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Old 10-07-2008, 11:06 AM   #1  
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Thumbs up Great American Smokeout Coming Soon - Anyone Care to Join Me?

I believe it's usually on November 15th. Gives me (us?) a hair over a month to finalize my plan and totally psych myself up for it.

I know we've had some threads that sort of touched on quitting a couple of times but I was never quite ready to give it my full attention (had boatloads of excuses why I *needed* to wait). But, for quite a while now, I've been feeling more and more like such a major hypocrite with all my nattering on about eating clean and exercising to get healthy while continuing to light up. Time to knock it off.

Originally I was telling myself I would quit when I got to my goal weight (secretly thinking I would try and go below goal so I had a "cushion" to gain back a few ). Then I decided it would be in January 2009. Then I thought "what the heck" I'll quit the day after my birthday in December. Now I'm thinking what better day than the Great American Smokeout?

Figured that I could use some of the *tricks* I've learned on this weight loss journey of mine to help things along with the smoking - after all, if I can change enough bad habits to lose 50lbs I can surely quit smoking right?

What I've done so far is to make a list or the reasons to quit and compared it to the excuses (first thing I did was quit calling them *reasons* ) not to.
Reasons to quit list has gotten miles long - top few are: I'm tired of my hair, clothes, and car being stinky. I want to get my teeth fixed but my dentist says he won't do anything major until I quit - otherwise it's just a waste of time and money. And, personal favorite - the money I spend on cigarettes every month could be much better spent on yummy stuff like SHOES

List of excuses not to quit is down to one - Afraid of weight gain.
Squashing that one by qutting while my little food brain is still so single mindedly focused on getting to goal that I think I'll be able to keep from snacking myself back into the plus size department.

I know 3FC isn't a quit smoking forum but since my only excuse not to quit has to do with weight, I'm hoping no one will mind my posting about it here

Last edited by yoyonomoreinvegas; 10-07-2008 at 11:09 AM.
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Old 10-07-2008, 11:39 AM   #2  
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Heeyyy- good for you!!! I am so happy for you. It would be awful to go to the trouble of losing weight for your health and then find yourself sick from some lung related ailment.
I think it's all a fine balance of wellness that can be so hard to find for oneself. I was a pack a day in university and now I'm a couple a week. Still not great but better than before.
Good decision and Good luck!!!
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Old 10-14-2008, 11:45 AM   #3  
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Okay - here's the plan (so far)

Had a weak moment where I tried to move my quit date until "after I find a new job" (My company is moving out of state - I'm not). Managed to smack some sense into myself by admitting that it would just be an excuse - and after I found a job, I would be able to find another excuse just as easily. No more 'scuses! Period! Besides, wouldn't interviewing be better as a non-smoker? Reeking of cigarettes does not make for a good first impression!

I've got a good friend who lives far from me but has agreed to be an e-mail buddy. He was (at least) a 2 pack a day smoker for many, many years until last year when he was hospitalized with COPD - now he has to haul an oxygen tank with him everywhere he goes. He is very happy with my decision and says he would be honored to help.

I know from past experience that, if I'm busy, I can go long stretches without even thinking about a cigarette but, if I've run out of them I start to panic as soon as I put out the last one. So, I'm going to try keeping an unopened pack in my purse to prevent that panic feeling and use the diet trick of "I can have one later if I still want it" and see how that works. Still looking for the switch I flipped in my head that made me decide I don't like cake any more so I can throw it over to "I don't smoke". Got one month to find it
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Old 10-14-2008, 10:53 PM   #4  
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First of all yoyodieter, congrats on setting a quit date. Reading your posts, I was you 4 years ago.

I fudged around with a quit date and then in a moment of brilliance or insanity, I announced to a bunch of anti-smoking yet supportive family members we were visiting on vacation that I was quitting that week (I had originally planned to quit once I came back home). So I agree with your" no time like the present thinking". Set a date and stick with it by force, shame or any means necessary.

I came back from that vacation to find out that my company had been bought out by a company in another state. I wasn't sure if I would be offered a job. So like you I thought that it would be much easier interviewing and starting a new job not worrrying about smelling like cigarettes. And at almost $50 a carton, I couldn't justify that kind of expense when I was out of work. I figured if I could get through this stress without a cigarette, I could manage anything.

I too panicked at the idea of not having a cigarette if I thought I really needed one. So I gave away all but one pack. And I hid that pack in my purse knowing that if I ever got so desperate for one that I at least had that pack and I also wanted something old and stale so if I did light up, I wanted it to be as nasty as possible. I still have that 4 and a half year old unopened pack in my computer bag. People think I'm crazy when I tell them but there's just something psychological about knowing it's there. Of course I no longer carry matches anymore so if I did want to light up, I'd be out of luck.

I think it's great to have a buddy there to help you through those weak moments - and they will come - just remember a craving only lasts 3 minutes - at first you might have 100 a day but they do diminish over time.

You are spot on - quitting smoking uses the same kind of mindset that losing weight does.

Wishing you the best in your journey! Just keep a solid committment and before you know it, you'll realize that it's been so long you forgot how to smoke

Last edited by happy2bme; 10-14-2008 at 10:57 PM. Reason: typo city here
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Old 11-14-2008, 12:30 PM   #5  
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Wow, I'm still on track with this plan and today is my last day as a smoker - when I wake up tomorrow, I will be a former smoker.

I've done a little experimenting without actually trying to quit yet and I can now identify what is an actual nicotine craving and what's a 'fidgety habit urge'. Surprisingly, they are both really easily confused with hunger and an urge to snack. I can really see how people get sucked into gaining weight when they quit. Thank goodness I have 3FC to keep me from falling into that trap.

A little nervous but excited too. Just like with my weight loss - this time is for real
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Old 11-14-2008, 01:33 PM   #6  
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Wishing you all the best in your quest to be smoke-free! It's hard. I've "been there, done that" and relapsed a few times. It's been 18 years since I officially quit, but only about 6 or 7 years that I seriously have not had a cigarette and about that same amount of time that I haven't craved one at one time or another.

One thing that really helps is not going to places where smokers are. It's really hard (especially in Vegas). At least here in California no one can smoke in public buildings--you just have to watch out for the entrances to those buildings!
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Old 11-14-2008, 01:47 PM   #7  
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Thanks for the good wishes alinnell.
We don't have smoking anymore in public buildings either - with the exception of the casino floor - so it won't be all that hard to avoid. I've already been working on brainwashing myself into not liking the way a lit cigarette smells. Figured if I can brainwash myself into not liking cake anymore, I can brainwash myself into pretty much anything
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Old 11-17-2008, 11:11 AM   #8  
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Well, I am a ninny I thought the Great American Smoke-out was the 15th - found out over the weekend it's not until the 20th this year Well, this just puts me ahead of the game. Had a brief moment there where I was almost going to light up and wait for the 20th but recognized it as an excuse, and decided that since I planned for the 15th, the 15th is was, - Haven't smoked since Friday night

Aside from the fact that I ate myself off the face of the planet yesterday I am having, what seems to me, to be a really bizarre reaction. I don't know if it's a carb hangover from yesterday, whether I'm holding my breath, or whether I'm taking big deep breaths and hyperventilating, or if it's just nicotine withdrawals but I feel soooo oddd - kind of light headed and disoriented. I was almost concerned about driving to work this morning. Anyone else remember that kind of physical reaction? I've also GOT to get a grip on the eating. I worked too damn hard to let quitting smoking make me gain anything back!!
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