Lucky Number 11

[Angie_machado]

Starting my 11th Day of Freedom and I'm still feeling great!  On guard for the bad times, but expecting a great day!  Hubby just came home with so much fresh fruits and veggies I'm tickled pink!  We've been eating so healthy since we quit smoking much better than when we were trying to loose weight.  Weird but good!  The fruit and veggies and salads just tastes so dang good!  Another reason for all the fresh food is it's been really hot!  Today's high is 106, ugh!  I have a busy day of relaxing then with short bursts of housework.  I find it easier if I'm watching a show that during commercials I go do the dishes. I used to fast forward threw the ads but now I try to clean something.  Works for me!  

I've noticed that a lot of people who are trying to quit have been posting in Groups under Newbie Quitters.  Please take time to check in there to see if you can help the Newbies.  I know on my first time here I was given great links to websites that helped me understand Nicotine addiction, 101 things to do a etc.  If I didn't receive those tools and all the welcoming posts, not sure I would have made it to day 11.  Have a great day my dear friends and just remember, "I don't do THAT anymore!"

[YoungAtHeart]

WOOO HOOOOOO for YOU!

[Angie_machado]

That's exactly how I deal with cravings!  Lol. Ty!

[MarilynH]

yay you, you are doing super fantastic with your awesome ongoing beautiful quit one precious smoke free day at a time and counting WTG.

[JessicaF]

YAY!  Can you believe it?!?  Good for you! 

Today is my day 8. Feel ok' pretty awesome myself  

[Angie_machado]

I'm so happy for you too! Wow, isn't it great!  Your right it really wasn't that bad!  Yeah there were a few really rough days but so far so good!  Don't worry Elders we know a bad time could try to sneak up on us at anytime.  We are viligant!  So glad you posted on my blog.  We got this!

[Angie_machado]

Thank you so much Marilyn!  You are so nice posting positive thoughts and hi-fives on my blog!  I look forward to your posts!  Thanks for the well wishes.

[Showiestodin]

Congratulations on 11 days. You are doing a super job quitting. You are such a sweet person too. I am so happy you are my friend.

[Angie_machado]

I feel the same way!  I'm so glad I'm here!  I think you are really nice too!  I've learned so much in the short time I've been on this site.  The education on Nicotine addiction made this quit so much easier.  Before, on my failed attempts I always felt deprived, lost best friend feelings.  Now I know that was the wrong way to approach quitting.  I think I finally got it now!  Thanks for being you!

[SkyGirl]

Congratulations on Day 11, Angie!  You are doing wonderfully!  I hope you are feeling very proud of yourself!  On Day 1, did you feel confident that you'd get to Day 11!  Heck, you are almost half-way to an entire MONTH!  

In the beginning, we all just looked at it as "I can do this for one more day!"  Then it was "I've got two whole weeks!"  And before you know it, it's "Holy cow, it's been a month!"   And so it goes...  I'm about to celebrate 5 whole YEARS in September!  When I started, I couldn't even imagine that.  But it gets easier with every day, every week, every month...and one glorious day, you realize, as you're headed to bed, that you didn't even THINK about a cigarette all day long.  For me, that was when I knew for certain that I was absolutely an EXsmoker.

So feel great about yourself and how far you've already come.  Add up that money you've saved these past 11 days and go treat yourself to something.  If you only smoked one pack a day and the packs only cost $6 (average), why, you now have $66 to spend!  Combine that with what your Hubby has not spent so far...and wow.  I don't know about you, but it wouldn't take me very long to find a nice way to spend that.  Or...both of you put each day's savings into a jar.   That will add up fast to a nice little vacation!  So, congratulations again, Angie!

Sky

[Angie_machado]

Your absolutely right I think five years smoke-free is a distant dream, but a dream I'm willing to make come true.  I'm so glad you posted to my blog as I've read many of your old blogs.  I don't know why that sounds so creepy but it does to me.  All the advice you've given to people over these five years is priceless.  Thank you for sticking around this site and posting as us Newbies look up to you Elders in awe.  You have so much to offer, so many pointers, tips and tricks.  I will forever be grateful to you guys!

[elvan]

Angie_machado  You just got a message from SkyGirl‌ and she was one of my mentors, a person who made me believe in myself, she is also the person who posted the photo of the lemon that had been bitten over and over again.  She has made me laugh and listened to me cry and been there all through my quit...along with many others.  I would NEVER have made it here without each and every one of them.  I am so proud of you, you are taking this one day at a time and you are doing an amazing job.

You are a star, Angie.

XO,

Ellen

[Angie_machado]

Ellen can you move in with me?  All that positively energy around me, geez I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.  Just love it!  Are you sure you don't write greeting cards on the side?  Or maybe YOUR the one who writes all the positive messages in the fortune cookies?  It's okay, your secret is safe with me.  Hugs friend!

[SkyGirl]

Awww, you're making me blush, Angie!  And it's not creepy to read other people's old blogs at all.  That's where a lot of good advice is found.  I still do it all the time.  Often, someone will post something really helpful and it will be the "it" advice for a while...then it gets buried behind all the newer blogs.  There are some real gems buried in people's older blogs!  

What's really enlightening is to go ALL the way back to some of the very first blogs of some of the Elders when they first joined EX as Newbies.  That's a real eye-opener!  You will see that we ALL start out in the same place with the same doubts about our ability to do this.  

And it proves one of the things I keep saying over and over to newbies:  "Your addiction to nicotine is no stronger nor harder to beat than any of our addictions to nicotine were. If WE can do it, so can YOU!"

So carry on, Angie!  You are doing it!

Sky

[Angie_machado]

Awesome I will keep on keeping on!

[elvan]

Hahahahaha, that made me laugh out loud...nope, I do not write cards on the side but I sure do appreciate positive ones.  My youngest daughter searches high and low for the best possible cards she can find and never fails to make me cry tears of joy and love...believe me, I am NOT always positive but I find that having a sense of humor keeps me going...I think it always has.  

You are doing so well and I am so happy for you Angie_machado !

XOXO,

Ellen

[Angie_machado]

Thank you Ellen!

[SkyGirl]

Ellen, I think we should ALL move in with Angie!  Sound like a plan?  I wonder if she's a good cook...

love, Sky

[bonniebee]

Hi Angie both Sky SkyGirl  and Ellen elvan were mentors to me  and helped me through my early days I would say we are maybe three generations of Ex'ers Not in age but in timing ! I love both of those ladies ! 

After I quit smoking I began to eat much healthier than I had before patly because I did not want to gain a lot of extra weight and then as time went by I realized by giving up all the poisons in cigarettes I had a new lease on life and I didn't want to keep putting junk in my body ! I am now a vegetarian and close to being a vegan ! Never thought I would even consider that route but I am loving it ! Not saying you have to do that to eat healthy but that is where my journey has led me .

                     Congrats on your 11 DOF  Angie !

You have a great quititude going keep it up !!!!

[elvan]

SkyGirl‌ I think it's a great idea...we sure would laugh a lot and laughter IS the best medicine. Angie_machado  do listen to bonniebee‌, she has been such a great EXer and she has made changes in her diet and lifestyle that are amazing.  She also has adorable dogs, LOL!

[SkyGirl]

Bonnie, if you want to see someone who has completely turned their diet around, take a look at Teddy!  Her name here is Joyeuxencore.  When I first met her years ago on the way to EX1, we ate everything we could get our hands on!  (I'll include some pics of us here). But she got involved in the vegan lifestyle and she is SO darn healthy now that I want to kill her.  Just kidding.  ("Not really" I'm saying to myself as I reach for my margarita...).  And even if I am still eating cows, we are great friends forever and I know she would be more than delighted to help you find your vegan lifestyle.  Actually, she doesn't come around EX a whole lot anymore, but I know that if you sent her a private message here, she would answer it.

xxxooo,  Sky

[SkyGirl]

The lady who appears in ALL the pics is Teddy.  In the 4th pic, Teddy is leaning on Studel and Stac is to Strudel's right side.  Pattycake is across the table in the white tank top.  In the last picture, from left to right is Teddy, Tommy (pir8fan), me, Stac and determinedindakota.  All of these pictures were in connection with EX1 in Las Vegas.  Honestly, you've GOT to come to EX6.  It's worth a million dollars just to be able to meet all these people that you've gotten to know so well online!  We have all helped save each other's lives!

xxxooo,  Sky