THE DAY IS HERE! SEIZE IT! CARPE...something.:)
Hi my Olliedudes! Are you ready?! Are you done feeling exhausted and smelling like the bad side of an elephant?? Is there a good smelling side? :) You HAVE to be prepared. Read my previous posts in this blog to know a few good ways to become prepared and put yourself in a good place before flipping it upside down. By this time, you should have removed all traces of being a smoker from your living/working areas. Don't forget your car, there's plenty of indicators and instigators that can be in your car. Check it, 'for you wreck it.
If you begin this anything like me, which could be the minority, you're excited and pumped to be smoke free. Remember, this is day one. No withdrawal symptoms or nail biting anxiety. I finished the last smoke of my pack threw away both the pack and the butt, washed my ashtray out to remove and lingering odors and stored that puppy away in the attic. If you feel inclined, throw that piece of junk out too. You won't need it anymore. :P
ANXIETY-----BALLS!
My first withdrawal symptoms was anxiety and stress. This symptom came about 6 hrs after my last smoke. This rose my heart rate and literally made me sweat buckets after awhile. I was going stir crazy. I was thinking about smoking about every 10 min. I felt like I was torturing myself. Every time I thought of smoking, I busted out my gruesome photos, grossed myself out and the craving would go away. So, I busted out my painting set and a blank canvas. That's when I began painting the number " 2548 ". With my math, this was the amount I stood to save every year by not smoking. That's a trip to Florida or California! That's a good portion of my car loan! I painted a little California and to the best of my ability, my car too. This "painting" is still hanging for my motivation after this process. In truth, this took my about 3 days to complete, only because I would get so high-strung and stressed I'd start crying and shivering like someone strung out on heroine! It would get so intense, I would have to get up and move around, go outside, take a shower, SOMETHING!
Be prepared for feeling this way. It will pass, THE FIRST WEEK IS THE HARDEST! I can't say it enough. Once I was out of the "one-week-woods" it was cake. REMEMBER THIS, you only have to "work" for the first week.
Day 2 was full of stress and anxiety, then came the next symptom:
HUNGER-----DOUBLE BALLS!
I was starving! I felt like I hadn't eaten all week. The hunger pangs were unbearable! It felt like I was physically ill. BECAUSE I WAS. My body and brain think I'm losing a vital nutrient, nicotine. Knowing that and knowing that nicotine is an appetite suppressant helped me understand and cope with it much more easily. I slammed some baby carrots, then some sugar snap peas, then a big glass of milk followed by a big glass of water. Nothing was satiating this hunger! My stomach was growling AS I was eating. I didn't know that possible. 8) This was my first Google search, "Why does my stomach hurt so bad after quitting smoking?" Along with finding out why I was so hungry, I found out a few more details on nicotine and what it does to your appetite. Nicotine makes the muscles in the abdomen and chest seize and flex. After smoking for so long, you don't notice this anymore, but this contributed to a smoker's lack of appetite. WHAT? Opened my eyes a bit and helped me understand why I never wanted breakfast, or lunch for that matter. I would wake up and have a smoke and not eat anything but a cup of coffee, because I was genuinely not hungry. Then go to work and not eat lunch, because I was going directly to the smokers hut or lighting up in my car on break. During this process, you need to be able to differentiate between hunger and thirst. When you get your first major hunger pang, drink milk or water and wait about 20 min. IF you're still having pangs and your mouth is watering whether from hunger or the chance you might throw up, ( this is how it's felt) EAT. Just because there's a chance you'll gain some weight from not smoking doesn't mean it will always be that way. The more likely situation is that you'll start eating your 3 meals a day boosting your metabolism and ultimately losing weight
This was Day 1 and 2. Phew! In summary, the worst symptoms were the anxiety and and stomach pains. They were bearable, but really made me question why I was putting myself in this situation. I thought, on day two, "well, I made it a full day without smoking, why throw that away for 5 mins of pleasure?" That rang true in my head every time. Even if I did breakdown and smoke, I would only make me happy for 5-10 min and then I'd just want another one. That's a black hole if I've ever heard one. Remember to tell yourself on day 2, "I'm going to be OK. I will succeed at this. I will be good to myself."
Let me know if something is confusing and you want more detail or if you want to know a little more about a certain area!
SEE YA'LL OLLIEDUDES IN NEXT POST!
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