In the mail recently I received a flyer from Marlboro. Inside it contained coupons worth $15 to purchase cartons of smokes. I seem to get one of these about once a month although it has been tapering off. Camel used to send them to me, too.
This is part of the aftermath of have quit smoking. I have been quit now for 7 months and still have no desire to start up again. The change in my life since then has been enormous, and all of it to the positive!
Since quitting I have gained a lot of weight. The "right kind" according to everyone, since it is muscle. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, weight is up, body fat is down. This comes from lifting weight 3-4 times a week, plus walking and hiking at least 4 miles on both Saturdays and Sundays.
Of course, to put on weight I needed to pay attention to the foods that I was eating. When I first began weights I started to chow down on anything and everything. But then a problem surfaced, or more accurately bulged. I got a terrible sized belly, or at least worse than it used to be, according to some people (beer belly, donch'a know!). So I had to watch and eat the "right" foods and eat in the "right" way. In other words, I went on a diet.
With the exercise I started to get natural highs going. Y'know, that burst of energy you have at the end of a really good workout. By rights you should be ready to sit and rest, but instead you want to start dancing or some other high-energy activity. I'm looking forward to summer when the pool is warm enough!
Along with the improved body appearance and energy comes a vastly improved self confidence. I've never been one to have low self confidence, but the difference now is that I act on it. That includes getting out more often and meeting many new people. But even with the new confidence I'm still not a great people person, which is why last weekend wore me out so badly.
Not that I'm going to let being worn down last weekend stop me from gearing back up again this weekend. After all I've had a week to regenerate. Tonight I am going to something, not sure exactly what. The eVite listed a location and said something about 200 people would show up. I've only come across 1-2 people that I've asked about it and it sounds like a social event that is not a "going to a bar" type thing. Looking at the Yes list, I know at least 1-2 people who will be there.
And finally by meeting so many people and renewed confidence and health my dating is starting to pick up. That can only be considered a good thing. Unless of course I end up on a date like this one!
So, those coupons from Marlboro are a pretty cheap bribe, and not nearly enough to take away all of the fabulous changes I've made for myself. I just wonder why I didn't quit 20 years earlier?
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