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Remember the first few days? Remember worrying that the urges, wanting and craves would never end? If a cold turkey quitter, here's your chance to tell both smokers and new quitters what it's like now.

Tell@WhyQuit.com

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#426 | 22 Apr 2005 | ocean gold

I pretty well only get fleeting thoughts of smoking when I smell or see it, or am in a situation I haven't "de-triggered" yet.

The visual / smell thoughts are no longer coupled with a desire to have one. It's more an amazement that I can detect a smoke-smell at a few dozen feet outdoors! The EA (executive assistant) triggers are more of an "oh ... isn't that interesting? My brain thought I should smoke - send revision memo .. ha." than a "my Gawd ... I NEED one .. I will WALK a gazzillion miles in sleet and snow to get one ...." ha.

These revelations were brought to you by someone who ranked in the 99th percentile for nicotine addiction. Only 1% of females were apparently more addicted than I only a mere 2 months ago (addiction test).

Julia
Addict for 27 years. Brand new life started One month, three weeks & five days ago. $467.90 set aside for fun stuff!! 5 days gained.

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#427 | 23 Apr 2005 | TomH Gold

I can't remember the last time I truly craved a cigarette, but I may think about smoking once a day. The thoughts are usually triggered by the sight of others smoking or the smell of smoke. The majority of the smoking thoughts are grateful in nature, that I am no longer puffing my life away. For the handful of thoughts I consider to be some what threatening, I just have to tap into the motivational part of this process and the thoughts fade away immediately.

I'm truly grateful for this site and if I can do it ..... you can too !!!

Tom
Free and Healing for Eleven Months, Twelve Days, 17 Hours and 41 Minutes.

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#428 | 23 Apr 2005 | GoldenDivamom1972

Thanks to Joel for originating this parade, and thanks to JoeJ for reviving it! How many times do I *want* a cigarette now? ZERO. That also translates to zilch, nada, big fat goose egg.

And how old is my quit? Only three months, two weeks, five days, 16 hours, 23 minutes and 25 seconds. Not that long in the grand scheme of things, but long enough to reprogram most of my triggers, and appreciate my freedom from nicotine.

Blessings,
Amy--Bronze!!!
Free and Healing for Three Months, Eighteen Days, 16 Hours and 24 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 11 Days and 10 Hours, by avoiding the use of 3291 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $826.35.

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#429 | 23 Apr 2005 | Cedric Gold

I am down to 1 craving per week, which last about 20 seconds

Cedric - Free and Healing for 5 Months, 8 Days, 8 Hours and 45 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 8 Days and 8 Hours, by avoiding the use of 2405 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $417.69.

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#430 | 26 Apr 2005 | njbrownii

This string is music to the ears of someone who has just made it through their first week. Boy do I look forward to never thinking about a cigarette again!!

Nancy - I have been quit for 1 Week, 1 hour, 38 minutes and 12 seconds (7 days). I have saved $24.02 by not smoking 120 cigarettes. I have saved 10 hours of my life. My Quit Date: 4/18/2005 6:40 PM

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#431 | 26 Apr 2005 | suzyhurley

I want a cigarette exactly 0 seconds a day!!! There are certainly moments when I think about smoking but it is so fleeting and it's ALWAYS a combination of "Hey this would be a time I would smoke/ I am SO grateful I am no longer a slave to nicotine's schedule"!!! All you newbies (and I am still a newbie to many) you HANG IN THERE. It is so worth it when you go several days without even thinking about a cigarette. As long as we hug our hugs tight and NTAP, we are moving toward freedom every day.

Suzy

Free and Healing for Three Months, Twenty Two Days, 21 Hours and 32 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 9 Days and 21 Hours, by avoiding the use of 2847 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $429.12.

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#432 | 27 Apr 2005 | lo bluestocking

UTTER MUSIC.

At 26 days (egads, I've been saying 27 all day long, and I was WRONG!!), I think about smoking probably 3-4 times a day. Lately, my SERIOUS cravings (once every 2-3 days) last a minute or two (60-90 secs). But most of my thoughts are fleeting ones that last less than 30 seconds.

So, let's see.. that averages out to probably 3 minutes a day.

I certainly do waste a lot LESS time contemplating nicotene now than I did giving IN to it before I quit!! And that is an accomplishment.

lo

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#433 | 27 Apr 2005 | ChristyMay1977

How often do I think about smoking in a day? It really depends on the day. If the day has been a 'good' one with limited triggers then I would say that it's about only about 180 seconds (that's only 3 minutes!) that I have a passing thought that I would like a smoke... but then I just remind my EA that I don't smoke, and the thought passes rather quickly. On a day where there have been many triggers, like spending time with smoking friends, my boss yelling at me, or if I have an uncomfortable situation in general, then I think about it more: Perhaps for about 300seconds (that's still only 5 minutes). Ususally I react to 'craves' with this statement: "Oh well, too bad I don't smoke" and bye-bye crave! I love being a non-smoker!

Kisses,
Christy xx

It's only been 14 1/2 days since I last inhaled a death stick!

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#434 | 28 Apr 2005 | valeriescleanGOLD

How many seconds a day do I crave a cigarette? Valerie
Free and Healing for 2 Years, 3 Months and 4 Weeks!!! WHOOHOO!!!!!!!!!

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#435 | 29 Apr 2005 | Patticake (Gold)

0

Your quit friend @ 4 years, 3 months and still counting

Antonia

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#436 | 02 May 2005 | Chattypat01

Hi All!! I was just stopping by to read a little bit, and see how everyone is doing! I wanted to share how many times a day I crave a cigarette...



and thats the truth...and its WONDERFUL!!!! Have a great day, and hug your quit tight!!!!

YQS-Patti - Free and Healing for One Year, Three Months, Twenty Seven Days, 12 Hours and 2 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 50 Days and 8 Hours, by avoiding the use of 14505 cigarettes that would have cost me $2,515.51.

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#437 | 19 May 2005 | amicalm Gold

Many days, I only think of a cigarette when I am in bed and I congratulate myself for not taking a puff today. Then I realize, Wow....that's the first I've thought of cigarettes. I never believed that could happen for me!!! YIPPEE!!
tanya
3 months and a bit.

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#438 | 19 May 2005 | suzyhurley

To all you lurkers and newbies (newer than me) it DOES get SO much easier. One Day at a Time! And, to all the oldbies, those of us behind you follow trustingly in the path you have forged for us. Thanks to all who are a part if the Freedom family! Most days I think about smoking exactly 0 seconds. I love my smoke-free life!

Suzy
Free and Healing for Four Months, Fifteen Days, 13 Hours and 44 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 11 Days and 22 Hours, by avoiding the use of 3439 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $518.82.

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#439 | 19 May 2005 | JoeJFree Gold

Just keeps gettin Better and MORE NATURAL the longer you keep your commitment to NTAP!

joejFree, always a nicotine addict, now thankfully an X-Smoker 4 months, 9 days, 3 hours, 54 minutes and 31 seconds (129 days).
Somewhar thar are 3229 death sticks not smoked by me.
I've reallocated $641.14 to more pleasureable means.
Most importantly I've recaptured 22 days, 10 hours and 10 minutes to to live as I CHOOSE.
NTAP!

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#440 | 20 May 2005 | joyousAnaisfree

As somone else mentioned I thought about smoking more when I was smoking. Since I've quit, I can't say it's more than 20 seconds and it's not every day either. It's easier than smoking.

Ana - Free from nicotine for Two Months, Two Days, 12 Hours and 4 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 4 Days and 9 Hours, by avoiding the use of 1270 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $191.01.

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#441 | 20 May 2005 | mslindy6

Zero thinking I want one
One or two times a day, maybe if that, I will spend a few seconds thinking that I would have had one doing this or that task, and being proud of myself that I don't crave or need a nicotine fix. I have gone several days now without even thinking about smoking at all.
A very comfortable feeling and it just gets better all the time.

Linda - Free and Healing for Two Months, Seventeen Days, 19 Hours and 43 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 5 Days and 11 Hours, by avoiding the use of 1576 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $632.62.

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#442 | 25 May 2005 | liftevryvoice

Yesterday, I didn't want any. Today, I don't want any--so far. I don't even think about a cigarette most days, in the sense of wanting to smoke , 99% of the time. That's truly incredible!

Betsea said it best that the "thought of stopping smoking" was so horrible and hard...more so than the actual act of stopping. And that has been true for me. After the first few weeks, it's been a cakewalk!

Monica - Free and Healing for Three Months, Three Days, 23 Hours and 18 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 6 Days and 10 Hours, by avoiding the use of 1859 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $653.29.

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#443 | 26 May 2005 | Betsea3

How many times a day do I want a cigarette????
hmmmm....... let me think....
how many times a day do I want to make a tobacco stock holder rich?
how many times a day do I want to make a hospital richer for my care?
how many times a day do I want to make a doctor richer for treating my smoking related diseases? I remember a few years ago our local Newspaper published a list of local doctors that owned tobacco farms.
I t was hard to believe.
It was a no brainer! They were making money off selling the cigarettes the farms produced and then off treating the diseases the cigs created!!....Talk about growing your own disease!

Betsy - 3months of Freedom

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#444 |03 Jul 2005 | magpie

Zip....Zeroid....Negatron....I have been quit for 1 Year, 5 Months, 1 Week, 1 hour, 36 minutes and 39 seconds (524 days). I have saved $1,965.24 by not smoking 13,101 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 2 Weeks, 11 hours and 45 minutes of my life.

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#445 | 03 Jul 2005 | ChristinenSam

Zero for me too! And here are my wonderful stats... Two years, two months, two days, 21 hours, 3 minutes and 57 seconds. 16692 cigarettes not smoked, saving $6,676.97. Life saved: 8 weeks, 1 day, 23 hours, 0 minutes.

Christine

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#446 | 04 Aug 2005 | Joanne Gold

Sorry, Joel! I have nothing to contribute to this thread.

It has been many years since I've wanted a cigarette.

Joanne

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#447 | 05 Aug 2005 | JoeJFree Gold

Thanks for the lead in Joanne - My first reply to this parade was at 99 days, my second about 2 months ago and now at 206 days I can still confirm what I said 107 days ago.

Even though I had my 3rd smoking dream just before I awoke for day 206 I still have no thought of or want for smoking today. And the dream was REAL, down to the fact that I remember where I pinched the 2 cigs (From my bosses purse - he doesn't have a purse in the real world nor has he smoked for over 20 years) , that I had 1 match and was about to take my second drag when I awoke while putting my pointer and middle finger of my right hand to my lips. Didn't frighten me, it DID amuse me greatly.

And as I have every day since January 11th, I put my feet on the floor, looked out my bedroom window and told myself "I'm Not Going to Smoke Today!"

So to directly answer Joels question: Newbies - I have WANTED a cigarette for Zero seconds today, been that way for a while. This is not only doable, it is wonderfully enjoyable.

JoeJ Free

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#448 | 05 Aug 2005 | GoldenDivamom1972

Hey, Joe, thanks for bringing this one around again! I have to say basically what I said way back when (I know my response is in here somewhere, I'm just too lazy to find it ). I have not actually *wanted* one since...um...wait, lemme think...heck, I can't remember.

I guy I work with who relapsed about two weeks into his quit (started his quit about the same time I did) made the comment "Smoke 'em if you got 'em!" and proceeded to take out his pack. In response, I made plenty of "ew!!!" and gagging noises. He retorted with "Oh, you're one of those ex-smokers..." (insert eye roll here)

You know what? YES, YES I AM. I *am* one of "those" ex-smokers. One of those who has found complete comfort and joy in her quit, knowing that as long as I NTAP, I never have to worry about quitting smoking ever again. I never have to make silly excuses for not quitting, I never have to cover up my envy of ex-smokers with bluster, and I can inhale without coughing up a lung (unlike my aforementioned co-worker).

Life is good.

Blessings,
Amy--Silver!! 213 days (that's a little over 7 months)

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#449 | 05 Aug 2005 | ElevenPinkFlowers

Hi Everyone, on 20 April 2005, I answered this thread for the first time in Message 553. Back then, I was about six weeks into my quit.

Now, at five months and a bit, I have to correct myself: Not only do I generally never miss smoking (I know, never say never, but I really do not miss it as in: "I want one, I am missing that good feeling that it used to give me", etc.). I actually very seldom even think of smoking. Normally it only comes to mind when I am being disturbed by other people's smoke.

My evenings on the sofa have gained a quality that they did not have before: My cat likes me better and stays on my lap to be stroked. Purrr... I like myself better that way.

PinkFlowers
Better since 2 March 2005

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#450 | 05 Aug 2005 Clg9876|

This is my first response to this parade, and my response surprises me. I do not really think about wanting a cigarette. I thought more about cigarettes as a smoker than now as an ex-smoker with 2 plus months. My thoughts as a smoker were daily..."need a fix, when was the last time I left my desk, should wait another few minutes, what do people think of me, one more before I get to work, yuck didn't want that one, gee car stinks, got to quit"...and on and on. But since I found freedom, my thoughts are on not smoking because of all the reinforcement here. That's why I stay so close. I can't remember the last crave. The big lie is that it will be so very hard to quit. It just wasn't the case. Attitude is the key. The first 72 hours are uncomfortable but in no way unachievable. Hey you wonderful OBSERVERS (seems a nicer word than lurkers, just my opinion) take some action!! There will never be a "good" day to quit. The best day to quit is today. Period. Go For It! You are worth it!

Candis - Free and Healing for Two Months, Twenty Six Days, 14 Hours and 17 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 9 Days and 2 Hours, by avoiding the use of 2628 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $395.60.

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