New Trigger I didn't know I had

[nsd_user663_3712]

Yesterday I went with half of Edinburgh to do the Christmas shopping in M&S when they had the 20% off.

I was in the store for hours and over lunch time. I realised when I came out this would have been prime fag time BUT I realised it wasn't nicotine I wanted it was food, but in the past I would have made do with a smoke and not anything to eat.

I had / have food issues anyway and had learned to block "I'm hungry" signals to stop me over eating, but now it seems I was blocking them with cigarettes.

This is interesting and I'm wondering where it will end if I'm not smoking OR overeating........hmmmmmmmm:confused:

[nsd_user663_3687]

This is interesting and I'm wondering where it will end if I'm not smoking OR overeating........hmmmmmmmm:confused:

as a slim happy non smoker???

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

I do find it interesting the whole we feel this so we do that, kind of psychology not only with smoking but with food etc.

Irrespective of whatever causes us to act in certain ways the fact that you have identified the fact that you would have smoked or eaten in that situation means can do something about it. Ignorance would have lead to the norm repeating itself.

You are doing great with this quit, however reluctantly you started it, you really seem to be taking back control.

All the best

Nic

[nsd_user663_3712]

LD,

I do hope so

This afternoon I did make another link (whilst browsing Debenhams 20% off!!) to something I read in Allan Carr last night.

He says that every addict needs a smoke every hour. Well that just isn't possible at my work but I did eat almost constantly all day at my desk. How well I was doing depended on what that was! Bad days would be large bags of crips and maltesers, good days grapes,very good days, raw veg.

I'm starting to wonder if this was all substitute fags looks pretty obvious doesn't it....! I always marvelled that I didn't feel the need to snack in the evening DOH because I was free to smoke as much as I wanted.

So it gets you thinking, why do I need any of these crutches at all? Or if need is not the right word - why did I use them, when plenty of other people need nothing?

No answers as yet - any reflections anyone else has let me know - or if any of this sounds familiar please let me know.

I am ultra aware of everything I'm feeling and I think that is partly because I have to listen so closely to my body in case I try & do too much too early. Thats why I'm very wary of going back to a normal hectic life because I will not have time to be so introspective. I'm not saying I'll slip up, but I feel it would be easier to be not so vigilant.

My word - no-one told me it would be like therapy, although after learning it's such a mental issue there no wonder you dig so deep.

Night Everyone

xx

[nsd_user663_3675]

I can totally relate to your thoughts about smoking instead of eating. One of the biggest reasons (so I told myself) that I didn't quit for long on previous attempts was the worry that I would just eat and eat and therefore pile weight on.

I've never been a big eater and would happily skip lunch, never eat brekki and eat enough dinner to fill me up and no more! My downfall has always been crisps and every previous attempt I made to quit, I would snack on crisps to distract me from smoking.

I'm really surprised that with this quit, I haven't had urges to replace smoking with eating and have eaten more healthier foods than I did previously.

This giving up smoking is certainly like therapy which I think is a good thing, it shows we are recognising why we smoked and now why we don't need to.

Well done and hope you enjoyed your shopping in the pre-crimble sales!