Day 3

It's my third day smoke-free! It feels like it's been months since my last cigarette because time is so slow in my mind. This whole time perception is a real thing though. In 2003, there was a study showing that quitters perception of time stretched by 50%. Isn't it strange that we do this?

Anyways, I'm feeling good about my quitting today. I was able to drive by the gas stations where I used to buy my cigarettes and not stop and go buy a pack and blow the whole thing. Yay!

My eating habits have definitely changed. My girlfriend and I have been eating very healthy for the past two months and have tried to avoid the things that are bad for us. For me, that thing is sweets. Cookies, pastries, scones, ice cream, you name it. I have one hell of a sweet tooth. Like other quitters, I am somewhat replacing my smoking habits with eating habits, reaching for anything sweet I can get my hands on. Part of me is distraught by this but on the other hand, my number one prioirty should be abstaining from smoking, and then I can worry about other parts of my health. This craving for sweets stems partly from the fact that nicotine releases sugar into my bloodstream and without it, my brain feels depleted of its sugar high. Therefore, I try to make up for this by eating sweet foods. It's all part of the withdrawal process.

I also learned that I won't be needing as much caffeine as I did when I smoked. Nicotine blocks the receptors for caffeine by 50%, so smokers need twice caffeine than non-smokers to achieve the desired effect. This was totally true for me. I was probably drinking on average 6 cups of coffee a day, sometimes more. I do feel more alert than usual but I'm not sure if my caffeine tolerance will decrease as all the nicotine leaves my system.

Until the next craving, have a splendid day readers!