I AM a quitter!
There comes a time in a woman’s life when her body starts to change. For me this time has been after I quit smoking. I am officially 2 weeks into being a [tag]non-smoker[/tag]. I don’t think non-smokers can appreciate what it is to be a non-smoker. So all of you must run out, teach yourself how to smoke, develop a habit, then develop an addiction, quit smoking, start again, quit smoking, secretly smoke, talk about quitting, get pressured by all your friends, quit again, convince yourself you are happier smoking, quit again and quit for good. Now how do you feel?
Well I will tell you, you feel pretty damn good. They say that the heavier a smoker you are, the more noticeable the changes are. I was not a heavy [tag]smoker[/tag], so the differences have been small, but I am starting to notice them.
Lets start with the have nots, I have not or do not…
gained weight (the holidays took care of that on their own)
smell things better
taste things better
gone insane
become depressed
bitten all my nails to bloody stumps due to an unsatisfied oral fixation
bitten the head off of any person near me
breath in smoke because I can be a second hand smoker, and it is better than nothing
feel the need to smoke
given into cravings
started to sleep better
focused attention
feel the need to make everyone into a non-smoker
need to clear my throat all the time
cough as much
get winded as fast
wake up with as much phlegm
heat palpitations
light headedness or dizzyness
Ok, so that is what I have not or do not do. So what has happened?
I have or do…
quit smoking
saved money
smell better (in I no longer smell like a stinky cigarette)
not stand outside in the cold because I need a fix
I stand outside in the cold with my friend while she gets her fix
talk about quitting smoking
think it is easier to quit than we believe it is
better looking skin (my skin is starting to look healthier! and more radiant!)
better breath (both breathing in and breathing on)
pride in gaining my freedom
increased sex drive
So that is what I have gained and lost and done and not done and have and don’t have. But now that I am 2 weeks into quitting my body has really started to heal itself.
What my body is doing:
often waking up with sore and scratchy throat
feeling like I smoked a pack of [tag]cigarettes[/tag] the night before
coughing up phlegm
feeling pains in my lungs and then a need to cough
clearing up my complexion
less headaches
relaxed neck muscles
more energy
increase sex drive
So even though I was a light smoker, I am noticing some big changes. They all seem insignificant when they are happening, but when you add them all up, it becomes pretty significant. It seems like every day or so, another thing gets added to this list.
I won’t deny that some part of me misses smoking. But it is not the cigarette I miss, or the taste or the feeling, or smell or cost. Honestly it is the ritual, or the idea of the ritual. But I don’t miss it enough to start again. Missing it a little does not outweigh the list I just wrote. Quitting smoking is a difficult battle, but one worth fighting. Pretty soon I will look like I am 16, have all the energy of a teenager, the attention span of a college student and the lung capacity of a track runner! Woo! or I will just be a slightly better me with a lot more money in my pocket.
Body Image, Just Living |7 Responses to “I AM a quitter!”
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I congradulate you on you quitting smoking. I am not a women i was just searching among google when i found this page. I too have quit smoking and i sense my body detoxing, such as caughing up phlegm. I have been paranoid that my body has gotten sick from smoking, though i do believe it is rather recovering. I am 19 years old and had smoked for around 4-5 years non heavy. Now i have given up smoking for about a week. Congradulations once again.
You are absolutely right, your body is recovering. It is like when you get a respiratory infection and you have the nasty cough. When it starts to break up is when it sounds, and feels, the worst. But in reality, you are getting better. You body has to expel all the crap from our bodies, and it is a little more violent than the way we put it in. But it is good! Good for you, you smartened up much faster than I.
I was surfing pages in google and came across your page. It is now May 16th. I have completed by first month of being a non smoker. Congratulations to you and I hope you are still continuing in your quest. I take it day by day and am strong in my conviction that I will never smoke again.
Wish I had done these years ago.
First month, that is huge! Great Job! I am still smoke free and very happy that I am! Keep it up!
Wow…What a great topic!.. i really enjoyed reading it
nice resourceful post.. i feel very open-minded now
Thanks for this wonderful post! As a female I know that smoking is more harmful to me than it is for men.