Meet Amy: "Now I know I can do anything!"

After smoking for more than 35 years, Amy Soricelli quit smoking cold turkey on February 8th.   Every day that she doesn’t smoke, she adds another 2 hours and 45 minutes to her life expectancy and $12.75 to her bank account. And for the first time in her life, Amy is interested in nutrition.

“I never paid attention to stuff that had to do with diet or nutrition. I figured that because I was a smoker, there was no point in doing anything for my health. Now, for the first time, I feel like I deserve to eat a healthy diet.

“Of course, I knew that smoking was bad for me. Both my parents smoked and my mother died of pancreatic cancer.  I’d see those anti-smoking commercials on TV but they didn’t motivate me. When they’d come on, I’d start talking louder to cover them up, but my husband and daughter knew perfectly well what I was doing.

“Then a couple of months ago I had a strange pain in my chest. I went online to look it up (never a good idea) and decided I had pleurisy. But I didn’t want to go to a doctor because I knew he’d ask me if I smoked and I’d have to say, “yes.”  Somehow it felt like I couldn’t go see a doctor about the pain in my chest unless I could go in there and tell him I had quit smoking.

“I finally realized how ridiculous it was. And so, after 35 years, I quit smoking—cold-turkey. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

“I was really worried about gaining weight when I quit smoking and my friend Rebecca suggested that I go onto NutritionData and ask for suggestions about foods I could snack on that would be healthy.”

“I was totally surprised at the reinforcement I got on ND. The suggestions and support from Monica and other ND users really helped. I’ve gained a little bit of weight but to be honest, I’ve always been a little too thin. I think I look better now. But I still want to pay attention so that I don’t get heavy.

“I really didn’t know anything about nutrition. Like I said, all that seemed to be for other people.  I’ve learned a lot in a short period of time.  Just today, my friend and I decided to find out how many calories we should be eating, using the Daily Needs Calculator.”

“Since I quit smoking, I feel so much better. I guess I didn’t realize how bad I felt before. For me, it was just “normal.” But now I can run a block to catch the bus without being winded for fifteen minutes. I have more energy. My skin and hair look healthier. All of a sudden, I want to do more for my health. It just didn’t seem worth it before.

“I’ve started exercising, for one thing. I’m not afraid to got to the doctor or dentist The pain in my chest turned out to be nothing serious, but it was important because it finally forced me to take the dangers of my smoking habit seriously! Now I find myself thinking about what I can put in my body that will make me even healthier. I’m eating healthy foods that I never used to care about, like fish and nuts. I feel like I deserve to eat better now.

“Reading the blogs and using the tools on Nutrition Data, I’m starting to learn what foods and nutrients do for you and what kinds of things to choose. For example, I have a very small frame and after smoking for my whole life, I know I’m at risk for osteoporosis, so I’m trying to get more calcium.

“My goal now is to put together a regimen of foods that I’m comfortable with and that are healthy for me—and the right number of calories so that I can stay a healthy weight. And now my friend has gotten into it, too. We’re both using NutritionData’s tracking tools to keep track of what we’re eating.”

“Now I feel that anything is possible. I tell myself, there’s nothing you can’t do. You quit smoking!”

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