INTRO Greetings from the UK, eager to chat with everyone here

[shantynotshanty]

Hey everybody

I can't wait to chat with all of you, and I hope we can lend each other a hand wherever possible

I'm in my mid 20s and want to turn my life around. By the numbers, I'm carrying quite a bit of extra weight, and that has likely led to a few very mild problems for me, although I've managed some solid changes this year such as lifting weights on a regular basis and taking in more protein. Thankfully, I've stuck with it consistently

I had let myself go, and I didn't mind letting myself go until earlier this year. Even now, I occasionally hear people say "if you did X, you would be great at it" or "if only you picked up X or went to the gym then Y things would be better". Before, I wouldn't pay attention to those kinds of suggestions, since it seemed like they were offering advice to some idealistic version of me inside their heads that had nothing to do with reality, and back then I felt like I was a lost cause. At some point I quit feeling sorry for myself, and began making some very tough choices and facing up to where my life was heading, and I took some steps I needed to take to change my life's direction.

Reta and the other healing/recovery peptides look interesting, and I'll likely ask a few questions about them down the line, but for today the only thing I want to say here is "hello"

 

[Heavytruck]

I completely get where you're coming from, or where you've been. Cigarettes were my thing, and non-smokers would always tell me "you should quit" — but my desire wasn't there, or at least not strongly enough. Part of it was that I actually liked the act of smoking, plus that mental pause that came with heading outside for a cigarette. My worry was that quitting would mean losing those moments. Kind of like when someone commits to slimming down through "clean" eating, or whatever advice gets offered, and it strips away something you enjoy. Then a day arrived when I'd had enough of smoking and genuinely wanted to stop — this time it felt different. Going cold turkey was simple, and the real work was battling my own mind each time a craving hit. My message to people is that change only works if you REALLY want it. lol this might not land well, but wanting something and really wanting it aren't the same thing.. best of luck with your journey.

 

[shantynotshanty]

Heavytruck said:

I completely get where you're coming from, or where you've been. Cigarettes were my thing, and non-smokers would always tell me "you should quit" — but my desire wasn't there, or at least not strongly enough. Part of it was that I actually liked the act of smoking, plus that mental pause that came with heading outside for a cigarette. My worry was that quitting would mean losing those moments. Kind of like when someone commits to slimming down through "clean" eating, or whatever advice gets offered, and it strips away something you enjoy. Then a day arrived when I'd had enough of smoking and genuinely wanted to stop — this time it felt different. Going cold turkey was simple, and the real work was battling my own mind each time a craving hit. My message to people is that change only works if you REALLY want it. lol this might not land well, but wanting something and really wanting it aren't the same thing.. best of luck with your journey.

That's very true—as you put it, the shift only occurs after you've grown weary of a behaviour following a long stretch of doing it. If the upside of smoking, or any other habit, still outweighs the downside, change probably won't happen. When the balance flips, though, whatever problems or negatives arise can be overcome.

Best of luck with your own journey too! Sounds like you've already scored some significant victories