One month down for me as well. I haven't noticed any weight gain, but then again I don't own a scale. My pants still fit, though, which is important. Like 125shifter, I'm still able to eat what I want and not gain weight (sorry lendaddy :)).

Man, I sure miss having a smoke while I'm out drinking though. I went downtown to see a band over the weekend - first time since quitting - and it seemed totally unnatural not to have a cig with each Guinness. I snuck a couple of puffs from my friend's cigarrette, which reminded me of the good ol' days...but I'm still leaving them behind. I'm not going to go out as much for awhile to avoid the cravings, which'll have some side benefits as well (more $$$ for the newly resurrected 951).

I've had one on two nights -- while out at the liquor stands w/ the boys. Yesterday, I'm cleaning the apt. -- a real Augean Stables, Stalinesque purge clean, and I find 1/2 pack of Marlboro Lights under the couch. I didn't even think about it -- just tossed them out. And I trusted myself enough not to run them under the spigot before throwing them out.

Even if I have the one smoke at night, I wake up the next day w/ major sinus effects.

JP

Many years past, I was a counselor in a crisis center. One of my co-counselors was simultaneously going thru a divorce, battling obesity, and trying to quit smoking. She was a mess. Her psych suggested that, for her sanity, she choose to either continue eating as per usual or continue to smoke. She chose to continue smoking. Within a year or so she had her divorce, lost mucho lbs., and then she stopped smoking. I held tremendous admiration for her...she was my God-ette.
.
I can't not say this. Same admiration here. I check out this thread a few times/week for inspiration. When I read these posts I get goose bumps on my forearms. You gents are truly heroes. Thank you so much for sharing your stories of struggle 'n courage. IMO, one has to have been under the influence of addiction to fully appreciate the depth of the "inside job" that this is. Personal confrontation, to the max.
.
On that note, I attended an event once where Dr. Phillip Kavanaugh, founder of The Los Gatos Therapy Center, addict and author of "Magnificent Addiction", spoke. I recall him saying that, at some level, recovering addicts often can be more spiritually whole than the average person because of the depth of understanding of one's interiority/core that the recovery process can render.
.
Again, thanks gents.
.
ps 'Heard this somewhere: "A man is on fire so he jumps into a lake to put out the fire. He drowns."
.

I haven't had one since the Steeler-Jets game. I too have put on a few pounds. I had an appointment with a trainer in training (intern @ work) today for a fitness test. I failed. High resting heart rate, a little bit high BP, etc. he is working on a plan for me. 30 minutes of weights and yoga 5 days a week and 35 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. Basically, a good starting point. You'd never know that I ran in and completed a marathon in '99. I quit smoking to train and started back up about an hour after finishing the run over some beverages. Stupid huh ?? Just remember - today is the first day of the rest of your life. Go ahead and start today, not tomorrow. Back to painting the dinning room.

Fortunately, at 46 I can still eat anything I want.

Keep going guys!!!

"I recall him saying that, at some level, recovering addicts often can be more spiritually whole than the average person because of the depth of understanding of one's interiority/core that the recovery process can render. "

Don,
This is an amazing quote and so true. My REAL battle with addictions occured about 2 - 3 years ago. Through that experience, I had a real changed out look on humanity and myself. I got a lot of help and support at work and I vow to pay that back to them or some else in need it possible. Won't go into details but the addiction was not drugs, alcohol, or any other ingested stuff. I do have to remind myself ever morning that I have 3 additions I need to watch out for each day.

WOOOOOOPS - should be addictions not additions - Also I noticed that a LOT more people are looking at this thread than repling to it. That means to me that there are folks out there thinking about jumping in.

Further to Hugh's comment -- if you're out there and want to quit, c'mon in, there's plenty of room and a lot of support. Most of my fellow quitters had a week's head start on me when I signed up, so don't feel like you're late to the game if you start now.

FWIW, I don't keep track of the "it's been X days since..." stuff. This may be rationalization, but that means that if I have a smoke at some time, I've broken that streak, or let myself down ... something that makes me likelier to say "well, might as well start up again..."

I gauge it by whether I *want* to smoke, which is different from craving a cigarette (I haven't had a sober craving in a couple of weeks). When I stumbled across that pack of smokes under the couch the other day, home all alone, I had a moment's panic, waiting to see if I was going to try to justify one to myself. The most convincing feeling of having quit was not wanting one, and just throwing them away with the other debris that had accumulated under the couch.

JP

Is this ANOTHER pack of smokes or the same pack? I'm confused.

I actually prefer to say, "I haven't smoked a cigarette since June 26, 2003." It's more difficult to break a long streak than a short one.

Anyway, good on you for continuing to be clean.

One pack, found under the couch on Sunday while cleaning.

Actually what made it that much easier was having to clean the patina of cigarette smoke off of everything in the apt -- every piece of electronic equipment, every tchochke, everything. I went through about half a gallon of Windex. Yuck. Wish I could get one of SNL's "lung brushes" to get that crap out of my body.

I understand where you're coming from, and you have every right to be proud of having quit smoking. However, I don't want a "streak" to mean anything to me, so if I have a smoke after not having had one in 6 months, it's not a disappointment; there's no shame.

I'm more concerned with wanting not to fire up than wanting to "say" X+1 more days in the streak. I want not to smoke out of respect for myself than out of respect for a streak.

I respect that you haven't had a smoke in such a long time; no doubt. My point is, and has been, that I've stopped smoking and broken a pattern of addiction; but I haven't "quit" in the idiomatic sense of never ever ever having a smoke again. I expect that I will have a cigarette now and again, so to me a streak is not a relevant metric.

The best thing for me, to guarantee that I will not slip back into a pattern or practice of smoking, is to get on the bike and start the very long road back to some level of cardio/respiratory fitness. It's so difficult for me to build any "lungs" that, once I do, I don't want to sacrifice what I've worked so freaking hard to achieve just for a smoke.

JP

Ok, thank your for clearing that up.

I can imagine what a chore it was to clean the muck off that collection of Staffordshire dogs.

I'm pickin up what you puttin down about the whole streak thang. Whatever works, works.

I'm giving up coffee for Lent. Wish me luck wi dat.

How are you guys doing? Is everyone OK? I've been thinking about all of you and hope you've been able to stay away from the cancer sticks...

Only 2 cigs in a month+ of conciously trying not to smoke. Yay.

Philip,

Great! Keep it going!!

Well, I crashed and burned last Friday. My radiator went out on my 944 and I was replacing it on the cold driveway as I do not have a garage. I just couldn't quite get through that without chewing. Went through a can in 4 days and now I am back on the bandwagon. Live and learn!!!!

Back on which wagon? Chewing or not? This will be your true test Luke, you must fight the dark side of the force!

The NOT CHEW bandwagon - and yes the pull of the dark is strong!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, do I get Princess Lei (SP?) if I succeed and defeat the Dark Side? I would prefer the original one with the white robe!!!!!!!!

lendaddy,

How are you holding up? I've been praying for you guys, I know that sounds corny, but it's the only way I can help!

Doing fine here, though I am under more stress than at any other time in my life right now. I figure if I can do it during this I can't miss when life stabilizes. Thanks for the prayers, I can always use em:)