I wanted to share my latest success with celebrating my 1 year anniversary of quitting smoking. It is not weight loss but health improving.
A link to the post when I decided to quit is HERE. From that point on there was no turning back. Below is an exert from my blog on my victory. I am so proud of myself.
On 8th April 2006, I woke up, had my last cigarette and promptly went and bought a box of nicotine gum and from that moment I have not had another cigarette.
I started smoking, casually, when I was about 14. Initially I did it because my friends did it and frankly, I thought I looked cool. I then discovered the appetite suppressing capabilities the cigarettes gave me and thought it was great.
I decided that until I actually bought a packet of smokes, I was not a smoker. I only did it around my friends when they did it. Some of them smoked at home regularly and were what I considered a smoker.
I bought my first packet probably when I was about 16 (yes, we had a dodgy deli that sold to underagers) and never looked back.
I guess I never really wanted to quit before but did try on occasion because I knew it was not at all good for me. I was always scared though that if I quit, the weight would pile on. For all I knew, the only reason I wasn't 200kg was because of the smokes!
It wasn't until early last year when I started to see the hypocricy of my ways. I would talk about wanting to get healthier and lose weight and yet continue smoking. It just didn't make sense. My justification of not wanting to quit because I might put on weight wasn't a good reason anymore. What if I died? There wouldn't be a chance to look great in a skirt if I was 6 feet under. What if I developed cancer? (god forbid!) I'm hardly gonna be able to run the City to Surf if I'm on a machine that has to breath for me.
It made sense after years of denial.
The other motivating factor was my nephew, Liam who was about to turn 2 and both of Grant's children.
I realised that I want to be able to run around with them and enjoy life while not gasping for air. I wanted to be setting a good example of health and wellbeing for Phoebe coming into her teens. I want to be able to live long enough to see Phoebe living her dreams and perhaps travelling the globe and Ben perhaps in AFL or competing internationally in triathlons. I want to live long enough to see my own daughter* grow up and be a beautiful, kind and loving woman and have children of her own.
These were the main motivations, more so than simply being healthy for me. I wanted to do this for all of us.
And I have.
For anyone out there considering quitting, initially I was lost. I felt like I had lost a best friend that I would turn to in times of trouble and would be consoled to feel better. I was concerned that I would replace smoking with eating so I was very diligent that I exercised as often as I could and chewed my gum when I felt I needed a cigarette. For me, it was more about the action of doing something and eventually (perhaps 3 months in) I had completely replaced nicotine gum with regular gum and in fact, rarely needed that anymore either.
I had learnt to cope with stress through taking a deep breath and just calming myself down a little. This was not the first time I tried to quit, but I was sure it was the last time. There was a comforting feeling that I just knew I would never have another cigarette.
It was tough a couple of times in particular when having an argument with Grant or being around my brother or sister who both smoke. I guess I just removed myself from the equation when I could sense a vulnerability and made it through unscathed.
I am so proud of myself for not putting on any weight either. I am sure had I continued smoking and done the things I have over the past year, I would have lost weight - but I would still be a smoker. I found a balance to not gain weight while quitting and now I need to find a way to lose the weight while being a non-smoker.
As a reward for remaining smoke free for one whole year, I am treating myself to a new camera lens. A beautiful lens that will allow me to get brilliant portrait shots which is what I love. Honestly, there were a couple of times over Christmas and into January where I was this close to jumping in the car and heading up to the garage to buy a packet of smokes, and this reward was one of the things that kept me strong.
If you are concerned with gaining weight while quitting, don't be. Do this for the future and you won't be sorry.
That is so awesome!
Way to go!
I personally don't smoke but my dad has tried numerous times to quit (and failed) so I have seen how hard it is to battle that addiction.
Enjoy your new camera lens! It probably paid for itself with all the money you saved from not buy any cigarettes in the past year!
I quit on January 1 of this year. It is the best feeling ever to know that you were able to get out from under soemthing that had such a hold on your life.
Congrats!!! You must be a very very strong person.
I am trying to take things one step at a time so I keep telling myself once I get this weight off then I will work on the smokin part. I know it's no excuse...but gosh I love smoking..Even though I know what a terrible risk it is. Sometimes I think I must be a moron for smoking FULLY AWARE of the possible consequences. Oh well.
As you can see, I think that's fantastic. I quit too 5 months ago and have had no desire to start back up-- it's absolutely crazy that we used to blindly do such damage to our bodies. I guess that's similar to being overweight too, but you gotta eat and you don't gotta smoke!
the year really flew by and all of a sudden i was a non-smoker. all i can say is don't put it off any longer.
my mentality of waiting until i had lost weight, or until i had less stress in my life, or . . . whatever, were just justifications to continue smoking. life is going to happen whether i smoke or not so i needed to move forward and get on with it.
i guess me having a body to be proud of also included being able to enjoy it without being unable to breath or perhaps be riddled with disease.
NSV - I quit smoking
)
