Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Hear hear.

Morning Duncs,

Just wanted to thank you for your kind supportive post the other day.

Hope you have a great weekend at the steam fair, and decide on your pending job offer...

Keep strong

Ade

Hi duncanmac,

I'm here on day one. Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say I've read your very inspirational story.

I'm determined to follow in your footsteps and abstain and maintain

Hi Dunc,

glad to read you are still going strong...

You have been an immense support to me in the past...

The good news is, I am in recovery and have full time employment, however, I had a massive slip recently..I am sure the bookies loved it?

I will be keeping a close eye on the diarys from now on..

I want to emphasize that the problem is when people slip they tell themselves that gambling is a good idea!

It isn't.

Easy li£e

Morning diary.

Thanks for the kind words of support they truly gift my soul.

So I have been full on in my new job, cooking, cleaning, menu re writing, supplier sorting has taken roughly 18 hrs a day of my life for the past few weeks, the steam fair was a welcome break, great fun and a mind rest.

Then back on Sunday I haven't stopped since.

The weight is falling off, lol all my trousers are a good size too big and I feel great, granola actually tastes good lol.

So should the alarm bells be ringing, I have again gone gung ho at something, wanting to relentlessly achieve, pushing my body and mind to its outer limits.

The truth is I am looking after myself, first and foremost, I still walk my beloved hounds morning and night across the top of my city,at night I have a head torch we must create a wonderful light show from up there lol

I have been given a tremendous salary but it was agreed that it would be based on a five day a week schedule.

Rather than just suck it up and work seven days regardless I sought to meet with the owners and clarify that those extra two days will be paid for as i am providing a solution to the current staffing issues, they were shocked and tried to bully me into taking time in lieu, I stood my ground and said that time in lieu never works and they have agreed to pay me for all my efforts, something recovery has taught me.

Look after number one.

I am in control of my own life, I have to maintain that control, without it before long I resent not only myself but the world as a whole and I know the results of doing that

Addiction knocks,I ran to it, why?

Escapism.

I know how much effort I give life and I enjoy the results, I know how feeding addiction offers a life out of my control, a life that progressively decreases in worth.

I simply put that first

Recovery and living within it.

Today I make a decision to better my tomorrow

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Thx for looking me up and commenting occasionally. Appreciate it v much.

You yourself are an inspiration and I salute you. No wise words to add because you are speaking the truth. Just wanted to stop by and tell you I am still following

Mm

Duncs, I know you don't need a lecture from me but please, look after yourself! You can kid your mind into thinking you are looking after you because you still make time for you but our bodies aren't made to work those gruelling hours! I applaud you for bettering your tomorrow but maintain the control by being kind to you & not letting this drag on to exhaustion, please!

On an aside, Granola tastes good...Are you nuts? Get Sarah to cut you up a few pieces of cardboard & sort you out a blindfold taste test...I bet you couldn't tell the difference 😉

Keep rocking that head torch man, mine's on the side ready as the nights roll in 🙂

Morning diary.

Odaat, i owe you an apology, I have been fooled lol, my wife had been feeding me crunchy nut granola because it was on offer in the supermarket, today I am eating the supermarket's own brand and each bite is like a form of torture! !!!!

Lol back to black pudding and bacon sandwiches lol

So another new week dawns, I put to bed the eighty hours at the stoves last week and start a fresh.

Cook off today of the Christmas menu's so turkey starts here lol

I have a fire in my soul that keeps my focus, that is recovery

Recovery is what I seek and it's continously enlightening presence.

Without it I simply cease to function with any purpose

With it I live and look beyond the next payday, for the first time in my adult life I have made that possible, no more robbing Peter topay pPaul only to default on that to boot.

There is a future on the horizon, the one I willingly let addiction distort.

Today I make a choice

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back

Morning diary.

Yesterday I cooked off most of my proposed Christmas menu for the owners, their wives and some new faces, my interpretation of how I want to take the operation forward was wholly well received and one of the new faces said he could taste the passion I have for food in every mouthful.

One of the owners raised concerns about my hours last week saying that he can't comprehand how I haven't faltered, I just smiled and know that it will drive them to recruit the right staff in the near future.

Truthfully I have worked one hundred hour weeks in my life, sadly for the wrong reasons, often not out of passion but to hide from the carnage left at the kitchen door. kitchens are my sanctuary, I am able to escape into my own world of my own.

Today it's different, today I want to be there because I know putting in a huge amount of effort will reward my life in so many ways, job satisfaction is important, to be valued but not abused for that, to find longivity in a job and from that make long term goals.

Recovery has brought acceptance, accepting that I have to play to my strengths and counteract the weaknesses to feel comfortable in my own skin.

I seek to constantly challenge my abilities, to grow as a person, the results astound me, drive me to grow.

I set out on this journey of recovery broken, desperate to do anything to change the life I had cast through feeding addiction

I was enraged at what I had done, mostly because I couldn't see it, truthfully because I turned my back on it, ran as fast as I could the wrong way.

Feeding recovery really does have the polar opposite effect, I never tire of it, it has never failed to inspire me to relentlessly pursue it, I believe that I am rewarded with the opportunity to live within it.

I am gung ho, I allow emotions to surface, I am no longer afraid to say no, in equal measure I relish the opportunity to say yes.

This world is cruel at times, I encounter some devious folk who care only to feather their own nests and to boot it would always appear that truly good people are afflicted with unjustly troubles, but I take great heart from the black and white fact that buy choosing recovery I don't self create a steaming pile of sh#it.

This allows me to look in that mirror and openly smile at the Battle hardened fella who stares back.

I have been thinking about a line I heard on a tv drama we have been watching

For every action there is a reaction

Einstein I believe, a fella I would have loved to have shared a cuppa with.

Today my actions will have a profoundly positive effect upon my life.

Right time to don the wet gear and wander with my beloved hounds, my beautiful wife just left for work, she looked radiant today, for a moment I held my breath, for I know how truly blessed I am to be able to share my life with her.

Oh and no granola today, toast and homemade blackcurrant jam delicious, so Mr blue said lol.

Enrich your own futures by committing to recovery

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hey Duncs,

Man i am worried about your working hours also!
I guess i don't find my job rewarding which makes me going in there 10 times harder,..i like when you say you get fulfilment and joy from yours but loosing weight is already setting bells ringing! Human body can take a lot, but don't forget that it is flesh and organs which has their own STOP buttons. You need to look after yourself the most, no money will buy you your health!

This lecture over lol...just want you to remember the most important person in recovery - YOU ☺

Take care and keep stepping forward!

S x

Morning diary.

Sandra please don't worry about me, I am truly in control of my actions, I am doing what I want to do, nobody is forcing anything upon my life, the owners are working relentlessly to rectify the staffing situation, a result of my actions in the past week have I believe compelled them to do so.

As for the weight loss, for those who haven't had the pleasure in meeting in 3d,I fall somewhere in between mr greedy and mr tickle lol,I have a sort of hump in my midriff lol.

That is the result of living a life where I haven't looked after myself, ate at the wrong times, replaced healthy foods with junk and alcohol intake far too high and always ale and cider.

So I today am looking less like a sideways camel lol,I can see my feet when I stand straight, I view it as I am finally burning off my fat reserve lol.

Yes I have replaced the junk with delicious food, not granola!

I am with odaat on that one.

I am feeling the benefits of my choice physically and most importantly mentally.

Today I have bought back the morning through the effort I gave yesterday.

So time to address the balance, ccatch up on some time at home.

Lol the hounds are still exhausted from last night's run across the hi##ll

My life is profoundly improved by making a choice

Abstain and maintain

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hi,Duncs,

Thanks for your message, what you say makes sense as always lol. (To be honest was thinking of deleting those 2 posts this morning as they seemed a bit selfish and deep lol) but it was how I felt yesterday evening, what a ride this is my friend,

Hey and look at you, you have found your feet in more ways than one :))) lol.

Proud of you Duncs and proud to be walking the walk with you,

Suzanne xxx

Morning diary.

Well my juggernaut is still flying along, a relentless schedule that my body is taking to like a duck to water.

New menu tomorrow, so another cook off to show the staff and live tomorrow night

Really happy with the content, lots of graft but very rewarding.

On last Monday's cook off the owners asked again about my dream piece of kitchen kit, I replied that in time a robot coupe would be my number one on the list

On Friday the rolls Royce of robot coupes was delivered with my name on the box.

I was pretty blown away, a good couple of grands worth of kit and something that will buy my ten hours a week back through saved time.

This coming week staffing will become the priority, recruiting, training and the result will be I will get time to again balance life /work something wholly important.

As for addiction it rides caged in my mind, it's rattled the bars a few times, desperate to get my attention, today I laugh at it as it did me for oh so many years.

I won't be throwing it any bones today!

Right off to work, well not before I stroll with my beloved hounds

Sarah sleeps peacefully, a beautiful picture

One I will hold onto all day.

Early finish tonight, curry the order of the day for us.

Delicious! !!

Today I make a life choice

Abstain and maintain.

Duncs stepping forward never back

duncanmac wrote:

Morning diary.

Well my juggernaut is still flying along, a relentless schedule that my body is taking to like a duck to water.

New menu tomorrow, so another cook off to show the staff and live tomorrow night

Really happy with the content, lots of graft but very rewarding.

On last Monday's cook off the owners asked again about my dream piece of kitchen kit, I replied that in time a robot coupe would be my number one on the list

On Friday the rolls Royce of robot coupes was delivered with my name on the box.

I was pretty blown away, a good couple of grands worth of kit and something that will buy my ten hours a week back through saved time.

This coming week staffing will become the priority, recruiting, training and the result will be I will get time to again balance life /work something wholly important.

As for addiction it rides caged in my mind, it's rattled the bars a few times, desperate to get my attention, today I laugh at it as it did me for oh so many years.

I won't be throwing it any bones today!

Right off to work, well not before I stroll with my beloved hounds

Sarah sleeps peacefully, a beautiful picture

One I will hold onto all day.

Early finish tonight, curry the order of the day for us.

Delicious! !!

Today I make a life choice

Abstain and maintain.

Duncs stepping forward never back

thanks for the inspiration Duncs

thanks for sharing and offering your recovery

tri

Hi Duncs,

The way you are living life now is so inspiring for us all, you really have come through a very dark tunnel, taking everything in daily life now with confidence, determination and pride, and so you should be very proud of yourself.

You too deserve a big WELL DONE

Suzanne xxx