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Christmas 2009

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 567

Dear Cristinas,

What a great, heartfelt post! Yes---it wasn't a huge struggle for much of the time (during the my (almost) 2 trips around the sun), but just a re-training of the mind--learning to live life without the ciggy-butts.

With each passing day and triumph it does get better. It becomes but a small, fleeting thought with time that is very easily replaced.

Keep your positive attitude--and the words NOPE close to your lips. You are beating this battle!!!

Deb

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 3/1/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 666
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 26,640
Amount Saved: $5,994.00
Life Gained:
Days: 78 Hrs: 4 Mins: 49 Seconds: 0

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 880

cristinas

I am so glad to read this, it sounds to me that you are working this thing out in your own way. That is a very good thing, because in many ways it is a very personal journey and although you are never alone along the way, the doing of it is your own.

The things you talk about are very familar to me. I think of it as being able to change the mind's channel when it gets stuck on the smoking station. That takes a great deal of strength, because the addiction can operate on a very strong signal. Keep moving forward, you will do this, and I have to feel that you will help many others along the way to do the same...

Keep moving forward...

nonic

stay well

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/25/2006
Smoke-Free Days: 1098
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 32,940
Amount Saved: $11,529.00
Life Gained:
Days: 209 Hrs: 13 Mins: 27 Seconds: 26

Quit Meter

$71,148.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 1557 Hours: 21

Minutes: 8 Seconds: 5

Life Gained
Quit Meter

6776

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

203,280

Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1843

Christinas, congratulations on your first smoke free Christmas in 20+ years! I've read that it takes experiencing all of the seasons and the triggers associated with each holiday to fully become a non-smoker! You've experienced two of the biggest (Thanksgiving and Christmas) smoke free, so you are on your way! And Ros is right, the beach is on the horizon. I hope you have a wonderful reward planned to celebrate! Congrats, and Merry Christmas!
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 8/20/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 492
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 19,680
Amount Saved: $4,920.00
Life Gained:
Days: 73 Hrs: 11 Mins: 16 Seconds: 48

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1904

Merry Christmas form the US heartland!

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 238
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,664
Amount Saved: $2,582.30
Life Gained:
Days: 26 Hrs: 1 Mins: 20 Seconds: 24

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 639

Good for you, Christinas!!! We enjoyed a smokefree day. This one had more triggers than usual, but we did it. Enjoy! And revel in the newness of life. We are free.....

Keep the Quit.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 1/19/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 340
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 10,200
Amount Saved: $2,677.50
Life Gained:
Days: 55 Hrs: 12 Mins: 31 Seconds: 7

Quit Meter

$54,441.86

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 1257 Hours: 20

Minutes: 45 Seconds: 3

Life Gained
Quit Meter

6019

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

180,570

Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Thanks for that Cristinas!

Love your attitude and the inspiration!

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 112

Those 81 days look very good on you Christinas, you deserve your daughter's praise.

It won't take many trips around the sun for you to almost forget you ever smoked, trust me!

Next year it will feel much more natural to be a non-smoker.

Happy Christmas to\you, in less than a month you'll be on the beach with your 100 days, I hope you are planning a special celebration?

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/16/2004
Smoke-Free Days: 1835
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 58,720
Amount Saved: �11,744.00
Life Gained:
Days: 258 Hrs: 18 Mins: 41 Seconds: 43

Quit Meter

$34,860.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 758 Hours: 14

Minutes: 52 Seconds: 55

Life Gained
Quit Meter

5810

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

69,720

Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 251

I am almost 42 years old (young at heart, though...

). I smoked since I was 18. A "slow start" at 5-10 cigs a day for about one, two. Then up to 1-2 packs the rest of this time. I calculated that makes about 240,000 cigarettes smoked. For the first time in 24 years I have a smoke-free Christmas. Is it hard? Is it easy? Neither. It is just different. I have associated smoking with so many activities that it makes it so "off" to do all that without the cigarette in hand/mouth. I am learning still how to live my life without the cigarettes. I have moments of "urges". They are getting rare and they do pass with the smile. I have times when a smoke still seems would feel good - but I tought myself to talk myself out of those. I have little stinkin' thinking moments that "one won't hurt anything" - I have read enough stories to know that this is not an option. Not for the junkie that now I know I was/am. But most of the time now it is not hard to be a non-smoker. It is still a choice. It does not come natural at all times. And probably it will take a few trips around the sun to get there.
But...

... everytime I look at those starts

... everytime I hear my daughter's praise words

... everytime I look in the mirror and I see less junkie

... everytime I come and post on this website

... everytime I know I help someone else make this choice

I know I am getting closer to that point.

So, Christmas time this year brings me another thing to be grateful for: quitting smoking and finding a super troop of non-smoking friends.

Merry Christmas all! And THANK YOU

Keep the quit

Cristina

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 10/5/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 81
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,835
Amount Saved: $368.55
Life Gained:
Days: 7 Hrs: 13 Mins: 14 Seconds: 4

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