Isn't it funny how Boehner "acknowledges his addiction," but Obama only "sneaks a smoke" from time to time.
WHATEVER.......
Monday, December 13, 2010
Update Quickie
Still not smoking. I have no idea how long its been now, and I'm too lazy to go and do the math.
Robby hasn't smoked, either. He's off Chantix now, too.
Still not really seeing the financial rewards. Still a mystery why that is so.
Robby went to the Doctor last week, and get this, his blood pressure was up, sky high, so she finally decided to put him on medication. Can you believe it? The guy quits smoking, and his blood pressure gets worse instead of better.
I have managed to not gain an alarming amount of weight, despite being willy-nilly about my "diet plan."
Seems we just can't win for losing.
There are two things that still make it all worth it. And I mean that. I've been very clear that I did not quit smoking because I wanted to, I did it out of necessity. Robby and I were years past the time that we could afford to throw away money to slowly kill ourselves. So, if I'm not seeing the financial gains of quitting, what then could possibly make quitting something I didn't want to quit worth it?
I'll tell you. Two things. 1.) I no longer have to make daily trips to the gas station. This might sound trivial to some, but its a very big deal to me. I have always despised the fact that my addiction had power over me on a daily basis. I make the call to stop at the 7-Eleven now, not some chemical in my blood stream.
2.) And this is really number one, but I just saved the best for last. My kids are thrilled that Mommy and Daddy have quit smoking. What more do I need?
Robby hasn't smoked, either. He's off Chantix now, too.
Still not really seeing the financial rewards. Still a mystery why that is so.
Robby went to the Doctor last week, and get this, his blood pressure was up, sky high, so she finally decided to put him on medication. Can you believe it? The guy quits smoking, and his blood pressure gets worse instead of better.
I have managed to not gain an alarming amount of weight, despite being willy-nilly about my "diet plan."
Seems we just can't win for losing.
There are two things that still make it all worth it. And I mean that. I've been very clear that I did not quit smoking because I wanted to, I did it out of necessity. Robby and I were years past the time that we could afford to throw away money to slowly kill ourselves. So, if I'm not seeing the financial gains of quitting, what then could possibly make quitting something I didn't want to quit worth it?
I'll tell you. Two things. 1.) I no longer have to make daily trips to the gas station. This might sound trivial to some, but its a very big deal to me. I have always despised the fact that my addiction had power over me on a daily basis. I make the call to stop at the 7-Eleven now, not some chemical in my blood stream.
2.) And this is really number one, but I just saved the best for last. My kids are thrilled that Mommy and Daddy have quit smoking. What more do I need?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Show Me The Money
Hmmm, Not really seeing the financial rewards of quitting yet like I would expect.
Its a little disheartening when I check my bank account expecting to be pleasantly surprised and finding it looks pretty much the same as it did a couple months ago.
How the hell can that be?
I've been quite the hermit since I quit, did I maybe miss something? 2+2 still equals 4, right? How is Robby and I not spending $24.00 a day, not adding up to saving $24.00 a day?
Robby's still taking Chantix and had to have the prescription filled, but it still doesn't add up.
Its a little disheartening when I check my bank account expecting to be pleasantly surprised and finding it looks pretty much the same as it did a couple months ago.
How the hell can that be?
I've been quite the hermit since I quit, did I maybe miss something? 2+2 still equals 4, right? How is Robby and I not spending $24.00 a day, not adding up to saving $24.00 a day?
Robby's still taking Chantix and had to have the prescription filled, but it still doesn't add up.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
You Are What You Eat
Just a quick update, cause I got a lot of studying to do today.
What week is this now? 4? I'm starting to lose track.
Last week I spent some time thinking about how I wanted to change my diet. Since my motivation for quitting smoking is largely based on economics, I think it follows too that my food choices reflect this as well.
I need to save money and forgo calories. And I suppose it won't kill me to try to eat "healthier."
Simple enough, right? Well, the tricky part is coming up with a game plan that is realistic for a family of four. It can't just be about me and what I eat. I've seen some of my girlfriends try this and it never works and I know me, I won't be satisfied with my rice cake while everybody around me is eating their Big Macs. That's just setting yourself up for failure.
Here's where I think I want to go with the diet thing. I don't have a lot of money, but I do have time lately since I don't have a job right now and my school load is light this semester. Time is a resource and I need to better use it to my advantage. Until now, we've always ate out a lot. We do this out of convenience mostly. But, sometimes because its cheaper than cooking at home. Don't believe me? Check out the prices of chicken breast at the grocery store, then compare it to the dollar menu at McDonalds.
Still with me? Ok. So, I remembered hearing about how Mediterranean cuisine is very healthy. I happen to love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food and Robby does too, so I decided to see if I could incorporate more of it into our weekly routine. The more I'm cooking the less we're eating out. And I wanted to see if this could be done on the cheap, too. I found a good website with recipes and even monthly menu ideas. What I liked most about the site is that it reminds its visitors that eating Mediterranean style is not just about the food. Its also about the when and how. Its about serving meals in courses, slow and in small, but delicious portions. You take the time to enjoy the food. This is key. And as the cook, you don't compromise on taste for convenience. Ever. You don't rush breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Bottom line; if you cook your meals from scratch or as close to scratch as you can, they will be healthier and they'll taste better.
But will they be cheaper?
Well, that's the real challenge, I think. And, my guess is, yes. If I cook the majority of my meals from scratch, I'll save money because I can cook in bigger batches so that we have quantity and quality. But, it will be a challenge. I will need to clip coupons and hit the farmer's market more often than I'm use to. And I'll need to organize and plan the meals out (and I'm not known for my organizational skills.)
Does every meal need to be taken from a secret Italian recipe? No. I think what I'll do is just work off the basic principles of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. They eat lots of veggies. So I will try to add more to our diet. This is a challenge with my kids. We'll see how it goes. But the main principle I think is fresh, basic ingredients. The less the food is processed, the better. If one day a week we would rather have Irish corned beef and cabbage instead of Lebanese Shawarma or Italian linguine in pesto sauce, as long as its homemade, we're doing good.
Will this really help me to not gain weight now that I'm not smoking, and wasn't that the whole point?
Well, yes it was the whole point. I don't know. We'll see. I'll try to keep a record of it. My thoughts on this are that by eating 3 squares a day (something I've never done before) I'll limit how much I want to snack throughout the day. And keep in mind, the food might be from scratch and taste fantastic, but the slowed down pace of eating in courses, ie: salad first, main course, fruit for dessert, should help to keep the portions of the high calorie foods down. That's the theory, anyway.
All I know is, I think its important to be realistic when considering a diet plan. I could never do what I've seen some people do to lose weight. I love food too much. And again, I have to come up with something that will work for my whole family, not just me.
I thought this was supposed to be a quick post? See, there's those organizational skills I need to work on.
I'm off now to start my homemade spaghetti sauce, so it will be ready in about 6 hours and get some studying done.
Here's the recipe if anyone cares to try it.
Maybe later I'll do a cost analysis on this homemade version compared to the price of what I would have normally made with canned sauce.
What week is this now? 4? I'm starting to lose track.
Last week I spent some time thinking about how I wanted to change my diet. Since my motivation for quitting smoking is largely based on economics, I think it follows too that my food choices reflect this as well.
I need to save money and forgo calories. And I suppose it won't kill me to try to eat "healthier."
Simple enough, right? Well, the tricky part is coming up with a game plan that is realistic for a family of four. It can't just be about me and what I eat. I've seen some of my girlfriends try this and it never works and I know me, I won't be satisfied with my rice cake while everybody around me is eating their Big Macs. That's just setting yourself up for failure.
Here's where I think I want to go with the diet thing. I don't have a lot of money, but I do have time lately since I don't have a job right now and my school load is light this semester. Time is a resource and I need to better use it to my advantage. Until now, we've always ate out a lot. We do this out of convenience mostly. But, sometimes because its cheaper than cooking at home. Don't believe me? Check out the prices of chicken breast at the grocery store, then compare it to the dollar menu at McDonalds.
Still with me? Ok. So, I remembered hearing about how Mediterranean cuisine is very healthy. I happen to love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food and Robby does too, so I decided to see if I could incorporate more of it into our weekly routine. The more I'm cooking the less we're eating out. And I wanted to see if this could be done on the cheap, too. I found a good website with recipes and even monthly menu ideas. What I liked most about the site is that it reminds its visitors that eating Mediterranean style is not just about the food. Its also about the when and how. Its about serving meals in courses, slow and in small, but delicious portions. You take the time to enjoy the food. This is key. And as the cook, you don't compromise on taste for convenience. Ever. You don't rush breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Bottom line; if you cook your meals from scratch or as close to scratch as you can, they will be healthier and they'll taste better.
But will they be cheaper?
Well, that's the real challenge, I think. And, my guess is, yes. If I cook the majority of my meals from scratch, I'll save money because I can cook in bigger batches so that we have quantity and quality. But, it will be a challenge. I will need to clip coupons and hit the farmer's market more often than I'm use to. And I'll need to organize and plan the meals out (and I'm not known for my organizational skills.)
Does every meal need to be taken from a secret Italian recipe? No. I think what I'll do is just work off the basic principles of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. They eat lots of veggies. So I will try to add more to our diet. This is a challenge with my kids. We'll see how it goes. But the main principle I think is fresh, basic ingredients. The less the food is processed, the better. If one day a week we would rather have Irish corned beef and cabbage instead of Lebanese Shawarma or Italian linguine in pesto sauce, as long as its homemade, we're doing good.
Will this really help me to not gain weight now that I'm not smoking, and wasn't that the whole point?
Well, yes it was the whole point. I don't know. We'll see. I'll try to keep a record of it. My thoughts on this are that by eating 3 squares a day (something I've never done before) I'll limit how much I want to snack throughout the day. And keep in mind, the food might be from scratch and taste fantastic, but the slowed down pace of eating in courses, ie: salad first, main course, fruit for dessert, should help to keep the portions of the high calorie foods down. That's the theory, anyway.
All I know is, I think its important to be realistic when considering a diet plan. I could never do what I've seen some people do to lose weight. I love food too much. And again, I have to come up with something that will work for my whole family, not just me.
I thought this was supposed to be a quick post? See, there's those organizational skills I need to work on.
I'm off now to start my homemade spaghetti sauce, so it will be ready in about 6 hours and get some studying done.
Here's the recipe if anyone cares to try it.
Maybe later I'll do a cost analysis on this homemade version compared to the price of what I would have normally made with canned sauce.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
More Incentive to Eat Less
I guess if there was ever a good time for me to start a diet plan.......
It's now.
I'll save money on cigarettes and food.
Is it time to stock up on the Special K?
It's now.
I'll save money on cigarettes and food.
Is it time to stock up on the Special K?
Taking It To The Next Level
(First, let me say that this post was originally much longer and detailed. Blogger ate it in the middle of editing the post. Don't you just love when stuff like that happens?) Ah, well, here's what did not get eaten....
Now that I've cleared the hurtle of physical addiction, its time to start thinking about "maintenance."
I believe that quitting smoking is a very personal experience. Since every smoker's habit is unique there is no one way to go about quitting that works for everyone. Through trial and error, we figure out what works best for ourselves.
For a lot of people, long-term success hinges on specific changes to routine and lifestyle. For others, it seems quitting smoking is only that - quitting smoking, nothing more. John The Smoker becomes, simply, John The Non-Smoker. He doesn't feel the need to change his evil ways and become John The Non-Smoker Church-Going Vegetarian." Now, this is perfectly fine for John, so long as certain unpleasant side effects don't pose a new challenge for him.
You know, like getting fat.
And this is right about where Blogger decided to flake out and eat the rest of my post. So, this here attempt will be my second to finish this bad boy and I'm pretty put out by it all, so I'll just cut to the chase......
I'm not like John, but I like to think I am. I like to think that I can just quit smoking and let that be it; to not have a need for comprehensive lifestyle "adjustments" such as diet and exercise. Frankly, I'm kinda lazy and it all sounds like more work than I'm willing to commit to. I feel like from here on out, my ability to resist smoking is pretty much in the bag, so why add on more restrictions and discipline needlessly?
That's what I'd like to think. The reality is, the last two times I started smoking again after quitting (once for three years) is largely because I wanted to lose the weight I had gained from quitting. It's no secret that smoking is an easy, fast way to shed pounds. And if there is one thing that will cause me to smoke again...its gaining weight. And we all know quitting smoking causes weight gain.
In order to avoid this little Catch-22, I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my diet and amount of daily exercise. I'm not happy about it.
Not one bit.
So there.
Now that I've cleared the hurtle of physical addiction, its time to start thinking about "maintenance."
I believe that quitting smoking is a very personal experience. Since every smoker's habit is unique there is no one way to go about quitting that works for everyone. Through trial and error, we figure out what works best for ourselves.
For a lot of people, long-term success hinges on specific changes to routine and lifestyle. For others, it seems quitting smoking is only that - quitting smoking, nothing more. John The Smoker becomes, simply, John The Non-Smoker. He doesn't feel the need to change his evil ways and become John The Non-Smoker Church-Going Vegetarian." Now, this is perfectly fine for John, so long as certain unpleasant side effects don't pose a new challenge for him.
You know, like getting fat.
And this is right about where Blogger decided to flake out and eat the rest of my post. So, this here attempt will be my second to finish this bad boy and I'm pretty put out by it all, so I'll just cut to the chase......
I'm not like John, but I like to think I am. I like to think that I can just quit smoking and let that be it; to not have a need for comprehensive lifestyle "adjustments" such as diet and exercise. Frankly, I'm kinda lazy and it all sounds like more work than I'm willing to commit to. I feel like from here on out, my ability to resist smoking is pretty much in the bag, so why add on more restrictions and discipline needlessly?
That's what I'd like to think. The reality is, the last two times I started smoking again after quitting (once for three years) is largely because I wanted to lose the weight I had gained from quitting. It's no secret that smoking is an easy, fast way to shed pounds. And if there is one thing that will cause me to smoke again...its gaining weight. And we all know quitting smoking causes weight gain.
In order to avoid this little Catch-22, I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my diet and amount of daily exercise. I'm not happy about it.
Not one bit.
So there.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Yawning Issue Has Subsided, Thank God
I have not officially adopted any new meditation or breathing techniques since my previous post on the yawning thing, but I did cut back on the caffeine and it seems to have helped.
Strange that out of control yawning would get better with less caffeine, but it did. I feel a whole lot less edgy too, which is something I was relating to nicotine withdrawal rather than a new sensitivity to my other beloved addiction, coffee.
Strange that out of control yawning would get better with less caffeine, but it did. I feel a whole lot less edgy too, which is something I was relating to nicotine withdrawal rather than a new sensitivity to my other beloved addiction, coffee.
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