I gained (and subsequently lost) 20 pounds in the past year.
Weather permitting, I rollerblade 4 miles a day (and I am an old guy). My tongue is now pink instead of coated with whatever that garbage is that cigarettes used to put there. My teeth are whiter. My sense of smell has never been keener. When presented with the option, I’ll take the stairs instead of the elevator. I went from having severe sleep apnea to not snoring at all. And all this occurred in my first year; I can’t wait to see what happens down the road.It’s my fervent hope that this post is digested by some of the “newbies” here, as well as by those that have already taken this journey with me. I know that I read countless milestones when I first found this website, and wasn’t able to respond to most of them. So I hope the lurkers can take something away from this and know that many of us have been where they are right now.
Quitting smoking was not easy, and all of us who have done so are justifiably proud of our accomplishment, but I want the new quitters to know that the rewards far outweigh the temporary discomforts and symptoms you may be experiencing right now. I am at the point where I hardly ever think about smoking, other than to visit the forums to encourage all who are fighting the good fight. This can be done, and there is no better gift to present to oneself.
Once you have seriously made a personal commitment to quit...
...there is no difference in where you are than to where I am other than the mere passage of time. Each day gets a wee bit easier, and while we must remain ever vigilant, thoughts of smoking soon fade away like bad dreams.When I look at my Quit Meter and see that I haven’t smoked over 5,400 cigarettes, I am flabbergasted. Assuming each one of those took five minutes to smoke, that is 450 unproductive hours I have reclaimed, and healthy hours at that. Think about it -- almost 19 days of smoking that I didn’t do this past year. I feel like I was chained to cigarettes for 34 years, and this feeling of freedom I now enjoy is almost inexplicable.
So then, with one hand on the doorknob to the clubhouse, I will keep my other extended for all those who are right behind me.
