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Success So Far- 7 Days In

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 9

Hey Walt, Good on you for staying strong! I am starting to notice that the periods in between cravings are starting to get further apart... It's been a while since I've had a really strong craving but like you I've got a couple of situations coming up this week that are going to be tough. On the physical side of things... I feel like a wreck but I'm hoping that will also pass! I've been trying to diet at the same time but I've came to the conclusion after getting some really good advice that I should deal with one thing at a time. So I'm giving myself a free pass until I've been a non smoker for 4 weeks to eat what I want... Then I'll deal with the weight. What was the main reason you decided that you and smoking were done?

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 14

Greetings Everyone,

So today is Day 14 and this weekend has proved to be a mixed bag. Yesterday was incredibly difficult to get through the cravings while underway. There was a certain social stigma I entered into when all of a sudden I was not lighting up with my colleagues as before, though I must say Janie I had an opportunity to try your line and simply say "No thank you, I don't smoke" and it felt fantastic. Saturday ended on my own in the evening having not given in to the cravings, watched a bit of TV and asleep before midnight completely exhausted...I am not feeling too many of the physical improvements as others have reported after two weeks, though perhaps this will take a bit more time and apart from climbing around old buildings and walking every day my physical activity has never really been that affected by smoking in my opinion. Taste buds are coming back though as I made a batch of Chile in the slow cooker that was the same recipe as I have always made with the same spices...this time it blew me away with the flavor, way too strong and I will have to change the recipe moving forward!

Best part that I wanted to share came this morning, got up normal time (around 7:30), made a cup of coffee, started watching the news...it was not until 9:00 that I realized I had not taken a puff of the NRT spray yet...had not thought about a cigarette or the nicotine fix for almost an hour and a half after waking up...the minute it did though the craving was like a rocket ship and I was thankful to have the spray there, but really a good feeling and a nice and surprising way to start off Day 14.

Wish you all the best from Dresden and all my best wishes for all of our collective quits, look forward to keeping up to date on how everyone is doing. Keep the fight moving Janie, and thank you to everyone again for their support and help!

Walt

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1853

Hello everyone! I haven't been around in awhile but happy to read through fun, supportive posts.

Wishing you all continued success - no matter what stage you are in your quit!

Have a great, smoke-free weekend!

Vincenza, Health Educator

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 93

Original Post by: the last
Hi John, Thank you, as you will know it's a mixture of good and bad days. I did have the opportunity yesterday of instead of just saying no when offered a smoke being able to say no, I don't smoke.... Now that was a good feeling! I just hope that I have your willpower and can do as well as you Janie

Hey Janie. At 10 days nothing can stop you now. Just never look back and enjoy your new life. if the going ever gets tough in the future just remember why you quit and look how far you have come. Need I say more...... I kind of noticed that at 50+ days I seem to have stopped thinking about smoking too. ask the best John

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 9

Hi John, Thank you, as you will know it's a mixture of good and bad days. I did have the opportunity yesterday of instead of just saying no when offered a smoke being able to say no, I don't smoke.... Now that was a good feeling! I just hope that I have your willpower and can do as well as you Janie

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 14

Hi Lolly,

I agree completely with your advice which is why I picked up a third tube of the spray, will give it a go next weekend and see how things work out. I will plan on keeping the spray at the ready for at least the next couple months just in case the need arises...better to be dependent on the spray right now and the small dose of nicotine associated with it than firing up a smoke after all this progress! This weekend I know will be a tough one as I am making an inspection tour of a few houses under renovation, all of the contractors smoke and they are going to be surprised when I tell them I have quit, has become such a habit to break up the relatively boring inspection process with a smoke break (usually many)...spray will be there for backup most definitely and will probably be required more than today!

As far as the content of this thread, I am enjoying it as well...was not aware that subject matter was supposed to be limited just to smoking cessation; seems to me that since our lives have been so dependent on these cigarettes for so long all of it matters and even the seemingly non-related stories are just as important as the addiction itself in getting the courage and support needed to finally kick the habit. I see so many choices I made in the past that were directly influenced by my smoking that now I really regret, no looking back or rewriting history of course but there has to be some optimism that all of this will bring better days ahead! A good example of that comes back from the last time I was in France and had the little communication failure...I recall very clearly that the initial icebreaker with the locals in the restaurant was offering and accepting a cigarette...that will be one communications tool that will obviously need amending in future!

Well I will run back to work, midday break is over. Wish all of you the best and send all best regards from Day 12!

Walt

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 93

He all. Congrats Janie and Walter for doing so well. Plus congrats to all the others who quit hundreds of days ago :) Walter if your not ready don't push to stop NRT too quickly. I think that you will be ok first time but if you have any doubt's take your time. What's important is not to smoke :) I'm a doctor and did my specialization in Germany. I did a one week rotation in Dresden in December 2005. John

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 618

Hi y'all (lived in Texas for 2 years!)

This thread has given me so much joy! It reminds me of posts when I was first quitting, and we all had such a laugh! The Mods. kept reminding us that the posts were supposed to be about quitting only, and nothing else, so we spent our time trying to avoid being chastised!

Waldd, do not rush the weaning process from NRT. It's early days for you, and, while it may work over a weekend indoors, you still have to face 'normal' life next week, when the Nicodemon will pounce at the first sign of you not being ready to fight. This is why the advice on boxes of patches says to follow the programme. Sure, cut down gradually, but many a quitter learned the hard way....sorry to be a party pooper! You will do what you need to do to stay quit, just remain on guard!

Whatever it takes, just don't smoke!!!

Love Lolly.

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 14

Hi Jim,

I think you are right, doesn't matter what you use : main thing is one stops smoking. I see now though how important the motivation to quit is in the first place, even with the NRT the cravings and habitual instinct to smoke is just as strong as I remember them from previous quit attempts, this is the first time though that with each craving I put firmly into my head one of the negatives of smoking: such as the fact that even just one smoke will make me stink like an ashtray for the rest of the day; combined with the NRT it is enough to work through the craving. I am weaning myself off the NRT as well though, down to one spray every two hours during the day with maybe 1 per hour in the evenings. I think in the end I have been finally able to elevate the goal of not smoking to a level at parity with my professional jobs which means I do not quit until the goal is accomplished; it feels good to be at Day 12 and I think sometime next week I will tap into the piggy bank where my 60 EUR have been accumulating and pick up some DVD box sets and plenty of snack foods for the upcoming long weekend, lock myself in my flat and get off the NRT as John was suggesting.

You will have to tell me more about your short visit to Germany, I have had that experience as well when you get to a point the language barrier is so bad it turns funny...last time for me was in France taking a small sight-seeing detour while driving to the UK...stopped in a small town for an overnight, went out to dinner armed with what I thought was sufficient French which turned out a bit over-optimistic...I think I could have used some help from Lolly though in the end it turned out to be a funny experience, still no idea what I had to eat that night! Italy was by far the worst experience, but I digress...

Will sign off for now with greetings to all from Dresden, hope all is going well with you Janie and that you are celebrating the double digits of Day 10 properly!

au revoir!

Walter

9 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Janie!!!

Welcome to the SSC and congrats on 8 smoke-free days!! Hell Week is history!!! Woooo Hoooo for you! Keep on doing what you have been doing. It seems to be working for you!!

As for the sore jaw, that has been reported before by more than one quitter. I know that during previous quits my jaw was sore from clenching my teeth and my abs were became sore from clenching my stomach muscles all the time! Boy, was I wound up on those quits! Thank goodness I found this site and found out how to learn to quit and prepare well for it!

That knowledge and finding the right NRT for me made all the difference in my forever quit! Check into some of the relaxation techniques that are mentioned on some of the posts here on the Forums. They may really help along with some deeeeeep breathing!

I won't wish you good luck, because luck has nothing to do with quitting! I will wish for you a Positive Mental Attitude and the deepest desire to attain your freedom! Both will be of great help to you on your journey! Crave your freedom!!!

Hey Walt!

Been too busy to worry about thinking about talking to Frau Zinner at the reunion! I'm trying to cram getting 2 months completed in the next 2 weeks before our trip begins! I'll be sure to stay in touch, though. About the NRT you are using... NOT cheating! Many have used NRT's here, as did I. The main focus we all need at the beginning is quitting the smokes! Once we get that under the belt, weaning off the NRT's is usually not too difficult. Heck, if you can quit smoking, you can do anything you put your mind to! So, keep that PMA going and keep on kicking that nico-demon's ash!!!

Congrats, by the way on getting into double digits! Heck Week will be behind you before you know it! BTW, I was also in Germany for a few days back when I was in the Navy. Went ashore one day and did my best to impress the waitresses at a local pub with my crappy language skills! Heck, I didn't care though!

Cheers buddy!!

Jim

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