Sunday, March 05, 2006
I'm Going To Quit Smoking
04.07.2006 - It's not been over a month! I just hope I can keep this up...what's scary is that even a month later, I still have urges. Man, it's a hard habit to kick. My day 31 update.
03.07.2006 - Smoke Update: Day 3
03.05.2006 - Original Post:
This blog offers me a rare opportunity to try and quit smoking with some accountability. I don't have to tell friends I'm quitting, which is great, because usually that comes with an automatic reply of "rrrriiiight," a sense of disbelief, and then the next topic of discussion for the day. Don't get me wrong, my friends want me to quit, it's just that I've tried so many times.
I started smoking when I was in college, not sure exactly when, but about 8 years ago. I don't recall exactly how I got started, but I do know that I initially just wanted to try. I thought it wasn't that bad, and it gave me a "buzz." That buzz quickly wore off and turned into an addiction. I started off smoking a pack a week, which moved to a pack every 3 or 4 days, and now to half pack a day.
I have to create a benchmark to become a "non-smoker" so I'll use 12 months since Money and Investing mentions that. A pack of cigarettes costs, on average, about $4.50.
My goal: 12 months of no smoking! Of course beyond that, but I have to start somewhere.
My plan:
- Quit cold turkey.
- Update this blog on my progress, not sure how often yet.
- Track my total savings because I quit and the number of days.
My reason for quitting:
- For my health. I want to be able to not only live longer, but enjoy my years living...not breathing heavily just to make it up 10 stairs.
- Get rid of this nasty cough that hangs around all the time.
- Stop worrying about the next time I can smoke.
- Save money.
- Don't smell like an ashtray.
- Just to quit. Damn this habit!
Any words of wisdom? Wish me luck.
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5 comments:
Way to go on this decision! I tried quitting more times than I can count in the years that followed college. You are quitting for all the right reasons. I finally quit about three years ago. I wish I had some word of wisdom, but I think more than anything I just hit a point where I said, "that's enough"
I think part of what helped me quit was that, although, like you, I was a half a pack a day smoker after about eight years, I never fully saw myself as a smoker.
Even three years later, I still crave one once in a while. Usually after a few drinks.
It's a combination of will power and a change of attitude. The wil power alone will never be enough. Like some who decides that today is the day they get out of debt, the change in attitude is most important.
Thanks...I agree about the change in attitude...I just hope I can keep it up. I've been able to stop before, sometimes even a couple months, but some how I slip back...I don't really know why. Probably that slip in will power...Maybe this blog will help me since I can track my success or failure...
Great post, FF. I wish you the very best in this admirable pursuit.
One way to help you stick with it: Set up a jar or a sub-account, and put the money that you don't spend on cigarettes in the jar. Save half of the money and use the other half to celebrate after you reach a milestone.
If you want to make falling back a little more painful, take money out of the jar each time you succumb. This means that you'll go an extra day to break even on the jar.
Keep up the good work. I'm posting about this pursuit on my blog.
Hey that's a good idea! I think I'll try that...Thanks!!
Hello FF,
I just wanted to tell you I quit smoking on 9/17/02. I remember the pain vividly. I don't think people who have never smoked understand this kind of total body experience.
I became EVIL, after I made the decision. It has to be bar-none the hardest 1 thing I ever did. My husband had to work the chain-gang at all the football games - just to make sure he didn't kill me or have to divorce me.
The first 3 months were the hardest for me, but I still practice some of the techniques I learned while trying to quit. One is exercise. I never realized how much cigarettes brought me down off of my soda pop caffine until they were gone. Since, my dog was my only friend at this time, we were often out running around the block at 2 am. The other thing is to take long deep breathes and hold them for a second before letting them go. It really helped that tightening chest feeling I had.
Let me leave you with this thought, after I quit about a year later my husband & I got in a little spat. What did I do? I climbed in my car went to the gas station and bought a pack of cigarettes. I smoked one on the way home and made it back just in time to lose my lunch to the Porcelain Gods. I have never went back. Eventually your body will reject the foreign garbage and you will succeed!
Congratulations
-D.
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