Qutting Smoking, Thoughts on Day 13

So far I've never been totally successful in quitting smoking. Today is day 13 since my last cigarette. No worries, I'm not going to over do this topic moving forward but thought I'd get some thoughts out and maybe discourage a few from starting or encourage a few to quit.

I have always found it's easy to start the quit smoking process. You get the nicotine replacement, like the gum or patch and use whichever and don't smoke. Some may choose Chantix, but the medication scares me. When you start your quitting you have a lot of support from friends, family and those who've quit and know what it's like. The trouble begins awhile after your nicotine replacement regimen completes. Something triggers you, for example unexpected stress, jealous of someone enjoying a cigarette or something as simple as watching an old movie where everyone is smoking and there are no consequences. 'St. Elmo's Fire' and 'Reality Bites' come to mind. Cigarettes are like a significant other who never whines and complains, always there, but as the statistics tell, will inevitably take their toll on the body and possibly kill you.

In the past, I've used The Tobacco Free Helpline, just a few times. Okay maybe four or five times. You've probably seen or heard the ads. They are a great way to get help in quitting. Depending on your insurance situation, they could give you gum or patches for free. (Yes, I know someone is paying for it There is no free lunch.) The concept of quitting is to fill the voids of where the smoking goes on. When you're driving and have the urge to smoke, you rethink and take a sip of water or suck on a Tic Tac, for example. You basically have to retrain your whole way of life. The first thing I notice every time I quit is how much extra time I have. Days seem longer and I mean that in a good way, you may gain a bit of weight, However, this time I haven't, so far anyway. Another thing you notice very soon after quitting is a major increase in lung capacity and your sense of smell increases, which can be a downside. Okay I'm kidding, but yes you can smell more.

To sum it up, cigarettes are expensive, addictive, unhealthy, smelly and really quite irrelevant to your life. I mean, what do they really do for you? I'm not going to get into the additives and the other toxins companies use because I want to stay positive and not look back. Hoping I'll be as successful on day 14, tomorrow.