10 months plus

[cleopetra]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted much recently due to work,etc so I thought I would post an update as to where I am at with my quit. Well I am now about 10 months and 2 weeks since I last smoked. I've been lucky in some ways in that I've had very few cravings but have relied heavily on an e cig. I know there are mixed views on using e cigs but now that I am reaping the benefits from not smoking, I still believe that it was the best thing for me.

When I first stopped smoking I would cling to my e cig to such an extent that I would fall asleep every night clutching it in my hand. Now I am at a stage where I sometimes leave it at home if I am only going out for a short time. I call that progress and still far better than smoking.

I did put on about 7 pounds when I stopped smoking but have managed to shift that weight by watching what I eat and exercise. I walk a lot. If I gave a day where I am mostly in the office I go out at lunchtime and spend it walking around. I usually manage 4-5k. I am planning to do a 10k walk for fun in the near future. I'm slowly getting back into going to the gym. I find that I can run a little now on the tread mill. Usually for 30-60 seconds at a time. I could never do that when I smoked and as the months have gone on I have realised that I can do this more often than when I first stopped smoking. It makes me feel good because I can now measure the improvement to my lung power by what I am now able to do. I smoked for 40 years so I am well pleased and whatever I do in an effort to improve my health, I try and enjoy it and don't give myself unrealistic targets.

A couple of weeks ago I panicked a bit when my e cig batteries both seemed to die and I felt awful in my head. I basically wanted to scream for the time from when I found that my batteries had died until the next day when one of them stared to charge up again. It wasn't very nice at all but probably a good test for me to go through. However at no time did I consider buying cigarettes as a stop gap while I waied for my new batteries to be delivered. I am really proud of myself for that.

That is about it really. I'm looking forward to semi retiring from my work in the next 2 months and will then have more time to do other things including my 10k walk.

Take care everyone.

Sally.x

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer]

Hi ya Sally, its great to see you again

10 Months & 2 weeks quit WOW, thats just sooooooooper gal yippppppppy dippppppy dooooooo to you and a big well done to you for getting through the time your batteries ran out, yes you hold your head up high and be proud of yourself Sally, cos you deserve it

As for your walking and that little sprint on the tread mill, we have another Lady on here who is a jogette she walks and then does a bit of a run for a few seconds, and then back to walking again but it works for her

You take care now Sally, speak soon, Pete x

[Hidden in reply to monky]

Hya Pete. Y'know I think you must have been stopped for more time than you've smoked, so you must be over 12 months stopped now (with a couple of little breaks in between). I think you deserve a Blue Peter badge for keep stopping again after a lapse, it must take a lot of willpower to do that and you always start counting the weeks all over again from scratch (I wouldn't, don't care if its cheating, I still wouldn't )

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Hidden]

Ha ha ha, Sinfree, you a one gal and a love ya ta bits, a doo as for deserving a Blue peter badge, I dont think so

I've had a brief look back at my quit attempts, and I quit in January 2011 while I was staying with my Dad, cos he wasnt very good at the time, I managed 6 weeks back then but I am on 12 weeks tomorrow now, soooo, I am getting somewhere eh

Erm, willpower, whats that then cos dont think I've got any of that gal !!

To cut a long story short, I used to get shipped out to my Grandma & Grandads at the weekend, to give my Mam a rest, cos she'd just had the twins After a few weeks, my Grandad used to sit me down and tell me things, erm, prophesies to me as what I would turn out to be in later life !

I tell you now, they have all come true apart from 1, and there is time for that to happen yet, He also told me, no, taut me, that if you dont get it right the first time, you have to keep trying,trying, trying, to get it right and that is what I am doing now Sinfree, trying to make it happen, to be smoke free, and I will keep trying until I have done it and become smokefree

Well, Sinfree, now you know I aint got no willpower, but I've got power from my Grandad

[Hidden in reply to monky]

Aww. Well you can't beat Grandad power for getting you through the tough times

[mrssunnyside]

Hi Cleopetra, Wow 10months quit, Congrats from me

I've enjoyed reading your post.

I to have quit the cigarettes using an e-cig, after 45 years smoking, and had failed using other NRT products. And like you am reaping the benefits, as feeling so much better, able to do brisk walking, use my exercise bike and doing gym exercises without the shortness of breath, tasting foods, whiter teeth, the list goes on !!

And yes who's to say we will be able to live without our e-cig too in the not to distant future !!

Here's to our healthier Happy times.

[Hidden]

Hi Cleopetra - Mrs Jogette here We must have stopped around the same time. 26th January for me, I had a slight hiccup in April when I smoked 18 cigarettes over 4 days but then I promptly stopped again and have never had one since. I can't honestly say I've noticed any benefits other than financial but I suppose they must be there somewhere. I did cycle 16 miles yesterday and it was only about 2 degrees, I think a few years ago a trip like that might have been a bit of a day out whereas we set off about 1.00pm had a browse around Tesco half way and was home for 3.30 so that's not bad. I think what I do notice is that I still get out of breath, still find it hard going on hills but recovery time i.e. getting my breath back again is a lot faster than it used to be. The desire for a ciggy when I get back though is still going strong. I use an e-cig like you but my downfall are lozenges which I can't give up and when I wake up in a morning my desire for nicotine either in e-cig form or lozenges is now almost instant which is actually worse than when I smoked.

Am same as you with weight gain too, about half a stone. I've lost a bit of it but still 2 or 3lbs to go to get back to what I was when I stopped. But it is nicotine that pushes up the metabolism so as we're still taking in nicotine I do wonder if at least my weight gain is just down to being a little piggy rather than stopping smoking

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Hidden]

Sinfree,

You say that you havent noticed any benefits from quitting the ciggies, apart from financial, BUT you have just said it, you can cycle further, you can now jogette is that good or not gal

youtube.com/watch?feature=p...

[Hidden in reply to monky]

haha, I love that film. Yeah it is good that I can go further and I must admit its my legs that hurt rather than getting out of breath when I'm on my bike. I suppose I just liked smoking and resent admitting even to myself that it was a good thing to do, I still miss it

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Hidden]

yeah, so do I