Quit smoking support group

If you are a smoker, which I was for the better part of 35 years, it's easy to get into denial. If you are not, or you successfully quit, you can't imagine why you ever smoked. My last straw was seeing two people I cared for very much die of emphesema. "Grandpa with a hose," he was called because he dragged around his oxygen tank. While he was doing that, his wife was sitting on the back steps, having a cigarette. Of course, it makes no sense. I suspect I will have respiratory problems of some degree as I get older. My lung capacity now is not all that great. All I can do is hope that those of you who are struggling keep struggling, don't give up. It is a battle not only worth winning, it is one you have to win. Please don't cop out to the weight gain vs. smoking argument. Quit now while you have the physical capacity for a good exercise program. If you delay, it could be too late. God bless.

 

I did gain weight, and it's been a struggle in the 13 years since I quit. It's still better than the alternative. We are not talking massive weight gain, one pants size.

 

I'm trying to loose wwith and quit smoking at the same time. I must be crazy.

 

Boots, I suggest you quit smoking first then worry about the weight.

I gained weight when I quit for two years because of all the snacking ... McD's and chocolate are good diversions .. I then lost the weight later by cutting out soda all together and limiting my saturated fats. Really wasn't that difficult considering all the soda I drink.

 

This won't end well. On the way to work, I picked up a flyer asking for people who smoked more than 15 cigarettes a day to be involved in a paid university study plan.

 

Well, today was easily my worst day ... strong, steady craving all day ... which isn't good because I usually consider weekends my best non-smoking days because there's less stress ...

Thought about pulling into the convenience store a couple times today but I didn't ...

 

you dodged the bullet, man. good job.

 

I saw him the next night, so he grabbed them then. Still good, and only a few day shy of four weeks.

 

I know it's the no smoking thread, and GOD knows I need to stop but I just went out in 29 degree weather to smoke a cig that I know I didnt need.

Damn mfngsnofabtchncksng habit.

 

Next time, stay inside and make yourself some hot chocolate. For the price of smokes, you could probably make yourself the fanciest cup of hot chocolate on the market. I've found chocolate, by the way, to be a good replacement drug. You can reward yourself without devouring a whole pizza or something similar. If you've having trouble, go to the store and splurge. Just grab all sorts of chocolates. I bought a little bag of Nut Lover's Hershey miniatures. There's extra-creamy milk chocolate with cashews, white chocolate with pecans, milk chocolate with peanuts and milk chocolate with almonds. It's as good as the imported stuff, to which I'm partial. If you ever find the imported Lindt candy bars with pistachio filling, send it to me. Okay, orgasmic chocolate post over. Continue breathing deep...for once.

 

Okay, status check. How are we doing today?

Yesterday was a bitch for me. I had a steady craving all day. Nothing chased it away. This is how I explained it this morning in an e-mail to my wife.

Yesterday was just really stressful. Ask someone who smokes if they
have tried quitting. The cravings aren't like when you crave
chocolate.
It's like a panic attack. It's like someone is chasing you with an ax,
and you just have to run and run all day.

The thing is that nothing else in the world will fuflill what you
want.
The only thing that will make him stop chasing you is a cigarette. And
you know it. You feel completely miserable, almost as if you can't
function. And you know that one cigarette will make it all okay. And
it really does.

....

Anyway, I swore to her that I was going to break off this little pull-out thing on our end table just because the kids pulled it open so far that it was jammed and wouldn't close. The truth is that I've never used that little thing in my life. I imagine it's for holding coffee cups or something. But I didn't break it. So there's progress. Today, I feel five times better.

 

I readily admit, I fucked up. But I am cutting down considerably. Went to the doctor told him I was down to aobut 8 per day. He said keep it up.