Nor one puff

[pooder]

Hello quitters. I've been reading your post with much interest. I quit smoking with this site when it was originally formed. That is four years ago. I have not taken one puff from a cig. since November 11, 2001. I just want to encourage you ladies that are trying to quit that you need to throw those cig. away and not take that first puff. It is hard at first, but every time you take a puff you delay quiting for good.

Please check out the quitnet.net site and whyquit.com These are very good support sites that will respond to your cry for help immediately. Your buddies here will also be a good help. Don't worry about the weight. Stay on program and exercise more. When I quit, I started walking (and still do) I enjoy it. Pick up that cut off straw, sugar free candy, a tootsit roll pop (1 point) and do not pick up a cig. You ladies are strong. You can do it. I have maintained my Weight Watchers goal weight for the four years. I stay close to my personal goal as well. At least within a pound or two. It does take a little work, but so worth it. By the way, I smoked for 41 years. So see, you can do it too.

Good luck to you and mega hugs,
Clara

[lgood22573]

Thanks for the pep talk Clara! I'm glad to see you were able to quit and keep the weight off, that is encoraging. That is the biggest fear for me.

[Cally]

Clara;

I'll second that - thanks for the pep talk! And the BCB TOUGH! LOVE! ENCOURAGEMENT! There's no other group I'd rather quit with, as the quitnet group makes me nervous - due to there being so much anxiety on the board. I have REALLY! benefitted from reading Allen Carr's book! It's almost Noon and I'm still smoke free today. Because I WANT/CHOOSE to be! I'm not even having to suck on my straw today - which really looks tacky, but hey...

I think this quit is developing just as I thought it would. That I've got to break that "hand-to-mouth" HABIT before I can quit the addiction, i.e. taking off the "PATCH!" and giving up that "psychological Safety NET!" of one or two smokes/day - to settle my heebie, jeebies!

I have come SO FAR! in 11 Days! Even I can't believe it! I'm gonna make it! I just know it! And it feels SO GOOD! to be encouraged with the "positives" of quitting smoking vs. the scare tactics; as per Allen Carr's book, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking."

I try to read a little bit of this book every day, even though I have made it all the way through it once. It's that "positive" reinforcement I need.

And, the ointment my dentist gave me yesterday for my lips has taken all the pain away. Now they are just red, dry and CHAPPED! Therefore, I am going to continue to "PASS!" on this nicotine addiction.

I've smoked for 30 years and haven't exactly enjoyed every one. It is an addiction... Time to "soothe" THAT BEAST! And those "DRY! IRRITATED!" LIPS!

I really like lgoods suggestion/thought of this being an August birthday present for/to MYSELF!

CONGRATS! on BEING! smoke FREE! I'll SOON be there myself. And isn't it funny how we can remember the EXACT! DAY/TIME/MOMENT we set our mind/hands to QUIT!

Cally

[pooder]

Callly:

When I first quit, I wore the 14mg. patch for two weeks. I knew if I wore it that I could not smoke. Then the third week I wore the 7mg. patch. I must admit that when I took off the final patch that I almost gave up. I can remember telling my husband that if I felt this bad in the morning that I was going to smoke. Every time I would feel that bad, I would say the same thing. Tomorrow. I would go for a walk. Since it was November, I would just walk around my house untill I felt better. Day in and day out when I felt I could not stand it another minute, I would talk about tomorrow. Knowing that I could smoke if I really wanted to helped a lot. I choose not to smoke. Needles to say that I no longer have to tell myself tomorrow.

I will tell you that cig. are a drug. Every once in a while, I would like to smoke. It is now a passing thought, but one that tells me NOT ONE PUFF. I know if I took that first puff that I would be right back to smoking again.

When I quit, there was a site (can't remember it) that you could type in the information and it would be on the bottom of your computer screen each time you loged on. It gave the amount of time quit, cig. not smoked and life saved. It was really neat. When I got this new computer, I did not download it. Guess I am firm in my quit now.

Hang in there ladies. It does get easier.

Clara