I am quitting on Saturday

9 wonderful smoke free months

Encouragement

I know this group is Who's quitting this month , and every month I have come back and posted something . My friends I am not here to brag . i am here to say it is possible . You can do it . I made a decision to stop smoking after 35 years . 10 months ago today or 304 days ago . My journey has had it's ups and downs , I had my moments when it was as if two people was inside my head . One saying come on man just one puff , feel the relief you know you want it . We will still quit , one puff will not hurt nothing , you know you want to . light up ! Then the other would would say What , are you really even listening to this crap . One puff and blow all the progress you have made . Who is in control here you or a puff of smoke . For about a month I heard these two voices fighting it out almost on a daily basis . After about 21 days it got super easy , The cravings was down to one or two a day and not lasting long each time . As the days rolled by it became easier and easier and till one day i realized I had not even thought about smoking in how many 3 was it no 5 in over a week . wow a habit that i thought had such a big hold . I hadn't thought about in a week . Now to be honest i still have a craving every once in a while , maybe 1 a month sometimes it goes longer and the crave last maybe a minute two at tops . I beat this and so can you . I was at the point that going for a walk was out out of the question . walking out to get the mail was taxing my breathing . Now i walk around my neighborhood twice 3 times a week , adds up to about 5 miles , no i will not be no long distance runner , but i can breath now . I don't wake up in the mornings coughing any more . My big regret , i wish i had never started or at least quit years ago . To quit I made a choice , no program , no vapor , no gum , no pills , no patches . Me I had just me . I tell you this because I want you to realize you can do this to . I am not trying to make it sound easy , i am trying to encourage you to make a choice to take charge of your life , Take control from the big companies that want to keep you hooked , If it kills you so what , They made thousands off of you . that may sound harsh . it's the truth , The people that care about you is your family your friends and now it's time for it to be you . I encourage you all to break free and regain a freedom we gave away every time we smoked . Each of us has to find our own way to beat this , but we all are here for each other . Some things I did to help me was , I bought peanuts to snack on instead of candy , no weight gain and whenever a craving happened I would eat a handful of nuts , one at a time . by the time i was done with the nuts the craving had passed . The hardest thing for me was use to having something between my fingers . for a while i used a pencil . the point is , don't give up , find whatever you need to help you beat this , talk to friends , family , post on here . just make the choice and quit . I did and so can you , I truly believe in you . We are stronger than a puff of smoke . I hope to read your quit story soon . till next time happy breathing to everyone .                                                                                                                                                                            Gadget044 / Billy H

What motivates you?

WHAT MOTIVATES ME ? Life , My friends and family . I want to enjoy my time with them and make it last as long as possible . Not be tied to a oxygen bottle . I want to play with the grand babies . Watch them grow , Go to their sporting events and cheer not cough . See them grow into fine young adults and maybe if I am lucky see them begin their own family . I love my life , my family , my friends that is what motivates me .                                                                                                     WHAT KEEPS ME IN THE GAME ? Everyday I see and feel improvement in all ways , MY body , my smell , the way i breath . the way food really taste now that i can really taste it . these things and a will to live .                                                                            WHAT HELPS ME PUSH FURTHER ,  The distance I have come , shows me I am strong than a bad habit . knowing I am in control of my life , and the quality of it is up to me helps me to keep going and never look back .            HAVE I FOUND MY MOTIVATION YET , Yes , In the faces of those I love and those who love me  . Every time i look in a mirror and see that I am proud of myself   and what I have  accomplished .                                                                     MY THOUGHTS AND WHAT I WISH TO SHARE .  My friends I smoked full flavor for 35 years , and one day I made a choice , I wanted to quit . I was the only smoker in our home and I knew how my wife though hating the smell , what it was doing to me , She put up with it all those years . So not only did I owe it to myself , i owed it to my life partner . I want you the reader to know  , You can beat this habit that is killing and destroying our bodies , lungs , skin , taste buds , it has a effect on every part of our bodies and the facts are , There is NOT a single benefit to smoking . It does nothing at all but harm . Friend you can beat this , You are stronger than a puff of smoke . I am on day 319 of my freedom , it's your turn to break free and join me and the thousands of others who now enjoy a smoke free life .                                                                         Gadget044/ Billy H                                        

Commitment thread

I comment now about once or twice a month , I support everyone who has quit or is just getting started .

Greetings, I?m a new member getting started

I just want to encourage you to not give up , I quit cold turkey 318 days ago and wish I had quit 35 years ago . Yes i smoked 35 years and 318 days ago I decided I was master of my own fate . That I am stronger than a bad habit . I encourage you not to give up , You can do this , Find things to help you along the way . in the beginning I kept a jar of nuts sitting on my desk . whenever I felt the urge to smoke , I would get a hand full of nuts and eat them slow , one at a time and by the time I ate the last one the urge had left , and with nuts i had no weight gain . I tell you this to show you can do this if you set your mind to it , make it your goal and believe nothing is going to stop you from reaching that goal . When the voices in your head start telling you to go ahead light up , feel the relief . realize you are in control and no matter what you feel or think , you can do this . Realize you are not going to listen to all that crap , This is your life and you are taken back your freedom . My friend I know its not easy but it's well worth it . after about 21 days or a month at most it becomes easier and each day forward is easier than the one before it , just keep telling yourself you don't smoke any more , your not trying to to quit . You did quit . I hope to see updates on how it's going and to read your I quit story .                                                                                                                                                                                  Gadget044 / Billy H

My Story

If it will Help

it's about 2 am in the morning and I am wondering should i keep posting on who's quitting this month , When today I am on month 11 . Then i thought , If it will help just one person to read my story , if one person finds the strengthen to take control . I started smoking right at 35 years ago as a 13 year old kid who thought he was being cool and grown up . never even thought about quitting till it was way past to late to just lay them down , no it took 35 years of distress on my heart lungs , my whole body . to finally lay down these life robbing , health stealing , money burnt away cancer sticks . Anyone reading this , if you smoke or just quit , ask yourself this question . What does smoking really do to benefit you , does it make your skin look smooth and refreshed , NO it cause age spots and wrinkles , yellow finger nails . Does it make you breath any easier , No it builds up tar in your lungs till they look like you was a coal miner ,(No disrespect to the coal miners ) Does as most people claim , does it calm your nerves , No how many times have you been in a spot where you just couldn't smoke then and there , maybe at work or in a meeting , you got that nervous feeling and what was the cause , yes those cancer sticks . Does it make your home , car , cloths smell better , No I had a non smoking friend who use to say us smokers smelt like a ash tray . i never really knew what he meant till i was on about 3 or 4 month mark . Cigarettes stink . Did you make more money by smoking , No fact is the cost adds up and more ways than one , the cigarettes them selves and then all the health cost . My friends what i am trying to tell you is there is now benefit at all to smoking . 11 months ago today , I said enough , I made a choice and I had to prove to myself that i was in control . I didn't quit for anyone , oh but there was many in the cheering section . I decided It was time I understand I have only this one body , I want to live decent older years , not dragging around a oxygen bottle again no disrespect for those who do , I wanted to enjoy my older years retire and slow down and have a look at the life that was rushing by me as i smoked out back away from everyone . I want to know in my heart and soul that I am in the one who decides what shall go in my body . I can't encourage you enough . the benefits at 11 months , no more cough , i can breath at least 75 percent better , i wanted to say 100 percent but trying to keep it real 35 years is a lot of damage . I can breath now how i did 15 years ago i will say that. my cloths , my home , my car everything smells better . Food OMG everything taste so much better , i din't know what I had been missing . My whole life is better and yours can be to , my friends make your choice and don't give up , you can do this , I promise it does get easier , much easier , the rough part is worth it when you get here .this is your life we are talking about , do it for you , your family , your friends . I am knocking on that one year mark's door . I am proud of myself 11 months of freedom . I have posted at least once a month since i quit . yes i will post again next month and all of you can celebrate with me . I hope and pray i will get to read your quit story , just find whatever it takes and begin the first steps to a life of freedom , to a whole new life , i now look at smokers and think wow did i look that goofy , yes i did , stood out in rain sleet and snow . never again . Gadget044 / Billy H

1 year

Each month I have posted and tried to encourage others who are quitting , or thinking about quitting . Today I made it to the year mark . This will be my last post here . Good Luck to you all . The choice is yours , what will it be , will you trade your  life away or will you decide to live . I really hope everyone reading this has the courage to quit . Take care everyone and sorry about posting 12 times in a group that says who is quitting this month . One year free ..........Life I am loving it ..........Gadget044 / Billy H

Working on Month 15 or I am at day 433