I stopped smoking... but gained 6 kilos in the process :(
I am a smoker, I´m always going to be a smoker
You know what they say, once a smoker, always a smoker... and you know what? That is right, I have stopped smoking several times, sometimes for months at a time, but I always go back, I always smoke again.
That is because I like it. I have a pleasant time smoking, I enjoy the taste, I appreciate the sense of calmness it gives me and also, I love to feel like a Marlboro Cowboy.
But it goes deeper, this is not about my smoking habit or me trying to quit. It is about my addictions.
In fact, I am addict. It doesn´t matter to what, but I need to be addicted to something all the time.
I think you know people like me, you probably have in your life someone like me. Yeah, those people who become obsessed with something until they are either the best at it or find another obsession. Those guys who find something they like and they dedicate body and soul to that.
Whatever I do in life I become addicted to the point that it may be considered an unhealthy obsession.
I´ve had major obsessions in my life that took at least 40 hours of my week - without counting school or my job depending on my age - that span from playing Magic:The Gathering to playing American Footbal; from playing Tomb Raider video Games to going to the gym 3 hours a day; from drinking 4 bottles of Coca-Cola to going to the Cinema everyday; at one point I used to read on every free second I had, now I do Steemit 8 hours or more a day.
The point is, it doesn´t matter to what or when, whatever I am addicted at the time, takes all of my attention and I can´t focus on anything else.
Right now I am addicted to adrenaline, Steemit and eating.
I managed to stop smoking a bit more than three weeks ago but I needed to fill up that space and food came to save the day. I´ve gained 6 kilos (around 12 pounds) since I stopped smoking.
  I guess Gym time is calling me... I will probably smoke again at some point, I´m just trying to be healthy for a while and to prove to myself that I still have control over my addictions and not the other way around. Actually, around 7 months ago I stopped smoking when I was in Honduras, I started to smoke again when I was in Belgium in late October. It comes by seasons.
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As they say
But I dread painful that comes with some kind sickness.
About smoking (i mean cigarette because the the other one is non negotiable). It comes in phases from phases for me too. I have been in phases I thought I will die if I missed a day without it, right now I am in phase I can't stand the smell. It's like that with me just need need a trigger I guess.
One thing about addiction that always work for me is when I am having too much thought about my current one, I replaced it with a new one or an old one I have abandoned.
Currently my top addiction like most steemian is steemit, still have another one or two but they don't have much hold on me right now because of steemit.
I wanted to say replace your food addiction with gym but fuck it...live however you want. After all said and done, we all live to die.
Oh yeah, about the other one, it is a delicate subject and there will always be opinions in favor and some against...
I get the phases part, it is the same for me, sometimes it is very easy and sometimes it is too hard for me to nost smoke that I have to get out of a room if someone is smoking there.
Yeah, replacing an addiction for another one "less harmless" is a good idea, especially if you are trying to quit once and for all.
i want to go to the gym but for my it is kind of pointless, I enjoy playing sports but going to the gym to run in a machine and push some weights... meh, its not for me man.
I was close to writing a similar post to this recently.
I know how you feel man, and 'addictive personality' they call it.
Check out the lovely @abigail-dantes's recent blog regarding addiction (where I commented with a similar list to you!)
https://steemit.com/psychology/@abigail-dantes/addiction-an-overview
It’s time to go to the nearest gym wherever you are now and register. 😊
Mi adicción son las galletas, cuando compro un paquete de galletas no logro saciarme hasta que el paquete este vació, no importa el número de galletas. por lo mismo hago deporte, porque sé que no son muy saludables. Te cuento que yo fume por aproximadamente 15 años, pero tengo una obsesión con el cuidado de los dientes, eso me llevo a dejarlo, y hace 7 años que no fumo, que ha sido muy bueno porque con el deporte he aumentado mucho la resistencia para hacer los ascensos a los volcanes que visito. Mucha suerte el el gym, es tiempo de tomar de nuevo el control, puedes hacerlo, debes creer un poco más en ti y dejar de repetir "tengo adicciones" recuerda que somos energías y atraemos lo que queremos.
Margarita! Y yo que por un momento te creí de 20 años y ahora resulta que fumaste durante 15! :O No te apures, no planeo sacar cuentas ni nada, tu edad está segura conmigo jajaja.
Tienes razón, a mi me falla un poco eso de los dientes porque cuando estoy en casa los cuido muy bien pero cuando estoy viajando es muy difícil :(
Es un gran motor el querer escalar volcanes... te entiendo perfecto, es horrible cuando se te acaba el aire a la mitad o simplemente ya no puedes debido a tu mala condición física y tu adicción al cigarro.
Oh bueno, es que sé mis límites, además me encanta ser adicto, eso me hace ser el mejor o al menos muy competitivo en lo que sea que hago, amo ser adicto, soy adicto a ser adicto :D
ja ja ja ja, eres de un chiste ja ja ja :P tengo el secreto de la juventud prolongada :)
You do not have to force it so, there is a method slowly .. first you have to reduce your smoking habit, then all you have to do is to do something that keeps you busy. that way you will forget the habit of smoking. and start with other substitutes like candy.
Its beginning feels difficult but after 3 months all will feel ordinary normal.
I was also a smoker and had left the habit 8 months ago.
good luck my bro
For me it works at once, I quit at all, I can´t do it in phases but I guess it depends on the person and their habits :D
I heard that one, that after 21 days it becomes easier and then after 12 weeks it is very much something you achieved :)
Nice that you dropped the bad habit man! Congrats on that one!
Your kids are going to thank you for having stopped smoking ;)
If you need a little motivation, read the next sentence. But be aware, it is nothing for thin nerves.
Around a year ago, when I worked at a lung department of a local hospital, I met a woman at 28 with lung cancer in the final stadium.
She had two kids, four and two years of age. One of the sadest things I ever heard a human say was the following sentence I heard out of her mouth: "I will never see my kids on their first day of school - I will be dead by then. And the sad thing is - it is probably my own fault"
No, fortunately not every smoker gets lung cancer and even more fortunately it's rather uncommon at age 28.
And yes, she probably had a genetic risk of getting lung cancer.
But she also had smoked way over one pack of cigarettes since she turned 14 and at least that's what she blamed in the end.
While I have no proof that the smoking got her that sick - There is plenty of proof it definitely boosted her risk.
Damn, this got a little longer than I wanted it to be. I am not here for telling horror stories - this is just one (and the most impressing) personal destiny associated with smoking I have witnessed live so far. If it is for me, I don't need to see anything worse...
well put....genetic predisposition is a greater risk that smoking itself. after all second class smoking carries higher risk
I do not see a problem on your photos. You look beautiful! Perhaps you yourself know this)). To realize the harm of smoking, you need to be a little pregnant. That's why I do not smoke or drink Coca-Cola. I like playing on the computer, and I also like to grow roses!
You look still great! Don't worry @anomadsoul :)
I think you made the right choice!
I'm happy with your decision :D
Thanks so much :D And ocming from you means a lot ^^
I hope it will last and when we meet again you won´t see me smoking!!
Me - I'm addicted to several pints on a Friday night, pizza and chocolate. Although that's work - when I quit I'll be on the 'straight and narrow again'.
A sociologist called Anthony Giddens has suggested that 'addiction' is simply our response to living in a rootless life in a chaotic world - addictions are the means whereby we root ourselves, give ourselves some stability and express our identities - there are many ways we do this, the important thing is to realize that we are all the same!
On the 'being 6 kilos heavier'... look at it like this....
Not so bad: I've got a similar amount of flab I want to lose - it's entirely doable in a relatively short period of time.
As you say, it's just a matter of turning on the gym addiction.
Edit - for some reason I added in an extra 1lb there, maybe go treat yourself to some extra junk food before you 'get on it'!
I read about it also, the roots part. Have you heard of reality anchors? I don´t know if that´s the term in english but in spanish it means *stuff we do in a cyclical way to feel like we belong, like not evrything is changing. Listening to out favorite music, rewatching a movie, visiting those places we felt happy in, those are our reality anchors and they let us not go insane... kind like what addictions are.
Oh hell yeah, I´m planning on eating healthy again at some point, not just yet cause I deserve my fat intake since I´m doing a hard effort here haha, you gotta give yourself treats to feel good about yourself huh?
Hey man, be on the lookout because there is going to be a philosophy sndbox Quest in the near future and I think you´ll enjoy joining.
Thanks fot dropping by my friend!
Reality anchors sounds like something Giddens would recognise.
I'll check out the sndbox thing when philosophy comes round for sure!
Don't get emphysema! XD
Maybe you should stay addicted to the gym or rock climbing or something? XD
I probably count as having an obsession as I've been working in the same head-universe for the last 15 years or so and this is continuing for the forseeable future. Otherwise yeh I live with a partner that I would count as being addicted to MtG XD
And ergh steem I had to put a time limit on that as like you I'd be otherwise spending 5+ hours a day on it x_x
Yeah, I know that when I start traveling again I´ll have a bit more trouble to keep non-smoking, but one step at a time!
Hahaha that partner must be quite the quest, with side quests and foes at every corner haha but then again, it has to be interesting to make it work, I can´t imagine being with someone who is not a proper MTG tournament haha.
Its true, right now with the delegatino I have to spend a whole lot more time but if i didnt have it, perhaps 4 hours a days would be more than enough... oh well, thanks for dropping by my friend!
Everybody is addicted to one thing or the other. My own addiction for now is steemit. As you said, the most important thing is to be able to control our addiction and not the other way round.
Personally, I will not want you to go back to smoking. Keep enjoying your new addiction (steemit) and for the gained weight, go ahead and resume back to gym
True man, if we find ourselves being controlled by our addictions, we are in serious trouble, that´s why I often try to test myself, to see where I´m at.
Of course, the best addiction so far is Steemit! Thanks for dropping by man!