1 Year and No Cigarette Today!!

[true_notes]

I reached my 1 year milestone today in not smoking anymore. I'm feeling better and as active as ever. I have gained 20 pounds in my battle, but I'm shedding them too. It's a good day today!

Thanks to DU Smoking Cessation Group Members, too.

-TN

[Lithos]

1. Congrats!

I wish you continued health and success!

L-

[catabryna]

2. Congrats!

Trying to build up the fortitude to follow in your footsteps! There's never a good time, so I just have to make the Herculean effort and do it!

[true_notes]

7. Can I make a suggestion?

Use Commit Lozenges. They are wonderful and taste O.K. But to tell you the truth, my friend it's all in your head. You absolutely must have willpower to beat it because it's (smoking) a big ass to kick.

[Bluebear]

15. Commits worked for me too.

The trick was getting off the Commits, but I digress :)

[catabryna]

17. Thanks for the tip!

And, yes, I have stopped smoking before and it IS all in my head and tough to stay away from. The third and fourth day were the most difficult for me. I have never tried the lozenges, but they may work better than the 2nd step patch (used in the past) since I *only* (and I use this term loosely!) smoke about a half-pack a day. You'd think I could easily kick a half-pack habit, but a habit is a habit is a habit!

[MissMarple]

14. I quit, too, about 20 some years ago.

Needlepoint helped a lot. You really can't smoke and do handwork at the same time. Behavior substitution is a good strategy.

Good luck.

[proud patriot]

3. I've lost 7 of my quit smoking 20 lbs

Jan will be 2 years smoke free for me

[Warpy]

4. Congratulations!

By now you know that cravings last a maximum of five minutes and that you will live through them. You also know that an extra twenty pounds is a much less serious threat to your health than smoking was.

For another reason to pat yourself on the back, I just posted at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x11317

[BootinUp]

5. congrats!

and its been 1 year and about 2 months for me. :)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Awesome Job TN! Keep It Up And Never Look Back!

I'm proud of you for what you've been able to accomplish. The addiction to nicotine is one of the absolute toughest to overcome that there is. I have the world of respect for you for having had the ability to do so.

Keep it up!

:toast:

[China_cat]

8. Jan 1 will be 10 years for me

[Annces]

9. Congratulations - keep it up

One thing I used to tell myself, you were not born smoking, so smoking is not really a part of you unless you make it that way.

[jimshoes]

10. Hey, congrats

2 years 7 months for me. KUTGW.

[rsmith6621]

12 Years Since My Last Beer or.....

anything of an alcohol nature except of course......NyQuil..or Listerine...:party:

[Raffi Ella]

11. wow!!

WHAT an accomplishment.I want to quit too.Wish I was in your situation.Very Big Hug to you for such a fantastic accomplishment.

[JDPriestly]

12. Congratulations. You will not regret it.

[MissMarple]

13. Good for you!!!

:hug: :applause: :woohoo:

[bigtree]

16. 22 years here

smoked for 11 years

[NotGivingUp]

18. Good for you! I've always said the first year is the hardest....

you made it through that so it just gets easier from here on...that was my experience anyway.

[youngblue]

19. Congrats

[OXM]

20. Congratulations

It's been about that for me. I've gained 30 pound, bit all my nails, and for a while I looked silly chewing a straw but it's all worth it, if only for the knowledge of not giving any more money to the tobacco industry.

[tandot]

21. Congratulations!

What a great accomplishment!

I quit 12 years ago.

[serryjw]

22. Still have NOT stopped....2 question to all

DID you REALLY eat more/the wrong stuff or is inevitable you will gain weight. CAN you take the lozenges and be on the patch at the same time?

[RC]

24. After you stop smoking, food tastes better. Your sense of smell

improves. You feel better also.

[serryjw]

26. Sorry, you didn't answer my questions

please!

[CBGLuthier]

27. latest research indicates

That a metabolism slow down will occur upon quitting. So, yes, you will gain weight no matter what.

Myself, i think all quit smoking aids are worthless. I am about 3 months in to my own cold turkey and having bad and good days, but at least I am not still giving money to the tobacco companies in any form.

[serryjw]

29. Interesting follow up

I think I am one of the few that didn't smoke IN PLACE of eating, I did BOTH! I can't imagine eating more or bad stuff considering I do it now( overweight). I got the free patches from our CO quit smoking line. I will use them after the election!

[lonestarnot]

31. Woohoo! Second to quitting, not giving bushitler supporters your

money is fantastic!

[intaglio]

23. 16 months here, keep going eom

[grateful581]

25. Nice job

14 months for me

[lonestarnot]

28. woohoo.

:smoke: This fucking political climate keeps me at it! LOL that and the fact that I don't want to quit.

[Subdivisions]

30. Bravo! I quit 10 years ago...don't miss it one bit.

[zonkers]

32. That is bad ass. Keep it up.

[u4ic]

33. Congratulations!!!

Keep up the great work!! :bounce: :toast: :bounce:

[DemoTex]

34. Congrats. Dad (87) is alive because he quit in 1980.

My mom has COPD. She quit at age 82, three years ago. You did the right thing, my friend. Hang tough. Dad says he still has occasional cravings for a Camel.

[wanpete]

35. congrats! Hang in there and keep up the good work!

:headbang:

[astral]

36. Congratulations, True Notes!

and to all the other quitters in here! For me it'll be 6 years in a couple of months since I had a cigarette. But I used the nicotine gum (half a piece every four hours more or less) for 14 months! <<<lol!>>> It was just about as hard to quit the gum as it was to quit the cigarettes!

But I'd smoked 21 years and had failed at quitting so many times I was getting pretty scared about it. For some of us it's a powerful addiction.

I happened to dream I was buying a pack of cigarettes last night! Funny, I usually never remember my dreams.

Recovery it's a lifelong process.

[Tikki]

37. Awesome.......

My son and I are at 21 months now. He used the 'patch' and I went
'cold turkey'.



Tikki

[deadparrot]

38. From my health book:

"The health risks of adding a few pounds are far outweighed by the risks of continued smoking; it's estimated that a smoker would have to gain 75-100 pounds to equal the health risks of smoking a pack a day."

Just to give you some encouragement! Congrats! :toast: