Archive through June 22, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Who wants to quit smoking with me? (ARCHIVES): Archive through June 22, 2003

Urgrace

Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 01:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
3 Months!

Today marks the end of three months smoke-free for me! Dh is up to 2 and a half months! Yippee!

Congratulations Sisalou on your first month!

Llkoolaid

Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:02 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Way to go Urgrace, I hope you know how proud everyone here is of you and your dh. Why don't the two of you put the money you save each week from not smoking away and reward yourselves with a little vacation. You sure do deserve it.

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 10:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yay, Gracie and hubby!!

Dahli

Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 08:56 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
HOLY BUCKETS GRACIE!!! 3 months is fabulous - congrats to you both, and the vacation idea is a good one. We are so very proud and happy for you two NON0-smokers:-))

Pamy

Monday, June 16, 2003 - 06:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
YEAH Grace!!! I bought Carr's Easy ways to stop smoking book yesterday, I started reading it last nite. My goal is to be smoke free before our cruise in Oct.

Babyruth

Monday, June 16, 2003 - 08:15 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Yahoooooooooooooo Gracie!!! Way to go!!!!

Tashakinz

Monday, June 16, 2003 - 09:35 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Way to go Sisalue, Grace & DH!!!!!

Dahli

Monday, June 16, 2003 - 10:35 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Pamy - that's terrific, remember just as LL said a while back, while reading it don't change anything in your smoking routine....don't cut back, or cut down, just let your mind absorb what it already knows... and don't be scared ;-))

Pamy

Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 08:52 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks for the advice. How do you think it works? Do you think it's subliminal?

Dahli

Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 11:30 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That's such a good question Pamy, but I'm not so sure...perhaps the urge to smoke is subliminal and the book brings everything out into the open where you realize what it is and how stupid it is...?? We'll be most interested in what you think when you're done.

Llkoolaid

Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 06:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't think it is subliminal Pamy. It just tells you the facts and you know it is true. Like I said before, I didn't use it to quit smoking, I read it long after I quit, what it did for me was give me the strength to never go back. It takes all the lies you tell yourself and exposes them in such a way that you do not want to smoke and you stop looking at other smokers with envy and begin to pity them. My son quit over 5 months ago and he swears it was as simple as just not smoking and he swears he hasn't had one or wanted one since. He did say the last 40 pages or so were hard to get through because he knew he was going to quit if he finished the book and he had to force himself to do it. You will understand when you read it.

Pamy

Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 07:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The reason I asked is cuz the author talks about hypnosis in the beginning and then some of the words on the page are bolded. I don't care how it works, I just can't wait. I also have told everyone my stop date like Adven suggested, I think that will help also.

Llkoolaid

Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 07:25 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Yeah, really , who cares how it works, if it works then great. I can't wait to hear how you feel about it after you are finished.

Deedee

Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 10:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Last minute advice needed. I set my quit date a couple of weeks ago that date is tomorrow. Anyone have any advice? Should I follow my normal routine tomorrow or should I alter it or just play it by ear? Is it normal to be nervous before quitting?

Tashakinz

Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 11:37 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Deedee: Follow your routine. Yes, it's totally normal to be nervous. I think I pulled out about 10 percent of my hair psyching myself up.

Advice: drink lots of water, brush your teeth often (I deliberately started a bleaching treatment so I could see my teeth getting whiter, knowing that smoking had helped dull them), post here whenever you feel discouraged, or encouraged, or just because. lol

Do you have a hobby or artsy/craftsy thing you like to do? I found crocheting gave me something to do with my hands.

Best of luck!!

Deedee

Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 12:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Tasha!

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yes, Deedee, nervous doesn't begin to describe it. I would guess most of us were terrified. Nervous, and terrified and sad. BUT, you do have the power to take back control of your life from this thing. Good luck. Come here and post if you need to. That's what some of the first quitters did, came here and posted when they got a really bad urge, and by the time they were done, it was over with.

Llkoolaid

Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 06:53 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
That's what I did Juju and it sure helped, I would just vent and by the time I finished typing I was ok for a while.
Drink the water and brush the teeth like Tasha says, and by the way Tasha welcome to the other side of the fence.
Deedee, that nervousness is so common, but think of it as excitement that you have control back. Go outside in the fresh air lots, it helps too.
Just know that it is going to be hard but nothing that you can't handle and every day will get a little better. Just take it hour by hour and then day by day. You will be amazed how quickly a week goes by and then it's a month. Just wait and see.
Good luck, we will be here for you.

Deedee

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 01:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I HATE decaf coffee! I read my book and keep going back to it. I started out all excited that I was going to be free of the cigarette. But today is hard. It all started with reading the Sunday paper with decaf coffee and no cig. I am still excited about becomming a Non-smoker but right now sucks! I just want this part over. I know that Non-smokers don't want a cigarette and all of the wonderful things that are happening because I am not smoking. I just went to the page that War found for me that shows that after 48hrs. "Ability to smell and taste is enhanced." Maybe that is why this decaf taste so bad. Maybe decaf always tasted this bad and I didn't know it. I have not had the "got to have a cig feeling" but today I just really need to b**** about not having one.

edited to add - I am a little better now, but I think since I bought some decaf tea bags, tomorrow morning I am going to try tea instead of coffee.

Llkoolaid

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 02:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Try orange juice. A fresh glass of orange juice and a cigarette just don't go together.

Hang in there, you can do this.

Juju2bigdog

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 07:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Deedee, what book are you referring to? I looked up above and don't see any book reference. Just curious, no big deal. I don't really have to know.

And tea might be a very good idea. Do you have to have decaf? I think all green tea is decaf, and it is supposed to do all sorts of good things for you. I really like Earl Grey made with tea leaves not in a bag, in one of those ball thingies, but it has caffeine.

And hey! Congratulations for making it through your first almost two days!

Deedee

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 08:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The book I am refering to is Allen Carr's Easy way to quit smoking. The reason for the decaf is that as nicotine leaves the body, caffeine has a greater effect because nicotine blocks caffeine. The enhanced effect of caffeine often will cause (according to the book and a couple of websites) intensified urge to smoke. So I am avoiding caffeine to avoid a possible pit fall. I had smoked long enough that it was no longer "enjoyable." However, my favorite part of summer Sunday mornings is sitting on the patio with my newspaper, reading and enjoying my backyard. Until this morning this has also included a cigarette and a cup of strong coffee with real cream,(not the non-fat psudeo cream stuff) Sunday morning is my be nice to me time that I try hard to have at least 30mins each and every week. This morning when the coffee tasted so bad, my favorite part of the week was ruined. I understand that I have to reshape a lot of the things that I do to not include cigarettes but this morning that bad coffee was like "not only can I not have a cigarette, I can't have good coffee either" That feeling lasted well into the late afternoon. After I posted here I felt better just venting about it and was able to say to myself non-smokers don't have a cig with the Sunday paper and the decaf thing is only temporary. In 30 days when I can start having some caffeine that Sunday coffee is going to taste even better. By then my tastebuds will have completely recovered and I will be able to really taste it.

I have been amazed how much that book has helped. The coffee incident was my first meltdown moment and I was able to keep my resolve intact. I have tried to quit before and the book has really helped to reshape my thinking on smoking which helps. I guess what bothered me so is that I am approaching this as not depriving myself of something but instead as I am doing something really positive for me. When the coffee incident happened. It hit me from out of the blue and left me for several hours feeling deprived instead of feeling like I am healing my body.

Weekday coffee or tea or juice is not as important as that Sunday paper time. At least now I can watch out for next week.

P.S. I kaint spel 2 gud.

Tabbyking

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 09:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
deedee, i get real 'fancy' with my decaf....i take an empty jar and put my nonfat milk in it and shake the hell out of it. then i pour it on my coffee and it makes a mountain of foam. you can sprinkle vanilla or chocolate or cinnamon on top, too. pretty soon, i just enjoyed my fake lattes, and didn't miss the cigs at all!
and, no offense to those of you who are still smokers, but i do feel a little smug or proud of myself when i see a smoker huddled in the cold or rain, or gathered in a small, smoke-clouded area outside a place of employment, or running for a restaurant exit to light up the second they are done with their meal, or standing outside a nightclub door.....because i don't have that 'desperate' look to me anymore! although i swear i never looked that way...when i did smoke. one of those lies we tell ourselves!

Deedee

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 10:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks for the tip on the fake lattes. My friend who does the decaf-nonfat-nosugar-everything says that I bought the worst brand of decaf and has suggested a better brand. With a better brand and an all shook up latte I am sure next Sunday will be better. I usually only have about 3-4 cups of coffee Mon-Sat with non-fat creamer, but Sunday is a two cupper. The more time that passes since this happened, it is almost comical now.

Juju2bigdog

Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 11:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well dang, Deedee, you just made a giant leap if you can already see how comical it is. Most people would still be mad about it and not be able to think it was funny until about six months from now.

You are doing good!