Anyone who has struggled to quit anything knows what I am talking about. The constant telling yourself that you will stop tomorrow. That you will start your diet after the party next week, or quit smoking after one last night out drinking.
The thought has gone through my head a few times today that I should just go grab a coffee and a cigar and start tomorrow but this time I am firm. January 5th is the day and there is no turning back now, and that in itself is a super good feeling.
In case anyone is wondering why January 5th and not 1st, it is for a two reasons. The first reason is that the first four days of this fast are going to be the worst. It takes about four days for your body to begin to balance itself. In four days the nicotine and caffeine will be mostly out of your system, and the chemicals in your body will have done a lot of their re-balancing.
So, we start on a Thursday so that your worst day falls on a Sunday, which is hopefully a day off. The last time I scheduled it like this by accident and I feel like it saved the whole project. On day four I just asked for nothing from myself and read an relaxed and it was good.
After four days you start having to learn new habits which is also not super easy, but the first four days are the worst. Reading my journal from the first time I did the Challenge is pretty hilarious, I am pretty sure I nearly lost my mind.
That brings me to my second point. The last time I did this I went from drinking and chain smoking to dead stop. I was so out of it I could hardly focus my eyes. I figured that trying to begin right after a million Christmas parties and New Years parties might have the same effect.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I am still feeling bloated and full and have the constant temptation of chocolate everywhere, so I am pretty happy that I am not doing this on the first.
Other than that, today has been substantially easier than my first time doing the Challenge. I am also really happy with all my goals, as having things to occupy my mind has been a major blessing. I will probably take it easy for the rest of the day though as I can feel myself crashing pretty hard.
I am planning to take my niece out tobogganing next as my social thing for the day. Then I will probably read and relax for the rest of the evening as the evening is always the hardest point in the day.
One last thing, Wow I drank lots of water today. I realized that weirdly the craving feeling resides in my mouth. My mind doesn’t feel like it cares if it is sweets, cigarettes, or alcohol. I tried to trick it with water but I am not sure it is working.