Post by irish2u2 on Aug 7, 2009 9:10:12 GMT -5
My "Donnie Walsh" plan for weight and nicotine reduction was supposed to be lose the weight first and then tackle smoking with some method of chemical attack. ; ) I'm not very smart because I just decided last Friday that rather than go out and buy more cigarettes (I was down to my last 5 or so) I would just quit. No patch. No pill. Just quit.
I must be totally retarded. ; )
The weight end of the deal was easy. As a family we just made some food decisions that were long overdue. We don't follow a diet plan per se but we just think smarter about what we eat and we cut out all the things we know are bad like Coke, fried food, fast food, ice cream, cookies, pastries, etc. We eat more salads, fruit and vegetables and a lot less sugar and carbs. We estimate we cut our caloric intake by at least half if not more and the transition has actually been pretty easy. I lost a lot of weight quickly and I haven't even begun an exercise program yet though that starts next week.
The smoking end is harder. Much harder. I am past the physical part of craving nicotine but the habits of 30 plus years are hard to break. That is what is the challenge now. Drinking coffee without smoking, driving without smoking, talking to folks on the phone without smoking, etc., etc. The good part is when I feel the urge to smoke I have a lot of "projects" to take my mind off lighting up. I am re-finishing our bedroom furniture for instance. It sounds mindless but I need to break all the associations I have made with certain acts and smoking and staining wood seems to work plus it is making my wife happy. ; ) Next up is painting our bedroom, dressing area, bathroom, and the spare bedroom my mother-in-law is moving into this October plus tearing up the carpet and replacing it in both bedrooms.
I hate painting. ; )
Smoking, IMHO, is the harder challenge. I hope you (Ken) take it up because the cigarettes are killing you faster than Apple Pie, Wings and Hotdogs. ; ) I'm no reformist thinking the whole world needs to stop smoking because I stopped smoking but we all know the dangers and now I know the challenges. Besides, think of all the money you save. ; )
Coke Zero is pretty good. Not quite Coke but better than most of the diet substitutes.
I must be totally retarded. ; )
The weight end of the deal was easy. As a family we just made some food decisions that were long overdue. We don't follow a diet plan per se but we just think smarter about what we eat and we cut out all the things we know are bad like Coke, fried food, fast food, ice cream, cookies, pastries, etc. We eat more salads, fruit and vegetables and a lot less sugar and carbs. We estimate we cut our caloric intake by at least half if not more and the transition has actually been pretty easy. I lost a lot of weight quickly and I haven't even begun an exercise program yet though that starts next week.
The smoking end is harder. Much harder. I am past the physical part of craving nicotine but the habits of 30 plus years are hard to break. That is what is the challenge now. Drinking coffee without smoking, driving without smoking, talking to folks on the phone without smoking, etc., etc. The good part is when I feel the urge to smoke I have a lot of "projects" to take my mind off lighting up. I am re-finishing our bedroom furniture for instance. It sounds mindless but I need to break all the associations I have made with certain acts and smoking and staining wood seems to work plus it is making my wife happy. ; ) Next up is painting our bedroom, dressing area, bathroom, and the spare bedroom my mother-in-law is moving into this October plus tearing up the carpet and replacing it in both bedrooms.
I hate painting. ; )
Smoking, IMHO, is the harder challenge. I hope you (Ken) take it up because the cigarettes are killing you faster than Apple Pie, Wings and Hotdogs. ; ) I'm no reformist thinking the whole world needs to stop smoking because I stopped smoking but we all know the dangers and now I know the challenges. Besides, think of all the money you save. ; )
Coke Zero is pretty good. Not quite Coke but better than most of the diet substitutes.
