My Milestone
I am closing in on my two year smoke-free milestone. My one and only quit date was January 28th, 2009. Not only am I saving my life but also tons of money. Come January, I will have saved $4,800 dollars and over 14,000 cigarettes NOT smoked.
How I've Gotten This Far
I have gotten this far by admitting to myself I was an addict to nicotine and that I was a prisoner to this addiction we call smoking! Yes, I have quit but I know I am now placed on probation for the rest of my life. Nicotine addiction is now a silent addiction that can take me down with just one puff.
The first few weeks of my quit program were tough and I did try using the patch method to help me quit, but after 11 days I decided to go "cold turkey" with the help of reading Allen Carr book.
I did use cough drops for the first two weeks because they did help to numb my mouth up and made smoking less desirable.
Fighting this horrible addiction that I became very good at was not only a challenge but a HUGE lifestyle change to me. Since quitting I not only eat healthier but I am now in the process of training for my first 5k race. It feels so good to get my life back and I can tell you right now that maintaining my quit is so much easier than quitting.
Lessons Learned
- Take your quit one day at a time.
- Drink lots of cold water. I used to carry a water bottle with me for the first three months wherever I went.
- Knowledge is power.
- Own your quit and take full responsibility for it.
- Have patience.
- Be proud of yourself for a job well done! Quitting is not easy but we are so worthy of it.
- I had to admit to myself that I was a nicotine addict and the only way for me to be free from this addiction was to stop smoking cigarettes!
- Not One Puff Ever = Freedom for life!
