Day 3: The Sweet Smell of Progress

Today I experienced what a smoker smells like to an (almost) non-smoker. I discovered that the cigarette smell lingers, and is awful. Discovering that I smelled like that for the last 12 years was a cruel wake-up that simply drove home one of the reasons why I'm doing this.

Over the past two nights, I've eaten usual things for dinner. Foods smell much more appetizing now than they did when I ate them last. I could actually smell the spices in the Bertolli dinner, and the taste was more robust. Shocking! I wonder what else I'll eat that will smell much better to me.

The hardest time of the day seems to be from 3pm to 8 pm. That's when I seem to have a real nicotine fit. So I rub my patch like a Buddha belly and shove three pieces of gum in my mouth. I'm trying to keep my temper under control, but it's much harder during this time period.

Speaking of gum, I've discovered that the flavors are rather limiting: minty, fruity, or cinnamon (which I happen to be allergic to) so my options are either minty or fruity. I'm wondering if I can find any chocolate flavored gum. (Wrigley's? Trident? Call me.) I dont want to resort to eating chocolate to satisfy my sweet cravings - gaining weight is a side effect I want to avoid at all costs.

Chewing on those little stirrer straws at my desk helps when I dont want to chew gum. I'm trying to find something that will help me get through work meetings, since chewing gum or a straw isn't the best visual for my bosses.

I've managed to stay cigarette free for almost 3 whole days. I will admit, I've had a virus since Monday morning (Day 1) - being sick has made the early stages of quitting easier. My throat was so sore that the thought of a cigarette sent pain right to my throat.

Everyone has been really supportive, and that is the biggest help of all.