Have you ever had to quit something to which you were addicted?

[Bertha Venation]

Tobacco?
Alcohol?
Drugs?
Bad relationship(s)?
Food?
TV?
etc. . .

I'm trying to kick my food addiction. It's hell to kick an addiction to something you need in order to live. Since I can't use my drug of choice to treat all my problems, I've become unbearably irritated, impatient, easily angered, despondent, on edge, moody, and unpredictable. In short, I'm a tragic asshole. But I'm determined. I hope by the time I am 45 (I'm 41 1/2 today!) I will be in good physical shape.

What have you had to quit?

[curse10]

1. thumb sucking

it fucking sucks. I'm actually doing really well this week, though- It hurts to do it because of my wisdom teeth removal. I've never been this successful before.

[boobooday]

2. Food, cigarettes

It's an ongoing struggle.

I can't really say that I have conquered either addiction.

We have the strangest attitude towards food in this country. All you have to do is stand in the checkout line and look at the women's magazines. There on the cover of Woman's World, or whatever, you will see a 12-layer chocolate cake, shiny and moist and seductive, and right next to it a headline that says, "Lose 20 pounds in 3 hours with the new celery diet!"

[Bertha Venation]

6. sorry to use a cliche, but, THANK you. "lose 20 lbs in 3 hours" LOL

You are so right. I would dearly love to visit other countries just to study their attitudes towards food. I'm willing to bet the USA is the only so screwed-up culture. :eyes:

[nuxvomica]

9. I got a wicked case of deja vu

A bagger at the supermarket pointed out the same thing last week. I think it was the same magazine and issue but it could've been just about any issue of any woman's magazine sold at the checkout.

[Fenris]

3. A very merry half-birthday to you, Mrs. V!

:party:
:toast:

I've only had to quit one addiction, one time: love.:)

[mike_c]

4. best wishes BV...

...and good luck. Stick with it and you'll be proud of yourself for succeeding!

One piece of advice (that you've probably already heard): don't try to do it alone-- it's too easy to kick yourself too hard over setbacks without some support to put things into perspective.

[stellanoir]

5. yeah. . .DU. . .

still haven't.

[MrScorpio]

7. This works for me Bertha

http://www.bodyforlife.com/

You don't have to follow this regime or patronize it. But it should give you a general idea about what you need to do.

I bought the book and started an execise regime. Plus I get to eat a lot.

The problem isn't food. It's what we do with the rest of our life, other than food.

And get get rid of the notion of the "ideal" body type of tall and thin.

When you start taking care of your body, it'll work itself out.

Large doesn't have to mean unhealthy, but unhealthy in this country usually means large.

[bobthedrummer]

8. Alcohol and narcotics.

I wouldn't be here if I hadn't got into recovery from them.

Use your determination moment by moment, stick with it-and good luck!

[catmandu57]

10. Alcohol and tobacco

though not at the same time. I'm still addicted to the memory of my first love, can't seem to put it down, but it's fading with time.

[LWolf]

11. Sort of.

You don't get to "quit" food, do you?

I've struggled with food all of my life; I don't self-medicate with tobacco or narcotics, and use alcohol in moderation.

Sometimes I've been in great shape, sometimes not. You can tell how well I'm doing with emotional and stress issues by what size I happen to be wearing.

Food is the addiction that everyone can see; the results are not private.

I have a bizarre addiction to carbs. I knew it long before the low carb craze. If I eat fresh green vegetables and lean protein, and leave the bread, potatoes, noodles, and sugars alone, I do well. If I eat one cookie or potato chip...just one, it's like an alcoholic taking that forbidden drink. It may be months and pounds before I surface to take control again.

Right now I'm eating really well, but not exercising; I've had a recurring back spasm that really limits movement.

I'm also going through a round of tests to decide why my thyroid doesn't want to function adequately, and to decide what to do about it. So, even though I'm eating correctly, and minimally, I'm not losing. I'm still gaining. I hope to get this situation turned around this year. I don't have a scale, but in the last year I gained 2 sizes. It took a year to put them on; I'm hoping I can take them off by next summer, and maybe another by the summer after.

Let's do this together this year!

:hi: