~~Fitness isn't a punishment; it's a blessing. Nutrition isn't restrictive; it's healing. Health isn't a one-size-fits-all thing and may not look the same for everyone, but it is something worth fighting for.~~ Festini Fitness
~~Exercise is a celebration of what you can do, not a punishment for what you ate.~~ Unknown
Why is it, do you think, that when we deprive ourselves of something we want....even if it's not good for us...we see it as a punishment. We resent that we 'have to' exercise for our hearts. We hate that we can't have that slab of chocolate cake for dessert. We move grudgingly into better health, missing that after dinner drink, that first morning cigarette, that extra bread with dinner.
Addiction, whether it's to nicotine or food or alcohol or street drugs or pharmaceuticals, makes our brains feel so good that when we take the addiction out of our lives, we feel deprived. Cheated. Resentful.
But in reality? Your body needs to be free of addiction so that you can call it home for a long, long time. It needs to be rid of chemicals that kill it's cells...it needs to be free from those chemicals that make it sluggish and unresponsive. It needs to breathe cleanly. It needs to be light enough to move you through 24 hours every single day for the rest of your life.
And when you take good care of yourself? Your body moves better, breathes better, recovers better, is happier, is healthier, is....finally....being allowed to do what it is made to do. Keep you alive.
Quitting smoking? What a joy!! What a celebration of life!! It's a marvelous, wondrous, miraculous gift you are giving yourself 
It's something to look forward to. It's something to get excited about. It's something to be happy about. You are giving yourself a chance to live a better life.
I can't tell you to not be resentful. I can't tell you to not be angry or depressed about your quit. It's your choice to go into your quit anyway you want to. But I can say with 100% certainty that you are doing a great thing for yourself!! I can say with 100% certainty that your body needs you to quit so it can live. I can say with 100% certainty that you will never regret quitting. In fact, you will thank yourself for the rest of your life
Quiting Smoking Is Not Punishment, It Is The Road To Freedom
