ritamaew

I am a former smoker and I will share what helped me along the way.

1. I refuse to be enslaved by this filthy habit. I will free myself !

2. A cigarette craving lasts as long as a cigarette--2 minutes. Your willpower
can hold strong for 2 minutes.

3. Keep busy with a project like sewing.

Congratulations--you will make it.

Rita

mimisharon

me, too, Pam, every time I've quit (there have been two that I was off 'em and stayed off for awhile, until I had to ride long distance with Roy somewhere) I've had a trauma or a husband that smoked 3+ packs a day and I'd be right back to smoking. Now, I have no ashtrays in the house, no smoking allowed in the house, and I have to stand outside away from the house (rain or shine) I'm down to less than a pack a day, weaning is working for me (because of my mental picture of quitting and biting Roy's head off every time he looks at me, I chose weaning instead of cold turkey.) I tried the chantix and it worked well but then Mom had a heart attack and off we went in the truck together with him smoking one after another.

I don't hold him responsible for my bad habit and you've inspired me. I'm not going to buy anymore, I'll go buy a fq for each day instead. That will be a much cheaper reward. Let's do it together, girl, we are North Carolinians and we WILL do it!!!!!

carolw

Atta girl---you might want to put a loose rubber band around your wrist and anytime you get the urge--snap the band against your wrist. Also--helpful to have something handy for your hands/mouth handy---such as carrot sticks or gum.

Congratulations for quitting---tobacco has been used for centuries as an insecticide---glad to hear you won't be putting the "natural" kind of RAID or HOT SHOT bug killer in your lungs anymore! Go for it!

mimisharon

PQ, I am so so sorry about your neighbor's son. How horrible! You will be better able to comfort and help Lisa if you work on a prayer quilt for her and yourself at the same time.

Any pattern, doesn't matter, just choose one. With each block you pray for Lisa, then when it's completed you let her know that it's blocks of prayers said for her and her comfort. She wraps herself in it she will be wrapped in prayers for herself and her son.

Start another for yourself. Thank God for every ciggie you don't smoke. Make a block for every hour/day you don't smoke. You'll soon have a quilt to wrap yourself in that says what a brave and thankful person you are. Think of each of us holding your hand and encouraging you! YOU are a brave and courageous woman!!!

Hugs,
Sharon

adrianlee

I'll pray for you to win over the smoking. I'm like Rhonda, God gave me excellent taste buds and carrying these extra extra pounds is taking it's toll on my health. I try each day to cut back at the table. I'm with you in your journey to quilt.

Linsoblu

Way to go girl! Just be careful with the Chantix I tried it when I wanted to stop smoking and I want to get my husbands gun and shoot myself. I want back to the doctor and she said lets try an anti-depressed it worked.

joann hussey

Thats the best news I read today, my brother was a smoker for many years, he gave it up when his grandaughter said, please stop smoking, I want you at my wedding. The power of a child, he gave it up . I wish you the best .

Florine

I smoked for 25 years and went to Smoke Enders about 1980. Some tricks: watch other people smoking. They will not look so good doing it. Also, take a clear jar and put butts in it, if you continue to smoke. It looks gross, especially if you pour some water in it. We mapped our smoking on a little wrap sheet around the pack with a mark during the hour we smoked. We could analyze when our stress smoking occurred. It was a great program with 80% of the nicotine out of our systems by the 3rd week. Don't know if it is still available but it worked for me. Haven't touched one since!
FJ

Catlady

Thats wonderful. Hang in there. I smoked for 46 years and finally
quit 8 years ago. I tried to quit several times and finally succeeded.
I no longer have smokers lungs (My lungs came out perfectly
clear on xrays last year- my doctor cheered). My sense of smell
is back (And boy do those smokers every stink. Phew!), and my
food tastes great now, I can breathe easier (especially after climbing
stairs), I have more energy and no longer get bronchitis - I used to
get it every year for at least 5 years before quitting. So hang in
there, the benefits are terrific.
Catlady

omak

Way to go!
My youngest son had a friend whose mother told me the following story.
When Jordon was about four, they decided it was time to wean him from breast feeding. He would come up to nurse and Mommy would say, "Remember? We decided you don't do that any more."
and, she told me he would walk away, saying: That's right, I don't do that any more."
So, last year when I quit smoking, after forty years, when I would finally figure out that my mood change meant I was wanting another cigarette, I practiced two things the story of Jordon taught me - -
1) turn around and walk away
2) remind myself "I don't do that any more".
Even in the midst of doing something I really wanted to do, there would be a mood change, it took me awhile to figure out what was going on. I replaced the hand to mouth motion with a drink of water or take a deep breath and exhale up to ten times. I also figured out to MOVE ... walk around the barn, the garden, the block ... but, MOVE ... all the things that we have surrounded ourself with while we were enjoying our cigarettes, the things we quit doing, the mind games we play to enable us ... we developed a habit and it just doesn't go away without replacing it with something positive.
THere are many who can strong arm their habits - - I am not one of those. Smoking was a natural for my obsessive personality .... the thing that made me a great factory worker was the thing the made smoking pleasant for me (repetition).
Good job in working toward being smoke free. The points different people have shared are so good for helping the rest of us (yes, I relapsed and must go through all this again. Bummer!) do a good thing for ourselves.
Thank you for trusting the group enough to let us all help you and each other ... and many who may be thinking about maybe ...