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1. Decided

   

   78 posts
   Registered:
   01 Dec 2017
   23 Feb 2018

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   today is day 10   using nicorettes and i am thinking i will use them until may
   it is hard to admit i need a crutch
   i am 66 years old and have been smoking since i was 10
   however with the gum i do not crave a cigarette
   weight loss this week at 2 lbs with my group
   i feel proud of myself
2. valerie, quit coach

   

   46 posts
   Registered:
   29 Nov 2017
   23 Feb 2018

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   Hello Decided,
   
   It sounds like you are putting a lot of work in your quit journey, keep up the hard work.
   
   The nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products are there to facilitate your quit journey and are a much safer way to cope with cravings than having a cigarette. Keep in mind that on average someone will use an NRT for 2 to 3 months. With time you will notice that you will not need to use the gum as often as you are getting used to your new lifestyle.
   
   One day day at a time.
   
   Valerie
   
   
3. Decided

   

   78 posts
   Registered:
   01 Dec 2017
   06 Mar 2018 in reply to valerie, quit coach

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   thnx for the support
   it is over three weeks  i gained less than a lb so far so i am happy
   i started back on my exercises today after 3 days of hell
   but no cigarettes
   i also resumed my daily walks
   i am ready for winter to be over
   
4. lillian, quit coach

   

   216 posts
   Registered:
   28 Nov 2017
   06 Mar 2018

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   Hi Decided!
   
   Congratulations on three weeks!
   
   That is a wonderful achievement. I am so glad to see how happy you are about this change and not gaining any weight. You deserve that and to be proud too. I hope you are treating yourself well for this!
   
   Many of us are ready to say good bye to this winter, and hello to a lovely spring!
   
   How nice will it be to enjoy warm fresh spring air on your walks, without smoke ruining it for you, congratulations, Decided.
   
   Lillian
   
5. treepeo

   

   832 posts
   Registered:
   29 Nov 2017
   06 Mar 2018

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   Hi Decided,
   
   Congratulations on making it 3 weeks smoke free.  That is absolutely fantastic!  Way to go.  And that fact that you are not gaining a bunch of weight is amazing!
   
   Keep up the good work, Decided.  It will get easier and easier as time goes by.
6. Decided

   

   78 posts
   Registered:
   01 Dec 2017
   07 Mar 2018 in reply to lillian, quit coach

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   thnx lillian for the reminder of spring and thinking in colour once again
   i have only 6 more days and it will be a month
   then 3 months until my lungs start healing
   how do i get to the site of quitting benefits like cillia regrowth etc
   
7. Decided

   

   78 posts
   Registered:
   01 Dec 2017
   07 Mar 2018 in reply to treepeo

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   hi there treepeo
   yes the big month day is right in front of me
   i still am a bit embarassed at using nicorettes
   but i said i will give it 3 months
   surely by then the habit of smoking will be gone
   are you glad that the long winter is over?
8. treepeo

   

   832 posts
   Registered:
   29 Nov 2017
   07 Mar 2018

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   Hi Decided,
   
   You shouldn't be embarrassed at all for using Nicorettes.  That is what they are there for, so you are really smart for using them.  And like I said, you are doing terrific!  You should be really proud of yourself.
   
   As for your question, just google the benefits of quitting smoking.  Lots and lots of information will come up.  I used to read that stuff a lot, because it helped to keep me motivated.
   
   Yeah, I will be glad to see the back of winter.  I'm just so tired of having to get bundled up all the time.  Unlike you, I have gained quite a bit of weight, but no big deal.  I am going to buy myself some new clothes for the spring and summer.  And now that I am a non-smoker, I don't have to worry about an ash falling and putting a hole in my brand new clothes.  I used to hate that so much.
   
   Keep up the good work, Decided.  Your whole body is going to thank you!
9. manderson4

   

   187 posts
   Registered:
   28 Nov 2017
   08 Mar 2018

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   Hi Decided I use NRT as well I am currently using patches and the spray (and I am constantly chewing on a sharpie) and I am on day 36.  Don't be embarrassed at all for using NRT it is probably more socially acceptable than smoking.  One of my quit coaches said that she would like to see 1 or 2 people in the group that would do anything to maintain their quit and the example she gave was wearing the patch on their forehead.  Thats why I dont feel embarrassed using the spray or chewing on a sharpie.  This is the first time that I have tried to quit that I gained weight but with the nicer weather and being able to get out for a walk or ride my bicycle I am back on track.  Be sure to reward yourself and let people know you have quit as well so they can help encourage you.
10. Decided

    

    78 posts
    Registered:
    01 Dec 2017
    08 Mar 2018 in reply to manderson4

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    hi manderson4
    good for you  just keep on trucking
    i am proud of myself  and i am proud of you and treepeo
    we all walk the same path
    you are right there are benefits to using the gum  for instance i can now do yoga breathing
    and i am no longer needing to keep my hands busy   have a good day tomorrow
    
11. Decided

    

    78 posts
    Registered:
    01 Dec 2017
    08 Mar 2018 in reply to treepeo

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    hi treepeo
    you are right and i think i am using the feelings about nrt aids to have an excuse to going back to cigarettes
    none of my friends smoke and they all are happy i quit no matter how i am doing it
    have a good day tomorrow
12. treepeo

    

    832 posts
    Registered:
    29 Nov 2017
    09 Mar 2018

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    You know, decided, it is funny that you should say you think your feelings about using NRTs had more to do with having an excuse to go back to smoking.  I remember at some point, maybe 2 months into my quit, I started coming up with excuses as to why I would start smoking again.  They were just fleeting thoughts, but they did pop into my mind.  And I realized that I was getting those thoughts because of my addiction.  I smoked my whole life, so the addiction did not want to let me go.  And if it couldn't get me physically once I got over my cravings, it was going to try to attack me psychologically by playing mind games with me.  So it's interesting to hear that the same thing is happening to you.
    
    Man, no wonder it is so hard not only to quit, but to keep the quit.  As I have always said, we need to stay vigilant no matter what stage of our quit we are at.  Because this stupid addiction has a way of sneaking up and trying to tempt us again when we least expect it.
13. Decided

    

    78 posts
    Registered:
    01 Dec 2017
    09 Mar 2018 in reply to treepeo

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    hi treepeo 
    now i realise what is happening i can beat the feeling   addictions are hard to deal with no matter what they are      tobacco  was introduced to me by my grandmother    she would roll us a couple and we would pick blueberries and the smoke would keep the blackflies away from our faces
    no one knew then that tobacco was so hurtful
    i can now laugh at the addiction  but you are right  we have to be dilligent
14. sarah, quit coach

    

    222 posts
    Registered:
    28 Nov 2017
    09 Mar 2018

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    Thank you for sharing this memory, Decided. Its so interesting to hear how smoking is woven into our lives... You are all doing such an amazing job at your quits, everyone. 
    Happy weekend!
    Sarah
15. treepeo

    

    832 posts
    Registered:
    29 Nov 2017
    10 Mar 2018

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    Hey decided, thanks for sharing the memory you had of times smoking with your grandmother.  I have awesome memories of smoking with my Mom and Dad while we had good talks about life and such.  Also with other family members, because most of us (11 out of 13) smoked.
    
    But I want to be clear here.  The awesome stuff was the good talks and times with my family, not the smoking.  It just so happened that we were all smokers at the time, so we associate smoking with good times.  But that is so wrong.  We could have had the same experiences without smoking. And we would have been better off. My family has been riddled with cancer, and we have lost family members as a direct result of their smoking.
    
    Sarah is so right, smoking has been so woven into our lives it is incredible.  We have to get with the times and change our way of thinking about things.  And good for us, we are doing it!  It IS possible to quit, even after a lifetime of smoking.  I am living proof of that.  I smoked for 43 years and I quit 14 months ago.  And I still say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.
    
    So keep going, decided.  Keep putting one foot in front of the other and hang on through the tough times.  Because you are worth it.  And you can be a shining example to others of what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it.  We are strong, we are fighters, and WE WILL WIN THIS BATTLE!!!
    
16. Decided

    

    78 posts
    Registered:
    01 Dec 2017
    10 Mar 2018 in reply to treepeo

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    congrats to 14 months
    right now even a year sounds so strong     i am going to make that milestone and my journey is just begun but you are right      we are strong and we will make yearly milestones
17. Decided

    

    78 posts
    Registered:
    01 Dec 2017
    11 Mar 2018 in reply to sarah, quit coach

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    when i was young we did not have inside toilettes
    and the biffy was awfully smelley
    so you would have a cigarette and it helped with the smell 
    it also kept mosquitoes at bay
    funny the uses tobacco had
    
18. marianne, quit coach

    

    278 posts
    Registered:
    30 Nov 2017
    11 Mar 2018

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    Hello Decided,
    
    Interesting isn't it how we grow up.  Makes sense why the connection for many is so strong.  And helps others understand. Times certainly have changed.  
    
    Thank you for sharing.  
    
    Marianne