Volunteers?

[bartfull]

There are a lot of reasons to quit smoking and I have decided to give it a go. Here is my rationale:

I can't afford it anymore.

I'm losing weight on the new diet, so now is a good time - maybe I won't Gain like most folks do when they quit.

When I can keep from getting CC'd, I feel really good, and I know if I quit smoking I'll feel even better.

My house and my car and my breath will be cleaner.

I won't have to go outside in the cold of winter or heat of summer to have a smoke.

I have lost a dear friend to lung cancer.

And if you all can think of more reasons, I'm ready to hear them.

So, I have enough cigs to get through tomorrow, and the plan is to wake up Friday morning and not smoke - hopefully ever again. And if anyone here would like to be a "support group" for me with this the way you have all been for my food problems, I think I'll make it.

I'll keep you all updated on my progress if you're interested. And if anyone would like to join me in quitting - let's help each other do it!

Thanks.

[IrishHeart]

YOU GO, GIRL!! I will support your efforts 100%

You're making a wise decision!!!

You can do it!!! It has no power over you.

The price of cigs now?? Totally outrageous. You could save what you would have spent on them and go on a vacation!

I quit cold turkey 18 years ago. Now the smell makes me feel pretty oogey. yuck!

Here's the main reason to quit. You are cleaning out your body of poisonous gluten--you will feel fantastic and live a long an healthy life! So, why put this poison in there?? Counter-productive, isn't it?

I can be a pretty good cheerleader!! rah rah rah

(and I am going to send this thread link to another friend on here who smokes so I can help her to give them up, too. )

[Skylark]

Good for you! *cheers*

Does my grandmother's emphysema from years of smoking give you another reason? She got to where she couldn't walk up a gentle hill or climb a single flight of stairs without getting winded.

You also will get rid of unsightly tobacco stains on your fingers and teeth.

[mushroom]

We have been cheerleaders for other quitters, so only to happy to join your gang.

I have COPD from my years of smoking - I can't go for a walk from my house because I can go downhill fine, but can't get back up (I live on top of a hill)

[lucia]

You'll be an example to your kids or your nieces or your nephews! And an inspiration to everyone else who wants to quit smoking, but thinks they can't. Heck, to me. I know how hard it is to quit smoking. I watched my mother struggle with it for years, before she died of lung cancer in her early 40s. Please, yes, be that example and that inspiration.

[bartfull]

Thanks everyone! I don't have any kids or nieces or nephews, but I have a BUNCH of guitar students who look up to me, so I will be setting a good example for them. And I figured out that the money I save will cover my telephone, lights, and water at the house. There will even be a little left over. I've been spending about $35 a week!

LAST time I quit, I also went cold turkey. I got myself psyched for a few days and once I quit, I considered myself a non-smoker instead of someone who was TRYING to quit. I kept telling myself how lucky I was that I didn't have to smoke anymore, instead of thinking about how badly I wanted one. It worked - for three months. Then one day I dropped something in my car. While fishing around for it under the seat, I pulled out a cigarette that I must have dropped who knows how long ago. Before I even realized what I was doing I had lit it. That's all it took...

I realize that physically, the first three days will be the hardest. Psychologically, the first six weeks will be the hardest. And after that, I just have to watch out for the "traps" - things like finding that cig under the seat.

But I'm feeling pretty darned hopeful right now. I AM going to do this!

[IrishHeart]

Good luck and keep us posted! We care!!

[Lisa]

Hey Bartful!

Best advise I can give you is to change up your routine. If the phone rings (and you use to go for a cig), go where you never smoked in your home. Anytime that would trigger a cig, change it up. Take walks, work out, add new habits to replace the old ones, and keep busy. Keep your hands busy, chew on a straw and breath in fresh air. And remember, when you wake up in the morning, your clothes won't smell gross.

I quit after thirty years with help of a prescription. It worked for me, it might not work for others.

But, if you're not ready nothing will help.

[Skylark]

If you made it three months on your "practice run" you'll do it this time for sure!

[mushroom]

The way I did it was to wake up one morning and say, "You've had your last cigarette already." I did it exactly the other way around -- instead of saying I'm going to try to quit smoking, (because I had tried many times before and failed), I said I have quit smoking, and that's it. My hub still smoked, and I always left a pack of my cigarettes on the corner of the coffee table to test my resolve, because I knew I would be offered cigs and I had to turn them down, so every day I walked past them several times and said "No thanks." And every now and then I would light a match, because the smell of the sulphur burning was just as important as the cigarette and if I could have the sulphur, hey, great!!!.

At the end of the third week was when it hit me like a ton of bricks. My attorney boss was in trial out of town and called in, and asked if I was all right??? Must have been something about my attitude or somethin' And I said, NO, I AM NOT ALL RIGHT. I HAVE QUIT SMOKING GO...AMMIT." This was back in the days where cold turkey was the onlly option, of course, and the telephone was the cue to light up

I finally gave in and went to my doctor, and said, look, I've quit but you're gonna have to help me a bit. I lie in bed at night with every muscle tensed, can't relax, can't sleep, get up in the morning an absolute mess. So he gave me 5mg valium to take at bedtime. Oh, what bliss, to be able to sleep again, and relax those muscles. And I never looked back.

That's my stop smoking story. Oh, and I nibbled on lots of carrot sticks and celery sticks, and had a pencil in my hand a lot of the time

[mommida]

Try and have some gluten free menthol cough drops, and try not to kill anyone.

[AVR1962]

Yay! Good for you and the best to you!!

[IrishHeart]

so....How you doing??

[psawyer]

I'm late to the party, but want to wander in.

I quit and then started again a few times. I quit for good in April of 1990, going cold turkey. It took a long time for the cravings to go away, but eventually they did. Today, the smell of smoke strikes me as repulsive.

You can do this.

[Lisa]

I'm late to the party, but want to wander in.

the smell of smoke strikes me as repulsive.

YES! Me too!

Now, to tackle the other evil again. I hate to fold clothes.

[bartfull]

I am so ashamed. I didn't make it. I was all set, feeling strong, and then I got some devestating news - the building I have my music store in is up for sale and a guy from California is looking at it. His first order of business is to raise my rent to California prices. I have to find a new place to move my store to, or just go out of business and get a (choke) JOB!

So that's my excuse. I know it's not a good REASON, but it is an excuse. To be honest, I don't even care. If I can't run my store, I really don't much care about anything.

[Skylark]

I'm so sorry to hear that you might have to move your store! That's terrible news. It's definitely a bad time to try a big change when you're under that sort of stress.

Here's the deal. You have to promise us that you'll pick another day when things settle down and try again! You get a pass this time, but you don't get to keep smoking forever.

[bartfull]

I'm so sorry to hear that you might have to move your store! That's terrible news. It's definitely a bad time to try a big change when you're under that sort of stress.

Here's the deal. You have to promise us that you'll pick another day when things settle down and try again! You get a pass this time, but you don't get to keep smoking forever.

Thanks, Skylark. I just now got a call from the real estate agent. Her client is very interested and is coming by tomorrow to look again. I'll probably know soon if my shop has a future here.