Sick of Being Unhealthy

[The Lord Bastard]

Poor lifestyle choices are ruining my life. I'm in my late 20s but I honestly feel about twice that age. 

I drink alcohol heavily. I usually binge drink about two or three times a week. During these binges I could have around 5 or 6 double vodka and mixers. My smoking is worse during these drinking sessions also, probably chaining off around 20-25 cigarettes in around 3 hours. On top of this...I order pizzas, curries and often order fish and chips for lunch. I don't know if those in the US know about this British delicacy, but it's basically a battered cod and a mountain of chips. Tasty...not good for you though. 

I don't exercise and my job mostly involves sitting around an office. When I'm at work I'm a little healthier. I study on a military base at the moment (but not in the military) but even then I start my day with a greasy fry-up. Sizable portions of bacon, egg, sausage and hash browns. I don't drink as much when I'm at work but at the weekends I resume my crap dietary choices by ordering take-aways. I sup cans of lager and get myself shit-faced on Captain Morgans Spice Rum and a mixer. 

I've been known to snack in between meal times on crap like pot noodles and crisps as well. 

I'm getting worried because I've started buying tobacco in bulk, I've supplemented my drinking in nightclubs with a hip flask full of pure vodka and my sleeping pattern is usually poor as well. 

Feel pretty much fucked. 

[Ormond]

Well, realizing you have a problem is your first step in fixing it. 

How easy is it to get into either an alcohol or smoking cessation program in the UK? Sounds like you're about ready for one of those. At this point dealing with those two things is probably a lot more important than dealing with your love of fried foods.

[BigFatCoward]

Just now, Ormond said:

Well, realizing you have a problem is your first step in fixing it. 

How easy is it to get into either an alcohol or smoking cessation program in the UK? Sounds like you're about ready for one of those. At this point dealing with those two things is probably a lot more important than dealing with your love of fried foods.

alcohol sounds like its driving the other 2 to be honest.  

if you are on a military base you presumably have all sorts of access to gyms, training advice etc, and they inevitably have people to advise on the drink problem. 

having said that i probably drink as much as you, though i don't smoke, eat healthy and do a shit load of exercise.

[Martell Spy]

Yeah, I would get on that alcohol problem immediately, if you are at all able. My only real advice is to try cold turkey. I had a more minor problem than you, but that is the only thing that worked for me. I've been dry 8 months now. I was up to 5 beers a day every day of the week at the end there and multiple attempts to drink less failed miserably.

Smoking is terrible and it actually killed my mom at 55. However, the drinking is likely more dangerous in the short term. I'd be especially worried if you are driving intoxicated. 

[Hereward]

Don't go cold turkey until you see a doctor. Stopping abruptly if you are a very heavy drinker can be dangerous without medical supervision. Good luck.

[kuenjato]

You're still in your 20's. Your body has an amazing facility to heal, if you treat it right.

It will be very painful in the short term, but within 3 months you will feel much, much better if you stop the booze in and of itself. 

Cutting the cigs might be very hard in tandem with the alcohol, but it's important to whittle yourself down. Consider smoking from a pipe for a while, as you'll be able to create satiation from less nicotine input. Slowly monitor how much you smoke from the pipe until you can puff 1-2 times a day. Try to make it a 'treat,' in the morning and evening, then gradually shift to the evening only. Then you'd be ready to go cold turkey with the smoking. That worked for me.

Cutting both booze and cigs, you'll be ready to hit the gym in a month or so. Go very slowly. Don't worry about shedding pounds, rather getting your body used to exercise again, building muscle tone, etc. 

[The Lord Bastard]

4 minutes ago, kuenjato said:

You're still in your 20's. Your body has an amazing facility to heal, if you treat it right.

It will be very painful in the short term, but within 3 months you will feel much, much better if you stop the booze in and of itself. 

Cutting the cigs might be very hard in tandem with the alcohol, but it's important to whittle yourself down. Consider smoking from a pipe for a while, as you'll be able to create satiation from less nicotine input. Slowly monitor how much you smoke from the pipe until you can puff 1-2 times a day. Try to make it a 'treat,' in the morning and evening, then gradually shift to the evening only. Then you'd be ready to go cold turkey with the smoking. That worked for me.

Cutting both booze and cigs, you'll be ready to hit the gym in a month or so. Go very slowly. Don't worry about shedding pounds, rather getting your body used to exercise again, building muscle tone, etc. 

 I hear you on the gym. 

I bought Insanity Workout a couple of days ago. It's a home work out and doesn't require any equipment...just body-weight exercises. It's really intense but I was thinking of just diving straight into it to be honest. 

[DireWolfSpirit]

Giving up battered Cod is crazy talk.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

1 hour ago, The Lord Bastard said:

 I hear you on the gym. 

I bought Insanity Workout a couple of days ago. It's a home work out and doesn't require any equipment...just body-weight exercises. It's really intense but I was thinking of just diving straight into it to be honest. 

Diving straight into intense exercise starting from nothing can be a recipe for getting discouraged or injured. I suggest you ease yourself in slowly, start with just trying to be a little more active/take some walks while your main focus is cutting back on alcohol/cigarette/junk food consumption. You don't need to change overnight and few people can.

[Iskaral Pust]

To echo Leap, come join us in the exercise and fitness thread series.  Living healthily is an ongoing process. 

Fixing your consumption will have bigger benefits than exercise but it will be tough.  Junk food is just as addictive to your body as alcohol and tobacco but you can recondition your tastebuds and appetite over just a few months.  Develop a plan you will stick with and build upon over time.  Most heroic attempts to abruptly change will founder and reverse.  Exercise serotonin is a good antidote for withdrawal cravings, but you need to build up to it as well.  Jumping straight into the Insanity system may not be sustainable, although if you can do that and stick with it then you're not in too bad shape. 

The good news is that in your late 20s your body is still very resilient.  If you maintain an unhealthy lifestyle into your 30s, the negative effects like weight gain will start to grow more pronounced. Get started and good luck. 

[Arkhangel]

12 hours ago, The Lord Bastard said:

 I hear you on the gym. 

I bought Insanity Workout a couple of days ago. It's a home work out and doesn't require any equipment...just body-weight exercises. It's really intense but I was thinking of just diving straight into it to be honest. 

The thing about home workouts is that there's no trainer there to correct your form or warn you if the way you're doing something is likely to injure you. If a lot of the exercises are new to you, you're much better off by easing into it and focusing on getting the form right from the start, rather than jumping in headfirst and promptly doing yourself an injury.

I don't know if this is an option budget-wise, but have you considered getting a personal trainer? A lot of PTs will also set you up with dietary advice or a meal plan, and to be honest you might have a better chance of sticking to the overhaul of your entire lifestyle if there's someone else you feel accountable to.

[Channel4s-JonSnow]

If I were you i'd set a goal and tell everyone about it and then go out and just do it. 

I'd start with joining a gym. I'd tell everyone you are going to do a 12 week challenge, where you will lose a certain amount of weight. I would set up a blog, post up pictures. Because its all in your head and you basically have no real reason NOT to just drink and smoke and eat pizza, I mean what is stopping you right now? Nothing. Its fun to do those things and without a reason to not do them you will just do it.

So you need a reason to do it. 

Personally I find public shame and pressure is a very good way to motivate me. Put a promise out there that you are going to do something and have people you know encourage you when you do well, and shame you when you fuck up. 

Just saying 'oh I SHOULD stop smoking and drinking' isn't enough and doesn't work, because its far too easy to fall off the wagon when there is nothing solid to keep you going. You need to create a responsibility, for others and for you, so that you can stop yourself.

[Nas!]

1) fight one vice at a time.  never more than one.  I'd honestly pick the one you think will be easiest for you to do first.  You need momentum and confidence. You're young and you've got time to turn things around.

2) don't give up when/if you fuck up. No matter how many times you fuck it up.  just try again as soon as you're ready. 

[Xray the Enforcer]

Just now, Nas! said:

1) fight one vice at a time.  never more than one.  I'd honestly pick the one you think will be easiest for you to do first.  You need momentum and confidence. You're young and you've got time to turn things around.

2) don't give up when/if you fuck up. No matter how many times you fuck it up.  just try again as soon as you're ready. 

very good advice, here. good luck!

[Erik of Hazelfield]

I'd like to put in another good word for exercise.

My advice is to join a gym and if you cannot afford a personal trainer (which would be the best) then find one or two group training classes you like and start doing those regularly. I find it much easier to just "go along for the ride" for 60 minutes than to force myself in the jogging track or gym because you don't have to think so much and the temptation to quit before it's over is easier to resist.

Nas' advice to fight one vice at a time is probably a good one, but I think exercise can be a nice substitute for unhealthy habits - it gives you an adrenaline rush, it makes you sleep better and above all it gives you something to do and concentrate on. Sitting around in your apartment doing nothing but trying not to drink or eat junk food is doomed to failure. 

This is what works for me, of course. Only you can find out what works for you.

[baxus]

@The Lord Bastard

I must say I agree with some of the posts there regarding some of your habits. First try to cut down on alcohol, cigarettes and junk food and then start exercising. And don't go straight into the deep end, give yourself some time to build on your fitness. If you've been inactive for a while, start of with some lighter activities. Don't take a bus but walk those couple of blocks, don't take an elevator but climb those 3 flights of stairs, things like that. After a while, after you've cleaned up your diet a bit, you can start looking into some more intense workout programs.

[Isis]

7 hours ago, Nas! said:

1) fight one vice at a time.  never more than one.  I'd honestly pick the one you think will be easiest for you to do first.  You need momentum and confidence. You're young and you've got time to turn things around.

2) don't give up when/if you fuck up. No matter how many times you fuck it up.  just try again as soon as you're ready. 

Agreed. I was thinking the same. It's pretty hard to just freely choose to give up smoking, drinking (whether this is cutting back or just cutting it out temporarily) and awful food choices all at once without something to give you motivation. But then smoking and alcohol consumption are often closely linked and I always found it easier to give them both up completely (but then I never really bothered smoking unless it was alongside alcohol so perhaps I am a diferent type of case anyway).

Do think hard about what you are going to do instead though. For instance, if you are still going to go out with friends who drink alcohol and smoke - what is your plan to avoid falling into the same trap? If you're going to be staying home, what do you plan on doing instead? You could benefit from a new project or new (positive) habit to keep you busy. That said, exercise in itself can be a new hobby which will occupy your time and attention.

Good luck!

 

 

[The Lord Bastard]

I started off today with a bowl of bran flakes and a so-called health yogurt. I'm not sure how healthy the yogurt was. I'm aware that sometimes products are marketed as the "healthier option" but that's not really saying much. I do consider it a step in the right direction, though, from what I used to choose which was two sausage, two bacon, two poached eggs and two hash browns. 

I'm downloading some music to run on the treadmill later. The start of this "Couch-to-5k." 

As for motivation...

Well I've given up a more addictive habit than this before. Not drugs, lol. I've also had phases in my life where I have been healthy and even followed a diet based on what I read in the "Primal Blueprint." Having said that, I don't have much to replace my "smoking and drinking time" with. Maybe reading and writing? I'm reading A World of Ice and Fire at the moment and I have my own novella/novel idea I've started. 250 words so far. Not much but I suppose it's something. 

I know reading A World of Ice and Fire won't be as bad as ASOIAF. The food porn in those books would always have me stuffing my face, lol. 

 

[Theda Baratheon]

wishing you all the best of luck, i buy way too many takeaway sandwhiches and am pretty unhealthy in my spending all my money on food, falling back on bad habits like negative thinking, not getting enough sleep. being unfit. i hate being so unhealthy. and just mentally not being able to force myself to do anything about it because im so, so lazy. 

[Erik of Hazelfield]

Awesome, great to hear that you started. Best of luck!