Hey all, a little GOOD news for a change.... Many of you know that I quit smoking 16 years ago, but that after seven years as a non-smoker I had stupidly started again, and have been back at it nine years now. I finally QUIT again, this time for good. It's going to be my gift to my mother for her 80th next month, so I've sworn family members to keep quiet about it. Hugs, Noreen
Oh well done! I think it's the hardest thing to do - well, it was for me.
What a lovely idea!
I bet you feel better and your food tastes better - when I stopped even the air tasted better! And all the extra cash in our pockets was amazing :-) Enough to buy the most expensive yarn ...
Congratulations Noreen! I know how very difficult it was for me to quit smoking, so I applaud you! As for it being a special gift for your mother, she will be so happy about this. My Mom so wanted my brother to quit smoking right up to the time she passed away... when I spoke with him on the phone last month he told me he had quit four years ago (he has emphazema now), and I told him "Ma would be so happy and proud that you finally quit!"
Very strange! Even when I did smoke, I was never one of those people who could smoke *while* eating... it tasted just horrible to me. Since I quit smoking everything tastes so much nicer... my taste buds became more alive like they used to be when I was little and innocent from smoking.
Ummm... actually I think it's a little of "A" and a little of "B", because
*most* people when they quit smoking constantly put things in their mouths looking to substitute the lack of a cigarette (and the nicotine). I was always told to chew on carrot or celery sticks to occupy your mouth and hands (you get used to holding a cigarette too)... sorry, although I love them, I can only eat so much of those things before being ready to chew someone's arm off. Oh, and by the way... I was overweight the entire time I smoked, so it didn't do anything to burn any calories, curb my appetite, or change my metabolism. That may work on a thin person, but I can tell you that it did nothing at all for someone who was overweight. I gained more weight when I quit smoking because (plain and simple) *I ATE MORE* because I didn't know what to do with my hands or my mouth, and the withdrawal symptoms from not inhaling smoke and nicotine was driving me crazy and food is a great comfort to me!!! Yes, I have a crutch (I *love* food) and I admit it! ;op~~
Funny, my brother found it easier each time he quit (his first time quitting was the worst for him)... until four years ago when he finally quit for good. Personally... I had a HORRIBLE time with withdrawal symptoms, and I have no intention of testing the theory that it is easier or more difficult than that by starting smoking again.... going through that once was more than enough! My Dad threw his last few cigarettes in the garbage when I had my last cigarette and it never bothered him at all... and he had smoked since he was about 8 years old. WHY and HOW an eight year old ever started smoking is beyond me... I think it was something to do with an older brother, an older sister, and some older friends he had who smoked. *tsk*
OK, I stopped because we had a row, I had no money and was buggered if I were going to ask him for any (I'd exhausted pockets, down backs of chairs etc - it's humiliating!)
I sat in my chair and fumed. Not smoked. For some reason there was a peppervill at the side of my chair. I opened it and chewed on a black peppercorn. It was no susbstitute for nicotine but it gave my mouth something to do - I reckon it was far more effective than a carrot or celery :-)
Indeed, my worst times were when I was on the phone and at the typewriter, those were the main ocasions I reached for a cigarette and when I missed it most.
My worst times were when I would sit to do a crossword puzzle... I always had a cigarette lit when I did smoke. So after quitting smoking, I actually had to stay away from doing crossword puzzles for a while, because it was driving me crazy not to have a cigarette in my hand that wasn't holding the pen. Mind you, when I finally told myself I was being silly and could do a puzzle without a cigarette... I ended up popping candy or mints in my mouth while doing them. Considering that I prefer to *crunch* candy, rather than slowly suck them... do you have any idea how quickly you can go through an entire bag of candy?!? LOL Of course I gained weight... I was stuffing my face more often! ;o)
I *know* I ate more! I couldn't (okay, I didn't want to at the time) stop it because I had nothing else to occupy my hand or mouth now that there wasn't a cigarette in either and that habit was hard to break.
My Dad ate more, but he never gained any weight... he was one of those very lucky people who could eat whatever and whenever he wanted and never gain weight... my older sister and brother (and now Matthew) have Daddy's metabolism, my oldest sister and myself got my Mom's... think of food and gain 5 lbs!
I also knew a lot of other people who did eat more (I saw them myself) when they quit smoking... some of them gained weight, and others were lucky and it did nothing to their weight at all. So it is different for different people.
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