Almost 1 year smoke free

I'm an American male in my early 30s. I decided to quit smoking last year on October 12th, two days before my 31st birthday. I had smoked on and off for a few years but had pretty much been a pack a day for two years.

What made the date to quit easy was that I wanted to say I quit "by the time I was 30", and on October 12th, I was still 30 years old for 48 hrs.

Secondly, I suffer from anxiety and hypochondria and my phobia finally caught up with my smoking and I noticed a very slight, occasional, smokers cough beginning which made me think I should quit. Third, I told many friends and family and didn't wanna make a fool of myself by not being able to quit, even though I'm sure people would understand because it is difficult.

A few observations I noticed as soon as I quit smoking:

1. Much snippier and short-tempered. This subsided a bit after about two-three months, but it was evident.

2. Something that hasn't subsided as much is a much lower tolerance for aggravating things. I find myself more assertive to stand up and complain whereas I used to just say whatever and lite a cigarette. If there was someone I didn't like, I used to just shrug. Now I'm more likely to say "Screw off". I didn't used to be like that. That could also be me getting a bit older as well.

3. Taste for alcohol. I'm not a big drinker at all, and I noticed almost immediately after quitting that my body was aching for some kind of "buzz" feeling. That "high buzz" of a cigarette after a meal or something. I started drinking much more alcohol, which resulted in weight gain and heartburn.

4. Increase in appetite. This happened within a week or so of quitting. At times I almost seemed like a glutton.

5. Weight gain. This is #1. I gained about 30-40 lbs within a 9 month period. This came in about three 10-15 lb increments every few months. This was almost certainly a result of excessive eating and higher intake of alcohol.

6. Sluggishness. Despite being healthier by not smoking, I must admit that between the weight gain, the anxiety, and the fact that I actually enjoyed smoking, I will admit I "felt" far more energetic when I was a smoker than I do now. That could be because of the weight gain or a lack of exercise, but I am a bit surprised my energy level is so low after going cold turkey smoke free for about a year.

Overall, my advice would be to watch your food and alcohol intake, and try not to gain weight or become too snippy.

Good luck!