Day 12 - Craving

As of 2 1/2 hours ago....I have officially gone 12 days without a cigarette....or any type of nicotine for that matter!! My body feels great!!! I have so much more energy!! I think my skin looks better and I don't smell like an ash tray.

I missed making entries the past couple of days cuz I put in real long hours at work. Ugh. The good news is.....I've had a really stressful job week and never once broke down for a ciggy!!! On top of that....it's a fairly new job...and I'm supervising a team. With the odds against me....it would seem that a smoke would be inevitible. Nope.

Days 10 & 11 I really didn't have any cravings. I was excited to think that it could actually be that easy. Tonight though....my first cravings hit me when I got in the car after work. I drove by the gas station where I used to buy smokes....and I thought about them again.

The major difference between today and the past couple of days is the amount of water I've consumed. Today was the very first day I haven't had a ton of water. So....my hypothesis is.....that water really does help with cravings...and therefore aide in assisting those who want to quit.

When I look back at my previous attempts to quit smoking......I see a trend. I find that when I first quit...I'm all gung-ho about it.....and it's during that time that I tend to do fairly well as a non-smoker. But....as time goes on....I somehow seem to forget why I quit in the first place....and all negative memories seem to evaporate...while only the positive thoughts associate with smoking remain. I would equate it to dating someone.....thinking the relationship totally sucks.....and therefore breaking up with them. And a month later.....wanting to get back together with the person you just brokeup with because even though 99% of the relationship may have been bad....you only dwell on the 1% that was good. By re-igniting the flame (both literally and figuratively) you aren't negating the negative aspects that were there the whole time....and that remain......and you're certainly not increasing the % in the good column.

Well...that's what it's like. Perspective.

So....since I'm in a craving mood.....I'm going to search the internet for horrible smoker stories that can do nothing less that scare the bejesus right outta me. That'll slap me right back into reality. AND....I'm gonna drink water. AND.....even though I'd love to go have a few drinks on this FRIDAY night....I'm going to sadly avoid such socializing. :( Sucks. But.....it's necessary.

Blah.

Day 9 - No problem!

Getting through day 9 without a smoke was no problem. I'm tougher than the average superhero!!

Ok...so I craved when I got into my car after work. Yeah.....and I craved once when I got home. No biggy. I want a lot of things. Do I get them? Well....yeah. I do. :)

I have found that by establishing realistic....measurable goals....I am better able to stay on track during the quitting process. My brain works best when I'm presented with challenges where I can see immediate results........or succeed at mini contests I create for myself. So.....for example....each day one of my goals is to NOT SMOKE. Another is to drink a minimum of 60 ounces of water. Another is to have no more than a cup and a 1/2 of coffee each day. They sound dorky....and maybe they are.....but they give me something to strive for.....and a sense of accomplishment when I am successful.

Do it. You'd be surprised at how simple something like quitting smoking can become if you break it down into daily components. By starting out with small goals....you gain confidence in your own will power and commitment. That added confidence will then allow you to graduate to bigger and better goals. Haha. I say it like I know. Sounds good though.

Ok.....so it's nearly 11 p.m......and I gotta get up early for work. Catch ya later!

Day 8 - Sleepy!

It's my 8th day without a cigarette!!

I think I might be gettin sick or something....cuz I've felt exhausted ALL day long!! As soon as I got home from work I had to take a nap. My volleyball team plays tonight.....or else I'd probably still be sleepin!

The only real craving I had today occurred right when I got into my car to head home from work. It was an obvious trigger moment....and a strong one! As I drove away I peered into my rear view mirror and saw that the driver right behind me was puffin away at her cigarette! I shrugged it off....and was out of my ugly craving time about 20 seconds later. No biggy. That was the only time it happened all day long! Not bad at all!

I gotta hop in the shower or I'm gonna be late for volleyball! My team is currently 2-0....with the hopes of hitting 3-0 tonight!!!! Yeeeehaw!

Day 7 - Cranky Stir Fry

It's been 7 days, 5 hours and 21 minutes since I had my last cigarette!!!!

Quitting "cold turkey" is tough!!! Other methods of quitting such as the gum....or the patch....provide your body with doses of the very drug you're addicted to. The primary withdrawals you go through are not adhering to the pyschological triggers associated with the actual act of lifting a smoke to your lips. It makes me wonder though.....how these measures REALLY help you get over the actual addiction to nicotine itself. A recent study that I read....which was conducted in Australia.....concluded that those who attempt to quit by utilizing smoking cessation aides have absolutely no heightened success rate to those who attempt to quit cold turkey. The study points out that pharmaceutical companies are raking in billions of dollars in sales associated with these products. Crazy.

Ok....so day 7 went very well. I really only had 1 major craving....which occurred at around 10 a.m. this morning. It went away in just a few minutes.......but in the interim....I really wanted a cigarette. I didn't want one nearly bad enough to actually consider smoking.....but it was still an irritating feeling nonetheless!

I do find that I still have the habit of thinking it's time to smoke. A few times today (as is true of the previous days of my "quit") I would finish a task....and then automatically almost turn to go outside to have a cigarette. I wasn't even craving one.......I was acting more out of habit than anything. The human brain is fascinating. I'm sure this will subside over time. What do they say....twenty one days to break a habit? Something like that.

I drank tons of water today. That helps. I also went to the gym. After my workout...I went to the grocery store and grabbed some healthy food for dinner. I think the simple act of not smoking actually allows you to view yourself in a different light. For me personally....I start to feel a higher degree of personal pride. Working out & eating right are the natural next steps wouldn't you say? When I went through hypnosis a few years ago....the hypnotist remarked that smokers tend to have the worst eating habits. I think that may very well be true! I don't think there is one fast food restaurant in the entire country that I could drive thru where they wouldn't recognize my face!! Yowsah!!!

So....I made veggie stir fry tonight with shrimp and chicken! Very healthy....and very tasty. During my cooking escapade....I did snap at my housemate. I was feeling unexplainably anxious....and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Never really know when the mood swings are gonna come up.....or what will trigger them. I just have to take peace in the knowledge that my cranky spells will subside soon.....and my housemate will be able to live without fear once again!

I'm feeling strong!!! My body feels soooooooooooooo much better already!! I never want to go back to nicotine!!!!!

One week down..........