I have stopped SMOKING!

“AMAZING, isn't it?

<SMILES>



What I've heard is that tiny el cheapo Crackerjack-type games are good to keep your hands busy in the interim... bending paperclips... How about a Rubik's Cube keychain? <G>

(and I chewed a TON of sugarless gum)”

“keep it up!”

“Good Luck, WLD...

It's been 4 years, 4 weeks exactly for me... and they're right about the weight... but I'm working on that, and as health hazards go, the latter's easier to live with.”

“Way to go, WLD! You're doing alot better than me. I haven't bought a pack since 11/16, though I have cheated and snitched a smoke or two. I too am wrestling with the associations. You are now my inspiration!”

“WLD,


good for you!!

keep it up.

Dec 1st was 9 months for me!!”

“Way Ta Go, Guys!”

“Sounds like a lot of gear money by now!”

“well if I didnt stop smoking and paid $7.00 per pack this would be the break down

5 packs per week @ 7.00 = $35.00

$35.00 x 4 weeks per month = 140.00

$140.00 x 12 months = $1680.00

Total savings for 1 year....


$1680.00”

“You've been great, Maple Baby! Proud of ya!!!!”

“When I quit a little over two years ago, here's what I figured:

1.7 packs per day,
620.5 packs per year,
62 cartons per year @ $23 each...

$1426


(cigarettes are lots cheaper down here -- but I was smoking a heckuva lot more of 'em!)”

“holy crapola, that's a lot of money! i'm glad all you people stopped. you know, my dad had his lungs X-rayed like 10 years after he'd stopped, and the doctor still knew he'd been a smoker, because his lungs were still cloudy!”

“I quit years ago as of 10 AM today.”

“5 years ago, duh!”

“only seems that long, huh LS?

congrats to all of you reformed smokers. keep it up!”

“thats probably the best thing ALL smokers can do!”

“Tommorrow - BBQS Day.”

“I spend about $5000 a year on Cigars.

8)

I have about 1 to 3 a day and the price can range around $4 to $15 ea.”

“Problem with hands...

Discipline. All the games in the world won't solve that problem.

It's a matter of relearning behaviors not sublimating actions. Keep trying. You have done a great job to this point. If you have to, sit on your hands...sublimation doesn't work..discipline does. If you can stop taking the stuff into your lungs, you can take those times when your focus is on your hands and simply use a disciplined focus not to do anything with your hands....it works. Just takes practice and discipline...you have the discipline, and you are used to conditioning..so far what you are and your physical conditioning are working to your advantage. Don't try to sublimate little tricks and games with your hands and your focus to replace damned hard work. You can do it, you are doing it, and keep us posted. Congrats..21 days without cigs is a great milestone. But the worst is yet to come...fair warning. Be disciplined and be tough...you can do it.”

“Keep it up folks, quitting smoking is really important. I just found out that my Mom who smoked for 40 years before quiting at age 60, was just diagnosed at 67 with early stage emphasema. She was having more and more trouble breathing during walking, and at first thought it was a heart valve issue, but it turns out that it is her lungs. I don't know what this means for her future yet, but I'm a bit scared.

So quit smoking and stick with it, even though it is really tough to do. It can really add years to your life. My Mom's relatives normally live into their nineties.”

“Sorry to hear about your mom's health problems. Smoking must be a wicked habit to shake because most people know what it can do to them and they just have a hard time quitting, if they quit at all.”

“I was reading up on it at a website, and they recommended that people who have quit smoking should take Vitamin A, Co-enzyme Q10, Vitamin C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, L-Carnitine, magnesium, potassium if needed and Taurine, all to aid in the rebuilding of the tissues and circulation in the lungs.”

“I always heard that if you quit smoking for 15 years that the body can repair itself in that time. Not really sure about that though. You'll have to give her that list of supplements and see if she would take them.”

“Day 33 or 34 hmmm, maybe 35 I am not sure anymore...”

“It should be getting easy by now...eh?”

“Sounds like you're over the hump, WLD! You ought to be completely over the mania by now, <GRIN> Congratulations!!


So sorry to hear about your mom, Lyndy. My grandfather had a serious case of emphasema, but he smoked for like 60 years (~1910-1970).”

“60 years Tilt, wow, he was pretty tough to last that long with smoking! Although apparently some people have a different gene setup that makes them more suseptable to emphysema than others, causing them to get the illness at a much younger age, like in their thirties. Actually my Mom takes a lot of vitamins already but I'll talk to her about the few that are probably not on her list. The website said that they were not sure that supplements had any affect on people that were already into emphysema. They strongly recommended them for people who had ordinary smoking damage to lungs, in order to prevent emphysema and cancer.”

“Oh and congrats to those of you who are still off of the cigarettes. I'm sure that the holidays make it harder, but you people are hanging tough.”

“Yep, he got the emphasema, but he really worked at it. I think he smoked unfiltered cigarettes for the first 50 years!

Even after seeing what he went through, I smoked for about 20 years, EINSTEIN that I Am, LOL. I quit just over two years ago... I think I'll look into those vitamins, etc.!”

“Keep it up folks. Even if you slide once, quit again and again and again until it sticks. That's what it took for me and I wasn't a very heavy smoker.”

“Won't hurt you. I had started taking them because I had read in a fitness book that they were good if you had trouble breathing during exercise (like when I am hiking up a mountain with a 35 lb pack). Something about helping to get the oxygen into the blood stream and into muscle cells in a more efficient manner. Because of holidays I haven't been able to do much other than calisthenics and pushups, to test whether things have improved. I suspect the improvement would take several months though. Also I started this soy diet, and I feel pretty perky, either from that or the vitamins, who knows.

Anyway I guess the vitamins are to help anyone who wants to improve or heal their pulmonary system. Here is the site emphysema”

“darn it!

emphysema”

“Thanks, I'll check it out.

One of the things that's really noticeable to me after quitting (besides being able to breathe again) is that my fingers and toes don't get nearly as cold! Improved circulation, I guess.”

“The biggest problem is I have not found anything to do with my hands or my mouth.... You wouldn't think this would be that big of a dilemma"

Wait a sec here, this is not so difficult...just have sex more often, that takes care of that dilemma - Next!!

(As a single female, I can't understand how that's a problem..lol"”

“I have 4 cigs left. I am going to quit. In about one hour I will be a non-smoker. Cause I will smoke those last 4 cigarettes like it's the end of the world.

I Bought my patch and all this other good stuff. Hike my butt off right now so I don't gain any weight...

It is kind a strange. The cigarettes I bought lasted exactelly to one day of my 40th b-day. Maybe that's a good sign huh? Maybe i am really going to make it this time.

I need support!!!”

“If you want to live a long, healthy, positive quality of life going into your later life, you have made a great decision. Congratulations.

Toss the extra cigs..that's simply a way of putting something off. Ditch all your paraphrenalia...ashtrays, Bics, matches, or anything else that has to do with smoking (you won't need them ANYMORE..you just quit). Change your our exercise lifestyle habits to include more cardio and calorie reducing workouts...don't pick up the weights...you'll weigh 50 pounds more in a year...substantially change your diet to include more fiber. See your doctor for a blood work-up to get the real skinny on what your body chemistry is right now. No sense hiding the stuff.

Good Luck...you CAN do it.”

“I quit smoking 15 years ago. I quit 5 times for at least 6 mos to 2 years. Just having ONE cigarette & I was hooked again. My wife FINALLY quit (hopefully) after a serious bout with cancer. I prob walked in clouds of smoke for 5 years & liked it. After that, the smell of a cigarette made me nauseous.”

“Don't quit. If you do, then you can start again. I just keep postponing it whenever I get the urge. At first it was every minute or two. After 33 years the urge arises only once or twice a year.

The same thing has worked with alcohol. I have not had a drink for over 10 years. But I do occassional get an urge. I enjoy joking about it more. I have not had a drink since I got rid of my last wife. I have not had a good excuse!

She looked beautiful to me, until she put a cigarette in her mouth.

”

“done! The patch is on!
I think going to the doc and get my bloodwork done is a good idea.
I think the military doc also has some sort of nutrional center.

I tried to quit about 2 years ago, but started back up again because i gaint weight. that's the only thing that worries me.

Bad part is, I didn't eat more, and still gained. Right now I am hiking and eating about 600 to 700 calories while hiking. I know this won't work forever and it will wear me out, but for right now it got to do.”

“You're looking more beautiful already.”

“U go girl! One day at a time. Stopping is easy, staying stopped is the dificult thing. I can see them lungs gettin cleaner already!;)”

“Go for it! You're life will be better in so many ways. It will be difficult, but you will be proud of yourself, and it will be worth it. The Doc does sound like a good idea.

The Oncologists just came out with some big push against smoking, maybe there is help there.

Congratulations”

“Hooray gemini!!! Good job!

Now, it will be hard, but everytime you don't break down and buy a pack or bum a smoke and light up, it WILL get easier! This is your chance to show how much self disapline you have. Your health and the health of your family is on the line. YOU CAN DO IT!!

Congratulations, you just gave yourself a fantastic Birthday gift.”

“Guys I know I can do it!! It wasn't as bad the first time I've tried. Just the weight issue that gets me everytime, that's why I'll try to do it differently this time.

Thanks to everyone!!!”

“The weight issue is simple. You just have to work really hard to counterbalance it. That means less food and more activity like forever. Your metabolism will change without the butts, and if you allow yourself to get heavy, issues as problematic as smoking will surface.

Quitting smoking is also about significant other lifestyle changes if you want to remain not heavy and in REAL good health.

Too few people realize the personal life-style ramifications and requirements once the decision to not smoke has been made. You can get rid of the nicotine in your system in a relatively short period of time, but other adjustments must also be made.

Keep it up. Be strong, and just think...people will now no longer look at you with that pewwwie look. You won't smell nearly as bad anymore.”

“Gemini - WOOO HOOO! You've got lots of support on TT.

Yesterday was 5 months for me. 151 days.

It really does get easier with time.”

“I know I have lots of support here on TT. Glad I do!!

Just went to the store and bought me all kinds a low calorie food. LOL

I can't belive 5 month already have past since you stopped smoking. Congrats!!

No weight gain??
You can see, this is a big concern!

I really do have a good feeling this time though. I know I will make it this time.”

“Gem, I picked up five pounds when I quit. I lost it w/in two weeks, plus another five.

You can lose whatever weight you may put on, don't let that stop you from succeeding! A few extra pounds are way healthier than more cigarettes. But, I bet you won't gain any. Try celery and carrot sticks if you feel the need to munch. Baby cut carrots were my salvation when I quit.”

“My weight hasn't changed as a result of quitting. But, I did the same thing you just mentioned; I went out and bought a bunch of great snack foods. I found carrots and apples to work the best, crunchy foods. And, I bought gum. I was never really a gum chewer but the last five months, I have become one.”

“Yep. The gum helped me, too.

I managed to kick the gum habit after a month or two... it was a helluva lot easier than kicking the cigarettes, LOL!”

“"Quiting smoking is easy, I've done it thousands of times."

-Mark Twain

He died a misserable death, if I remeber correctly.

Gem, you must quit. The extra weight, well they've got drugs for that like trimspa and other stuff.”