Quit Smoking - Breaking Bad Habits

What My Bad Habit Was

I Quit smoking 30 days ago. I woke up one day and told myself this is it, I am done with the nasty habit. I started working out and eventually I forgot about why I even smoked at all. With no cigs I lost all interest in alcoholic beverages as well. With the money I have saved I bought a pair of boots I have wanted for along time which were a little spendy.
My cats are no longer coughing or sneezing and I am sleeping like a rock. I thank the Lord for giving me the power to overcome a deadly habit. Cold turkey is the only way to go. My husband died 2 yrs ago from a heart attack and he smoked. He was only 59.

How I Managed to Break It

Weeks before the decision to stop I kept telling myself every time I lit up "I need to stop this nasty habit." I am 55 yrs old and watching my husband die in a hospital bed hit me like a bomb and punched a hole in my world so big I cannot describe the pain. When you think about it, cigarettes really are coffin nails! Tired of looking at beautiful men and women with glowing skin, healthy bodies and good attitudes? You know darn well cigarettes do not control their lives. A healthy lifestyle does. Boy was I ever in huge denial!

Advice

• Just do it! Educate yourself.
• Look at a healthy lung and a lung of a smoker. Look at healthy glowing skin and then look at what your face looks like now and when you die. It's not pretty.
• When you or your loved one has a heart attack and they die remember the heart muscle dies first and then you age years overnight.

I selected this story because I am55 and  want  to quit  too. I hope you can be inspired to quit too  Robert
Here's 10 Tips to get going:

1. Identify your smoking triggers. Keep a record of when you smoke to identify your triggers so then you can make a plan to manage triggers without smoking.
2. Talk to your doctor. Consult your doctor before you quit smoking. Modern pharmaceutical treatments can make quitting easier. Moreover, tobacco may impact the way your body processes certain medications.
3. Get support from your family and friends. Let them know you are quitting and that you want their help.
4. Make a clean start. Throw away your cigarettes, hide your ashtrays, clean the house, your clothes, and the car if they smell like smoke -- anything to help make a break from the past.
5. Make a list of reasons to quit. Look at it every time you are tempted to have a smoke.
6. Keep objects around that you can put in your mouth. Items such as carrots, hard candy, even straws can give you something to do when you really crave a cigarette.
7. Drink lots of water. Water will help flush nicotine from your system and reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms.
8. Exercise. Not only will it make controlling your weight easier, it also gives you more energy and helps keep your mind off smoking.
9. Get a hair cut. Anything you can do to draw a clear line between your life as a smoker and your new life as a non smoker will make quitting easier and making you more likely to stay smoke free.
10. Find a quitting program nearest you. Log onto QuitNet.com or call your state department of health for information on local cessation assistance. Support is just a click or call away.