Lixie

Great work, Max! I like what I'm reading!

MaximusD

Thanks Liz! I like what I am seeing from you too!

Gabe1980

Hey Max. Thanks for all your support and the effort you put in. Keep your own thread going too. We all wanna support you mate 💓

MaximusD

Thanks for posting Gabe! Day 44 here. This is one of those rare strong quits and I WILL NOT be throwing this away. At the same time I am changing my body and health and am lighter than I have been for years. I am not that heavy but still not happy with my weight. I am leaning out and preparing for my birthday to be in the best shape of my life. I am determined and this will not change.

MaximusD

Day 67 here. Had a random AV craving a few days ago that was rather strong but I just really focused on not engaging with it and it went away. If I engaged with it, it would have gone down hill quick. I was doing really good with diet and exercise and then the weather went south limiting my outside time and I got off track. Been really binging bad on ice cream and sweets again and have almost gained back the body fat I lost. I am taking this as a learning experience but am becoming a little bit worried that I have some food issues. Not drinking alcohol is my number 1 priority though and it has been a pretty easy quit so far that I DO NOT plan to throw away. My wife thought I was drinking again recently and it brought back some anxiety for her. She told me about a time that I was asleep when she came home and should have been watching our son. That just REALLY solidifies my quit as I don't even REMEMBER that. Alcohol is **** and I will not be drinking it EVER again. It is poison in any amount and pointless to consume.

Edited to add: I have had some anxiety come back. Lots of nail biting and OCD has gotten worse. This is usually a sign that the cycle is starting again with me drinking but this time not going to happen. I am noticing that I think it is due to the fact that I am not exercising. This makes a daily exercise regime SO MUCH more important.

Hodd

Hi Max, the anxiety is a concern not to taken lightly. Anything that can be done to help that? Maybe your doctor can advise. My mum suffered with anxiety, and i can see it would be a definite trigger to drink. You’re doing great otherwise.

MaximusD

I am not sure Hodd. I went to my doctor about it as part of my attempts this year to really get rid of alcohol for good. Told my doc what was going on and she prescribed and SSRI. It had some annoying side affects and then I started drinking again before it had a chance to kick in. Kind of hoping to deal with it with exercise. It is not too bad I don't think, at least compared to others I have heard of. I am being very mindful of my cycle of quit-drink-quit-drink and am breaking the cylce but anxiety does ramp up a bit. I think once I start exercising again Ill be better. Thanks for stopping in!

Hodd

It could be a man thing, but I guess in the past we’ve brushed aside issues such as anxiety. You’ve acknowledged it is as the genuine issue it is. I saw with my mum that she got flustered over the smallest thing, and the worry ended up taking over everything else. I wouldn’t rule out speaking to your doc again.

Keep an eye on it, Max, and take care. Keep up the exercise too 👍

MaximusD

Will do Hodd. I am much more aware now. I think one thing about all us quitters is we really do learn a lot about ourselves and mindfullness etc.

MaximusD

Diet got off track. I need to get back on track with it. Been feeling tired and having a lot of low level constant anxiety. I want to get this written down to see how getting back on track will help me with anxiety etc. Need to exercise more again, go for walks and eat better.

BeABetterMan

Hey Max, are you taking in any caffeine? My anxiety is sensitive to caffeine.

AlbaSober

You're doing great buddy. In theory its dead easy: Don't drink, exercise and eat well but if you have an addictive mind its easy to stray. I'm posting this after spending 90 mins in the gym followed by a burger and chips from a popular chain! But I won't beat myself up about it, because, as you say that staying sober is the number 1 goal.

Sober45

Looking forward to seeing you work through this, Max. If your gut is telling you need to exercise then do it.

Gabe1980

Sounds like you are doing great Max, well done!

MaximusD

Day 142. I have relapsed so many times but I have never given up. This is probably one of my longest quits I have ever had besides my 4 year quit 10 years ago. I have had little to no AV activity as I have really focused on my health and fitness. I have found that by focusing on my health and fitness it distances the AV and drinking a lot. I have been intermittent fasting and cutting body fat for a few months with some breaks and binges (food) mixed in but I am down about 15 pounds which is big because I am not that overweight to begin with so that is a decent amount of body fat. At this point if I slip up on anything it is my diet which means that slipping up and drinking is like 2 steps behind that. I have found this to be very effective at distancing the AV. It is almost as if I have built multiple walls that I would have to smash through before I could even go back to that last wall that would lead to a relapse in drinking. I feel very secure in my sobriety but am NOT taking it for granted. I am considering a fitness competition of some kind down the road depending on where this journey takes me.

MaximusD

I am at about 6 months! I am going to post soon with a more detailed update separately that I think could help people but wanted to check in. Really focused on eating healthy and have the same sort of cycle of eating clean and binging but it is better that than alcohol! Happy new year to all!

Dee74

6 months is great Max - congratulations

D

AlbaSober

Great work Max!

Fusion

Congratulations on SIX months Max, that's awesome! You never have to drink again, phew!

Surrendered19

I look forward to your post Max. You are one of the people on SR that really opens up and by doing so, you really do help others. Congrats on 6 months!!!