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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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#451 | 07 Aug 2005 | ChristyMay1977

I first responded to this thread on April 26th 2005 ~ that was only 14 and 1/2 days into my quit. Although I thought it was comfortable then, (only thinking about smoking 3-5 minutes a day) that's nothing compared to now... Ready for this?

0 seconds a day

Freedom is Bliss.

Kisses,
Christy xx

Breathing Easy Since April 11th 2005 ~ That's 117 days!

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#452 | 07 Aug 2005 | Spreggy

I may find myself wondering what to do with my fingers, or contemplating how to spend all this additional free time that seems to have materialized out of nowhere, but at no time do I find myself wanting a smoke. What kind of ninny would voluntarily shoot burning smoke into his or her poor lunges? Not this ninny I tell ya!

Nicotine free for 6 days, 9 hours, 17 minutes and 58 seconds (6 days).
I've not smoked 141 death sticks, and saved $28.11.
I've saved 11 hours and 42 minutes of my life.

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#453 | 08 Aug 2005 | Reets2004

I'd say five seconds per week. Honestly. Those five seconds are intense but my gosh, it's only five seconds! It really does get MUCH easier with time. For you newbies, hang in there and NTAP! :-)

Rita - Free and Healing for One Year, One Month, Seven Days, 18 Hours and 10 Minutes, (402 days) while extending my life expectancy 39 Days and 3 Hours, by avoiding the use of 11277 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $2,579.84.

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#454 | 09 Aug 2005 | ivanochiki007

I quit 4 months ago, so I am almost a newbie myself, but already now there are ZERO seconds that I actually WANT to smoke one. There are maybe three seconds a day when I briefly THINK about smoking, but it is more like "Hhhmmm, he is having a cigarette. I wonder if he enjoys it, probably not, he is just another addict. So good that I don't need to do that anymore."

Ivano - happy to be quit

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#455 | 09 Aug 2005 | mslindy6

In 159 days I have not needed a smoke. In 159 days my smoker tapes played in the back of my mind and I thought I wanted a smoke maybe five or six times after the first three days. My non-smoking mind knew better and in seconds the feelings past. There is no discomfort at all just a still hunger for something that was short lived.

With the exception of one bad day on that day I read the literature at Freedom and posted to my journal. I received a lot of wonderful support from that post and I also know now that my quit is even stronger because it has been tested and I won!

In 159 days I have been happy, heatlhy and comfortable, quiting is a positive life experience!

Linda free and healing for 159 days!

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#456 | 09 Aug 2005 | j a g 64

Sure Joel. Almost none.

Perhaps a half minute a month and it's not actually a WANT. It's a momentary basal desire. I retire it when I equate it to the gateway of active re-addiction. I do have to address it briefly from time to time but it's not a big deal. Initially I was one of the "cling to the board" newbies for almost 3 months. My loss of cravings came late and quite abruptly. Next month I'll be Gold and wow! I really am free.

Janet G

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#457 | 09 Aug 2005 | TotallyDevoted2155

I have been quit for 4 Months, 2 Weeks, 4 Days, 22 hours, 16 minutes and 8 seconds (140 days). I have saved $384.72 by not smoking 1,832 cigarettes. I have saved 6 Days, 8 hours and 40 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 3/20/2005 11:15 PM

How many times do I think of it. This is a great question because lately I was getting a bit stressed that I was thinking about it too much. BUT, what I just realized is that if there are actually 86,400 seconds in a day, I would say that I only think about it maybe 30-60 seconds a day, and really, that is only recently. Up until a few days ago, I would say NEVER! So, overall, i'm encouraged! No one is going to rain on my Parade .

That is why I visited the site again....Thanks Joel....as always you have a way of putting things in perspective.

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#458 | 09 Aug 2005 | suzyhurley

Thank you for giving me the chance to give it some thought. To all you newbies out there (am I saying newbie like that??!!) I can say honestly that I almost never think about a cigarette anymore. For sure less than a minute in a whole week. YOU CAN DO IT!!! Make the loving pledge to yourself to NTAP!!!
Suzy
Free and Healing for Seven Months, Six Days, 2 Hours and 23 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 19 Days, by avoiding the use of 5477 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $829.07.

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#459 | 10 Aug 2005 | magpie

This is sooooooooooo funny.........I haven't been here since July 3rd, and I come back today, only to find a message written on that day, by me, saying Zip, Zeroid, Negatron......I saw that message, and thought, "wow, that person talks just like me" lololol....The answer is still the same, the stats have changed by a month and a bit lol....

I have been quit for 1 Year, 6 Months, 2 Weeks, 10 hours, 14 minutes and 5 seconds (561 days). I have saved $2,105.34 by not smoking 14,035 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 2 Weeks, 3 Days, 17 hours and 35 minutes of my life.

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#460 | 11 Aug 2005 | liberty gold

I used to think I could not get through an hour without a cigarette. I have been quit for 3 years July 20, 2005. I totally give Joel and this forum credit. I had tried to quit many times before, but really never realized that I couldn't just take one puff. I don't ever want to start back, because I don't want to go through the quit again.

Joel, my good friend, I know you probably won't remember me, but I spent many many hours on this forum. Again, you have saved so many lives.

For all you new members---just stay the course, and just never take another puff. Again, thank you all for helping me do this. Liberty

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#461 | 24 Aug 2005 | bojo427

Liberty, I think you can give yourself a little credit too for reaching 3 years. YOU did it! I am also very grateful for the knowledge and support that I've received from Freedom. Freedom is helping me save my life and many others.

How often do I want a dose of nicotine? At just over 6 weeks I think about smoking at some point each day, some days several times. Sometimes the Ahhh seems like it would be nice but not a single second do I want to go back to being a smoker and a slave to a drug.

I recognize that the thoughts are my just my well trained executive assistant doing a job she doesn't yet realized is obsolete! She's relearning her older, non smoker roles quickly.

Just 6 weeks; a small investment, one day at a time. The thought is there less and less and this is not as bad as I was told, as I believed it would be. I am confident that the thoughts of smoking will continue to lessen as long as I Never Take Another Puff! Today, I won't.

1 month, 2 weeks, 2 days, 1 hour, 43 minutes and 59 seconds. $173.70 saved, 941 cigarettes not created for me to consume, nor polluting the earth

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#462 | 24 Aug 2005 | Liuchka

zero, 0, none, ninguno, nunca....

Cuca
Free and healing for One Year, Eleven Months, Five Days, 9 Hours and 10 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 73 Days and 11 Hours, by avoiding the use of 21161 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $4,085.05.

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| 15 Sep 2005 | Evolvingkaren1 GOLD

#463 Not one single second. I'm too grateful to be clean and GOLD. I can imagine feeling the burning of tobacco and chemicals traveling from mouth to lungs and back again. I'd begin coughing again. My breath and body would stink again. I'd lose every once of self respect. All with just one single puff. Quitting is something I never want to do again. Fortunately, I'll never have to since I'll never take another puff.

Karen

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#464 | 16 Sep 2005 | CLB119

I was hanging out with a young friend of mine the other day, nineteen. We work together and we were going to lunch. After our meal we got back in her car and she lit up a Camel which was my brand. I watched as she took that first drag and seen the look of satisfaction she got from it. For a moment I thought "That looks good". But the very next moment I realized that in ten years from now she'll probably be trying to quit and she'll have to go through the same withdraw from her addiction that I did.

She and I have talked about my quiting. She told me that when she took a vacation with her family a few weeks ago that she didn't smoke all week. I know most days she's smoking about a half a pack. She doesn't understand why I can't smoke when I want to and not smoke when I don't want to. She acts like I'm weak because I tell her if I smoke one I'll go back to smoking full throttle. But I don't let it get to me because I know, I've been there and now I'm here. I'm well aware of my addiction and the hold it had on me and I have no doubt in my mind that she will eventually become addicted as well. If she continues to smoke on a regular basis the laws of addiction will grab hold of her too.

I guess my point is that watching her smoke was the first time in a long time I really wanted to. After some thought I think I really want to be her age again since I have a big birthday coming up. The nostalgia of being young and impulsive was the draw, not the taste of a Camel. I know had I even taken a drag I'd have hardly been able to inhale it. My throat would of burned and I'd have hacked. In another cople hours I would have wanted another one. Fortunately for me none of that happened because over seven months ago I decided to Never Take Another Puff!

Comfortable Chris
Seven great months!

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#465 | 18 Sep 2005 | elaine3758

Let me join the parade... I've been travelling a lot lately plenty of downtime in hotel rooms. A haven for smokers who don't want others to know how much they smoke!!! It's been great to ask for a non smoking room and now with 7 months under my belt I may think of a cigarette for a couple of seconds a week. When I was a smoker it would be how soon will this plane land? I hope this airport has a smoking lounge? What do you mean you have NO "smoking" rooms available? "If you don't find me one I'll smoke in your non smoking room". Boy and people think they're not addicted. I am so happy to be smoke free that if the few seconds a week I think about it were a few miniutes. I know i'd still NTAP

Elaine

I've been quit for 7 months, 4 days, 12 hours, 16 minutes and 17 seconds (217 days).
I've not smoked 6495 death sticks, and saved $1,146.86.
I've saved 22 day(s), 13 hour(s) of my life.

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#466 | 27 Sep 2005 | Juanjuanjuanjuanjuan200

from time to time. Never over, some how it doesnt matter. NATP

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#467 | 12 Oct 2005 | Joel

The issue of time was raised by a new member. People do in fact find themselves with lots of extra time on their hands once they quit smoking. This string illustrates that even though people gain lots of new time after quitting, very little of it is spent thinking of smoking.

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#468 | 12 Oct 2005 | enjoyinglifeJamie

Good morning from this nicotine addict who is so gleefully happy to be an EX-SMOKER now for 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 10 hours, 15 minutes. I have saved $717.39 of my hard-earned cash by choosing to say NO to 2657 cigs (WOW). Because of this decision I have added 1 week, 2 days, 5 hours, 25 minutes to my precious life.

I NEVER WANT A CIGARETTE!!!

Can you believe it? Believe it or not, it's TRUE!! I continue to be amazed at what this journey has been like, compared to what I always thought I would be like. And I know I'm not alone, I read that sentiment again & again & again & again on these boards.

Sometimes I think of a cigarette, but when I do, I'm thinking about how happy I am to be free of that nasty, deadly grip they had on me.

Jamie

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#469 | 12 Oct 2005 | SmokefreeLeeTron

Zero seconds/day. Never. I am done with smoking. If I die tomorrow or if I die 40 years from now at the age of 82, I will go a non-smoker.

I now go several days at a stretch without even thinking about smoking. When I do think about smoking, it is never a crave . It is always along the lines of "I sure am glad I don't smoke anymore."

The key to success is to realize that you are not stronger than your addiction and that the only way to stay clean is to never re-administer nicotine in any way, shape, or form.

Surrender...

NTAP is not just a catchy slogan, it's a lifestyle.

Lee
18 months quit

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#470 | 14 Oct 2005 | Barb761

I have been quit for 11+months and don't ever want to smoke again. The smell still makes me sick at times. I feel so much better and finally feel free. My friend who tried to quit with me 11+ months ago is now trying again. Into 15 days and is finding that quitting its not so bad and can only get easier with time. Thank you Freedom for all your help. The weekly notices are a reminder of where I am going........to NTAP.

Barb761 Quit date 11-08-04

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#471 | 14 Oct 2005 | gold osomashi

I've replied to this before, but I'd like to reply again.
NEVER! I never, never want a cigarette.

best,
mari
13 plus months! woo-hoo!

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#472 | 14 Oct 2005 | Sea Two

Smoking???? What's that????

Ha, just a little joke. But seriously, after 15 months of not smoking, I don't ever think about a cigarette. I can't get over the fact, that I used to smoke for 30 years. It seems like a different lifetime.

But I do remember that it took a good 12 months to get to this point. Somehow I feel that 1 year is the most important milestone. You cross over into the complete comfort zone.

Gabrielle - 15 1/2 months

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#473 | 16 Oct 2005 | sostark

A couple of seconds a month, if that, seriously. And all it does is help me from becoming complacent.

Steph x

Free and healing for 1 Year, 4 Months, 1 Week, 9 hours and 46 minutes (494 days). I have saved £2,966.43 by not smoking 14,832 cigarettes. My Quit Date: 08/06/2004

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#474 | 16 Oct 2005 | thayes762

I guess I am a newbie but....I can say that compared to glory week or even 4 weeks, it gets better every day. I would say I am down to about 5 or maybe 6 times a day for maybe 10-15 seconds per event. Earlier in the quit, this seemed a lot longer but one thing I have to say about the folks on this site....they tell the truth. It really gets better every day!!!! For that I say thanks!

Tom - Free and Healing for One Month, Twenty Two Days, 23 Hours and 6 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 11 Days, by avoiding the use of 3178 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $573.25.

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#475 | 20 Oct 2005 | MikeThe1L

Once or twice a week I think of cigarettes, and even then it's usually in the context of "Wow, I can't believe I used to smoke," as opposed to actually wanting a cigarette.

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