How I quit and why it worked!

[Brittney4]

Well if any of you have been reading the blogs in the forum, I'm sure you've seen something from me. I'm using this website as one of my mind blockers from smoking so I'm on here all day 😉

When I first joined this website (about a week ago) I started posting blogs and asking a ton of questions to people that had already quit to find out just what was working and what wasn't. I had posted a blog (go find it, the reply's are great) about quitting on or before my vacation. I thought if I set my quit date on a day where I had a lot going on, it would work better for me. I just needed another 'smoker' to agree with me. I got a reply that hit home. It wasn't sweet and it wasn't gentle (which was a good thing for me) it was tough love and tough support. it was what I needed to hear. I was told, 'why wait?' 'why not quit right now'. I responded to that by giving all the reasons I just couldn't do it today. I was told I was making excuses and you know what, I was. I went back and read everything I had put in there and it was all excuses. To make this long story shorter... I went straight outside, smoked a cig, came inside and I was done. I haven't picked up a cig since June 18th at 2:45pm Mountain Time.

What I want everyone to know is if you really WANT to quit... meaning there isn't a little voice in your head saying you can't or you won't make it, then you can quit and it will be so easy for you! I have only had 2 cravings since I quit and never once did I even think about picking up a cig, I just tried to turn all negative thoughts into positive ones and thought why I didn't want to smoke any more! I ended up going to bed by the way... sometimes the cravings are too strong to beat so going to bed was my best option... Plus I am very rested 😉

I wanted to say some of the things that have worked for me.

1) this website! It's great!
2) Reading
3) Chewing Gum
4) Chewing Straws
5) Going to the gym (2 times a day 🙂 )
6) Snacking on sunflower seeds
7) Going through all of my old pictures and putting them in albums
😎 Cleaning
9) Cooking large difficult meals
10) just being optamistic and keeping my irritation under control!
11) Get support from family memebers (or friends) it helps a ton!
12) drinking water/juice
13) Brushing my teeth a ton to keep the minty flavor in my mouth (food makes me want to smoke so if I can not taste food, I won't want to smoke)

I encourage everyone else who's quit or in the process to post things that have worked for them. Together maybe we can all get a few more people to quit smoking for good!!!

[jennifer55]

It is not about convincing. I know it is time, I know I need to quit. The problem is I do not have this magic moment you all speak of. I have the desire to quit. Why do you think I am pushing myself so hard to find that magic moment. I am sitting here evryday trying to explain to myself the time to quit was yesterday. I just need to find the way to get over that little voice laughing at me telling me I am not going to make it so give up now..no need to fight for something I am not ready for. But I am ready. If I dont do this now I never will. But believe me part of me is trying to figure out how to get a cigarette in my hand right now. The other side is telling myself I can do this just ignore the little cigarette devil on my shoulder...

[cindy25]

Yeah. The light never did come on for me. Even during the entire two to three weeks of reading posts on this site and on the whyquit site and on my medical insurance site!!!! Scare tactics never helped, all the "scary" medical stories- had no effect!!!! Now that is some kind of stubborn!!! At least I used my hard head to commit to quitting anyway!!!!! That is why I am such a big supporter of this program. You don't need to have a magic light to quit. I think when people have the magic light- they will quit without any help at all. This site is full of people that are ambivalent -but they can all still quit! I am proof!

I have been quit for 1 Month, 1 Week, 3 Days, 22 hours, 45 minutes and 15 seconds (41 days). I have saved $146.80 by not smoking 419 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 10 hours and 55 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 5/11/2008 5:13 PM

[jennifer55]

Yeah I am the same as you were. you can show me all the videos in the world and I can smoke a cigarette while watching them. For some reason it doesnt click for me. I have been 5 hours without a cigarette now and I am going nuts. I hurried up and put my son for a nap because I cant go to the store if he is sleeping. Which will give me a few more hours to figure out how to talk myself out of going to buy any more cigarettes. I think I just need to keep putting myself places that I cant smoke or cant buy until I get through the hardest part. I am telling you right now, if I wait for the magical moment then I will never quit. Earlier this year I went 2 days without smoking because I cant smoke around non-smokers and I had a noi-smoking friend staying with me for a weekend....I was going nuts by then end of the 2nd day like I was counting the hours. The moment that friend left I was headed outside for a cigarette...how sad is that..I was almost through 48 hours.

[jennifer55]

I have a question though: I am only 5 hours into being smoke free and I am just crying over every little thing. Someone says "hi" to me and I burst into tears. I am not normally this emotional. Is this normal

[veronica2]

Ohhh yes Jennifer....this is normal. I cried a lot in the first few months....it is good....you are coming to terms with a lot....Hang in there....be gentle with yourself....You are doing a good thing.

[banter]

Hi Jennifer,

I had typed up a whole thing on this before I realized you already quit. Good for you. I was just going to say that you don't find magic moments and they don't find you, you CREATE them. 🙂

I mentioned you have a cute little boy too, I have a 3 year old boy...

[veronica2]

That is a great way to describe it....Cold calculating ,,,,Hard as nails decision to quit...I was angry and literally disgusted and said. NO MORE.

Thanks hwc

[banter]

Yes, what you are experiencing is normal, but there are techniques for coping better, please read this:

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_AttitudeToReduceStress.html

Jason

[jennifer55]

yeah I havent had any cigarettes since about noon today. I find reasons not to buy more and keep myself from getting in my car.

Thank you, that picture was when he was a little over 3 no he is almost 6.

[banter]

Hi Veronica,

No offense, but it is not normal to cry for months after quitting smoking and I'm guessing that anyone that reads this is going to be discouraged about quitting smoking. The first 72 hours are the hardest.