One of the first things you notice when you quit smoking—besides the constant urge to punch someone—is that your sense of smell and taste comes roaring back. At first, it’s a beautiful thing. That chicken salad sandwich? Divine. The smell of fresh bread? Like heaven. But then, something sneaky happens... you discover chocolate again. And donuts. And every sweet thing you’ve been ignoring while puffing your taste buds into submission.
When I quit smoking for eight years in Nicotine Anonymous, I was hit with this sugar train hard. At every meeting, there was a full-on bake sale—cookies, brownies, cakes—you name it. It was like trading one addiction for another, and guess what? That’s exactly what happened. I went from being a smoker to being an overeater. From 180 pounds to 250. My reward for being "clean"? Pre-diabetes.
This isn’t just a group problem either. A lot of people use cigarettes to suppress their appetite, so when the smoking stops, the hunger kicks in like a bear just out of hibernation. The problem is, nobody tells you that quitting smoking means you’ll want to eat everything in sight. And unfortunately, the Nicotine Anonymous group had this charming little motto: “No one ever died from being fat.”
Uh... yes. Yes, you can. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes—just to name a few. Let’s not kid ourselves. Addiction might change shape, but it can still kill you if you don’t keep an eye on it.
So what's the solution? It’s not complicated, but it’s not easy either: be mindful. Be mindful of your food, your activity, your why. Just because you quit smoking doesn’t mean your health journey ends there. It’s just the beginning.
Today, I’m celebrating some real progress—I’ve cut down from three packs a day to under one. I’m heading to Subway for lunch (no cookies, just a sensible sandwich), and I’m staying conscious of what goes into my body. Cigarettes and cupcakes aren’t the only ways to cope. They’re just the easiest.
I want to live. That’s the whole point of quitting in the first place, right? So I’m going to do it mindfully—one meal, one cigarette, and one breath at a time.
by Dan and Bonkers
SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS NOW!!!
