Positive changes!!

Sala

I am off the cigarettes and on NRT and am feeling positive. I keep trying to focus on all the positive changes that will happen to keep me motivated. Can anyone who is off them longer than me give an idea of what I have to look forward to?!

Only off them a week but so far:
1) Saved some money (spent some on the NRT but it's still a saving)
2) Exercising felt easier! This may be psychological, but after only 3 days I was playing my usual sport, I usually get out of breath and get a pain in my chest if I overexert, and my breathing can be very laboured but it seemed to be incredibly improved very quickly.

I am trying to focus on the positive and I would appreciate some more to look forward to!

Love2love

I downloaded an app when I first gave up which told me how much I had saved, how many I had not smoked and how many days and hours I had added to my life by not smoking.

Currently its like this: 1 month, 11 days and 14 hours since I last smoked - I have saved €387.51 - I have not smoked 851 cigarettes - I have added 3 days, 13 hours and 12 mins to my life.

My complexion has improved, I smell better, I enjoy food more including eating food I thought I hated! (Porridge = Yuk! but now I love it) I am fitter because I am doing the couch to 5K. I am NOT hacking up a lung each morning when I wake up, I am not constantly planning around cigarettes as in where/when can I smoke when I go somewhere. I do not have to excuse myself to stand in the cold / rain and puff away and then come back stinking! The list is endless! :D:D

Good luck!!

Sala

Love2love wrote: »

I downloaded an app when I first gave up which told me how much I had saved, how many I had not smoked and how many days and hours I had added to my life by not smoking.

Currently its like this: 1 month, 11 days and 14 hours since I last smoked - I have saved €387.51 - I have not smoked 851 cigarettes - I have added 3 days, 13 hours and 12 mins to my life.

My complexion has improved, I smell better, I enjoy food more including eating food I thought I hated! (Porridge = Yuk! but now I love it) I am fitter because I am doing the couch to 5K. I am NOT hacking up a lung each morning when I wake up, I am not constantly planning around cigarettes as in where/when can I smoke when I go somewhere. I do not have to excuse myself to stand in the cold / rain and puff away and then come back stinking! The list is endless! :D:D

Good luck!!

Thank you! I am going to write all these down somewhere and keep them on me, like a business card or something, so I can look at them and stay on the smoke-free straight and narrow.
I am looking forward to my skin improving so I really hope it does!! I think there has been a small change but only noticeable to me :-)
The coughing is so gross, I feel like an old lady sometimes.

This is an interesting one - "not constantly planning around cigarettes as in where/when can I smoke when I go somewhere". I suppose I forgot how inconvenient smoking is, you always focus on being relieved when you finally can smoke, but there is no need if you are a non-smoker to feel like this.

username123

Between 7 and 10 days - complexion and teeth - youre not laying down a film of nicotine a few times a day and whats there gets scrubbed off from normal brushing, go check them, your teeth and gums probably both look better.

Your complexion should be less 'grey' by now as well.

In the next 2 weeks you should notice that your sense of smell and taste improves - is subtle so dont suddenly expect an explosion of smell and taste!

Cardio - well it just gets easier, and while before there was little point in struggling through the chest pain and shortness of breath - now there is. Your ability to retain fitness drastically improves because you are no longer choking yourself up day after day.

Heartburn/indigestion - I used to wonder why they bothered marketing Rennies because Id have to take nearly a whole pack of them to get any relief if I had a bout of heartburn - now I rarely need them, and 2 takes care of things.

Your sex life. Yes, it gets better - mainly because you smell better, you look better, your confidence is improved, you are less likely to shy back inwardly thinking 'oh do I smell/taste smokey' and you get more energy - so look out world
I probably should have put that first now that I think about it

If you do close up work with a computer or anything that might strain the eyes do remember to look off into infinity a few times a day - you used to do it while smoking outside, it relaxes the eyes.

msg11

Sala wrote: »

I am off the cigarettes and on NRT and am feeling positive. I keep trying to focus on all the positive changes that will happen to keep me motivated. Can anyone who is off them longer than me give an idea of what I have to look forward to?!

Only off them a week but so far:
1) Saved some money (spent some on the NRT but it's still a saving)
2) Exercising felt easier! This may be psychological, but after only 3 days I was playing my usual sport, I usually get out of breath and get a pain in my chest if I overexert, and my breathing can be very laboured but it seemed to be incredibly improved very quickly.

I am trying to focus on the positive and I would appreciate some more to look forward to!

1. Mentally positive
2. Physically positive (this bollix of gaining weight is just that, bollix. I'm off them 1 year and 3 months now, and weight lifting at the moment trying to gain weight).
3. Better taste response from the mouth
4. Better smell response from the nose
5. If your drinking no standing outside for no reason
6. Saving money, instead of been broke and bumming a cig or having them bummed off you
7. No smell of smoke in my car or room from smoking
8. No yellow finger from the smokes
9. Better immune system response to infections
10. Teeth looking alot whiter
11. You don't feel half as bad after a night on the piss

List is endless..

Always remember, even though I am off them a 1 year and 3 months. I will always be addicted to them, one smoke is all it takes and I would more than likly be off again. Once your this far down the line you don't get cravings but don't fool yourself into think that one will be alright. Keep straight on, it's well worth it is the best advise I can give, few months 4/5 and you will be wondering why you smoked.

Sala

Thanks MSG11 and username123.
I was actually concerned a bit about weight gain, but since I am taking nicotine I don't have the mad, nervous hunger I did before. I am not overweight and am doing way more exercise than I did a year ago so I should be ok.

That's an interesting one about not feeling as bad after a night on the piss. I usually feel rubbish anyway but there can be a lot of gross coughing the morning after, that should go.

I am thinking about typing these up and laminating them as credit card sized flashcards for my purse so I can look at them if I feel weak. I find it's thinking abut all these great things that make you determined. Funny that, since when you smoke you try to block it all out :-) When I focus on the positives like this I feel so great with my decision, which is why I need to keep reminding myself.

I am saving for a deposit for a house and I just keep imagining sitting in my new back garden, partially saved for through not smoking!:D It might sound silly but I worked it out - myself and the other half probably have spent 400 euro a month on fags!! That'll go a long way towards my deposit. (I might laminate a little picture of a house too )

username123

I read on here somewhere that youd have to gain 8 stone to match the health risk of being a smoker.

I like your little flash card idea. Definitely a picture of a house or a nice garden.

It much less stressful not being a smoker, not having to fit in a smoke all the time and stand out in the cold. I just felt like I was a slave to the nicotine monster and now Im free.

I ran into someone I used to work with today. An older man, mid 50s maybe. Heavy smoker, stained fingers. I could smell smoke off him from a few feet away. And that dank awful cough - shudder!!!

Thats just reminded me, I look after my nails but when I smoked if I wore light colour nail varnish it used to go a bit orange on the first two fingers of my smoking hand. No more!