Holy Smokes!! HowLong??

Wow!! Two years since my last post!! And 4 ½ Years since I started this blog … Check out the beginning if you wish …

http://my-new-life-blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/re-born-on-4th-of-july.html

In that time I’ve had over 46,000 hits (I know, not a lot) and in my absence – about two a day. I’m sure mostly from people doing a Google search on quitting smoking.

When people log on and see the last post date, I’m sure they’re now wondering … is the author of this blog still smoke free?? How’s he doing?  Healthy? Off the wagon? Dead?

If you’re reading this for the first time and wondering what ever happened to me here it is –

STILL SMOKE FREE – and going on 5 years!!!

I did it and so can you!!!

In a recent conversation with a friend who wanted to quit for his 50^th Birthday – all I could do was wish him luck and let him know if I can do it anyone can. I was a serious smoker! I wouldn’t even sleep through the entire night … I’d get up to use the john and have a smoke … can you imagine that??

Not even 8 hours of sleep would interrupt my nicotine habit.

Trust me when I say: If I can do it, so can you!!!!

If you check my blog ledger on the left side of the page you can see that for the first couple of years I took my blogging very seriously … I let it slid quite a bit in 2011 … then totally stopped in 2012. But for the first year and a half I was posting often – it was my therapy – it made me feel good about me and the journey I was on; and I was hopeful others would find it helpful in their own quest to be smoke free.

I’d share my personal stories and all my struggles; I’d search the net for news articles and pictures to post. I’d reprint graphs and various statistics … (hopefully you’ll go back and read some of it.) I even have a couple of cartoons I’m surprised have not been spotted by their originators!

Also, I use to keep track of each and every day I spent smoke free. I would frequently calculate how much money I was saving.  At 500 smoke free days I had estimated a cost savings of over $4,000.00!

http://my-new-life-blog.blogspot.com/2010/11/500-days-smoke-free-holy-smokes.html

Read this if you want …….

Now, I am well over 1,600 smoke free days – figuring it all out would take more work than I am in the mood for today J … Although the simple part of that math is I’ve saved enough to buy a fairly nice used car!

Now it’s December once again … almost exactly two years since my last post … and closing in fast on the end of another year. Maybe a few more Google searches for quitting smoking help than usual in anticipation of the New Year.  Maybe a new post from one person’s success will inspire you to move forward and before you leave this page, ask yourself;

If not now? When??

Good Luck – FJW 

Quit Smoking Tip Sheet ~

Thinking about quitting Smoking midnight New Years Day?? Here's an oldie but a goodie ... Some tips that have really helped me in the past.

1. Quit cold turkey with the help of drugs (prescribed!).


2. Do not carry cigarettes.


3. Quit smoking one day at a time. Do not concern yourself with next year, next month, next week or even tomorrow. Concentrate on not smoking from the time you wake up until you go to sleep.


4. Work on developing the attitude that you are doing yourself a favor by not smoking. Do not dwell on the idea that you are depriving yourself of a cigarette. You are ridding yourself of full-fledged smoking because you care enough about yourself to want to.


5. Be proud that you are not smoking.


6. Be aware that many routine situations will trigger the urge for a cigarette. Situations which will trigger a response include: drinking coffee, alcohol, sitting in a bar, social events with smoking friends, card games, the end of meals. Try to maintain your normal routine while quitting. If any event seems too tough, leave it and go back to it later. Do not feel you must give up any activity forever. Everything you did as a smoker, you will learn to do at least as well, and maybe better, as an ex-smoker.


7. Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit smoking. Keep this list with you, preferably where you used to carry your cigarettes. When you find yourself reaching for a cigarette, take out your list and read it.


8. Drink plenty of water the first three days. It will help flush nicotine out of your system.


9. To help avoid weight gain, eat vegetables and fruit instead of candies and pastries. Celery and carrots can be used safely as short-term substitutes for cigarettes.


10. If you are concerned about weight gain, do some moderate form of regular exercise. If you have not been exercising regularly, consult your physician for a practical exercise program which is safe for you. See also: Exercise Shown To Powerfully Decrease Cigarette Cravings


11. If you encounter a crisis, (e.g. a flat tire, flood, blizzard, family illness) while quitting, remember, smoking is no solution. Smoking will just complicate the original situation while creating another crisis, a relapse into the nicotine addiction.


12. Consider yourself a “smoke-a-holic.” One puff and you can become hooked again. No matter how long you have been off, don't think you can safely take a puff!


13. Don't debate with yourself how much you want a cigarette. Ask yourself how do you feel about going back to your old level of consumption. Smoking is an all or nothing proposition.


14. Save the money you usually spend on cigarettes and buy yourself something you really want after a week or a month. Save for a year and you can treat yourself to a vacation.


15. Practice deep breathing exercises when you have a craving.


16. Go places where you normally can't smoke, such as movies, libraries and no smoking sections of restaurants.


17. Tell people around you that you have quit smoking.


18. Remember that there are only two good reasons to take a puff once you quit. You decide you want to go back to your old level of consumption until smoking cripples and then kills you, or, you decide you really enjoy withdrawal and you want to make it last forever. As long as neither of these options appeal to you - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF

If Quitting is your goal and any of this helps Please write to me and share both your success and your frustrations. FJW

My 8 ~ 8 ~ 8 Plan!!!

I've just returned from Vegas, one of the most smoking friendly Cities in the United States... And I've just completed 888 Days Smoke Free!!

I know I really haven't blogged about my nicotine addiction struggles lately and I've probably lost most of my followers ... 'cept maybe one person in Missouri :)

But, in case anyone was wondering I am Still Smoke free nearly Two and a Half Years Later!

I had attempted quitting this vial habit so many times I lost count. But from all those attempts I did learn one very valuable lesson ... No matter what, don't try just one!

There is no such thing to just one cigarette for an addict. One will always lead to another. Every now and then, but not too often anymore, a cigarette sounds appealing however, the feeling always goes away.

So -- if you're a recent quitter learn from my past mistakes and never take another puff :)

Happy Holidays ~ FJW

Genes May Make Quitting Tougher for Smokers

Your particular DNA may explain why you can't break the habit, study suggests.

By Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 1, 2011 (HealthDay News) — Despite decades of public health efforts aimed at snuffing out cigarette smoking, 20 percent of Americans still light up. New research suggests it might be because of their genes.

While anti-smoking campaigns are credited with slicing cigarette use drastically over the past 40 years — from 42 percent of all Americans in 1965 to just under 20 percent in 2010 — the number of people who haven't been able to nix their nicotine habit has flatlined in recent years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two out of three adults who smoke want to quit, a CDC report out earlier this month said, and more than half (52 percent) had attempted to quit in the past year.

The authors of the new study, released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of Demography, say new tactics may be needed to help the remaining smokers.

"Federal and social policies may be somewhat less effective now because maybe the composition of those at risk [those who smoke] has changed," said study co-author Fred Pampel, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and a research associate at the Institute of Behavioral Science there. Those who can quit easily have probably done so, the authors said.

Study lead author Jason Boardman, an associate professor of sociology, said anti-smoking messages, higher taxes and restrictions on smoking have made a difference. "But for hard-core smokers, there may be something else going on," he said. That "something else" is likely genetics, he added.

The researchers drew this conclusion after analyzing the smoking habits between 1960 and 1980 of nearly 600 pairs of twins who answered an extensive health questionnaire — 363 were identical sets of twins and 233 were fraternal twins. Identical twins come from the same fertilized egg before it splits into two embryos and they share the same genes or DNA, while fraternal twins come from two separately fertilized egg cells and only share some genetic similarities.

In the identical twin group, 65 percent of both individuals quit within a two-year period of each other, while only 55 percent of the fraternal twins quit within that same stretch of time.

"The logic here is that the identical twins share genes, so if they act alike it probably reflects a genetic component," said Pampel.

The new research adds to a growing body of literature suggesting there is probably a substantial genetic influence when it comes to nicotine addiction, said Dr. Aditi Satti, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the smoking cessation program at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. But scientists are still trying to pinpoint the gene or genes involved, she said.

"There has not been one specific gene linked to nicotine addiction," said Satti.

She noted that while numbers of smokers have decreased over the years, smoking is up among women and black Americans, possibly another clue as to who is genetically at risk. Inner city, low socioeconomic and less-educated populations are more likely to be smokers, too, Satti added.

"I think the combo of finding better medications and educating people, even if doctors just spend five minutes talking with your patient about smoking, will lead to higher quit rates," Satti said.

Boardman said a policy shift might be in line. Instead of government anti-smoking campaigns focusing on high taxes and splashy advertisements, he said current smokers may discover more success using medication aimed at nicotine addiction, as well as counseling.

"I'd argue that nicotine replacement therapies may be far more effective with existing smokers still trying to quit than the posters showing images of smokers that are not cool. Behavior-changing efforts — I don't think that's going to help the two-pack a day smokers," said Boardman, who is also a research associate at the Institute of Behavioral Science.

Smoking-related diseases lead to approximately 443,000 deaths a year in the United States, including babies born prematurely to women who smoke while pregnant and those harmed by secondhand smoke, according to the American Lung Association.

Satti is concerned that cigarette addiction isn't taken seriously enough by some.

"Maybe we don't see smoking as being as important as alcohol and drug addiction, but I'm a pulmonologist and I see chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and lung cancer every day," she said. "And we know tobacco smoke is linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke. It's one of the most preventable things you can do. If you quit smoking, you'll see a huge impact on health."

When COPD Symptoms Worsen

Find out how to prevent a COPD exacerbation and what to do if you experience one.

Though patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can keep symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, or sputum under control most of the time, they're susceptible to experience exacerbations, or severe worsening of those symptoms, at any time.

"An exacerbation is when a chronic disease gets worse for some reason. With COPD, this is usually because of infection,” explains Richard Castriotta, MD, professor at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

COPD exacerbations result in about 1.5 million emergency room visits every year in the United States, but a person's risk of an exacerbation varies depending on the severity of his or her condition. People with severe COPD have about 3.43 exacerbations a year compared with 2.68 on average for people with moderate COPD.

COPD Exacerbations: Signs and Causes
To recognize an exacerbation, look out for these COPD symptoms:
· Worsening cough
· Worsening feeling of being short of breath (dyspnea)
· Changes in sputum, such as changing color (clear to yellow, green, brown, or red) or quantity (either more or less than usual)

Many COPD exacerbations occur without any known cause. However, the most commonly understood causes of COPD exacerbations are respiratory infections such as colds or the flu.

If you have increased COPD symptoms such as a fever, chills, and "purulent" sputum (yellow in color), you should call your doctor immediately. You may need a prescription for antibiotics to help fight the infection.

COPD Exacerbations: How to Handle an Occurrence
How you handle a COPD exacerbation will depend on how controlled your symptoms are under normal circumstances and how severe the exacerbation is. If your symptoms are under control most of the time and your exacerbation is not severe, you should talk to your doctor about how to treat your symptoms at home. You may be able to use your bronchodilator or steroids to address some symptoms under a doctor's supervision.

If you have followed your doctor's instructions and your efforts to control symptoms at home have not worked, do not take more medication. Instead, call your doctor's office or go to the ER.

If you're having trouble breathing, you should go to the ER immediately. At the hospital, you may receive ventilator treatments or medication to help you breathe. In some instances, you may be hospitalized until you get better.

COPD Exacerbations: Prevention Strategies
There are several ways that you can prevent exacerbations or reduce their severity:
· Stop smoking. The more years you smoke, the worse your exacerbations are likely to be. Chronic and heavy smokers are at increased risk for severe exacerbations.

· Take antibiotics as prescribed. If your doctor gives you antibiotics to treat an infection that might lead to an exacerbation, make sure you take all the medication as your doctor instructs, even if you feel better before you have finished every dose.

· Get your flu shot. Get a flu vaccine every year when flu season begins and make sure that you are up-to-date with your pneumococcal vaccine.

· Find a primary care doctor you can see regularly. Data from a study of 388 COPD patients showed that those who did not have a regular doctor were more likely to need to go to the ER. The researchers estimate that 10 percent of hospital visits could be prevented if more people with COPD had regular doctors. You also can reduce the risk of having to return to the ER with a relapse if you have a doctor you can visit about a week after your initial exacerbation and hospital visit.

If you understand which COPD symptoms to watch out for, you will be able to respond to COPD exacerbations quickly and learn how to prevent them in the future.

Sometimes Will Power Just Isn't Enough~

By: Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

Do you snack every night in front of the television? Do you drink a little too much when you are out with your friends? Do you ever find that you've smoked a whole pack of cigarettes, bitten off half your nails, or eaten an entire bag of Doritos without realizing you were doing it?

That's the real problem when it comes to ridding yourself of bad habits -- back in the beginning, when the behavior was new, it was something you did intentionally and probably consciously. But do anything enough times, and it becomes relatively automatic. In other words, you don't even need to know that you are doing it.

In fact, as new research shows, you don't even need to want to do it. If you develop the habit of snacking in front of your TV at night, how hungry you are or how tasty the snack is will no longer determine whether or how much you eat.

Many bad habits operate mindlessly, on autopilot. They are triggered by the context (e.g., watching TV, socializing, feeling stressed), rather than by any particular desire to engage in the behavior. So the key to stopping a bad habit isn't making a resolution -- it's figuring out how to turn off the autopilot. It's learning to disrupt the behavior, preferably before it starts.

Take for example a recent small study of movie theater popcorn-eating. Researchers invited about 100 people to watch 15 minutes of movie previews while seated in a real movie theater. They gave the participants free bags of popcorn and varied whether the popcorn was fresh or stale. (The stale popcorn was actually a week old. Yuck.) Then, they measured how much popcorn each person ate.

Not surprisingly, everyone who got the stale popcorn reported liking it less than those who got fresh. And people with a weak popcorn habit (e.g., those who didn't usually eat popcorn at the movies) ate significantly more fresh popcorn than stale. But here's the kicker -- for people with a strong popcorn habit (those who always ordered popcorn at the movies) it didn't matter how stale the popcorn was. They ate the same amount, whether it was an hour old or seven days old.

That's worth thinking about for a moment -- people with a strong habit were eating terrible popcorn, not because they didn't notice it was terrible, but because it didn't matter. The behavior was automatic, not intentional. So if tasting like Styrofoam won't keep you from eating something, what will?

The researchers found that there were, in fact, two effective ways to disrupt the automatic popcorn-eating.

First, you can disrupt the habit by changing the context. When they conducted the same study in the context of a conference room with 60 people, rather than at a movie theater, people with strong popcorn habits at the movie theater stopped eating the stale popcorn. The automatic popcorn-eating behavior wasn't activated, because the situational cues were changed.

If you have a habit you'd like to break, spend some time thinking about the situations in which it most often occurs. If you snack in front of the TV at night, consider doing something else in the evenings for a while -- reading a good book, spending time with friends or family, even surfing the web. Any alternative activity is less likely to trigger mindless eating. If you just can't give up your favorite shows, you might try rearranging the room or sitting in a different chair -- anything that alters the context can help.

Second, you can disrupt a habit by changing the method of performance. In another study, the researchers found that asking strong-habit popcorn eaters who were in a movie theater to eat with their non-dominant hand stopped them from eating the stale popcorn, too.



So if you can't change the situation, you can change the way the habit gets executed. If you mindlessly eat or smoke with your right hand, try only using your left. If you mindlessly drink from the glass that the bartender keeps refilling, try sitting at a table instead of the bar so you'll have to consciously get up and ask for a refill. Making the behavior a little more difficult or awkward to perform can be a great way to throw a wrench in the works.

Too often, we blame our failures on the wrong things. When it comes to ridding ourselves of bad habits, we usually chalk our difficulties up to a lack of commitment or willpower. But as I've argued in my new book "Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals," conquering your behavioral demons needs to start with understanding how they really work and applying the most effective strategy. In this case, success comes from not making it quite so easy for your autopilot to run the show.

Smoking Can Be Just Plain Goofy!

Quitting Even Tougher When Smokers Battle Other Addictions

FRIDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) — Four out of every 10 smokers is also burdened with alcohol or drug addictions, or mental health disorders, and getting them to quit cigarettes can be a big challenge.

But a new study finds that these patients are five times more likely to give up smoking if they receive smoking-cessation counseling from their primary care doctors.

Finding ways to help them kick the smoking habit not only boosts their health but also reduces tobacco-related health care costs, said study author Dr. Michael Ong, an assistant professor of general internal medicine and health services research and a researcher at Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In the study, his team looked at success rates among almost 1,400 smokers who tried to quit. The rates were 6 percent for those with so-called "comorbid disorders" (for example, mental illness and/or substance abuse issues) who did not receive smoking cessation counseling from their family doctor, 10.5 percent for those without the comorbid disorders who did not receive counseling, about 31 percent for those with the comorbid disorders who did receive counseling, and nearly 35 percent for those without the disorders who received counseling.

Ong's group also found that smokers with alcohol, drug or mental health disorders were just as likely as those without the disorders to receive smoking cessation counseling from their family doctor — about 73 percent and 80 percent, respectively.

"It would be very effective for primary care physicians to provide help in quitting smoking to these patients," Ong concluded in a UCLA Health Sciences news release.

"However, in the context of everything these physicians are trying to do in a day, smoking cessation may fall by the wayside," he added. "It's also been thought that with this patient population, doctors should only take on one thing at a time, for example treating an opiate addiction and opting to deal with the smoking cessation later. But at the end of the day, we showed that smoking cessation counseling is effective in this patient population and should definitely be pursued."

The study was published Aug. 23 in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Smoke Free in Memphis!

750 Smoke Free Days!!

Holy Smokes!

The two year anniversary passed with out much fan fare and now her I am over 750 Smoke Free Days!

Every so often it's fun to do the math ....

When I quit, I was smoking approximately a pack and half a day. I was going to the store and buying one 'premium' pack and one 'generic' (cheap-ass) pack and alternating the two. My surprise back then was that the cheap-ass smokes weren't really all that bad .......... back to the cost:

Every time I bought two packs of smokes it was costing me around eight bucks .... divide that out on a per cigarette basis and I was paying approximately twenty cents per smoke.

Twenty Cents for each cigarette and smoking thirty cigarettes a day I was spending right around $6.00 a day just for permanently damaging my lungs ... And that was two years ago ... prior to the Obama Tax Slap ....

Thirty Cigs a day multiplied by 750 days and that's 22,500 cigarettes I have NOT smoked! Let me spell that one out .... that is TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED cancer sticks un-smoked by me! Now that's alata tobacco! At cost of twenty cents each or six dollars a day that's $4,500.00!

Four Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars! In my world that's a lot of cash .... and most of that doesn't even go to the evil tobacco companies ... it's taxes directly to the feds!

If you've quit smoking recently ... take the time to do the math ... it's fun and rewarding!

FJW

Two Years and Two Weeks!

The TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY of my quit day has come and gone with little fan fare!
It would've been hard to believe two years ago that NOT smoking would be my norm and I would end up missing it very little!

That is not to say I NEVER miss it. But cravings are close to nil and the worst part of everything is smelling smokers and realizing I used to smell that way too! Yuk!

Two years later I still feel the effects of a lifetime of cigarettes though. When I do experience trouble in my breathing I can't help to (a) regret my decision to ever start smoke but more importantly (b) celebrate the fact that I was eventually able to free myself from the shackles of that addiction.

I can help to wonder what my life would be like if I continued down that path and I also wonder how much better off I am today because of my final, successful attempt two years ago this month.

A NSW Health Department fact sheet states that “The best thing a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking. There are health benefits of quitting for all smokers, regardless of age, sex or length of time that they have been smoking. People who have already developed smoking-related health problems, like heart disease, can still benefit from quitting.”

There are many benefits to quitting and some of these even occur within hours of smoking your last cigarette. The changes that occur once you have quit highlight the amazing recovery, rejuvenation and regeneration your body is capable of even after years of smoking. Another plus to quitting is that people who quit smoking after having a heart attack reduce their chances of having another heart attack by 50 per cent.

Okay, so what are some of these benefits and what is the time frame?
I know I've listed some of these before but they are worth repeating
* Within 20 minutes of Quitting cigarettes your body begins a series of changes that continue for years. Your heart rate reduces.
* 12 hours from quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood reduces dramatically.
* 2-12 weeks since quitting your heart attack risk begins to reduce, your circulation improves, your lung function improves and exercise becomes easier
* 1-9 months after quitting the coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
* 1 year on your risk of coronary heart disease is halved compared to a continuing smoker.
* 5 years later your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and oesophagus decreases and your risk of stroke is dramatically reduced.
* 10 years of being a non-smoker and your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker and your risk of cancers of the bladder, kidney and pancreas also decreases.
* 15 years of being a non-smoker and your risk of coronary heart disease and risk of death fall to about the same as someone who has never smoked.

Do you need more benefits?
** If you quit cigarettes before age 35, then your life expectancy is similar to someone who has never smoked.

** If you quit cigarettes in 60 minutes before age 50, then your risk of dying in the next 15 years is reduced by half when compared to people who continue to smoke.

** Best of all – quitting cigarettes in at any age doesn’t just increase life expectancy – it also improves quality of life!

As a non-smoker, you are also less likely to have:

•macular degeneration
•cataracts
•brittle bones
•wrinkles and look older faster
•yellow teeth and bad breath.
By quitting cigarettes in 60 minutes you will reduce your chances of:

•impotence
•having difficulty getting pregnant
•having premature births, babies with low birth weights, and miscarriage.
If you have children, your quitting cigarettes in 60 minutes can lower their risk of:

•Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – (cot death)
•being smokers themselves
•ear infections
•allergies
•asthma
•bronchitis and other lung problems.

By quitting you will reduce your chance of having:

•cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth, lips, gums, kidneys and bladder
•heart disease and hardening of the arteries
•a stroke
•emphysema and other lung diseases
•gangrene and other circulation problems.

All this while saving 'boat' loads of money!

5 Ways to Quit Smoking for Good This 4th of July ~

Do something special this Fourth of July -- make the decision to quit smoking for good! Here are five tips that will help you quit smoking for life.

1. Start With a Stop-Smoking Plan

* Pick a day to quit smoking. Having a specific day in mind will help you stick to your goal. One day next month would be best — that will give you enough time to plan for it, but not enough time to talk yourself out of it. Don't quit smoking during holiday periods or at a time when you can expect a lot of additional stress. Post the date on your calendar, and let family and close co-workers and friends know.

*Visit your doctor. Discuss your decision to quit smoking, and ask if nicotine replacement therapy or other medications might help you quit.

* Cut back now. In the days leading up to your quit-smoking day, begin cutting back on the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Try to smoke just half a cigarette when you do light up.

*Get smart. Read about what you'll be going through, especially nicotine withdrawal and the stresses of quitting. Start paying attention to triggers that make you want to smoke. You'll need to avoid or deal with these triggers once you've quit smoking.

*Plan substitutes. Stock up on cigarette substitutes like carrot sticks, hard candy, straws, toothpicks, and sugarless gum.

2. Seek Help and Support to Stop Smoking

*Tell family and friends about your quit-smoking day, and ask for their support. Just having someone to talk with can help you during low moments.

* Ask those who still smoke not to smoke around you while you're trying to quit smoking.

*Find a support group or a smoking cessation program in your area. Many groups like the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society offer programs through which smokers can receive help and advice while they're trying to quit smoking.

3. Make Your Quit-Smoking Day Special

* Don't smoke at all. Not one puff. This is it!

* Get rid of all of your smoking paraphernalia. Toss out your cigarettes, matches, lighters, and ashtrays.

*Plan to stay busy all day. Go for a walk or exercise. Go someplace where smoking isn't allowed, like the library or the movies. Eat foods you don't normally eat, and take routes you don't normally take. The idea is to avoid any association with your usual patterns of behavior.

*Begin using a nicotine replacement, if you've decided that will help you.

* Drink lots of water and juice. This will give you something to do and help flush the nicotine out of your body.

4. Be Prepared to Deal With Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms
As time passes, you’ll need to confront rationalizations. You will come up with reasons to smoke that wouldn't normally make any sense to you except at this point, when you're in the middle of a powerful craving. Thoughts like, "Just one to get me through this rough patch" and "I can't deal with this today, I'll quit tomorrow" will go through your mind. See these thoughts for what they are, and ignore them. Here’s how:

*Avoid situations that trigger the desire to smoke.

*Find ways to deal with cravings. Take slow, deep breaths until the craving passes. Drink some water slowly and hold it in your mouth. Munch on carrot sticks or suck some hard candy. Focus on a crossword puzzle. Play with a rubber band.

* If nothing else works, just tell yourself to hold off smoking for 10 minutes; often, that will get you past the craving.

5. Maintain Your Resolve, But Be Ready for a Slip
Whenever you feel your resolve weakening, remind yourself of all the benefits of not smoking:

* Count the money you're saving on cigarettes, consider how much better everything tastes and smells, and think about how your secondhand smoke is no longer affecting your family and friends.

*Avoid alcohol. Drinking makes it more likely you'll slide back into smoking.

*Eat right and exercise. A healthy diet and an exercise regimen can keep your mind off cravings and draw attention to how much better you feel now that you've quit smoking.

*Reward yourself. Buy something special with the money you've saved on cigarettes.

* Quickly regain control if you slip. Slipping is not the same as relapse — it's just a one-time mistake. You're still a non-smoker. Rededicate yourself, and use the slip as a learning opportunity by asking yourself what triggered your desire to smoke and what you can do to avoid it in the future.

Quitting smoking is difficult but not impossible. I did it, so can you! Just don’t give up!

The High Cost of Smoking Cigarettes ~

If you think your cigarettes are getting even more expensive, you're right. In the past 10 years, 47 states and the District of Columbia have implemented 105 cigarette tax rate increases. (In contrast, Missouri and North Dakota haven't raised cigarette taxes since 1993, while California last hiked them up in 1999.)

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, states currently charge an average of $1.47 in taxes on each pack of cigarettes. As a result, the average price for a pack of smokes in the United States is now $5.58, though the price fluctuates wildly by geography. In Missouri -- the state with the nation's cheapest retail price -- a pack costs $3.93, while in New York -- the most expensive state -- it's a whopping $9.11. And that's outside New York City. Here in the five boroughs, where there are additional city taxes, a pack can cost anywhere from $11 to $13.

The average smoker burns through 13 to 16 cigarettes a day, or four to six packs a week. That adds up. The average smoker forks over at least $1,500 a year, while here in New York City, it's closer to $3,300.

But because smoking, like takeout food and store-made coffee, hits our wallets in a series of small purchases, it can be easy to overlook how much you're spending. Still, it has a psychological impact: One of many reasons governments implement cigarette taxes is to reduce smoking among price-conscious consumers.

It works: Research shows that people smoke less as cigarettes get more expensive. As tobacco giant Philip Morris (PM) stated in its 10-Q for the Securities and Exchange Commission on Nov. 3, 2008, "Tax increases are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on sales of tobacco products by our tobacco subsidiaries, due to lower consumption levels."

Smokers will have a lot to ponder in coming months, as the Department of Health and Human Services implements its new packaging policy requiring warning labels that include graphic photos of the health damages caused by smoking. In the meantime, we wanted to know how sensitive smokers are to the price of their cigarettes, so we hit the streets of Manhattan during lunchtime to find out.

102 Weeks of Recovery ~

Recovery from nicatine addiction is a combination of carrots and sticks. There will be days when you feel great and love life. There will be days when everything seems like a challenge to your sanity; especially in the begining. That's perfectly normal. We're human!!

The key to living without our former crutch is to recognize that both days are good for our growth in recovery. And both days are potentially dangerous -- if we don't stay vigilant.

Remember, we're dealing with a foe that's cunning, baffling, powerful, persuasive, and extraordinarily patient. For me, nearly two years later it can feel as if I've got the tiger by the tail. But I can risk letting my guard down, even momentarily, or that tiger will pounce.

Happy occasions are just as likely to invite relapse as stressful situations. But as long as we keep your guard up and don't allow yourself to be seduced into thinking we're "cured" (we're not)... we'll all be fine.

707 ~ What's Special About This Number?

* 707 = 7 x 101.

* 707 is the smallest number whose reciprocal has period 12: 1/707 = 0.001414427157001414427157001. . .

* 707 is the sum of five consecutive primes: 707 = 131 + 137 + 139 + 149 + 151.

* 707 is the sum of three nonzero fourth powers: 707 = 54 + 34 + 14.

* 707 is the sum of five distinct pentatope numbers: 707 = 495 + 126 + 70 + 15 + 1.

* 707 x 715 = 505505.

* The Boeing 707 was a commercial passenger jet airliner, which first flew in 1957.

** I Quit Smoking 707 days ago today!!! **

Read How Nine Stars Gave Up Smoking ~

http://www.everydayhealth.com/stop-smoking-pictures/9-celebrities-that-successfully-quit-smoking.aspx

Why Haven't I Gained A Pound??

Mouse Study Reveals How Smoking Helps Keep People Thin
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay News

The notion that smoking somehow helps keep smokers thin has gotten new support from a study in mice — and the finding might one day be parlayed into new drugs to control weight gain.
It's always a leap to extrapolate from animal experiments, one expert said, but this new research does open up interesting possibilities.

"Humans have basically the receptors as mice," noted Ursula Winzer-Serhan, an associate professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Bryan. "There is good evidence that what happens in mice also happens in humans."

Winzer-Serhan was not involved with the study, which appears in the June 10 issue of Science.
"We have to be very cautious," added study author Yann Mineur, but the basic biology, "as far as we can tell, is fairly similar to what's happening in humans."

It's well known that people who smoke tend to be skinnier, even if their lives tend to be shorter than those of nonsmokers.

"All animal studies show that nicotine reduces body weight by reducing food intake and increasing energy expenditure," said Winzer-Serhan. "That is one of the few facts in science there is not a lot of controversy about."

But the new study goes deeper than that. Mineur, an associate research scientist in psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, stumbled upon the compound used in the study, cytisine, while looking into possible drugs for depression.

The smoking-cessation drug Chantix (varenicline) is a derivative of cytisine.

In experiments with mice, cytisine prevented weight gain by activating the same set of neurons in the hypothalamus as nicotine does. This neurological pathway is also involved in appetite and metabolism, the researchers said.

However, even though the idea of targeting nicotine receptors to control weight has been around a long time, the problem is that nicotine receptors are located all over the body, explained William Tank, chair of pharmacology and physiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

That means that any drug developed to control weight via nicotinic receptors would have to be very targeted, otherwise it could have effects on other parts of the body, including memory, blood pressure and heart beat, explained Winzer-Serhan.

Cytisine, which Mineur says is already used in some Eastern European countries as a smoking-cessation aid, is fairly selective, targeting receptors in the peripheral nervous system.
In the meantime, the current findings should not be used to encourage smoking as a weight-loss tool, given the habit's deadly effects.

Certain nicotine-based, smoking-cessation techniques, such as patches, could potentially limit weight gain, Mineur says, but smoking is not the way to go.

Mineur also pointed out that there are many other factors associated with post-smoking weight gain, such as munching on candy because you miss the cigarette.

"The idea of there being a therapeutic use of nicotine agonists is...a great idea," said Tank. "[But] this is a very complicated set of physiologies and nicotine is an extraordinarily complicated drug."

100 Weeks Ago Today!

That's Right ... One Hundred consecutive weeks with out a cigarette! That's 700 Days to you and me!

Do you know what you were doing July 5th, 2009?
I know what I was doing ... Suffering!!

It's hard to believe now that I was so heavily addicted to Cigarettes for so long. I'm at the point now where I can hardly stand the smell of tobacco smoke, especially in people's clothes.

I am now just four weeks away from my Two Year Mark! It was just two short years ago four weeks seemed like an eternity. Today it just seems like any other four weeks without a cigarette.

If you're still new to the "Quit Smoking Club" keep up the struggle -- it really does get easier. I'm living proof!

Cheers. FJW

How Do I Know I'm Really Addicted to Nicotine?

You may think you smoke just because you want to, but telltale signs of nicotine addiction include the time of day you start lighting up and what you will do in order to have a cigarette. Get the lowdown on nicotine addiction, and find out how to quit for good.

By Beth W. Orenstein

If you smoke cigarettes, it’s likely you are addicted to nicotine. Statistics show that three out of four people who start smoking are still smoking 40 years later. They simply can’t quit smoking, because nicotine, a drug found naturally in tobacco, is addictive. The Surgeon General has concluded that nicotine addiction has similar pharmacologic and behavioral characteristics to cocaine and heroin addictions.

A pack-a-day smoker smokes a cigarette about every hour or so, says Erik Augustson, PhD, MPH, a behavioral scientist in the Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. If you were to stop or even cut back, you would start to go into nicotine withdrawal — and that’s what drives smokers to smoke their next cigarette.

How soon you reach for a cigarette in the morning, after not smoking for the time you were sleeping, is a good indication of the severity of your nicotine addiction. “If you have your first cigarette of the day within five minutes of waking, your addiction is pretty strong. If it’s within 30 minutes, it’s moderate and, if it’s within 60 minutes or later, it’s somewhat lower,” says Cheryl Yates, a master certified tobacco treatment specialist at The Tobacco-Free Wellness Center at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Other signs that you have a nicotine addiction include:
· You smoke more than seven cigarettes a day.
· You smoke even when you’re sick.
· You go outside to smoke even if it’s freezing or raining.

You have to consider not only how many cigarettes you smoke, but also how heavily you inhale, Yates points out. “You can extract the same amount of nicotine from 10 cigarettes as you do from 20 if you smoke heavily rather than lightly,” she says.

Another way to know you’re addicted to cigarettes is if you try to stop and you experience withdrawal symptoms. The most common nicotine withdrawal symptoms are:
· Irritability and anger
· Restlessness
· Depression
· Physical sensations, like you have a mild case of the flu
· Inability to sleep uninterrupted
· Cravings for cigarettes
· Weight gain, though typically less than 10 pounds

Some people who have quit smoking complain of dizziness, headaches, and having more dreams during withdrawal. According to research, most smokers experience at least four of these nicotine withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit smoking.

“Nicotine withdrawal is unpleasant for the vast majority of smokers,” Augustson says, “but it’s not as bad as we see with other drug addictions. It’s not physically dangerous and, while it’s unpleasant, most smokers try to manage it.”

The unpleasant side effects of nicotine withdrawal are the most intense when you first quit. They begin to subside somewhat after a week and even more after a month. Withdrawal symptoms can linger, but it does get easier. Eventually, the time between cravings will grow longer and longer, and eventually stop — typically after about six months.

The cravings themselves are like waves, Augustson explains. “Cravings can be very intense, but they will crest and fade even if you don’t have a cigarette. They will go away naturally on their own. Cravings won’t last more than 10 to 15 minutes for most smokers. Finding a way to get through that 10- to 15-minute period is a very effective strategy for quitting.”

Augustson suggests saying to yourself: “I know it’s unpleasant now, but if I wait 15 to 20 minutes, I can wait it out and I can be very proud of myself because I did.”
Other strategies for quitting include:

· Find a distraction. Go for a walk, wash the dishes, or play a game with your kids. “Find something that will distract you enough to get through those cravings,” says Augustson.
· Remind yourself why you should quit. Write a list of the top five reasons why you should stop smoking — such as you don’t want to get lung cancer like Dad and die at an early age, or you can save $75 a week not buying cigarettes. Keep the list with you and review it when you feel the urge to smoke.
· Avoid situations where you are likely tempted to smoke. Common triggers include feeling stressed, being bored, or drinking alcohol. Know what situations cause you the most stress and try to come up with coping techniques, such as deep breathing or practicing yoga. Plan activities so that you’re not bored. Stay away from bars and other places where you often drink — especially when you’re first starting in your efforts to quit. If you must have something, switch to non-alcoholic beverages.
· Seek support. Let friends and family members know of your intention to quit. Also, find a support group. You can find support online or in person with groups that meet locally.

Because nicotine is addictive, quitting is never easy. But with the right help and the right attitude, you can overcome your addiction.

The Outlaw Cigar Company ~

Question:

Last night I was cruising across the state line and saw this really cool looking place called
The Outlaw Cigar Company.

It looks like a fun place to try. To meet up with some of my buds, sit and enjoy some fine US made Bourbon, relax in soft chairs or out on the patio ... And puff on a smooth, fine cigar ...

Keep this in mind before I get to my question:
I've been totally smoke free for 99 weeks as of today ~ YES, you read that correctly ... Ninety-Nine Weeks ... That's 693 days my friends. One week from the big 700!!

Here's the big Q??:

Will I be considered a cheater if I try out The Outlaw Cigar Company?

Follow ups:
* Would this be like an alcoholic tempting fate at a wine tasting?
* Is any tobacco product out of the question?
* If, like Bill Clinton, I do not inhale .. is it really smoking?

I'd really like some feed back on this one.
Good Luck and Good Health;
FJW