With my quit smoking first anniversary today, I am wondering how to celebrate. It feels like some rejoicing should take place. It feels wonderful, it feels like I have achieved some phenomenal feat. I am not sure when I have ever felt prouder of myself – if ever.
And low and behold it occurs to me that this exuberant energy will better serve me if I put it to good use. I am quick to determine in which area I will focus.
First, I know that stopping smoking did not have anything to do with my weight gain. I did mentally compare the desire for nicotine to my ‘never there’ hunger for food (‘never there’ because I have stopped letting myself even get hungry) in that I just grab for any food I want – that is it. Grab for it and indulge with absolutely nothing to be gained (except weight of course).
Time to focus on food consumption as it is intended – necessary for survival, same as water and air. I wonder if this is achievable, of course I have great doubt.
Back to December of 2019. When I first started out on my smoke free journey – exercise (walking mostly), was an integral part of my routine. Any time I craved nicotine – usually once an hour, I would dart out the back door at work – and head on over to the YMCA track that bordered my employer’s property. I was fortunate in that my boss agreed to these quick jaunts thank you Lord. This kept my mind and body occupied and I started to lose weight.
Once my thinking moved away from nicotine for longer periods of time, I relaxed the exercise regime. Big mistake, but not unfixable.
*****So today, on the first anniversary of my smokeless life – I embark on another journey towards better health. While my aim is weight loss I will focus on healthy foods and eating habits. This coupled with exercise should be a breeze to achieve.
Yeah, right. Happy Anniversary Me!