Hi,
So last week I made the decision to stop smoking. I wrote a list of reasons and printed out a calendar to help me with this. My reasons include the following....
1) Met an amazing beautiful man on holiday, promised to keep in touch....he doesn't smoke. My rational....more likely to keep in touch/meet up again if he knows I don't smoke/stink!
2) I will smell nice...pretty high on the priorities here, let's face it, it's not a pretty smell. What is the point in spraying deodarant and £40 bottles of perfume when about 20 minutes later I replace it with....mmmm the smell of burning paper and tar. Wonderful, I now smell like tarmac!!
3) It costs a bloody fortune!! Seriously, in Spain last week - €2.35 for 20. About £2.00. Here £4.90. £4.90 every couple of days then at least 40 on a weekend....tot tot tot £24.50 per week - £100 per month. Couple of months and I can go on holiday again!
4) I won't be rushing about like a desperate moron looking for a) somewhere to smoke b) a lighter c) cigarettes!
So, I returned from holiday, smoked my last pack of 20, then on Friday morning drove to work never to light another cigarette.
Friday day goes ok even when Emma offers me a cig at lunchtime. Kept strong, said no. Friday night, Come Dine With Me night at my place...ashtray is banished outside for the 2 smokers that are coming, I don't have a single craving. Seems a bit easy this which is worrying me. I think that means the hell is yet to come....!
Saturday, get up, go meet Sarah. We discuss the beautiful boy from my holiday, going onto a health kick (she tells me I don't need to, I tell her it's preventative so I don't turn into a massive wobbly monster!). Sarah incidentally is gorgeous, a size 10 with a unique but really cool sense of style so in my opinion she doesn't need to lose any weight or start any flash diets either! We go to a cute little smootie bar and get a jacket with tuna & salad each and a wellbeing smoothie...it's nice! So is the fella serving us, haha.
Saturday night, go meet Helen, Justine, Julia and LeighAnne. Had an amazing catch up with them - we've all got a similar sense of humour and spend most of the night histerically laughing. Good night. 2 of the group smoked....even though we're in a pub and I can see and smell the smoking area from where I'm sat, nothing. Not a single craving. In fairness I'm on the fresh orange as I've driven out but I'm doing pretty well! First pub outing over with.
Sunday. Busy as a bee, take my brother to work first thing then spend most of the day rushing around the house, driving around and generally doing as much as I can (erm, too much for a Sunday!). After a phonecall to Sarah (different one this time) we decide to get Pizza Hut, and watch the Apprentice. Sarah & I together used to be the worlds biggest smokers....we could get through a 20 pack in a sitting and were just a general bad influence on eachother! I tell Sarah I'm still off the ciggies and the nicotine must be leaving me and I'm getting healthier as my chest is feeling a bit tight and I'm tired, Sarah tells me there is an option that will solve this but it's not an option I'm going to like!! Obviously I'm not going to do that though!
Sarah and I realise (after a Farmhouse each and cheesy garlic bread) that the Apprentice isn't on until 9. It's 6.30. 9 seems hours away. I'm still not having any cravings as such but got a strong feeling that I "should" be having a cig. So, we go to the cinema, went to see Drag Me To Hell (not a good film incidentally!) then come home for some Sir Alan fun.
So here I am at Monday. Officially day 4....I keep getting heartburn! No real idea why, have cold turkey completed 4 days. I'm still not actually craving cigarettes at all, but still keep thinking I "should" be having one. Even though I shouldn't. I'm constantly starving (must be due to nicotine suressing hunger previously) and nerves are a little on edge. I think that's in my head though and nothing a bit of chocolate can't sort out.
Got through work today no problems, I'm out on Saturday night in town, even though I'm out with 3 non-smokers, I think actually having a few drinks might trigger some cravings....
According to my chart, sore throat and cough are likely...yep - that's a definate. Not the worst sore throat and cough I've ever had and certainly nowhere near as shocking as the one's I've had following a big weekend of smoking, so I'm ok. I'm still hungry, this is ridiculous. Going to go get some food on (which is bad as it is 9.50 and just before bedtime! Ooops) then going to try to get some sleep in. So, on that note, night and I will blog again with a progress update.
