I quit smoking on Wednesday!

[crispini]

We have a new, sane, grown up president, AND, the campaign I was working on is over. Two GIANT sources of stress gone, just like that -- POOF. I haven't even missed it. :smoke:

[skygazer]

1. What a great way to celebrate

Good for you! :thumbsup:

[datasuspect]

2. quitters never win

[yellowdogintexas]

3. WOO HOO proud of you!!! nt

[applegrove]

4. Good for you. I've been quit about 6 months and I'm so proud. It is a great thing

you do for yourself.

[old mark]

5. crispini, applegrove, good for both of you. There is a great old trick

of putting the money you would have spenton tobacco for every week in a stash somewhere, and after a year, buying something unnecessary with it, a present to yourself. You also get a year smoke-free as a bonus.

Works great, and reminds you how much it costs just in $s to smoke.

Good luck to you both, and to all others who quit recently.

mark

(19 years without cigarettes)

[crispini]

10. I'll have to try that. Thanks for the idea!

It's about $7 a week I guess. :D

[bain_sidhe]

15. Wow

$7 a week is like a pack and a half a week!

I was smoking a pack and a half a DAY! As was my hubby. He hasn't quit yet, but he's now smoking in the garage (his decision, I didn't ask him to) and is down to around half to three-quarters of a pack a day. He plans to quit over semester break, but from right now till the end of the semester is really stressful for him.

[crispini]

21. Yeah, I wasn't smoking a lot.

Which actually makes it easier to NOT quit ... "Oh, I'm only smoking 4 or 5 a day." Still, NOT good. Ya know? :D

[crispini]

22. Yeah, I wasn't smoking a lot.

Which actually makes it easier to NOT quit ... "Oh, I'm only smoking 4 or 5 a day." Still, NOT good. Ya know? :D

[bain_sidhe]

17. We're not setting the money aside

But I figured it out and keep repeating it to myself. At a pack & a half (or more, sometimes) a day for each of us, quitting smoking is like getting a $6,000.00 AFTER TAX raise!

I mutter "six thousand dollar raise" to myself a lot. It helps.

[old mark]

24. That's a big part of the trick. If you realise how much money you

wasted killing yourself, it is a real incentive.
Congratulations to you and good luck to your husband.

mark

[bain_sidhe]

26. Thank you!

(for the congratulations, I mean) It actually wasn't the money that decided me to quit (it was the shortness of breath) - but the money argument remains a great mantra for summoning up a little extra fortitude.

[old mark]

28. What did it for me was that I was disgusted with myself for being

hooked on tobacco. I cut back to a few a day, then quit altogether, and it was still hard for me to do.

My mother died of heart disease, my mother in law from lung cancer surgery, both were smokers. I really hate tobacco, the industry down to retailers. I feel the folks selling cigarettes are no better than those selling crack.

I am very happy for anyone who quits.

mark

[bain_sidhe]

6. Me too!

but unlike you, I miss it... in fact, came to the lounge to ask for help in getting my mind off really, really really wanting a cig!

(Note, I haven't quit nicotine yet, so it's not a nicotine fit. I just miss the whole "go have a cig" method of taking a break or changing gears.)

[crispini]

9. Well, I no longer have anything I need a break from -- haha.

So I guess I can't help you there. Maybe just take a "go outside and look around and stretch break" instead!

[bain_sidhe]

13. Too cold out there!

But, I'm still working on coming up with something to replace that psychological "break" function. I'm thinking of positioning an old "stepper" I got in front of a window, and just using that for a few minutes... it would serve a dual purpose: give me that "changing gears" or "taking a break" activity, AND help keep me from gaining weight.

[zanne]

7. I'm very pround of you, crispini!

This is the hard part. Then you get to spend the rest of your life as a non-smoker, with healthier lungs, a stronger heart, and the ability to run up the stairs without gulping for air! Your clothes will smell fresh, your house will smell fresh, and whoever you are kissing will thank you for it!

[LostinVA]

8. Good for you -- 13 years for me in April

[trof]

11. So did I! Started back on Thursday.

:evilgrin:

[Inchworm]

12. Congrats! Keep it up!

:woohoo:

:hi:

[Schema Thing]

14. Congrats, Crispi!

[DarkTirade]

16. So... when we might finally get decent healthcare...

that's when you start living a healthier life? :P

I keed, I keed. Congrats!

[Redstone]

18. Good on you. Hapy to hear it's going easy; it's a tough process for most people.

Redstone

[Roon]

19. Quitting smoking is nice, but it's very painful.

All you have to do is stick it out for three days, the fourth day gets easier and it gets easier every day after that.

The first think I noticed when I quit was the extra buck in my pocket. It's nice to travel on the bus and have to load up your cigs and lighters. It nice not to have the bums downtown to bum a cigarette off you. It's just nice all around not to be a smoker!

[Roon]

20. oops, ,i wanted to add. this helped me a lot

101 things to do instead of smoking..
http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cravingsandurges/a/101thingstodo.htm

[crispini]

23. Thanks! Looks great!

Definitely will try that.

[bain_sidhe]

25. You know, we should form a "Wednesday Quit Club"

Or maybe a "President-elect Obama Quit Club"

Anyway, my point in posting is to come up with ideas for how to reward ourselves on our one week anniversary... (And, the 2-week anniversary, and the 3 week anni... well, you get the idea.)

[crispini]

29. Good idea!

Actually, I've already got an appointment for a pedicure on Wednesday -- so I shall consider that my one week reward, hahahaha!

Funny thing is, quitting on that date will, I think, make it harder for me to start again, somehow, know what I mean? :D

[bain_sidhe]

30. The date definitely helps

Can't let Obama down, after all!

I still haven't thought of a suitable "reward" - probably will be a book, but I would have bought that anyway (we're both bibliovores here). I'm trying to think of something I *wouldn't* have bought anyway.

[Danger Mouse]

27. Well done.

:toast: