~*~Stop Smoking 2008~*~

[aim in Fla*working]

I had to eliminate my booze for a while..and I really suggest going to strict low carb..even meat and egg..I felt sick for a few days but i did NOT want to smoke..

[BunChucker]

I have to cut out the booze and I have been low carbing since Sunday.

Luckily, I am broke ($) so that should help with not buying cigs/beer/carby food!!!

[Boudica]

Welcome Buns!

Hopefully you can find other outlets on the weekends. Perhaps you should try cleaning!

Sounds weird but it REALLY worked for me. The first 4 days of my cold turkey quit, I washed every single piece of clothing in my closet.....mine AND DH's. Get all the cigarette smell out of them.

I also cleaned out my car and febreezed the hell outta everything.... car...chairs....couch. I cleaned off all the fans, cleaned out the central air vents, washed the bathroom towels...... You'd be amazed at what all STINKS of cigarette smoke! Even if you don't smoke in your house, you pass the smell from cloth to cloth.

Hang in there!
~D

[SheriK]

Good Morning everyone. I actually slept pretty good last night. Feel pretty good this morning (except for the sore legs from working out yesterday). Coughing up some really icky stuff. Glad my body is starting to clear out.

Have a great, smoke-free day!!!!

[BarbDe]

You know what? I never went through that coughing up the icky stuff. Weird.

[aim in Fla*working]

QUOTE=BarbDe;9757318]You know what? I never went through that coughing up the icky stuff. Weird.[/quote]

LOL! Okay i you are eating DO NOT READ...

but i never coughed up icky stuff either BUT..........
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I did sneeze hard with my mouth open and something FLEW OUT and hit my computer screen that looked like something HUGE...I think smokers get mucus plugs in there bronchi and sometimes they cough up pretty solid material...Put it this way...when it happened...I NEVER wanted another cig....
EVER

[Gracie514]

Hello everyone! Thanks for the kind words

Buns: I went through the same thing......I think it's best to avoid alcohol for at least the first 3 weeks. The first time I drank after quitting was at our camp in Deep Creek and I made sure there were NO cigarettes or smokers with us. Believe me, if I could have gotten my hands on one I would've smoked! I was begging my hubby to go to the store and get me a pack and he refused. I'm so glad that he didn't get me them. Best if you don't put yourself in that situation at all.

I too went through that whole coughing up dark green "seaweed" looking stuff I'm guessing it's stuck to your lungs.....that is so gross.

Sheri: You are doing great and should be proud of yourself. Exercise is the best way to keep your cravings away. My aunt quit a year ago tomorrow and she was a smoker for over 40 years! Now she goes to the gym 3 times a week and swears by it. Keep truckin......it's worth it.

[BunChucker]

Well, I'm on day 2. I feel good, not having any strong cravings.

Thanks for all your support. I plan on cleaning to keep me busy, and believe me, my house could keep me busy for a long time. Recently, I've had 6 people move out of my house (my kids and grandkids), also my husband died a little over 2 yrs ago and I still have a bunch of junk that all of them left behind. So, I plan on doing alot of clutter control.

As for drinking, I really am trying to cut back alot on that. Which means for now, I don't want to have any.

Good thoughts to all who are going through this!!!

[SheriK]

It seems like for smokers, alcohol and cigs go hand in hand. I too have decided not to drink for awhile. Of course, being on induction helps with that as well. It is a very difficult thing to do, and my first big test will come Friday when the office goes out and has a drink after work. I will drink a diet coke. I thought I'd ask the bartender to put it in a drink glass with one of those little straws to make it look like a mixed drink.

I had another very sudden craving yesterday when work got exceptionally stressfull. One of the girls I work with took me by the hand and walked me around the outside of the building for a couple of minutes and it passed. I am so grateful for the support I am receiving both here and at work. It is not so hard at home, as the hubby is away on business right now and has vowed that until he is ready to quit, he will not smoke in the house.

Hanging tough agains the nicotine monster.

[SonyaK]

Sheri, one of the most helpful things I learned in the last how to quit class I took was to repeat this phrase over and over again. "This craving will pass rather I smoke or not."

This craving will pass rather I smoke or not
This craving will pass rather I smoke or not
This craving will pass rather I smoke or not


It really pulled me through some tough cravings last time I tried to quit.

[aim in Fla*working]

Originally Posted by SheriK

It seems like for smokers, alcohol and cigs go hand in hand. I too have decided not to drink for awhile. Of course, being on induction helps with that as well. It is a very difficult thing to do, and my first big test will come Friday when the office goes out and has a drink after work. I will drink a diet coke. I thought I'd ask the bartender to put it in a drink glass with one of those little straws to make it look like a mixed drink.

I had another very sudden craving yesterday when work got exceptionally stressfull. One of the girls I work with took me by the hand and walked me around the outside of the building for a couple of minutes and it passed. I am so grateful for the support I am receiving both here and at work. It is not so hard at home, as the hubby is away on business right now and has vowed that until he is ready to quit, he will not smoke in the house.

Hanging tough agains the nicotine monster.

I would not even be able to GO to the happy hour for the first few months..I told my friends..sorry to be lame but I am outta sight for a while...IT is awesome that you had the support of your coworkers I LOVE THAT

[blueenough]

Forgive me for intruding in your thread, but I just had to tell you that I'm very proud of you for quitting smoking. I smoked from the time I was about 15 until I was 33, so I understand how difficult quitting can be. I even remember telephone poles looking like cigarettes as I drove home from work the first few weeks after quitting. I need to tell you, though, that you are doing the right thing by quitting. My husband quit at the same time I did, but started back to smoking a year later. Finally, in 2000, he quit for good, which was a good thing because this last June, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had to have 1/3 of his lung removed. While he was in intensive care, his heart went out, he had tubes coming out of his lungs draining into a container, and he was taking so much medicine that he thought everyone was trying to kill him. It was a horrible experience. For the past five month, he's been taking chemo treatments, which hopefully will end at the end of February. He's had such a terrible time breathing because of the partial lung removal and the chemo. He's also lost so much weight. As his wife, I'm scared to death I may lose him Only 15-16 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are alive five years later. As a former smoker, I know no one wants to hear about this type of thing, but I just had to share this with you'll. If reading my story helps even one of you continue to stay on target (quitting), then I'll feel I have been successful in warning you. Good luck to you all.

[aim in Fla*working]

thanks blue....I hope you can hange your name soon to happyenough when he is recovering better...I will pray for you both
Thank you SO much for sharing...i will email your message to my bf who quit with me.

[Boudica]

... and I will keep you and DH in my .

I, too, am going to copy and paste blueenough's story to my computer then have my DH read it when he gets home from training.

Although he has quit, he never REALLY quit. He would go days and weeks without smoking and then BAM... start smoking *behind my back*.

A couple of days before he left for training, he just out and out told me that he WANTS to smoke and that I need to just deal with it.

So, I said OK. What else can I say?!?!??!

BUT... no smoking around ME, no smoking in the HOUSE, no smoking in the CAR and smelly cigarette clothes do NOT get put into the closet hampers... his hamper goes into his military room. I do NOT need to smell residual smoke and it doesn't need to seep out into the closet into MY clothes.

So I gots my rant for the day out of the way ! YEAH!

How is everyone feeling? SheriK? SonyaK? Goodformelowcarb? BunChucker? BarbDe? Amy? Anyone else I forgot?

Check in on this GREAT FRIDAY!
~D

[aim in Fla*working]

I feel GREAT. I am under tremendous stress and i am going to talk to my principal re; my dept head and subject area leader NOT doing there jobs. I am SO NOT A NARK...but know I am getting thrown under the bus for nothing...while they are not doing heir jobs..still I do not want a cigD

[blueenough]

Thank you for your prayers. That's what kept me going these past months.

I didn't know how you would respond to my post--mainly because I've always had to learn everything the hard way. I've been stubborn, never listening when I should have. Getting older makes me realize I should have heeded some people's advice when I heard it. Anyway, I know what you mean about trying to get someone else to do what you want that person to do. When my dh and I quit smoking, I had no idea he had resumed it. I was driving down the street when I passed him going in another direction with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. I almost ran off the road. It's the only time in our entire marriage that I actually threatened to leave him if he didn't quit smoking. He didn't though. He always tried to hide it from me, chewing gum, gargling with mouthwash before he came home from work. I have no idea how he managed to go all weekend without smoking, but he did. The surgeon told him that he wouldn't be alive today if he hadn't quit in 2000.

I find myself now wanting to tell everyone I see what the repercussions of "the joy of smoking" can be. I have to stop myself from lecturing people outside WalMart sitting under the canopies, dragging on their cigarettes. What you need to also understand is that I teach high school, so when I saw all your beautiful faces, I couldn't help but try to keep you from hurting yourselves. You are my future--the future of this great country. As Spock said, I want you to "live long and prosper."

[Boudica]

Blue ~

The more info we get out here... the more life experiences.... the better of a chance people will have to quit and stay quit. I know your story REALLY touched a nerve in me and will definitely keep me motivated not to smoke again and to put some more pressure on the hubby to quit.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. It is mightily appreciated!

[Gracie514]

Hello everyone, hope you are all having a healthy, happy, smoke-free day!

Blue: I have said prayers for you and your hubby. Thankfully my DH is not a smoker. His father passed away in 2000 from lung cancer. He was a BIG smoker, about 3-4 packs a day for over 40 years. He had quit a couple years prior to getting the cancer but they didn't catch it until it had spread to his brain. I was 27 years old then and watched him suffer and do you believe I still smoked. You never think it's going to happen to you. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

I get so very upset that this horrible drug is even legal. They hook you when you are young and stupid. You think you're just gonna do it for a little while and then bam it's 20 years later and you are a full-blown addict. Again, I curse the day I ever put a cigarette in my mouth. Sorry for the rant......

Everyone have a peaceful non-smoke weekend. We can all beat it.

[Sweetpea]

Just stopping by to say to all of you : Don't give up you can do it ---
GOOD LUCK --

[SheriK]

Day 7 of no cigs for me. I am so excited that I have made it this far. The mental cravings are fewer and fewer. I know they will never go away, but that is something I can live with.

aim in Fla*working - How's it going? Hanging in there?

Sonya - thanks for the support and phrase. When it gets tough, I walk around the office saying "I don't need that". It really does seem to help.

BunChucker - How's it going for you? This should be day 4 right? You can do this!!!

Everyday I feel stronger, healthier, victorious. My life is no longer dictated by a white stick. My life is no longer dictated by food. Now my life is dictated by what I want to do. I love this feeling.

[aim in Fla*working]

yep.I wanted a smoke for 10 seconds yesterday...that is it. Also, I am losing weight again!

[SheriK]

Wow, I didn't think that one week would make such a difference. Hubby came home Friday and we went out to dinner last night. We took his truck so he could smoke on the way there, and after he lit up I thought I was gonna puke. He didn't smoke another one in the truck the rest of the night. He stood outside and smoked it.

Hanging in another day.

[aim in Fla*working]

oh, the smell makes me gag-SheriK
I think i am one of those anti-cig reformed smokers, LOL!
Well I am 134.5 which is a pound less than last week. I need to focus on the loss per week than feeling the disappointment of NOT being where I would be after TOM before IBS and quitting smoking...which is 127-129. Bryan is weighing me and measuring me weekly and we are documenting it
He's my coach
How is everyone else doing?
I am 42 days free of smoking!

[Boudica]

TO ALL!

I am doing REALLY well considering I've been back on Induction since 1 Jan and have lost 6+ pounds! And that is with TOM starting yesterday!

Amy ~ I, too, measure as well (Tuesday mornings) and, although I haven't lost anywhere else, I HAVE lost 1.75 inches in my waist! Oh how glorious a feeling it is to see the measuring tape shrink! I think I like that more than seeing pounds drop!

SheriK ~ Like Amy, I also canNOT STAND the smell of cigarette smoke and it makes me in my mouth a little. I've noticed that, if someone who smokes comes near me in a grocery store, I have to walk out of their area of scent because I don't want food after that! UGH

To both of you and I hope for your continued success. You can do this!!!

I hope goodformelowcarb, SonyaK and Bun Chucker are doing well out there!

Gracie & blueenough

To anyone I missed, HI & HUGS!
~D

[Gracie514]

Hello everyone!

Today is 107 days for me! I can't believe I've come this far!

This past weekend was a challenge. We went to a friends house on Saturday to watch the 2 play-off games. I had a few beers and then the stupid cravings started. My best friend still smokes which makes it harder.
I did NOT have one but I did want one. Will it ever be easy????? What's funny is when I was pregnant with both of my children I had no trouble quitting. But now that it's for me I struggle

Everyone hang in there

[aim in Fla*working]

107 days...it is not a habit anymore and it is not an addiction anymore!!!
you HAVE done it.

[SonyaK]

Hello Laides! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I quit smoking last night. I have been on the Chantix for 10-11 days now and could only smoke a puff or two here and there anyway.

I also read "Quitting Smoking The Easy Way" by Allen Carr, cover to cover, last night. And then just for good measure I uploaded a hypnosis CD I got from Audible onto my nano and did a session before I went to sleep.

Today, so far, has been easy. I would be hard press to say which of the three methods I would give the most credit too -- but I am thinking if I only had one - I would go with the book. Awesome awsome and thank you from the bottom of my heart to who ever recommended it!

I am wishing you all the best and sending good vibs!