Going into Day 7

[lapistola]

Almost too crazy to be a coincidence, I got the flu just before my quit date. So it will have been 7 days as of tomorrow, with an ironic push start from a terrible virus! As I spent day after day in misery in my bedroom, I kept thinking how much worse it would be to emphysema or cancer. 

Now that I'm over it and feeling better, the craves are lurking around. But I will continue to focus on the things I've gained as opposed to given up. Raising my daughter and being active with her is the biggest! 

[jojo_2-24-11]

Congrats on 7 days, Chad! Great Job! The nicotine is out of your system from smoking now. It's all mental now, just acknowledge the urge and move on to more positve things, like raising your daughter. Now you will have all the lung capacity to keep up with her, no smoke hindering them.

[Ex_Nancy]

The most IMPORTANT thing you can do for your quit now is to educate yourself about the addiction and the mind games it plays on us....READ,READ,READ for a successful quit...the more you read, the EASIER it is...

CHOOSE to quit smoking, not TRY. Educate yourself by reading these links that most of us have used to help us quit and STAY quit! This is about making a DECISION to never put another cigarette in your mouth, mean it, and be committed to follow through on that decision. Also allow NO excuses AND hang in there for as long as it takes, no matter how uncomfortable you become.... This is about re-learning your life WITHOUT cigarettes....start changing your "normal" routine....because a smoker's routine revolves around cigarettes. You will be a nonsmoker so change how you start your morning so it doesn't revolve around cigarette breaks, etc. You CAN do this! ....

http://quitsmokingonline.com/

Allan Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking -

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

[Ex_Nancy]

Also, use these coping techniques...

Stay close to this site and remember NOPE=Not One Puff Ever...and as long as you stick to this ONE SIMPLE rule, you will win....it the meantime, drink plenty of fresh cold water to rid your body of the toxins,6 smaller, nutritious meals throughout the day to keep your blood-sugar levels steady, (don't diet!)......and it will keep your blood sugar level and the low blood sugar induced fogginess and craves away.

....take big arm STRETCHES as often as needed to relax tense muscles and most importantly, take big DEEP BREATHS TO RELAX AND RELIEVE anger... take a nap, take walks, stay buzy with something you LIKE and brush you teeth immediately after each meal...stick your head in the freezer and DEEP BREATHE....If you bite into a lemon, the smoking thought will be gone instantly...try it, it works, also suck on sugarfree hard candy or lollipops and one of my friends here says be sure to use the Halls mentholyptus cough drops......Be prepared in advance for it,not surprised by it...Smoking thoughts only have power when you have fear. Face it head on and do not try to run or hide. You have the strength and power to tell it NO...You have the CHOICE to tell it NO. Each time you get a smoking urge, immediately DISTRACT yourself and kick the thought out of your head!!!

[YoungAtHeart]

I second (third?) the recommendation for Allen Carr's book.  It is an easy, entertaining read and I think you will be surprised at how much you don't know.;  I never could get my mind around it being easy, but the information contained still proved invaluable to my success.  You have some catching up to do - so get reading!!!!

Stay strong.  You CAN do this!

Nancy

Quit 7/4/12

[lapistola]

Thanks so much for all the encouragement! I keep coming to the site to read when I'm tempted. What's weird is that I feel kind of a fog of depression. Is that common? I'm having a hard time focusing on work or thinking very hard about anything. And my emotions feel numbed, almost like I'm medicated!