Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

Radicalmommy · 07-12-2011, 08:05 PM

I'm quitting. I have to finally realize that when your working with a polluted dirty body, nothing else can really go right. It seems impossible to reach anything beyond below average when I am stuck within this vehicle. I want so much more, this is just too painful. (even though my mind will tell me the exact opposite...that life is just too painful to not have smoking to escape and relieve it) Going for a walk.

Clint Cora · 07-12-2011, 10:48 PM

Good luck with this as you definitely made the right decision. I hope you utilize every tool at your disposal because although I'm not a smoker, I understand that it's a very hard habit to kick. Perhaps get others to help you as well from your doctor all the way to any family members/friends you spend a lot of time with, particularly around younger children (remember the effects of second hand smoke are real too).

DancingNDaRain · 07-13-2011, 01:01 AM

Im quitting too... Again. How are you doing with it? I am so tired of being controlled by such a nasty habit!!!

Ajna · 07-13-2011, 02:10 AM

Quitting is a beast so congrats for your choice. I am also an ex-smoker and the one thing that has served me well is just because I slip and smoke one does not mean I need to smoke 3 or 20. I have also found a lot of benefit with pranayama and cardio exercises.

Feel free to PM me if you need to rant or want some tips again congrats!

DancingNDaRain · 07-13-2011, 02:14 AM

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Originally Posted by Ajna

Feel free to PM me if you need to rant or want some tips again congrats!

Thanks! I even called that 1 800 quit number. I quit last year but have been slowly sneaking myself back into the habit. I find myself waiting for break so I can go smoke. I can't let them get a hold on me again. They gotta go! So all the support can get will be great!

Radicalmommy · 07-13-2011, 03:43 AM

I'm hanging in there, it feels treacherous at times. I feel so much anger that I basically told my family to just ignore anything nasty that escapes my lips, a monster has taken control of me at those times and I should be totally ignored. Honestly, as much as smoking seems like it relieves stress I suspect that on another level it actually creates the stress (physical) it's supposed to help. I think if I could just get off the stuff for any length of time, I would be handle things so much more gracefully than I do now. (and I can be a real jerk)

Interestingly, my walk turned into a jog/walk of almost an hour. It was the longest I've been in a long time and even though I've only been off the smokes for less than a day, for some reason I already have more energy, and I have felt, beyond listless lately.

I also made this kind of weird broth/soup this morning,

10 cups water (or so)
one big carrot (grated)
one very spicy Serrano pepper chopped
handful of garlic cloves
a chopped onion
fresh cilantro and some dried herbs
sea salt to taste

So I have been drinking this a cup at a time all day whenever I feel like
having one. That and green tea. So far so good.

Radicalmommy · 07-14-2011, 02:03 AM

Almost through day 2, went jogging for 30 minutes out and alternated walking/jogging back so I was out for about an hour and it is pretty hot here around 90. Then I went out again later for 12 minutes straight up a hill, walked some more then jogged back down the hill. Other than that, I'd say I am hating life more than usual about now. My thoughts at this point are "it's great to be able to do all this exercising but...? What was my purpose other than that smokes are now $5 a pack? I can't remember.

Ajna · 07-14-2011, 05:12 AM

Way to go 5 more days and the physical addiction is over.

It is amazing how angry and crazy you can get I recall at one point I was like please just don't talk to me LOL

NoJobRob · 07-14-2011, 06:56 AM

I quit smoking in '09. I went a fairly unconventional route though. LOL I started dipping just to get used to not inhaling smoke, then went on the patch. It was a lot easier than just going straight to the patch like I had tried several times before. I dipped for a while, then when I realized that I would spend the same amount of money on the patch as I did the dip (both are cheaper than smoking), I went on the patch. I rationalized dipping by the fact that if I got mouth cancer, it would be easier to get plastic surgery than a lung transplant if I got lung cancer, which is true. Both are expensive, but people can wait forever for organs and in many cases, never find a proper donor. Plastic surgery is always doable if you have the cash or insurance (assuming they would even cover it).

AKLight · 07-15-2011, 06:43 AM

You're doing well. Keep it up.

I quit smoking a year ago. One of the best decisions I've ever made!

ButterflyWoman · 07-15-2011, 06:56 AM

I'm afraid I don't have any great tips on quitting, other than to drink a lot of water (apparently, it helps to flush the nicotine and some of the other toxins out of your system, but even if that's completely untrue, it gives you something to do with your hands and mouth and drinking water is good for you

).

I wanted to post, though, to share a perspective from 20+ years as a non-smoker, after having been a very dedicated and very heavy smoker (I started smoking when I was quite young).

The freedom from cigarettes is great. No more having to stand in the rain to get a smoke or getting dirty looks from people when they have to walk through you cloud of smoke. Your clothes will smell better, your hair will smell better. YOU will smell better, and not just to other people: in time, your nose will recover itself and you'll be able to actually smell things more, and therefore food will taste better, with much greater subtlety and variety. You'll be able to go on a long trip or sit through a lengthy movie or a lecture or anything else, without getting a nicotine fit in the middle of it. You'll have more money to spend on cool stuff. Your skin will improve, your eyes will look brighter, your breath will be much sweeter, and with a little effort, your teeth can become brighter and stay that way (rather than continually turning them yellow-brown with tar). You'll look and feel younger. You'll get over colds more quickly.

These are just the benefits I can think of offhand. There are more.

I wanted to post this because you hear a lot about how smoking is bad for you, a waste of money, does a lot of bad things to you and others (passive smoke), and so on, but it's not like smokers aren't aware of these things. Putting the focus on how much better life will be when you're no longer the slave to a pack of smokes is a more positive way to look at it.

Good luck to you, and keep at it. Eventually you can kick it (trust me, if I did it, anyone can

).

elucidate · 07-15-2011, 06:56 AM

You'll start to find, if you stick with it, that your body will start to reject cigarette smoke more often when you are around it. It starts to get back to it's natural way of functioning and you begin to realize how the body really doesn't like to be full of poison. This makes it more of a dealbreaker and will inspire you to stick to it.

Best of luck with it. It's such a feeling of confidence to finally quit and never go back. It's a real achievement.

rodav · 07-15-2011, 11:00 AM

My husband used to be a smoker until the day his doctor warned him. He stopped it abruptly. But I saw how difficult doing it was for him. Before that day, he tried to quit several times. There was a time when he hadn't had a smoke for six months, then he tried one stick just to test himself, he failed his test. So, what I can say is if you have done away with it for sometime, never, never attempt even one inhale. Just tell yourself, you haven't had one for day, you can get by withou it for another day.

Congratulations on your decision, and good luck. If others can do it, you can, too.

Radicalmommy · 07-15-2011, 05:52 PM

Still feel terrible, at least right now, though I've had some good "moments". Now I feel like eating all the time but that could be from my seriously upped exercise level. I basically went from zero exercise to jogging/walking up to an hour. Today I only did 34 minutes but it was all jogging (very slowly) and I can't believe it but I actually made it to the top of this hill which is probably close to an entire mile uphill. Well that's my choice, either start off downhill and face an even steeper one at the end (which I have to walk up) or go up first for much longer, only problem is that I found out there are nasty dogs if I choose up first so it looks like I will probably go back to the longer route. Anyway, I don't feel good right now back to wondering why the hell I am putting myself through this. So weird, last night I was so peaceful and now I'm back to this. Err.. frustrating!

Actually, I can see that my face looks SO much better, younger, and it's only been 4 days?! I have not gained or lost weight (115) but my jeans actually felt looser yesterday. So I will try to make it one more day, it can only get better, I'm hoping!

elucidate · 07-16-2011, 04:14 AM

That's normal, because cigarettes suppress your appetite, which is why models all chain smoke.

The further you go along the more your natural appetite will return. My mother put on a lot of weight when she quit, so that may happen if you are prone to weight gain...just to warn you.

Your body is detoxing right now, so of course you feel like crap. You probably will for a while, like another two weeks or something...but ride it out, it's worth it.

cacheborn · 07-16-2011, 04:51 AM

Hang in there. Wish you the best.

ButterflyWoman · 07-16-2011, 10:29 AM

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