My NEW Story Starts Here...

[Guitarista]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Good on you DG. You're a marvel!
Take special care of your precious self, ya hear?.........G x

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

And you too Guitarista!

DG

[mario]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Well done doggy girl its great reading your story again,its very inspiring. :good job:

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thanks Mario!

[Ursula]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thank you for sharing that story. It is very inspirational! It really motivates me to start the program when I read posts like yours!

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thanks Ursula. If I can, you can. It might feel scary, but there is no time like the present to just dive right in and begin a new and better life - free of the stinkin' beast!

Strength & hope,

DG

[norma]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Doggygirl,

Thanks for poping by and for your nice comments. I just spent an hour reading your story. I could have written alot of it. Isnt it amazing how time and time again we read peoples stories of quiting and they are almost a mirror image of each other. I love your before and after pics.You look well hot!!. I still keep my old bloated photo in my purse lest I forget. The clothes I wear today bear little resemblence to the ones I wore 3 years ago.My 13 year old is getting a bit worried and reminded me the other day "Mom your 45, do you really want to wear leggins". She was wasting her time I bought them anyway.

I love too the way its easier to deal with crisis in our lives. More crap has happened in the last year to me but I can honestly say that I dealt with it far far better than I would have if I had been drinking. The slightest little hicup before and I was drinking like a fish. Sometimes Im slow to post about how great it is to be sober as it seems wrong when others are still strugling. I hate that it might come across as smug but I also think that if it helps someone to stop being afraid of quiting its worth it.

Hugs Nors

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Norma! I love the story of leggings and your daughter!! :H You GO girl!! I probably shouldn't be wearing "skinny jeans" sometimes at 51 oops I mean 29, but I like 'em and I'll wear 'em if I want to!

I think it is extremely important that we tell our stories of how it was, and also hope and change once we have managed to get sober. When I first came here, I felt SO alone with my drinking problem and it's various manifestations. It was a relief to find that others shared the problem. As you noted - so much of our stories ends up being the same! We are not alone!

I also needed to read the stories of those who had gotten sober. It seemed very far away, but that's what gave me hope and courage to try. If somebody else can do it, then maybe I can too.

My bloated old picture from a week after my sobriety date goes with me everywhere in my day planner. I never want to forget either.

Now I can't really remember what I've posted here in my "journal" about recent events. For the last year I have been actively participating in AA locally. That has made a huge positive difference for me in my sobriety. I am learning a lot tools that help me understand myself better, and handle "life" more effectively and peacefully inside. AA is not for everyone, and you could knock me over with a feather that I found it's for me. I'm glad I became willing to give it a try. It's nice to have "face to face" friends that I can be completely honest with. It's freeing for me.

I have embarked on a new fitness program, taking it up another notch. I am working with a fitness coach out of Canada raising the bar on my weight training. I've been working on the new program for 4 weeks now and can already see the difference in the pictures and FEEL the difference in strength. There is NO WAY I could be doing this if I were still drinking.

In addition to being an ACTIVE participant now in our family business, I have started a little part time side business too. I'm having a lot of fun with that. I couldn't even consider something like that if I were drinking.

Norma, I'm so happy for you that you have come out the other side of this dark tunnel into the sun. I am happy for each person here who has accomplished that, however you have accomplished it. New folks - there is hope. Getting sober is hard work but the rewards are plentiful, and worth every bit of the effort.

Strength and hope,

DG

[fluff]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Doggy- Love your journal! I cannot believe your progress! Thanks for being such a motivation for us-for me!
LLuv, Fluff

[dancelot]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Doggygirl -

I had seen your "after" picture when you posted it somewhere else - I'd never seen the "before". WOW! What's funny too is, I didn't realize until awhile later you were in fact, over 50. Having seen your "after" picture first, I thought you WERE 29! Great job!

[lodestar]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

This is truly phenomenal! I hadn't seen the before either.

Thank you for sharing your story along the way DG. It is really helpful to "see" the process unfold and gives food for thought to a fellow(don't know the female version of fellow)-former-vodka drinker about the dangers of choosing to drink.

You are simply amazing. Your honesty, humor, courage, and commitment are awe-inspiring.

[Cinders]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Doggygirl;509483 wrote: Got some updated pictures of the inside out transformation today. I am now well inside my goal weight range. I was very happy with my weigh and measure last week at Curves - my body fat % has gone from over 37% to just over 26%. My weight has gone from 204 pounds on May 22 to 146.6 pounds as of this morning.

Reminder of that nasty before picture. Daily hangovers, poor diet, and rotten sleep from hormone imbalances sure take their toll. The outside reflects what's on the inside. Me at 50 years OLD, size 18, 198 pounds on 5/31/08:



Today - sober, happy, and getting pretty fit at 50 years YOUNG, size 8, 147 pounds on 1-3-09:



And



And



At this age, I don't think it would be possible for me to achieve this fitness level (which is modest at best) AND be drinking like I was. I couldn't do it. Sobriety is a requirement.

Now I have to figure out how to maintain! That will be an exciting project among many for 2009.

Thank you for reading my journal!

DG

Bumping this up for Audrey in Latvia.

(Hope you don't mind, DG.)

Love,
Cindi

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I don't mind Cindi. I'm happy to report that I'm still wearin' those britches over a year later. Sobriety rocks. (as does getting the hormones fixed!)

DG

[BUNNY]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!!!! is all I have to say:applaud:

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thank you Bunny.

DG