Magic,

Congratulations!!! You found the secret. I really try never to push anything on anyone but I believe in this book so much. It helped me quit with no withdrawal symptoms and no cravings and I have never felt better. Food tastes better (who cares if you gain a pound, you probably gained more time on the planet too) and everything has a smell. When I quit smoking I smelled my winter coat and I almost died, it smelled so bad. That's what I smelled like.

I have a professor that smokes and I can smell him before he gets in our classroom. Weird, never thought about that when I smoked.

I feel really bad for people going through the cravings and feel bad for them. I tried to quit cold turkey when I was in my early 20s and it was horrible. I think I lasted 2 or 3 months but thought about them all the time. I never do now.

That north of Chicago, Brrrrrrr. LOL. Enjoy the winter without going out to smoke, because you won't have to.

Lisa

Well, its been 5 weeks tomorrow. No cheats. I hate to admit I have never gotten around to the book.

Awesome, you found your own secret to quitting. It doesn't matter how. I just didn't want to crave for them. But you quit while craving them. But no cheats is great since you wanted to. You are no where near where you were before, waling inside a store. You are handling a lot of stress too. That's good because that's the time when you really want one. So pretty soon you will be counting in months, then years.

My dad always says that it takes 6 weeks to break a habit. But Debbie says a month so either way, you are right there. I bet you are feeling a lot better than day one or two!!

congrats and congrats every time you crave one and you don't go there.


Lisa

You are right. It was easier today. i am not sure what it is about today, but way better than yesterday, or the day before when i chewed a million pieces of gum and used sf candy. Maybe its less stress, I don't know. It sure has been stressful the past week. But, no cheats. Today, 5 weeks. Hoping it gets better everyday.

Happy 5 weeks. Your lungs are loving you!!!! I like to read this. I am looking forward to the 5 year mark. I got awhile to go but I like the health benefit of that time because of my family and strokes. But this is cool to read and see what has already happened to your lungs because you quit. Way to go.

* In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
* In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
* In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
* In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
* In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
* In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
* In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
* In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
* In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
* In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

pretty cool, huh!!

Lisa

Congratulations on being smoke-free, maincyn. Well done.

As hard as it is, it is soooooooooooooooo worth it. And I am a firm believer that if I can do it (30 years of 2 packs+ a day), anyone can do it.

I've read the Allan Carr book, btw. I picked up a copy complete with audio tapes on a bargain table for 1$ once, and put it on the shelf for years, until I needed it. And it helped. It wasn't a magic bullet for me as it is for some, though.

Everyone is so different. My brother found it easy with Wellbutrin. Someone else will just decide and leave their cigarettes on the kitchen counter unsmoked until they throw them away weeks later.

I used patches and nicotine gum and www.quitnet.com and cognitive theapy and licorice. Basically every crutch and tool I could find that suited me, and I relied on the nicotine gum crutch for a long time.

All that really matters in my opinion is that I have not had one single puff of one single cigarette since June of 2002, and this I managed while living with a smoker. My recent stats are:

My Stats:
Your Quit Date is: 6/1/2002 email me my daily stats
Time Smoke-Free: 2721 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 9 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 95255
Lifetime Saved: 24 months, 7 days, 15 hours
Money Saved: $23,808.75





Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and give you some support. Well done!!

I like the money saved part of not smoking! I have been 17 days as a non-smoker now, but am pretty sure that this time is for good. I have had more stress in the last two weeks that I can remember and I haven't picked them up.

The money part is kind of funny though because I was talking to my aunt last night about it, and I told her that I couldn't start back up because I already spent the next four years worth of cigarette money remodeling my house this month.

She laughed. I was serious.

Yeah, I look at the dollars saved and at my bank account and personally don't believe it can be true, 'cause there is no money around to show for it. I guess these last few years would have been even harder financially if I was still smoking.

The other stuff, though, just gets better and better. There are a million ways being smoke free is good. Not craving in the middle of a movie. Not freezing in winter. Not coming in from having one and know you smell like it. Not avoiding non-smoking social gatherings. Breathing deeply without coughing. Waking up without all the crud in your lungs.

On and on and on...

Thanks guys. A co-worker who quit last year broke own and had one yesterday. She looked at me and offered me one, told her no. She took meds to quit smoking, told me she could always take the pill again.

She offered you one!!! Guess she didn't want to fail alone. Good for you for not caving.


Playing with the idea of cheating and getting away with it is part of the addiction, I think.

As stupid as this is, it is true. I used to buy a pack and tell myself I was just going to have one, and that would be it. I would take one, throw the rest away and head right back to the store to buy a second pack.

"Not one puff" was the only thing that worked for me. I used it as a mantra and stuck to it 100%. Not a single puff.

Cyn,

You totally rock for not taking one. Must have been hard. It's hard enough to quit without one stuck in your face. Didn't the friend know how hard you have been working at this? I guess misery loves company. Good for you!!!

Lady,

Where did you find that thing that says all of those cool things. It's only been 2 years for me but would love to see my stats. By the way, congrats. Who cares what helps, as long as it does. I think the book was great and I tried the patch years ago and blew it at one Guns and Roses concert. LOL. I think you just have to want to quit so bad that you will do anything to quit.

Magic,

You are doing awesome!!! Did your friend quit too?? Did she read that book? I hear ya about the money. Funny because I don't feel like I have more but I had a plumbing emergency here under my sink and could just pay the guy. Might have been tougher if I was still smoking. Oh, well, I never really quit for the money. I knew I was blowing the money. Kind of like I blow money when I buy some new face cream that's going to make me look so much younger. LOL. I did it for health and I guess I did it because of the stigma. No more going outside or somewhere "away" from others. LOL.
So new remodeling. That sounds awesome.


For all non smokers, CONGRATS everyday. I NEVER thought I could ever do it but really it feels so great not to have to have them all the time. Do all you non smokers really smell smoke on someone who just smoked? I really do and never did before. I guess because I smelled just like them.

My purse smells good. LOLOL I remember that stale smoke smell in there.

Lisa

Lisa, I joined quitnet when I was quitting (free) and it has a stat counter.

http://www.quitnet.com/qnhomepage.aspx

6 weeks today. o my gosh, i never would have believed it. I am doing this, no cigarette, not once.

Thanks for the support guys. I was shocked when my co-worker lit up and offering me one. The odd thing was, i said no right away. I know that i am feeling better-my lungs are great and my asthma under control.

Congrats to all of us!

You are doing amazing! Really really well done.

Six weeks is a milestone. Just don't relax too soon. Those temptations can sneak up on a person.

Maine, it's three weeks tomorrow for me! I feel SO GOOD compared to before. Every time I think about lighting up, (mainly when my kids drive me nuts), I just think about how good I feel and tell myself that I don't need that cigarette, that it isn't going to change anything or relieve my stress. It justs cost me money, makes me feel crummy and stinks.

You are doing GREAT! Keep it up.