SMOKERS... LETS KICK the HABIT!!

[Just_G]

After doing the stop/start thing while trying to quit, I kept making excuses and kept sayin, "oh just one or two a day" blah blah blah!

Enough.

I was reading a book and it said if you want a different outcome, change your response. Instead of responding to my stress by going out and smoking, I would go outside and walk up and down my drive way, then come back in and continue what I was doing. It sounds a bit odd, but it seems to have worked.

I am officially3 weeks cigarette free......cold turkey!

I plan on being able to run a mile by June 1st, 2 miles by July 1st, and plan on running a 5K by the end of August. I will run a 5K before I turn 40 in October. Bet on it. Cold turkey.

My shortness of breath is gone and I FEEL so much better!

[blush]

Earlier this year, I had a bad bout with pneumonia. I had my lungs xray, which was very scary if you're a smoker. With pneumonia, smoking HURT. And I never wanted to worry about "what if." Smoking also increased my chances of getting pneumonia again.

So I patched when I got home. I'm still patching (taking it VERY slow), but I haven't smoked in 8 months. After about a month, my sense of taste came back. It's a lot easier for me to move. I don't cough when I laugh. I don't have that constant worry of "when can I have one." I feel like I'm free to do things I wasn't able to do. I get cravings, but Goof refuses to let me cheat. They do pass. And knowing my triggers helps me.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Just_G

After doing the stop/start thing while trying to quit, I kept making excuses and kept sayin, "oh just one or two a day" blah blah blah!

Enough.

I was reading a book and it said if you want a different outcome, change your response. Instead of responding to my stress by going out and smoking, I would go outside and walk up and down my drive way, then come back in and continue what I was doing. It sounds a bit odd, but it seems to have worked.

I am officially3 weeks cigarette free......cold turkey!

I plan on being able to run a mile by June 1st, 2 miles by July 1st, and plan on running a 5K by the end of August. I will run a 5K before I turn 40 in October. Bet on it. Cold turkey.

My shortness of breath is gone and I FEEL so much better!

Congratulations, G! That is fantastic! And not odd at all...that is what they tell you to do. Walk away and do something else when you are craving or when you would typically reach for a cig. And walking is the best choice! I know for me walking would burn off the cravings.

Congrats to you too, Blush!