QUIT SMOKING! The first month is over and looking forward to the rest of them. Have tried so many times but never got anywhere near this far and this is THE final Quit.

Gave up trying to post fireworks. The frog shows how I feel.

I'm on the fence and have been for several years now about quitting. BF also smokes, so I think that sort of makes it double hard.

Whoo-Hoo for you!

Sue

You've crested the mountain and it's all downhill from now on. Good going!!!!!

It looks like that frog is stamping out the "smokes".

Ok Sue, you're next. All it takes is "will power". No patches, pills, or what ever else there is. It's all up to you and you alone. That first month is going to be a killer but after that, you're home free. I'll bet you that after you quit that reluctant BF will see that you did it and he'll quit also.

Once again, congrats to Sandy!!!!!

Book is "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. Picked up the book just before a 7 hr. drive to DD's for her birthday. She planned this when I was in my first week and just discovering that smoking wasn't part of car starting and driving. Was still fighting the urge to light up every time I got in the car. Really didn't think I'd go.

Sorry, gotta go to a class. More later. And thanks. I'm happy and proud of me too.

Hooray for you, Sandy!

I'm so happy for you. I quit almost four years ago, come Jan. 1st. The first month is a killer alright. In fact, the first three months are tough. After that, it's easy going. You will soon regain your keen sense of smell(if you haven't already,) and food tastes sooooooo much better. You will also feel better all-around, you won't be as susceptible(sp?) to cold viruses, and when & if you do get sick, you'll heal much faster than if you still smoked.

Clothes smell better too.

Keep up the good fight girl:)))

Sorry if this is hard to read, but fireworks look best on a dark background, and I had to change the text color too.
It's easier to read if you just highlight everything.

Julie

I can't offer any advice on quiting, since I've never had to quit myself, that is, being a non-smoker.

I do occasionally puff a good cigar(cuban) and I used to puff a cig now and then back in my younger days, but rarely inhaled...just puffed.

I dipped Skoal and chewed tobacco though, but it was never an addiction.

Seems as large as my family(cousins) is, none of us ever smoked regularly...apparently adds to longevity according to the doctors.

Keep up the will power, Sandy!

Kt

Bernie, I'm hoping it is all downhill from here. And I'm going to picture that frog stomping out the smokes if (guess I should say when) I get tempted. Thanks for the good wishes.

KT, if I'd listened to my body when I first tried it I wouldn't have been a smoker either. Parents came home to find me hunched over the tub with dry heaves. But my friends said that would get better with practice. (I remember that scene on our front porch like it was yesterday.) Boy did it ever!

How are things going...getting easier?
I remember sucking on sugarless candy for several weeks after quitting. At some point though, I didn't need to have something in my mouth all the time.

I wish hubby would stop. It's so annoying when he lights up while I'm trying to finish my breakfast...almost makes me gag!

Cigarette smoke used to make me want to light up, but now I can barely breathe around it. I remember reading that the smoke temparily paralyzes (sp?) the cilia in your lungs so that they can't move and can't work to move out harmful foreign substances out of your lungs. I used to get sick with colds much more often than I do now.

Hoping the will power is working at full steam, and hope you're feeling healthier day by day!

Julie

Ah, the sugarless candy. Thank goodness for that! Mine are cough drops. I bought a bag of 200 shortly before I quit and they're just about gone. But I've been buying them for a long time anyway. Needed them with me all the time for chronic cough. Always seemed to get worse in stores. Maybe too dry? I've often had to tell other shoppers it's just a cigarette cough, not contagous when I got "the look". Didn't take long to stop coughing once I quit. (Almost wondering if that's a good thing. Really wish my lungs would slough something back out.)

Anyway, it's getting easier and life is surely less complicated when you don't have to keep finding exits and excuses to use them. LOL.

Has the BF got on the bandwagon?

Take care, Bernie.

Poor little frog can relax a little more now...it's getting easier for us. But he's still very much on duty. :)

Sue is the one reluctant to try because BF still smokes. Wishing her luck and motivation.

Sandy

Still going strong, bernie. Thanks for thinking of me. Are you a former smoker?

Yes I was. It's been around 15 years or so. Smoked mostly pipe and occasionally a cigar. What got me to stop was going over to the parents house early in the morning to pick up my Dad to go fishing and here he is coughing for 5 minutes until he gets his cup of coffee. Seeing and hearing that got me to thinking because I was developing a cough myself. When my tobacco pouch was getting near the end, I said to myself "that's it" and so I just quit.

The best part of my quitting was my Dad. He said that he was going to try and quit. Mom, who was never a smoker, and I said to each other " this is going to last all of 1 week" but he stuck to it and quit also. After a month or so, you could go over to their house in the morning and it was quiet, no coughing.

I must have gotten mixed up with the BF's between you and Sue. Sorry.

And if Sue is reading this, come on get going!!!!!! You can do it. It's just like your dedication to the eradication of the spam, YOU CAN DO IT.

Take care, Bernie.

I'm rootin' for you!

I remember once I hit the three month mark, there was a big change...all desire to light up was gone, and I started getting bothered by DH's smoking. I finally realized what it was like for non-smokers to be near smokers. I sometimes had to leave the room where DH was smoking so I could breathe! I makes me gag to be around smokers now.

DH wants to stop, but still doesn't have the will power.

If Sue wants to stop, she will. She seems like a determined and dedicated person. Something has to happen to trigger that will power first...then going cold turkey is the best.

Keep up the great work, Sandy!

Hoping for Sue's will power to kick in soon, too!

Julie

Julie

I've, twice within the past year, canceled needed medical tests when I got back to the car to read instructions (where I could light up) that either the preparation or duration of the test exceeded my ability to go without. overnight! 4 hours! You've got to be kidding. I knew better than to think I could do it

So this is a real biggie, and I really appreciate the support from all of you.

Link is to a Quitnet video a member did. Quitnet is not very different from us here on GW. Just dedicated to keeping Quit. At the end of video KTQ means Keep the Quit.

Looks like a great supportive group with members you can count on to talk with day or night.

So did you ever get those "needed" medical tests done?
Just think of the freedom you have now, to enjoy a cleaner lifestyle, inside your body, and out!

Keep up the Quit, girl!

Julie

After watching the video (nice) I joined Quitnet. I have not set a quit date yet as I want to talk for BF this weekend about it and see if we can hopefully set the same date for quitting.

Did you just go with the free version, or did you sign up for the paid version? I forget how much the paid version is, but think it would be cool to see the tally of total savings from having quit.

What is your name there? I searched for breenthumb and it didn't come up. I'm assuming you are a poster there.

Might you be quit long enough to be my quitting support buddy? I'll have to read more about that.

Today I vowed to try and get some structure in my life...regular sleeping (or going to bed) hours.
Better and more consistent nutrition, along with cutting way back on Pepsi and cutting out the additional sugar in my coffee...(I do still use the chocolate creamer though and it is sweet).

I've gained weight and bulges and don't like the way my clothes fit, or don't fit. At this point I am pretty disgusting and disgusted with myself.

s

After reading your comment, At this point I am pretty disgusting and disgusted with myself. , I think you just took that first step to quitting. I've only have known you for a very short time but I can tell that you have will power. Anybody that can spend hours bumping spam, planting zillions of daffs, taking care of a house, and whatever else you do has the dedication and will power to do anything they want. You are ready for the next step........actually quitting the habit of smoking.

OK, enough preaching Bernie.

I wonder if being a closet quitter is a 'bad thing. Maybe Sandy can tell me.

Sue

There you have it Sue. My screen name and this mornings e-mail Quitnet Stats. (The "is this still your quit date?" stuff is over to the right like our "clippings", not really in the middle of stats. This is the basic (not Premium) Quitnet. Pretty darn nice for the price, I think. Lots more but want to get this posted.

Productivity wise I was NOT pleased with myself yesterday. I was pleased though with doing without the sugar in my coffee and cutting back on my Pepsi, and my meals. I also went to bed at a decent hour as planned.

I was really tired yesterday...maybe a lack of sugar or not enough coffee (only had 2 cups). I think the thought of quitting is upsetting/drepressing of itself, don't you agree?

Anyway, maybe as I get to doing better and have more structure, energy, self control with food, I will just in general be able to accomplish more and be more pleased with myself and my surroundings....thus gearing up to quit.

I talked to boyfriend this eve, and we agreed that sometime in Jan would be a good quit date, and that we will likely go with using the patches. I was reading last night that they are more successful if worn 2 weeks before quitting, something that was not advised long ago.

ttyl...off to accomplish some things inside so I can 'play' outside this afternoon.

Julie

Almost time for Sue to quit too, if she says she's going for sometime in January.

Julie

Sue, you have Welcome mail in your Quitnet mailbox whenever you're ready.

On the other hand, TOMORROW, is always a good day, but never gets it done.