Topic: So... How's that New Year's Resolution Thing Going?

[pandamonium]

ah, chainsmoking. nothing else makes you feel so shiity or so good.

I, too, didn't make any resolutions, but I'm riding my bike more. up to about 30 miles a week from about 20. I'm going for 50, but probably won't get there until at least the summer.

[andrewclunn]

Let's see.  My resolutions are (1) to have more sex, and (2) to have no credit card debt by the end of the year.  So far so good

The unemployed situation may have an adverse effect on my ability to complete task #2.

And #1 

Nope

[pandamonium]

Let's see.  My resolutions are (1) to have more sex, and (2) to have no credit card debt by the end of the year.  So far so good

The unemployed situation may have an adverse effect on my ability to complete task #2.

And #1 

Nope

Yeah, I was going to say that having more free time means more time for sex.

Heck, if things get too rough, you could solve #2 by charging for #1.

[Vincegamer]

The "daily" blog has not materialized.
Doing okay on the weight, but not on the writing.  Going to be hard to get published before the end of the year if I don't get to it.
Will be speaking to a group in a little over a week.  Not getting compensated yet but that should come eventually.

(resolutions - keep my blog up, get published, get paid [even if just with dinner] for speaking publicly, and lose 10+lbs [lost 5.5 so far])

[David "Stubb" Oswald]

Too soon to assess. My fitness goals are met. But I have been too busy with school to focus on other ones. This summer maybe.

[khendar]

Rather than the usual lose weight, get fit, quit this, take up that type goals (which never seem to work out anyway) this year my resolution was to try and reconnect with people. I've spent the last couple of years slowly growing more isolated from my peers and family, despite the best efforts of my wife to try and get me to be more sociable. I'll often avoid going to events because I'd rather hang around at home, or go driving by myself.

So this year I'm making a more concerted effort to go out and be around people, and to reconnect with my family. So far going pretty well.

[kvuo75]

Thought I'd check in again on this thread..

still goin strong on cold turkey 5+ months.. have not touched a cigarette since dec 27 2011..  Continued drinking, drinking with smokers at bars, standing near them but not in their clouds as they smoked outside, etc.  oddly enough, I lost 20 lbs too which I think is unheard of!

I will say again, you just have to want to quit. that's all I had to do. I never tried once, until this time.   first time tried, success. 100%.  I had a good quitting buddy, and since I was interested in her, we would sit inside while everyone else went out to smoke. This was a good thing, and probably made it easier to quit.

#1 don't buy cigarettes.  it takes a decision to go buy cigarettes.  You will not die if you don't have any cigarettes. quit buying them.  I ran out on dec 27, and that was my last cigarette.

#2 it's a habit, because I'd be able to sleep 8-12 hours without having one, but why would I need 4 per hour when I was awake?, except when I only smoked 1 an hour?.. or when I flew on an airplane for 3 hours without one.. or flew for 7 hours without one. why would a 10 hour withdrawal feel the same as a 20 minute withdrawal?

which meant to me, the drug effect was weak. the worst withdrawal symptom was a bit of insomnia in the few weeks following complete cessation.

all of which made it:

#3 just stop fucking smoking.

seriously!

 

[Plastique]

I never make New Year's resolutions. If I want to do something, I do it. I don't really understand the concept or necessity of waiting till a certain date.

[seaotter]

Kvuo75, that is awesome! Doesn't it feel great? I'm still going for my mile a school night run too.

[Neutral Milk]

Thought I'd check in again on this thread..

still goin strong on cold turkey 5+ months.. have not touched a cigarette since dec 27 2011..  Continued drinking, drinking with smokers at bars, standing near them but not in their clouds as they smoked outside, etc.  oddly enough, I lost 20 lbs too which I think is unheard of!

I will say again, you just have to want to quit. that's all I had to do. I never tried once, until this time.   first time tried, success. 100%.  I had a good quitting buddy, and since I was interested in her, we would sit inside while everyone else went out to smoke. This was a good thing, and probably made it easier to quit.

#1 don't buy cigarettes.  it takes a decision to go buy cigarettes.  You will not die if you don't have any cigarettes. quit buying them.  I ran out on dec 27, and that was my last cigarette.

#2 it's a habit, because I'd be able to sleep 8-12 hours without having one, but why would I need 4 per hour when I was awake?, except when I only smoked 1 an hour?.. or when I flew on an airplane for 3 hours without one.. or flew for 7 hours without one. why would a 10 hour withdrawal feel the same as a 20 minute withdrawal?

which meant to me, the drug effect was weak. the worst withdrawal symptom was a bit of insomnia in the few weeks following complete cessation.

all of which made it:

#3 just stop fucking smoking.

seriously!

I've worked as an addictions counselor, and I currently work in what is commonly termed behavior modification (which I focus to some extent on addictions), and I have to say.. sorry but that's grossly simplifying.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your "quitting buddy" having something to do with it. That's a major assist in terms of your intrinsic motivations (sexual motivations are pretty f*ing powerful, and in the initial stages of a sexual relationship potentially more powerful than an addiction), but I emphasize YOUR intrinsic motivations.

#2 will work for someone like you because you can use logical thought to assist your coping, but as for #3... Addictions are very complicated and individualized. "just stop fucking smoking" might work for some, but it damn sure doesn't work for most.

The notion of willpower as the primary means of quitting an addiction has led to the downfall and relapse of countless addicts. It's a simple and attractive model, but one with zero support in the research literature.

/soapbox

Congratulations, though! I don't mean to take away from what you've done. Losing 20 lbs and quitting smoking cold turkey are both things to be hugely proud of!

[seaotter]

Don't want my encouragement to be seen as endorsement of kvuo75's model for breaking drug addiction, which has a great anecdote at present, but a mountain of data agin it. But it's nice to hear a good exception to the rule from time to time.

[moj]

I never make New Year's resolutions. If I want to do something, I do it. I don't really understand the concept or necessity of waiting till a certain date.

Agreed.

kvuo75, kick ass. I quit over 2 years ago and still sometimes miss it or want to smoke because smoking is fucking awesome. But I don't. I'm too far gone now and realize that what I remember smoking being and the experience I will have if I light up again are 2 different things. Also it's almost 10 bucks a pack in DC and don't need that. I hated the chore of it, the needing to smoke, needing to buy cigarettes, worrying about running out. Fuck all that jive.

[Neutral Milk]

Don't want my encouragement to be seen as endorsement of kvuo75's model for breaking drug addiction, which has a great anecdote at present, but a mountain of data agin it. But it's nice to hear a good exception to the rule from time to time.

And I don't want my soapbox to take away from what an awesome accomplishment it is.

[kvuo75]

chiming in again. so what. 9 months.

no relapses. not a single cigarette since my cold turkey day back last december.

when people ask me how I did it, i say, just fucking quit.. its easier than you think!

If i had not heard the complaints about how fucking hard it was to quit for 20 years, I might have tried earlier.

[341gerbig]

Still fat, gonna try again, just got back from a workout.