Life without the patch (Day 292)

Day 292-  Anyone who tells you that quitting smoking is not that hard, has never been a smoker.  I will not sugar coat it, quitting the habit of smoking is extremely hard and sometimes frustrating.  What you really need to know to making quitting a little easier is that you really want to quit, you are done, for whatever reason, you just don't want to smoke anymore.  This is the single most important thing to becoming a successful quitter, you really have to want to quit.  I am much happier now that I can breath easier and do more things without running out of breathe.  One of the biggest benefits of not smoking is the fact that I finally had enough money for my wife and I to purchase our first home.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 58

Day 58 - Each day passes is another day of lung clearing.  I must admit that smoking to me was a complete waste of my time and money.  I wish I could have back all the time and money that I have spent on cigarettes, that would make me feel whole again.  I can't change that, but I can make sure that my future is filled with living and not smoking.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 56

Day 56 - Yes I know, I am a day behind on this post.  Day 56 was the last day of Step 2 of the patch and was looking forward to starting the last step of the patches.  Let the no smoking continue.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 55

Day 55 - Yesterday (day 55) was a great day, my wife and I and some family went on a canoe trip and had a great time.  I always wanted to go canoeing, but as a smoker, I was never really active and I didn't want to spend to much time outside doing things.  Now I want to spend a lot of time outside just enjoying life and doing things.  My wife and I are just happier now that we don't smoke and want to spend time doing things other then just being at home.  In the past month and a half we have gone out more than we have in the past year and it again, just feels great.  When you quit smoking, you just feel better and want to do more.  Nobody should be restricted to activities because of smoking, just quit and see how much better life is.

Not the river we went canoeing on, but just imagine the fun you could have getting outdoors.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 53

Day 53 - I want to tell you what a great choice it is to be a non-smoker.  You just enjoy life more and understand that you will have a full life and that you are not cutting it short.  I just feel great and I wanted everyone to know this.  My Blog has finally reached 1000 views and I am proud that people from all over the world are reading my Blog.  Instead of putting a downer image today, I want to show something a little brighter.

Think of all the adventures you can take with all of the money you are saving from not smoking.  This image is from French Polynesia.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 44

Day 44 - I have been having some great days lately.  I feel more energized and willing to do more.  I am not sure if it is because I quit smoking or because my wife and I have started eating healthier as of this week.  I just feel good, I want to do more and enjoy life.  I want to head out west and have a great time in the mountains.  My wife and I are planning a vacation soon and I think we will head west and just have a good time.  Another great day of enjoying life and just feeling the freedom of not smoking.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 43

Day 43 - Yesterday was the beginning of Step 2 for the Nicoderm CQ patch.  2 weeks of this and I will be ready for the final step.  Still feeling great with minimal urges if any for the need of a cigarette.  Another day down.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 42

Day 42 - Yesterday was the last day of Step 1 of the patch.  I look forward to moving on to Step 2 and getting through the whole 10 week patch process.  I have now not smoked for 42 days and I am very proud of this accomplishment.  I plan on continuing to Blog everyday until the patch process is done and then I will still continue to Blog on a weekly basis.  I have nothing more today other then, quitting smoking has been the best decision I have made that will benefit my health and my family.

Quit Smoking and be #1

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 41

Day 41 - I find that as each day passes, I think a lot less of cigarettes and more about things I want to do in life.  My wife and I, since we both stopped smoking at the same time, want to do so much with each other such as biking, vacationing, and just spending time together.  It feels good not to rely on cigarettes as being a part of our lives anymore.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 40

Day 40 - 2 more days and Step 2 begins on the Patch.  I am looking forward to seeing what happens when the nicotine level is reduced.  I certainly hope the urges don't increase again.  I finally hit a point in my journey that I no longer feel the need for a cigarette and I hope this feelings stays the way it is.  I just remember to keep telling myself I am a non-smoker and that is who I am.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 39

Day 39 - Well, I must admit, it is nice to see people visiting this Blog and I hope that it is helping some.  I have noticed from my stats on this Blog that people from all over the world are viewing it.  I am almost at a 1000 views, a little ways to go but I am sure we will get there.  Quitting smoking has been quite the journey for me.  I have worked through the urges, anxiety, and just the detoxing period and I must admit, it was all worth it.  I feel better and I hope that my journey is helping others in their journey's to quit smoking.  I have 3 more days until I start Step 2 of the patch.  The journey with using the patch is getting closer to ending and the feeling of that is great, because I will now start the journey of being weened of nicotine for good.

The journey continues.  Thanks to everyone for your support.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 38

Day 38 - Just when you thought I may run out of things to talk about for quitting smoking.  I was driving home today and this car was speeding right by me and I thought to myself, smoking is like speeding in a car.  What do I mean by this?  Speeding feels good in the beginning but over time there are consequences that will catch up to you, just like smoking, it feels good when you start, you get that rush or buzz for a while but the consequences catch up to you over time when you have a hard time breathing, you health heads south, and eventually it will end up killing you.  It is so much better to drive in the safe lane then it is taking the chance of dealing with consequences in the fast lane.  Okay, maybe the whole analogy was not the best, but I think you get what I was trying to say.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 37

Day 37 - It was another great day today.  I find myself at work during the day, no longer thinking about cigarettes.  I am starting to have the feeling that I am truly done with smoking, out of site, out of mind.  Each day recently has been very easy to not think about cigarettes or even having any urges to want a cigarette.  I just tell myself, I am a non-smoker, that is who I am.  I feel healthier a little more each day, I am breathing easier and I just feel more healthier.  Being a non-smoker is just the right choice to make.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 36

Day 36 - Yesterday was just another great day of not smoking.  I feel that quitting smoking has made me a little happier.  My wife and I smile more and are just enjoying life.  For anyone who smokes, you don't need them, they are just a thorn in your side, one that needs to be pulled.  Cigarettes do nobody any good unless you enjoy the fact of knowing that every cigarette you smoke is putting you one step closer to that whole in the ground.  I was there, I decided to change and no longer think about when am I going to die, but rather now, how am I going to live.  Life is full of to many adventures and I plan on enjoying as many as I possibly can.  Anyone who wants to quit and just doesn't know where to start, see the links in my Blog, read my Blog, do whatever it takes to get started down the road to becoming a non-smoker.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 34

Day 34 - It was another great day.  My wife and I took a walk through Lake Geneva and got some ice cream and just enjoyed spending some time together.  I have noticed a lot more now, that there are a lot of people out there that smoke.  I was amazed, this is something I never paid attention to when I was a smoker, but now I notice everyone that is smoking.  I can't believe so many people smoke, I saw a guy get out of his car light a cigarette for his 30 second walk to the entrance to a store and then put the cigarette out and I thought to myself, I used to do that.  What a waste, do you really need to smoke for that 30 seconds?  Man, I can't believe I used to do that.  The thought of each cigarette lit was about 37 cents, that is crazy.  I calculate how much cigarettes were costing my wife and I for just one year and $5417 a year on cigarettes is ridiculous.  I could have had my car paid off by now with this amount, or my wife, kids, and I could have had many great vacations with this money, but no, smoking was more important.  Just the thought of the time and money I have wasted on cigarettes makes me sick.  I alone, spent 36,500 minutes of my life a year smoking which equates to roughly 608 hours which equates to 3.62 weeks a year spent on smoking.  If you are a smoker and have never done the calculation, I suggest you do your own calculation, this is a wake up call.

How to figure the calculation:

1. Number of cigarettes per day x 5(minutes) = total minutes per day spent smoking
2. Total number of minutes spent per day smoking x 365 (days per year) = total minutes per year
3. Total minutes per year / 60 (minutes per hour) = number of hours per year
4. Number of hours per year / 168 (number of hours in a week) = number of weeks spent smoking

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 33

Day 33 - Since I stopped smoking, it has given me more time to actually think about where I want to be in life.  I have advanced in my career pretty good in a short term and I continue to grow with the company I am with now, but is it enough?  I ask myself this everyday, I set goals to reach before I turn 40, one was to quit smoking and so far I have met this goal.  Another goal I set was to be making a specific amount of money by the time I turn 40 (not disclosing the amount here).  I am close to the money I set as my goal, but I am not quite there, but I do have the experience to get there and this is a constant thought on my mind.  I guess it is good to have this thought because it keeps me from thinking about smoking.  One thing to find out if you plan on quitting smoking, see if your company has a cessation program that may be able to help you.  I am in a very supportive company when it comes to employees wanting to quit smoking.  This is a big help especially if you have co-workers quitting the same time you are, it gives you more support.  I quit and it is the best decision I have ever made.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 32

Day 32 - The struggle continues.  I find that some urges I have throughout the day are getting stronger.  I am not sure if that is because I am more stressed, which I really don't feel more stressed, or is it just a normal part of quitting.  I ask myself, is the expectation when quitting to have good days and bad days?  The answer I guess would have to be yes.  Nicotine is an addiction just like any other drug and when you are trying to break the habit, you will continue to have that little voice in your head saying you want nicotine, you want a cigarette.  I am still on the patch, so the nicotine is covered for now, but now I think, what is going to happen when I am no longer using the patch.  One thing I make sure to do is get my thought process off of the thought of no more patches so I don't get more anxious.  Currently, I can control the urges I get and when they get really bad, I just listen to a song or two with a headset till they pass.  I think music is a good thing to turn to, because it gets you thinking about other things if you actually listen to the words.  I found this one video on YouTube that is not only good but also has some funny parts.  Hope you enjoy!!!

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 31

Day 31 - I think I may have mentioned this over time but one thing to remember when you are trying to quit smoking is that your daily routine will change.  If you do not like change, then this will be hard for you.  Everyday is a new routine as you get used to doing things to fill in the time you used to smoke.  I have learned that since I stopped smoking, my routine daily is not a routine anymore.  Everyday is something new and it does feel good to do new things.  My new daily things I do to pass the cigarette times is to maybe take a short walk around my office or take 5 minutes and listen to a song on YouTube, or even just go outside and get some air, everyday is something new.  The best part of not having a routine, is not having a routine and getting healthier not having one.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 30

Day 30 - Yesterday was a great day.  1 month down and many more great months to come as a non-smoker.  I feel good even with a few urges and anxiety, I feel good.  I am learning that each day comes and a new routine begins.  It makes life interesting when everyday is a new day.  I feel that good things are to come as I move forward as a non-smoker.  I certainly hope people are reading these posts and are finding them useful.  If not that is alright because I do this for me, just like quitting smoking, you will being doing it for yourself.  You are doing it to be healthier and so that you can be their for your family, but if you truly don't want to quit and you are doing it because someone told you to, you will not succeed.  Please feel free to ask any questions for anyone of my posts or just leave comments, I will reply.  Anything you want to know about quitting just ask and I will be happy to tell you everything I have been going through that may not have made it on this Blog.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 29

Day 29 - As the end of the day yesterday, my wife and I have completed 1 month of not smoking.  This to me is an impressive milestone.  I never could have imagined a month ago that I could have gone this long without a cigarette.  To me, smoking is a bad addiction and one that is very hard to quit.  There is no easy way of quitting and until you make that decision you are done, you will never quit.  As I believe I have said in the past, prepare yourself for what is going to be when you quit.  You will have urges, your mind will make you very anxious, your body will go through changes, it just feels different and this difference is what you will need to get used to.  The difference you feel after quitting smoking is good, but remember it is different and you will need to make sure you are prepared for this.