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Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:59 pm  |
| I have been smoking now for 20+ years and I am seriously thinking about quitting. Just wondered if there were any other smokers out there in the same place I am or not? |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:35 pm |
Thanks janjan!
And a HUGE congratulations to you!!!
2 months is awesome!! You're over most of the rough spots now...one thing you need to watch out for is what is referred to as the "icky three's"..3 days, 3 weeks & 3 months. A lot of people experience this. At the 3 month stage, many quitters experience a low in their quit...they start to think it's not all that important. This basically stems from the fact that the novelty has worn off & now you're starting to settle in to a new way of life...maybe people around you now think you should be "over" everything & stop with all the praise. This is an excellent time to kick a new life-style into gear...start exercising & eating better if that was something you had been thinking of doing. Or starting a new hobby or project..do something to keep yourself enthused & energized. One thing I have found about quitting, we seem to have to go through all the seasons of a year to become totally comfortable with our quits.
Again, Congratulations!! You are showing real strength & determination...keep up the good work! I want to see you posting your 1 year milestone here in 10 months!! |
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Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:48 pm |
Hello,
A letter to encourage anyone reading this and wanting to quit, You Can Do This!
January 2007 -last year- I was a pack and a half a day smoker. I was 43yrs old, and had my first cig at age eleven. I smoked non stop and never ever tried, or even wanted to try to quit. I LOVED to smoke and I was damn good at it LOL. There was a one time lame attempt at hypnosis...I thought the hypnosis would just make it impossible for me to smoke somehow. Truth was I wasn't really ready to quit.
Anyhow, read this thread a year ago, (THANKYOU POSTERS!!!!) ordered and read the book by Allen Carr. I prayed and cried and smoked while I read it, and then I quit. I wrote in the book the day and time and I never smoked again. I threw away my cigs and my lighter and ashtray and I was done. Nobody believes I truly never had another cig LOL! Especially my fellow smokers and ex smokers. But that was the key- not having "just one"..it only keeps the * spam alert * alive- nothing more. If I were to force myself right now to have a cig, it would'nt taste good...it would only "taste good" when I had enough to get the * spam alert * going again. Had I not quit cold, it would have been a nightmare I'm sure.
Once I read the book and realized that if I quit cold turkey, I could actually quit w/o a lot of pain physically or emotionally, I could see that I could do this.
If I can do it anyone can. It's almost been a year. I quit on the 18th of Jan last year ( i have to double check that date:).
After a week or so of being "clean', I was making my hubby peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and OMG, they smelled like HEAVEN. Childhood and sunshine. Hard to describe and I know it sounds funny, but it is this sort of thing along the way that helped "seal the deal" with me. I smoked for so long I had no sense of smell to speak of.
My skin looks better, not as sallow, and not as ruddy.
My house is smoke free now, my husband quit a month after I did: )) I am no longer killing my house plants. Also, I have a violet that I got last feb for Valentines day and it is not only still alive, but flowers all the time- I find this very strange haha. Also a minature rose that I got in Sept that is actually budding right now. Who knew I had a green thumb????
I can breathe more easily, I am not as self conscious about my breath.
Oh and stinky ashtrays, no more...not in my house or car or work.
And no more running out to buy cigs or worrying about running out.
One thought I kept having when I quit, was that it was strange how all these years of smoking took so much effort to keep the * spam alert * going. Money, time, etc. And all I needed to do to quit was NOTHING! Let it go, and the physical * spam alert * dies fairly quickly.
Okay, I've rambled on but I hope it helps someone to know that this might actually not be as hard to quit as you might have been told!
Sincerely, Alli Grace |
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Doctah D.I.V.A.H.
New Member
 
Joined: 25 Mar 2008
Posts: 4
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Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:54 pm |
Hello All.
First let me say that this is my first posting, I am new to the Forum and have been lurking for a couple of weeks now. I hadn't really felt the need to post until I came across this topic. I wanted to encourage anyone who is still smoking to do whatever it takes (anything that's legal!) to become cigarette free. I smoked for over 20 years, though I wasn't a heavy smoker, I did smoke 5+ cigarettes everyday. When I was stressed, I smoked up to a pack. I tried for years to quit, using nicorette, will-power, tapering off, etc... I actually prayed and asked to be relieved of the physical craving and it worked! I smoked my last cigarette one July 4th 2001.
Not smoking is one of the very best things you can do for your skin, health, sense of well-being and your loved ones. No more smelly hair, breath, clothes, house, or car.
I suggest putting the money you spend on cigarettes in a jar each day, at the end of one month, you'll be able to treat yourself to something really fabulous as a reward.
If you do succumb to having a cigarette after making the decision to stop, don't beat yourself up. Regroup and stop again. You'll succeed if you'll stop just one more time than you start!
The following benefits of being smoke-free are listed at the American Lung Association website.
When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.
At 20 minutes after quitting:
* blood pressure decreases
* pulse rate drops
* body temperature of hands and feet increases
At 8 hours:
* carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
* oxygen level in blood increases to normal
At 24 hours:
* chance of a heart attack decreases
At 48 hours:
* nerve endings start regrowing
* ability to smell and taste is enhanced
The first year after quitting:
At 2 weeks to 3 months:
* circulation improves
* walking becomes easier
* lung function increases
1 to 9 months:
* coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
1 year:
* excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
Long-term Benefits of Quitting
At 5 years:
* from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 10 years:
* risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
* risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
* risk of ulcer decreases
At 15 years:
* risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
* risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
The following website also addresses some of the reasons why women often find it more difficult to remain smoke-free than men. As a new member, I spelled out dot
no-smokingdotorg/july03/07-09-03-10dothtml
I wish you well in your journey towards freedom from cigarettes. |
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D.I.V.A.H. - Delivered Indwelt Victorious Anointed & Holy ! Charm is deceitful & beauy is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. |
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Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:39 pm |
Hello everyone!
As promised, I said that I would check back in 12 months for my 2 year smoke-free anniversary...and here I am! 
And that's not all... 2 days after my 1 yr milestone of smobriety, I quit drinking. This past week I celebrated both of these, and let me tell you... life has never been better!
To all of you just starting out...hang in there...this is doable. The initial symptoms that you go through when you first quit are only temporary... and they are nothing, I repeat NOTHING like the pain & suffering that might befall you one day when a doctor looks you straight in the eye & tells you that you have lung cancer. Please, for the sake of your own health, and for all those that love & care for you...quit now while you still can reverse the damage. The rewards from freeing yourself from this * spam alert * (yes, it is an * spam alert *...not a bad habit)...are truly remarkable... life-altering, in fact.
From the strength & determination I learned from quitting smoking, it gave me the courage to quit drinking...and being 100% sober has rewarded me with a completely new outlook on life... and now I look forward to each new day & all the wonderment it has in store.
Have a great smoke-free day everyone! |
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Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:15 pm |
Hello fellow quitters & wannabe-quitters!
Very few of you will remember me, but I was in the original group of this thread that decided to quit back in July of 2006.
I am very proud to say that last week I celebrated 3 years smoke-free and... 2 years alcohol-free.
A special thanks to Rileygirl for starting this thread... little did I know back then that this would be the start of a life-long journey of self-improvement & self-discovery!
This past year I embarked on a whole new eating plan, lost the 15 pounds that I have yo-yo'd with for all my adult life.. and now eating healthy & maintaining my ideal weight has become a reality and a way of life. 
I now choose 1 goal to concentrate on each year. Although I may have many things that I want to do or change, I keep only one as my top priority & track my progress throughout the year. What a great feeling it is to look back after 12 months & see a new established positive habit firmly embedded in one's lifestyle...it gives new strength & momentum to a person's life!
For those of you thinking about quitting...
Carpe Diem! (seize the day)
Your decision to quit smoking might very well be your first step on a wondrous life-transforming journey!
Peace to all. |
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Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:38 pm |
Ok ladies. This is going to be difficult to write, but still I feel the need to.
First, for those of you who have quit I congratulate you. I am proud of you and your body thanks you. For those of you who have not been able to quit, let me please encourage you that you CAN DO IT!!!
5 months ago I lost my precious husband and father to our 14 yr. old daughter to lung cancer. He was the most loving, wonderful man I have ever known. He gave all he had to his family, but one thing he couldn't do was stop smoking. That is until he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The day after his diagnoses, he laid down the cigarettes and never looked back. It was that easy. Over 30 yrs. of smoking and it was that easy. If it had only been soon enough to save him 
I have never been a smoker so I can't fully understand the * spam alert *. All I know is that for years my daughter and I tried to get him to quit and he just could not give them up. Not until his life was on the line. I'm sure most of you have had a story like this screamed in your face a few times to try to scare you to quit. I don't want to scare you (or maybe I do). I don't want to see another family have to suffer like this. A child shouldn't have to lose her father this way. A mother shouldn't
have to answer questions like "Who's going to walk me down the aisle when I get married now"? Yes I'm still grieving. Very much so. But when I think that perhaps this could have been prevented, it makes me want to stop every person I see with a cigarette and tell my story. Trust me, you do not want to go through what my huband went though and you do not want your families to go through what we are going through. I'm sure it must be incredibly hard to quit, but here you are on this forum trying to learn everything you possibly can to keep yourselves looking and feeling younger. You can do everything you know, but if you keep smoking it's just an exercise in futility. I'm not trying to be harsh. I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just trying to spare others an indescribable amount of pain. I know you ladies care about yourselves and your families. I know you want to quit and I know you can. Look at the faces of your loved ones and think about how lost they would be without you. You ladies are stronger than you know. My prayers are with you all that you will have the strength and courage it takes to lay those things down....for good!! Please forgive me for my rant. I just felt I needed to do this. |
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Early 40's, fair skin, green eyes, rosacea, ocassional break-outs, dk. circles, sun damage. AALS, DermaWand, Safetox! |
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Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:56 am |
One thing that is helping me - I take the money (cash) that I would have used to buy a pack of smokes and put it into a savings account that i have earmarked for special items. $5.06 a day adds up! I was doing this on a daily basis , now I put the money into savings once a week.
oh and when I was coming out of my skin, my son made me a glass of water, with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and a tablespoon of honey and said drink it down without stopping.
I did. And my most horrid cravings of that moment were gone.
But so far, sticking the money into savings and watching the savings account grow JUST from the amount of money NOT being spent on cigarettes is helping. I have quit for many years at a time- longest time I quit before was over 12 years- the next time was three years- then for a few months- this time no smoking is since Aug 22.
My recommendation is do not go to las vegas for your anniversary...
lol... |
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I'm Cathy, 54 yrs old. Flexeffect Certified Trainer in the 2004 vrsn - not the newer one. using flexeffect sincee 1999. |
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Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:47 pm |
| Kassy if you can only smoke 6 cigs a day then I wouldn't even worry about it. I know if I coulda done that I'd have happily smoked the 6 a day. But I was more like 36 and just couldn't cut down. It's all or nothing with me unfortunately. |
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Sun May 16, 2010 2:01 am |
Congratulations Bethany for staying off the Coke! The two women on the current affairs show I mentioned were sent to a rehab clinic for their * spam alert * to Coke and are now apparently "cured".
I'm afraid there won't be any invitations for rehab on the boat because I'm in Sydney again. I've been here for a month because my Dad passed away - so soon after my Mum, I know - but he couldn't live without her. I must admit to having a couple of cigs to get me through all of this, but amazingly I haven't taken up smoking again. Just drinking - red wine is getting me through all of this!
Everyone - please don't clog up this thread with condolences - I know you'll all be thinking of me You were all so kind when my Mum went. Anyway - to compensate for all this anguish, I'm getting a Pearl Laser treatment on Tuesday - so I'll start a thread after I've had it done and let you know how it went. |
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Born 1950. There's a new cream on the market that gets rid of wrinkles - you smear it on the mirror!! |
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Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:04 pm |
Hello everyone!
Most of you don't know me, but I was part of the original group on this thread that decided to quit smoking back in 2006.
This past July, I celebrated 4 years of being smoke-free, and each year since has brought about new transformations in my life.
When I quit smoking, that's all I thought I was about to do: "quit smoking"... little did I know that it was the first step of a life-altering journey. Every time I look back to the day I quit, I give thanks for being given the strength & courage I needed to battle this * spam alert *. There were times when it felt like this was the most difficult thing I had ever attempted in my life... but I always held on to one thought:
I would settle for nothing less than victory.
Taking it One Day At A Time, and committing to the N.O.P.E pledge (Not One Puff Ever), has added up to 4 years of being free from the bondage of smoking, and the confidence of knowing that I can maintain this freedom as long as I remain vigilant, and never become complacent in my recovery.
Blessings of strength & courage to all of you that are starting your journey. You can do this. You have it in you... you just have to reach deep, and commit to your quit... body, mind & spirit. |
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Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:08 pm |
Congratulations Kassy, I am always thrilled to hear smokers give it a go on the "no more of these stupid things".
I was just outside having one and decided to put it out, grab what cigs were left and soaked them in water, emptied out the ashtray and soaked the butts. I remembered reading the post from kls and came inside to find it and print it out because it was so beautifully written (thank you kls). I am hanging it up where I can read it when I am feeling the urge.
Anyone else out there giving it a go I'm right behind you. I'm reading the book by Allen Carr "the easy way to stop smoking". I need all the help I can find.
Kassy, sure hope the lip lines get in sync with the rest of the good things happening to your skin. |
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The best way to locate your cat is to open a can of food. |
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Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:01 pm |
  One month yesterday
* The dreaded lip lines are still noticable, and I think I know why... I've been chewing gum all of my waking hours, and when I look in the mirror (while chewing) I see the blasted lines  I also haven't used the Vaculifter more than very briefly here and there.
* The malar bags have really gone down and I am happy about that. (Increased circulation + increased lymphatic drainage..it was a given that they would go down...Yay!
And the big negatives are these.. I miss the bloody cigs, have horrible cravings that come and go, and a DH who is at his wits end, and just waiting for one word from me to go buy a pack... OH, and did I mention we each gained more than 5 lbs...  (Maybe the extra fat will go to my cheeks...   )
Argh!
How is everybody else doing? Misery likes company and all that...  Did you *pack* them in Frodo? Everybody I ever talked to that read the "Carr" book quit with ease.. Is it worth the read?
RANT: I want to choke and throttle everybody who say's to me and hubby; "Oh, I quit 5 years ago and it didn't bother me a bit", or "It's all in your mind, you can do it"... Drrrr, really, I never thought of that... |
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♥I'm flattered by all the lovely PM's, but I don't get here much these days. Please don't be afraid to post your quearies to other DIY members who will be glad to help you (or sell you their wares..lol) Still happy with LED, dermarolling and a DIY antioxidant regime. Peace & Hugs to all.♥ |
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