Giving back to yourself.

[lee76]

I think tomorrow Im going to start a healthy diet and exercise program. Im doing it to lose a bit of weight, yes, but mostly to try to be a bit healthier and give back to myself. Through years of smoking, I think some of us forget how to appreciate ourselves and our bodies. I mean, if you truly appreciated your body, would you continue to put over 4,000 toxic chemicals in it a day? It becomes normal just to disregard what our bodies are trying to tell us and push the idea of our health slightly under the rug. It's not that a lot of us even consciously think "Oh, Im not going to take care of myself" but somewhere I believe that's the message that smoking sends. Somewhere it says that you dont deserve enough to be healthy and free from your addiction.

So I figure that this will be a good way of consciously giving myself back some appreciation. Ive already started in the last week or so trying to take good care of my skin, and it seems to be working nicely. Ive also been trying to eat more vegetables and will have at least one cup of green tea a day, since I enjoy it and it's ridiculously healthy for you. But tomorrow I want to try and start altering my diet a bit more so that most of what Im eating is on the healthier side. Also, I want to incorporate some exercise into my routine since its a good stress reliever and it's obviously good for you. Im hoping too that all of this will help me to realize that just like everyone else, I am deserving of being healthy and I do deserve to feel that self-appreciation, contrary to the message that smoking has so long delivered.

Ive been looking up a lot of natural, sort of do-it-yourself skin remedies lately and I know when I mentioned this before, some of you seemed interested. I recently tried a green tea mask and my skin looked really refreshed after. Here's a picture: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a53/angels_never_die/skin2.jpg

If any of you are curious about any of it, send me a message, and Ill give you some links. You can join me in my self-appreciation/awesome skin quest! Hahah.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well. Keep to your quits! Its not something you want to lose!

[Ex_Nancy]

I couldn't see the 1st pic because your settings needed a password, bit I saw on the 2nd photo how perfect your skin is...wow...please keep me posted....AND just so you know, there are quit a few of us here that DO exercise...ie.Aztec and Glinda....and moi....so we can keep in touch with that too...PROTECT THAT QUIT!!

[lois13]

you are right about taking care of our self , we need to do that, tell us more about the green tea for the skin, hold on to your quit

[zinamarie]

Hey there.... I am exercising too!  And loosing weight!  Too much!  lol

I think it's a natural progression.  I realized, all the nasty stuff I had been putting into my body with the cigarettes, then they were gone, then with the sugar, then it was gone, then with some meds, trying to get some of them gone, etc.  And exercise.... it's like a new pair of jeans!  Have fun!  Protect Your Quit.

[2012_is_for_me]

I commend you for taking care of yourself in every aspect.  While probably much younger than most of us here (well, at least me!), you're showing us positive steps to take and I appreciate your tips.  It helps and I thank you.  Keep moving forward in your quit; don't look back and be all that you can be.  You're awesome!

[lee76]

Thanks everyone! And thanks for the compliment Nancy 🙂 Glad you're all doing well with your quits.

[Connie55]

My exercise program has been very instrumental in reinforcing my quit because I can measure how I am progressing since I have stopped poisoning myself. It is also a great release of stress and anxiety which used to be two of my biggest smoking triggers. Now exercising takes care of that.