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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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#551 | 30 Oct 2006 | BethieAnn

I don't really crave a cigarette any more. Maybe a few minutes a day (1200 seconds). I do crave my smoking "lifestyle" (the moments outside by myself) but I know the ex-smoking "lifestyle" is much much better I just have to re-learn how to LIVE!!!!! So I guess I am mourning my "ex" but I know he's dead and I willnot bring him back.

I have been quit for 1 Week, 6 Days, 22 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds (13 days). I have saved $125.41 by not smoking 836 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Days, 21 hours and 40 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/15/2006 8:26 PM

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#552 | 30 Oct 2006 | Joel

I notice that we have a few really new members adding their experiences to the string. I am going to reattach my original comments here to balance the messages that these newer members may be putting in. Again, pay attention to the length of time people are off when reading the responses here. You will see that people with significant time periods behind them are generally having very few minutes in a day where they still find themselves wanting cigarettes.

Again from above:

Even people off a week if seriously analyzing the number will come up with a few hundred seconds. While this may sound scary, consider the fact that there are 86,400 seconds in a day.

People who are just quitting today may answer this question with 86,400 seconds. But if they watch the responses of others they will likely see a clear progression of how over time, the need for nicotine does in fact start to dissipate. So join on in. By the way, if you are not sure of the number of seconds wait a few days, time your own results and attach it to here later. Weeks from now if need be. This string can serve as a clear mesage that life will get easier for all new members if they just hang in over time. Hopefully it will serve all in their quest to never take another puff!

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#553 | 30 Oct 2006 | Caninegold asst

Interesting topic. I am going into my 5th month. I would say maybe a few times a week I think about smoking, and out of that one of those times may be a longing for one. But it is SO brief before common sense hits me on the head, I wouldn't even call it a craving.

Lianne

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#554 | 05 Nov 2006 | Sojournerxl1

I must say that I think about smoking quite a bit. I would say I have an urge to take a ciggerette - well its pretty close to never. I think about it because I have loved ones who still smoke. I think about it when I see people smoking, and I want to help them out. The education here at Freedom has taught me that clearly these people are not enjoying themselves. They are not smoking because they "enjoy" it, anymore than I smoked because I "enjoyed" it. So I only think about smoking becasue I am newly aware of how ludicrous it really is. I don't want a ciggarette and thats a fact! HOO RAY!!!

DrD
cindy - Free and Healing for Six Months, Twelve Days, 13 Hours and 42 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 13 Days and 15 Hours, by avoiding the use of 3931 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $792.67.

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#555 | 05 Nov 2006 | realmarino

Here goes. Didn't even have to think about it.
I want a cig 0 secs day!!!!
NTAP

I have been quit for 7 Months, 2 Weeks, 3 Days, 11 hours, 18 minutes and 23 seconds (231 days). I have saved $659.68 by not smoking 2,777 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Week, 2 Days, 15 hours and 25 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 3/18/2006 11:00 PM

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#556 | 05 Nov 2006 | kevinjohn808

Quit Date is: 2/14/2004
Smoke-Free: 994 days, 19 hours, 32 minutes and 20 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 19896
Lifetime Saved: 5 months, 1 day, 23 hours
Money Saved: $7,462.50

There's a millisecond a year where I find some nostagia creeping in. It rapidly dissipates. The reality of the situation is a part of my life and I never doubt its veracity.

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#557 | 11 Nov 2006 | smsh28

It's not hasn't even been a month since I first posted on this thread and already the amount of time I spend wanting to smoke has gone WAY down from what I first posted!!I absolutely do not even seriously think of smoking every day anymore. It just keeps getting better and better!!

Sonya WOOOO Free and Healing for One Month, Twenty Six Days, 18 Hours and 14 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 6 Days, by avoiding the use of 1733 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $251.85.

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#558 | 13 Nov 2006 | Meeshe

Zero seconds

I don't smoke anymore and I focus on how nice it is not to smoke when I see someone smoking. Since I do that, the cravings don't even come. If for some strange reason a craving sneaks back into my head, I'll remind myself that it will only be a few seconds (it usually is shorter). And POOF! the craving is gone

NTAP

Meeshe
1 year 11 months and 27 days

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#559 | 21 Nov 2006 | Joel

I noticed we have a lot of new members joining in over the past few days. Might be because of last week's Great American SmokeOut or from some other unknown factor. With so many people coming in at once I think it is a pretty good idea to bring up some of our basic posts that describe how we operate at Freedom.

This string I am kicking up now because I want the new members to be reading through it. It is an important string showing how over time the thoughts for cigarettes do really become infrequent. I also want to note that the purpose of this string is for new members to read the experiences from a lot of people what it is like for them not to over time, not for new members to write what it is like for them the first few days or weeks of quitting. The post above was deleted a few days ago precisely for that reason.

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#560 | 25 Nov 2006 | Joel

Read a thousand ex-smoker responses to the invitation to Tell a newbie how many seconds a day you still want a cigarette

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#561 | 15 Dec 2006 |Rashid (Gold)

To be honest, I have to say that after being completely free for 4 yrs, 10 mnths, 4 wks, 1 day, 5 hrs, 21 minutes and 11 seconds. After not smoking 23,324 nicotine delivery devices. After saving 11 wks, 3 days, 23 hrs, and 40 minutes of my life I spend zero seconds a day wanting a cigarette. Rashid-Gold Club

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#562 | 15 Dec 2006 |Martin32709

Hi Everyone, It seems that long ago since I made my first post so I thought I would just check in to add support. I can honestly say that once you get the initial 72hrs out of the way thoughts of cigarettes fade away into insignificance on a day to day basis. I must add that recently I had my first Alcoholic drink whilst been free from Nicotine and I was amazed off how comfortable and relaxed I felt even though they were smokers in the vicinity, I didn't have cravings just a thought which was under my control which faded away as fast as it came. I remember seeing one article/film from Joel about the dangers of been tempted whilst under the influence of alcohol this is very true because it sounds silly but I've almost forgot what cravings and smoking were like.

I beg people not to become complacent and just remember the simple rule N.T.A.P
Best Wishes to Everybody for Christmas and Happy Healing.
My name is Martin, and I am a nicotine addict.
I have stopped nicotine for 1 month, 3 days, 19 hours, 32 minutes and 38 seconds (33 days).
I've not smoked 507 death sticks, and saved £84.65.
I've saved 1 day, 18 hours and 16 minutes of my life.

Also a Big Thank You to Joel, John and Everybody at Whyquit.

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#563 | 15 Dec 2006 | dennyb2

"how many seconds or minutes in a typical day you really find yourself wanting a cigarette."

The operative word here is wanting a cigarette and the answer from me is absolutely not one second of any day do I want a cigarette. Not once, not ever on any day.

This does not mean I do not think of smoking or even that I am immune to the occasional trigger laying in my path. That is however all it is now, occasional thoughts, always exterminated by the knowledge gained here.

The continually unravelling rewards for your success at staying nicotine free will ultimately reveal your own reasons for never wanting a cigeratte ever again.

For me the list of positives is already to numerous to just mention. I am up to chapters now and before you know it, it will be volumns.

We do it the simple way

No Nicotine Today

One Minute, One Hour, One Day at a Time

Never Take Another Puff

Attitude is everything, keep it positive, move forward and live life to its fullest. NTAP

Denny B - Free and Healing for Eight Months, Twenty Days, 7 Hours and 8 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 32 Days and 2 Hours, by avoiding the use of 9250 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $2,337.91.

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#564 | 15 Dec 2006 | Sharry

I have been quit for 1 Week, 4 Days, 2 hours, 8 minutes and 13 seconds (11 days). I have saved £33.26 by not smoking 166 cigarettes. I have saved 13 hours and 50 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 04/12/2006 07:54

In 11 days I thought about smoking, maybe 6 times, but without a real craving. I have not wanted one at all since being accepted to this group.

Sharry

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#565 | 21 Dec 2006 | chizzum

I have been quit for 10 months 4 days 21 hours and have chosen not to smoke 3694 cigarettes and saved £775.91 and 1 week 5 days and 19 hours.

I can honestly, truly say that I don't even think about wanting a cigarette any more. In fact when I smell someone smoking and realise how foul it smells, I make a silent apology to all of the noses I offended in my years as a smoker. I don't miss the craving, the first thought of nicotine in the morning, nor do I miss the way I used to smell, or the cough that I had pretty much permanently but refused to acknowledge.

I don't miss smoking at all. I am very proud of myself and am looking forward to the day very soon when I can declare myself "GOLD"!

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#566 | 06 Jan 2007 |Sharry

zero

I'm a member of the green club and loud and proud about it!!

I have been quit for 1 Month, 2 Days, 8 hours, 4 minutes and 50 seconds (33 days). I have saved £100.00 by not smoking 500 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 17 hours and 40 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 04/12/2006 07:54

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#567 | 06 Jan 2007 | Rickened

If I were to take an average amount of time based on data collected over the last...say 30 days, then divide it by it's density altitude, correct for wind resistance, and finally convert to international weights and measures.... I come up with 0.000000000001 seconds.

*Margin of error = 0.000000000001

Rick - Free and healing for 5 months, 5 days, 32 minutes

This is my first 5 month post!

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#568 | 06 Jan 2007 |Dyanne1125

Hi there, My name is Dyanne, I quit 2 years, 3 days ago, saved 55 days of my life and over $6,800. I NEVER want a cigarette, and wow, it feels terrific to be able to say that. Life gets better and better.

Dyanne

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#569 | 07 Jan 2007 | realmarino

I DONT want a cig. But I think about them every day. I smoked over 37 years. Its hard to just forget something that was with you for so long. I will NTAP but I will never forget!!

I have been quit for 9 Months, 2 Weeks, 4 Days, 21 hours, 31 minutes and 51 seconds (293 days). I have saved $837.59 by not smoking 3,526 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Week, 5 Days, 5 hours and 50 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 3/18/2006 11:00 PM

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#570 | 11 Jan 2007 | bg20019

First time poster....

After over a month into my quit, I'd say at worst I'll get one or two cravings per day.

NTAP

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#571 | 12 Jan 2007 | Andy (Gold)

ZERO

The last time I even had a flicker was over two years ago and it lasted a nanosecond and I viewed with an almost amused interest like "How weird is that that I just finished a big meal and saw a guy driving and smoking and I remembered always having a cigarette after a meal" And then I moved on with my smoke free day...and life.

Andy
4+ years nicotine free

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#572 | 30 Jan 2007 | idrvthe5

3-6 cravings a day, 30-60 sec. each. max of 270 secs per day.

Michael S Leech - Free and Healing for Eighteen Days and 23 Hours, while extending my life expectancy 2 Days and 15 Hours, by avoiding the use of 758 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $153.68 that I will now spend on racing.

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#573 | 30 Jan 2007 | wgl 101106

I am still relatively new, but I can say truthfully, that I may have 2 or 3 thoughts per day that last at the most 10 seconds, I can also honestly say that I don't want a cigarette the thoughts are just fleeting memories. Freedom is great and it just gets better with time.

So 30 seconds a day giving cigarettes my attention.
0 seconds per day wanting one.

Will - Free and Healing for Two Months, Five Days, 5 Hours and 59 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 3 Days and 10 Hours, by avoiding the use of 994 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $149.47.

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#574 | 30 Jan 2007 | Nancy J

Also pretty new, but I had only 2 thoughts today, a few seconds each. Just as advised by Joel's library and the veteran members - I have good success with dismissing them by just thinking NTAP or "no, now there is not smoking when I go outside."

This

after 22 years of 30 smokes a day - still kind of shocking. Thanks - Freedom and whyquit
Nancy
16 days

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#575 | 30 Jan 2007 | wannadanc

For those who are asking - I must say that weeks go by now - WEEKS!!!!!!!!!! I have been free and clear for 2 years 7 months!!!!

Quit Date: 06/02/04
Quit Time: 04:00 AM
Time Quit: 2Y 7M 3W 6D 15H 42Mns
Money saved to date: $7254.06
Cigs not smoked: 58033

Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows.
--Henry David Thoreau

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