I traded my alcohol addiction 13 1/2 years ago for a carb addiction. And I have to say it was much easier to get past the alcohol addiction. I walked away from alcohol . . . . I couldn't walk away from food. But I have learned in the last couple of years or so that I can cut processed carbs out of my life and as of 7/30/07 I have done just that.

I do it one day at a time. I don't think about "never" having it again, I think only about not having it for today (whether it be a brownie or a Big Mac!)

Anyone who is recovering from alcoholism and/or drug addiction please feel free to join in.

Robin

I done have that but I am friends with a lady who is recovering from alcoholism, like you it is one day at a time. I see her struggles and all.
sandi

As far as my alcoholism . . . . . I am past the one day at a time . . . . . if anything I think: "One is too many and a thousand is not enough!"

That also works for me for processed carbs . . . . I can't have "just one" whether it is Lay's potato chips or any other processed, white flour, or white sugar food.

I hardly ate any sweets/candy at all during my drinking days. As soon as I quit, tho, I was a certified chocoholic/carboholic. If I make DH mac & cheese or spaghetti for dinner I have to throw out any leftovers asap. I can get through dinner ok with him eating the pasta because I am eating something filling and tasty on Atkins; if they are in my fridge there is a good chance I will eat them in the middle of the night like a drug addict getting her fix.

After I have another month or so doing low carb and getting my exercise routine to be a daily habit I am going to quit smoking.

Robin,
I can't think of a better person to Moderate this forum~~
Your personal experience's will help other's get thru any problems
they've encountered.

You're so right about being able to quit drinking ~ but you have to EAT.
I never Smoked & haven't drank Alcohol on over 20 yrs, I am a Foodaholic.
An Addiction is an Addiction~
No matter what the substance is ~ that we abuse.

My first Husband (the Father of my 2 sons) Was~Is & Always will be an Alcoholic.
It's what ruined our 10 yr. marriage, well that and the Beatings I endured by his Drunken hands.
He says he's NOT an Alcoholic because He ONLY drinks Beer, but if you drink a Case of Beer a night~~I'd say you're an Alcoholic~~am I right?
He is 5' 8" & weighs 134 lbs~~Nothing but "Beer & Bones", he's only 3 yrs. older then I am~~yet looks at least 20 yrs. older.

My dh is trying to quit smoking, he had succeeded for 13 months with the help of a Patch~~but, then one day He smelled someone's cigarette smoke~went right down to the store & now he's been smokin`for a year.

I'm very proud of you for being on a Self-Improvement Journey and I know you'll make it. The road will feel Long & Bumpy, there'll be alot of Potholes to Dodge and it'll seem like there's no end.
But I know you have a Plan and will reach your Destination.
Su

Su,

You are, my friend, an absolute beauty . . . . . inside and out! You are always so positive and kind.

I have to ask tho, because you look much younger than your actual age by 15-20 years . . . . . when you say your ex looks 20 years older . . . . . . . what exactly are you saying! He looks his age? Or he looks 20 years older than his physical age????

IMHO, I would say he was an alcoholic . . . . . but at the same time it is not for me to decide whether or not someone is or isn't. In my experience I've learned that a person can drink once a year and still be an alcoholic . . . . . . it's more about why you drink rather than how much. However, that being said, drinking a case a night AND being a domestic abuser would definitely put him over the top of the alcoholic scale in my book.

Yes, I agree an addiction is an addiction and it doesn't even have to be a substance: it can be work, it can be gambling, it can be shopping, it can be sex.

I do have a plan and I WILL reach my destination and I am so happy to have made friends like you along the way! Thank you so much for the encouragement and support!

Robin

Thanx for the kind words about me not looking 58 yrs.old~~My X is 3 yrs. older then me~~He'll be 62 on Oct. 1st~~he looks like he's at the least: 75 yrs. old or older. As I said he's 5'8" & weighs 134 lbs. during the summer hot days in the Valley he walks around in cut off jean shorts.
Here's the visual: He looks like a Finger with a Bandaid on it~Skiiiiiiiiinny !
Beer & Bones!!!

Hmmmmm, let's see if this qualifies as being an Alcoholic.

When my oldest son was 9 months old, I asked my X to go to the store & get some milk. My son was already weened off formula, so it was just regular Whole Vit. D Milk that I sent him for. I hadn't noticed we were out of it, because my X used it all up for cereal & didn't tell me.

He is gone for 45 minutes, I meet him at the door so I can get it from him & make a Bottle for my son. He walks in with a Six Pack of BEER & when I asked where the Milk was~~He had the Nerve to say:
Let him drink WATER.
I left and walked to my Mother's house that was 4 blocks away (9pm) in order to get some milk for my baby ~
ALL his father cared about was having his BEER.
So~~now what do you think~~Alcoholic or Not !

Oh, and about all the things I said about you & your ability to handle this Forum~~I call them as I see them, Lady !
Su

Yeah, after I quit smoking sugar became my new addiction. I have to take a one day at a time process with all of these things...alcohol, cigs, and food. I've see too many people go back after much more time sober, smoke free, weight loss wise than I.

HalsAngel-My husband and I are both recovery alcoholics. We obviously understand the disease and work with other alcoholics. We understand that while we do horrible things, like choosing alcohol over our loved ones, it is the disease that makes us choose these things. Not that I am not responsible for my own actions, but that logically I would not put myself above my children, but when alcohol is involved logic is not. That being said, my Mother in law is an alcoholic. My husbands childhood is not one I would wish on anyone. Even with all our understanding of the disease, it it hard to deal with her. Painful. There can be alot of anger towards her, but we both go to alanon. It has really been helpful to learn boundries and move past the anger. Alcoholics destroy lives, but there is help for those in the distructive path. I was sceptical of alanon. How was that going to help me? But it has, emensely. I feel for you!

Rimeyer,

Thank you for your very intelligent response to my post.

I know it's a Disease and as any addiction~can't be cured.
However, if the person stays in denial, there won't be a Recovery
from the "Demon in the Bottle".

My X is divorced 4 times and is basically a Social Misfit, who sits alone
drinking until he passes out.
Neither one of his Sons wants anything to do with him.
They lived thru the years of their Childhood watching him beat me.

I have moved on with my life, as I divorced him 27 yrs. ago and fled
for the safety of my Children as well as for myself.

Good Luck with the pain of dealing with your MIL~~
You're in my Prayer's.

Su

It's crazy how long we stay in denial. CRAZY! I am so blessed to not live there anymore. I'm a big believer in staying away from the alcoholic, DH just can't do that. I respect his decision (his father has already died, and MIL has been given a year to live) it's just hard to watch him get hurt over and over. Alcoholism has claimed his parents, each before the age of 60. Sad. Thanks for your prayers and I'm glad you got out. You and your sons are in my prayers as well.

Ritmeyer,
I know this is not the nicest thing in the world to say~
But, I hope my X leaves this world before our grandson Ragan gets old enough to be affected by his Alcoholism.

I don't wish him Pain or Violence in his life~~
I just want Ragan to grow up away from that kind of atmosphere,
I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.
By the way you've kept yourself & your children away from it ~~
I pray that you understand me wanting to protect this precious little Angel.
Su

Um, well. Here goes. I'm not so upset that MIL won't be here when we have kids. I said it. It's the way I feel, so I understand. I can have all the sympathy in the world for others, but when you hurt my own...I'm not so nice. Watching what my husband and his siblings (as well as all the families I deal with in the program I'm in) and my own families struggles with me and others with the disease, it's so hard. The saddest thing in the world was the day MIL was given 1 year to live and DH has to come to terms with the fact that she was never going to get sober and he was always going to have this crappy relationship with her. Logically I feel sorry for her. In reality, I work really hard not to hate her for the stuff she puts everyone through.

Nutshell, I get it.

Thank you!

I'm sorry for the mistake about the children, I Plead Ignorance.

Su

Well, I was never an "alcoholic" but I did abuse alcohol in conjuction with other substances. While in college I abused drugs (experimented with a few things, but old stand-by was pot). I smoked cigarettes from age 14. As stand alone items the toughest of these for me to beat was the cigarettes. All together, they seemed insurmountable. My husband and I started dating in 1996, just under a year after I graduated from college. He smoked and drank but did not do drugs. He would not tollerate drug use. I had told him I did pot in college and he was fine with that as long as I wasn't doing it now. I was, but I immediately quit. We got married in 1997 and I got a job working with MI adults in a group home setting. The only way I could get my contact hours with them was to sit outside where they smoked. My smoking increased from 3/4 pack per day to 1 1/2 packs per day. At that time I worked from 1pm to 11pm. I went to the bar almost every night after work and had 1 or 2 drinks. Not to drunkenness, but it did set a pattern. In 1999 my husband and I met some people that introduced us to a new way of making money, and to a personal relationship with God. In November 1999 I received Jesus and in December 1999 I quit drinking and smoking. And I fell headfirst into another long term addiction...food. I was always a "large girl" but with my other addictions (mainly cigarettes) gone I had nothing else to turn to. I quickly balooned from about a size 18 to a 22, then gained up to a very snug 24 over the next several years. I have, unfortunately, occasionally fallen back into the habit of drinking/smoking when around certain peer groups I mostly avoid now. Fortunately I have continued to walk away from those momentary lapses in judgement with relative ease. My weightloss is a journey I began in 2005 and I am still on that journey. It is by far the most difficult. It is relatively easy to chose to stay away from drugs, alcohol, even cigarettes. With food, not so easy. We still have to eat. Food is a substance we can't walk away from. We have to learn to use it differently.

Lisa, that is so true about food. You can't live without it! What I keep in mind now is that I want to "eat to live . . . . . not live to eat." I am finally mindful about what I put in my mouth.

I am a smoker. I am planning to quit by November 1 at the latest. Because it is not a good idea to make too many changes at once I thought Nov 1 would be good because then I will 3 months doing low carb and exercise will a part of each day.

Congrats on your weight loss so far; you are doing awesome!

Robin

I actually agree with you on waiting to quit smoking. Too many changes at once is a very bad idea. I had a really difficult time quitting smoking, but got through it. If you have a hard time or just need someone to vent to when you do quit feel free to contact me.

Ok, Lisa . . . . . . I am going to take you up on that when my quit date arrives!

Robin

Hi Robin,
I quit Nicorette December 16, 2006! I was chewing about 30 pieces a day. Sometimes more...I also quit binging on food at the same time. My sister just started low carbing and quit smoking six days ago! My husband quit the Nicorette a week after I did and started the low carbing a few months ago. The advice to quit one thing at a time can be really good advice! But, I, personally, am glad that I quit the gum and the binging at the same time. It has worked for me. And I also chose to do it during some very difficult times in my life. I wanted to do it then so that when hard times came around I would be able to say, "If I quit during XXX, then I certainly can handle this!"
I wish you well in your efforts to break the nicotine addiction.

Kristi

Hi Kristi, WOW! My hat is off to you! You've given me incentive to move my quit day up. I haven't decided how far up - but I am not going to wait until 11/1. When I do decide I'll post the date here for accountability.

How is your sister doing with quitting AND starting low carbing?

Robin

She is doing well. She has lost about 10 or 11 lbs. This is not the first time she has quit smoking, though. She smoked from 19-21. Quit and then started at 30-ish. She quit a couple of years ago for about 6 months. Now she is quitting again. I never did smoke (except for sharing the once-in-a-blue-moon cigar and a cigarette here and there at a party years ago...)so I have never tried to quit that. I was not addicted to them. But then I started the nicorette about 4 years ago. What a dumb bunny I was! And the amount of Nicorette I was addicted to was amazing! I tell you--it was literally, physically painful to quit. I get a sick feeling just thinking about it.

I am at nine months now and I can't imagine that I would ever buy it and chew it again. Plus, no one is going to offer me a piece of 4mg mint! A person just doesn't run across it in the course of a normal day!! hee hee

You know who is really doing well?? Our daughters! Sam (17) and Anna (14) are slimmed down and not retaining water. Anna's acne is 80% gone. I saw Sam yesterday and she has no acne! I was astounded. She looks so good. She was sort of anemic looking with bad skin and always tired and sad looking. Now she is bright and cheerful and slender and clear skinned! It was amazing...Low carb is amazing....

Kristi

Update on my sister:


she has lost 14 lbs now

quitting smoking is going well

she said that exercise is distracting her and making her feel better

Kristi, that is really good; for both your sister and your daughers!

I am still thinking about quit date . . . . .

I have been in recovery from drugs and alcohol since Sept. 22, 1982. Like some have said, it's not easy, but it IS possible. The not drinking or using part is the easy part...........changing the behaviors and mindset is another story. That said, I think it's pretty clear why we all suffer from our food addictions. Whether we binge on carbs or baby carrots, we binge. When we get started, we want more and more and more. There's never enough to satisfy us. We eat until we are sick to our stomachs and we wait until that feeling passes and then we do it all over again. I say "we" but I am talking about me. I am a carb addict and I need to avoid those nasty carbs to be healthy.

I am one of the kimkins victims who is trying to deal with that and the feelings I have around the whole thing. I find the support here to be much like the support of my 12 step community. It is so refreshing to come here each day and know that I can trust Jimmy and the others. Kind of like being in treatment and finally realizing people were there to help.

I think that we have many things in common and as time goes we're going to see that more and more. This forum is going to grow too.

Remember, triUMPH is a little tri with a big UMPH!

Hugs around,
Carolia

We're here for you when you need us, Carolia! Don't EVER hesitate to holler, okay? You're doing AWESOME and I am so very proud of you.

Carolia, I am so glad you came to this forum! 25 years in recovery is awesome! And the "we" fits many more people than just you!

Yes, I think this forum will grow. It is still in the infancy stages!

I like

Thanks Jimmy and Robin. As I've said many times over, today is a great day to be alive! I will do all I can to make this a better world, starting right now. Just one day at a time is how it works, everyone. :-)

Love you all!
Carolia

EXCELLENT attitude, Carolia! REMEMBER THAT!!!

I too have an addictive personality. I don't keep dry gin and squirt in the house at the same time because I KNOW I would become an alcoholic, I love the taste. I quit smoking, 4 1/2 yrs ago, cold turkey, because I wasn't enjoying it anymore. I love food...I have attempted many times to lose the excess weight but the desire for food was too overwhelming. I finally reached the point in my life where I decided my health was more important than the feeling I get from stuffing myself with unneccesary food. I have been addicted to computer games, video games, chat rooms and now it seems I may becoming addicted to locarb eating!!!! Love and Hugs to all, Cathi

Cathi,
Welcome aboard! We are all addicts I believe, but the healthcare profession just hasn't recognized that food can be addictive. Well, I should probably say not ALL healthcare professionals. Good for you for quitting smoking. I did that in 1982 shortly after I gave up substances. Had to hang on to something, I guess. Anyway, I'm glad you're here and you will find this forum so supportive. As I said before, just like a 12 step meeting here. :-)

Love and hugs,
Carolia

Thanks, Jimmy and thanks, Robin. Can't think of anyplace else I'd rather be than here.

Love and hugs around!
Carolia

Cathi,

Welcome to our forum! Low Carb addiction could be the best addiction there is . . . as long as it is done in a healthy way!

I have had many addictions (mentioned previously) but have now realized that I also was addicted to computer games for awhile. It was probably the easiest addiction to overcome (for me!) Now I am addicted to this forum . . . . but there could be many things worse!

Thanks for the invite. Sober since 8/4/00. Still going to meetings, working with sponsor/sponsees, working the twelve steps.

I don't want to stir anything up, but you are 'recovering' if you're going to meetings and working the steps over an issue. Otherwise, you are being, 'dry'.

And I'm realizing the same thing about sugar, too. I go to a young clubhouse with a lot of new, young sobriety. And, to be honest, I've gotten to be something of a 'crusty old fart'. "Quit whining, and start working the steps!" "No sponsor?!? How's that workin' for ya there, genius?"

God has seen fit to give me some much needed humility through low carb. I had a carb relapse after losing 50 lbs, and had some bread pudding. I was able to stop there, but I had some God awful cravings all over again. And you know, I started to realize that this could be really frakkin hard! I'm having to humble myself and ask for God's help in keeping off of the sugar.

And I've got a little bit more empathy for the newcomers and relapsers in 12 step program.

I have always heard around the tables that either you're in recovery or your practicing your addiction. I personally believe in a 12 step program of recovery. For the past 25 years, it has kept me straight and sober and since I've worked so hard to come this far, I am not interested in sabotaging my recovery by listening to ODAP tell me I don't need to work the steps. As the saying goes, "the elevator's broken, use the steps"...........which essentially says, "nothing in life comes easy".

I appreciate your kind, respectful way of disagreeing, Robin. You're a gem!

Keep on keepin' on, Clyde.

Hugs,
Carolia

Hi, my name is ChrisTina and I'm a compulsive overater. I've been reading OA literature and debating on attending a meeting. Most meetings are in church basements and with my mobility issues, I can't do stairs. That's why I started low-carb, so I could lose weight and gain mobility.

I find I have a hard time on the weekends, when my hubby is home, though. He is my enabler, getting me food from McDs or getting me a bag of chips, etc. I need to have to have a heart-to-heart talk with him and tell him I really need help to STOP eating carbs, not to go get that bag of chips.

Anyway, I thought I'd stop by here and share some of my story. This looks like a great group for support.

BTW, Robin, thanks again for the avatar!

Hi everyone!

I had a heart-to-heart talk with DH and asked him for his help in this. He was letting me eat his snacks and I told him no more. He said he didn't want me to get mad at him if he didn't let me. I told him I'd rather him say no to me than me cheating. I told him I really want to lose this weight, so I can get around easier. That way we can go more places together. He decided he didn't need his treats anymore. We'll see if this works. If it's not in the house, then I won't eat it.

Thanks for reading! Hope everyone has a great week!

Clyde and Carlina, I'm with you. I've been around many people who are "sober" without the steps ,in and out of AA. Most are easy to spot. I like the calmness of my life with the steps, the amazing feeling you get when you sit with someone who can't stop drinking and can offer them a solution, and most importantly the person I've become because of it. It works for me, and not one single person in my family would like me to stop doing it. Everyone is entitled to go it there own path, like the book says if you can find another way...go for it. If I didn't feel like I needed AA to live an emotionally, spiritually, and literally sober life...I would not do it. It's alot of damn work and takes up alot of my time. Time I only have because of it.