How many vices should you give up at once?

[Nursie]

How many vices should you give up at once?

I actually quit smoking first a few years ago. The drinking came later. (It wasn't such an issue back then). And I quit for four years (cigs). The night my brother died in a car accident I started smoking again and st that point had about 75 days sober, I believe.

That was a year and and 3 months ago.
Now I'm quitting al yet again and will tackle those nasty butts soon.

[Tom321]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Small steps. Cut my coffee intake by approx. 50% today..had a headache for a little while and was pretty cranky and tired, but it was bearable.

[MossRose]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Tom, I think that's part of our problem. All-or-nothing thinking. When I finally just let myself say, this is enough for today, things got easier. When I first gave up AL, I wanted to do it all at once - stop smoking, start exercising, no caffeine, meditate every morning...the list was endless, and unsustainable.

It was a recipe for disaster. I just ended up disappointed in myself all of the time which was dangerous. I drink to numb the pain. So I finally realized that my goals were a bit too lofty. Now I truly do take it one day at a time. Quitting smoking was huge for me because drinking and smoking go hand and hand in my mind. One triggers the other. But, I needed to do it in steps. So now I am tenuously holding on. If I make it through the day without drinking, then that is a very good day for me. If I don't smoke in addition, that is an excellent day for me. I'll tackle my caffeine addiction one day. But for now, this is enough. Just by staying sober today, you have climbed a mountain and that, my friend, is enough for one day, don't ya think?

[Tom321]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Yes ma'am. I feel like I started thriving when all my specific goals and to do's became guidelines as opposed to what felt like chores. I Ike your positive insight, thank you

[gettinitright]

How many vices should you give up at once?

MossRose, good insight!!!!

[Darkest Diamond]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Smoking

I gave up smoking about 16 years ago, I had smoked for about 10 years, but only heavily for about 5 years. Strangely I found it easy to give up, I had got to the stage where I was having a cigarette before breakfast... lighting up almost as soon as I woke up, I felt rather disgusted with myself and found it easy to stop. I also had some other rather destructive habits which I just decided to stop, and used to eat chocolate every day, just decided one day to stop that as I knew it could not be good for me.

In times of stress I don't think of chocolate or smoking, I never crave either!!

But when I stopped drinking for three years and three months although the cravings lessened over time I would have days when I thought "If only I could drink" Where as I never thought "If only I could smoke/eat chocolate" I love food today, but am not tempted by anything sugary.

Coffee is the big one for me, I love it. In time I know I need to address this, but not yet!

[Tom321]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Interesting, DD. Thx. Caffeine is a bitch, if i miss a cup it feels like my head is being squeezed in a vice.

[YouKayBee]

How many vices should you give up at once?

I took out the one that was causing me most distress in my life, which were recreationals (I also had no problem stopping them), then I sorted out the booze and weight loss, getting fit followed from there.

[Londoner]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Ukblonde;1570199 wrote: I took out the one that was causing me most distress in my life, which were recreationals (I also had no problem stopping them), then I sorted out the booze and weight loss, getting fit followed from there.

Sounds the same as myself UKB.

Although: (----> = leads to)

Alcohol ---> Recreationals

AL + R's ----> poor nutrition [high sugar and processed foods]

Which in turn leads to lack of motivation to work out and a poor sleeping pattern.

[FallenAngel]

How many vices should you give up at once?

I really think it has a lot to do with our personality type and how committed we are to making lifestyle changes. I have witnessed people quitting smoking & drinking along with starting an exercise program and healthy eating all at once & be successful... all their changes reinforce the others. I have also seen where this choice has failed.

Over the years I tried doing several things at once, it would go well for awhile, but once I slipped with one vice, the others soon followed, and I was back to square one.
What ended working for me was to quit one thing at a time. First I quit smoking, and put all my energy into that. After a year of smobriety, I felt comfortable with how I dealt with stress, etc, and the time just felt right to quit drinking. All the tools I learned to cope with not smoking were still fresh in my mind, and I was able to use them to get sober. Even though my smoking and drinking quits are a year apart, they are totally linked to each other. They are what I consider to be the foundation blocks of my life recovery program.

I think the important thing is to know thyself. Are you the type that can, and is willing to quit more than one vice at a time? Or are you more likely to succeed by concentrating your entire efforts on one specific issue? Look at your personality type and your past behaviours. If you have a history of putting a lot on your plate at once & letting everything slide when there's a glitch in one of the areas, then you would be better off taking it one thing at a time.

We will never be perfect. That's the beauty of our human condition. Our journey is about striving to be better than we were, not about achieving perfection.

[bear73]

How many vices should you give up at once?

wow this is amazing - so many times I try to establish clean and tidy house,being af,stopping smoking(only smoke when drunk), dieting,getting fit and starting to meditate. So many times one tumbles and the others follow. This time I am day 34 af, I am focusing on eating more healthily and moving more rather than hardcore exercise and diet.

I need to lose 4 stones and drinking,smoking and being overweight are all part of my binge drinking cycle,either actions in it or consequences of it so all kind of interconnected.

It seems ok so far - I can identify with so many of your posts.
It's payday tomorrow and I am buying an electronic cigarette kit - have used disposables but it means that I run out.
Thank you for this thread!

[gettinitright]

How many vices should you give up at once?

I know when I sober up I wanna eat the house up. I'm starving all the time. My body is adjusting I know.

[Wine-no!]

How many vices should you give up at once?

What did you decide in the end Tom? x

[Sake123]

How many vices should you give up at once?

My experience is that anytime I've tried to "do it all" I fall flat on my face. I have success for a month or two but then things come crashing down. Right now, my focus is learning how to live life without alcohol. I smoke and that is HIGH on my list of things to quit; thinking maybe after the new year I'll give it a go. But God willing...I'll stay off the hooch first! And I also have a significant amount of weight to lose but again, that's gonna have to wait. This is just me! Some people can do it all and do it well. I wish you all the luck and strength to make these changes in your life, whenever they present themselves.

[Tom321]

How many vices should you give up at once?

Staying sober is fine for me right now. I feel good and strong. The caffeine is not bothering me anymore as far as jitters go. Gonna tackle the cigs sometime soon, no set date. I am doing well at taking things slowly, which goes against my nature