Sometimes you find willpower in odd places

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 2:22 pm

You go girl!

I started smoking young. 15 I believe, maybe even 14, but I lived on my own at that age and worked 2 jobs sometimes 3 and went to school. Smoke coffee smoke coffee smoke coffee...it was how I stayed awake and managed some rough years. When I got pregnant with my daughter at 21 I quit cold turkey. I have never touch a cigarette since the day I found out I was growing an earthling.
I put my money that I would of spent on smokes (even as the cost increased I still put the equivalent away) in the credit union and whatever else I could come up with. Bought my first house at 29 (down payment) from the money I stashed from not smoking and scrapping up money in every corner I could. Pretty good for a defiant, I'm gonna do it my way single mom! Ross is right, reward yourself. If that reward is cheesecake, call me, I'll be right there to celebrate with you! Haha.

So that's been 27 years since I quit and I will tell you, to this day The first thing I think about is a smoke when things feel out of control. Good thing I'm a control freak and if I say I'm not smoking then I am not. I would have to be slaughtered for someone to put a butt between my lips.

You can do it! If you crack, don't beat yourself up, just get back on that horse and ride into the sunset like the champ you are.

Flat Rock Farm · Post by **Flat Rock Farm** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 2:39 pm

Keep the momentum going Happy, good for you. Yes smells and food, whole new world again. I quit when I turned 21, got sick of the way it made my lungs feel and the lack of energy. Did it cold turkey and never looked back.
I did the same as Sandy and Ross put the money aside, had enough to have a good chunk down on a car I wanted. :wink:

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 5:48 pm

Good for you Happy and dreaming of hatching eggs, nothing better. You go girl!!!

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 6:54 pm

Happy wrote:QR_BBPOST So I quit smoking. Today is my first 100% smoke free day.

Brilliant!!!!
I quit at the time when people still smoked in the Movies, restaurants and in the hospital maternity ward if you can believe it, it was hell on wheels.
Interestingly the benefits of the cigaret free life have been showing up thru perhaps the past 10 years in the most surprising and unlikely places. My contemporaries who smoke have very obviously much larger crop of facial wrinkles especially the most attractive ones around the mouth.
Dental implants, if you should be unfortunate enough to need one, tend not to take for patients who smoke.
Healing of anything is slower in smokers.
You don't have to paint house as often and of course the saved money can be used on chickens and their comforts. :)
Just one heads up, don't replace keeping your hands busy with cigaret by keeping them busy with food

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:03 pm

Lol yes I'm afraid to pack it on now. You hit that age where it doesn't come off as easy as it used to! Tomorrow I begin my latest project idea making barn board bird houses. Better than shovelling food in my mouth! As for the house I have never smoked in it even when I lived alone. I always hated the smell and I didn't want my pets to be subjected to second hand smoke lol.

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! Gives me strength :)

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:40 pm

Good for you.

I liked the story my neighbor told about trying to quit. She was a plump lady in her sixties. She told the story this way.

So I decided to quit smoking. It was early November, past Thanksgiving and lots of time to get used to it before Christmas. So I quit. And to keep my mind off of the cigarettes, in the first week, I did all my Christmas baking, so I would have it for the family. Had it all ready in the freezer.

I was still having trouble the second week, but had a snack now and then to help stop the craving. At the beginning of the third week, there was no more Christmas baking in the freezer, and I had gained 15 pounds, so I went and bought a carton of Export A.

She was still smoking last I knew. Hope yours goes better than that.

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 9:43 pm

Farrier1987 wrote:QR_BBPOST Good for you.

I liked the story my neighbor told about trying to quit. She was a plump lady in her sixties. She told the story this way.

So I decided to quit smoking. It was early November, past Thanksgiving and lots of time to get used to it before Christmas. So I quit. And to keep my mind off of the cigarettes, in the first week, I did all my Christmas baking, so I would have it for the family. Had it all ready in the freezer.

I was still having trouble the second week, but had a snack now and then to help stop the craving. At the beginning of the third week, there was no more Christmas baking in the freezer, and I had gained 15 pounds, so I went and bought a carton of Export A.

She was still smoking last I knew. Hope yours goes better than that.

I hope so too! Mental note...No baking for a bit.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:12 pm

Happy wrote:QR_BBPOST
Farrier1987 wrote:QR_BBPOST Good for you.

I liked the story my neighbor told about trying to quit. She was a plump lady in her sixties. She told the story this way.

So I decided to quit smoking. It was early November, past Thanksgiving and lots of time to get used to it before Christmas. So I quit. And to keep my mind off of the cigarettes, in the first week, I did all my Christmas baking, so I would have it for the family. Had it all ready in the freezer.

I was still having trouble the second week, but had a snack now and then to help stop the craving. At the beginning of the third week, there was no more Christmas baking in the freezer, and I had gained 15 pounds, so I went and bought a carton of Export A.

She was still smoking last I knew. Hope yours goes better than that.
I hope so too! Mental note...No baking for a bit.

With that said I bake a lot and it's my go-to for a stress
reliever.
There are very few things I bake that I actually eat,but the peanut/nut home we are definitely benefits from the baking.
I took up crocheting .. never really advanced past beginner stage, didn't need to, just needed to do something with my hands and it worked. Oh and rug hook. Remember rug hooks? Those were great for keeping the hands busy and the brain off the nicotine train of thought.

You'll do it and don't worry about other people's failures; They aren't yours.

Cheers!

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:17 pm

Remember this...

Poultryprincess · Post by **Poultryprincess** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:41 am

The first day is the Hardest, but you muscled thru!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

It's been 20 years without a smoke, but there were a few setbacks...I will share them with you.

Hubby & I quit for 5 YEARS & fell off the wagon!!!!!
We went to a big New Years party @ a fancy club.
Alot of our friends still smoked, so we said we will smoke "Only for TONITE"
We were quite Proud of ourselves, & didn't smoke again....until....3 months later @
My big 40th Birthday BASH ~ cause of course we already proved it was Easy to stop - NOT!!!

It took almost 2 years to fight the fight & become Non-smokers again.
This time I told friends to smoke "outside", no more smoke smell to tempt me again.
( BTW none of my friends smoke these days - yippeee )

I used to manufacture swim wear, & had laid out yards & yards of fabric, about 5 inches deep.
The pattern was drawn on the fabric & I started to cut it with an electric cutter.
The damn electric rotary sucked the top layers of the fabric & the machine jammed.
Hours of work & $ in fabric were crap ~ and I Almost caved!!!

BUT I realized even if I had a smoke, the fabric would not suddenly lay back down.
There was no fairy that would redraw the patterns on the fabric.
And the worst part? It would take me another few years to kick the habit it again.
I know now there can be NO EXCEPTIONS, I can NEVER, EVER take even ONE puff!

When I see someone smoking, I thank gawd I don't have the desire any more.
I have enough bad habits, I'm glad that one is gone.
The best part? I do NOT feel bad about spending my cigarette $ on Chickens!!!!
( I also do NOT feel bad about spending my Husbands cigarette $ on Chickens - LOL )

CONGRATULATIONS & Enjoy better health, better smell & More Money!!!!