The Life of Me

It’s been a massive 100 days since I quit smoking.

Congratulations to me!

40 days since I quit and I’m still going strong! Each day I find it gets easier and easier, and the constant urge to smoke is no longer a burden on day to day life.

Sleeping is a lot easier than it was during the first few weeks and football (soccer) training is becoming easier and easier each time. The time taken to recover from being short of breath has also increased ten-fold. Now I just have to get over a muscle pain in my shin and I’ll be good to go.

My clothes (and I) smell a lot less smokey these days, and my sense of taste and smell has increased too.

As I’ve mentioned before, I quit without any help from chemicals or medicines this time and for me its been the easiest way to quit.

The only help I have had to guide me through has been Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking and The Little Book of Quitting, both have helped me through some rough points and educated me at the same time. Both books are also worth a look if your considering quitting smoking, as you are encouraged to smoke whilst you read.

I’ll write a more in-depth entry soon.

The past few days have been a lot easier and I truly believe that I can quit smoking for good this time!

Although I’m still not sleeping properly and may seek some advice from my GP or pharmacist if things don’t improve. I’m only getting around 2-3 hours sleep per night and am extremely restless for the rest of the time.

I do feel my health starting to improve already, and I’m quite looking forward to getting “fully” fit for the second half of the football season.

The weathers been good and my beloved Bolton also won today… oh what a wonderful weekend!

Yesterday went pretty well as I try to quit smoking. I even managed to sit with the lads in the bar after football without wanting a cigarette — Something I never thought I’d be able to do so soon. Getting back to the football, we (the Leigh British Legion FC) beat The 3 Crowns 7-1 last night, our biggest pre-season victory so far.

I’m already feeling the benefits of quitting such as a clearer (less congested) chest, more energy, more time and money. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to get a good nights sleep for the past 2 days, I don’t exactly know why though.

I was impressed at my determination to resist the constant barrage of free cigarettes offered to me while playing Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (it’s football really).

I’m feeling a little more relaxed this evening, and am just about to watch some football hightlights on TV – just as soon as I have grabbed myself a good cup of coffee.

They say the first 3 days are the hardest… 4 hours to go (from time of posting) until I’ve managed a whole 3 days without a smoke!

To be honest, I didn’t see much of this morning at all as I had a rough time tossing and turning all night.

The urge today for a cigarette is stronger than ever, with things that I associate with smoking, such as making a coffee or reading are leaving me feeling frustrated. This frustration is leaving me feeling angry and awkward towards others and has already culminated into a few arguments.

The hot and cold sweats are still bothering me, but they seem to be easing slightly.

I can’t believe it… I’ve made it through 2 whole days without a cigarette and am already feeling better. I still have the sweats and feel I need a ciggy… but I can resist.

Nothing special to “report” this evening, except that I managed to resist the urge after playing football earlier. More about that soon.

Anyway… 2 days… woohoo!

This morning went as well as could be expected…

I slept till late, woke around 11am and made myself coffee. Unfortunately, I had to make my way through the dining room, which is where I used to grab my morning coffee and a cig. This brought about a massive need for a smoke, which I was able to ignore (yay for me!).

I slept like a baby last night, and had one of the best nights sleeps in a long while. I’m still getting the hot and cold sweats though, and my fingers feel incredibly lost… oh well… I’m going for more coffee.

Well thats the first day over and done with at long last!

The most notable “side-effects” have been hot and cold sweats and a bad temper, and I’ve really missed a cigarette with my food & drink today — lets hope it gets easier as time goes on.

I’m also finding myself feeling physically exhausted, so I’m off to bed after this post.

I’ve been awake for a six hours now, and the bad cravings for a cigarette are just starting. Taking five or six deep breaths seems to be helping. Its also making my teeth feel strange… very weird.

I’m going to look for some books and other stuff that may help.