I posted the below this last night in my journal but received no responses..so I'm either the ONLY one to have this struggle or I posted in the wrong place. I had one "double" vodka last night and stuck to plan! So it wasn't perfect but at least I didn't blow the eating part. First day that I didn't blow it in over a month of trying.

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I'm having a really REALLY hard time getting going again. One of the biggest issues is drinking. I was slowly but surely losing weight a little over a year ago. I allowed myself to drink on the weekends (fri thru sunday) and still lost weight. Somewhere last year, life became very stressful and I was using alcohol as a way to calm down at night. I have been drinking daily since then. I'm not willing to give it up completely but I can't even get ONE night under my belt. I stick to plan all day and evening and then around this time at night I have a drink, sure enough a couple (ok three or four) drinks later I'm in the kitchen STUFFING my ever loving face with a ton of food. And then I feel like crap, guilty and sad. That of course leads to further self abuse. I don't know what any of you could say but I'm hoping that somewhere out there...there is someone that knows how I feel. Someone that maybe has been where I am. I have gained back almost all the weight I had lost, I really was making good progress. And now I'm back to square one. I KNOW this WOL works...why am I having such a bloody hard time getting started.

I'm sorry to hear that you're in this situation. I've seen a few threads lately about alcohol and low-carbing. You are not alone by any means.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=412020

I think there's more, but I can't seem to find it right now. Maybe someone else will.

Not directly relevant, but theoretically interesting:
Neolithic foods and alcoholism

My friend I'm sorry but anything that you must have everyday makes you an addict...Addiction comes in all forms ..Some are addicted to smoking ,others narcotics,for some it's chocolate..You laugh at that but if your a severe diabetic and could lose your eyesight due to high sugars...That addiction to chocolate is as serious as any other...Many of us were addicted to carbohydrates,we would become weak and nauseous,if we didn't have them..And you know what??Quitting sugar and starches is one of the hardest things you can attempt...and I'm just like any former addict ,I'm not perfect ..Many days I do great..and then there are times when I fall...but I get back up...SO honestly quitting alcohol,and then sugar and starches is gonna be hard! damn hard!!! But being a fat,unhealthy ,out of shape alcoholic is hard too...PICK YOUR HARD!!! I wish you success ...

Hi Blackstone,

If you're using alcohol to soothe on a regular basis, that's an issue. If you're not willing to give it up, can you go back to only drinking on the weekends? If the answer is no, you really need to think about that and what that implies.

I'm sorry for your situation. I've been in a pretty similar place and it's not fun. I hope you can figure something out that will allow you to get the most out of life. You deserve better than the situation you're in, but you're the only one who can change it.

If alcohol is having negative effects on your life you may need to give that some very serious thought.

You may find help in AA or other programs, but in the end it is really something you have to deal with.

One of the things that the online OA meetings brought to my knowledge was how many people suffer from multiple addiction problems. Some people reported they are in AA, OA, and trying to quit smoking all at the same time. i am not even sure where you would start.

I am pretty sure you can take charge of your life and deal with your problems in ways that work for you, but you will have to put forth the effort to figure out what works for you and abandon what does not.

I think I know how you feel. And I have been where you are. I lost 100 pounds on CAD once, and drinking brought it all back, along with more.

If you are like me - I had a harder time getting started because as long as I drank and ate like that, I got in a deeper hole health-wise, and it's just plain harder to dig out of a deeper hole. So i think your impression is accurate if that makes you feel any better. It IS getting harder.

Nowadays I am completely off that roller coaster. No more drinking, sugars, or flours, and I feel marvelous. Still losing the extra weight.

But I no longer ever, ever feel like this: "like crap, guilty and sad. That of course leads to further self abuse."

I feel cheerful, hopeful, healthy, and happy. while still fat too, imagine that! I never did successfully reverse that bad pattern using an Atkins or Protein Power approach. I must have failed 100 times on those. The one I used was a moderate carb one, instead.

Even now I don't do well on ZC or heavy-ketosis plans. I think that whatever physiology that makes us susceptible to alcohol, is connected to energy metabolism too, and there is a "sweet spot" where it clicks and many "sour spots" where it sure doesn't.

Thank you all for the candid and sincere feedback. I really do appreicate it. Just for the record, I am no stranger to AA. I was sober for 8 years many years ago. And this "may" be my addict talking but I beileve that my is a drinking problem rather than a true addiction to alcohol. When I'm happy, well adjusted and being healthy, my need for alcohol goes away. Anyone in AA will say I'm in denial, and that's ok. Like I said, I was a member of AA for 8 years and know it well. When forced to quit IE when I was pregnant and nursing, I had no trouble with it. However, I do know that I have an extremely addictive personality. Its all or nothing with me. I truly would like to live a moderate life. I started smoking, drinking and eating of LC all at the same time last May. I know my patterns well. Its changing those patterns I have a hard time with. Thanks again for the feedback. Today is day two...

blackstone....
Can I be honest and not hurt your feelings talking?

(And this is coming from someone who is addictive to the bone...trust me)

You have an alcohol problem...please seek help. You did it before, do it again.


Secondly, I know your story...I was 200 lbs for 4 years....holding steady...nothing could shake me....

Until I gave in once...one thing...then the old "thoughts" came to me:

1.) Why try now....? You blew it already...just start again tomorrow"

2.) Ok....just one bad thing to eat a day...and that's it! (and that never happens)

3.) I'll NEVER be able to keep this up for the rest of my life...so why try??


Sound familiar?

You can take it or leave it....but all I'm saying is: get help for the drinking...and stick to the diet....

YOU CAN DO IT....trust me....YOU CAN!


EDITED TO ADD:
Quote: "However, I do know that I have an extremely addictive personality. Its all or nothing with me. "

Don't I know it!

I'm very much like you with the all or nothing thing. I don't have to drink everyday but I could pretty easy, it tastes good and feels good. But its in extreme contrast to what I want to accomplish. Is this the same with you? Tell me, what do you want? Life is only a very long series of yes or no decisions. but to make the right ones you gotta know what you want in the long run...even 5 months from now...not just someday. It will absolutely have to be a pure commitment to the life style that you consider the best for you. Here is a thing I've done that help "get me started". I call it going on a health sabbatical (not a sabbatical from health) Take off work for sometime (a week is the best) and pretend your whole life and every moment in it is focused on what you would consider a healthy life it builds on its self. For me smoking and drinking and not excercising are all about losing focus....EVERY single person on this site takes actions because they want to feel good and to try and be as "efficient" as possible so we do the thing that feels good now...because we lose focus. I think there is a way for you get through to yourself so that you make the choices that you are happy with and not regretting. I've learned that I'm an over analyzer and when I get in that inner battle of should I or shouldn't I, I know that more I think about it the better chance I'm going to lose. Jump over a pile of dog poop again and again...Didn't land in it? Keep doing it I gurantee at some point you will...Here's the thing you only have to land in dog poop once for it to suck...Better to ask, why even jump? The walk away...Do something else ...anything else. You must choose what you want and do so for long enough to build up your armor and defenses against the "stupid" part of your self. If you don't excercise...you better start...if you do already do more...it helps.


and BTW today isn't day 2...you only have right now. I've found I'm way better at moving forward when I'm focused on right now.

Good luck, its a journey that you can win, you only have to do what you actually want to do.

Ah, it sounds like you want to keep trying to stick the fridge magnet to the tree - because it worked before - with a different magnet and maybe a fridge. I've been there too. Oh who knows, maybe I'm wrong and it will work for you.

Good luck !

A lot of good advice and support here. I appreicate it folks. Really! I really like the concept of "health sabatical" what a great idea.

What happened last may? Nothing bad...I was on a lovely vacation and feeling on top of the world. So that is probably why I decided to smoke after being quit for a few months. Self sabbatoge as usual.

I was honest in my original post, and expected and received honest replies. My feelings are not hurt. The truth is sometimes hard to absorb and for some of us, it takes longer. But I do take it to heart. And will think about everything that has been said. Thank you!

I quit for 8 months only because the pain was higher than the joy...I had really bad anxiety and didn't know what to do so I quit smoking because I thought it would help...it didn't really. I ended up taking Zoloft and once that worked I was hangin with friends...let my guard down....didn't say no...had 1...and the damn burst open

good news is stopped Zoloft after 1.5 years and now that I know what it is I have very low anxiety and when I do I can control it...but I still got the smoking habit...maybe I just need ot know what that is ans allways think of it for what it is...an addiction.

Hi! Just a quick post this morning... I'm the same way. I'm good all day long, and then after a loooong, stressful day at work, I just want a glass of wine. Some days that's all it is, but then other days, it becomes more and then the food follows. I can usually overcome it, but there are definitely days that I just say screw it, I'm drinking.

Anyway, I was wondering if you've ever tried taking up some sort of hobby/activity to do in the evenings that gives you some sort of stress relief when you get home? I'm not sure what that would be for you, but it could be almost anything as long as it took your mind off alcohol and food. Just a thought.

HollyRF makes a good point.

Food/drink/drugs/cigs/ whatever....they had a function in our lives...they were:

something to do
A buddy
A tranqualizer
A way to cope

And more

And now that they're gone....filling that void has been weird (at least for me) I found that A LOT of my life centered around the taste of food and food activities...none of which involved being hungry!

So yes...find something you can get passionate about and use that to fill the time...

Hmmmm...No, I actually need to find a hobby. I've been so busy at work lately that when I come home I just want to sit on my butt and stare at the TV. I guess that's not a hobby. I'll have to think about that. I have wanted to take up quilting. Maybe I can do that. Last night was a disaster. Lets just say caramel roll, 1...Blackstone, zero. But today is a new day.