Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Thanks, Jvo and welcome back K9. Lovely to see a few of us here working together on the same worthy goal... for me the ecig still keeping me on track. I'm looking forward to phasing it down, but for now just happily surprised each day I don't break and buy a pack. Starting to feel a little easier, for which I'm grateful...

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Roll call Jan 7

Skull- Day 5

[j-vo]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Roll call Jan 7

Skull- Day 5
jvo day 36

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Roll call Jan 8

Skull- day 6

I'm kinda sad because, contrary to what I believed previously, I found this article claiming that e-cigs are pretty harmful too... I guess I'll have to wean myself off it, or go cold turkey... 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes

[johnnyb]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

skullbabyland;1609914 wrote: Roll call Jan 8

Skull- day 6

I'm kinda sad because, contrary to what I believed previously, I found this article claiming that e-cigs are pretty harmful too... I guess I'll have to wean myself off it, or go cold turkey... 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes [removed link, not enough posts...]

Hey guys,

Just wishing you the best of luck! Quitting smoking was on my list last year, so I know what it feels like.

And don't bother too much about articles in mainstream media. It's good if you want to quit e-cigs. I used snus tobacco to ease the cravings for two weeks until I dropped that too. But don't feel bad about it just because e-cigs found their way into some journalist's to-do list.

I've compared a lot of clinical research and media claims over the past years (job requirement) and I can tell you the media cares for sensational news more than it does for informing people. The article you linked has "sensationalism" written all over it and is more of a personal attack on the industry rather than an objective piece. If you want to quit e-cigs for your health, that's great, but don't feel guilty about it just because some journalist had to do his job.

Take care and best of luck once again!

[j-vo]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Roll call Jan 8

Skull- day 6
jvo 37 - Skull, if you discontinue your e cig, why not try the patch. It really works. Or Nic gum. That, too, works. Don't give up!

I'm kinda sad because, contrary to what I believed previously, I found this article claiming that e-cigs are pretty harmful too... I guess I'll have to wean myself off it, or go cold turkey... 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

OH cool, Johnny B, thanks for the helpful post. That lifted my spirits, I'm sure you're spot on.

As for smoking... I broke yesterday. I feel quite a lot of guilt! Boooo.

Jvo- I think I will buy the patch. Good call...

Thanks all

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

OK. Today I'm going to the pharmacy and getting the patch. NO MORE SMOKING!!!

Day 1 CF

[K9Lover]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

:sofa:

I am hiding because I, too, will need a new start date.

WHY IS THIS SO HARD????

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

K9, want to start today with me?

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Copy/pasted from my Progress/fitness thread, as it discusses things pertinent here...

Update-

First, the good. My current protocol of nutrition, intermittent fasting, and restricting calories to 1800/day is going GREAT- today the scale read 187 lbs. I haven't been this lean since high school, and I'm loving it.

Stats-

Day 71 AF (alcohol free)
Day 8 SGF (sugar/gluten free)
Day 1 CF!!!!! (cigarette free)

As is obvious from the numbers above, I've been letting smoking slip. I've been thinking on this and I don't think it's just the physical cravings for nicotine. I think it's my brain wanting a constant distraction from whatever I really want to be doing (such as working or pursuing things of value). I feel it constantly- every 10 minutes I want to ignore what I'm doing and go smoke. But there's another component to it.

I was thinking on this last night while smoking-- and I had an epiphany. What I am chasing, by smoking, is I am trying to replicate the feeling of 'checking out' or 'turning off my brain' that I so often did with alcohol, and more recently did with Valium the day of my Lasik surgery. I feel like my brain is desperately trying to find that "feel good". That day on Valium was very interesting in that it felt WAAAAYYY too awesome. I could really see myself getting addicted to it really easily, which is why I won't let myself even think about trying to find more. It felt a lot like getting drunk- the feeliing of all my worries floating away.

So, putting aside for the moment that my goal is not to be searching for ways to check out, obviously cigarettes are a poor substitute for alcohol or pills. Just a momentary subtle buzz, if at all, and then I'm stinky and my lungs hurt and I feel guilty and anxious.

I'm also recently more aware that I have a large component of fear and anxiety running through my life. I'm like, always kinda scared. I almost always feel scared of something- other people, infringing on others, being seen as rude and shitty, others being rude and shitty, doing the 'wrong' thing in others eyes, strangers being potentially aggressive, it goes on and on. Worse than that, I'm scared of my own confusion around my identity, myself as an artist. I can't seem to get myself going to create art, and it frightens me. This is a bigger topic, a whole midlife crisis/loss of identity topic, but anyway I've been using cigs to self-soothe while all this goes on. But again, cigs highten anxiety, so it's a poor tool obviously, in so many ways.

Also, cigarettes have become an excuse to avoid workouts. This, dear friends, is unacceptable. So as of today, I am CF. I'm going to the pharmacy on my way to the studio, to get nicotine patches. When I crave today, so be it- I'll just crave. I'll feel like shit. I'll hate life and hate everything. I'll fear and loathe everything, most of all myself. I'll literally salivate. And I'll know that it'll soon pass. And I'll get my ass over to the weight bench and I'll lift heavy things. This, I vow!!!

[K9Lover]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Wow Skull...that was a great post!

I, too, feel like I am not physically addicted to cigarettes, but I am mentally. It's kind of like the last thing I have left "to look forward to"...if that makes any sense. And it really doesn't, because I will work out for 2 hours then go home and immediately go outside for a smoke. Now how does that make ANY sense?? :hitme: How DUMB is it that my reward for getting healthy is a cigarette? Basically I need to find something else to look forward to. I haven't found it yet, obviously.

[skullbabyland]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Yeah, I hear you... for those of us addicted to unhealthy substances such as nicotine and alcohol, it can be really hard to find healthy substitutes... I have yet to find one but I'm optimistic!

[K9Lover]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Oh and here's my other "excuse"....my dog will only go out his dog door and come outside to pee if I am sitting out there. Last time I quit I just went and sat outside, but it wasn't quite the same.

[K9Lover]

Tobacco/Smoke-Free Roll Call

Tomorrow will be day 1 for me....I had to wrap my head around it (again).

Here we go...we can do this. NO :schmokin: !!