Here I go..

[Slkirk]

So today is my day I started working out.. dun dun dun. Lol(Ps my quit date is May 25th, so I’m working up to quitting smoking.)

But I figured, ‘what the hell, why not try to better my health all around?!’. So here I am, day one. With a sore ass and thighs and only one bowl of spaghetti for dinner- minimal noodles.

Food really isn’t my thing. But night time eating is. I knew I had been gaining weight because my clothes are snug, my muffin is bigger and my tittes, well no complaints there, but are a cup larger. So anywho.. I don’t have a scale but was shopping at Walmart and decided to open a scale. THE FUCK??!? Almost a hundred and seventy fucking pounds?!!!! No way. Just six months ago I was dancing around 137. 

im pissed.

Pissed at myself for letting myself go. Letting myself get to this point. I’ve heard you gain weight when you quit smoking. So it’s perfect, increase exercising 25 days before my quit date. Then hopefully I’ll be in a routine by then and smoking will easily fizzle out. 

wish me luck. Feel free to leave some love

#blessedbe

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to the community!\

Way to be proactive!!  Exercise is one of the best quit tools you can have in your toolbox.  Gives you that hit of dopamine you are missing, and keeps your stress level down.  That bodes well for your success at this!  Also sending some luck, although you won't be using THAT to quit smoking.  What you WILL be using is education, planning, preparation, support and commitment.  We can help with all but the last!

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for obvious reasons.

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.
 

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

 Nancy

[MarilynH]

Welcome to the community you've made the best decision that you'll ever make in your lifetime and it's definetly the best gift that any of us will ever give ourselves which is the gift of LIFE please read everything you can because there's a wealth of information right here on this site to strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb permanently it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination in those early days and weeks of quitting smoking BUT thankfully with commitment and perseverance you will make it through the roller coaster ups and downs of withdrawals and moodswings and lack of sleep to get to that good place in your quit where you realize how much better life is without the crutch of cigarettes BUT first deep breaths and know that we're all here to help you in any way we can you can do your upcoming quit on the 25th of May you can turn your DAY ONE INTO DAY WON with many more to come. I drank alot of water and still do plus I chomped on carrots and celery sticks plus I kept a bag of sugar free mints around in case of of any unforseen cravings keep your mind as well as your hands occupied and you are doing great in advance by working on your health which is very smart I'm not very tech savvy to post links BUT I will YoungAtHeart and she'll do a welcome with links it may be tomorrow before she sees this. Slkirk

[Slkirk]

Thank you for the luck And all the helpful information. I definitely plan on leaning on this group! And will look into the recourses you recommended. 

Educating myself more on the dangers and health risks of smoking and nicotine is also a great idea!

thanks again!

[MarilynH]

I'm smiling because Nancy (youngatheart) posted her welcome while I was typing lol.

[sweetplt]

HI and Welcome to Ex’s Slkirk 

You have received some good advice above me...keep close to us, the support site...we are here to help you....

You can do this...~ Colleen 521 DOF 

[maryfreecig]

You can do this and when you get over the nicotine dependency/addiction you are going to thank yourself a gazillion times over--it's a personal triumph that you don't want to miss out on. And it is about smobriety too--coming to accept and live smober--no excuses--no life problems, weight worries or annoying people or circumstances getting in the way of your smobriety. 

Studies show that quitters tend to lose some or part of the weight they put on. I did--but I didn't focus on my weight til 7 months later. Others focused at the same time as they quit. I was a sugar addict--but now 6.5 years smober free, I've learned to eat well!!! No way on day one...pastries and a box of candy for me!!! It all worked. 

Give your smobriety the chance it deserves. Thanks for sharing.

Quit Kit aka Tool Box 

Helpful Blogs, Discussions, Comments, Videos, Links, Info Re Quitting 

Dopamine - the Double Edged Blade 

What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking? - YouTube 

[elvan]

Exercise is a great tool when we quit, support & education are vital. You have gotten great advice already, stay close to the site, accept the advice that is offered & absolutely believe that it WILL get easier & you are not alone.

Welcome to EX.

Ellen