When I first noticed it was in early recovery and I was at my friends and she had made stew. It was something that was only so, so when I made it. It was eatable, but I never considered all that great. This day at her place, I was reaching for the third bowl of it, I thought, "Whoa! This is good, you really are not all that fond of stew, and you are not hungry, why are you reaching for more?" Plus I was eating bread along with the stew.
The better example was with my cigarettes, like standing in the middle of my living room floor with my legs crossed lighting my cigarette so I could go to the bathroom. I feel hungry, it isn't time to eat yet, so I will have a cigarette. I feel hungry, but I just ate not too long ago, don't want to eat again. I am hungry, but Kevin isn't due home for another hour, I'll wait for him, I'll have a cigarette. I am really angry, why is he taking so long, and I light another cigarette. Oh when did I light that one? Oh well, another one wasted. He said he would be right home, it doesn't take this long, "puff" "puff" and I am not going to do this again, "puff" "puff" and he hadn't better not give me a hard time when he gets home, "puff" puff" and....
Cigarettes more than any other substance stuffed more feelings for me and when I quit them in 1998, I had been using them for 39 years. They were the hardest things to quit until I used the NA program. Instead of substituting food, I used the spiritual food of NA to fill me up. I lost 3 lbs. instead of gaining 30 lbs.
Just for today, I choose not to use.