Lots of folks like to tell how they quit smoking but other people usually aren’t all that interested. They either quit years ago and think you are a fool for waiting so long or they never started and think you are just a fool. Either way tales of quitting are mostly repetitious and boring.
However, this is my blog and I can be a boring as I like. You can skip this post and not miss much.
I quit smoking a year ago and here is how I did it.
- After running a bit short of O2 in November 2006. I decided to quit smoking on January 1, 2007.
- As recommended I told everyone I would quit January 1st. Smirks and guffaws followed.
- I accepted Chauncey’s $500 challenge. If I didn’t smoke before April 1, 2007, he would give me $500. If I did, he would get the satisfaction of being right but no money. No down side for me at all.
- Got a prescription for patches: 28 days of 21mg, 14mg, and 7mg. Wore fresh patch every day. Grew fond of alcohol swabs but tired of red circles on sensitive skin. Initially the patches seemed to have more nicotine than I had been getting smoking. Brilliant medical strategy.
- First week strategy:
- Went to movies or out to lunch almost every day. Can’t smoke either place.
- Spent less time on computer in home office and more time out and about.
- Napped a lot. Never learned to smoke while asleep.
- Sally gave me a list of 100 things to do other than smoke. Most of them seem to involve cleaning or real physical effort. I hid the list.
- Bought lots of Tootsie pops and developed a temporary fondness for them. So much so that one of my birthday presents was a Tootsie pop tree. Found that I really didn’t like the green or orange pops. Don’t even want to see a Tootsie pop today.
- In late January I bought a fancy pedometer from Amazon thinking I would become a Mall walker like my sister and brother-in-law and avoid gaining weight. As plans go it was a good one but I was in no shape to follow it.
A bit of a compulsive record keeper I began to jot down my steps each day. In February 2007 I went over 4000 steps for the first time, but I certainly didn’t make a practice of it. My goal at the time was to walk more than 1000 steps a day. How do you spell sedentary? Lazy? Glued to the computer screen or recliner?
It wasn’t til late May and after some much needed prodding that I began to regularly walk more than 4000 steps a day. Today I consider that the bare minimum for days when I’m too busy with other stuff to hit the treadmill for 30 or 40 minutes.
- In February I knew I would succeed since the patches pretty much took care of any craving for nicotine. So I finally threw out the final pack of cigarettes. Yes, it was stupid to keep them around that long.
- April 1, 2007 I collected $500 from Chauncey who was delighted that I quit. And so am I.