Day 5

Somehow I've managed to make it through 5 days of non smoking. Feels like the physical withdrawals are pretty much over with. Now it's on to breaking the habit. I'm still almost reaching in my pocket at certain times of the day, catching myself just as I'm about to reach for the pack that isn't there. I've received some very helpful advice from people this week that has helped my mental state (although there's only so much one can do for my mental state):

1. You are not quitting smoking - you have quit smoking. Quitting implies that you are still hanging on and haven't given up the habit yet. To "have quit" is final.

2. In that same vein it's important to think of yourself as a non-smoker. That mental shift can help stop you too.

3. Take it one cigarette craving at a time - not one day at a time (contrary to my previous post). Just concentrate on making it past that craving, since it will only last a few minutes. Then concentrate on the next one. Before you know it all those small victories will add up to an entire day, then week, then month etc.

These may sound hokey but I'm finding that they are helping me see the progress that's being made. I also don't want to pick up another cigarette again because I don't want to go through the hell that was Monday and Tuesday a second time.

As for the cleansing diet, I'm finding it difficult to stick to. All my concentration is on quitting smoking and the rest of the energy is spent trying to avoid lots of foods and finding alternatives. I am staying away from the fattening stuff though, I don't want to end up looking like all those gargantuan obese people on reality shows (or those we saw at Wegmans in Erie, PA).

I've also been going for acupuncture to reduce the withdrawal symptoms. However the majority of nerves that help with this are in the ear. I don't like having a needle stuck in my ear - let alone 5 of them. But I bitch and he does it anyways and I bitch some more. It's a love/hate thing. This morning I had those 5 plus another 12 on my hands/legs/arms/feet.

On another note, I was reading yesterday that Peter Jackson has picked up the movie rights for The Lovely Bones. It's interesting because as I began reading it I thought that it would make a great film and that he would be the perfect one to do it. Anyone who's seen Heavenly Creatures will know what I mean.

I'll be looking at the Shopaholic series when I'm done.