Caffeine delivered in the form of coffee is by far the hardest part of quitting for me. I vowed when I started this I wasn't going to give up everything, meaning caffeine and alcohol, but am finding it harder and harder to cope with these triggers. Like Saturday, got up and had my usual large strong cup of Joe. An hour later I was really in a bad way, pacing around, not interested in anything and craving like a dog. It took every ounce of self control to keep from finding a way to smoke. Since I don't want my life to be controlled by smoking I want to be able to enjoy the things that I also find pleasurable like drinking coffee and wine.
To get over the craziness of the too much caffeine and its affect I'm trying to lower the amount I consume by adding more milk, and using less scopes when I make it. This morning my usual 3 hours of craving has been curtailed to 90 minutes. I feel like I have to find a way not to change my life too much, or otherwise I'll reach a point where I'll chuck my quit because it too life altering.
Luckily I'm finding spirits less of a problem. I guess it's because they are less of a trigger now since I drink less anyway. Abstaining during the week for quite some time. I also find that it takes the edge of of cravings because it makes me more relaxed. Anyway, that's the way it was this weekend which was big for me since it was the first weekend. I went through some really tough spots, but towards the end had some real nice moments. Some of the benefits were:
1. Starting to sleep better, deeper more restful.
2. Less of a hang over when not smoking. In fact none.
3. Didn't lose my voice from screaming at a football game. Always did when smoking.
4. Killed on my workout...Amazing how even after just a few days off of butts you get your wind back.
5. No guilty trips to the garage for a smokes.....
Cheers....
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/2/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 7
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 74
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $21
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3