Craves and why you feel so bad.....

[nsd_user663_4121]

If nicotine leaves the system after 72 hours why do early quitters still feel so bad after weeks/months quit..... common question or complaint, and I've seen it lately with some quitters. This helped me understand it a bit better:

Nicotine is thought to increase dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and increased levels trigger the 'reward system' of the brain, resulting in a better mood. This is one of the main reasons we become addicted. When you take nicotine away, our systems feel depressed and low levels of dopamine cause stress, craves, and depression.... plus of course one is detoxing, releasing all the toxins, and working on getting the body rebalanced, all very taxing on our bodies and well being.

To make things worse, many of us start sugar over-dosing, drinking too much alcohol, or caffeine, which further depletes dopamine levels. The sugar/caffeine highs don't last long, we feel more down, plus the added weight makes it worse. This goes on for a while and then most of us get to this cross-road..... back to smoking or making more life changes. We realize we can't go on this way so we make a choice to gain back our health and our life.

We start exercising (best way to naturally increase dopamine) and cutting down on the sugar, maybe even quitting the alcohol and caffeine and dopamine levels shoot back up and we feel good, excellent, better than ever actually!! Quitting smoking is so much more than just throwing away the fags. It's embracing your health and vitality. It's stating that you want to live!

The glass of wine may seem like it's helping, those cookies may seem like delicious treats, the coffee may seem like a convenient quick pick me up but don't be deceived, in the long run they won't get you where you want to be (trust me, I know :o) To get to feeling better quicker you've got to start eating right, exercise, and laugh. Like you didn't know that already of course but I know it's easier said than done..... the thing is though, once you force yourself and push yourself a bit in the right direction, you start feeling so good that you wonder why you didn't do it sooner..... hence my post..... to give a little reminder and a little push in the right direction. bella xx

[nsd_user663_27261]

'Quitting smoking is so much more than just throwing away the fags. It's embracing your health and vitality.'

Excellent description.

I do think it comes in stages though, attempting everything at the same time is difficult and I would imagine increases failure rates, perhaps a 6 month plan ?

[nsd_user663_20558]

I reckon though, as well as the physiological dopamine related mood swings due to compensatory alcohol/caffeine/sugar overdosing, there's also a few strong psychological triggers to contend with that do keep cropping up well into the first six months or so. I think even if you were strong enough to entirely embrace a healthy lifestyle when quitting, most people would still encounter the odd bad day.

On the whole though, I entirely agree. I'm just reaching the stage now of thinking right, enough with stuffing my face with cake already, time to move on! And it's taken me five months to get there...:rolleyes:

[nsd_user663_4121]

Absolutely.... attacking everything at once is silly, one would go crazy trying to deal with all the withdrawal.... sugar withdrawal can actually be quite intense and combined with nicotine withdrawal would almost guarantee failure in a quit..... this is more meant for the later stages when a quit becomes doable but those days seem to be gray and depressed......

We all know how easy it is to fall into negative patterns, so the intention was to just throw out a reminder that with a little effort great well being can be achieved WAY quicker. It's always up the individual though of course, for one, some can maintain a healthy balance. I never could, I'm an all or nothing girl.... it's either the whole box of cookies or none at all Cheers and best of luck with all of your quits! Peace out! bellablue xx

[nsd_user663_7469]

When I quit I read somewhere that it was a good idea to give up the caffeine as well at the same time and so I did and I am still off of it, and to be honest I didn't really notice the difference.

My problem now is the weight gain, not just a little either, I am heavier now than I have ever been in my life and desperately want to lose the excess or at least some of it but try as I might like you Bell I am an all or nothing kinda person and I can’t just eat one choccy cookie it’s the pack and the crisps and I reckon my stomach has grown to double the size Boo Hoo oh god any suggestions

[nsd_user663_25112]

Very interesting post Bellablue, your definetly right about the dopamine and the triggers it can cause. And Jamangie i agree with you too a humongus packet of crisps felt so good which i scoffed the other night Roast Chicken and Thyme Sensations from Tesco's (every little helps). Or does it, the thing is with me i just love food moreso now than i ever did. I do love a mug of t rather than coffee but i dont have sugar in packed that up 30year ago. But chocolate is so yummy and i know i shouldnt but we have too eat it dont we?. I noticed in many posts that some peeps end up having a fag when alcho is consumed why is this it wont bother me because i dont drink any alcho. Now water is brill not only cleans your system but is more refreshing and spend a penny or two. Lol. I so love this forum and all the peeps that keep us entertained and the inspiration that flows has kept me on the right track and no nicodemon is going to get back with me. Wow that feels good.

[nsd_user663_22999]

Mwaaah hah hah *echoing down darkened halls*

Knowledge is POWER

Mwah ha ha