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I may have blown it!

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 649

Hi Bristol............

Great analogy with the sculpture and very true. Keep your guard up.

Moss

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 11/19/2007
Smoke-Free Days: 387
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 5,805
Amount Saved: $1,306.13
Life Gained:
Days: 62 Hrs: 5 Mins: 14 Seconds: 25

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 955

Bristol,

You have received a lot of great input from other members about your quit meter. As some have mentioned, the choice is ultimately yours.

Have you thought about any emergency coping strategies for these situations? Social situations with other smokers can often be the most difficult. Some members find it useful to have strategies in place that they can use during these difficult times.

Here is some information on emergency coping strategies:

You may be faced with situations that will trigger the urge to smoke. We call these high-risk situations. Review this emergency coping plan to help you deal with these situations. If you feel the urge, or are tempted to smoke:

AVOID the situation.
Identify the situations when you normally smoke or feel a craving for a cigarette. For most smokers, high-risk situations include work breaks, finishing meals, having coffee or being in a bar. Plan how you will avoid these situations for a few weeks. Plan for alternate activities.

LEAVE the situation.
If you find yourself in one of these high risk situations, leave if you can. And, leave before you get a craving.

DISTRACT yourself from the craving.
If you find yourself in a situation you can't leave and you get a craving, distract yourself from the craving by:

· Thinking about something else, like your benefits of quitting smoking (or how much money you’re saving every week).

· Do something else to distract yourself like drinking water or deep breathing to relax.

· Think about an upcoming event in your life, such as a vacation.

DELAY taking the cigarette.
If you can't keep your mind off it, then make a deal with yourself that you will wait 5 minutes before you give into the craving. The craving will usually pass in a couple of minutes anyway. If you delay, the craving will go away.

Use SELF TALK
A craving may be accompanied by negative thoughts about your ability to resist it. Use positive self talk statements to combat your negative thoughts.

Members, any advice for Bristol on emergency coping strategies that you use?

Sarah, Health Educator

Quit Meter

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15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 597

Izzy claims she is only 27, but she has such sage insights! Glad you stopped at just a half, but time to re-group and recognise that you are on a slippery slope. Quick! Put on your cleats so you don't slide more and avoid that which tempts you!
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 10/22/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 48
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,920
Amount Saved: $384.00
Life Gained:
Days: 5 Hrs: 8 Mins: 14 Seconds: 34

Quit Meter

$52,370.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 740 Hours: 18

Minutes: 5 Seconds: 56

Life Gained
Quit Meter

5237

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

209,480

Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1080

I think you should keep your stat meter- it would have been very difficult not to have smoked in that situation and I am pleased you only had half it could of been far worse- so well done for that.

By coming here and telling about your slip shows your determination to succeed and I believe you will, its a new day so its onwards and upwards-no looking back now!

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/10/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 213
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 5,325
Amount Saved: $3,195.00
Life Gained:
Days: 25 Hrs: 1 Mins: 32 Seconds: 3

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 27

Thanks for the input. I will keep the meter set at seven days. A leason learned!

I probably made a big mistake going out partying before the clay in my quitting sculpture

had dried! I must remember that this sculpture is never completely cured.

I'm sure it contiuues to dry, but can be softened up very easily!

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/1/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 8
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 160
Amount Saved: $30.80
Life Gained:
Days: 1 Hrs: 13 Mins: 8 Seconds: 2

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 303

Hi Bristol,

Glad to hear that you kept with the fight even after the slip. Not an easy thing to do. I would just like to offer a different perspective on the quit meter. It is your quit meter so I do believe you should do what's right for you; however, I just want to remind you of the tip I gave before. You are already free. Use the quit meter for celebritory purposes and not to define whether you are a success or not. After all, you will torture yourself all your life if you let it become a "Wow, I've lasted 3 years now I must be free." Just accept that you are free now and use the quit meter to go "Wow, I have quit for 30 days, I deserve somthing great. Speaking of great your doing great. Keep it up. Take care.

Mr Q

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 8/4/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 127
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 3,048
Amount Saved: $952.50
Life Gained:
Days: 13 Hrs: 14 Mins: 53 Seconds: 33

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0

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Days: 0 Hours: 0

Minutes: 0 Seconds: 0

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Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 15

I say keep your days. Having half a cigarette and then not to think "damn I blew it, might as well have the whole thing" and then just having one more and more and more... that is just so hard to do but you did it. I´m not saying be proud. But don´t be too hard on yourself either.
In the big picture, if you keep going with the quit, this 1/2 cigarette won´t matter. Just be very careful. It´s a slippery slope from 1/2 to 1 to 1 pack a day.
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/1/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 8
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 136
Amount Saved: �36.26
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 13 Mins: 42 Seconds: 6

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Bristol!!!

I'm glad your "slip" was only just a slip and not a full blown cave in!!!

As far as your quit meter goes, it is YOUR quit meter. No one here can change it, so it is what it is! So, what ever you decide to do, it is your choice!

None of us are going to be able to avoid trigger situations, so when we know that we are going to be putting ourselves into these situations we need to have our coping strategies right there in front of us! We have to keep telling ourselves N. O. P. E. and use those as words to LIVE by!!!

I, too, share Sparky's concerns... That nico-demon is a sly SOB!! You have to be on your guard at ALL times! You know, some people CAN have that occasional puff or two and not be bothered at all by it, but 99% of us can't!!! Just beware, buddy!!! We all want you to succeed!!

Jim

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 3/5/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 279
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,975
Amount Saved: $1,150.88
Life Gained:
Days: 47 Hrs: 5 Mins: 59 Seconds: 42

Quit Meter

$44,280.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 1059 Hours: 18

Minutes: 44 Seconds: 9

Life Gained
Quit Meter

5904

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

177,120

Cigarettes Not Smoked

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I may have blown it!