BOY I REALLY GOT IT!!! YOU ARE SCARRY, BUT IN A NICE WAY. I JUST TOLD MY HUSBAND YESTERDAY THAT I WISHED SOME ONE WOULD POST YELLING INSTEAD OF BEING SO NICE ALL THE TIME. NOT TO SAY THAT ALL THE GREAT SUPPORT HERE ISN'T WORKING FOR ME, BUT IT WAS KIND OF REFRESHING TO GET YELLED AT!!! GREAT POST, WILL BE WATCHING FOR MORE. I AM ON MY 4TH DAY TODAY AND I WILL STAY SMOKE FREE JUST SO YOU DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME!!! JUST KIDDING THANK---SLIVERS

Thank you! Yep, you reduced me to tears, but that's ok. I'm printing this one and hanging it up on my computer desk. It'll give me that well needed kick in the butt when I'm ready to cave! Joyce [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/23/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

Jaset, thanks for taking the time to write back. I really do get what you're saying and I will print your reply also. I do faintly remember what it was like to not smoke, but it's been a long time. I started when I was 15 and now I'm 41! However, I really feel like I'm ready for this. I have managed to lose 80 pounds in the last 2 years and have learned to love exercise. I am now wanting to take up running, but I can't do that while smoking! That, right now, is my incentive and of course, wanting to see my kids grow up. Thanks again and congrats on your quit! That's awesome! Joyce [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/23/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

I agree that every word of this is true and once you start thinking this way, it changes everything. I'm surprised you got it through too and I'm a newbie :) I'm scared of you ;) Marie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/3/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 571 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $142.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 44 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3

Memorable.. yes, Jaset, your posts are memorable. I remember one in particular where you were yelling at stuff in the refrigerator or something, and the visual of that one made me laugh. It was in the first few days when I quit. I completely "GET IT", however, I think I am different than some. While I've had the times where it was time to go smoke, and then had to remind myself I didn't smoke anymore, I have not had the strong, drive-you-up-the-wall craves. When I decided to quit, it was a done deal. If you've read any of my posts, I treat it like it's a divorce or a death.. there is no going back. I've not once thought about what one puff would taste like, or thought I wanted one, because it's simply not an option. I don't feel deprived... I feel fortunate, and so very proud of myself. I celebrate it, as Monica is doing this time. The day before I quit, I said to myself: I survived the death of both of my parents at a young age, and a divorce after 19 years of marriage, and the life changes that come with those things. If I can survive that, I surely can survive quitting smoking. For those of you who are having a rough time... you will feel so good about yourself. That's the very best part! Thanks for starting this, Jaset.... BTW... don't cigarettes just piss you off? [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/31/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 22 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 229 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $42.46 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 54 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7

Right on, Jim! Your posts are so thought-provoking and let's face it, impossible to ignore! But your passion shines through and you have been a tremendous help to me personally in understanding how important my anger -- toward myself, but especially toward the addiction -- is to my quit. It is this anger and passion that will make me successful. Thank you for that. Keep the faith [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 106 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,275 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $848 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

Jaset: Boy, I've missed you and your 'tell it like it is/pull no punches' missives! Glad to have you back -- you're in fine form today. And it's impossible to argue with anything you wrote -- it's all SO true! I hope you new quitters are listening -- he's 100% right. Watch the language you use -- "try", "hope" , etc. will not cut it. You only give yourselves an out with that kind of language. And if you're looking for an out, then you're not really committed to quitting -- and why not? Thanks, Jaset. Welcome back. Keep the faith [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 105 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,235 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $840 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 19 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

DJ/JOYCE, Think back to many years ago before you took that first cig. Think what it was like as a non smoker. You never had a craving, you never looked around for your smokes, you never had to run the the store because the pack was getting low, you never had to worry about the smokers breath, you never had to sneak outside for a quick few drags. But as a smoker, you have to do all these things and more. Remember when you took that first drag, remember how you coughed up a lung during that first deep drag? Well, keep that in mind, because as a quitter, you dont cough any more any all the things I mentioned will stop abrupbtly. You have to keep busy, your whole life has to change. But not for ever, just until your quit is strong enough to handel the trigger points. I am 65 days into my quit, I still to this day have to rethink my every move. I ditched all my trigger points and that helps a great great deal. The part that saved me is the bitterness and the anger that I put into my quit. You have to train your thought and we all have that ability to do that. Sometimes we have to do things that we dont wanna do. Thats to bad, we got ourselvs into this situation, so we must get ourselves out. Stress playes a very big part of your quit. If you start seeing one sign of stress, walk outside and stand there and take a deep breath. Take several if you like. But realize that when you were stressed out, you reached for that cancer stick. Only this time, the cancer stick is now longer a part of your life. So when that urge comes with the stress, you have to get mad, very mad, but stay incontrol of your anger, dont cry, thats will hinder you at that moment. Kick your feet, stamp on the ground. I promise you, the urge will go away quickly. Train yourself by thinking and expressing yourself. This quit will be easier and it will work!! Stay in control of your quit, dont whine and remember, you are a special person and you can do this. It is all in your head Joyce. Good luck my friend, you can and will do this. Stay mad at the urge as it want to control you for ever! Jim [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 67 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,354 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $368.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]

Hi Joyce, So you lost 80 lbs, huh? So you already know that by doing that, you had to change your lifestyle, huh? Well, thats supurb! Now change it again. You are half way home my skinny friend! You fought the urge once b4, now continue that fight and dont look back!!! Look forward and you will find what you set out to do! GOOD FOR YOU! :) Jaset [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 67 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,355 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $368.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 47 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24

b]You made very valid points in your post but when your were a smoker or just newly quit was it that easy for you to think, feel and say these same thoughts??[/b] BJ, Please understand this: When I was a new quiter like yourself, it was not easy by no means. I experienced all that everyones else did. When I quit, (and you can ask jose) I was a basket case. I was depressed, anxious, miserable and I went through a hell of a time with this. I was no stonger than anyone else. However, after reading through all the posts (and I spent countless hours doing that)I realized that I must take a different approach to this thing. I had to come up with a plan that was not going to fail me as I failed many times b4. So I got intouch with myself and I convinced myself tht cigs were going to distroy me and the 4 people in my life that I loved the most. They are, Lori, Gina, Sabrina and Jim jr. So I got mad, I mean plum dog mad. I threw chairs around the room, I screamed at the top of my lungs, I kicked and stamped on the pack of winston, I hugged my family and told them that I was so sorry for ever starting to smoke. I took the advice from the support team and I ran with this quit! I never looked back, not once. Why? Because I love my family and I was sick and tired of puffing on albuterol. I was sick of smelling like an ashtray. I was sick of hearing my family cough from my smoking and I was sick of my kids getting ear infections. So to answer your question, yes, it was easy but not at first. I had to retrain my thinking using my thought process. I had to make several changes in my life. But most importantly, I had to stick to my plan and see it through. This is not easy. It is the hardest thing we all have ever tried to accomplish. BJ, I now concider myself as antismoking advocate. I hate what these things did to my life and my family and I tell it to the tabaco companies all the time! So my friend, keep your thoughts strong, stay in contact with your self and fight the urge every time it appears. Get very angry at what you did to yourself for so many years. Now correct it and change your whole lifestyle. You are not looking at a demond, you are looking at something that you created years ago. And if you created it, you can stop it to. Please BJ, listen to the support cr