Quitting smoking....

Just checking in on all the soon-to-be ex-smokers! Good morning and how are we all doing?

Well , its just under 5 days to go...

Everything was going well, but had a little slip up this weekend. Went out with friends, and lets just say many cigarettes were smoked

I would like to think of it as my final send off to cigarettes, but I feel terrible about it. I have told my friends no more going out until I feel I can handle not smoking in social situations.


Ahhh, Chris I don't know what to say! But we are all here for support, if you need us!

Julianne.

Well, I've changed my quitting date. It is now April 7th. Surgery has been cancelled and rescheduled for April 7. ( http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...34#post2580634 )

I can't stick with my original quit date because I need the surgery day as a jumpstart.

I'm so frustrated by the rescheduling, but I am going to try to stay within my 6 cigs or so today.

The added time does give me one benefit, having more time to keep cutting back. Maybe by the time of surgery I'll be down to only 1 or 2 a day.

I am very frustrated today... uggggggg.

The adjustment sounds like a drag, but you are only being put off by a few weeks. You get to live the rest of your life smoke free so the delay is no big deal.

If you can stay at 6 a day (or less), I salute you.

Originally Posted by CDubbie

The adjustment sounds like a drag, but you are only being put off by a few weeks. You get to live the rest of your life smoke free so the delay is no big deal.

If you can stay at 6 a day (or less), I salute you.

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I'm ok with putting off the quitting I'm looking at it as an advantage to do more preparations/cutting down/etc. I want to quit "right" this time, so that I stay quit.

Today's a rough day though, I've already had 4 smokes (2 since getting the phonecall about surgery). I will prolly end up smoking 8 or so, depending on what time I go to bed.

But I definately know another thing I have to prep for: anger smoking/ frustration smoking and depression smoking. My instinctive response, especially when I get frustrated or angry is to go for a smoke.

If it ever quits raining, I'm going to start going for a walk when I'm "emotional". Instead of going out for a smoke, I'll go for a walk. That way I'm doing something "physical" to vent. I used to have a punching bag to use, and that helped... but that is not an option any more for me.

I'm hoping the weather gets better soon.... I know the walking will help me. I don't mind if its cold out, I just can't walk when its damp/humid/rainy as those are generally the days that my pain is at a high level.

How is everyone else doing?

Julianne: are you still on track for your quit date in 4 days? How's that 8am cig going? Still having it?

Lil-Maggie: haven't heard from you lately. How's the no smoking in the house going? Are you still down to 6 or so a day? Wanna quit with me on April 7th (I only ask because I know you hadn't set a firm quit date)

All the recent quitters: How are you doing?

Originally Posted by lil maggie

Sounds great Chris! Sorry that you have to push your date further but it's more realistic time wise for me so YES, I'll quit with you on April 7th!

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WOOHOO. Awesome. I'm very glad to hear that

Thanks for asking about the outdoor only smoking. It's going great but I find myself outside much more than usual and an excuse to smoke

Now I need to learn to cut that back as well. I was having 2 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon and 3 in the evening. But since it's been so nice outside I've been having 3 in the afternoons

I need to not STAY outside when I go out just to smoke.

for the quitters and cutter downers

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As yes, that is one of the side effects of smoking outside.... especially if you have the nicer weather. One thing I do, I have a specific smoking area. When I'm done my smoke, if I want to enjoy the weather, I walk around outside of my smoking area or go sit in a chair outside of my smoking area.

I didn't used to though... and found I smoked alot more. I'd grab my smoke and coffee and walk around my gardens, or have a smoke while I was working on the gardens, then have another after I was done work....etc.

Picking one designated smoking area was good for me. That might work for you, as long as you leave the area when you are done. Plus, only take one smoke outside...so you can't just grab for the second one. Make it inconvenient for the 2nd or 3rd one.

I just realized how selfish that sounded when I said, "but it's more realistic time wise for me". Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound that way. I know how it is to be in pain and having to wait!

I took your advice and brought only 1 ciggy outside. I'm not sure if it was just having the 1 ciggy or the cold that kept me from wanting another though. Either way, that's what I'll be doing. I now have a metal box with some sandy stuff in it that's away from the garden so I'm not tempted to walk around.

A friend of mine suggested this idea. Don't laugh because it does sound silly! She said to take your smoke pack and wrap it in paper, rubber band it, then do it again and again so it's an ordeal to get a cig out. Then put the pack away out of sight. I haven't tried it but it would seem to me that I'd get frustrated trying to open it and then I'd REALLY want a smoke! But at this point, I'll try the outlandish

So how are YOU doing? Smoking the same amount or less? How's everyone doing?


Quit date: 4/7/09

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Julianne: are you still on track for your quit date in 4 days? How's that 8am cig going? Still having it?

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The 8am cigarettes are no more!

I started leaving mu cigarettes at work, and only taking 3 home with me. I would smoke those in the evening, and when I woke up, no cigarettes in the house to smoke at 8am!

My give up date is still Saturday... tomorrow night my last cigarette will be smoked.

I am really sorry that your surgery has been rescheduled It must be so frustrating having all your plans changed

But as you said, you will now have more time to prepare, and it is really essential to be in the right frame of mind when giving up. Try to keep the number of cigarettes in control, and it will be even easier.

to everyone!

Julianne

Originally Posted by lil maggie

YES, I'll quit with you on April 7th!

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That fantastic! Setting the date is a major milestone!

By then, I should be over the worst and have loads of encouragement for both you an Chris!

Just remember one day at a time, having a bad smoking day does not mean starting from scratch. Baby steps!

Come May 23, I will have 3 years that I have quit smoking cigarettes!!

I started smoking at the ripe old age of 15 and ended 3 days after turning 31. Throughout those 16 years, I tried quitting a few times but looking back now, those were my stepping blocks towards quitting. I weaned (sp?) myself away rather than just quitting cold turkey or taking those chewing gums. I remember telling my friend who was a trainer at my gym that I was thinking about really quitting smoking and doing it cold turkey because I was fed up beyond belief that I was so damn addicted to this stuff that I hated. He told me NOT to quit cold turkey but rather wean myself slowly away from it because I'll end up getting fat. I told him that I wouldn't resort to eating like most do. He said that I would still get fat because my metabolism would slow down so it wouldn't matter if I eat regularly or a lot. I decided to take his advise and wean myself away. At the time (around October 2005) I was smoking a pack a day and right up to the last week I quit, I was down to around 3/4 cigs a day. I cut back 1 to 2 cigs after 1 or 2 weeks. I did it at my pace! On May 22, 2006, I had 2 cigs that morning and decided that I would smoke one on my way to work and the second one after my lunch. I smoked my last cig before lunch time, lol! I also told my co-workers when I got in that morning not to give me any cigs if I asked for any. Well, I tried asking and they didn't give me....I started becoming desperate. I walked to my lunch spot and saw an old co-worker who was also a smoker and said hello and asked him for a cig. He didn't have any!! He told me if I wanted to find a store and wait, that he would get them but I told him that I was trying to quit and he pushed me to just do it. On my walk back to my job, I tried one last time to bum a cig off a random person. I know DESPERATE times call for desperate measures right. I said to myself, if I can't get a cig from here till I get to work, I will stop trying to get a cig for the day. You guys just won't believe that I didn't see ANYONE with a cig in the huge city of New York!!!! I took it as a sign from the Holy one that it was my time to REALLY quit! The first 3 days were craving cigs the whole day. Its crazy how your mind makes you think so much of having a cigarette! After those first 3 days...it was SMMOOOOTHHH sailing for me and I haven't looked back! I actually thought it would be a lot harder that I thought it would. What I usually tell people is that....if you really want to quit smoking, you will! If you end up going back to it, its because you really didn't want to quit.

Good luck to anyone who is trying to break those chains of nicotine!

GroovyRite - thank you so much for posting that! I love the whole search for a cig in NYC and you couldnt find it - lol! I laughed a lot at that!

I'm impressed after the first three days it was smooth sailing. Whenever I hear things like that I just can't believe it! I'm on day 32 and each is still a struggle in its own way. Some things get better, others harder.

I love seeing you are almost up to three years and you are truly a non-smoker ! Do you miss it at all ever?

One day, I hope I can say it has been three years and I.dont.miss.it.

Just checking in on everyone. I'm still doing fine without the ciggies.

Whatever way you need to do it to quit is great. Some can cut down, others need to go cold turkey. Cold turkey worked best for me and hubby. As the above poster said, our metabolism will change and we may gain a few pounds, but as soon as we are over the worst of the quitting/craving thing, we can readjust our eating to get our bodies back on track. Don't worry too much about a bit of weight gain - one demon at a time. And a few pounds are a small price to pay for healthy lungs and being able to breathe.

Originally Posted by CDubbie

GroovyRite - thank you so much for posting that! I love the whole search for a cig in NYC and you couldnt find it - lol! I laughed a lot at that!

I'm impressed after the first three days it was smooth sailing. Whenever I hear things like that I just can't believe it! I'm on day 32 and each is still a struggle in its own way. Some things get better, others harder.

I love seeing you are almost up to three years and you are truly a non-smoker ! Do you miss it at all ever?

One day, I hope I can say it has been three years and I.dont.miss.it.

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I forgot to tell you all that I even called my gf and told her that I was out of cigs and nobody at my job wanted to give me cigs because I told them not too, lol!! I asked her if I should just buy a pack of smokes and she told me, if I buy a pack, I will never end the cycle. She was RIGHT! It still didn't stop me from asking on my walk to and from my lunch place for a single smoke, lol! I just couldn't believe that I didn't see ANYONE with one!

There are so many things that helped me on that day but the main one that I can think of was what my wonderful gf told me once. She told me that if I plan on seeing my children (when I have them, lol) grow old and see myself living for a long time, I should quit. She knew I wanted to quit but she really didn't think I would/could do it. I STILL can't believe that I quit because it was such a part of my life! I smoked 2 packs a day for about 3/4 years at one point when I was 24 to around 27.

CDubbie, the first 3 days for me were the WORST in the sense that I literally couldn't think of anything else other than a cigarette! My mind was stuck on smoking! Thats why I say it wasn't as bad as I thought because I thought that my cravings would be much worse and for much longer. After the first 3 days of no smoking, it was smooth sailing as far as not having my mind just thinking about having a cig consuming my every thought, lol! I will admit that I was VERY VERY VERY irritable for about a week and a half but after that, I was in control and on my way to the smoke free life that I only dreamed of. I was having dreams of smoking as well and that killed me as well, lol!!!

CDubbie, hang in there and think that you don't have to deal with those cigs anymore. Think of all the wonderful things you'll be able to do and spend now that you have more money!! I have not looked back because for me to go through that again would be to agonizing and I just might as well give up and accept the fact that it will one day kill me. NO WAY am I going back to that and neither should you or anyone else!!

Good luck and be strong!

Originally Posted by lil maggie

Congrats! I'll be rooting for you Julianne!! That's awesome!!


-GrooveRite - thanks for that story! I enjoyed reading it and so hoping you're right about the ..smooooth part of it!!

-CDubbie - just keep up a positive attitude! I'm sure you'll get to that point where you won't miss them!

and

to everyone!!

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Thank you for reading! You will do it and succeed! Just think of all the bad things that you went through with smoking and it will help you the way it did for me! Its one of the many things that helped me as well so it wouldn't hurt to pry yourself away from something that may (and possibly will!) kill you some day if you continue. Some people claimed the smooth sailing after about 6 or 7 days but for me it was 3 days. It just means getting over those massive cravings, those uncontrollable urges and non-stop thoughts of having a cigarette. Believe me, when they stop, you will be HAPPY and the hard part will be over. You may remain irritable like I was but its better than still smoking and slowly killing yourself, ya know! Everyones experience is different but the overall outcome is the same. Do anything it takes to help YOURSELF! Don't do it because people want you to quit....do it because YOU want to quit! I can't stress that enough. The few times that I tried throughout my time smoking were because I wanted to do it for others, not really myself. DO it for yourself....hang in there, be strong and you will be fine! Good luck!

Originally Posted by Julianne

My give up date is still Saturday... tomorrow night my last cigarette will be smoked.

I am really sorry that your surgery has been rescheduled

It must be so frustrating having all your plans changed

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One more day, or is it already Sat. in the UK?

Lots of and support coming your way

I'm sure it's Saturday now in the UK? Wonder how she's doing??


I've only had 3 today ..so far I want to see how long I can go before I have another, IF I do!

It has been 18 hours since my last cigarette

I am craving them, and I do miss them - but I haven't had to use the NRT chewing gum yet. I am going to go cold turkey for as long as possible, before having to resort to them.

Still, I think I am doing okay, just taking it one day at a time.

Although I have noticed my attention span is non-existant today. I keep starting things and not finishing them. In the past few hours, I have tried to read a book, do my cross-stitching, watch a movie. Apart from that, I don't feel any different and I think tomorrow things will be worse as more nicotene leaves my body.

Just writing this makes me want a cigarette!

Julianne

Whoa! That's fantastic! GREAT JOB!! We're all rooting for ya!
Keep us updated and if you start to get upset or frustrated ... please come post and take it out on here instead of lighting up!!

An update...

It has now been almost 2 days since my last cigarette.

Yesterday was pretty easy, but last night and today has been difficult. I have started using the gum to try and ease things.

I am grumpy, frustrated, bored and a bit overwelmed. I keep on wondering when it will get easier. I keep on going back to the websites listed in this thread, and re-reading all the articles, just to keep myself motivated.

Aaargh, just having a moment - don't mind me.

I know why I am giving up and have no intention on starting again, I knew the first few days would be the worst - it's just getting through them is tough