Random Thoughts And Beyond...

Average guy with random thoughts

01/07/2006

Non-smoker


As I posted a while ago, I quitted smoking, nearly 5 weeks now. And so far, I witnessed some amazing improvements.

First, let me tell you about the hell I went thru during the first couple days or week. I quitted smoking while on holiday, which probably wasn't the ideal timing. Sitting on sunny terraces in Frankfurt, isn’t a good idea when you’re trying to quit smoking. The first two days, I felt sick, feverish, noxious and weak. I felt constantly on a rollercoaster, seriously. This started to decrease the following couple of days. The only thing I could think of however was having a cigarette. Suddenly, you notice every single smoker around you, and you count every cigarette someone lights up. Total obsession! Meanwhile, all kind of excuses came up into my head, trying to convince myself that it's ok to smoke one cigarette, and that only one cigarette wouldn’t matter at all and how I could easily quit after that single cigarette, again. Although I'm an easy-temped person, I must give it up to myself for not giving' in. Worse part of the holiday was to be confronted “again” with how cheap cigarettes are in Kuwait…

After a week or so, the morning coughing stopped. Sometimes, I used wake sounding like a 90 years old ready to leave us. I also felt that my ability (don't laugh) to smell probably increased (snif snif). Suddenly I was able to smell fruit, I know it might sound strange, but all the time when I was smoking, I wasn't able to smell or distinguish between any typ of food at all. I suddenly started distinguishing between the smell of orange, apples and mango's (hence the pictures of the apples and oranges a while ago). All of the sudden I could tell, sitting in my room two floors higher, what my mom is cooking in the kitchen.

Also my appetite increased enormously, I think this is related to the smelling part. I can binge like there is no tomorrow. That's why I'm hitting the gym more frequently lately. Speaking of which, my condition is getting better and better day after day. I remember when running 10 km used to be such a burden. Now, it is my favourite part.

Last but not least, I’m saving about 80-90 pounds a month. I used to smoke a pack in two days, sometime in less than two days. That's between the 960-1080 annually.