I have to quite smoking...please tell me I can do this!!!

sheri3762
sheri3762 Posts: 159
edited September 20 in Motivation and Support
I'm gonna start by giving you a brief history. 7 years ago I quite smoking, about 2 years later I was 40 pounds heavier. I went into a deep depression and thought it was because of the weight gain, but I also have a thyroid condition and my medicine wasn't working. The number one sympton of going from being on thyroid meds to not being on them is suicidal thoughts. I had them in a big way! My husband was smart enough to literally drag me to a specialist and he got me straightened out. Problem though, I was still 40 pounds over my original weight. During this time of depression I started smoking again. So here I was, 40 pounds heavier and still smoking! I lost about 20 pounds due to my new med, but I was still 20 over. When I thought my life was in control again, I quit again. During that stint I had severe back and neck problems. Ended up bed ridden for a long time and had to have surgery on both my neck and back. Finally, I can walk again. Problem is, I've put on another 30 pounds. Depression once again, so what do I do, I start smoking!! I had a conversation with my doctor and I basically told him, "so you tell me to quit smoking. I did that and now I ahve to not only take thyroid meds, but also blood pressure meds, cholorestrol meds and diabetic meds!! Seems to me like I would have been better of smoking!!!! You don't have to tell me how bad smoking is. I know better than most. My father died at the age of 34 of a heart attack, but, I can still have a heart attack with all the other problems I have since develop[ed!
At some point in the past couple months, I decidedd that I really want to loose the weight and I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it! I've lost 9 poounds that Ihave tracked in this program, but an additional 7 before I found this site. I'm excercising everyday and I love it! I don't really know what took me so ling, probably just life and the fact that I give give give to everyone else, kids, grandkids, husband, etc., and never made time for "me" and what I need.
So right now, I'm telling you all, I will quit smoking again. I've done it before so I know I can do it. But, before I do, I need to get a handle on my weight issues. I'm hoping by learning a new lifestyle and how to control what I eat, I'll have a better grasp on what I need to do when I quit. Its really hard to lose weight let alone quit smoking at the same time. I will tell you that I am tracking what I smoke and why I do it, and it is helping. Today I've only had 5 cigarettes! Thats a lot better than 25! Do you think If I try to stick with this plan that it might just work. I need advise. Please tell me your views, good and bad, and mabye, just mabye I can conquor this demon I have been fighting for so many years. Bless you all, and Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support!

Replies

  • kingnatalie
    kingnatalie Posts: 163
    Tackling one thing at a time is a good way to go, don't overwhelm yourself with taking on the world and changing everything at once. If you really want to quit give yourself a deadline, the date you will quit, then plan on ways to succeed, things you can do when you crave one. Make yourself completely disgusted by cigarettes, keep a tally of how much money you have saved. Don't blame any negative things that may happen on quitting smoking, because you know deep down that is not true. I quit just over 2 years ago, and love myself much more for conquering that demon. Now I can barely even stand how they smell. If I for some strange reason get a craving (it barely happens any more, maybe a few times a year), I think of all the reasons I quit and all of the reasons I am happy I quit - for example not having to stop at the gas station every day to spend money on them, smelling like a cigarette, not being able to breath as good as now, getting sick more often, etc. You CAN do it!!! When you want one, have a piece of gum instead - it is still an oral fixation and only 5 calories or less. The hardest part for me was just breaking the habit of always having one in the car or before bed... make new routines. I Hope this helps you out and encourages you to quit once again, this time will be the charm!
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
    I too tried to quit smoking many times, twice for 2 years, but then after a few drinks, or a stressful time in life I would light up again and be right back to a pack a day. I finally decided that I HAD to quit . . . and here is how I did it . . . I am also happy to report that this August will be 14 years since I had my last cigarette and I have all the confidence in the world that I will be smoke free for life at this point.
    #1 - I chose a day to quit that was actually 3 months in advance, the day after my birthday actually as I figured I would be a tad hung over so wouldn't want one until mid-day so I had 1/2 a day beat right out of the gate.
    #2 - every morning I would get up and tell myself and my husband that this date was the day I was going to quit smoking, I had 3 months to train my brain into the idea!
    #3 - once the day came I even threw away my lighter and all evidence of smoking (ashtrays, etc)
    #4 - every morning I would PROMISE myself and my husband OUT LOUD, "I promise that I will not smoke today only, I may have a whole pack tomorrow, but Im going to remain strong and NOT smoke today at all". I did this each morning and purposely did not look any further into the future than that as it is just to overwhelming.
    #5 - gum gets old fast, at about the 2nd day so I grabbed a handful of those coffee stirsticks, the brown ones that have the holes through them. For about a month I had a stash of them in my purse and would chew on them, suck air through them, and twirl them in my fingers. Not only to you have to overcome the nicotine addiction but you are also left with this strange urge to do something with your hands. Those straws and my morning promise to my family are what kept me smoke free for the last 13 1/2 years.

    You CAN DO THIS. The best of luck to you.

    PS - Im now adoping that daily promise to my weight loss efforts. Every morning I make the promise to exercise and fill in my journal on this site, not looking forward any further than this one day.
  • ltlhmom
    ltlhmom Posts: 1,202 Member
    You can do it !. You are cutting back on what you eat. And it is a good idea to cut back on how much you are smoking. The biggest this is not to overwhelm yourself with taking on took much at once! Baby steps! I know what you mean when you said you take care of everyone else and put yourself last. I'm that person. It is a great idea about tracking how much you are smoking just like you are tracking how much you are eating. Just remember "IT IS UP TO ME, IF IT IS TO BE!" Go go girl!!!!:bigsmile:
  • haleysman
    haleysman Posts: 48
    you can do it, smoked free as of july 2009, i did it with chantix and i highly recommend it, just check with your dr about how it will react with your current meds. thing i liked about it was i could still smoke the 1st week, but about half way through the 1st week didn't even want them any more. feel free to hit me up if you have any ?'s about it
  • jesse1117
    jesse1117 Posts: 124 Member
    I used the gum. it helped a lot.
  • immarc
    immarc Posts: 7
    Here's the key you have to want to quit or it won't work. I've been smoke free since july of 96. I smoked 2+ packs a day fo 22 years I don't regret much in my life except starting smoking so I wish you luck .Getting away from the habit is harder than the addiction.
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