You definitely have reason to be proud of yourself. Way to go, Zeebs!

*stompin up and down*....Go Zeebs, Go Zeebs!!!!

Laurie

haha! thanks you guys it is finally starting to get easier.

Oh wow, I just saw this thread! Good for you Thankfully, smoking was never a habit that I started, but I feel like I do something similar with food It's so awesome to see so many people encouraging you! I hope you're still hanging in there!

I know you don't know me zeebs but just wanted to say that I'm so proud of you! I've been where you are & know how hard quitting is. Keep it up! I've read through the whole thread - you've had some great cheerleaders right beside you! GO ZEEBS!

You ladies are so nice! I think that quitting smoking has been a really great motivator for me. I feel like I am starting to get my sh** together in other areas too. I couldn't have done it without you gals.

Okay, well, I wouldn't be the first smoker this happened to, nor the last, but awhile back, I started again. Of course I was ashamed to post here. I've been, how do you say, working through some things.

I am embarrassed that I fell off the wagon. For the last month and a half, I've been repeatedly trying to get back on, with varying success.

At any rate, I currently have 11 cigs left in my pack, and I have been doing some new reading on how to quit successfully. I am not entirely sure that I am ready again, but I don't particularly wish to be a pathetic, socially-awkward nicotine addict desperately clutching my pack in one hand and my oxygen mask in the other. Okay, perhaps that's an extreme projection given the mildness of my habit. Regardless, it's expensive and it smells bad, and I want to use my cig money for better things, namely makeup and manicures. I did the math, and I could afford a manicure AND a new lip gloss each month if I stopped smoking.

Last time I quit, it was really effective to think, "If I were advising a heroin addict in my situation, what would I say to her?" but unfortunately, I didn't stick with this line of inquiry each time, and the stress of finals week therefore derailed me. This time, I'm going to keep that trick up my sleeve, because when I think of smoking, I just think, oh, how innocuous, because I've become inured to its hazards and unpleasantries. Equating it to other addictions is much more effective for me; that way, I can see it for what it is and not be quite so deluded.

Anyway, I would like to remember to do that consistently this time around. Also, I plan to meditate each morning, because I'm beginning to think that smoking is a substitute for facing emotions like boredom, perfectionism, and physical discomfort.

So, I have not yet set a[nother] quit date (my projection based on my current supply would be Tuesday morning or perhaps Wednesday), but when I do, I wish to be held accountable here, since you ladies did such a fab job last time. Of course I went and boffed it during finals week, but hey, nobody's perfect. Here we go again.

I lost both my grandfathers to smoking related deaths...and my grandmother is in the beginning stages of emphysema. All 3 of them quit over 10 years before becoming ill. It saddens me so much to think of how much life they've missed out on because of an addiction that wasn't seen as "bad" in their day.

Each time you take out a cigarette to smoke, ask yourself:

"Am I honoring all the hard work I've put into changing my diet in order to heal my body?"

That addict question is a good one too. I have so many people who tell me how they couldn't live without bread, or gluten, or alcohol, or this, or that, and I just smile, because I know that in the end it all comes down to priorities, self worth, and self love. You know that, you've put aside other things in your life for the well being of yourself...you can do this too!! Just imagine that cigarette as a hunk of cheese smothered french bread!

And for what it's worth, I am as guilty as you are for going back to things I know are not good for me. I should pose the same question to myself. A bowl of ice cream or a plate full of rice pasta isn't gonna kill me in the same way one cigarette isn't gonna kill you...but the impact it has on my blood sugar is just as bad as the impact it has on your lungs. It's harder when that "thing" can be reasoned away as innocuous, isn't it? In time one can put down the addictive substance, but it's so much harder to fix what's wrong on the inside that makes us pick it up in the first place. Knowing its a multifaceted issue and meditation are good starts though!

Thank you for being so honest about your struggles, it reminds me to be more honest about mine. Good luck Zeebs, you can do it!!

Day 1, done. Today is day 2. Thanks for the additional tips. Every strategy helps at least a little bit.

Day 2, done. Today is day 3. My "five day quit plan" says that today is the day to avoid stressors. So, I'm watching Survivorman on Netflix. Yay for vacation!