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Ken Moore

One year without smoking.

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I cannot help myself, I quit smoking one year ago today. I was a 1.5 pack a day smoker for about 30 years. I know this is not PLC related, but I think it is note worthy. If anyone wants to exchange stories, now is the time. BTW, I used the cold turkey method.
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Congratulations Ken, Whatever you do, don't celebrate by lighting one up! There was a time when I had gone more than a year tobacco-free. I convinced myself I could try one for old time's sake. Before I knew it, I was back to a pack or more a day again. It was another five years before I was finally able to quit again. That, thankfully has lasted. I'll be celebrating 13 years without the weed in another month. Like you, I went cold turkey. My gimmick was to count milestones. If you count in small enough steps, you can celebrate a milestone just about any day, some round number of hours, days, weeks. After one day, it's 25 hours, the next day is 50 hours, the fourth day is 100 hours, the fifth day is five days, then 150 hours, then 1 week, and so on. You say to yourself, "I can hold out until the next milestone", then when you reach it, you set a goal of reaching the next one.

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KUDOS KEN -

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Ken and Steve do you guys still have dreams about it? It has beed 14 years since I had a pack. I kept dipping (smokeless) and stopped 3.5 years ago. I still dream about both of them and wake up felling bad every time. I gave my wife my word that I would never dip again. Steve the first time I stopped for a year as well. Had more than a few to many and said just one won't hurt. Back to a can a day. My sons first birthday I had him throw my can away. That was it.

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Could you explain what is cold turkey? I want to quit smoking, tried a few things with no result, after a couple of days I go back to the same habit

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Cold turkey is when you just stop. One day you will get sick and tired of being sick. Having that scratchy voice or your kids asking "whad dat daddy". You have to have the want to the first 5~7 days where the worst. I used food as a helper.

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Congratulations Ken! I went thru the same experience 23 years ago. I was up to almost 3 full packs a day. I think I must have been physically addicted, because for about 3 weeks, I couldn't walk down a hallway without bouncing off both walls. I lucked into a course run by a couple of psychologists from one of the local hospitals (Foothills Hospital in Calgary). On their recommendation, we used the cold turkey method also. Only downside, I was diagnosed with diabetes less than 6 months after I quit. Have since discovered that the medical community has for years been trying to avoid the truth that quitting smoking significantly increases you risk of developing diabetes. There's now a study, quoted on the Johns Hopkins Hospital's website that outs the truth. (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2010/01_04_10.html Hope you have better luck than I did. In any event, congratulations. Keep up the good work. It's well worth it!

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Hello, Very well done to all. I stopped in April 1997. I chewed Nicroette gum at about 1/7 the recommend amount for about 1 week. Cheers, Mark http://www.peakhmi.com/

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I don't dream about it, and I don't really have any cravings. But.... every once in awhile, at weird, random times, it will just pop into my head "now would be a good time to have a smoke" I just ignore it. I have a friend that quit for over 10 years and just recently started back when her mom had health issues. So it's always out there waiting on ya. I used the food method in the beginning, I would come home eat dinner and then snack until I went to bed, gained about 20 pounds in 30 days. Then started exercising to lose the weight. Now I'm about 10 pounds lighter that when I smoked, feel great. Lot's more energy and a heck of a lot healthier. Ken

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That's great Ken! I quit about 2 years ago this August when my daughter was born from 2 packs a day. Cold turkey, my only motivation was to grow old with my wife and play with my kids. Also I remember seeing my Dad smoke and thinking it was so cool. Why I'm not blaming my Dad for me starting to smoke, I didn't want my kids to be able to remember seeing me smoke. I also remember how annoying it was when my Dad bragged about quitting, but now I realize that it is a grand feat It don't have dreams of smoking, but I do have nightmares where smoke and wake up feeling guilty. I guess it's a reminder that the occasional "one for old times sake" isn't a good idea.

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TW I guess that is a better way to put it.

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Let me throw in my congratulations to everyone here who has quit smoking. I grew up with my mother smoking. Thankfully no one else in our family picked up the habit. But I will agree with Steve, do not become complacent about it. There are no cures for addictions. Once they have their hooks in you, they are there forever it seems. Stay strong and make sure the only things that smoke are blown modules. Congrats again!! Z

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Agreed, one small mistake, and you are back in it to your eyeballs. Everyone I work with has been joking about having a Cigar to celebrate....no way, can't take the chance.

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Congrats to all quitters!!! I quit on April 1 2009. I quit as a tax protest more than a health issue. Ohio raised its tax 50 cents a pack that day and I decided I had had enough. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. As far a cravings go I have them ta random times, but I just ignore them and go about my day. The one thing I did notice is that my wallet is a lot fatter from all of the money I save Edited by Robobob

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I used the smoking "benefit" money to buy some fitness equipment. I have a friend that is still putting the smoke money in a vacation fund.

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Just a little more time and the psycological aspect will fade away too. You have already beat the 'chemical' addiction part. Keep it up - you won't be sorry (unless you have an addictive nature, then get some hypnosis.) Good Luck. (from a reformed smoker of Kools)

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Well...the battle continues, still smoke free. Thanks for all the comments.

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Kudos to you guys. I've never smoked but I really respect those who can kick the habit because I watched both my own father and my father-in-law struggle to quit smoking, both relapsed several times, so I understand that it must be very difficult. You've earned the bragging rights. I grew up in AZ and one really hot summer day when I was about 11 my friend Brian and I found a pack. We took it home and snuck off to the garage. Brian has seen something demonstrated about smoking at the county fair a couple of weeks earlier and wanted to try it out to see if it was for real. He had a chemistry set with some glass tubes so he stuffed a cotton ball into a tube and duct taped the cigarette to the tube. He smoked the cigarette through the cotton ball. The cotton ball turned black from the tar. I never forgot that so I was never tempted to try (tried many other things I shouldn't have, but never that). I remember when I was about 17 one of my dad's friends was over and he looked at my dad and then just said, "Bruce, its time for you to quit - its time to put it down." Thats all it took, my dad said "you're right" and they walked out to his truck and threw out his cartons, lighters, tobacco, rolling papers and rolling machine. Cold turkey. Five or six years later, I'm not sure exactly when, he was smoking again - he was with friends and decided to have "just one" for old times sake. Before he knew it he was back up to a couple of packs a day. He quit again. Then relapsed again when once again he had "just one" for old times sake. He finally kicked it again about five years ago and hopefully won't ever decide to have "just one more" again. My father in law smoked from his early teens. He quit the first time when my wife was about 14, he struggled with it off and on and it was really hard for him. She was 23 when we got married and he had quit and relapsed several times. He continued to struggle over the years but he didn't successfully quit until he was forced to by emphysema. Then came the dreaded C word. The doctor gave him six months. He lasted four. In that short time he was reduced from a tall muscular strong man to a frail sickly shell. It was shocking to see how fast it happened. He passed just before our tenth anniversary. Only one of my four children can remember anything at all about grandpa, and then not much - two of them never met him. He never retired. He missed his grandkids growing up, graduations and weddings. So congrats to all you guys who quit - and next time you think about just one more think about the football games, dance recitals, graduations, and weddings and all the smiles and hugs in between that it might cost you.
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Well said!

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Well smoking is very bad habit.. I am trying to quit it for sometime but without any success.. The post is very inspiring and I will try once more.. Edited by SantosHows

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