Quit Blogs

After a really crappy 2011 I'm aiming to make some great improvements in my living situation, work and my personality. The quakes have really exposed the best in me and the worst and it is the worst that needs attention. I have managed to stay smokefree though and my stats are:-

I have been quit for 3 Years, 3 Months, 6 hours, 31 minutes and 27 seconds (1,187 days). I have saved $8,809.54 by not smoking 16,621 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 3 Weeks, 6 Days, 17 hours and 5 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Stickability must be part of the best in me!

Well done to all newbies and oldies on here who are endeavouring to remain smokefree and to all those who think they're struggling, just remember that you CAN and WILL succeed if you PERSIST and be pigheaded about this quit thing and stay DETERMINED that you will OVERCOME this nasty habit.

I set up a YouTube page a while ago when I was quitting as I found that watching some of these videos helped maintain my resolve to stay smokefree - so to make things easier for me to access I set up a page with helpful educational, informative and funny videos ........ the video that eventually made me quit was 'Thanks Tobacco you killed my Mom' - I didn't smoke again after watching this video - very powerful.

The YouTube page is:-
http://www.youtube.com/user/SmokefreeNewZealand
copy and paste this and you'll be there - a great distraction to smoking and great motivation to stay stopped.

My quit stats are.......
I have been quit for 3 Years, 2 Months, 3 Weeks, 5 Days, 53 minutes and 3 seconds (1,182 days). I have saved $8,770.70 by not smoking 16,548 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 3 Weeks, 6 Days and 11 hours of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Onwards and upwards fellow quitters - you know that you're doing the best thing you can do to stay alive, healthy, wealthy and wise! ☺

Hi there quitters

It's been a while since I've added anything to my youtube page but there are a lot of helpful videos on there to help you quit.........go and take a look and see if there is anything that helps - copy and paste this link
www.youtube.com/user/SmokefreeNewZealand/videos?view=pl
Education is the key and I found that cruising YouTube opened my eyes.

Onwards and upwards. ☺

Hi fellow quitters - here's a repost of one of my blogs from way back...hope it helps you stick with it:-

"I've found the ANSWER
Hi all in the "Quitters Club" - the hippest club in town - I've found the answer.....the resolution to slipping and to being tempted by smoking again - it is SOOOO simple it's stupid but it works and it is truthful. There is one simple step and only us people who have quit can practice it....it won't work for smokers and is irrelevant for never smokers. All we have to do is...........remember to remind yourself that:

"I DON'T SMOKE"

"I'm a non-smoker"

"Smoking is NOT for me"

I DO NOT SMOKE

Repeat all or one of these sayings at least three times (especially when you get the urge to smoke) and you'll feel good about not smoking. It works. I'm nearly 70 days without a cigarette and I find reminding myself that I don't smoke makes me not want to smoke!!!!

I don't have to add that:-

Smoking makes me stink, makes my teeth yellow, gives me pains in my chest, increases the lines on my face, gives me a hoarse voice, can increase my chances of getting lung cancer, oral cancer, bronchitis, losing my teeth, emphysema, losing a limb or two, gangrene.

Just reminding myself that - "I DON'T SMOKE", "I'm a non-smoker", "Smoking is NOT for me" , "I DO NOT SMOKE" has saved me from increasing my risk of getting lung cancer, oral cancer, gum disease, emphysema, gangrene, heart attack, stroke. My teeth are whiter and facial lines are reducing. The most dramatic change has been to my brain! Now I can think ahead and plan and realise that I am more than I thought I was. I am smart, clever, funny (and I'm funny to non-smokers too....not just to smokers on smoking breaks!) I smell good (my sense of smell still isn't quite as keen as it should be though - but better than it was). I can taste a lot of flavours which has aided the increase in my midsection (body builder term for my guts!) - but that's ok too - at least what I'm inhaling is good and feeds and nourishes the rest of my body......so it's all good! Even my hands are warm right down to my finger tips. My feet and legs are a normal colour now too - I always thought that I was purplish because I was fair skinned but now I'm back to 'Human' colour so that's great to be 'normal'.

So THE answer is: remind yourself that:- "I DON'T SMOKE" and you won't : "I AM a non-smoker" because you are : "Smoking is NOT for me" because it isn't and last but not least ...........I DO NOT SMOKE - just because!!

Have a great non-smoking time and enjoy the benefits because they are hugely vast.

Well done to all new quitters for joining us here and to all the long standing gang for hanging around!!!! Well done!!"


Keep on moving forward ☺

Hi there you load of quitters lol - I had a look back over my hundreds of blogs and thought that I'd repost this one because I remember struggling a bit at times feeling a bit 'lost' without my cigarettes.

" I read your blogs and you both had similar feelings of missing your 'friend'. I just wanted to put another spin on this - what kind of friend:-

1. Takes most of your money
2. Takes you away from family
3. Makes you feel horrible
4. Makes you smell
5. Gives you bad breath
6. Stains your fingers yellow
7. Gives you chest pains
9. Robs you of energy
8. Makes you stand outside in all weather, rain or shine, to be with you
9. Ages you prematurely
10. Will more than likely end up killing you in a painful way
11. Would leave your kids without a parent, your parents without a kid and close friends without their buddy
12. If your 'friend' doesn't kill you then you'll be left with breathing problems which may require you to be on oxygen, possible gangrene which may require you to lose a limb or two, eye problems which may result in blindness, possible oral cancer which may require you to lose your tongue etc etc etc etc etc

With a friend like that who needs enemies??? "

So fellow quitters just remember to stay on track and know that leaving cigarettes behind is freeing you up. Onwards and upwards ☺

Wohoo the party has started!!! It's gone 10 pm and you're 2 years without smoking - well done my friend. You've progressed from the fanny pack to the back pack!!! lol

Congratulations ♥

Hey all just wanted to pop in and share my 3rd breathday with you all. Seems like a lifetime ago since I smoked and it is.....my world is vastly different now than the life I lived as a smoker - freedom - my true self - taking responsibility for my life.

My stats are:-
I have been quit for 3 Years, 21 hours, 57 minutes and 47 seconds (1,095 days). I have saved $8,131.67 by not smoking 15,342 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, 6 hours and 30 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Stick with it because the benefits of being smokefree far outweigh the struggles along the way. Just know that YOU CAN DO IT then YOU WILL SUCCEED. ☺

Great to see newbies with positive stories.

My stats are:

I have been quit for 2 Years, 11 Months, 2 Days, 33 minutes and 42 seconds (1,067 days). I have saved $7,917.30 by not smoking 14,938 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 3 Weeks, 20 hours and 50 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Time for sleep and an early start in the morning. Well done to all - it is well worth the journey. You are not just stopping smoking, you are starting to live and learn who you really are without the haze of smoke. Onwards and upwards. ☺

Hey Marje - you still hangin on in there???? ☺

Is that really you? :o)

Hi there my old buddies, great to see that you're still popping in and adding comments to old and new friends and giving support. I've been trying to get a life (!) so haven't been here at all (even though it's heaving with life in here! lol). I'm so glad that we're all doing our best, afterall we all want to be the best that we can be and we all know that smoking doesn't feature in that sentence.

I'd better go and get back to my knitting....did I say that??? I mean get back to the tequila shots and naked dancing men!! (okay I did say I'm 'trying' to get a life...can't rush things though....gotta knit some socks before I let loose!! lol.)

Be good all and keep warm - may not be back again for a while as I might be out roaming around Chch in my spandex and woolly socks!!!

My stats are:-
I have been quit for 2 Years, 6 Months, 2 Weeks, 1 Day, 8 minutes and 28 seconds (927 days). I have saved $6,878.37 by not smoking 12,978 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 2 Weeks, 1 hour and 30 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Onwards and upwards :o)

I have been quit for 2 Years, 5 Months, 16 hours, 12 minutes and 58 seconds (881 days). I have saved $6,542.01 (based on a packet of 20 cigarettes costing $10.60 at the time of my quit) by not smoking 12,343 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 1 Week, 4 Days, 20 hours and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Wow, where has the time gone to??? Keep up the great work everyone - you CAN do it and with determination you WILL do it. :o)

I've been reading a few blogs lately and have read quite a few over the couple of years(plus) I've visited here - there is a common thread that goes through a lot of blogs: "What is the best NRT, gadget, supplement, natural remedy - does hypnosis, NLP, EFT work...." etc etc and I would like to say that I know the answer...: YES! they all work!.. but they all need one vital component to make them successful and that is your determination to be a non smoker.

I tried so many times to stop smoking before I finally threw them away once and for all, but I always made excuses as to why I started again....: "had a hard day", "always smoke when I'm drinking", "friends were around and I was too tempted", "buying cigarettes is automatic and it just happened", "it's not the right time..next week", "got pissed off and needed a smoke".

If you are determined that you no longer want to be a slave to nicotine, you are fed up of setting light to your money and inhaling the fumes and are finding it increasingly hard to justify the money you spend (and we're not even talking about the raft of health problems here people!) then you will succeed REGARDLESS of what method you use. I stopped smoking because I saw a video on YouTube that still stays with me today and is a reminder as to why I'll never smoke again. (For those interested it can be found on my YouTube page
http://www.youtube.com/user/SmokefreeNewZealand?feature=mhum
and the video is called "Thanks Tobacco You Killed My Mom" - a very honest look at the effects of smoking from the eyes of a family member - well worth watching - it stopped me smoking FOR GOOD (play it with the sound up all the way through)).

It is so easy to get tied up in all the 'frillies' (different methods and gadgets) but the most important gadget you need to quit is your own stubborn pigheadedness, determination and focus. Make the decision to quit (having your own personal reasons listed, even mentally, helps) and stick with it. Okay it may take 5 attempts (ahem I think I took more!) but always keep the "I Don't Want To Be A Smoker" as your focus and with each quit you'll move closer.

Also don't be so soft on yourself....say you quit and had a puff....yep you quit and 'slipped up', okay put that behind you and continue to quit. Don't 'allow' slip ups to sneak in because you'll be allowing yourself to fail - when you quit, smoking is not allowed - at all..ever! Sounds harsh doesn't it?? So does a tracheotomy or perhaps limb amputation due to constricted arteries (thanks to smoking).

Be positive....smoking is not for you or anyone for that matter - our bodies are not designed to inhale smoke..our bodies have no use for smoke, we need oxygen to stay fit, young and healthy. Smoke robs us of our ability to stay fit, young and healthy, so it is a really stupid decision to choose smoke over oxygen. Regularly remind yourself that you're "a non smoker and that smoking is not for you" and you'll succeed far sooner than by allowing the odd puff or coming up with excuses.

I am sympathetic to all nicotine quitters as I can testify that initially it is hard to change direction, but I (like many of my fellow bloggers) can also testify that it is doable and if you're serious about quitting then you will succeed. You will also discover that it is not the nicotine that you are truly addicted to.....it's the habit. The absolute solution to quitting smoking is to change your habits. You smoke when having a coffee, change to herbal tea.....you smoke when having a beer, drink red wine.....you smoke outside, don't sit outside....you always buy cigarettes from the dairy, don't go to the dairy....you smoke with fellow smokers, avoid them until you're over the worst craving times (and they lessen quite quickly if you stay determined!).

So in essence, stay focused, know that you're doing this for ALL the right reasons (there is never a good reason to smoke) and remain determined - the benefits of quitting far outweigh the perceived benefits to staying a smoker (which are all dreamed up by the smoker anyway!).

If you want to muck about then drop down and give me 20 (and I mean push-ups not cigarettes!). ☺

Dismissed!!! lol ☺♥

Please wander over to the YouTube page I set up to help us quitters stay quit - it has inspirational videos and a couple of documentaries to reinforce the quit smoking message:-

http://www.youtube.com/user/SmokefreeNewZealand?feature=mhum

Please check out "Thanks Tobacco you Killed My Mom" if ever you think you'll light up again, because believe me after watching this..you won't!!!

Good luck everyone and stay determined and pig headed!!! This decision that you've embarked on will save your life, set a great example to the young and you'll also go up quite a few pegs in peoples' opinions - all that aside it's a great personal confidence booster - YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!! ☺

Felt the urge to post my stats...so here goes:-

I have been quit for 2 Years, 4 Months, 4 Days, 14 hours, 48 minutes and 17 seconds (857 days). I have saved $6,363.50 (based on a packet of 20 cigarettes costing $10.60 at the time of my quit) by not smoking 12,006 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 1 Week, 3 Days, 16 hours and 30 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

So pleased I made the decision to quit smoking, now need to make the decision to quit eating!!!

For my welcome back.....I've been away pondering stuff. My last few posts before I left were about me finding a fella and not sure where to find one.....well.......I'm still none the wiser there and so am still flying solo. Which is fine at the moment. In my absence I made a monumental life changing event come true....I passed my (restricted) driving test!! I'd convinced myself for years that I couldn't drive and that I must have had some kind of phobia (which wasn't helped by so called friends telling me how lame I was because I didn't have a licence), well I was wrong.......I love driving!! Beginning of November I decided to take lessons and go for it and in less than a month I had hold of my drivers licence! I passed and am now pausing to gather enough money to buy a car. I'd saved around $1,300 in my not smoking jar and used some of it on the lessons and test etc and so will continue to save so I can get a reasonable car. So I discovered it was a different kind of ride that I hankered after after all!!!! lol Have seen one of my so called friends who has continued with crap like "let me know what vehicle you get so I can avoid you......let me know when you're on the road and I'll stay at home" - why do some Kiwis have that 'put everyone else down' sense of humour? 'Cos these Kiwis can't take it when it's given back (not that I ever do 'cos it aint my nature).

So kiddos, if you can, save a little of your smoking money in a jar and after a year treat yourself to something nice.....a couple of coins a day can really make a difference in your life (sounds like a "Dollar A Day" ad doesn't it?!? lol).

☺

Copied from one of my earlier blogs:-

"Hi there quitters new and not so new (didn't want to put old because that can be depressing - says she with wrinkles on her brow!).

I just wanted to share with you a couple of things that might help motivate you on your quit journey. Firstly is a really handy quit calculator which by pressing Ctrl F12 you can add into any blog site (such as this), email or other message forum. You can download it (and it's free!!) from:- www.dedicateddesigns.com/qk

Here is my stats as per the quit keeper calculator:-

I have been quit for 2 Years, 2 Months, 22 hours, 20 minutes and 11 seconds (791 days). I have saved $5,876.11 by not smoking 11,087 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 1 Week, 11 hours and 55 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Another handy motivator is a YouTube page I set up with lots of helpful videos to help reinforce the 'stop smoking' message - I've also found some videos with a little humour too so it's not all factual stuff. Cut and paste the following link into your browser and it'll take you right to it:-

http://www.youtube.com/user/SmokefreeNewZealand

I found it really helpful in the evening when kids have gone to bed to find info on the computer to help me with my quit and I hope that you enjoy browsing through the videos I found and put together for you."

The video that made me quit was "Thanks Tobacco you killed my Mom" You can access this on the YouTube page - pretty hard hitting, real and honest account of smoking for the perspective of an adult child.

Onwards and upwards fellow quitters. :o)

Copied from one of my earlier blogs.

Taken from: http://www.stop-smoking-tips.com/benefits-quitting-smoking.html

* Hands and feet become warmer from improved circulation.
* Blood pressure and pulse rate lower and approach normal.
* Mouth and hair no longer smell of smoke.
* Senses of taste and smell improve.
* Cough disappears and phlegm production returns to normal.
* Stamina increases significantly.
* Energy level is higher.
* Field of vision increases by 15 to 20 percent.
* Risk of all diseases caused by smoking is reduced - emphysema, heart attacks, and cancers of all types.
* You have improved your self-image.
* You have put yourself in charge of your life.
* You have a feeling of accomplishment and self-respect.
* You are becoming happier, less depressed.
* Never again will you have to plan every activity around cigarette smoking.
* Never again will you have to make excuses, or feel guilty about needing cigarettes.
* Never again will you have to go back into the house to be sure all cigarettes are extinguished.
* Never again will you have to take inventory of smoking paraphernalia before you leave your home or office.
* Now you can hold on to the excitement of being a winner and bask in a sense of well-being.
* You now project an image of self-control that is not available to smokers.
* Your house, car, and clothes don’t smell of cigarettes.
* You will have more time to devote to family and friends.
* You will not become a burden on your family members because of illnesses related to smoking cigarettes.

Now....aren't you pleased you're smokefree? Well worth the bumps along the way. Be proud of your achievements. ♥☺♥

Just popped in and am proud to announce that I'm now 26 months smokefree.....my stats are:-
I have been quit for 2 Years, 2 Months, 22 hours, 2 minutes and 42 seconds (791 days). I have saved $5,876.01 by not smoking 11,086 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 1 Week, 11 hours and 50 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 13/10/2008 11:00 p.m.

Life has changed so much for me over that time and I'm so grateful for me believing myself and having some people around me who believe in me too.

xxxxx :o)

Wohoo Maggie I've just popped on and seen that you've hit 572 days!!!! Well done. I'm proud of you xxxx As you know I haven't been around and I'm trying to type on this laptop, which has a mini child sized keyboard, so I won't type a lot, I'll wait until I'm back the the normal human sized board. Well done Mags ..... fantastic xxxxxx