Company-organized annual event ? a five km run ? every January. Took part in it last year, and finished with a time of around 28 minutes. True amateur runner time. For the last couple of months, I was preparing for it by running on alternate days. About three weeks ago, the day I had a six km training run , I fell sick in the evening and had serious breathing trouble at night. Went to my physician who, after a battery of tests, diagnosed bronchial asthma. Prescribed medication ( corticosteroid, broncodilator, the textbook treatment ) to be taken for a full month. And of course, asked me to desist from running for the nonce.

I was truly crestfallen at that point of time. I probably took to running to be an important facilitator for my sobriety. Had dreams ( no, a goal) of running atleast a half-marathon by the end of this calendar year. There was a touch of irony in this. All the while that I was a pack-a-day smoker and a two-fisted drinker, I had no major health troubles. And now, after giving up both these debilitating addictions, .I find myself with a presumably chronic disease. Somehow the situation didn?t seem right.

I didn?t run for the last two weeks but was determined to take part in the Race on 24th Jan, even if it meant that I had to walk the whole distance. I started to feel very strongly that my sobriety depended on my taking part.

Cut to race day, 24th Jan. Got up feeling strong and refreshed. Had my morning puff ? of the broncodilator. And was determined to give it my best shot. Joined the other 140 runners at the starting line. When the race started suddenly felt that I was in the ?zone? and felt I had an excellent run. It almost felt that the Run shall probably determine the road I would take regarding my future sobriety.

Finished eighth overall and fourth in my category ( employees under 45). With my personal best ever timing of 24:30 ? a clean three minutes less than I ever achieved !!

The feeling of triumph that I felt at the finish line is indescribable. Almost felt like Rocky Balboa running up the steps of the Philedelphia Art Museum(pardon the imagery ? perils of being a popular- film buff ). Felt like I?ve bested both my addictions- the nicodemon and the al-devil ? and my doctor?s verdict too. Adds to my belief that we can be temporarily defeated, but never destroyed.

What?s the point of putting this insignificant private victory up here in a forum for people with alcohol-related issues? Wouldn?t it be better posting this in a hardcore runners? forum or its equivalent? Or a forum for newbie asthmatics even?

I thought about this. And came to the conclusion that mwo is the perfect place to put up this experience. For a number of reasons. I am now pretty sure that finding mwo has been a life-altering experience for me. Its almost like I was Doubter b.m. (before mwo) and karmayogi a.m. For the past eleven months, a lot of friends have come to know me here at mwo and I too have immensely benefited by knowing them all. Mwo is my second home now.

Also, we come across a lot of newbies coming into mwo, feeling lost and not knowing where to turn to. Just wanted to assure them that I was there too and there is very broad daylight at the end of the tunnel, if only we keep the faith. We can raise above our circumstances.

And of course to thank all the friends here who have accompanied me in my journey of sobriety for the last eleven months. Oh, I can cite the names of a dozen regulars here.

At mwo, I?ve also found a friend for life ? Angel ( Okay, the ?fallen? part of the screenname still, after all these months, sucks. Don?t you agree Angel??lol.)- who has been a wonderful companion and sobriety coach in this journey forward. I really don?t know how to show my gratitude to you, Angel. Thanks for everything.

I know that I still have a hell of a lot of inner work to do. Staying sober gives me the necessary motivation to ?keep at it?.

And for all those who had the patience to go through this novel ? thanks for listening.

Peace to all.

Karmayogi

[DianaT]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

Great job

I read your story and felt inspired. I too use to be an avid fitness enthusiast but have lost my way. No wonder I put on 50 lbs. Gee with 1/2 pint of vodka 3 to 4 days a week and the mixers, then the bottles of wine with friends and the hunger you just go for to curb the dizziness in your head. I am taking at least a few months off of booze. I am trying to train for a race (6 mile run and 12 mile bike). I will never get there if I keep drinking like this. My plan is to stop altogether and reset my meter. I would like to be able to do moderation, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. No alcohol last night. Got up and did 20 min of Pilates today. Took a swim with my daughter after work and then came home to drink a ginger ale.alm:

[FallenAngel]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

Hi DianaT, and welcome to the forum!
I saw your post & wanted to make sure you got a reply. Doubter is out of town this week, but I will certainly tell him that you posted in his thread so that he can get back to you.
Good job on staying away from the booze the last few nights... that's how we do it...One Day At A Time... and before you know it, weeks turn into months. It does get better the more time you put into your sobriety...the rewards are beyond what you could have ever imagined I couldn't envision a totally sober life for myself when I first started out... but now I can't imagine wanting my life any other way! Wishing you all the best on your journey back to wellness & serenity :l

[Gearhead]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

Hey doubter I've seen my body composition change just from short term heavy alcohol use. I've always been a moderate drinker with the occasional binge but after my ex left in Feb it became binges like every other night. I am 34 and got through most of the divorce working out like a madman with weights. I had worked my way to single digit body fat % and saw it grow by 3% in past couple months. That and I lost lean muscle mass and strength. I am attempting to go AF for a month (to start) and can't wait to feel good again. Thanks for sharing you experiences.

[doubter]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

best wishes!

Gearhead!

Welcome to the mwo community. Congratulations on your decision to go AL-free for a month. That will be a starting point for wonderful changes in your life.

Since I've given up drinking, running and pranayama ( yoga breathing ) have almost become a part of my daily routine. The discipline to stick to my fitness regimen has definitely come about only after giving up drinking. Earlier, I regularly had the problem/ excuse of being hungover early in the morning, but now this excuse is no longer there.

Wish you all the best.

[Cinders]

Effect of sobriety on fitness

Doubter,

It is great to see you and see you are doing so well!!

Thanks for dropping in.

Cindi