I'm doing it. . .no more nicotine or sugar
 

Okay kind people. . .I have to put this out in the universe to hold myself accountable.

I quit drinking, and am pretty solid in my early recovery. NOW, time to quit the cigarettes and sugar. Why get only halfway healthy when I can experience the whole enchilada? I realize that it is Halloween month, and with small kids, that is a challenge with gobs of sweets literally at every turn.

But if I can cut out sugar during the most sugared month of the year, then I will be especially bad ass. :-)

And cigarettes, well that is just stupid. Slow suicide.

Won't be easy, but the good stuff never is.

Get an e-cig. Easiest quit I ever did. Now, I'm tapering off the nicotene.

Best of luck C4G. That's a pretty bold plan, but certainly possible.

I was a heavy nicotine user for years (smokeless tobacco/chew ) and my strategy was to go completely cold turkey. I am glad that I did - the initial few days were pretty horrid, but after that it was a piece of cake for me compared to quitting alcohol.

A word of warning, I tried to do too much too fast. I tried to quit drinking, smoking and lose weight and I cracked. You might not, we're all different. But if that time comes don't do what I did and just break on everything, prioritise. Now I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm cutting down on smoking but I'm absolutely not drinking.

I don't mean to undermine your efforts, it's just good to have a back up plan.

Are you giving up nicotine and sugar at the same time?? What if you tried just one, first?

Also, especially good luck to you with quitting sugar. I have tried many many times. It's tougher than you might think (especially if you are cutting out ALL added sugars - they are in everything!) But if you have a good plan, it's possible. You really have to find foods you enjoy without sugar.

I'm assuming when you say sugar you are referring to refined sugar, not going on a low carb diet?

Change4good - I'm in on the quitting smoking (I'll deal with sugar later). I'm a very light smoker, but those five-ish cigarettes a day are intensely important to me. I'm feeling the contradiction of continuing to dose my body regularly with any kind of poison.

Smoking was heavily associated with drinking for me. Now that the drink is done, hanging onto smoking feels ridiculous.

I'm very healthy in other aspects of my life, and sneak my smoking so as not to be socially shamed (most of my friends & coworkers are athletes). It's just like my drinking was - dividing me from others, forcing me to leave things early to get back to my secret bad habits, guilt, shame.

I considered switching to vaping, but that's just too attractive to me, I feat I'd just be transferring addictions. I'm about to head for work, so I'm going to wear a patch these first couple of weeks (the step 3 one), just to soften the edge.

I wish you luck & i wish me luck (& a bit o' the willpower). Having my morning coffee without a cig was just hurdle #1.

Hurdle #2. Came off a full day on the water in a boat in bitter freezing weather for work. Got home cold to my core. First impulse - cozy up in front of the fire with a cig, because it was such a "stressful" day. Reframed it - "it was a wonderful day. Challenging. Out in raw nature. Lucky me. I am cold. A cigarette will simply slow my warming process by constricting my veins." Took a hot shower instead, and moved through the moment.
Knowing that someone else was taking this on today helped... It is always so empowering when you add just the littlest drop of accountability to the mix...

Using all my tools, gained through the sobriety journey. I want to be a truly healthy person, who doesn't spend all her time juggling secret vices. Instead of a "pretend healthy person" - which is an awfully challenging costume to wear in public when it isn't true.

Not to be a downer but I could abstain from sex for the rest of my life, but not sugar :D

This pretty much describes my experience too. Total closet smoker. Even my friends are surprised to see me smoke because I hide it from them unless I'm with them for prolonged period. Had enough of the shame. Anyway, on day 9 of no smoking. Been using 1mg lozenges. Is ok but right now wish I had a cigarette. Nice to find you guys quitting too. Have a good night/day wherever you are.

I too quit drinking and smoking. While it has been 5.5 weeks without alcohol, I slipped a couple of times and had a cigarette or two to get me through the tough times. I had been a smoker for around 22 years. It is doable!!! Now sugar, that's a different story!! Lol!!

Thanks for sharing this. Yes, I want to be healthy too. I hear the concerns about not doing it all at once, but I don't feel that putting crap in my body is any good, if that makes sense. I feel so much better without refined sugar.

Day 2, still not smoking cigs. Getting sick (I don't think it has anything to do with not smoking - just a coincidence. A happy coincidence really, because it is rainy & cold & I feel completely justified curling up in bed for a post-work nap.

One thing I've noticed - both in early sorbriety & in this new detox venture, is that I often need am excuse to just stop & kick back. Like being sick. The realization is that (amongst other things), this is one of the things alcohol "offered.". An excuse to just lounge around - during alcohol (drunk) & during "feeling sick" the next day. No matter how many long baths I take, or evenings set aside to stay home & read, the "relaxation" doesn't have quite the same flavor.

I also note that not smoking I feel that my muscles are tense & I have a headache. So, yes a happy collision with being sick, because I can tell my AV - "no, a cig won't help, you've just got a bad cold.". And he believes it. Very clever, me.

So, to bed, & I'll just wake up a teeny bit further along in the journey. I'm not sure if this would have been easier to do all at once (alcohol & cigs). I didn't feel ready, but it's sort of irritating to have to go through a whole new detox when I was just starting to feel well...

Change4good, how are you doing with this?
All I have done is eat more since quitting drinking. oh my! And I really shouldn't because Im not out of the woods with just the no drinking. I went for 4 days clear liquid only. Then everything tasted so good. lol I cant drink so I baked and cooked. My son was very happy. nothing healthy. But I did not drink. Sunday, since I wont be hungover, my goal is to go grocery shopping for fruits and veggies. I want to do as little processed food as possible. I was thinking of making my own vinegar/oil dressing for salads. I might throw in some juicing too.

YUP One at a time is enough effort.....