STOP SMOKING NOW

Day 24 CANT BELEIVE I AM STILL NOT SMOKING

2009-06-26T16:09:00.002-04:00

Ok, did you ever travel in someone's car while they smoke. I just did, can I tell you it was the hardest I have struggled thus far. I had to drive with him for 3 hours to a meeting, he pulled out the first ciggy and lit it up. Oh my was that hard, I had to sit n my hand and not reach for one, I was able to ward off the impulse to extract one from the box sitting on the center console. It seemed to be calling my name, longing for my kiss around its neck. Yes well I just said no! And like that I was ok that time, until 20 minutes later it happened again and again in 20-30 minute increments. Even when we were nearly there he had to light one last one to sustain him through the meeting. Well that was the journey there and the back wasn't much different, even as we were near home I thought to myself I will have just one and I wont have the opportunity to smoke more. But I thought JUST SAY NO, and I did although it was very hard, I have just been back maybe 15 minutes now and I am letting you know I had success. Even though right now I am slightly craving a cigarette. But it is OK because I am still not smoking and that make me smile and my lungs sigh in relief!!!!

DAY 21 NOT SMOKING AGAIN

2009-06-23T15:19:00.003-04:00

So I stopped smoking on June 2nd, that makes it according to my calculations 3 weeks today. I must say I am rather happy and I have been doing very well. It is nice taking big deep breaths to expand the lungs. I feel realy really good.

Not to say that I have not had trials over the last few weeks. Because I have, just last night my friend was going to buy some ciggarettes and I talked them out of it for my sake. Because if they had bought them I was going to smoke and undo the last few weeks of getting healthy.

I did have a stressful day yesterday and I would have slipped back in . I just could not afford to do that. Anyway I am just ready to saty clean.

Lets keep it going,

PS. Thanks for keeping me accountable.

No more smoking

Day 7 Struggling with not smoking

2009-06-08T20:16:00.000-04:00

So I missed a couple of days blogging but still didn’t smoke. I did have a few hard situations through out the weekend. First was when I went out to the Pub/Bar, (you can still smoke inside where I live). I was having a lovely Guinness and something to eat, after eating I looked around to see others smoking. It was very difficult to resist the temptation, but very worthwhile. After resisting to smoke I was glad even thugh it was hard. I could go to sleep that night and breath easy and very loose. These are the things I really enjoy.

I went out the following day to exercise, and Oh My; what a difference it made to off the smokes. I was able to run further and recover quiker in the intervals. I totally feel like a new person, and that was jsut after a few days. Imagine stopping smoking for good, how much better will I feel and how much healthier would I be. Well I intend to stop for good this time and I am more and more excited about. Each day gives me a little bit more confidence.

Today was the first day back at work, It usually brings with it quite a bit of stress. It was very much like that today, although I was able to resist smoking and I feel sooo much better because of it. When I smoke it kinda slows down my body down and get a bit of anxziety today was free of this. It nice to feel relaxed at the end of the day rather than anxious.

One day at a time, stop smoking now!!!

DAY 5 Staying off the cigarettes

2009-06-06T16:54:00.001-04:00

Now that I have made it to day 5 since I stopped smoking I am quite happy. I believe I have gotten over the first initial few days which can be the hardest. So for me this is a good thing.

I find myself breathing better and no coughing as much. Some of my friends have told me who have stopped smoking that when they get to the three week mark they find themselves coughing more and sorry for the squeamish but you end up hacking up so much black junk. It is hard to imagine why was continuing smoking while thinking abou the black junk in my lungs. So needless to say I have been not necessarily been looking forward to this part. Although it will start to feel much better whenever I start to have clear lungs again. Breathing fully through those bronchial tubes.

Another point of interest I must mention at this juncture. When I had stopped smoking one of my many times before (although this shall be the very last) I had found during my time smoing my knees had started to ache. Now when I say ache they were very sore and would feel very weak. I would have to climb a few steps or step over a large space. This seemed to inflame my knees and they would ache. It is really hard to describe that ache although if you are reading this and it registers to you what I am saying. So I only remember this now as I have stopped. The last time that I was off as I was earlier I found that my knees stopped hurting. Not immediately but over a short amount of time I felt gradual improvement. Now this alone should have been inspiration for me but again it wasnt. I started smoking again and my knees gradually began to hurt again.

That all being said I look forward to them beginning to get better again. Now if you had known this before this should be inspire you to stop smoking now.

Day 4 not smoking yet

2009-06-05T20:35:00.002-04:00

So I passed the seventy-two hour mark of saying no to smoking. I feel like it has been a positive day. Well for the most part. Today was busy and I only thought of smoking maybe three times but I was able to vanquish those feeling rapidly before they could take hold.

All went well until this evening and I was out at store. I must add at this moment I sell wine for a living so hence my user name being wineslob. We can go into this further on another post. So part of my job entails pouring wine so people can taste the various products I have and maybe want to buy one. Anyway After standing for three hours following a normal day of work, pouring wine for indiscriminate people I would usually make my trek out to my car and like to take long pulls on my cigarette to disolve away the thoughts of talking to random strangers while trying to push my product. So I came out to my car and said,”I DONT WANT TO SMOKE”

This was quite difficult as I am sure many of you can imagine, I am sure you all have similar stories of when you need to smoke and the daily ritual, wether it be a the end of the day or when others among you are smoking right next to you.

All I can say is stand strong and do not smoke another cigarette. I am doing it, you do it to. Lets help each other along stop smoking now!!

Day 3 TOBACCO FREE

2009-06-04T17:11:00.002-04:00

All right today was pretty hard since I stopped smoking. I drive quite a bit for my job and one of the things I like to do while driving is have a smoke as I get bored with all the travel. So to make matters worse while I was driving today I was craving a cigarette and I look over to the car right next to me. And all I see is smoke billowing out the window. Those swirls were so intoxicating. They were trying seduce me and lure me into their blinding array of pleasure. I wanted to jump from my car and run over and suck what was getting away. How could they allow all those swirls to dissipate without even trying to infect my lungs. And that was pretty much first thing this morning. So I said to myself I WANT TO STOP SMOKING and I thought about this blog and what I would have to say if I did. So thank you blog for helping me stay clean.

Then I was at a work friends house later on and he came out and was talking to me in his yard. We will stand and chat for an hour or more sometimes while having a cigarette or maybe two or three. So today we are standing chatting and he asked me did I want to smoke. I tell you what; I had to reach deep down to resist it. In-fact he went on to smoke two while I stood right next to him craving that dark pleasure infiltrating my bronchial tubes. Well again thank goodness for this blog as I can still say I have still stopped smoking.

Day 2 Still not smoking

2009-06-03T15:12:00.002-04:00

I am not someone who has stopped smoking for a number of years. I am someone who gave up smoking yesterday. This is my journey thru this nicotine free life. I am going to keep a day to day smoke free diary. It is going to help me more than you. I will save money and get healthy. The side effects of not smoking far outweigh any instant gratification you may get.

I have got to tell you about this morning. My house was still cool as I had windows open the night before. So I had a nice coolness and the first thing I wanted was my cigarette. So I head for the kitchen and put on the coffee. So now the smell of the coffee is wafting over to where I am sitting. I tell you what, I am white knuckling at this moment. All I want now is to smoke, to sit on my back porch, listen to the birds and light up a cigarette.

I know this feeling of wanting to smoke is going to pass because I have made the decision to stop smoking. But at that moment I wanted to smoke so badly. On days in the past I would have left the house to go get a cigarette. Today is different because today has passed the twenty-four hour mark.

Congratulations to me, I have been smoke free now for twenty four hours.

It is also very interesting to think that I will never pick another cigarette up. That is quite a daunting thought if I dwell on it to much. Dwelling on never smoking again is enough to put a pressure on me to smoke again. So I shall not focus on the time but will talk about my daily struggles with not smoking.

I am going out tonight with a few friends, part of not smoking is having other things to do in my life. One of the many positive parts of not smoking is being healthy and being able to exercise. I really look forward to playing football and breathing without congestion in my lungs.

Lets see how it goes.

Day 1 of no smoking

2009-06-02T18:40:00.002-04:00

I smoked my last cigarette this morning. No more smoking for me, I will continue down this road and neglect myself of the insufferable ascending swirls. Today being the first day to stop smoking and hoping it will go into tomorrow. Which it will because I have confidance in that much.

I Stopped smoking last year for over 3 months. Coming from addiction circles I understand the concept of 90 days, for people drying out in rehab or what not. So why did I not continue staying off the smokes. Very good question which has many different answers to it.

First I thought I could smoke just one. WRONG! Picking that first one up is a killer, I cannot even smoke one more cigerette. The last one needs to be the last smoke I held in my hand today.

Second maybe I could smoke one a day. WRONG! I must not at all costs pick another cigerette as long as I live.

Third I thought my willpower was better. WRONG!

No more smoking for me.

Day 1 is nearly over and I shall not leave the house again to buy smokes.

Lets see how it goes!!

Stopped Smoking Today

2009-06-02T16:30:00.003-04:00

I stopped smoking today. How many times have I stopped you may ask? Well I have stopped smoking quite a few times. What makes me think I can stop Smoking for good this time? Because this time I am going to do it! Follow my online journey as I go.