Life without the patch (Day 393)

Day 393 - I missed my one year mark posting on here, but better late than never.  Life is good when you can breath easier and save money while doing it.  I am very thankful I chose to quit smoking.  I am thankful for all of the support I have received and hope to continue on this path of being a non smoker.  I won't say the days are easier now then they were when I first started quitting, but you take each day at a time and get through each of them.  I see everyday the commercials on the TV about quitting smoking and I want to make sure I continue to not be a statistic of a smoker dying of some awful disease.  Good luck again to anyone trying to quit.  As long as you have people to support you and your are committed, you will quit.

Life without the patch (Day 120)

Day 120 - Life is great, another milestone, 4 months without smoking.  I feel great, like nothing will ever get me to start smoking again.  Yes, I do still have daily urges to smoke, but they are controllable.  Anyone trying to quit, prepare yourself for the urges after you have quit for a while.  I am not sure if the urges ever go away, but after 4 months of not smoking, they are more manageable and pass by faster then in previous months.  The only way you will truly quit forever is to have it set in you mind that you are done and smoking is something you do not want to continue doing.  Just think about how healthy you will be and the years you will be adding to your life by quitting.

Good lick to all those who are just beginning to quit.  It is a long road, but one worth taking.

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 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 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 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.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 28

Day 28 - Another great day of not smoking.  I find myself each day thankful for the next because I know I am doing what needs to be done to live a healthier life.  Nobody is going to live forever, but I am going to live as long as I can.  All I can say today about not smoking is it has given me a new lease on life.  I am feeling better as each day passes and my energy level has increased.  Nobody knows this feeling unless you are/were a smoker who has quit or is quitting.  Some times I feel anxious because I have so much energy, I don't know what to do with it.  These are the times to watch out for so you don't allow yourself to be fouled into smoking again.  This anxiety can make you feel the urge to smoke, just relax and it will pass.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 27

Day 27 - Yesterday was a great day, my wife and I had a date night and we saw the movie Tammy.  Anyone who wants to see a funny movie, I would highly recommend going to see Tammy.  I couldn't tell you the last time my wife and I went out to a movie theater, and it was such an enjoyable evening.  I find now that I don't smoke, I want to get out and do more.  Before, when I was a smoker, I just wanted to spend a lot of time at home because most places you go to, you can't smoke, and smoking was that much a part of my life.  Yesterday I also had some time during the day to watch some YouTube videos and I came across the commercial that was a big influence on me deciding to quit.  I want to share this video with everyone.  I will put up a viewer discretion as the video can be disturbing to some, but the fact of what it presents should be shown.  If this video doesn't motivate you to quit nothing will.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 26

Day 26 - Yesterday was a great day.  It was Friday so why wouldn't it be a great day and on top of that it was payday.  It feels great to move forward each day as each day is closer that I will no longer have to use the patch to quit smoking.  I have roughly 6 weeks and 2 days left on the patch and then I am on my own.  I think I will do fine as I am not feeling any remorse about quitting smoking.  I still have urges, but I have found was to deal with those.  I think back to the days when I did smoke and what a routine that was.  If your are a smoker, look at your day to day routine and you will know what I am talking about.  I would get up everyday and go to the bathroom and then go have a cigarette, this was a daily routine for years.  Then throughout the day I had my cigarette breaks timed and I would keep that routine everyday.  Pretty boring if you ask me.  Now, I don't have a routine, I get up each day as a new day and new things to do and it feels great.  Let's see what I am not putting in my body as a daily routine:

 

OK I found one thing in the picture that I am putting in my body still and that is Nicotine from the patch.  I will soon be off of the patch so then everything in the picture will not be going into my body.

Quit smoking with Nicoderm CQ - Day 25

Day 25 - Yesterday was about urges.  I had many urges yesterday for a cigarette and I am not sure why.  They did pass but it took longer.  I am not worried though because I know that quitting was the best thing I have ever done for my family and my health.  I may have said this before but if you ever get an urge to have a cigarette, just listen to a good song that is at least 3 minutes long.  I find sometimes it may be better to listen to a song that you would normally never listen to because it keeps your mind focusing on the song and not your urge.  Below is a song I found that actually has a decent beat and help me through an urge to smoke.