Good morning everyone I was rather squiffy last night, so thought I'd try this again.
I have been staring longingly at that "6 months +" room for a while now, every time I log onto the forum, and It feels so great to be here. I'm really proud of myself and so thankful to all of you.
There's such a great mixture of people on here; Some have talked me down in moments of panic, some have given me a sense of achievement to hang onto when I have felt self critical, and some have just given me the good kick up the backside I have needed to keep me strong.
Thank you for being a great group of people!
Ok, so stats:
183 days smokefree
1823 cigarettes not smoked
£680 (ish) saved
7 days added back onto my life :eek:
Heart and Lung stats improve slowly every day
Lows:
There aren't many, but it's best to be honest!
Lows have been to do with the social aspect of smoking, rather than the physical, and I still sometimes get that niggle (emphasis on niggle, as it is nowhere near bad enough to make me want to smoke). I have found that I would feel jealous and a bit resentful, as the conversation can tend to take itself outside with the smokers. When you are outnumbered it is definately annoying to have to wait and catch up afterwards and that's the main reason I became so close to caving.
The sunshine is another time I've thought smoking would be nice, but I have been so suprised at how little it affected me. I really thought sunshine + beer would be a massive struggle, but I was already so set by the time the sun came out that I was way past caring!
My least favourite low is weight gain (and this doesn't happen to everyone, I'm sure). I am really happy I allowed myself to snack on whatever I wanted when I quit, as it kept some of the worst cravings at bay, but it has recently knocked my confidence a little. However, I started a healthy diet two weeks ago and have lost 4 pounds so far! I'd much rather have a bit of weight to tackle, than go back to being miserable about smoking.
Highs:
Nice breath, nice smelling clothes etc, less colds (and a much less severe cough), freedom, more money (though I still manage to spend it), more clothes (ahhh, that's where the money is going ;)), the ability to deal with stressful situations without needing a crutch.
Gosh, I could go on and on with this list!
I think the biggest change I have felt in myself is confidence. Smoking really tends to take that away from you, and I'm still not entirely sure why, but I feel great in myself and have proven that I can stick to any goal I set for myself.
I'll stop blabbing now :rolleyes: I just felt I needed to write a really positive post, as my experience has been made so much easier with the help of positive stories!
Sarah Lou x