Another one hour and I'd have gone 17 days without El Nico. Last few days have been quite alright apart from a few sudden and massive urges. Since it's day 16 today, I have put down the intensity of the cravings to the 'troublesome and rebellious teens' and live in hope that I will be wiser, more balanced and infinitely more charming and in-control by the time I am in my mid 30s and 40s. 
This is my first post on here, so let me give you a quick summary...
1. Smoked for approx. 15 years. Last 5 years have been about a pack a day.
2. I 'enjoyed' my smokes. Been wanting to quit but never really got round to doing it. Found tonnes of excuses like everyone else and realised that I am a proper addict after all.
3. The impetus to quit was the sudden and completely unexpected need to prove a point to myself. I like to think that I am self-reliant and confident and can live without people and things if needed. El Nico however was a sticky point. I wanted to see if I could live without it. So my quit started on the 20th of Oct. with the intention of checking if I had it in me to control my mind and its dependence on an artificial substance.
4. First few days of the quit were hell.
5. Subsequent time has been a lot more manageable.
6. A welcome side-effect has been my abstinence from alcohol. Not a drop. Don't even feel like it.
7. I go to the gym and find my work outs a lot more satisfying.
8. Weight has not been an issue since I have always been a moderate eater. I always get up from the table at 70-80% full and never go for seconds of anything. That habit has not changed. So I can't say that I have had any problems on the weight gain front.
9. I sleep much better even if there are nights when I don't get my full quota of 7-8 hours of sleep. I slept for 4 hours the day before and woke up feeling groggy as one does, but I didn't feel like death like I might have on earlier occasions when I used to be a smoker. Basically the energy levels are higher and sleep quality is amazing!
10. My mouth smells much better. I love that it feels and tastes better too. It's not dry'ish as it used to be.
11. I love that my fingers and hair and clothes don't smell of El Nico.
12. My car has fabric upholstery and the poor thing is 5 years old. Which means the fabric was subjected to 5 years worth of smoke when I drove. That smell lingers in the car and any ideas on how to get rid of it would be most welcome.
13. My quit was cold turkey. I have not used any NRT or any other methods like hypnotherapy & acupressure for this quit. I genuinely think that this is the ONLY way to do it. To each their own though- the end justifies the means in this particular instance.
14. I do face some trouble with my bowel movement. I don't think it has regulated itself completely since my quit. The constipation is not severe but it is exists. To my mind this has been the one the side-effect of my quit that bothers me the most since I'm very finicky about this topic. I am addressing it through a proper diet with 20-30 gms of fiber content through the day, having flax seed supplements twice a day to help regulate the process and lots of water. If someone has had a similar effect on their bowel movements since they quit and have some effective home-remedies to counter this effect, I'd appreciate them sharing those here.
15. The way I handle craves is not to ignore them as much as see them for what they are. Just craves. They are super intense and they make me want to go buy a cigarette because 'hey! what harm can just one puff do?'. Then I look back at all the days of my quit and think a) there's the whole mind game thing that I need to prove a point to myself for. b) if I can go on for so many days, I don't need to screw up my record and break the momentum. c) that one puff will not really address the problem since I will need to go back for many of those 'just one puffs' and I genuinely don't want to return to that pattern.
16. A funny thing happened 3 days ago... I asked a friend to light a cigarette (Marlboro Gold- the one I used to smoke) and let me hold it. I held the lit cigarette in my hand, I saw the wisps of smoke curl up and I smelt the smoke. I wanted to see how my mind would react and if there would be any sort of temptation in my head. Happy to say that it was all good. I had NO desire to take a puff. I smelt it and frankly it smelt like how cigarettes used to smell when I first started smoking- very harsh and not entirely pleasant.
17. The quit process is not easy. There are some triggers that do occur everyday, but I now focus on making my body healthier and better looking than it has ever been. The money I spent on cigarettes is now diverted to fruits, veggies, protein powders, anti-oxidants, gym membership, etc. I am 6'2" and a little shy 7 stones. I plan to shed about half a stone of fat and pack about a stone of muscle over the next 3-4 months. I feel great!
18. Instead of avoiding any triggers, I confront them because to see those challenges off is an immensely satisfying emotion while at the same time re-affirming your commitment to the quit. To face the fear and prevail is an amazing feeling and has given me a renewed sense of confidence in my ability to meet challenges. Nicotine is an amazingly powerful drug- if I can kick its butt, I can do anything I set my mind on.
19. There is no way of knowing how much Tar has built up in my lungs from the years I spent smoking. I wish I knew and I wish I knew how to get rid of it.
17 days as I finish this post.
Best of luck to those who want to quit and a big Yahoo! to those who did and stayed clean!
