I'm giving up smoking cigarettes, need encouragement

[Guest AllisonRae]

Congratulations Edu, I think it was worth staying up late for!

Congratulations Sarah, so looking forward to being over a year smoke free like you.

Think the next notable milestone should be 6 months. And thanks again everyone for your support!

Hugs,

Allison

[Charlize]

That is awesome Allison. Don't forget just one is never just one and you'll get there.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest Raya]

Great work Allison and Edu. I just quit smoking 3 weeks ago, oral surgery required it, and now I stay quit.

It's odd that it took transition to get me to start working on my health, but I'm glad to be finally moving forward!

[Guest AllisonRae]

Well friends it has been a while since I posted on this subject and I have hit another milestone. 6 months ago give or take an half hour I smoked my last cigarette. I am still smoke free and I committed myself to a diet and excercise regiment and have lost 40 lbs to boot! I feel great and in 11 days I go for my first appointment for HRT! I once again want to thank everone that supported me and the others that saw inspiration and quit. Way to go!!!

Hugs,

Allison

[Guest Edu]

Congratulations, Allison! I'll be there by the end of the month I hope... I'm approaching a big challenge now: during the last week of June I'll be enjoying the patronal festivities in my hometown. On previous years, during those holidays, I have been a living chimney and a beer sinkhole. This year I gotta stay 100% smoke-free and limit myself to one or two beers per day night.

Hugs,

Edu

[Guest suden]

thats wonderful- what a reward for your hard work/ You love your self for it! Eden

[Charlize]

Allison and Edu, congratulations to you both. It has been a long time for me but i still have to remember that with the very first puff the monkey will appear on my back again.

Stay away from that first drag and the rest is easy now.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest Shauna36]

Congrats I know it will be tough

[Guest Angel Heart]

Congrats Allison!
You and I quit smoking within a week or so of each other Proud of you.

It's soo worth it to be able to take the full dosage of HRT, definitely.

[Guest]

Hi Allison, good luck! You and I are in this together!!!! This morning I purchased a ecigg to help me stop before I start HRT. I've tried quitting many times before because I knew of the health risks... but I think that this time, it will be even more successful since I have a goal (starting HRT) to help me quit.

Again good luck!

~Milani

[Guest Edu]

Technically, I should wait until 23:50 CET, but today is the day anyway: the half-year milestone! Allison, I told you I'd get there

Also, I handled nicely the hometown holiday challenge: smoke wasn't even tempting, and beer was kept within the expected limits. Had to switch to soda's (with the potential overdosing on caffeine and sugar), however: the Mediterranean summer is too hot to not have some drinks, even by night!

Hugs,

Edu

[Guest Raya]

Great job, Edu.!

To you and the other ladies, we can beat that addiction.

And it's really nice not to have the cigar stench.

[Guest AllisonRae]

Hi Edu and congratulations! I never had a doubt. I knew your hometown holiday was going to be a challenge but I figured you would do it!

Well the next milestone is the one year mark. I have no doubt that were going to make it. Next week I get to experience some of the blessing of my quitting since pending the results of my blood work I will be starting HRT!

Hugs,

Allison

[Guest Hannah Emma]

I quit smoking almost 2 months ago. I still find it very hard to not smoke. Even now I am sitting here wanting one. Oh well, I would rather have a safe transition anyway.

[Guest Mickey]

I've been cigarette free for over a year now. And it's been the easiest thing in the world for me to stop smoking those nasty things, this time. You see, I went from smoking to vaping. With a good vape and some tasty juice, I have no desire to go back to stinkies. I get my nicotine, or my social anxiety medication, with my vape. I can breath now. I don't cough for 20 minutes when I first wake up. My sense of smell has come back, and taste with it. I don't stink now. My primary care Dr knows the benefits I, and others, have had, and he encourages me to vape in his office. He wants me to convert some of his other patients that still smoke, to vaping instead. I try my best to convert smokers every chance I get. And nicotine isn't actually unhealthy unless you go swimming in it. It's being used to treat Parkinson's disease now.

[Guest Edu]

A brief reminder: vaping does have some negative effects on health. It's far less harmful than smoking, but it's not entirely healthy. So, if quitting entirely is too hard, then vaping is a reasonable option, but not as good as quitting for good.

Hugs,

Edu

[Guest]

Congratulations to every one on their successes. :thumbsup:

Huggs,

Joann

[Guest Mickey]

I've not experienced _any_ negative affects from vaping. The Food and Drug Administration did a 40 year study on the affects of vegetable glycerin vapors and found NO side affects at all. None. Both of the main ingredients VG and PG have been approved by the FDA for over 50 years, for human consumption. PG is in baby toothpaste. Both are used in hospitals. Any time you go to a hospital you are likely breathing in PG vapors as it is commonly used to help keep the air clean in their ventilation system. The VG is used as a base for medications they need to deliver to a patients lungs, through a device called an atomizer. Guess what. It makes VG vapors to carry the medicine to the lungs. I have done a lot of research into vaping and when I see somebody talking about the negative affects I kinda wonder if the work for big tobacco. Or maybe they just see a news story that big tobacco has pushed. They are losing billions to the ecig market. And big pharma is losing out as well. I personally know 3 people that used to be on 3 or 4 different meds for COPD and asthma and other stuff. After vaping for a year and no cigs, their health has improved to the point where they are now off some of the meds. And one friend was removed from the asthma list since she _no longer fit the criteria_ and you know asthma is not "curable". But she used to fit the criteria and was on the medications for it. She no longer is. There has been plenty of studies done that show the benefits of vaping. But big pharma needs cancer patients and big tobacco needs smokers and they will both do what ever they need to do in order to maintain their supremacy.

[Guest AllisonRae]

I personally feel anything is better than smoking now. I quit cold turkey after being a light smoker for the last 24 years. I know people who vape and have improved there health by getting away from smoking. I after numerous attempts finially got away from nicotine. I know how hard it is to do. I will always be addicted to nicotine. This time I was ready and had the motivation I needed. That amount of willpower is tough to muster. So in my book anyone who no longer lights up is accomplishing something. I hadvtried the gum and patches without success in the past. Guess what I'm saying here is whatever works is cool by me.

Hugs,

Allison

[Guest AllisonRae]

Well hello everyone!

A year ago this was one of my earliest post here. Ar that time I had recently admitted to myself that I have always been a woman. I was getting my path figured out and part of this was self improvement. Loosing weight, excercise and quitting smoking. I knew from my research that nicotine and HRT were a bad combination and honestly had been trying to quit most of the years I had been a smoker. So on a Saturday night December 13th 2014 I smoked my last cigarette and later that evening got on the treadmill for the longest 20 minutes of my life. Afterwards I signed on to here asking my new found friends for support. Every one was so wonderful and I even adopted a sister in my fight against nicotine addiction Edu, who I helped inspire to quit as well.

Well the last update I made here was roughly months ago. Now a year later not only am I still nicotine free but I have also lost 75 pounds! And am 5 plus months into HRT. I feel fantastic and am the healthiest I have ever been in my life.

The support and encouragement of my friends here was a huge part of this victory! I just want to thank all of you who pledged your support, best wishes advice and prayers! You are the greatest!

I love you all!!!!!

Allie

ps Maybe next year I will revisit this thread again with a status update. Thanks again!!

[tracy_j]

Congratulations - such results are always good to hear

[Kivana]

Congrats to those that have given them up and good luck to those trying, the longest I have gone before I caved in was just over two weeks.

I too need to give up, besides the obvious health benefits it is the money I really want back, a pack of 19 here is £6.35. Working out the cost of 1 pack a day for a year and you get just under £2400 and that is money I want for better things.

Now if only I could convince mum to give up with me it would be easier for us both and mean more cash, but alas she is a stubborn woman.

Kiva

[Guest Edu]

Congratulations, Allison! I'll be hitting that milestone myself soon enough

Here is a tip for others. It may sound somewhat arrogant, but it's what truly worked for me: almost a year ago, when I made the final choice to quit smoking, I had succeeded even before I had my last cigarette. It was all about determination: too many times I had decided to try quit smoking, and utterly failed (had tried vaping, nicotine chewing gum, and many other approaches). That time I decided to actually quit. I picked New Year as the target date, and I knew there simply would be no more smoking as soon as 2015 began. For about a couple weeks I kept telling myself I'd quit. I knew I could (we all can!), and I knew I would. New year came and that's it: I didn't smoke again. Sure, there were some withdrawal symptoms for the first couple days, but that was expected and I kept focused on my goal.

The moral of the story, as a little green old Jedi would put it: Do or don't, there is no "try".

Hugs,

Edu

[Guest Mickey]

That is good news! Congratulations to both of you!

I just passed my 2 year vape anniversary on December 7. I call my ejuice, my social anxiety medication. And it does help me when I have to go and interact with other humans. And all of the Dr's that I see on a regular basis are glad that I vape for my nicotine instead of smoking. And my primary care Dr says my lungs have improved tremendously since I started vaping. Oxygen levels are always way good now too. It really does feel good to not be a smoker any more.

[Charlize]

Congratulations. Getting away from nicotine addiction is a great accomplishment. I also had tried every other method. Patches, gum, hypnosis and even ear staples. Vaping didn't exist in those days. I see many doing that now and understand that need for the rush and peace that nicotine gave me. I feel blessed now to be free of that need. I'll never forget when hurricane Sandy was forecast and i realized i wouldn't need alcohol or nicotine to face the weeks of time with no stores open. My only needs were food and water. What freedom.

Hugs,

Charlize