@jillarI haven't drank very much soda over the last 10 years and I pretty much quit drinking 4 or 5 years ago.  I love beer, especially those super hoppy IPA's, but it got to where I would feel like crap for days after I drank a couple.  I may sneak a cup of coffee in here and there but I definitely notice some pretty harsh reactions to anything related to carbs or sugar.  Sucks to be me I guess but at least the brain fog is starting to lift some.  I think I'm just now finding out that there are a lot of foods that I'm just allergic to.  I'm gonna try to tough this out for 4 or 5 months and then start reintroducing some vegetables back to the menu.  In the long run i'm just doing a pretty strict elimination diet to find out what I can and cannot eat.

@intoxicated yoda I have been quiet. I have a real good string of migraines going. I did force myself to shower today! Since I was clean, I did get dressed and ran to the neighborhood walmart. In my last two grocery trips there were noted empty shelfs.  I did manage to find potatoes, mushrooms and green onions.  It is like going on a scavenger hunt without any clues.  

 

I also got cottage cheese which I have been eating straight out of the container while watching The Real House Wives of Orange County, Just confirming I still feel like the three toed sloth I mentioned before.  Hope everyone is doing well.

@Krisso sorry to hear about your migraines.  I used to get those pretty bad in my twenties.  not sure what changed but haven't had a really severe headache in long time.  I still get headaches just not the debilitating kind.  I'm sure you will get back to feeling like you have some energy.  Part of why I'm doing my current diet change is to see if I can get some more energy and hopefully improve my sleep.  Wishing you the best and praying you get a great nights sleep.  

Feel better soon Kris ❤

@Kris Hope you get feeling better soon!!❤🤗

Yeah it has been a bit quiet! Probably just the New Year and everyone feeling a bit out-of-sorts. At least that is what it feels like to me....Wishing everyone a beautiful smoke-free day!

I decided this morning that I would try some coffee since I hadn't had any since Sunday.  Big mistake.  I feel like I got kicked in the head.  Not sure why I keep doing this to myself but lesson learned...again.  I guess I was looking for a little morning boost.  Thank God the reaction was almost immediate as I hate to think how I'd feel if I drank the whole thing.  I drank less than 1/4 of the 16oz. cup so it would seem i've gotten extremely sensitive to something in it.  

@intoxicated yodaI actually think that is not a terrible thing. I've gone through non-coffee stages and for me its really about the comfort/ritual of making the coffee then sitting with it. Very much like the ritual of smoking. However, I get just as much from a cup of herbal tea and there are some really good brands out there now. I am liking the "Yogi" brands, especially the tangerine/energy tea. Its got caffeine in it without the heaviness of coffee...

3 hours ago, intoxicated yoda said:

I decided this morning that I would try some coffee since I hadn't had any since Sunday.  Big mistake.  I feel like I got kicked in the head.  

 

Quitting smoking dramatically changes the absorption of caffeine.  Nicotine doubles the rate at which the body depletes caffeine.

 

Smoking has such a dramatic impact on the body that quitting did throw most of us into a state of flux in the early days.  This should not be viewed as a deterrent.  Rather it is an opportunity to improvise, adapt, and overcome...you'll be glad you did.

3 hours ago, Boo said:

  Nicotine doubles the rate at which the body depletes caffeine.

 

I did not know this. That would explain though why I stopped drinking sodas and more than a cup of coffee a day without even trying.😊

I discovered this early on in my quit when I was trying to figure out why I was having so much anxiety. Although I still suffer from it, my anxiety levels dropped considerably when I cut almost all of the caffeine from my diet. So yeah, if I’m not doing nicotine I can’t do caffeine. 

@GusI'm finding out there's a few things I can't do without the nicotine.  Caffeine and sugar have become poison to me it seems.  Maybe they always were...hmmmmm.

5 minutes ago, intoxicated yoda said:

Maybe they always were...hmmmmm.

Why sure! The great deceiver nicotine not only creates problems it masks others. Nicotine is hell bent on killing you…that is it’s only purpose. 

On 1/13/2022 at 7:38 PM, jillar said:

 

I did not know this. That would explain though why I stopped drinking sodas and more than a cup of coffee a day without even trying.😊

 

Nicotine also quickly depletes vitamin C from the body.

 

We were all in varying states of vitamin deficiency when we were smoking.

 

Good riddance to cigarettes.

Day 145 is done and day 146 is just starting.  The diet change has been working out great so far.  This is where I'm at after 23 days carnivore.  It's been 8 days since my last cheat and I've cheated 3 days total on the diet so far.

 

1.  Bloating is gone.  No matter how much or how little I eat I don't get bloated.  

2.  Brain fog is getting better.  I still have moments where I just can't decipher reality but clear moments are much clearer.  I'm almost to the point where I feel like I can trust what I'm seeing.

3.  Mood.  I'm optimistic more of the time and don't have as much anxiety.  I'm a little more proactive on getting things done.

4.  Skin.  It seems to be clearer.  Definitely not as dry and flaky and so far no sign of dandruff for the last week or so.

5.  Joint pain is getting noticeably better to the point I can work out light with kettle bell.  If it keeps up I may be able to start pushups again in a few weeks.  

 

6.  And last but definitely not least is cravings.  They are under control with out me having to devote the majority of my focus on it.  Everyday is still a struggle to some degree but it's more of an annoyance than an all out mental war. 

 

To put everything in perspective, So far the the trend is starting to reverse and I'm gaining some forward movement.  It's not miraculous it's just a slow movement but it is enough to get me more dedicated to the new process instead of focusing on eliminating the old process.  

 

Great update @intoxicated yoda, I'm happy for you 😊

Thanks for sharing. I am at day 108 (?). I started running again (@7500 feet so its a good challenge-lungs healing) and lost four pounds. I'm going to start Tai Chi classes at the local gym because why not? People in the movies look so peaceful doing it...

The anxiety is a bitch. That and the depression seems to be what all of us quitters struggle with. But we are way better off than six months ago, no?

Keep on keeping on!

Edited January 18, 20224 yr by KEL

@KELthat's great you started running again.  That is something I hope I will be able to do if my joints continue to improve.  Let us know how the Tai Chi goes. 

Excellent news in this update @intoxicated yoda! I’m so proud of you and you should be doubly proud of yourself. You’ve worked so hard and educated yourself about so many issues! You are amazing! 🤗

Way to go Yoda...

It sure sounds like you have turned a corner ...it only gets better ....😁

Yoda and Kel ..I found Qi Gong when I first quit ,and still do to this day ....

Check it out on you tube ...beginner....it's good for every part of the body ... specially the mind ..so relaxing .

Lets me know if you try it ...

@intoxicated yodaand @KELA double congratulations to both of you for your quit and for the strength to tackle other things at the same time.  I know I could not do it, I can only focus on the quit right now.

@Kristhe quit is the most important thing and you are doing great on yours.  Just don't sell yourself short.  You can do whatever your spirit moves you to do, advancing this far into quitting smoking is proof of that.  Stay strong!!

@Doreensfree I like the looks of Qi Gong.  low impact active meditation.  I'll give that a try in the morning.  Thank you for the suggestion.

Its been fun to explore different things now that there is so much more time to do so. Also, any activity helps keep the quit, at least that has been my experience.

here I am again at almost 11 pm...with some kind of gnawing crave going on that just won't let up.  It's almost like a void in my being that just can't be filled.  I want something but I have no idea what it could be.  I do know there is no amount of food I could eat, liquid I could drink, cigarettes I could smoke or anything else I could ingest, inject or inhale that would make it go away.  It's the damnedest thing.  I'll get a few days of peace from it and think it's getting better and then I get blindsided with it...and it always comes back with a vengeance.  I can't decide if it's a mental thing or a physical thing.  It could be a mental thing manifesting as a physical thing or it could be a physical thing causing some mental strife.  I could say "f*** it and go get some snack food and soda but then the bloat would drive me crazy and I would definitely be hating myself, besides, saying "f*** it" is what got me back into this addiction to begin with.  Taking deep breaths and doing the air cigarettes isn't really giving me any relief.   It is possible this is a side effect of getting my gut healed?  I don't know anymore.  Nothing to do but keep grinding it out.   Anyway, the rain hasn't started here yet so I guess I'll go walk laps around the driveway and hope it goes away enough for me to go to sleep.